"I will give you two a moment," Dr. Kapoor said. "Actually, why don't we take an afternoon break, Bruce. We can meet back here at 4."
"Thanks you doctor," Bruce said to Dr. Kapoor before he left.
"Bruce...I am so sorry." Adriana said and threw her arms around Bruce's shoulders. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you."
She felt Bruce's arms holding her. He was quiet.
"Are you angry?" she asked. "At me for not believing you?"
"Adriana, no," he said. "Nothing could make me angry with you."
Adriana swallowed. She wasn't sure how he would feel about her having kissed Jack a few days ago.
"I love you," he said to her.
"I love you too," she replied.
"You were right," he said. "I needed therapy. I need to speak with Dr. Kappor. We need to figure out what happened how to keep this from happening again."
Adriana nodded and hugged him again.
"I'm so relieved," she said.
He was quiet again. She pulled out of the embrace and he seemed to be staring off.
"Bruce?" she asked.
He took a second to reply.
"Yes, dear?" he asked.
"I'll make you lunch," she said. "You must be hungry."
"I am," he said.
.
.
.
"Can I come in?" Adriana asked Jack. "It's the least you can do. You haven't answered any of my calls."
He let her into his apartment, which was usually extremely tidy. He clearly had not been expecting company. There were books and papers everywhere.
"What's all this?" she asked after pulling off the surgical mask she had been wearing.
He didn't answer. She turned to him after looking at the books all over the couch and living room coffee table. Suddenly, she didn't care. She felt the overwhelming urge to kiss him again. She willed herself not to think about it and again looked back at the papers.
She picked up one of the books.
"Astrophysics?" she read and then picked up another one. "Criminal law?"
He stopped her from picking up a third book which clearly read 'The Insanity Plea' on the cover.
"Jack...what's going on?" she asked.
"Why are you here?" he asked her after putting the book she had lifted back down, face down onto the table.
"Well, like I said you haven't been answering any of my calls so," she said. "I'm here to check on you."
"Dr. Kapoor checks on me," Jack told her. "Daily."
"Oh.." Adriana said and glanced around the room. "Does he know about all this? All this...astrophysics and law research?"
"Yes," he said.
It was not like him to lie. He seemed to be telling the truth.
"And what does he think about it?" Adriana asked.
"He thinks it is not the best use of my time," he said. "And that the plea I made has little impact on the way things ended up."
"Your plea for insanity? Why are you-" she asked.
"The lawyer," he said. "He's the one that wanted it. I did not care at the time if I lived or died so I went along with it. I had assumed you were dead. I watched the Bat carry you away. You were laughing. You were poisoned. You were gone."
He did not say the words in a sentimental way, even though he was remembering things that for Adriana, felt like they had happened a million years ago.
"I had essentially killed you," he said. "And the child you were possibly carrying."
"Jack, I don't understand why you're researching insanity pleas and criminal law now though..." Adriana said. "You were found not guilty-"
"By reason of insanity," he said.
"Right," Adriana agreed.
"But you see," he said. "I was not insane."
"Jack," Adriana said. "So what? You were found not guilty, that's a good thing-"
"I did not speak much during the trial," he said. "But it was clear, my mental capacity was intact. I was well aware of the criminal nature of my actions. There was no uncontrollable impulse with my crimes. Things were planned ahead. Planned meticulously. All of that was proven in court. Even though I did not know my name and who I was, I was still competent. I was insane. But not in the way that was required for my insanity plea to be valid."
Adriana was quiet as she listened.
"Do you feel guilty? For being found not guilty?" she asked.
"More than that," he said. "I am suspicious."
"Of what? The jury?" she asked him.
"They were influenced. Someone influenced them," he said.
"I don't think you'd have anyone on your side that powerful Jack," Adriana said. "Unless you think Bruce did it, which I can promise you he didn't. He was furious when the verdict was read."
"I don't think it was him," he said.
"Then who?" Adriana asked, not fond of the idea of a conspiracy.
Jack looked serious. He was still trying to figure it out. He went over to the couch and sat on the papers there, crumpling them.
"Did you ever think that, maybe you just had a good lawyer?" Adriana asked. "That made a reasonable case? I mean, the justice system isn't perfect. Sometimes people get off because they have a good lawyer."
"You..." he said. "You are a very intelligent woman."
"Am I?" she asked.
"I had not considered the lawyer," he said. "Now that you mention it. The lawyer was decent to me. Presented the case in such a way...no court appointed lawyer is that good."
"Okay," Adriana said, indulging his idea. "So...did you even know that guy?"
"No," he answered. "Didn't know him. Could have been paid."
"Paid?" Adriana asked.
"Yes, paid," he said. "Paid to give a good defense. Helped a lot that I was so docile during the trial."
"Who paid him then?" Adriana wanted to know.
"No clue," he said. "Someone who wanted me at Arkham. For some reason. They never got me there though. Because the Bat swooped in and abducted me. Locked me underground."
Adriana moved the books sitting on the seat across from him and sat down.
"Perhaps it wasn't Bruce who paid off the lawyer," Jack said. "But he is involved-"
"Jack. there's no way Bruce has anything to do with this," Adriana said. "He didn't pay off the lawyer-"
"No, but think about that time," Jack said. "I was the Bat's greatest challenger. I was the reason the city accepted him again even after the rumors that he had killed Dent."
Adriana scratched the side of her head.
"In the past you've seen every thought, every memory that I'd had," he said. "You know that I have been approached. People have offered to recruit me. I don't work well with teams. Well, at least not ones that I am not in charge of."
"So you're saying you think someone wanted to get you back at Arkham, to get in touch with you to recruit you...for some unknown group that you wouldn't be in charge of...and that group has a goal to try to destroy the Batman?" Adriana asked. "And you got all that from...remembering that you were found not guilty by reason of insanity?"
"I've had a lot of time to think that past few days," he said.
"So have I," Adriana said.
"Oh?" he asked.
"Yes...and I think it's best we don't tell Bruce what happened," she said.
"Because you love him and you would very much not like to hurt him," Jack said.
"Well, yes," Adriana said.
"And he is your husband after all," he said. "And he has brought you a number of years of happiness. You owe him a fair chance to prove himself. Because you love him."
"So...are you reading my mind or something?" Adriana asked. He seemed to have said everything she was thinking but was trying to find the most gently way to say.
"You are a good person," he said. "A good woman. It only makes sense."
Adriana looked down at her hands. He made everything a million times easier.
"Now that we...understand each other about that," Adriana said. "You should come back to Wayne Manor. Bruce is going to be busy with therapy much of the day and Arsenio misses you."
"I miss him too," Jack said. "Very much."
"So you'll come back?" she asked.
He gave a single nod.
"You really think someone wanted to recruit you?" Adriana asked.
"Oh yes," he said. "But I believe they would have eventually found me too...uncontrollable for their agenda. Whoever they are. I did not like to be controlled. Could be the same group that the Catwoman works for. The 'League'. The one Bruce claims to know nothing about."
Adriana frowned.
"Claims? He doesn't know who they are," Adriana asked.
"He's had weeks to find out," Jack said. "Nothing takes the Bat weeks to figure out. Especially after they threaten his kid. Perhaps he just doesn't want to scare you."
"Do me a favor and don't accuse my husband of lying," Adriana said.
"He is a professional liar," he said. "That doesn't make him a bad person. It's part of what makes him good at what he does."
Adriana wanted to change the subject.
"So what does astrophysics have to do with anything?" she asked.
"Ah well, that is a separate issue," he said. "But now that you are here, perhaps you can help."
"With astrophysics?" she asked.
"No," he said. "Bruce travelled back into time. Changed the past. I need you to tell me exactly how he did it."