"Good morning, Master Bruce," Alfred said to Bruce when he found him sitting in the foyer.
Bruce looked up and could tell that Alfred was surprised. It appeared that Bruce had left or was preparing to leave the manor since he was in his jacket. He had agreed that while receiving treatment at home that he would not leave Wayne Manor for at least 30 days. Even though people were in the mansion monitoring him, no one was actually posted at the doors or instructed to force him to stay if he wanted to leave. It was a verbal agreement that Bruce had made, to stay inside. A promise to his wife.
"Is everything alright?" Alfred asked, able to tell that Bruce was distressed.
"No," Bruce answered. "I have made an enormous mistake and I need to fix it."
"And you need to leave the Manor to fix this problem?" Alfred asked.
"I left," Bruce confessed. "Just got back. Adriana is not here."
"Well, I am sure she will return soon," Alfred said, not sure why Bruce seemed so upset.
"She may leave me, Alfred," Bruce said. "This time I...I really.."
Bruce leaned forward and began to rub his forehead with one hand.
"May I ask what happened?" Alfred asked.
Bruce looked up at Alfred and took a breath.
"I've been in a lot of pain," Bruce said. "I needed something to take the edge off and she found it. She asked me to chose the pills or her and I left."
"Bruce," Alfred said, his voice comforting. "Perhaps you should consider taking the course of action she wanted you to."
"Rehab," Bruce said. "Rehab where I would have to be away from my son and wife for a month or more."
Alfred sat next to Bruce.
"Bruce if I may," Alfred said.
"Yes?" Bruce asked.
"I was not present to see whatever occurred this morning," Alfred said. "Do you truly believe Adriana would end your marriage over what happened?"
Bruce paused, swallowed and looked away. He replayed it in his mind. He remembered feeling a frantic and desperate need for his medication. Nothing else mattered at that moment. And when she told him that the pills had been flushed he felt furious but also determined.
Once he had what he needed he could deal with all the rest. Once he had his medication he could deal with her. He tried to remember the look in her eyes before he walked around her, leaving. Did she look upset? Was she in tears?
She didn't. He wondered if he should be relieved, but he ended up feeling sudden hopelessness. She looked apathetic, indifferent. He felt his hands go sweaty as he remembered her expression. They had been through so many rough patches. He remembered telling her about his affair and how little her expression had changed. He didn't know if she was feeling anything, but he could tell at least at the time, that she had a wall up. She was not allowing herself to feel pain because he had slept with another woman. He knew she was feeling more than what she was showing him. But this time was different.
There was no wall. Nothing felt hidden. When he demanded she tell him where the pills were, her voice and expression didn't display pain, disappointment, or betrayal. She sounded completely detached. She sounded like she had no more emotion to give him. If she would have burst into tears, or at least looked a bit sad or let down he would feel more hope. It would mean that she still felt for him. She was not emotional at all. If she showed at least that she was hurt by his choice, at the very least, he would know that she still cared.
"I...do," Bruce answered reluctantly. "She will leave me."
"And you love her very much," Alfred said.
"With all of my heart," Bruce said to Alfred.
"And you she loves you, just the same," Alfred said.
"You didn't see her, Alfred," Bruce said. "It was as though she lost all feeling for me. It looked like she had given up. She doesn't have love for me anymore."
"She loves you, Bruce," Alfred said.
"How can you be sure of that?" Bruce asked.
"After getting to know her over the past couple of years," Alfred said. "In my observation, her love for you is clear."
"So," Bruce said. "You don't believe she will leave me? She'll stay?"
Alfred paused before speaking. Bruce looked at him expectantly.
"A woman's love can be sincere, wholehearted and pure," Alfred said.
Bruce looked at Alfred and took another deep breath.
"Although her love can be nearly unconditional," Alfred said. "And she can be the most forgiving and loving gem..every woman has her limit."
Bruce pulled his lips in a nodded but then began to shake his head.
"I need to beg her to stay," Bruce found himself blurting out. "I will go to rehab if that's what is needed. I will swear to her that I will go and I truly mean it this time. No matter what, I will go."
He waited for Alfred to tell him that what he said was a great idea.
"Bruce," Alfred said in a very paternal, and authoritative tone. "You must seek treatment. You are a father and this cannot go on. You must regain your health. If she decides to end your marriage you must keep your dignity."
Bruce considered what Alfred was saying with so few words.
"You are telling me not to beg," Bruce deduced. "And that...in order for her to trust me enough to allow me to remain a part of my son's life I need to get treatment. Or she will take him away."
"I cannot imagine that she would refuse to allow you to be a part of his life," Alfred said. "But she will be much more trusting of you in that regard if you were not using opiates."
Bruce nodded.
"You must keep your dignity," Alfred said again.
Bruce tried to avoid feeling the pain. Alfred was telling him how to handle his life falling apart. With dignity.
"Would you like me to phone the rehab facility?" Alfred offered before standing.
"No," Bruce said. "I will do it."
.
.
.
Jack looked through the peephole in his door after hearing a soft knock. Shade. Adriana in the suit, the mask and all in the hall. He opened the door and she came in,
"Showing up here," he said once the door was closed. "Like this. Front door. Precarious. Forget your grapple gun?"
He could clearly see it attached to her hip. She said nothing.
"I am not scolding you," he said.
She still was quiet and stood there looking at him.
"For risking being seen by the neighbors," he went on. "We all need to be a little reckless now and then."
"Do we?" she asked, her voice timid and breathless at the same time.
"Well-" he said, but his voice was silenced by a kiss.
He stopped her very gently, but immediately.
"I'm leaving Bruce," she said as he held her hands away on either side of his face. "We can be together."
"Adr-" he started to say.
"I mean it this time," she said. "I e-mailed my lawyer and he's going to see me today and..I'm leaving Bruce."
He noticed she kept moving her hands as she spoke. Desperately trying to free herself and move closer to kiss him again. He held her hands with just enough firmness to keep her back. As she kept speaking, her voice became more emotional and her desperation for another kiss was apparent.
"And we can be together and," she went on. "Please...Jack I love you-"
"Adriana listen to me," Jack said firmly.
"Please-" she begged again.
"Adriana," he said her name a bit louder and with enough hardness to stop her writhing.
"Yes?" she said.
"Does Bruce know this?" he asked her.
"He chose his fucking pills over me," she said. "I told him to chose and he...he left-"
Jack was shaking his head. "You need to end things with him properly, Adriana, if that is your intention."
"It is!" she shouted. "Why are you acting like you don't believe me?!"
"Do you love me?" he asked.
"Yes, that's what I said-" she said.
"Then I need you to prove that you love me by calming yourself," he said. "Right now. Do it. Can you do that?"
She looked like she was about to cry, like he was asking her to do something impossible.
"You can do that," he encouraged her.
He watched her gradually relax herself and finally look like she was breathing instead of frantically gasping. Finally her hands lowered and he still held them, much more gently than before.
"Now," he said and looked into her eyes, their true color hidden by the dark contact lenses she wore as Shade. "Will you do something else for me?"
She nodded. "Anything."
"Bruce and I," Jack said. "We have become friends. I refuse to betray him in this way-"
"So because you're friends with him you don't want-" she said but he gave her hands a gentle squeeze.
"Listen," he said after she quieted. "Are you listening?"
She nodded.
"If we...have any chance," he said. "It won't be without you properly ending things with Bruce. I'm sure he's messed up but that is not enough. You need to tell him you are ending your marriage. And you need to tell him about your intentions with me. None of this can happen behind his back. Do you understand? We cannot do this. Not right now."
Adriana looked down at where his hands were on hers.
"You are a good woman, Adriana," Jack said. "And I am sure you know it as well as I do, that this is not you. You will not go behind Bruce's back. Losing you will hurt him enough. He does not need to lose you and then find out about you and I after the fact. I owe him too much to let that happen."
"So..." Adriana said. "I have to go and-"
She closed her eyes, holding back tears as she thought about it.
"Tell Bruce that it's over and the I am leaving him and," she took a pause. "That I am in love with you."
Jack moved forward until they were standing very close, Close enough to kiss. She was looking up and him and he moved his hands to either side of her face. He very tenderly lowered her face and kissed her forehead.
"Yes," he said.