"Hi," Adriana said to the Joker. He was in the recreation room in the medical facility standing in front of an easel, painting.
He looked at her and the deep blue box that she was holding.
"Looks like you took a bad hit," he said as she removed her sunglasses.
"Yeah," she shrugged. "It happens. LIfe of a vigilante."
He looked away from her and dipped his paintbrush into deep green paint and went on painting. She could see a muscle bulge in his cheek. He was clenching his teeth.
"Anyway," she said. "I bought you a gift."
"Okay," he said, only mildly interested.
"Here," she said and held out the box.
The Joker sat his brush down and walked over to take the box. He put it onto the table in the room and opened it. He lifted the shirt inside. A button down dress shirt. It was so dark that it almost looked black but as he held it, he could see that it was a very deep green color.
"I know that's one of your favorite colors to wear," she told him.
"Thank you," he said and placed the lid back on the box. "Looks expensive."
"Well," Adriana agreed. "It kinda was."
"Why did you buy this?" he asked her seriously.
Adriana looked into his dark eyes, unable to stop marveling at how utterly stunning he was. His face had become a work of art. His expression was serious as he waited for an answer. She wished she knew his thoughts. She was glad that he did not know hers.
"I talked to Lucius," she told him. "It seems he can get your transport ready for the Dominican Republic in as little as seven days. Just one week. Of course we'll have to discuss everything with Dr. Kapoor to make sure you're ready to leave but...Lucius is sure everything is ready for you on the island.
"Okay," the Joker nodded immediately.
"Are you..excited?" Adriana asked.
He looked confused. "Should I be?"
"Well...it's just.." Adriana said. "You kept asking me to check with Lucius about the date..so I though you were anxious to go, so you must be excited right?"
"If I must be," he said blankly.
Now it was Adriana who looked confused. She looked at the tiny freckles on his forehead. She had memorized every one a long time ago.
"So, you're not excited?" she asked.
"Hmm," he said and went back to the easel. "I'm excited."
Adriana knew that he was lying. He looked at the blend of colors in front of him, He wasn't excited or unexcited. But he was saying he was excited to end the discussion. Even though she couldn't see his thoughts, she knew him well.
"Okay then," she said.'"I'm sure you're ready to begin your life."
His hazel eyes darted towards hers so quickly that it almost alarmed her. She watched his shoulders rise and fall as he took a deep breath.
"Yes," he said. A single word with no emotion in his tone. "A prison home."
"No," Adriana said. "It won't be a prison. You'll be free, basically. There will be two guards but they'll just be watching the property, they won't be in the house or anything. There will also be satellite surveillance. You'll be able to go where you want on the island...you'll have a car...money..since Lucius won't have to pay a larger team a monthly salary, he can make sure you have..basically income."
"And I suppose I can't leave the country," he told her.
"Well, that.." Adriana said. "We'd prefer if you didn't leave the island. Which technically you could still leave the country, but stay on land."
"Freedom to visit Haiti," he said. "Better than being locked in a cell, I suppose."
"Yes," Adriana told him. "It's a beautiful island...I wouldn't be surprised if you never wanted to leave. You'll have identification and citizenship. You could start a business, meet someone, do whatever you want. "
"Meet someone," he said repeated looked at her.
"Sure, if you want to," Adriana said. "You should..be happy."
Adriana could only barely tell, as the expression was so subtle. But he was angry.
"Thank you for the goodbye gift," he said.
"Oh, well actually," Adriana said. "It's actually an apology gift."
"For what?" he asked.
"I know I've been...kind of a bitch lately," Adriana said, and waited for him to say something. He didn't disagree with her.
"Yes," he said finally.
"I've just been stressed out," she said. "My husband really scared me with his weight loss and everything, but all is good now."
"So Bruce Wayne is not sick?' the Joker asked.
"No..he just lost weight from a steroid he was experimenting with but he quit it so," Adriana shrugged.
"Don't steroids do the opposite?" the Joker asked her suspiciously.
"It was an experimental one," she said. "New to the market I guess."
"Has he been here for steroids?" the Joker asked.
"No.." Adriana said. "He must have gotten them somewhere else."
"Dr. Kappor has the newest state of the art machinery and drugs here," the Joker said skeptically.
"So you think my husband it lying?" Adriana crossed her arms. "He wouldn't lie to me. He was just embarrassed."
The Joker said nothing and went back to painting.
"Are you angry with me for some reason?" Adriana asked him. He was being cold.
"No," he told her.
"Are you angry? You seem irritated," she asked.
"Yes."
"Why?" she asked him.
He dropped his paintbrush into the cup again and walked over to her. Once he was right in front of her he broke eye contact and looked at the swelling bruise on her brow bone. He raised a hand, his fingers passing over the area close enough for her to feel the warmth from his skin but not close enough to touch her.
"That's...that's nothing," she said. "It barely hurts now."
He looked down at her, one eyebrow just barely raising. His expression was dominant, protective. He didn't care if it hurt or not.
"It'll be gone in a few days," she said. "Trust me..that guy paid for this."
"Is he breathing?" the Joker asked and walked back to his easel before she could answer. "I'm sure Bruce the Batman Wayne will take care of it."
"No. I'm going to cover it," she said. "Maybe I'll get bangs. The stylist can probably come before he gets home from work. Makeup too..that'll cover it."
"And your stylist will think you're a battered woman,"the Joker said.
"You're right," Adriana said and surprised him by walking over to a drawer full of other art supplied. She pulled out a pair of scissors.
He watched her release her hair from the high bun she wore it in most of the time. It dropped down to an inch below her knees like an enormous cascading wave. She took a section in the front carefully and began to chop the bangs without a mirror. Once she was finished she brushed it out with her fingers.
"There," she said.
The Joker smiled at her spontaneity. She hadn't seen him smile so genuinely in a long time.
"Actually," she said, feeling high off of the brilliance of his smile. She felt drugged. His smile was her drug.
She reached for the scissors again and began to cut off the length of her hair. He looked like he was holding in a laugh as she began to cut away her long locks. The hair fell all over the floor and she paused in between cutting each section to gaze at him. She cut all of her hair until it was even. She had cut nearly two feet of length off, but her hair was still down to her mid chest. It felt light and breezy.
"Does it look crazy?" she asked, considering she had cut everything without a mirror.
He walked over to her, still smiling and removed a stray cut lock of hair from her shoulder and dropped it to the floor.
"Beautiful," he said.
"Thanks," she replied.
"The apology gift," he said and tilted his head towards the box.
"Yeah? Do you like it?" she asked.
"It's nice," he said. "But you shouldn't apologize for being..as you said.. a bitch, to me."
"Why not?" she asked him. "I've been mean..and I didn't even thank you for helping me figure out who that Catwoman was-"
"Because," he said, cutting her off. "I've done worse to you."
"You've apologized," she reminded him. "That's how it works..people apologize to each other when they do wrong."
"I didn't apologize for everything," he said.
"You did," she repeated.
"No," he said. "I didn't apologize for...you know I get to leave, start a new life. And you...I left with...a reminder."
Adriana swallowed. "You're talking about Arsenio."
"You told me the cop knows I'm the biological..." the Joker said. "One day, Bruce Wayne could find out. And on top of that, you're responsible for him for the next few decades of your life."
"Well," Adriana took a deep breath. "There's a chance he knows. Lucius suspects he might."
The Joker raised his eyebrows.
"We have no proof..but I'm starting to suspect he might know too.." Adriana said.
"So the cop already told him," the Joker said.
"He says his didn't...Brake said he didn't...But I just have this feeling that Bruce is.." Adriana said. "He's keeping something from me. He looks at me like-"
"Like?"
"I shouldn't.." Adriana stopped herself. "It's personal. We'll deal with it. It's nothing for you to worry about."
"Because I'll be thousands of miles away safe and sound," the Joker said ."Hoping I have not ruined your marriage along with your life."
"Look," Adriana stopped him. "You haven't ruined my life."
"Where's Brake?"
"In prison."
"Of course," the Joker said.
"He's okay," Adriana smiled, wanting to mention the conversation but she decided not to. She showed Brake a photo of Arsenio, who the Joker had never even seen.
"Life ruined," the Joker said.
"He made his choice," Adriana said. "When he worked for you. He knew the risk."
"Death or a long term sentence," the Joker said. "To all who interact with me closely."
"Please," Adriana said seriously. "Stop."
The Joker stopped talking.
"You're.." Adriana said. "I know you're making references to the fact that I had a child. And yes. he will be my responsibility for the rest of my life. I have to take care of him and love him and make sure he has everything he needs. But, he's not some burden or punishment you need to apologize for. He's.."
Adriana paused and looked away, starting to smile.
"He's the best thing that's ever happened to me," Adriana said. "He's the most lovely, smart, beautiful, amazing child I've ever met and I can't believe he's my son. He's perfect. He's a complete blessing and he gives me... a reason to live. You don't have to apologize for him. In fact...I should be thanking you for the best gift I ever received. The light of my life."
The Joker was quiet. Her words were so sincere and her love for the child he had never seen or met was so true.
"Ehh.." the Joker said and ran a hand through his hair. "I'd say you're welcome but-"
Adriana laughed and slapped his arm. "Any more babies will be with my husband," she laughed.
The Joker smiled at her again. "I must say, it's a relief. I'm glad you are happy. With the child, with Bruce Wayne.."
"I am," she told him.