Dr. Alice walked out of her kitchen with a tea tray and prepackaged cookies. Emily knew… she and JJ were in for a long chat. The 70-year-old white haired woman had a bounce in her step and youth in her eyes.

"So you're friends of Penelope's?" she said pouring them tea.

"Yes and we're her colleagues – we work with the FBI."

"She chose law enforcement? Interesting" Dr. Alice, said as she sat down into her seat.

"Wouldn't think she'd have to work being with someone like Bruce Wayne. Heard he died and left her everything." She blew on her tea; took a sip and tilted her head "I guess being with someone like Jack must bring out the desire to work on the right side of the law." She took another sip, "Jack could inspire most people to choose the right side. So how can I help you agents?" She asked leaning back into her chair.

"We would like to talk about Jack?" JJ responded.

"I don't think I made enough tea?" she quipped back

The ladies looked at each other and shared a quizzical look.

"He's a hot topic… well that what the ladies on The View would say. You're the second set of agents who wanted to talk about Jack this month. I'll tell you what I told them—he was troubled before he came to me and no I don't know when the psychotic break happened?"

"Another agent paid you a visit?"

"Yes from the CIA, badge and all."

"Do you know the agent's name?" Emily asked

"Did he leave a card?" JJ asked

"No, he was a small mousy fellow. Balding with blondish hair… like George Costanza meets Larry David but not Jewish," she said chuckling at her own joke.

"Back to Jack," she reminded herself.

"Yes," she took a sip of tea, "He was the classic psychopathological sexual sadist."

She reflected on her word choice, "Well not classic, see he treated Penelope like a saint compared to what he did to Holly. He and Penelope were into light BD and no SM. He hid that part of himself from her. They did the typical things blindfolding, restraints… no spanking even. I think that would have led to the SM side of him. The side he shared with Holly. Holly was a semi-broken child who grew into a masochist. She cut, burned, and hurt herself… religiously. Jack stalked her - her senior year of college… when he realized what she was… he unleashed his full self on her. He didn't love her but he liked implementing pain and she liked receiving it. Same thing with Dr. Quinn. His charm never worked on me… I was too old and knew too much about him. But Jack was more than his sexual identity."

Dr. Alice nodded in agreement with her own thought.

"I have two theories on Jack/ Joker—One he was always a psychotic and that part of him was looking for an outlet… or two, the murder of his family caused a psychotic break which caused him to evolve to what he is today."

"More tea?" she asked as she refilled their glasses.

"But the origin doesn't matter as much of the effects."

"He tried to channel his urges towards good—forming the hoods and becoming a modern day Robin Hood. He did that for Penelope—He told me he liked saving her that night. He said he wanted to spend the rest of his life protecting her—especially when he realized it was just her and him. Do you watch Dexter?"

The ladies shook their head.

"I guess you do need a break from work at some point but Dexter is a serial killer who kills bad guys… I think Jack though he could be something like that… until he met the man who killed his parents. That pushed him off kilter and I believe it gave him a dissociative quality in the beginning. He would lose time as soon as he put on the war paint."

She bit a cookie and continued, "He would become the Joker—in the beginning it was to just torture the mob. Then the vigilante came around."

"The Batman?" JJ asked.

"Yes, the batman. And he had something every hero longs for… a villain."

"I thought Batman saved the city during its most corrupt time." Emily asked hoping for clarification.

"Yes, but in Jack's mind. He was the good guy and the Batman was just riding his coattails. He killed the DA and ADA because they tried to stop his attack on the Mob and because they supported the vigilante. See the hoods were around for 2 years prior and no one gave a damn. Jack always blamed the suit and gadgets… if he had a better look he could go further."

She started to chuckle, the ladies looked at her and wondered who was crazier, she or Jack.
"Sorry but I have to laugh so I don't empathize… "

"Where was I?"

"Batman?"

"Yes, only when he killed the Batman did her realize how much he needed him. Killing the Batman was like killing his younger brother he couldn't function which is why I think it made it easier for him to come in."

"Penelope and I drove him in and all he kept on murmuring about was – Batman's suit being made of steel"

"When Penelope cut all ties, he became obsessed. See she grounded him and without her contact. He began to obsess over her boyfriends… James, Anthony, and then Bruce. His hatred for Bruce runs deep- hence killing him at the pier."

"He's not dead."

"Who?"

"Bruce isn't dead"

Dr. Alice hands started to shake and she put her teacup down, "I would move Jack to maximum security yesterday. He thinks Bruce stole what was his. He escaped Arkham before to kill him. He would do it again."

"Well that's why we are here?"

She rested her shaky hands in each other and listen to the agents update her on the case.

Work has kept me so busy there hasn't been time to update my stories - sorry for the delay!

The chapter was too long so I had to break it apart – two chapters will post today :)

Enjoy and happy reading!

If you like it please review... thanks :)