"It comes and goes," Adriana explained to Sidi about her gift. She looked to the left and saw Arsenio crawling on the soft blanket Aymara had placed on the carpet, along with a few toys. Aymara was sitting on the floor holding her arms out for Arsenio to come to her. Adriana and Sidi were seated on the couch. "Nothing was really clear just...vague feelings about things."

"When did it start?" Sidi asked.

"Yesterday," Adriana said, remembering visiting her house. "I felt like...a menstrual cramp and then it started. Haven't gotten my period yet though..sorry too much info."

"Not at all," Sidi said. "Hmm..your gift seems very linked with your womb. Not a surprise that you were dreaming of your son before you had him."

"That makes sense," Adriana told her. "I haven't been able to see anything too clearly though."

"Any other dreams?" Sidi asked Adriana.

"No..." Adriana said. "Oh..actually, I had that fire dream again. It was weeks ago though-"

"Fire dream," Sidi said firmly.

"Yes, remember when I told you that when I gave birth..I had this vision of fire. And my fever went up..But i had the same sort of dream a few weeks ago. I woke up sweating like crazy, but then it went away."

"No good," Sidi said. "I have everything we need to remove your gift permanently. If this is happening to you then we should not wait any longer-"

"No wait!" Adriana interrupted her. "I'm just now finally getting my gift back after almost over a year! I'm not ready to just remove it because I sweat in my sleep here and there. No...my gift stays. It will probably balance itself out over time and this is just a small hurdle-"

"I have to urge you," Sidi said. "I don't want you to wait until it is too late."

"Sidi, I am fine," Adriana sighed. "It hasn't happened it weeks so maybe that was it."

Sidi looked at Arsenio and then looked at Adriana again. "You cannot risk this. You have a child."

"I'm fine," Adriana said. Sidi had been telling her that her altered gift was a danger to her for quite some time and so far nothing dangerous had happened.

There was a knock at the door and Adriana knew it was Bruce.

"Baby man, it's time to go you daddy is here," Aymara said while holding him.

Sidi gave Adriana a look, letting her know that she wasn't off the hook. She stood up and answered the door to let Bruce in.

"Come in," Sidi said and Bruce came into the living room.

"Hello, Sidi," Bruce said and hugged her.

"Da, dadada," Arsenio said with him arms outstretched. "Yeeee!"

"Heyyy there," Bruce said and bent down to take Arsenio from Aymara's arms. She smiled and gave him the baby. "Did you have fun?"

"He had lots of fun," Adriana said and gave Bruce a kiss. "He'll sleep well tonight."

"How have you two been?" Bruce smiled and asked Sidi and Aymara as she packed the toys up into the baby bag.

"Just fine," Sidi said. "Things have been going well. Hope the same is true for you."

"Yes," Bruce said and Aymara kissed Arsenio on the cheek before going to the kitchen.

"Let's put on your shoes sweetheart," Adriana said and took the baby from Bruce. "Ready to go back home?"

"Ayaaa, aya!" he said and looked in the direction of the kitchen doorway.

"That's how he says Aymara," Sidi told Bruce. "He's a very smart child. Gifted."

"Adriana was telling me," Bruce said. "You don't know how his gift works."

"Not yet," Sidi said. "We won't know until he can speak..maybe in a couple of years, he will explain it to us."

"Okay," Bruce said and looked down at where Adriana had laid him on the couch and was pulling on his tiny shoes. "But how exactly do you know he is gifted?"

"It's simple," Sidi said. "I am gifted. I take his hands into mine and I do not see much of his future. What I can see it a blur."

"So, If you took my hands you could see my future," Bruce said.

"Yes," Sidi said, now sounding curious. "Would you like me to?"

"No," Adriana answered for him and lifted the baby, who watched Sidi and Bruce's discussion intently. Both she and Bruce had secrets, major ones.

"Maybe now isn't the best time," Bruce said.

"Whenever you're ready," Sidi said.

.

.

.

"Just tell me what you remember," Damien asked the Brian Sky, a law enforcement official who worked on the Joker's last transport. He had offered the man $5,000 to tell him the details of that day. "Everything, from the beginning. From when you picked him up."

"Okay," Brian started. "We were told that he was being moved to Arkham, which we already knew. It was all over the news that he was found not guilty. We were all kind of tired...we didn't get much sleep the night before. I mean, this was a big deal..this transport had to go well."

"I see," Damien said, scribbling notes.

"We got to the jail and picked him up," Brian said. "He was in a cell, alone. We took him to the van and followed protocol exactly-"

"How did he seem?" Damien asked. "Was he on edge? Did he seem to be plotting anything? Did he say anything to you or anyone else?"

"No, no...nothing like that," Brian said, trying to remember. "He didn't say shit. We came to the cell, he stood up and went with us. Didn't seem on edge...it was an easy transport to the van."

"Okay, so you made it to the van," Damien said.

"Yes, we went through the back entrance to the jail," Brian said. "We wanted this transport to happen as quietly and smoothly as possible. He got in the van and sat down. I'm the one that made sure everything was secure..that his hands and feet were locked and he couldn't try to get up or run or fight during the ride. I did everything right, I swear."

"I'm not here to judge your performance, I just want to know about him," Damien explained. "What next?"

"Gordon was there, making sure everything was done right," Brian said. "He looked at the Joker but didn't say anything to him. Then he told us we could be on our way. There were two of us in the back with him. Two in the front. We went off on our way. Both me and Harold were armed, and ready for anything. But nothing happened..he sat there."

"Did he look at you? Say anything?" Damien inquired.

"Nope," Brian said. "He was just staring straight ahead, in between us. Again, he didn't say anything. The ride was fine...it was supposed to be 25 to 30 minutes. 20 minutes in, I started to feel kinda dizzy..thought I was getting carsick. But it wasn't the time to deal with that..had to be alert..again this was a big deal this transport. Had to stay focused on the job. I didn't even look over at Harold. I was just looking at the prisoner, on full alert. But then the dizziness got worse..I remember feeling like I was blacking out."

"The Joker," Damien spoke as if the next words he was going to say were very important. "Did he look like he was dizzy too? Did it look like whatever it was, was affecting him too?"

"I was looking right at him," Brian said. "He closed his eyes. I told the cops this too, when I was questioned. He leaned his head back and started to tip over onto his side. I went to check him but I blacked out as soon as I tried to stand. I didn't even look over at Harold the whole time. I fell down onto the floor."

"Okay," Damien said. "After you fell...did you hear or see anything?"

"Hmm..." Brian said, thinking very hard. "I was only conscious for a little while longer once I hit the floor. I felt the van swerving and then I knew we had crashed, but I couldn't do anything about it. I couldn't move my body."

"Then what?" Damien was now on edge.

"I can't be sure but I think I remember hearing the door open behind me," Brian said.

"So he got out? How soon after the crash did this happen?" Damien wanted to know.

"I can't say. It must have been almost immediately after...I blacked out."

"You were on the floor in front of him..Did you see or hear him move or step over you?" Damien asked.

"I was really out of it...I guess he could have but I don't know. I didn't see anything at that point. I didn't even see the sunlight come in when the door opened. All I heard was it squeak when it opened. I must have been knocked out entirely after that because I don't remember anything else until I woke up. The shackles we had put on him were on the floor beside me. A paramedic was checking my pulse and they took us to ambulances."

"You had the keys to the shackles on you?" Damien asked.

"Yes," Brian nodded.

"Were they still on you?" Damien wanted to know.

"Yes, they were," Brian said.

"So he put them back?"

"I guess," Brian said.

"That's odd...doesn't sound like something he'd do," Damien said.

"I don't know. All I know is, the keys were on me. They told us we would be okay and that whatever the gas was that had been released didn't seem to be lethal or especially toxic. Later on they let us know the body was found by the bridge," Brian explained.

"Did he seem suicidal to you?" Damien asked.

"Well he didn't outright say he wanted to kill himself-" Brian said.

"You know what I mean. Did he seem depressed? Sad?" Damien asked.

"I don't know. He was cooperating, he was quiet. He didn't look at us or speak. Suicidal or not, I couldn't say," Brian said.

Damien frowned, trying to think of more questions he could ask.

"When the door opened and you heard it.." Damien started. "Did it sound like it was opening from the inside or the outside?"

Brian paused, he hadn't yet considered this. He tried his best to remember. He closed his eyes, trying to replay it back in his mind.

"Honestly...I can't remember," Brian said. "I just hear the squeak."

"Yes, but in order for the Joker to have opened it you would have heard something inside the van first right?" Damien asked. "I mean, he was shackled. Did you hear clanging metal from the chains or anything?"

Brian looked like he was trying to remember as best he could.

"No," he finally said. "No...I didn't hear the chains at all. Only the door."

"Are you absolutely certain?" Damien asked.

"Positive," Brian answered.

"Okay..I guess that's all I need," Damien said.

.

.

.

"Hey," Adriana said and stood by the doorway to the gym in Bruce's penthouse.

"Hello, lovely," he said, and slowed down then stepped off of the treadmill. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to enjoy the view," she smiled. "Baby boy is having his nap, so I have a little bit of time to work out."

"Alright," Bruce said and walked over to her, touching her cheek before kissing her. He looked at a small bruise on her left cheekbone.

"It's healing fine," she said, knowing what he was looking at.

"I know," he said. "You just don't know how it feels...for me to have to see bruises on you. I will never get used to it, Adriana."

She touched his shoulders, not having anything to say to make him feel any better. He was married to Shade, and even though it hurt him to see her get injuries, it was part of the deal.

"I hate seeing them on you too," she said.

"What a marriage," he said, smiling slightly.

"Yeah," she said and kissed him. "So what are you working on next? I'll join you."

"Hmm.." he said. "Push ups."

He took a step back and went over to the large floor mat.

"Oh.." she said with a bit of disappointment. "Great."

"Yup," he said and got down onto the floor and proceeded with his workout.

She looked down at him as he pushed himself up and down. Then, she knelt beside him as if she was going to do push ups too.

"I've been thinking about something," she said and he glanced over at her and kept doing push ups.

"What is it baby?" he said.

"The Joker," she said and he stopped.

"Why are you thinking about that?" he asked while holding himself in a plank. He turned and looked at her.

"I don't know..." she said. "It's about his disappearance..or death? Or whatever...some people think he's still alive out there somewhere."

"Adriana...that's silly," he said.

"I heard that the circumstances surrounding his death and the way the body was handled...just everything is suspicious. They cremated him within hours.."

"But they identified the body, right?" he asked.

"Right...I guess.." Adriana said. "But you, above anyone else, I know has to at least be considering that maybe...maybe this whole thing was a hoax? What if he's out there somewhere?"

"Even if he is," Bruce said. "He wouldn't make it two feet down any block in the country without me knowing about it. Facial recognition technology is a very powerful thing, especially when Lucius creates it."

"Okay," Adriana shrugged.

"Are you afraid?" Bruce asked. "Because that son of a bitch forced you to work for him? And then put you in harms way?"

"I'm not afraid, Bruce-"

"It's natural to feel afraid, especially of someone like him. He worked for months creating that poisonous gas...I intended to kill him that day he abducted the governor's granddaughter. But when I realized that it was you that I had shot..I told myself I wouldn't rest until Gotham was safe from this beast."

"I know Bruce," Adriana said.

"I will protect you no matter what," Bruce said.

"I know you will."

"Talk to me," Bruce said, moving from a plank position to sitting beside her. "We're married and you can tell me anything, you know that. I know that was a very dark time when you were forced to work for him. You still haven't told me much about it and I want to know everything. I thhink talking about it will bring us closer together. Especially now that you bring up his name, and you are afraid that he's still out there and could still come after you."

Adriana was silent.

"I always feel like there's more to it. So much that you haven't told me but you have nothing to be ashamed of. You made me promise you that I wouldn't kill him, and that makes me feel..maybe you felt bad for him. He watched after I shot that dart into your neck. He watched you laying there on the floor dying, and stopped me from leaving you there to die. At least tell me why? Do you have something that he needed? Some information or some tool? Is that why he wanted me to keep you alive? And maybe you're worried that if he's alive he could come back for whatever it is that he knows that you possess or know about?"

"No..no Bruce, nothing like that," Adriana said.

"He would have thought that you were dead. Which would have been a good thing... But now I can see that you're worried because we are all over the news, we are a famous couple. Maybe you're worried that somewhere he's out there watching... But I promise you you have nothing to worry about. There is no way he will ever get to you, even if he is alive. You are my wife and my purpose in this life is to protect you and Arsenio."

"Okay," she nodded. No matter what the truth was, she felt protected and loved.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you too," she said before they kissed. She could tell that he was disappointed that she did not open up more, but he was not going to pressure her.

Bruce leaned forward and went back to his push ups. Adriana sat and watched him before crawling over and placing a hand on his back when he was down near the floor. He looked over at her, questioning in his eyes. She lifted one of her legs over him and climbed onto his back. She stretched her legs down over his and wrapped her arms around his chest. She rested the side of her face on the back of his black tee shirt.

Without a word , he proceeded with the push ups. She closed her eyes as he went up and down.

"Are you getting tired?" she asked after a while. "Am I too heavy?"

"No," he breathed. "Good resistance. Thanks."

"Okay," she said softly and moved her lips beside his ear and whispered. "Am I distracting you?"

He kept going, counting out loud.

"One twelve, one thirteen, one fourteen," he said, counting.

"I bet I can make you lose count," she said and heard him let out a weak breathy laugh as he went on.

"One twenty, one twenty-one," he continued.

"Five, six, seven, three, four, five," she whispered playfully in his ear and he kept counting, maintaining his pace.

"One thirty, one thirty-one," he said. "One thirty-two."

"Hmm," she hummed, against his neck, his silky hair on her lips. "Guess I have to try harder."

"One thirty- five," he went on.

Slowly, she moved her hands from around his chest to his upper arms and let her legs relax on both sides of his waist. Her inner ankles were resting on the backs of his thighs when she went down to his ear again.

"Eleven, twelve, thirteen-"

"Not working," he said. "One forty-two, one forty-three."

"You're so strong," she whispered. "I guess there's nothing I can do to distract you."

She smiled and rested her cheek on his back again. Slowly she rocked her pelvis against him, the fabric on his shirt moving slightly with each repeated movement.

"Wha-" he said slightly out of breath, still doing push ups. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," she said, still rocking on him. "Lost count?"

"No," he said with determination. "One fifty-six, one fif-"

"Nope," she said. "You already passed 156. I win."

"Well," he said and stopped in a plank again. "That's because you're humping my back."

"I win," she repeated.

"Yes," he said as she climbed down and laid on on the floor beside him. "You do."

She smiled as he came over her and they embraced in a kiss. Her legs wrapped around his hips and her arms around his back. She let her hands roam under the back of his shirt as he mimicked her previous movements, rocking his hips against hers. Warm grinding pressure through clothing and their kissing went on until they heard someone clearing their throat.

"Oh...Alfred," Bruce said as he stopped moving and looked over.

Alfred looked like he was trying avoid looking at them, instead staring out the large glass windows at the Gotham skyline.

"Master Bruce, Mr. Govender is on hold," Alfred said. "He insists that it's important."

"Okay," Bruce said. "I will be right there."

.

.

.

"It's such short notice," Adriana told Bruce as Alfred moved some of his things into a small suitcase and Bruce changed.

"I know," Bruce said. "Apparently it's something I have to see in person. He won't even send me a photo."

"Okay," Adriana said and sat on the bed.

"You could come with me," Bruce said.

"Oh..." Adriana said. "To South Africa...tonight?"

"Yes," he said. "We can be back in less than 48 hours.

"Evelyn and I don't mind caring for the baby while you're away," Alfred offered.

"Oh..." Adriana said again. "A whole 48 hours away from him...I'm nervous."

"It's okay," Bruce said. "I am too, but we can trust Evelyn and Alfred."

"I know," she said and began to nod. "Okay...two days...I'll go. This is going to be difficult."

"Sweetheart, I know but we will be back before you know it."