"And how about this one?" the Joker asked Arsenio and pulled out another card from a deck of cards with pictures of a different animal on each one. It had been one of Arsenio's favorite games for weeks.
"Umm..." Arsenio said and glanced at the card and then looked away.
He looked distracted, the Joker though.
"Otttopus," Arsenio said while still looking away.
"Yep," the Joker said. "That's the one. How about this one here?"
Arsenio looked at the picture and shrugged. The Joker turned the card to look at it, making sure he had seen it correctly. It was a picture of a cat. The Joker knew for certain that Arsenio knew the answer.
"You sure you don't know?" the Joker asked Arsenio.
"Cat," Arsenio said, finally.
"Good job," the Joker said. "Would you like to do something else?"
Arsenio shrugged again.
"Arsenio," the Joker said and Arsenio looked him in the eyes.
"Hm?" Arsenio said.
"Is everything alright?" the Joker asked him.
Arsenio looked away again. "Yeah," Arsenio said finally.
The Joker's phone rang and he pulled it out of his pocket. An unknown number.
"Hello?" the Joker asked and watched as Arsenio looked at one of the cards on the table.
"Hello, Jack," Bruce said. "Is my son with you?"
"Yes," the Joker told Bruce.
"May I speak to him?" Bruce asked.
"Yes," the Joker said and then looked at Arsenio. "It's your father."
The Joker watched as immediately, the distracted and distant look Arsenio had been wearing vanished. His eyes lit up and the spark came back to into them immediately.
The Joker put the phone onto speaker and Bruce's voice filled the room.
"Arsenio?" Bruce asked.
"Daddy! Hi, Daddy!" Arsenio beamed and placed both hands on the phone, looking at the screen hoping it would be a video call but it was not. "Daddy!"
The Joker listened at Bruce and Arsenio spoke. They loved and missed each other very much. In a way, the Joker was relieved that Bruce had called him. Arsenio's mood had improved greatly so quickly in a way that the Joker knew that he alone could not do. Arsenio loved Bruce.
"Mommy fighting!" Arsenio told Bruce, meaning that Adriana was out practicing her vigilantism. He had some idea of what Adriana and formerly, Bruce, did.
After talking for almost thirty minutes, Bruce told Arsenio that he had to go. The Joker wasn't sure if Bruce could tell but Arsenio's body language became a bit stressed. The Joker walked behind him and placed hand on his shoulders in an effort to calm him and it worked.
"Ok Daddy," Arsenio said finally, not wanting the call to end.
.
.
.
"You could take some home with you," Adriana said to the Joker. "I'll pack some of the roast beef up for you."
"Thank you," he said and watched her go to the cupboard for tupperware with a slight limp. "You badly hurt?"
"Not at all," Adriana said. "I just need to rest. Hopefully nothing crazy happens in the city until tomorrow evening at least. How was your day? Did you and Arsenio have fun earlier when I had to go out?"
The Joker was quiet as she put meat and gravy into the container.
"He seemed a bit down if I am honest," the Joker said.
"Arsenio," Adriana asked and half turned towards the Joker and looked at him.
"Yes," the Joker said. "That is, until Bruce called. Have you noticed, he's seemed preoccupied lately? He misses Bruce terribly."
"I know," Adriana admitted. "And it feels awful...but it's okay. Bruce is more than halfway through rehab if we're lucky and I think we will be. Just two more weeks to go. And..Arsenio is young. He's two..."
"We all know that he is not like other two year olds," the Joker said. "Whatever...derivative of your gift he has inherited has made him very mature and intelligent. Him being two doesn't assist in the way I'm sure it would with other two year olds. I do not remember any part of my life before 4 years ago, but even if I could, I'm not sure there are many of us who could remember being two."
"You mean he is not likely to forget this experience," Adriana said.
The Joker nodded once.
"It's okay..." Adriana said, even though she wasn't sure. "Bruce and I will spend so much time with him when he gets back that...Arsenio will forget all about this."
.
.
.
"Ow!" Adriana said, as she answered her phone, half asleep. It accidentally hit her cheekbone, which was badly bruised from a fight hour ago.
"Adriana? Are you alright?' she heard Bruce's voice say.
"Bruce?" she asked.
"Yes, it's me," he said.
She sat up. "It's...almost 4 a.m..." she said and looked at the caller ID again. "And you stole your phone again."
"It's not stealing if it's mine," he said. "I'm sorry I woke you."
"It's okay.." Adriana said. "I'm happy to hear your voice."
"Likewise, my angel," Bruce said to her.
"Is everything okay?" she asked. "It seems kind of risky to call me at this hour..someone could hear you talking. They'll realize you've stolen-I mean borrowed, your phone, which isn't allowed."
"I could not sleep," Bruce told her.
"Oh, sweetie," Adriana said. "What's bothering you?"
"I am thinking of Arsenio," Bruce said. "And how he sounded earlier. I cannot stop thinking of him. He sounds distraught."
"Bruce.." Adriana said. "He is fine. I mean..yes, he misses you terribly but he understands you will be home soon. He's surrounded by lots of love and he is a happy little boy."
"I don't know how people do this," Bruce said.
"Do what?" she asked.
"Spend extended time away from their kids," Bruce said. "I work with many of them. They will travel for months..away for month. I feel that I won't even make it three weeks here."
"Bruce this is different," Adriana said, keeping her voice firm. "This is rehab..treatment you need, not a work obligation. And I'm sure you won't have to stay there for months, honey."
"Yes, yes," Bruce said with a sigh. "But perhaps I can complete this treatment early. Things are going well, and I may not even need a full 30 days."
"But Bruce," Adriana said. "They said the minimum was 30 days and they would assess your progress and then..go from there."
"They assess progress constantly," Bruce told her. "And perhaps soon they will see that I do not require as much time here. And I can return to you and my son early."
"My love," Adriana said. "I just want you to focus on your treatment and therapy. Arsenio is just fine, I promise. He's strong and he knows you love him and that you will be home soon. Again..he misses you of course but he is okay."
She heard Bruce take a long breath.
"Okay...okay," Bruce said. "I believe you. But I still want to see if I do anything, perhaps have some assessments moved up, so that I can get back to you both earlier. I know I can make that happen."
"Let them do what they need to," Adriana said. "There's no rush."
"What about you?" Bruce asked.
"What about me?" she asked back.
"How are you holding up, my sweet?" he asked her.
Adriana was quiet. Arsenio wasn't in bed with her and she was alone. When asked the question, she felt the like she could cry. She missed Bruce terribly, but she knew she couldn't let it show.
"I'm alright," she told him.
"Adriana," Bruce said. "Tell me the truth. It will worry me less, believe it or not."
Adriana thought about it and then laid down with the phone in between her ear and the pillow.
"I miss you so much, Bruce," Adriana said. "I had a dream last night that you were here...and when I woke up and you weren't.."
Adriana couldn't tell him that she cried. She couldn't do it.
"I really miss you," she said. "And... I know when you come home...I'll be so happy. It will be amazing."
Bruce was quiet for a moment.
"What exactly will be amazing?" he asked and sounded like he was smiling.
Adriana laughed. "Everything."
"Well, we are getting closer," Bruce said. "Closer to me coming home..closer to me holding you again...kissing you...putting another baby in you-"
"Bruce," Adriana laughed.
"And will be heavenly," Bruce went on. "Even better than I am capable of imagining. I love you so much."
"I love you too.." Adriana said. "I miss how your hair smells...I was smelling your pillows. I asked Alfred not to wash the pillowcases."
Since she was half asleep, she was wondering if she had said too much.
"Sorry...that was weird.." she laughed softly.
"Nah.." he said. "I smell your hair when you're asleep sometimes."
"You do?" she asked, still laughing.
"Sure," he said. "A nice warm lock, preferably one that's been resting on your neck. I'd take it gently with my fingers and hold it up to my nose."
Adriana was quiet as she listened.
"Now if you're imagining me huffing your hair in the night shadows like some creep.." he said.
He then went quiet and then both he and Adriana laughed.
.
.
.
"Dis one!" Arsenio said to the Joker and picked up the toy train.
"Alright," the Joker said. "Let's take this one downstairs. I will carry it."
"Ok," Arsenio said and stood up.
As they walked through the hallway Arsenio turned and started walking in the direction of his parents bedroom.
"Wrong way, kiddo," the Joker said, but Arsenio kept walking very quickly until he was in front of the closed door.
"Mommy!" Arsenio said loudly.
"Hey, hey, hey," the Joker said almost whispering. "She's still asleep. She'll be up soon, but let's not wake her. I'm pretty sure she's very sleepy..lot's of fighting last night, according to the news.."
Adriana rolled over in the sheets, wondering if she was imagining hearing her son call for her. She wasn't sure. She stood up and walked over to the door and found the Joker kneeling and talking to Arsenio very quietly.
"Mommy!" Arsenio said as soon as she opened the door.
"Hey," Adriana said, sleepily. "I thought I heard something out here."
The Joker glanced and her and then stood slowly.
"Mommy, you sleepy?" Arsenio asked.
Adriana realized she was wearing only a t-shirt that wasn't very long. It barely reached her thighs and she was not wearing any underwear. She was unsure of what the Joker had seen while he was kneeling.
"Very sleepy," Adriana said to Arsenio.
"Okay mommy, you sleep," Arsenio said in such a cute way that sounded like he was giving her an order.
"Okay, sweetie," Adriana replied.
Arsenio and the Joker left to go downstairs.
A few hours later, Adriana decided to apologize. She wasn't sure exactly what the Joker had seen, but when Alfred took Arsenio outside she decided she needed to know.
"I'm sorry," Adriana said to him as he opened a glass bottle of root beer. "About earlier...if I flashed you, I mean."
He looked at her seriously and then gave her a single quick nod.
"So..does that mean you accept my apology or...that I flashed you?" Adriana asked him as he pulled the bottle to his lips.
As she watched him take a drink, waiting for an answer, she felt a spasm inside. A spasm below the waist, followed by a palpitation in her heart. She couldn't believe that her body was reacting this way, so suddenly, so unexpectedly. Once again, she was reminded of the intense chemistry between them. And for the first time, she realized and nearly accepted, that she was in love with two men.
"I accept your apology," he said.
"So...you didn't see anything," she said, relieved.
"You apologized for flashing me," he said. "You didn't flash me. Flashing is intentional, correct? Or was it intentional?"
"No, no of course not," Adriana replied, surprised he was asking the question in such an accepting and non-judgmental way.
"Right," the Joker said, his appearance and voice still very serious.
Adriana was wondering if she had offended or disgusted him. He was so very stern as he spoke.
"Then" he went on. "I accept your apology for accidentally exposing-"
He paused for a moment. The shortest of moments, and she could see the sternness falter. A break in his composure. And for an even shorter moment, she could see what she could not deny. Great desire. Longing.
He regathered himself so quickly, it was beyond impressive.
"Don't worry about it," he said, and picked up his bottle quickly and went outside with Alfred and Arsenio.