"Da-" Arsenio started to say as soon as he saw Bruce come through the door, but his mouth was full of the small bites of baby pasta Adriana was feeding him.
"Hi sweetheart," Adriana said as Bruce came into the kitchen.
"Hello," Bruce said and kissed both Adriana and Arsenio.
"How was your day?" Adriana asked.
"It was fine," Bruce said vaguely.
His interaction with Sidi earlier in the day had changed his entire mood. He needed to talk to Adriana about it, he needed to know more but now was not the time.
"Can you check that for me?" Adriana asked Bruce upon hearing her phone vibrate.
Bruce picked up her phone.
"Shade app.." he said. "There's a bomb threat on a stalled subway train...stalled between Roosevelt and 8th."
As Bruce looked at the notification he felt the overwhelming urge to go himself. The city of Gotham hated the Batman for Dent's death and he had been inactive for months. But he knew in this moment that nothing would feel better than going. Vigilantism.
"I better get going-" Adriana said.
"No," Bruce said. "I'll go."
"What?" Adriana asked and fed Arsenio another bite of pasta.
"I'll be quick," Bruce told her. "I'm sure I could defuse the bomb without even being seen."
"Well..so could I," Adriana reminded him. "The difference is, it won't start an uproar in the city if I am seen-"
"I'll be right back," Bruce said, ignoring her words and leaving quickly.
.
.
.
The tunnel was dark and the Batman walked on the tracks leading to the stalled train. Even though he couldn't see the train cars yet, he could hear commotion and raised voices. The passengers were highly distressed.
The Shade app told him almost everything he needed to know and what he needed to look for. He had the strong suspicion that the police would take ages to take down the illegal app, because they loved having Shade. The terrorist had called in remotely and stated that the bomb was attached to the train.
The light from the inside of the train was in view and as he approached he activated the screens in his mask. It would allow him to see the bomb in the dark without having to look very hard. The wiring of a bomb would stick out like a sore thumb. Lucius' creation. He couldn't understand how his wife could function without such technology. It made things much easier.
He found the bomb on the back car and knew that he would not be seen. Unless there was more than one bomb, which was possible. He disengaged the bomb quickly without the frantic passengers inside being able to see him. After he was done, he made a large and swift jump, pulling himself onto the top of the train.
There was another bomb attached to the roof, three cars down. He made his way down, making jumps over the space in between the train cars and deactivated the second bomb. He then went to the front car and back, no more bombs.
He returned to the back car, jumping off and disappearing.
.
.
.
"How did it go?" Adriana asked as she pulled Arsenio's pajamas out of his drawer.
"It was simple," Bruce said to Adriana. "But invigorating. I'm glad I went."
Bruce walked over to Arsenio who was watching them quietly.
"Daddy, bom!" Arsenio said.
"Yes, there were two of them actually," Bruce told Arsenio and picked him up. "It's a good thing I went."
"Why do you say that?" Adriana asked.
"Well it wasn't easy to see, and I have equipment to detect these things," Bruce said. "There was a second bomb on the roof of the train as well."
"Do you think I wouldn't have been able to find them?" Adriana asked, hearing Bruce's relieved tone.
"I wasn't implying that," Bruce said. "Just that it was easier for me, and quicker most likely."
Bruce watched Adriana take a deep breath and he could see that he had upset her, but she didn't want to debate about it in front of Arsenio.
"Bath time for the baby man," Adriana said and reached out for Arsenio.
"I'll bathe him, put him to bed," Bruce offered. "You...go relax, have a bubble bath.."
"This your way of apologizing for calling me slow and incapable of finding bombs in the dark?" Adriana asked.
"I didn't say incap-" Bruce started but could see that it was not a good move. "Actually yes, consider this an apology."
Adriana shook her head and gave Arsenio a kiss.
"I'll come back to say goodnight," Adriana said to Arsenio before leaving.
Adriana left the room and Bruce took Arsenio to his bathroom for a bath. Adriana thought perhaps Bruce was right, maybe she was slower than him, but that didn't make his statements less annoying. She thought of earlier in the day where she assumed the task would take ten minutes and she ended up leaving the Joker to watch Arsenio for nearly an hour.
For a moment, she felt something she hadn't felt in a while. Deep sadness and grief over not having her gift. Self doubt. She also thought of what had happened when she came back. The Joker was watching Arsenio sleep and she had reached forward and touched the Joker's cheek for what she knew was far too long. She needed to apologize.
She made a quick walk to the elevator and as it went down to the medical facility floor, she told herself she needed to do this. Although Lucius had postponed the Joker's flight for a few days, she needed to make sure that they parted on good terms, with no awkwardness.
The Joker was in his room painting on a large easel facing away from the door. He had a few paint marks on his clothing and a few tine marks of paint on his face. Something about the visual took her back in time. She shook it off quickly.
He looked over to her as she came through the door and stopped paining.
"Hi," Adriana said. "I won't take too much of your time."
The Joker sat his paintbrush in cup and waited for the to say why she was there.
"Look," she said. "I'm sorry about earlier...it was totally inappropriate and it won't happen again."
"Oh," the Joker said and shook his head. "I didn't mind watching your kid for more than the ten minutes you said you'd be gone."
"Right," Adriana said. "I'm sorry about that too."
"So what's the first thing you're sorry about this time?" he asked.
Adriana felt it happening again. Forgetting who she was, where she was, what she was talking about. The sparkle in his deep colored hazel eyes under dark lashes seemed to wipe and rewire her brain.
"Huh?" she asked.
"I asked what it is you're apologizing to me for," he said.
"Oh..that," she said. "Earlier when I came back...I...I know I overstepped some boundaries. I shouldn't have-"
"Ah that," the Joker said and nodded.
"It won't happen again," she repeated. "I'm sorry."
He blinked. "Thank you. I'd appreciate that."
Adriana knew she shouldn't feel a trace of hurt over his gratitude but the pain was there.
"Okay...well that was all," she said.
"Goodnight," he said.
"What are you painting?" Adriana asked. She was kicking herself. She needed to just leave, get out of his way before things became more awkward.
He looked at her strangely, wondering why she was still there. She needed to leave.
"It's private," he said vaguely, which a finality in his tone. He wanted her to leave.
"A private paining?" Adriana asked. She felt childish. He clearly wanted her to leave him alone but she was being stubborn and she knew it. Not she was purposely making things awkward.
She took a few steps towards him to get a look at what he was painting but he surprised her by standing up and beside the painting, preventing her from coming around to see it.
"Yes," he said. "A private painting. Goodnight."
"I want to see," she said with a smile, feeling herself becoming annoyed with herself. She was now fully aware that she was being annoying.
She stepped around him, and restrained himself from physically stopping her. She made her way behind him and looked at the painting.
As she looked at it, she felt both her hands coming up to cover her mouth. He back was still facing her for a few seconds before he turned around.
"This..." Adriana said and looked at the painting.
She was used to him painting what appeared to be dark cityscapes, sometimes the ocean in a tormented storm, imagery of fires with billowing smoke. This was different.
"This is beautiful," Adriana said, the word still not having the gravity to quantify the stunning image in front her.
It was a painting of Arsenio, in the the clothing that he had been wearing earlier. He was looking up and smiling, and Adriana could tell in the picture that it was expression that she had seen on her son's face many times. The expression he made just as he was about to begin laughing.
The Joker looked into her eyes.
"You did this from memory?" she asked him.
"Yes," he said.
"How long did this take?" she asked.
"Few hours," he answered. "That fan back there makes the process quicker."
"Wow..." Adriana said. "I love it...it's the best piece of art I've ever seen."
"You don't think it's strange?" he asked, sounding surprised.
"No..why would I think that?" she asked him.
"Well, me, spending hours.." he said with a the slightest hint of vulnerability in his voice. "Painting a portrait of your kid."
"No, no," Adriana told him. "I don't think it's strange at all. I mean... after all.."
"After all, what?" he asked.
"He's...not just my kid," Adriana said gently.
"Yours and Bruce Wayne's," he told her as if giving her a firm reminder.
"Jack-" Adriana started to say to him but he stopped her.
"I appreciate your apology for earlier," he said. "Have a lovely evening."
Adriana looked down and then back into his eyes. He really wanted her to leave now. Adriana left him and his stunning painting and went back to the elevator.
She went back to the penthouse quietly and got into the shower. Every time she blinked her eyes she could see the portrait. She never wanted to forget it. The Joker was leaving soon and his moments with Arsenio would be few. She thought that he didn't mind, that it wouldn't mean as much to him as it obviously did. There was nothing she could do about it and it hurt her. It hurt her that he couldn't stay in the city or even in the country. The circumstances surrounding his faked death were not enough to have his fingerprints and DNA removed from police records. It wasn't enough to do more than move him to #8 on the FBI's most wanted list.
.
.
.
"You're quiet," Bruce said to Adriana in bed.
"So are you," she replied.
They both went silent for a few minutes. Adriana thinking about the Joker and Arsenio. Bruce thinking about Sidi's revelation about the Joker and Adriana.
"I didn't mean what I said," Bruce said. "You're an excellent vigilante. Better than me."
"You're just saying that," Adriana told him with a half smile.
"No," he said. "I mean it. What good is being a vigilante if you can only work in the shadows."
"That means nothing," he said and touched his cheek. "The only reason you have to hide is because you are giving them hope...belief in Dent...that he died a good person. They'll never know what you've done for them."
Bruce took her hand away from his face and kissed it several times. They were both laying down on their sides facing each other.
"Bruce," Adriana asked. "Is everything okay?"
It was an opportunity, he could see it. And opportunity to talk to her.
"Actually," Bruce said, his voice a bit more stern. " I wanted to talk to you about something."
"What is it?" she asked.
"How is therapy going?" Bruce asked.
Adriana looked at Bruce and though of how to answer.
"It's been...good," she said. She had been talking to Dr. Kapoor here and there and it was fine, so it wasn't a lie.
"Can we talk about it?" Bruce asked.
"About my therapy?" she wanted to know.
"Not exactly," Bruce replied carefully.
He looked into his wife's eyes and knew that above all else, he loved her. He wanted her to trust him.
"What then?" she asked.
"You told me that," Bruce said after a deep breath. "He never hurt you."
Bruce watched Adriana's eye contact break. She blinked and looked away.
"Yes, I did," she said to him.
"It that true?" he asked her in the most accepting tone he could manage.
Her eyes met his again. He watched her shoulders relax gradually. "Yes."
Bruce swallowed, willing his composure to maintain.
"Okay," Bruce said.
"You believe me?" she asked.
"Yes," Bruce responded.
"Really?" she asked before moving forward and throwing her arms around him. Bruce held her around her waist and heard her voice in his ear. "Oh, Bruce...I'm so relieved...it's been tearing me up having you think that the worst happened to me..but I tried to tell you and you didn't believe me and then Lucius said I should just leave it because you wouldn't hear me-"
"Maybe he was right," Bruce said and Adriana laid down again and looked into his eyes.
"What changed your mind?" she asked.
"I guess...I just realized I need to accept the truth and that you wouldn't lie to me," he said.
Adriana let out a sigh of relief and gave Bruce a long kiss.
"Can we talk about it?" Bruce asked.
"Well..sure," Adriana said, with some hesitation.
"I believe you but I just don't understand how something like this...could transpire," Bruce said.
"Well..honestly, it's pretty crazy to me too..." Adriana said. "But that was a crazy time in my life..and now it's over."
Bruce could tell she didn't want to talk about things in detail but he needed to know.
"How," Bruce said. "How did it happen? Did he tell you he wanted you?"
"No," Adriana said, with a nervous tone, but Bruce knew he needed to be persistent.
"Then how?" he asked.
"Bruce..I...I don't know it just did.." she said.
"When?" he replied immediately with another question.
"What? When?" she asked confused.
"When did you and he first...start.." Bruce asked.
"You're asking when I first had sex with him?" Adriana asked.
"That's what I'm asking," he said. "I don't want you to feel embarrassed, you can tell me anything."
"I know...but it's just weird..." Adriana said.
"I know I'm asking for a lot of detail but I know that for me to accept this and move past it, I need to know exactly what happened," Bruce said. "I mean, you know my entire sexual history. It's only fair."
"What?" Adriana sat up and started to laugh. "I only know that because I had my gift, I wasn't looking for any of it."
"Please," Bruce sat up and took her hand.
"Fine then," Adriana said. "We had sex after that charity masquerade ball...the one the governor attended."
"The one that was evacuated? He was there?" Bruce asked.
"Yes, and so was I," she said. "It just happened Bruce. I mean...we didn't even really like each other before then.."
Bruce was so confused he didn't even know what to ask.
"Where?" he asked. "How did he get away? There were cops everywhere."
"We...stayed over in the most expensive suite..to hide from the cops."
Bruce started shaking his head but stopped himself. He didn't want to be judgemental.
"Were you..." Bruce asked but lightened his tone when he heard the judgement come back. "Did you have anything to drink?"
"Well...not much," she answered.
"Maybe you had more than you remembered having," Bruce said calmly.
"Oh?" Adriana asked, seeing that the conversation was changing. He was theorizing.
"Yes...and alcohol can make anyone act out of character," Bruce said.
"Right," Adriana said weakly.
"And maybe you..." Bruce said and gave her hand a soft squeeze. "You aren't exactly a promiscuous woman Adriana, I can tell that."
Adriana laughed a little. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"I just think that perhaps you develop feeling when you have sex," Bruce said. "Many women do..it's normal. Maybe you started to care for him because it happened."
Adriana sighed.
"It's normal," he said again.
"Yeah..I guess.." Adriana said.
"We've all made mistakes..here and there," Bruce said. "So you made a mistake once or twice. It happens."
"Once or twice?" Adriana asked.
"I'm assuming.." Bruce said and kissed her hand again.
"Oh...you mean...you think we had sex once or twice," she asked.
Bruce looked into her eyes. Yes. He has assumed something where she was compromised..once or twice. Something that came and passed quickly. Some drunken romp in the dark, barely remembered in the light.
Adriana looked down.
"So it was more than once or twice?" Bruce asked and she turned her head away. "How many times?"
She shrugged.
"Adriana," Bruce said, not seeing how someone could not remember how many times such a remarkably horrible thing could have happened. "Three times? Four?"
She shook her head.
"How many times?" he asked again.
"I don't know," she finally answered.
"Adriana," Bruce said, trying to remain calm. "Surely you must have some ballpark idea. Five times?"
She shook her head.
"More than five?"
She nodded.
"Ten? More than ten?" Bruce watched her nod again. "Twenty? Thirty?...Fifty?"
She nodded again and then turned away. Bruce released her hand and they both went quiet. Adriana felt exposed and Bruce felt like he didn't know her. How could she make the same mistake so many times? Enough to make her think she cared for this monster.
"Say something.." Adriana said weakly to Bruce.
"It's okay," Bruce said. He willed himself to say the words.
"Really?" she asked, not believing him.
"How could it happen so many times?" Bruce asked. "Did he come to your house?"
She nodded. "Yes...that's where it happened mostly."
"Mostly? So it happened other places?" Bruce asked.
"A couple times..." she said.
"Someone could have seen you," Bruce said firmly.
She nodded.
"Did anyone see you?" he asked.
"No..." she said as if she wanted to say more.
"What then?" Bruce asked. "What is it?"
"Some..men on his team may have heard us once or twice," she said.
"God!" Bruce exclaimed and stood up from the bed, praying that it wasn't true. "So other people know!"
"No...no...they're all dead now last I heard," Adriana said. "Except one but he'd never tell anyone."
"You don't know that!" Bruce shouted.
"Bruce...stop yelling...I'm just trying to be honest," Adriana told him.
Bruce made himself calm down. He sat on the bed.
"I'm sorry...I wish I could have told you sooner.." she said.
Already, Adriana could feel a distance between them. She hated it.
"Bruce," she said and crawled over, wrapped her arms around his shoulders from behind. "Please..."
She felt his breathing slow down as she held him.
"I love you..." she whispered into his ear.
He reached up and held her forearm firmly and closed his eyes. He focused on his breathing.
"I love you too," he said finally.
She told him everything. Bruce knew he needed to accept this. This should be the end of his inquiry, he told himself as he gazed out of their bedroom window over at the city. He didn't want to ask her anything more. He needed to see. Seeing would give him closure.
"Are you sure?" she asked.
"Am I sure that I love you?" he asked and pulled her arm down and half turned to her. "How could you ask me something like that?"
"It's just...I know that this is a lot...I know what he did," Adriana said. "He killed your best friend and-"
Bruce placed a finger over her lips. "I hate him. I hate had what he did," Bruce said. "But you..you I love. I know I don't know the whole story but..you my love. I know that you are blameless."
Bruce kissed her lips gently. He would soon see the whole story with Twyla's help.
"Okay," Adriana whispered.
"Let me prove it to you now," he said. "Just how much I love you."