"I'm glad it worked out," the Joker said.
"So am I," Adriana said. "Thank you for...pushing me to find out what was really going on."
"How long will Bruce be away?" the Joker asked her.
"At least 30 days," Adriana said. "Hopefully no more than 30 though."
"Arsenio is not going to like this at all," the Joker told her.
"I know..I know.." Adriana said. "That's going to be the hardest part. Especially since there's a cell phone restriction at the rehab center. We don't know yet if he has to go through detox and then rehab first or just..straight into rehabilitation. Bruce hasn't really talked to Dr. Kapoor about anything and..if he has to detox it's going to make this whole process take even longer."
"It must be done," the Joker reminded her plainly.
"Yes..that's true," Adriana said and looked into his eyes, "I was thinking maybe your should come by sometimes? To keep Arsenio company? I mean he has me and Alfred but...I think the more people around for him right now the better."
The Joker gave her a smile. Adriana could tell that he felt honored.
"Of course," he replied.
.
.
.
"I have to go on a very important business trip," Bruce explained to Arsenio as he held him. "I'll be leaving early tomorrow morning and I will be away for a while."
"Where?" Arsenio asked Bruce.
"Where.." Bruce asked and glanced at Adriana. "You mean, which country?"
Arsenio nodded.
Bruce knew he wouldn't be able to tell Arsenio he was only going 30 miles away for rehab. He had to lie.
"Well," Bruce said. "I'm going to..New Zealand."
"For week?" Arsenio asked. Bruce's longest business trips had only ever lasted a week at most.
"A bit longer than a week," Bruce said and gave Arsenio a little kiss.
Arsenio looked at Adriana and then back at Bruce.
"Daddy.." Arsenio said. "How..long you go?"
"You're getting better at putting sentences together," Bruce said.
"Two week?" Arsenio asked.
"A little longer than that," Bruce said. "But listen.."
Arsenio looked like he was about to cry.
"I want you to do something for me while I'm away," Bruce said. "I have a big job for you."
"Daddy, I go too!" Arsenio said.
"Oh..sweetheart.." Adriana said.
"No, son," Bruce said. "I need you to stay here and look after your mother. Do you know how much I love her?"
Arsenio nodded.
"Since I will be away for so long I need someone to stay here and make sure she gets plenty of hugs and kisses very day," Bruce said. "That will make me very happy. Who better for the job than you?"
Arsenio looked like he was thinking. "Loosis!"
Adriana and Bruce began to laugh.
"Yes, Lucius is one of your mother's best friends but," Bruce said. "I'd rather it be you. You'll do a good job, keeping her company."
"Mommy go too!" Arsenio offered another solution. "We go!"
"My sweet baby," Adriana said. "Your father has...so much work to do. We'll wait for him here...and the time will fly by so fast. He'll be back before we know it."
Arsenio didn't want to hear it.
"Daddy..." Arsenio said, finally crying.
.
.
.
"That was not easy," Adriana said to Bruce when they finally got back to their bedroom.
It had taken a long time for Arsenio to fall asleep, because he knew his father would not be there when he woke up. Every time he began to doze off, he snapped awake again and looked around for Bruce before dozing off again. He was finally sleeping.
"No, it was not," Bruce said.
His voice was stern.
"Bruce," Adriana said and put her hands onto his chest while standing in front of him. "This month is going to fly by and then we will be together again."
"I do not want to have to leave my child," Bruce said. "This will be traumatizing for him."
"Bruce he's not even two yet," Adriana said. "He will be fine.."
"You and I both know that our son is not like other babies," Bruce said. "He understands everything. He will feel every second of this month just like we will. I cannot do this to him."
"You have to," Adriana reminded him.
"Do I?" Bruce asked. He was asking a question but his voice was full of authority. "I am still failing to see why any of this is even remotely necessary. I'm only doing this because you threatened me-"
"And I only threatened you because I love you," Adriana said.
Bruce started to unbutton his shirt.
"If it eases your worries about me then I will do this," Bruce said.
"Bruce..." Adriana said. "I'm just concerned for you-"
"I got that," Bruce said and turned away from her and finished undressing.
Adriana had already bathed and dressed for bed. She got under the covers and waited as Bruce showered. When he was done she felt him get into the bed and was waiting for something. Waiting for him to touch her or hold her but she just felt cold.
.
.
.
"It's so early," Adriana said.
She felt the sheets moving as Bruce got out of bed at 4:30 a.m.
"I need to be at the rehab center by seven," Bruce said.
"Okay," Adriana said, sitting up. "I'll make you breakfast-"
"No," Bruce said, stopping her. "Alfred is taking care of it."
At that moment there was a knock at the door and then Alfred came in with Bruce's coffee.
"Can I get you anything?' Alfred asked Adriana.
"No..I'm okay, thank you Alfred," Adriana said before Alfred left.
Adriana sat in bed and watched as Bruce disappeared into the bathroom to shave and brush his teeth. He then went into the walk in closet for a few minutes and came out dressed.
"Do you need me to do anything?" Adriana asked Bruce.
"Not at all," Bruce said.
Bruce then went over to his laptop and sent a few last minute emails. Adriana watched him sleepily. When he was done he finished his coffee.
"Bruce," Adriana said to his back as he sat quietly in front of the screen.
He turned and looked at her.
"I don't want you to leave like this," she said,
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"You're...mad at me," Adriana said. "Or something. For making you do this."
Bruce sighed and stood up. He walked over to the bed and sat beside her.
"I am not angry," Bruce said. "I'm sorry if it's come off that way. There's been a lot to get done. I'm not used to being..forced into things. But I have no one to blame but myself. I am sorry for lying to you. I love you."
"I love you too," Adriana said.
"I wish there was more time," Bruce said. "What I wouldn't give to have time to make love to you right now."
Adriana smiled.
"We might have time," she said and kissed him.
After kissing for only a few seconds, there was a knock at the door.
"Yes?" Bruce called.
Alfred came in,
"The driver is ready," Alfred said. "And you luggage has been sent down."
Adriana touched Bruce's cheek. "We'll finish when you get back."
"In a month.." Bruce said.
"In a month," Adriana responded.
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.
.
"I wouldn't go near that thing if I were you," the Joker said to Arsenio.
They had been out walking on the grounds of Wayne Manor. A bat had just flown by them in broad daylight rather boldly and had landed on a low branch of a tree in front of them. It was hanging upside down, and the Joker wasn't sure but seemed to be trying to get Arsenio's attention.
"Why?" Arsenio asked, intrigued. "I like him!"
"Well," the Joker said. "That thing could be rabid."
Arsenio looked confused.
"Rabies," the Joker said.
"Rayy...bee," Arsenio repeated.
"Right, well," the Joker said. "It's a disease."
"He..sick?" Arsenio looked at the bat.
"Maybe," the Joker said. "He's acting odd. That's what rabies does. Makes the animals act crazy. Running around biting each other. You don't want that do you?"
Arsenio looked back at the bat.
"Umm..." Arsenio said. "Yeah!"
"You certainly are adventurous," the Joker said. "But it's not as fun as it sounds, I assure you. I'm sure bats would like to bite tiny little arms like yours, and that would not make your mother very happy."
Arsenio looked at the bat again.
"Okay bye raybeee!" Arsenio said to the bat and walked back over to the Joker.
"We can start to walk back now," the Joker said. "Actually..."
The Joker looked back at how much hilly area they had covered.
"We've walked pretty far," the Joker said. "It's a long way back. Sometimes I forget you're barely two. Are you tired?"
Arsenio nodded and extended his arms as the Joker picked him up. The Joker began to walk back to Wayne Manor.
Bruce had been gone for a little over a week and the Joker had come to visit Arsenio every singly day. He kept him occupied and distracted and time seemed to be flying by. As he walked he felt Arsenio falling asleep on his shoulder. They finally made it back to the Manor and the Joker put Arsenio down for a nap.
Once Arsenio was sleep, the Joker looked for Adriana. Wayne Manor was enormous but there were only a few places she could be.
He eventually found her in the gym. After walking through the door he froze. She was doing bent over row lifts with a barbell with heavy weights and what she was wearing had distracted him. She was covered, wearing a light pink bodysuit and long biker shorts in the same color. However, the outfit was very form fitting and her entire back was exposed. The line down the center of her back where her spine was appeared so beautiful to him it was almost dizzying. Her body was constructed almost too flawlessly. Her lower back dipped in a very feminine curve and her skin was the smoothest he had ever seen. He willed himself not to look any lower.
He cleared his throat to get her to stop lifting. The bending over, up and down, was too much for him.
"Oh, hey," she said and dropped the barbell. "Where's Arsenio?"
"He fell asleep," the Joker told her as she walked over to him.
"Ahh," Adriana said and looked at her watch. "Yeah..it's that time. How was your walk?"
"It was nice," the Joker told her. "Although you have a bat problem."
"Yeah the bats are everywhere out here," Adriana said. "They get into the house sometimes so we have people come in every week to check and make sure there's no bat poop. Can't have bats leaving their droppings where my baby lives, that wouldn't be healthy."
"Bat droppings," the Joker said. "Just what I needed to hear right now."
"Sorry," Adriana laughed.
The Joker meant that he needed the distraction from how unbelievably attractive she was. He knew that Bruce would do anything to keep her.
"How is Bruce doing?" the Joker asked.
"Well, last I spoke to him was two days ago and he sounded fine," Adriana said. "You know..they can't have their cell phones but they let them make calls. Hopefully he's call again tonight. He doesn't tell me too much about rehab though...maybe we'll talk about everything when he gets home."
The Joker nodded.
"Anyways," Adriana said. "I made you a sandwich and it's in the fridge. The one with salami is yours and the egg salad one is mines."
"Got it," the Joker said before leaving. "Thank you."