"How was your dinner?" Bruce asked Adriana when she returned home.

Adriana gave him a weak smile as she kicked off her shoes by the bed.

"We missed you," Adriana told him.

Bruce stood up from the small table in there bedroom and sat down his glass of scotch. He walked over to Adriana and wrapped his arms around her waist and looked into her eyes quietly.

"Do you think you will forgive him soon?" Adriana asked about Lucius.

"I honestly don't have an answer to that question yet," Bruce told her.

"Okay," Adriana said, accepting his words.

She thought of the conversation that she had with Lucius earlier that evening. He told her that it would likely be the most peaceful and easy way to put the revelation behind them. Bruce knew about Arsenio, the Joker, and refused to believe anything other than Adriana had been assaulted. Trying to convince him otherwise would likely do more harm than good..at least in the short run. She still had no idea how Bruce has found out.

Bruce knew he could never tell her the truth. That she had died, and he ran into Damien Ricard after a business dinner in the city. Damien happened to mention how decent Bruce was for taking on the child of a monster. Damien would have no recollection of the interaction because Bruce had gone back in a time machine in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean to save her. The story was even sounding absurd to Bruce. He would have believed he had hallucinated the entire hing f it wasn't for Madame Twyla demanding money from him. He had paid over two billion dollars to the woman and still owed her more. Adriana had no idea the financial state that Bruce had put them in, but Bruce planned to earn back every penny and more. He was still wealthy and Wayne Enterprises had not been touched. Yet.

"I think we should talk about this," Bruce said softly and touched her blue-black hair. She had straightened it before she went to dinner and it was silky and smooth. He felt the new style was growing on him.

Adriana swallowed.

"How long have you known?" she asked him.

"About a month," Bruce said.

"That's..." Adriana nodded. "That's what I thought."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"That's how long you've been acting differently."

"Have I?" he asked her. "How so?"

"You basically always wait for me to initiate," she said.

"That's not true," Bruce spoke before considering her words. As he retorted, he realized that she was right.

"It is.." she said. "Maybe you don't want me the same way you did...before you knew."

"Adriana," Bruce said seriously. "Me finding out what that...monster did to you...it changes nothing. I suppose...I just want you to feel safe with me. "

"I already do," Adriana said. "It's seems like you're the one who doesn't feel safe anymore. It's like you're afraid to just...take me. You do see me differently. You see me as a victim."

Bruce was silent.

"Anyway," Adriana said, shrugging it off. "I'm going to go wash off this makeup."

Adriana left him and went into the bathroom and pulled out a few makeup wipes to clean her skin. When she was done she took off her earrings and necklace. She put moisturizer on her face and neck and was wiping the excess off her hands onto a towel when Bruce came into the bathroom.

"I spoke to Dr. Kapoor when you were out," Bruce said and Adriana felt herself freeze.

"Oh.." she said, trying to remain and sound calm. Clearly, Bruce didn't know the Joker was in the mmedical facility, she told herself. There was no way he would be this calm. "What did you talk to him about?"

"You," Bruce said.

Adriana looked into his eyes through his reflection in the mirror. He was standing behind her.

"Don't worry.." Bruce said. "I didn't tell him everything. But...I think you should."

Adriana looked down. Dr. Kapoor already knew everything.

"I think you should talk to him," Bruce said. "He is an excellent therapist. We can trust him with this information, I am certain of it."

"Yes," Adriana nodded. "I know we can trust him."

"Does that mean you're willing go do therapy?" Bruce asked, sounding nearly relieved.

"Sure," Adriana agreed and looked down, wiping her hands.

"He can see you tomorrow morning," Bruce told her and wrapped his arms around her from behind. "If you're up for it."

Adriana nodded. "Yeah...that's fine," she said. "I'll...I'll tell him everything."

She felt Bruce's body relax.

"I could go with you," Bruce offered.

"Oh.." Adriana said nervously. She did not want Bruce anywhere the medical facility. The Joker would be leaving in about five days..she needed Bruce to stay away for at least that long.

"Unless you don't want me to," Bruce said.

"No it's.." Adriana said. "Maybe I should go alone..for at least a few days..you know."

"I understand," he told her. "Thank you for agreeing to this. I think it will really help."

"Me too," Adriana said. "I love you."

"And I, you." Bruce said and turned her so that she was facing him.

He kissed her lips softly and held both sides of her face gently. He looked down at her chest and let his fingertips trace the neckline of the deep silver colored dress she was wearing. In a swift movement he ripped the front of the dress open.

"What are you doing?" Adriana asked, placing a hand on his chest.

"Initiating," he said and kissed her firmly.

"Oh," she laughed. "You know I really liked this dress."

"We'll get you another one," he said and quickly picked her up and she continued laughing as he carried her to the bed.

.

.

.

"Doc told me to let you know he'll be back in twenty minutes," the Joker said to Adriana.

She had arrived at the medical facility at 9 a.m. but found no one there. After some searching she found the Joker in the facility's library which was rarely used. He was reading a large book that looked very old, a thick deep burgundy colored hardback.

"Thanks," Adriana said.

He was wondering why she was there but didn't ask. Lately, she did not come in the morning. She taught him how to prepare a few simple breakfasts for himself and he had successfully cooked sausages and French toast that morning.

"Well, enjoy your book," Adriana said before leaving.

She walked to Dr. Kapoor's office to wait for him. Fifteen minutes later he returned from his trip to the post office and bank.

Once he was settled in, Adriana went into his office.

"Bruce tells me that you could benefit from some counseling at this time," the doctor said.

Adriana sat on the couch in his office.

"He knows everything so of course he thinks that," Adriana said. "I came here so he could be satisfied with the idea I'm getting therapy. If he checks the cameras outside he'll see I came here."

Dr. Kapoor interlaced his fingers on his desk.

"You believe he knows everything?" Dr. Kapoor asked.

"What?" Adriana asked. The doctor's voice was sounding very clinical. He was talking to her like she was a patient. She knew this manner of speech extremely well. "I mean, of course not. He thinks I was raped so no he doesn't know everything. But he won't hear anything else so.."

"So you will come here, pretend to have therapy," Dr. Kapoor said. "To have a calm ending to this."

"Exactly," Adriana said.

"Alright," Dr. Kapoor said.

"What are you saying?" Adriana asked a bit defensively, even though he had barely said anything. "You think I need therapy?"

"This is only my medical opinion," Dr. Kapoor said and adjusted his glasses. "But I would say that it could not hurt."

"Why?" Adriana asked. "You see me as a victim too? Gosh! Not you too!"

"Nothing like that," Dr. Kapoor said evenly.

"Then why?"

"Adriana...this is a complex situation. It is emotionally complex."

"Why?" Adriana asked for the third time.

"I know that you were not a victim of any assault by our patient, Jack," Dr. Kappor said.

"Jack?" Adriana said. "So..we should use his name now?"

"He is leaving in less than a week," Dr. Kapoor said. "I have been using his name for a few days now. I think it would best if we both did. He can get more accustomed to responding to it. It is how he will be known when he begins the rest of his life."

"Right.." Adriana said.

"As I was saying," Dr. Kapoor said. "The situation is complex. You fell in love with this man and had a child. And after the child was born you fell in love again, only to later find out that your husband had subjected Jack to unimaginable torture. I had never seen anything like it. You have been an integral part in nursing him back to health. You've had to forgive your husband for inflicting such suffering. And very shortly...he will be leaving. Forever. I will still be in contact with him, since he has agreed to continue therapy sessions with me virtually. But once he is gone..there will be no need for you to contact him. Your communication will end, and you will be here... convincing your husband that you are in therapy here for traumas you never endured."

Adriana leaned back in the couch. Dr. Kapoor was saying things that she herself had not actually considered. She knew that the Joker was leaving soon, but it hadn't really crossed her mind that she would never talk to him again. It would be too risky to try to ever call him. And the truth was that they barely even spoke to each other these days. They maintained their distance.

Even though both she and the Joker were doing all they could to be polite, and decent with each other, Adriana knew there were so many things they wanted to discuss with each other. So many final words that needed to be said. But they had become so distant from each other, it actually seemed absurd if they would discuss something so deep and personal. For them to communicate and open up to each other about how they felt about everything that happened.

Perhaps, they both though it would be safer to maintain their distance. Speak only when necessary. It would make it easier to say goodbye.

Adriana told herself that over time her thoughts of the Joker would fade, it would be easy to say goodbye. Because they barely spoke anyway. But she knew so truthfully, that she would feel different when he was gone. She was having a hard time imagining him not around. She was happy to see him every day. She tried not to think too much about how joyous she was to see his face every day. She knew better than to do that.

She felt a sense of dread, if she was honest with herself. Imagining him alone, in the Dominican Republic. A fresh start, a new life. The sun rising over the Caribbean beach side. Him beginning a new life with someone else and forgetting about her. Things that shouldn't matter to her because she was a married woman.

"I should be happy...shouldn't I?" Adriana asked.

Dr. Kapoor was quiet. Now a therapist listening.

"I should be happy that he get's a fresh start.." Adriana said. "A name...a life...money. I even told him the other day..he could..meet someone."

Adriana sat up, trying to control the tears building up in her eyes.

"But I don't want him to meet someone. I-" Adriana said and covered her eyes.

She was afraid to look up at Dr. Kappor. She was admitting what had been bottled up for months.

"I'm still in love with him," she blurted out, still covering her eyes with one hand. "Which makes no sense...I'm in love with my husband. I can't be in love with two men.."

The doctor was still quiet as she tried to compose herself.

"I feel so stupid.." Adriana said. "It's like I want to keep him here forever so we can take care of him. But what kind of life is that? I do need therapy..."

Adriana wiped her eyes and kept talking.

"I want to keep him here because I don't want to lose him," Adriana said. "But he...he wants to leave. He wants to start his life now. He kept asking me to ask Lucius when he would be able to leave so-"

Adriana felt tears coming again and felt that she had embarrassed herself so much by confession these things. She didn't care anymore.

"And it hurt me because," she wept. "He just want to leave and be free and...that means...he doesn't feel the same. He didn't love me..he doesn't love me. I mean, he appreciates me and everything we've done for him here but doesn't feel..."

She swallowed and shook her head.

"I know I'm going to think about him every single day.." Adriana said and held her chest. "He's going to be on my mind all the time. And he's going to forget me. He's going to be far away...living his life."

"Adriana," Dr. Kapoor said, finally speaking. "It seems to me that the two of you are already far away. Your interactions are minimal as far as I have observed."

"Yes," Adriana said firmly. "And I hate it. But I know it's what's appropriate. But it feels to fucking fake, Dr. Kappor. At least for me."

"Fake..." Dr. Kapoor said. "And what would seem real to you."

Adriana looked down at her hands, a fat teardrop hitting her wrist before she looked up again.

"Telling him that I loved him," she said. "And that I still do. That he's..such a..such an amazing man and whoever he finds, whoever ends up with him is just such an incredibly lucky woman. I wish..."

"What do you wish?" Dr. Kapoor asked.

"I wish he could see his son," Adriana said, releasing the words she had felt like she was holding in for an eternity. "At least once."