"Did you have fun last night?" Adriana asked Bruce over the phone. He had gone into work extremely early.
"Most fun I've had in a long time," he replied with a smile.
"Hope I didn't keep you up too late," she said.
"Nights like last night are what triple espressos are made for," he told her. "Where are you?"
"I'm on my way back home," she said. "A group tried to break into the bank downtown, via an underground tunnel they've been digging for days."
"You're kidding," he said.
"Oh yes," Adriana said. "Needless to say they weren't successful."
"Gotham has Shade," he said,
"Mhm," she said.
"Speaking of the bank," he went one. "You're sure you don't want any details about-"
"Bruce.." Adriana said. "I told you, I don't care about the money. I meant that."
"Okay," Bruce said. "I love you."
"I love you more," she said.
"Impossible," he said seriously.
"Totally possible," she laughed. "I'll let you get back to work."
"Alright," Bruce said. "I'll see you tonight."
Bruce ended his call and finally began to feel his caffeine waking him up. He left his office and went to Lucius'. Lucius was just arriving and Lucius' secretary offered Bruce coffee, which he accepted gratefully.
"We have a lot to accomplish today," Lucius said to Bruce. "Sharing ownership of Wayne Enterprises changes a lot."
"Well, mostly in the HR department so far," Bruce agreed.
"How are you this morning?" Lucius asked Bruce before sitting down at his desk.
"Wonderful, and yourself?" Bruce asked.
"Good," Lucius responded. "I'm glad to hear you're doing well."
"Thank you," Bruce said.
Bruce and Lucius went quiet for a few moments before Bruce spoke again.
"I would like to give you an apology," Bruce said.
Lucius moved his fingers away from his keyboard and interlaced them on his desk, waiting.
"I've been..." Bruce began, searching for a word to describe his behavior.
"Petulant?" Lucius guessed.
Bruce accepted the word. "I apologize for that."
"I appreciate your sincerity," Lucius remarked.
"I'm glad," Bruce said. "I was very concerned about my wife and what happened. I suppose it...got the best of me, and resulted in me acting out or character."
"And...now?" Lucius asked. "You concerns have been resolved?"
"In a manner of speaking," Bruce said. "I don't need to concern myself with the Joker. He will be dead soon."
Lucius raised his eyebrows.
"You remember Adriana's friend Sidi?' Bruce asked, seeing Lucius had questions. "And what she does for a living?"
"Yes," Lucius told Bruce.
"She has informed me that the Joker will die," Bruce said. "It will happen any day now."
"Her words to you were that the Joker would die?" Lucius asked, sounding doubtful.
"She never said his name, and I'm fairly certain she doesn't know exactly who will be dying but she described him exactly. All his personality traits."
Lucius looked down.
"You have him in custody somewhere," Bruce said. "Perhaps he will suffer a heart attack? Stroke? Or he will attempt escape and the team you've hired will need to execute him at some point."
Lucius wasn't sure how seriously he could take the words of a woman claiming to be a psychic. He also knew from Dr. Kapoor that the Joker was in perfect health after extensive examination. He had no reason to have the faith that Bruce seemed to have in Sidi's words. But as long as the idea of the Joker dying was keeping him content, Lucius was okay with it.
"That's unfortunate," Lucius said.
"That's the polite thing to say if anyone dies," Bruce laughed. "In this case though, no one is going to lose sleep over his passing."
Lucius uncrossed his hands. "Have you told Adriana about this?"
"No," Bruce said, and gave Lucius a look. "I see no reason why she needs to be bothered with this information."
Lucius could tell by Bruce's gaze that he was being instructed to keep this information from Adriana. He knew that he would do no such thing.
"How is Adriana's therapy going?" Lucius asked Bruce.
"Well.." Bruce said. "She hasn't discussed much with me so far. Sidi also told me...that there are things about Adriana that would be shocking to me. And I believe it pertains to her dealings with the Joker."
"Oh," Lucius said and sat up even straighter.
"I'm aware both you and Adriana have insisted that she wasn't assaulted," Bruce said.
"We have," Lucius told him. "And you have accepted what we've told you?"
Bruce moved forward in his seat.
"She did it voluntarily," Bruce said factually.
Lucius couldn't believe Bruce has suddenly accepted the truth. Something about Bruce's tone told Lucius that some part of him didn't really understand.
"She did," Lucius confirmed.
"But surely you understand...the situation," Bruce said. "Perhaps she felt that she had to and she obliged him."
"Had to?" Lucius asked delicately.
"It only happened for a couple months," Bruce said. "Last winter. He was...MIA much of that time. At least publicly. Meaning he hadn't killed any civilians for a number of weeks. Up until when he kidnapped the governor's daughter, he was underground."
"Bruce," Lucius said and rubbed his forehead for a second. "Are you suggesting.."
Lucius took a deep breath.
"She involved herself with him.." Lucius said. "To distract him?"
"It wasn't a pleasant realization for me to come to either, Lucius," Bruce said. "She would never tell either of us if that is what she felt she needed to do. And perhaps she lies to herself..telling herself it was something she wanted when really...maybe it was something she felt was necessary."
"And you think that is what her friend Sidi was speaking of?" Lucius said, beginning to feel that maybe Sidi was gifted. "Have you considered the truth is harder to accept than that?"
"The worse case scenario," Bruce said. "Is not that he came on to her and she just gave in to keep him distracted and away from killing civilians."
"Then what is it?" Lucius asked, feeling the discussion was hopeless.
"That she seduced him," Bruce said. "For the same reasons. Sidi said that something would change the way I see my wife. I love Adriana...But the worst I can think of is that. It disappoints me to think that is possible. We were not close then...but she could have come to me. She could have told me her predicament. She must have seen something...some interest that he was showing her and she saw this as some kind of an opportunity-"
"Bruce," Lucius interrupted. "And what if none of that is true? What if they were a man and woman..interested in each other."
"If she had any such interest in him," Bruce said, beginning to feel annoyed. "It was out of interest of others. And she knew she would be taking up time that he would have been doing worse things."
Lucius sighed.
"She was heavily medicated Lucius," Bruce said. "She was institutionalized when I met her and on a laundry list of psyche medications. She may have been going through withdrawals that compromised her reasoning and judgement."
Lucius didn't have any more words for Bruce. Arguing would be in vain.
"Well, neither of us were there," Lucius said.
"Exactly," Bruce said.
He thought of the potion Twyla had given him. Bruce knew he could go back, see what happened. He knew that his assessment of the situation was correct. Using Twyla's potion would only confirm it.
.
.
.
"Do you want to say good morning?" Adriana asked Arsenio as she held him.
They were in the dining area of the medical center and the Joker was standing beside Adriana as she held her sleepy son. He rubbed his eye with the back of his hand and made a small noise before noticing the Joker standing beside them.
"Dak?" Arsenio asked.
"Oh," the Joker smiled. "You remember my name."
"Of course he does," Adriana said and kissed Arsenio's head. "My smart baby boy."
"Yes, he is," the Joker said.
"Sorry we can't stay long today, the barber is stopping by in a bit to give this little man another haircut," Adriana said and touched Arsenio's thick, wavy hair.
"No problem," the Joker said. "It was nice to see you again Arsenio, even if you are half asleep."
"Mm," Arsenio rubbed his eyes again.
"Good...morning..." Adriana and the Joker turned to see Dr. Kapoor in the doorway.
He had just arrived and was shocked to see Adriana there with Arsenio.
"Is everything alright?" the doctor asked.
"Yes," Adriana smiled. "Here-"
Adriana handed Arsenio to the Joker and walked over the door where the doctor was staring with his mouth part way open. Adriana pulled the doctor's arm until they were outside of the dining area room and were in the hall.
"You brought Arsenio to see him," the doctor still couldn't believe it.
"Actually, I brought him here last night," Adriana said. "He's so good with him."
"I can see that," the doctor said. "Wow."
"Do..you think I made a mistake?" Adriana asked. "Since he's leaving soon?"
"No..no..." the doctor said. "I think it's good for him. He should see the good that he is capable of."
The Joker held onto Arsenio, waiting for the doctor and Adriana to come back. It was the first time that he was alone with the baby, and both Adriana and the little boy seemed fine with it. The Joker wasn't sure what to say to the child, so he just held him. After a minute the sleepy child rested his head on the Joker's chest and he could tell that Arsenio was about to fall asleep.