Bruce sent Alfred to bed to recover from the explosion. I was sitting up at the dinner table waiting for Jonathan to come up. Bruce was very understanding when I told him that I had invited Jonathan to stay over and was waiting with me. It was just after one in the morning when the elevator dinged and Jonathan came around the corner. Getting up, I met him halfway and pulled him into a hug. He held me tight against him, one hand tangling in my hair. Pulling away he cupped my face and he gave me a small kiss.

"I'm so glad you're not hurt."

I gave him a small smile, "I'm glad you're okay as well."

Pulling away, Jonathan saw Bruce and he moved to him, "Thank you, again, for lending your hospitality to me."

Bruce shook his head, "It was the least I could do after Bethy told me about your house. I'm so sorry."

Jonathan nodded, "Thank you."

"Well I'm going to bed. I'm glad you made it up okay." Bruce smiled and gave me a tight hug.

Turning to Jonathan I blushed, "We'll um… be sleeping in the master bedroom. Bruce insisted. I hope that's okay."

"Oh… yeah… if that's okay with you."

I gave a smile, "Honestly, after tonight, I'm okay with anything."

Taking my hand, Jonathan pulled me closer to him, "Anything, you say?" Rubbing his thumb across the back of my hand he pulled me in for a more passionate kiss. "I promise it won't be more than that."

"I'm happy with that."

Taking his hand, I led him to the master bedroom. I searched the wardrobe looking for anything we could use for sleepwear, but found nothing. Shyly, I removed my pants and my bra from under my shirt, and slipped under the sheets and looked away, giving Jonathan privacy to remove his pants and shirt himself. He still had his undershirt on, and he laid next to me and opened his arms a bit. I hesitated for a moment, then thought "to hell with it" and entered into his ready arms, placing a kiss on his lips before we both fell asleep.

In the morning, Jonathan's alarm woke us up. We got dressed and found breakfast ready in the kitchen. Alfred and Bruce were out dealing with the explosion at Wayne Manor, so Jonathan and I were on our own. I passed him a plate of breakfast and asked, "Are you still having your therapy session today?"

"Yes, I am."

"Do you still want me to come?"

Jonathan looked up and said, "Yes! Yes I do."

"Good. I'll call up a car."

We finished our breakfast and made our way down to the ground level where a town car was waiting to take us to Arkham. I held onto Jonathan's hand as we got closer to Arkham, the terrifying and dark building looming over the Narrows like a messenger of darkness. The car pulled up to the entrance and Jonathan took my hand as he led me into the building. The inside of Arkham was almost as bad as the outside. The walls were a sickly dull shade of hospital green, while the floors, ceilings, and doors were a darker shade of that same green. The whole place was lit by yellow fluorescent lighting that didn't pair well with the dull shades. Jonathan took us to the front desk and checked us in as guests to the building, handing me a badge to clip to my shirt. I followed him closely as we went to a dingy looking elevator which took us to the fourth floor of the building. We walked down a hallway and stopped in front of a door that read Doctor James Wilson.

Jonathan knocked on the door and a polite voice called, "Come in" from the other side. Peaking into the room, Jonathan said, "Doctor Wilson, it's me, Jonathan."

"Jonathan, come in, please! You're right on time as always."

Jonathan opened the door wider and gestured for me to enter the room first. I found a man in his mid-fifties sitting behind a desk, wearing a dark brown pullover sweatshirt that went well with his dark brown hair. He had a beard that gave his face a pleasant shape. Looking up he seemed surprised to see me, but then stood and offered out his hand, "You must be Miss Elwood."

Smiling I shook his hand and said, "Yes I am. Jonathan said you wanted to meet me."

"I do. I'm glad you agreed to come. Please have a seat." Jonathan and I took a seat on the couch while Doctor Wilson sat in the chair in front of us. "So, tell me a bit about yourself."

I gave a small smile and said, "Um… I'm from Chicago Illinois. I currently live in England. I came here for the summer to spend time with… with my mother." Tears pricked the back of my eyes, but I pushed back against them.

Doctor Wilson nodded, "Jonathan told me about your mother. I am so sorry for your loss."

"Thank you."

"What do you do in England?"

"I work with a private collector as his curator for his collection."

"Do you enjoy your work?"

I smiled, "Very much so, yes."

"Will you be going back?"

I was quiet for a moment but answered, "I'm due back at the end of the season." Jonathan stiffened at my response.

"You say 'due back,' but do you want to go back?"

I nodded, "Yes. I miss England."

Doctor Wilson nodded, "I heard about the explosion at Wayne Manor. Jonathan said you were staying with Bruce Wayne. I trust everyone is okay."

"Yes, we're all fine." Turning to Jonathan I said, "I'm glad Jonathan is okay as well. You heard about his house?"

Doctor Wilson nodded, "Yes I did."

"Bethany and Bruce were kind enough to invite me to stay with them last night after I was released from GCPD custody." Jonathan smiled at me.

"That was very kind indeed," said Doctor Wilson, "Especially with what has happened to your relationship in the past few weeks. May I ask what changed your mind?"

I felt myself blush as a weight of guilt settled in my chest. I shifted in my seat for a second, then settled with staring at the floor. Looking up I said, "Yes. It was Jonathan."

"Really?"

I smiled, "Yes. We're… starting over."

"I've promised to be completely honest this time," said Jonathan, "I… I was wrong to hide who I was from Bethany. I'm so ashamed of who I was and what I've done…." Turning to me he took my hand, "I just found someone who didn't look at me like I was a freak. I found someone who knew nothing about me, and who… who took the time to get to know… me. I was completely selfish in hiding my past from you, and no words could ever express how sorry I am, Bethany. I just care about you so much, and your presence in my life is so important to me, that… I was terrified of losing you."

"How do you feel about this, Bethany?" Doctor Wilson asked.

I frowned, "I um… I don't know, to be honest." Jonathan sat back a bit, looking hurt. Turning to Doctor Wilson I added, "It's been a lot to deal with. I feel hurt and betrayed, but at the same time…."

"You still have feelings for Jonathan," said Doctor Wilson, "That's completely natural. You're still fresh in this relationship, it's completely natural. Jonathan seems one hundred percent committed to starting over with you and giving you the honest and open and raw relationship that he believes you deserve. Is being with Jonathan something that you want? Or would you rather continue your relationship with Mister Wayne?"

I frowned, "I'm not in a relationship with Bruce."

Flipping through his notes, Doctor Wilson fronwed, "Weren't you sleeping with him?"

Turning to Jonathan I frowned, "You told him about me and Bruce?"

"Jonathan and I have an open relationship. You're in a judgement free zone, Miss Elwood."

"I'm not in a relationship with Bruce Wayne."

"Just a sexual one?"

I frowned at Doctor Wilson, "Bruce Wayne and I are friends. That is all."

"I don't want you to feel like you're being attacked, Miss Elwood. Jonathan and I are just curious to know your exact feelings for Bruce Wayne."

"Are you in love with him?" Jonathan asked.

I looked at Jonathan and I struggled for words. Finally I managed, "I'm not… in love with Bruce Wayne. I love, Bruce… but… not in the way that you think. I have known Bruce Wayne my entire life. We'll always have that bond."

"But you have sex with him." Jonathan said, "You had sex with him when we first met, and you spent several nights with him after your mother was murdered. That suggests that you two are more than friends to me."

"It was just sex, Jonathan. It meant nothing-"

"So, sex means nothing to you."

"Fucking means nothing to me, Jonathan."

"What does that mean? You and Bruce fucked. We have fucked, Bethany."

"No, we've made love, Jonathan! The sex that we had was more than what I've had with Bruce. You and I were connecting. I was just… using Bruce as a distraction."

"If we were connecting, why didn't you let me in after your mother died? Why did you go to Bruce?"

"Because you lied to me, Jonathan! I was angry with you! I was trying to leave the country because of you! I didn't want to see you again, or Bruce. But… seeing my mother… on a slab…." I began to cry, letting the tears fall from my eyes, "I don't know what happened. I… I shut down. I didn't want to be alone. I didn't care who it was with, it just happened to be Bruce."

"So if I had been the one to take you home, you would have distracted yourself with me instead of Bruce?"

"I don't know, Jonathan."

Jonathan threw his hands up, letting them fall in his lap as he sat back against the couch. Doctor Wilson leaned forward in his chair, "What are you feeling, Jonathan?"

"Frustrated! I'm frustrated! And-and-and the worst part is, I'm the one who put me in this situation!" Turning to me he frowned, "I love you, Bethany. I love you so much. I want to be with you, to have you, to… to hold you. I'm so in love with you, but… I'm frustrated because… to me it feels like you're purposefully hiding your feelings from me to continue to use me as your scapegoat for… for what happened to your mother. I'm frustrated because you let Bruce into your bed, and I'm frustrated that you love him, even a little bit."

"Why are you frustrated about Miss Elwood's feelings about Bruce Wayne?"

Looking away, Jonathan said, "I'm… jealous of his relationship with Bethany."

"Why?" Doctor Wilson frowned.

"He's… rich, successful, not a former super-criminal…. He knows Bethany better than I do, than I could ever dream of given our… expiration date. And the fact that he's been sleeping with her for weeks, I just… can't help but feel like he's trying to seduce her to be with him."

Turning to me, Doctor Wilson asked, "Has Mister Wayne tried to… seduce you? To… get you to engage in a relationship with him?"

I shook my head, "He offered it, in the beginning… to try…. But I told him no."

"Did he ask again after your mother's death?"

I frowned, "Yes."

"And I take it you didn't agree to it?"

I shook my head.

Doctor Wilson frowned, "May I ask why not?"

"Because I am… not in love with Bruce Wayne."

"Why not?"

Looking at Doctor Wilson, I paused for a moment, then said, "Because… I'm still in love with Jonathan."

Jonathan looked at me in a snap, "You're what?"

Looking at him, I said, "I'm in love with you."

"Then why are you shielding yourself from me?"

"I'm afraid of being hurt again," I said, "Of you hiding something else from me-"

"I'm not," said Jonathan, "I won't. Ask me anything, and I'll tell you, honestly."

"Are you sure you're ready for that level of honesty, Jonathan," asked Doctor Wilson, "Do you think you'll be able to honestly answer and process your emotions each time?"

Jonathan nodded, "I'll have to." Turning to me, he nodded, "I'll have to."

"I don't want you pushing yourself farther than you have to," said Doctor Wilson. Turning to me he asked, "Perhaps a compromise can be reached here. Miss Elwood, if you choose to re-engage in a relationship with Jonathan, can you be trusting enough to know that he will honestly answer any question about him or his past life that you ask of him, but also understanding enough to know that some of these questions might be difficult for him to answer."

I nodded, "Yes, of course."

"He will give you an answer, you just have to let him process his feelings and work through them first."

I nodded. Jonathan gave me a smile and took my hand, "I want you to be comfortable around me, Bethany. Not like before. I'm aware that I've ruined that for us, but I want to get back there."

"I do too," I said with a smile. Jonathan smiled back and pulled me in for a gentle kiss.

"Well, I think we're done for the day," said Doctor Wilson, "I apologize if any part of this session was uncomfortable for you, Miss Elwood, but unfortunately we have to get uncomfortable before we get comfortable. I admire your bravery for coming in and talking about your relationship with Jonathan. I must admit, he's improved a lot since meeting you. If you're comfortable with it, I would love to have you back again."

I frowned, "For another session?"

"Yes. But not as a patient, but as a guest like today. Just to talk about… anything that might be bothering you: the Joker, the death of your mother, anything."

I nodded, "I'll keep you posted."

"No pressure." Doctor Wilson smiled.

Taking my hand, Jonathan led me out of the office and back through the dull hospital. Leaving the building, and feeling the sun on our skin I felt instant relief, like my spirit was being lifted from just stepping out of that building. Jonathan watched me and he nodded, "I feel that way every time I step out of this building."

"You would think that a place that is… designed to help people would be more… cheery."

"Well that's the beauty of Arkham. It's sold as a place of rehabilitation, but only the strong actually get out."

Tightening my grip on his hand, I said, "You must be very strong then."

Looking at me, he smiled, "I am now."