"You saved her life," Lucius said to the Joker.
The Joker placed the guns onto the table and returned Lucius' car keys.
"He wouldn't have killed her," the Joker said and Lucius could see he was downplaying the magnificence of the what he had just done.
"You are a hero," Lucius said to the Joker.
The Joker looked at Lucius and said nothing and went over to the couch to sit.
"The footage of you entering and departing the hospital and the parking lot has been wiped," Lucius said. "The police won't be able to retrieve it."
Lucius watched the Joker nod.
"I met Bruce Wayne," the Joker said.
"Yes," Lucius said. "I saw some footage of him entering the bathroom you were in. I must admit, it was a stressful moment to watch."
"He didn't recognize me at all," the Joker said to Lucius.
"Well he wouldn't would he?' Lucius asked. "As I told you earlier, your appearance is quite different."
The Joker pulled out the card Bruce had given him.
"Gave me this," the Joker said. "The Batman's card.."
Lucius watched the Joker ruminate as he turned the card over in between two fingers.
"He has no idea...who I am...that I know he is the Bat," the Joker said. "All I kept thinking was, he's going to recognize me any second now. Any moment now, it's going to click.."
He looked at Lucius.
"So I really look that different?" the Joker asked.
"You certainly do," Lucius said.
"Adriana will be fine," the Joker said. "I could tell. She's strong. The cop will serve a long sentence for this."
"Damien Ricard is dead," Lucius told the Joker.
The Joker's fingers stopped turning the card.
"I..." the Joker said in a low voice. "It wasn't my intention to kill him. I shot him in an area that I knew would keep him down..thought I dodged the main artery.."
"He committed suicide," Lucius said.
The Joker raised his eyebrows and started turning the card again, saying nothing.
"Are you just saying that?" the Joker asked. "Did you get there to change the scene somehow or-"
"No," Lucius said to him. "I mean it. He ended his life and left a note."
The Joker sighed. Lucius expected the Joker to speak about Damien's insanity and his crazy actions but he said nothing. He felt like he was not in a place to judge, although he found the entire ordeal to be upsetting.
"You know I've...ah...abducted a number of people," the Joker said to Lucius. "Clearly."
"Yes," Lucius said.
"When I found her in that room," the Joker said. He started the sentence but wasn't sure how to finish it.
.
.
.
Adriana's parents and sister stayed with them for nearly a week. Adriana loved having them around but felt uncomfortable in the neck brace and felt like everyone had such pity for her. When they left after being assured for many days that she was okay, she wanted them to come back.
She wanted her loved ones around her all the time, but at the same time she wanted to be alone. But when she was alone she felt fearful and uncomfortable. She remembered having her gift, seeing the most traumatic memories and experiences in other people, and she knew she was strong. She knew that if anything happened to her one day, she would be able to handle it like a champ because she had seen worse.
She was disappointed in herself because she felt weak, vulnerable, and traumatized. If it was one thing she always felt sure of, it was that no one could traumatize her.
The police had found the second man who was at the cabin with her and Damien. He was found dead and buried right behind the cabin. Adriana realized the reason for the gunshots she heard. Damien had killed the man after finding him with her.
The entire situation was one that she wished she could erase from her mind. She hated wearing the thick collar around her neck, but she knew that she needed to for at least another week. Arsenio was concerned about it at first and Adriana told him it was just a boo-boo. Nothing to worry about. After a few days he began to express to Bruce that he wanted one just like it.
It was humorous and adorable. Her son provided the moments of joy that she needed. She hadn't left the house at all, and had not turned on the TV once. If she did leave she knew that media would be on her like flies on honey.
Dr. Kapoor had returned to his position and Adriana saw him every second day as he checked on her injury. He started her on a prescription for her orthostatic intolerance, though she wasn't sure she was seeing any improvement yet.
She had seen Lucius a number of times but they were never alone. Adriana hadn't made many phone calls, since everyone was always around. She thought of the Joker often, wanting to thank him for what he did.
The night after Adriana's parents left she went into the bathroom to brush her teeth. Bruce had been brushing and flossing her teeth for her twice a day, though she felt perfectly capable. She tried doing it herself and was successful.
"Hey there," Bruce said and came into the bathroom behind her. "Do you need help?"
"I've got it," she said with her mouth full, and bent at the waist to spit into the sink.
She wiped her face with a towel and walked over to Bruce. He wrapped his arms around her waist and looked into her eyes.
"I'm ready to take this stupid thing off," she said about the neck brace.
"Five to seven more days," Bruce said. "Doctor Kapoor's orders."
"Yeah," she sighed. "I feel like a turtle. Mighty morphin' ninja turtle."
"I believe it was the Power Rangers that morphed," Bruce corrected her.
"See.." Adriana said. "This thing cuts off circulation to my brain."
Bruce laughed. "Five to seven days."
"Fine," Adriana shrugged. "I miss working out. I almost wish I could work on pull ups."
"That bad, huh?" Bruce asked.
"Yeah..." she said. "Maybe you could do some."
Bruce raised his eyebrows. "Now?"
"Not if you don't want," she said. "It's weird but I think I'd like to do them vicariously through you."
Bruce began to laugh. "Like when you eat chocolate cake in front of me when I'm on a cut."
"Oh yes," Adriana laughed.
They went to the gym in their now very quiet home after all the guests had gone. Bruce did some weight training and several pull ups and Adriana sat on a bench watching him. He then did some cardio by running on an incline on the treadmill. When he was done he sat beside her on the bench, out of breath.
"Must feel good," she said, jealous. "Being able to get your heart pumping. I love working out."
"You'll be back to it soon," he told her.
They looked at each other quietly for a few moments and then Adriana smiled.
"Are you content?" he asked her and smiled back.
"Yep," she said.
Again, they looked at each other in silence before Adriana initiated a kiss.
"Bruce.." Adriana said after a long and soft kiss.
"Yes?" he said.
"Thank you for taking care of me," she said. "I appreciate everything you've been doing."
"No need to thank me," he said.
"You've been cleaning inside my ears, shaving my legs, and were changing bloody pads," she said. "Gratitude is in order."
He smiled and kissed her again. He looked out through the glass windows of the gym at the clear Gotham night.
"I was thinking," she said and squeezed his hand. He turned his head to look at her. "Maybe...we could try again."
Bruce looked at her and knew what she meant. She wanted to try for another child. The days had gone by and it seemed Adriana had forgiven him entirely for their last argument. It seemed completely forgotten.
"Unless..." she said, seeing that he had not responded after several seconds. "You don't want to."
Bruce squeezed her hand and looked down.
"It's not that," Bruce said.
Adriana noticed that he looked like was collecting himself over and over and saying nothing.
"We haven't had much time to talk," he said finally. "Since everything happened."
She agreed. They had let bygones be bygones and she was okay with it.
"Do we need to?" she asked. "I mean...I'd rather forget the whole thing and just move forward..."
"Believe me," Bruce said. "So would I."
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"I don't want us to have any secrets," Bruce said. "We've had too many for too long."
"I agree," she said.
He stalled again and she placed a hand on his knee and patted it.
"Okay," she said. "I'll go first."
Bruce raised his eyebrows.
"It was my idea to bring the Joker here...I practically forced Dr. Kapoor to help," she said. "Because I knew if we took him to a hospital, he'd die before they were willing to treat him."
"Oh.." Bruce said, knowing all of this already from Twyla's potions.
Bruce was still quiet and Adriana went on.
"So..it's worse than that?" Adriana gathered about whatever Bruce needed to share with her. She took a breath. "When he was here..I did bring Arsenio to see him. And I...I left him alone with him a few times."
"You did what?" Bruce asked, hand limp.
"I...had to run out and there were things going on in the city," Adriana said, feeling nervous sharing this truth. "But..I knew he was fine. I knew Arsenio was safe.."
Bruce turned his head away and sighed while looking at the city. He began to nod and looked back at her.
"Okay," he said.
"Okay?" Adriana said. "That's it?...Aren't you angry?"
"I'm.." Bruce said. "Actually not. Arsenio is fine. You are fine. You were pregnant with Arsenio while you were with him..and clearly Arsenio made it here..came into the world just fine."
Adriana let out a sigh of relief.
"I'm surprised Arsenio wasn't afraid," Bruce said. "Although I suppose babies don't judge appearance."
"Afraid?" Adriana asked.
Bruce was thinking of the skeletal and horrible looking man who was likely a toothless cripple by this point.
"Oh..no.." Adriana said. "It was fine..Arsenio wasn't afraid."
"I'm glad," Bruce said. "Perhaps being trapped underground...as horrible as it was for me to do that..changed him somehow. And then seeing Arsenio."
Bruce sighed again.
"Lucius as taken care of him I'm sure," Bruce said. "He'll be detained and looked after for the rest of his life. Seeing that he actually produced something good was likely to affect him positively."
"It sounds like.." Adriana said. "You don't hate his as much as you did before."
"Well," Bruce cleared his throat. "Perhaps my perspective has changed. You told me he never laid a hand on you. Never hurt you. That...at the very least..I can appreciate."
Bruce looked at the cuff on her neck.
"Wow.." Adriana said. "So...now it's your turn."
"It is," he said and rubbed his legs for a moment.
Adriana looked him up and down while he though of how to say it.
"It's okay, Bruce," she said. "Whatever it is."
He decided to man up and looked her in the eyes. Just say it, he told himself.
"Madame Twyla," Bruce said the only two words he could manage. He watched Adriana's facial expression change.
"I know of her," Adriana said.
"I've been using her services," Bruce said.
Adriana frowned and shook her head. "Bruce..she is the worst of the worst-"
"Please let me finish," Bruce said. "I need to say this."
"Okay," Adriana said and motioned to show she was zipping her mouth shut.
"She..." Bruce said, knowing that sharing that Twyla had helped revive her from the dead was simply something he could never share. It would make him look crazy. And in the real, now existent timeline, it never happened.
Adriana looked at him waiting.
"She gave me a few potions," he said. "To let me see into your past. Because I couldn't accept that you would actually..willingly...be with a man like that."
He could tell she wanted to say something but she stayed quiet.
"I saw you and him..together..." Bruce said. "Three occasions."
Adriana looked at him puzzled.
"By together," she said and looked to him. "You mean-"
"Yes," Bruce said. "I saw.."
"Bruce!" Adriana exclaimed and stood up. "That's..insane! How could you?! That's a complete invasion of privacy! I feel so violated!"
"I'm sorry! I wish I hadn't-" Bruce said.
"Wait!" she stopped him. "When you and I had sex recently and..you were...doing things differently Bruce-"
"Adriana I'm sorry," he apologized.
She covered her face with both hands before grabbing a towel from the table beside her and throwing it at him.
"I can't believe you would be in such disbelief that he and I were together that you felt you needed to do that!" Adriana said. "I told you from my own mouth that..We wanted each other at the time..you couldn't just listen to me? Ugh! "
Adriana sat beside him.
"I mean.." she said sounding panicked. "Did you see..the time when.."
"When what?" he asked.
"Like I'm going to tell you!" she said.
"Then I can't answer the question-" he said.
"Ugh!" she said. "It happened in the shower..a few times..."
"No.." Bruce said. "I didn't see anything in a shower."
"Okay...okay.." Adriana calmed down and rolled her eyes. "And don't look at me like that. Whatever it was that happened is something we are never going to try. Got it?"
"I understand," Bruce said and nodded a few times. "I'm sorry."
She blew out air through her lips and looked around. A few seconds later, Bruce watched her stunned as she started laughing.
"Is something funny?" he asked.
"No..I just can't believe you went that far," she laughed. "Dammit Bruce! I'm mortified! Like you don't even know!"
Bruce was relieved that she could find some humor in her embarrassment, but he needed to tell her more.
"There's more unfortunately," he said.
"Well," she laughed and wiped her eyes free of the tears of laughter. "It doesn't get worse than that does it?"
When he didn't answer her face got serious.
"Does it?" she repeated.
"She gave me some other things to help me try to track down the Joker," he said. "I got as far as to the medical facility where Dr. Kapoor told me everything."
"So that's how you found out," she said. "I was wondering.."
"Yes," Bruce said.
"Is there more?" she asked and Bruce nodded solemnly. "Okay.."
"After we fought about everything," Bruce said. "I went to go and pay Twyla."
"What did she want? Jewelry? More watches?" Adriana asked. "She's so fucking weird."
"No," Bruce said. He knew the potions she had given him had made him act out of character but he also knew he had no one to blame but himself. He would not blame the potions effects. He needed to take responsibility.
"What then?" Adriana asked.
"Adriana I.." Bruce said. "I slept with her."
Bruce waited for Adriana's response. A few seconds went by and the lack of change in Adriana's facial expression was jarring to Bruce. She raised her eyebrows as if expecting him to say more.
"That's it?" she finally asked and Bruce felt his own face twisting.
It was though she wasn't even surprised.
"Adriana," Bruce said, thinking that maybe he needed to be clearer. "I had an affair. We had sex-"
"You said that," she said to him.
Bruce felt his eyes darting up and down as he looked at her from head to toe. He was unsure of how to take her response.
"Yes..I did," he said slowly, almost afraid of the the delay in her anger. "Aren't you upset?"
Adriana took a breath and looked up at the ceiling for a second.
"What about before that?" Adriana asked calmly. "Were there others?"
"Adriana no!" Bruce felt his voice raise in response to her calm tone and demeanor.
It seemed like she had been expecting this moment, knowing that he would cheat.
"I haven't slept with anyone else while we've been married!" he said, not sure why he was beginning to yell. "This...just happened. We had just had a fight and I had been drinking and.."
Adriana was nodding as he explained.
"Say something!" he said to her after a pause.
She shrugged. "Bruce...what do you want me to say?"
"I want you to show some emotion!" Bruce said. "I never intended to do this! I didn't...Adriana!"
"I know," she said and kissed him on the cheek lightly. "I think you should get tested if you didn't use protection. Twyla strikes me as the unclean type."
Bruce felt himself shrink inside as Adriana kissed his cheek again before leaving the gym.