"I would like transport to be provided by the facility," Adriana heard Bruce saying as she came into his office. She had finally returned home.
He couldn't see her, his chair was facing the windows behind him.
"7 a.m.." Bruce went on. "Correct. Understood. I will have the forms faxed over to you within the hour. Thank you. I appreciate that. Thank you. Goodbye."
Bruce spun his chair around and placed his phone on his desk. He looked up at Adriana, not expecting her to be there. He stood and she took off the surgical mask she had been wearing to cover her lower face.
"You're back," he said to her after he was standing.
'You too," Adriana said to him.
Bruce looked at her, feeling devastated. What had happened before he left felt like a bad dream. All he felt was pain, physical pain. And he needed his fix. Now that his mind felt right again, he felt horrified. She looked nervous and he did not know why. Perhaps this really was the end and she was leaving him. But he knew that he could fix this.
"Where did you go?" she asked him.
He felt some relief that she still seemed to care. Perhaps there was a chance. But the answer to the question was so obvious that it made him feel hopeless again. She did not trust him at all.
"I met with my supplier," Bruce confessed.
Adriana nodded.
"And did you make a a purchase?" she asked.
"Yes," he told her.
"And did you..." she blinked and looked away for a second and then looked at him again. "Use what you purchased?"
"Yes," he stated the obvious truth.
"Okay," Adriana said and seemed to relax. "Thank you for telling me the truth."
Bruce couldn't see how she could believe that he would lie to her now about something so clear and undeniable. He could see that she had no confidence or faith in him and had expected him to lie even after he had been exposed. It hurt him more than anything to realize that her belief in him was gone.
"We...obviously have a lot to talk about," Bruce said to her, waiting for her to agree.
"Yes," she said finally. It seemed like she was struggling with this conversation more than he was, which he did not understand. He had been the one in the wrong, undeniably. "I have to tell you something and it's-"
She paused mid sentenced and seemed to be collecting herself. Bruce felt he would go to pieces. But he remembered Alfred's words. Dignity. He needed to maintain it. Even if she was to leave him, he loved this woman. He would remain dignified, even though all he wanted to do was fall to his knees and beg her to stay.
He watched her take a few breaths.
"I'm..." she said and it looked like the air had been sucked out of her lungs. She looked as devastated as he felt. "Bruce...I'm so sorry..I-"
Again she struggled to speak. He decided to speak first.
"Adriana," he said, knowing that in the moment at least one of them needed to be strong. It would have to be him. "I also have something I need to tell you, if I may."
She wiped her eyes quickly and nodded.
"I was just on a call with the inpatient rehab facility," he said to her. "I need you to know that, no matter what decision you have made...I will be returning to rehab tomorrow. And I need you to trust me again, to know that I will be honest with you. So I am giving you my word, here and now. I am swearing to you that no matter what happens, I will be returning to rehab tomorrow. That is a promise. It won't be easy to explain to our son but it is happening. You have my word."
He said the words with his heart. He meant every word.
"Oh..." Adriana said, not expecting to hear this from him. "Well...I'm glad you want to try rehab again, Bruce."
He felt his heart drop. And again, he had to remind himself of what Alfred had advised him to do. Maintain his dignity. It would not be dignified to address the fact that she sounded like she still did not believe him. He was not just trying it again, and he was not just giving it another shot. He was going to complete his treatment, no matter how painful, uncomfortable and inconvenient it was. His words were no longer enough. He had to do it. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the bottle of pills and handed them to her.
"You have my word," he said to her.
"Okay," she said and held the bottle.
"I don't want there to be any secrets between us anymore," Bruce said, even though they had been here before. "You asked me if I knew more about the League that is after me than I let on. And the truth is that I do."
"What?" she asked, taken aback. "Why haven't you told me anything?"
"Because I am trying to protect you," he said. "They have no interest in you and they don't see you as a threat and the further away you are from this thing the better."
"Okay," she said, simply.
He waited for more, and there was none.
"Okay?" he asked. "You don't want to ask me anything?"
"No," she said.
"Adriana," he said, confused. "Anything you ask me about them..I will tell you the truth. I will give you direct and honest answers. As I said, I don't want there to be any secrets between us anymore."
"You just said it's better if I don't know," she said.
"Well, it is," he said. "And much safer."
"Then..fine," she said. "I trust your judgement."
"Oh...alright then," he said.
"Since we are talking about them," Adriana said, finally seeming stronger and less emotional. "I spoke to the Catwoman this morning. I ...told her about your problems. I'm sorry but since we are being honest now about this League I had to tell you."
"Problems?" Bruce said. "Dear, could you be more specific."
"About your knee and the pills," she said.
Bruce looked into her eyes.
"Why would you tell her about that?" he asked.
"I...I don't know," she said. "I was angry. But...she seemed happy-"
"Of course she did," Bruce said. "They want me broken. And know they know why I haven't been back at the Batman and it's not because of their threats at exposing my identity."
"Does it matter at this point?" Adriana asked.
The question was blunt even though it was asked politely.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told her but I was very upset when I left earlier," Adriana reminded him.
He knew he could not blame her. And it was already done.
"I understand," he said, knowing he was in no position to start an argument about it.
"Bruce," Adriana said, her voice heavy.
Just the way she had said his name filled him with dread. Before she could say more, he knew...it was over.
"You are leaving me," he said, before she could say more.
They looked into each other's eyes and he could see that the answer was yes.
"My..lawyer is going to be here soon to go over some stuff. Bruce, I don't want any of your assets, so you don't have to worry about that-" she started to say.
"I am not worried about that," he said. He did not care about any of it. he only wanted her to stay.
"Okay," she said. "But I just want you to know that I won't take anything from you."
"You are taking everything from me," he said. to her. "If you leave. Everything that matters."
She closed her eyes and he felt guilty. Dignity, Dignity. Dignity. He repeated the words in his mind. It was not dignified to make her feel guilty. He wanted nothing but for her to be happy.
He cleared his throat.
"If we are to divorce," he said, not even able to believe the words coming-out of his mouth. "You will receive what you are entitled to. We have been married a couple of years and we do not have a prenuptial agreement."
"I can't take anything of yours Bruce," she said firmly.
He did not want to argue about it.
"Okay," he said. "Then you will be paid alimony. Spousal support and the lawyers will discuss the amount and we will determine-"
He stopped speaking when she started crying. He took her into his arms immediately.
"Arsenio..." she wept.
Bruce did not know why she was crying their son's name, but he had a feeling it was because they would need to explain to him that they were no longer going to be together.
"Adriana," Bruce said. "Listen...just because we won't be married does not mean you need to leave Wayne Manor. There is plenty of room here and it will be a much easier transition for our son."
Bruce hoped that she would stay. If she did, then maybe there would be a chance. She would see that he could get clean and return the reliable husband that she needed. He would go to rehab, commit and see it though. And she would see that he was serious.
"Bruce," she said, sadly. "I can't stay. There's...someone else."
He gently moved her hair back on the sides of her face.
"What do you mean? I don't understand," he said.
She closed her eyes and a few tears fell down her cheeks and he understood. Barely.
"Someone else," he repeated her words.
She nodded with her eyes still shut.
"Adriana," he said. "Please...please look at me. Open your eyes."
As she did, he found himself lost in their beauty. He had looked into her eyes countless times, but now they were more stunning than ever, even though they were filled with tears. They gave him butterflies. And he wondered if it was because now it was clear, she was no longer his. He had lost her. How could she become more beautiful after telling him that she was leaving and that there was someone else?
He could not stop himself. He kissed her. And has he did, he realized that he did not care. If there was someone else, if she had been having an affair, perhaps he had deserved it. He deserved the betrayal at this point. But he would win her back. He loved her and he had to. His love for her was strong enough to forgive anything.
"I love you," he whispered on her lips. "And whatever you have done...it does not matter to me. I want to be with you. Please...Adriana."
His nose moved to her forehead as he spoke.
"I know I have done some unforgivable things," he said. "And you have forgiven me. And I know...I have pushed you away with this habit that I have been struggling with. But I love you so much. I want no one else but you-"
"It's Jack," Adriana said, in a voice so quiet he could barely hear her.
He went quiet.
He did not understand how that was not his first thought when she said there was someone else. Jack.
"Jack," he said.
She nodded and he felt her forehead touch his lips.
Bruce blinked and moved back an inch.
"You.." he said carefully. What he didn't care about at all a few moment ago now gutted him. "You have been having an affair with Jack."
After saying the words, Bruce still found it hard to believe. If anything, Jack was honest.
"We..." Adriana said. "No, not an affair. I just...I kissed him. We haven't had sex."
Bruce felt his eyes glaze with tears that he refused to let build enough to fall. He believed her. She hadn't been with anyone but him since their marriage had begun. Even when he was away, lying about being in rehab she had been faithful. They had been apart for over a month. They had only been intimate once since he had been back.
Last night was beautiful. A sweet and passionate night that he would never forget. It felt like a tragedy now, that it had been the last time he would make love to her.
"When?" Bruce asked. "When did you kiss him?"
"It was...the night Harri left," Adriana said "And this morning."
"Night Harri left," Bruce said, He remembered the night. Jack had been gone since then. He left Wayne Manor and Bruce had not seen him since.
"Yes," Adriana said.
"So...you've known you wanted to leave me for him since then," Bruce said. It had been several days.
"No...no Bruce," Adriana said. "I kissed him but I wasn't sure. I still wanted to make our marriage work. And then..this morning...this morning.."
She couldn't say the rest. That morning she had found his pills and asked him to make a choice. he made his choice and she made hers. If only he had known.
"Please...don't be angry with Jack," Adriana said. "He's...been...he has been wanting me to tell you and...it's not his fault. He won't let me touch him-"
Bruce took a step back. He now understood it all and it felt like deja vu. Jack saw Bruce as a friend and he would not betray him by sleeping with his wife. But Bruce knew that if it wasn't for Jack's resistance, Adriana would have already undoubtedly crossed that line because Bruce had pushed her there. Instead, Jack had insisted that she come here to tell him the truth. Bruce had done horrible things to Jack in the past. They had done horrible things to each other and there was no certainty that Bruce would not retaliate in a massive way that would take away any hope that Jack and Adriana could be together in the end. And knowing all of that, he still refused to touch her. He still sent her to tell Bruce the truth.
"You love him?" Bruce asked.
As soon as the question had been asked he could see it in her eyes, that she did.
"I love him, Bruce," she said. "Please...please don't hurt him."
Bruce looked at her. She seemed afraid that he would do something to Jack, and Bruce knew that if Jack was in front of him...he could not guarantee anything. Bruce stepped away from her and began to pace. Dignity.
"He is not to set foot into Wayne Manor until after I am gone," Bruce said finally.
"Gone?" she asked.
"Yes," he said. "I told you. I will be returning to rehab."
"So...you'll let him into the Manor while you're away?" she asked in disbelief.
"Arsenio will want to see him," Bruce said.
"I can...I can take Arsenio to Jack's place," Adriana offered.
"It is up to you," Bruce told her. It was over. He felt his life falling to pieces and willed himself to keep it together. Dignity.
"Okay," Adriana said.
"I need to go...upstairs," Bruce said. "Our son will be up soon and I have some...unfortunate news to deliver. He won't be happy to hear I am going away again."
"We'll...we'll go together to tell him," Adriana said.
"No," Bruce said to her firmly. "I will do this. And I suppose you will want to prepare for your meeting with your lawyer."