Author's Note: Well this next chapter might get a bit intense. I know a lot about the Joker to say that everyone has their own interpretation of his psychosis. Not every writer portrays him the same way. Well this is my own way of viewing him, not saying what I think is straight cannon, I mean come on I think what one has to understand is with a character like the Joker it leaves him to be redesigned, manipulated, molded and conveyed to the story's or writer's interpretation. Not one Joker is the same, kinda like snowflakes (HA! Sorry for the lame analogy). Anyway, this chapter and the ones to come will feature how I wish to interpret and show the Joker's psychosis and how Batman handles it. Hope you enjoy XD! (oh by the way the reason I have Joker say the wrong name when referring to Alfred is because my little brother and sister know I love Batman and keep forgetting Alfred's name and using other cliché butler names like Jenkins and such to spite me, and I thought it was a funny idea so I included it.)

Bruce stormed through the cave's entrance to find Alfred by the computer and far away from Joker. "Are you all right Alfred?!" cried Bruce as he ran to his butler. He saw that the man was shaken as if he saw a ghost. "Did he hurt you?!"

"I'm fine Master Bruce. Joker just scared me is all," spoke Alfred as he tried to compose himself. "He just leapt at me to grab the device from my person. I thought for sure he was going to throttle me, but he let me go once he had what he wanted."

Bruce was in an outrage, after all he did for that fucking clown and this is how he repaid him!? He rushed to where the Joker was laying down; the jester was content to see the real face of his most gracious host. Those cold but fiery sapphire eyes of his burned into him and he loved it, those eyes seemed more intense without the mask. "About time, what're crazy Brucey? You left poor Geoffrey here in these caves by himself, shame on you. Didn't you know there's a deranged clown sleeping in these caves? Oh, by the way I accidently broke your toy. But what do you care right, you're rich you could just buy another," joked the giddy clown. Bruce was not in the mood for any of it. It was one thing to push his buttons and test his limits but Joker crossed the line when he dared lay hands on Alfred. Joker stopped laughing the longer he stared into those hateful eyes. It started to feel very cold between them, he didn't find this as funny as he did a moment ago. But Joker was too prideful to let his nemesis see him back down so he kept up the happy façade. "What's wrong sweetheart? Did I touch a nerve again? Are you mad that you almost killed me or that I ruffled your butler's feathers a bit? Oh, lighten up Batsy, I'm still kicking and Alfred is peachy keen, I see nothing wrong."

"I can't take this anymore Joker, I can't take you anymore. I tried my best to help, I wanted to help you but it's you who doesn't want it. I'm taking you to Arkham, back to where you belong," spoke Bruce as he did his best to stifle his rage. The Caliph of Clowns had his own rage to calm down, but hearing that his knight had given up on him and was banishing him back to his dark acrylic cage drove him insane.

"FUCK OFF! I SAID IT BEFORE AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP! STOP ACTING LIKE YOU WANT TO SAVE ME, I KNOW VERY DAMN WELL YOU NEVER DID! YOU WANT ME BACK IN ARKHAM, FINE I'LL GO! BUT YOU BETTER FUCKING HOPE THEY KILL ME IN THERE BECAUSE IF I ESCAPE I SWEAR TO YOU I'LL SET ALL OF GOTHAM ON FIRE AND YOU KNOW DAMN WELL I WILL!" screamed with all his might the Harlequin of Hate. He was left breathless, that heated confession drained him. Bruce and Alfred, who had joined his master's side, were left speechless. Bruce merely sighed and stood his ground.

"Then I'll just have to make sure you don't escape, Alfred hand me some sedatives," spoke Bruce as calmly as he could as his faithful butler handed him a readied syringe. Joker glared at the needle and backed up against the headboard.

"Get that away from me, Bats!" screamed Joker.

"Calm down, this is just so you won't hurt yourself on the drive back to Arkham," said Bruce as he approached. The pale man's breathing grew erratic as he clenched up like a cobra waiting to attack. "Alfred, help me hold him down." The two men began to close in on the clown.

"Stay back! Stop it! You're hurting me!" cried Joker as he curled up into a ball facing away from both men. Bruce stopped in his tracks and motioned Alfred to do the same.

"We haven't even touched you…"

"STOP IT! JUST STOP IT! I DON'T LIKE THIS! I'LL FUCKING MURDER EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU!" screamed Joker, his voice sounding less like a man and more like a hollering beast. Something was definitely wrong, the clown was shaking as he clenched at the sides of his head and pulled at his hair. The next thing he did made Bruce truly afraid, he heard Joker laugh. It started off low but gained momentum until it the madman was full blown hysterical. "You like this don't you? Getting some cheap thrills as you mess with me while I'm so drugged up that I can't even see straight. Enjoy it, I'll make sure you all pay dearly for this!" growled Joker as he laughed once more. Bruce had enough of this; whatever this was he didn't like it. He went to the laughing man and grabbed him by the shoulders and stood him on his knees so they were face to face.

"Joker, snap out of it! What's wrong with you?!" called out the billionaire. Almost immediately the laughter stopped. Those green eyes stared back into his blue ones with a lost and sad essence in them. "Joker?"

"Why – why do you keep… calling me that? That's not – my name," replied Joker softly. What?! Just what was going on here? All this both confused and scared Bruce deeply, he never saw the jester so lost and out of place before. Before he could question about the pale man's last statement, the clown closed his eyes tightly. Once they fluttered back open he stared very confusedly at Bruce and the position they were in. Both on the bed face to face and Bruce holding onto his shoulders. "When did you get here? What are you doing, Batsy?" his eyes went to the syringe in Bruce's hands. "Are you gonna use that on me?" questioned Joker with a nervous smile, his eyes still seemed so lost.

"Joker, you don't remember what happened? You were screaming," said Bruce calmly as he let go of his grip on Joker.

"What are you talking about screaming? I…" he stopped himself from continuing, as if realizing what Bruce was referring to. "Oh… that. I must've had an episode or something, is that the reason you look so worried?" inquired the clown as he eased himself to sit back on the bed.

"An 'episode'?" questioned Bruce.

"It's nothing really to be concerned about, even I don't know why it happens. Sometimes it's about past events, sometimes it's nothing true at all. I mean honestly Bats did you forget, I am one certified crazy clown, wanna see my badge," said Joker in a fit of small giggles. Bruce just continued to stare uncomfortably at Joker. For all the years he's known Joker he's never seen this vulnerable yet psychotic side to him. With Batman, Joker has always been confident, articulate and albeit crazy but he never seemed to display signs of severe psychosis. It shook Bruce seeing a glimpse at Joker in a new light and it rattled him to see the clown see it as how he saw anything, as a joke.

"Why don't you ever take anything seriously? You just laugh at everything, even your own pain. You said that your episode could've been from a past event, did something happen to you?"

"And where is all this concern coming from? Look even if I told you, you'd never believe me, nobody does. Besides if I remember correctly, before I had that little outburst, you said you were taking me back to Arkham, that you were tired of me. Just put the damn needle away and I'll go back quietly to my cage. The boys probably miss me and give me a nice welcome home beating," said the jester quietly but with a smile across those red lips.

"What do they do to you in there exactly? Is that why you have all those injuries and had that episode?" asked Bruce, his voice laced with curiosity and concern.

"What do you care, if memory serves me you said I deserve whatever misfortune befalls me. You're such a contradiction Bats. Well if you must know, Arkham isn't exactly a field of roses. I get roughed up by the orderlies and guards. We all do actually; Eddie, Harvey, even old straw for brains, but they love to get extra rough with yours truly. I can't speak for everyone when it comes to the medical care they receive, but for me, the docs usually have me so doped up I can barely see sometimes. Helps keep me still while they shock the living hell outta me. They claim it's for my pain but I know really it's because they don't want to deal with me, I mean why else give me ten times the normal dose. They don't want me to function; they want me to lie in my cell absolutely helpless…" He paused for a moment as if recalling a memory, and by the expression on his face Bruce could tell it wasn't a pleasant one. Bruce could remember Joker's words while he was in his episode, something about "cheap thrills" and threats about murder. The detective in him could infer that something happened to Joker and he was worried that he could be right about his suspicions.

"Have they ever…"

"Raped me," answered Joker simply before Bruce could bring it up.

"Ummm, I'll be up in the manor," said Alfred as he cleared his throat. By this time Alfred knew he was in the way, plus this conversation was really uncomfortable for him. In consideration of their privacy he left the general area and preoccupied his attention elsewhere.

"Ha, such a considerate butler," smiled the jester. He put a hand through his hair and continued. "Well, to answer your question Batsy… Yes, they did once. It was during one of my earlier stays," he paused for a moment and started to chuckle softly.

"What's so funny?"

"Think about it, some lowly guards and orderlies having their way with me. A bunch of nobodies getting their rocks off while I, the most dangerous man in Gotham couldn't do a thing about it. Oh what a sight, oh the irony! Hahaha! The most funny thing about was I got even with every last one of them," he replied between fits of laughter and a wide grin. This was very unsettling for Bruce; he couldn't find the hilarity in any of it. Unlike the Joker, who seemed he'd bust a gut.

"I don't find any of that funny," he spoke sternly. Joker ceased his laughter and stared silently at his bat. Whether as Batman or as Bruce Wayne, the stubborn man would never see his way.

"But that's all in the past, nothing to mope about now. Well anyways, are we still taking the nice drive through the countryside back to the funny farm or not?"

Bruce just stared into Joker's eyes; he wasn't sure what to do anymore. There was no way the Joker could be lying this time, the wounds and scars on his body cooperated with his story. He would honestly just feel guilty taking the jester back to Arkham. Besides, with Joker's precarious situation, he wasn't sure if the clown could survive another beating. "No, I'm not taking you back there."

"Excuse me, I didn't quite catch that darling," smiled Joker as he playfully funneled his ear.

"I said I'm not taking you to Arkham," repeated Bruce. Joker merely chuckled at the statement.

"Oh Brucey boy, you're always so unsure of yourself, such a contradiction really. First you're the big bad bat threatening to take this poor clown back to Arkham. And now you're acting all sweet like and letting me stay in your cave," smiled the Caliph of Clowns teasingly.

"Don't get me wrong, there are rules," said the billionaire sternly, interrupting the pale man's laughter.

"Of course there's rules, lay it on me Bats," mocked Joker as he fluffed his pillows and lay back down.

"You can't lay a hand on Alfred or mess with him mentally. I don't want you to annoy him or instigate anything with him. I know how you are when you try to get into people's heads."

"But you're still fair game right sweetness?" asked the clown as he blew a fake kiss.

"I don't care what you do to me just don't hurt Alfred. A few other rules, don't bother me while I'm working on other cases, you're not the only criminal I have to worry about. Last thing, I want you to stay here, you are not allowed to roam about as you please. Do I make myself clear, Joker?" said Bruce with a stern tone.

"Crystal clear, but can I add in a condition for you to follow?"

"Depends… What is it?" questioned the detective.

"Well, could you at least spend some time with me each day? Just an hour of your time and when you're not around you could just leave some reading material. You know so I won't be bored down here," smiled innocently the jester. Bruce remained quiet and contemplated Joker's request. "Oh come on, all I'm asking is for your company, is that really too much to ask?" scoffed Joker, seeing the doubt in Bruce's blue eyes.

"All right," answered Bruce simply to appease the madman. Joker's smile widened and his eyes filled with a childish light.

"Awww, you really do care Bat Babe," he replied teasingly. The playboy merely sighed at the lunatic's playful nature and raised a tired hand to his face. Bruce was really hoping he wasn't making a mistake with all this.

"It's getting late, you should be resting," urged Bruce as he began to walk off.

"Wait, Bruce," Joker called out before he could leave. Bruce turned and met Joker's eyes. "Before you go I gotta know, what changed your mind about letting me stay? Is it because you'd feel guilty leaving me back at Arkham or is something else rattling about in that head of yours?" inquired Joker. Well on one hand the Clown Prince was right about how he would feel guilty to leave Joker in such a cruel place. On the other hand there was something else going on in his mind. After seeing the madman's vulnerable side, a part of Bruce really wanted to reach out to him. Maybe try to understand and save the clown from his own madness. This task was practically impossible, but then again Bruce was known to accomplish even the most hopeless of causes and he knew this could not be accomplished if Joker was back at the asylum. His pride as Batman though, couldn't afford giving his greatest enemy the satisfaction of seeing inside his inner thoughts.

"Good night Joker," Bruce spoke in a calm but strong voice as he left for the stairs.

"Heh, sweet dreams Batsy," smiled widely the Clown Prince of Crime seeing his enemy leave the cave without having answered his question.