"You're home," Adriana said when she returned to the penthouse. Bruce was home from work.
"Yes, I decided to take a very early lunch break," he told her.
Bruce looked at Adriana, coming back from her first therapy session. He could see that her eyes and nose were red, she had been crying.
"How did everything go?" he asked gently and walked over to her, placing his palms lightly on her arms.
"It was.." Adriana started to talk and thought of how she really felt.
She told Dr. Kapoor more than she ever anticipated to. The words that came out of her mouth during her first session included things that she didn't even know that she was feeling. It felt like she unloaded all she had to give.
"It was a lot," she told Bruce. "I told Dr. Kapoor everything."
Bruce exhaled. "I'm glad you felt comfortable," Bruce said.
Adriana wasn't sure why, but she felt worse. She actually felt slightly depressed. Everything that she said, she was beginning to feel that it would have been better left unsaid and unrealized. Now it was all out in the open, even just with the doctor. She felt weak. She was a vigilante, a hero. But now she felt just like everyone else.
"Yeah," Adriana nodded.
"Do you think it's helping?" Bruce asked.
"I don't know," she answered honestly. "I feel like I went in there with everything neatly packed away...and now I feel like everything's been rearranged. Turned over."
"That's normal," Bruce assured her. "You're talking about a horrendous trauma for the first time. I can't imagine how that feels."
Adriana looked down.
"We don't have to talk about it yet if you're not ready," Bruce said.
"I'm not," she said.
"That's alright," Bruce said. "I was going to go to Lapallo for lunch...if you're up for it, we could go together. Evelyn just took Arsenio for a walk."
"Would it be alright if we stayed in for lunch?" Adriana asked. She didn't think she was ready to face the world yet.
"Of course," Bruce said. "I'll call the restaurant and they can deliver."
"They deliver?" Adriana asked about the fancy restaurant he had suggested.
"For us, of course," Bruce smiled.
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"You look happy," Madame Twyla said to Bruce as she opened the envelope she had handed him. This one was full of bills, pure cash. "How much is this?"
"It's just $120,000," Bruce said and Twyla sighed. "I'm on my way to meet with a buyer for a jewelry shop franchise I am selling. Should be able to wire you more this evening."
"Mhm," Twyla said to him. "So why are you so happy today?"
"Because life is good," Bruce said. "My wife is doing well, my son is doing well."
"And you?" she asked.
"Oh, I am great," Bruce said. "Any day now...something wonderful will be happening and I will be even better."
"And what is that? You'll bring me the rest of my fee?" she asked.
"Hopefully, but no," Bruce said unable to stop himself. "I was told that a harrowing, dreadful individual will be dying any day now. And I am..overjoyed."
"Who told you that?" Twyla asked.
"Sidi. I believe you know who she is," Bruce said.
"Hmhmhmh," Twyla laughed quietly. "Well of course. There will be a death and then all will be balanced. You have saved your wife. So. You have gone to Sidi and asked who will die and she told you?"
"Yes," Bruce said.
Twyla nodded. "If this person is as horrible as you say, then we should all be joyful."
"Oh, he is," Bruce said.
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Bruce returned from a very late business dinner with the buyer of his jewelry franchise that evening. He found Adriana and Arsenio already sleeping. Adriana had decided to let Arsenio sleep in their bed that evening, to Bruce's surprise. His heart was warmed when he found them asleep, and he was quiet and careful not to wake them.
While standing in the shower, Bruce found himself remembering the mysterious burglar he had encountered days ago. The woman dressed like a cat. She had kept quiet about the Batman being back on the streets. She had gotten away with and item worth thousands of dollars.
She was incredibly mysterious and entirely alluring. Bruce found himself thinking about her skin, what little he could see of it. Her complexion was smooth and pearlescent. The creamy color was a sharp contrast to the blood red lipstick she wore and the deep rich silky brown color of her hair. He could see the outline her eyes. Her eyes were enormous, almost doll- like.
Bruce felt a warm sensation throughout his body and realized that he was aroused. He was a bit horrified with himself as he reached for the shower knob and turned the water icy cold.
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"Isn't it cute?" Adriana asked Arsenio as she showed him a drawing. "That me. That's mommy."
"Wow," Bruce said and looked at the drawing of Shade. "That's pretty good."
"Excellent work," Alfred said and looked at the drawing as he handed Bruce an espresso. "May I ask who the artist is?"
"There was a hostage situation on the south side at like 5:30 this morning," Adriana said. "The alert came through the app Lucius got into, so I went over-"
"What app?" Bruce asked.
"Didn't I tell you? I thought I did..someone created an app a few days ago..its called Shade. People can use it if they need me. All the alerts are public in the app, I can see them..everyone can.. and so far no one's abused it."
"No, you most certainly did not tell me," Bruce said. "That can't be safe. Someone could set you up-"
"Lucius had the technology to make sure that didn't happen," she said. "He was able to infiltrate the app so once someone sends a request we can see and hear whatever's going on around them through their phone's camera, and surrounding phones."
"So he's hacked the app," Bruce said. "That's..impressive."
"He's talented," Adriana said. "I'm sure you remember how intelligent he is. But it seems like the police may be trying to get the app shut down, they say it's against the law, but they're taking their time with the whole shutdown."
"They like you," Bruce said.
Adriana smiled.
"So the answer to your question Alfred," Adriana said. "I was on the train this morning and a kid, his name was Lee and he's 16 years old, gave this to me from his scrapbook. I told him I loved it."
"It's lovely," Alfred said and smiled at the drawing.
"The city loves you," Bruce said. "I don't think anyone's ever handed me a drawing, or painted a mural of me, or started an online fan club..or attempted to create an app. Well, unless you consider all the grafiti, the bat signal with a line through it to be considered a mural-"
"You're taking the fall for Dent," Adriana said. "They owe you more than an app and a fan club."
"I appreciate you saying that," Bruce said and gave Adriana a kiss. "So.."
"So..." Adriana said and kissed him again.
"Do you think you'll be seeing Dr. Kapoor again today?" he asked.
Adriana looked into Bruce's eyes. "Yes...we agreed to have another appointment today," Adriana said. "I'm feeling a lot better about it today. I just needed to get a lot off my chest yesterday I think."
Alfred now knew what she was talking about. The previous evening she decided to tell him everything and called Bruce before this business dinner to let him know as well. The fact that the Joker was Arsenio's father was now no longer a secret in the home. It was only a secret from Arsenio, and Adriana was sure that she was not likely to ever tell him, unless she felt comfortable when he was adult.
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Adriana and the Joker crossed paths as she went to Dr. Kapoor's counseling room. The Joker was just leaving his session and Adriana was early.
"Good morning," he said to her, speaking first.
Adriana felt her brows furrowing in slight frustration and confusion. She was wondering how he had seemed to be becoming more attractive, radiant and handsome as the days went by. She knew that in the afternoons he was taking advantage of the remaining sunny and warm days of early fall and was spending a lot of time on the roof. His skin was tanned and the tips of his hair had been sun bleached. He was beautiful and Adriana found herself admiring just his neck for a few seconds. She was sure he had the most gorgeous neck she had ever seen. He looked like the picture of health.
"Good morning, Jack," Adriana said, looking away from his Adam's apple.
He smiled like he was about to laugh, hearing her say his name.
"That's me," he said and Adriana found herself getting angry at his dimples. They were torturing her. She needed to go somewhere else.
"Right...so Dr. Kapoor is free now right?" she asked, her voice sounding a bit cold.
"Yep," the Joker said, getting the point that she wasn't interested in interacting with him right now, and walked away.
Adriana walked into the counseling room and shut the door.
"Hi," she said to Dr. Kapoor, who was sitting in an armchair and looking over notes. "Sorry..I'm early..if you're busy I can come back later."
"It's fine," Dr. Kapoor said. "I'm ready for you."
Adriana sat in the couch. This was a different environment from her first session which happened in Dr. Kapoor's office. This place was much more comfortable. As she watched Dr. Kapoor put his notes into a folder, she began to wonder about them. Before she lost her gift, she knew that the doctor and the Joker discussed her in their sessions, but the Joker rarely discussed his current feelings. But he was comfortable discussing the past. She wondered if what he was saying about her in his sessions these days.
"So...how are things going with Jack?" she asked.
Dr. Kapoor looked at her for a moment. "Are you asking what we talked about today?"
"Sure," Adriana said.
"Discussing a patient's therapy with another in not in my code of ethics," Dr. Kapoor said.
"But.." Adriana sat up. "I've been a patient of yours a long time, over a year. Ever since Bruce brought me here with that poison shot in my neck. And you've been telling me how our patient is progressing. So..now that I'm a psych patient you can't tell me-"
"I think it is for the best," Dr. Kapoor said so calmly and nicely that Adriana felt she couldn't even argue with him.
"Right then," Adriana said.
"How are you feeling today?" Dr. Kapoor asked.
"I'm fine," Adriana answered.
Dr. Kapoor nodded.
"Actually," Adriana said, hearing the irritation in her voice. "I don't think I'm in the mood to talk much today."
"That's alright,"Dr. Kapoor said. "We don't need to talk today. We can take a break."
"Thanks," Adriana said.
"By the way," Dr. Kapoor said. "You had an appointment for 3 p.m. today for placement of the intrauterine device. If you would like we could move up your appointment."
Adriana felt annoyed and tense for reasons she couldn't explain.
"Sorry..." Adriana said. "I'm not really in the mood to get anything put in my uterus right now. Is tomorrow okay?"
"Of course," the doctor answered.
"Thanks," Adriana sighed and leaned back.
She looked up at the ceiling and Dr. Kapoor sat quietly. After ten minutes she spoke.
"Maybe I shouldn't get an IUD," Adriana said.
Dr. Kapoor looked up from the small book he was reading.
"Maybe...maybe I need to have another baby," she said.
"Need to?" Dr. Kapoor asked.
"Maybe that's what's wrong with me," Adriana said up quickly, as if she had just discovered something,
"You think something is wrong with you?" the doctor asked.
"Yes," she shrugged. "I'm attached to a man that..it makes no sense for me to be attached to. I think it's because we had a child together. I mean because I had his child. Maybe Bruce and I should have a child."
"So," Dr. Kapoor said and took off his glasses. "If I'm assuming correctly, you would like to have another child as a distraction from your first child's father leaving."
"No, not as a distraction," Adriana answered. "Okay...maybe a bit of a distraction. But I just know that I will feel so much better if Bruce and I had our own child together. It would be difficult to stop vigilantism for nine months again but I would have something to focus on and I think...our family will feel more complete."
Dr. Kapoor was quiet.
"I know it sounds like a rash decision but," Adriana said. "I mean, I could be pregnant right now. Bruce and I haven't been super careful in months."
"Would you like a pregnancy test?" he asked after a moment.
Adriana was quiet, If she was pregnant, she didn't want to know yet. For some reason, she wanted to be potentially pregnant. Somehow she was rationalizing that she wouldn't miss or focus on the Joker as much after he left if she was potentially pregnant with Bruce's child. If she wasn't pregnant she would be disappointed and would be thinking about the Joker's departure again.
"No...not yet," Adriana answered.