Not Done Yet

Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed! Hope you enjoy this chapter.

*****

The Joker awoke to the sound of an attendant coming into his room with his breakfast. He turned over, refusing to acknowledge him.

"Morning, Mr. J. Today's the big day, ain't it?"

"Leave me alone."

"What? Now, come on. You need to eat. There's going to be a lot of excitement around here, you're gonna need your strength."

"I'm not hungry."

"Well, I'll just leave it with you. Mr. Wayne's going to be here any minute, he'll make sure you eat."

"Fuck Bruce Wayne."

The attendant started to say something, thought better of it, then turned and left. The Joker got up and paced around the small room until he heard the lock on his door being opened again. A nurse let Bruce in. He was smiling and wearing a nice suit. The Joker was still in briefs and a t-shirt.

"Jack! For heaven's sake, you haven't eaten, or showered--what's the matter with you? Ethan will be here in a couple of hours, and there's paperwork to be done, you have to meet with the director, and your doctors, and--"

"Forget it. I'm not leaving this room."

Bruce sighed. He had been on the phone with the Joker for almost an hour the night before, and he'd felt confident that he had left him in the right frame of mind for today. Apparently, sometime during the night, he'd lost his resolve.

"Come on, Jack." Bruce hugged him, and to his relief, Jack irritably accepted the overture. Bruce tilted his face up and stared into the stormy eyes. "This is supposed to be a happy day. Ethan can't wait to see you."

"You talked to him?"

"Yes, after you and I spoke last night, I called Beth. She put him on the phone and I never heard a kid sound so excited." The look on Jack's face dissolved from grim truculence to an almost-smile.

"Yeah? He knows I'm in the loony bin, right?"

"He knows you're in a hospital, he understands the situation."

"And--he still wants to see me?"

"Damn it, Jack, yes! No matter what else you've done, you apparently were a pretty good dad, which surprises no one more than me, but there you have it. Your son loves you and he never stopped hoping he'd see you again. Now, for God's sake, get ready. He'll be here before you know it."

*****

The Joker was sprawled in a chair across from Dr. Newsome, the director of Arkham, and Bruce was sitting beside him. Jim Gordon and one of his officers were standing by the door, and Rachel was seated next to Bruce.

Dr. Newsome was getting frustrated.

"Joker--do you understand how important this event is, not only to you and your son, but to Arkham? Surely you can see that we can't afford to take any chances."

Gordon took up the discussion. "The director's right, son. You have to be restrained. It's for your own protection, as well as the people around you."

The Joker sat up straight and narrowed his eyes at Gordon. "Now, let me get this straight--you're going to dress me up in an orange jumpsuit, lock me up in leg shackles, which are chained to a padlocked leather belt around my waist, which has chains attached to the handcuffs...with an armed guard on either side of me. Who the hell are you protecting me from--a seven-year-old boy?"

"Members of the press will be here. We have to show the outside world that we're taking every precaution to keep everyone involved safe and secure." The director's voice was strained by now.

The Joker shot a disgusted look at Bruce. "Are you hearing this? How the hell is my kid supposed to feel safe when his father's chained up like a maniac?"

"You are a maniac," Bruce said dryly. "But, I have to agree, this does sound like overkill. I can understand handcuffs, but leg shackles? And, can't he wear civilian clothes?"

"I'm sorry, Bruce." Gordon bit his lip and gestured for Bruce to meet him out in the hall.

"What is it, Jim?"

"This is one of the requirements Beth's lawyer negotiated. She doesn't want to take any chances on the Joker using Ethan as a hostage in case he decides to escape."

"I see. She really doesn't trust him, does she?"

"Can you blame her?"

Bruce shrugged his agreement. "Will it always have to be this way--assuming there will be other visits?"

"Depends entirely on the clown's behavior today. One wrong move, and he'll lose his legal grounds for visitation. He does understand that, doesn't he?"

"I've told him over and over again, but--I'll talk to him one more time."

When the men returned to the director's office, the Joker was staring resentfully out the window and Rachel was speaking to him in a low tone. The director looked as though the devil had made a house call. Rachel looked up at Bruce with a relieved expression.

"Jack's not very happy with the stipulations. Maybe you can reason with him," she informed Bruce.

"Director, could I have a few minutes alone with Jack?" Dr. Newsome frowned, but nodded. They all left the room, leaving only the police officer to act as guard. Bruce sat next to the Joker and trained a steely look on him.

"Come on, Jack--I know this is hard. It may be ridiculous, but it's understandable. A lot's riding on this--Arkham's reputation, your doctor's, Rachel's, mine--we've all gone out on a limb for you, and--"

"And I never asked you for a single goddamn thing."

"I know. But, what does Ethan want? Isn't that the most important thing?"

"He sure as hell doesn't want to see his daddy bound up like a wild animal."

"But, he does want to see you. Once everyone realizes that you can behave, that you can be trusted, it'll get better."

"Yeah, right. Look, fine, I don't give a shit anymore. Let's just get this over with."

"It's going to be ok."

The Joker looked into Bruce's eyes, and beyond the anger, Bruce saw something else. Uncertainty, maybe. Or, fear...

"Bruce--I'm going to try. I really will. But, when they put all of that hardware shit on me--sometimes, when stuff happens that I don't like, I just kind of--go somewhere else in my head, you know? And, then I just--do things. What if... What if I lose it, huh? What if I just--"

Bruce squeezed his hand. "Maybe you should ask for an extra dose of your medication."

"No! I don't want Ethan to see me all doped up. And anyway--I want to be able to remember seeing him."

Bruce glanced back at the guard, who was studiously keeping his gaze on one of the paintings hung on the wall. He took Jack's face in one hand and lightly ran his fingers over his scarred cheek, then gently kissed him. He didn't really care if the guard saw.

"Jack--I know you can do this."

The Joker held Bruce's gaze, studying him. Finally, he nodded. "Ok. I guess Brucie knows best." He gave a wry smile and stuck his cuffed hands out in front of him. "Bring on the shackles, it's a good look for me."

Bruce smiled and hugged him. He knew that if the Joker were going to pull anything, the director's office would be nothing but a smoldering pile of rubble by now. He could only hope that things would continue to work in their favor for the rest of the day.

*****

The stage was set for the meeting. Normally, family visits took place in a cheery, open room with couches and overstuffed chairs, with toys and books for the kids to play with while their parents awkwardly visited. But, it was decided that one of the old holding cells that actively psychotic patients were kept in while waiting for medication to take effect would be safer. It was a long, sick-yellow cinder block room with a few pieces of institution-like furniture brought in for the occasion.

There were photographers and journalists, all under orders to stay back, clamoring in the hall every time someone came along. The same group that had met in the director's office was there, as well as additional armed guards and Jack's team of doctors.

Beth and Ethan were ushered in by Gordon himself, and Bruce went in to greet them and assure them that things were going well that morning. He showed them to the chairs provided for them, and he smiled at Ethan.

"How are you, champ? Excited to see your dad again after all this time?"

Ethan nodded eagerly. He held a small gift-wrapped package in his hands. "I made him a present," he explained, then glanced at his mother. Beth looked as if she hadn't slept in weeks, but she smiled wanly. "This has been all he could talk about for days. I hope--" She directed a look at Bruce. "I hope this goes well."

"It will. Please don't worry." They chatted awkwardly, and as the minutes ticked by, Bruce began to feel antsy.

At last, a heavy door at the back of the room creaked open and two armed guards, one on each side of the Joker grasping an arm, brought him in. Bruce stifled a gasp--in the prison uniform, with the chains and shackles binding his wrists and ankles, his hair wild, his scars, and a malevolent look in his eye, the Joker did look crazy.

Once inside, they stopped and the guards dropped their hold on their prisoner and stepped back a few paces. The room was suddenly silent and everyone watched as the clown narrowed his eyes and surveyed the room like a lion picking out his choice of prey. His gaze fell on Ethan and his glare softened. A slow grin crossed his scarred lips and he spoke in a gentle voice that Bruce had never heard before.

"Hey kid--how you doing?"

Beth had a grip on Ethan's arm, but he wrestled away from her and tore across the room to throw his arms around his dad. The Joker knelt down to greet him, but the two guards grabbed him roughly and jerked him upright, and another stepped between the boy and his father at the last minute.

"Let me go, you bastards! Let me go--I just want to hug my kid--let me go!"

"Dad!" Ethan's anguished cry cut through the commotion of the guards attempts to wrestle the Joker out of the room, and Bruce and Gordon quickly came to the Joker's side.

"Let him go," the Commissioner ordered. "He's all right. No one's done anything wrong. Just step aside and let him greet his son. It's ok, it'll be ok."

The guards reluctantly did as directed and the Joker shot them a nasty look as he knelt again, holding his bound hands out as far as the chains would allow. "Come here, son. Please--come here."

Ethan made it to his father in one bound and threw his arms around his neck. The Joker hugged him back as best he could, breathing him in, pressing a kiss on his cheek.

"I missed you, son. I missed you--"

"I missed you, too, Dad! You were gone so long--"

"I know, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't be with you." They pulled back and the crooked smile on Jack's face broke Bruce's heart. He glanced back at Beth and nodded at her. She gave him a worried nod then walked a little closer to the pair.

"Jack--it's been a long time," Beth said. Her voice quavered slightly.

The Joker slowly rose to his feet, keeping a hand on Ethan's shoulder. His lip curled into a snarling smile, and he looked her up and down as though she were naked. Beth wrapped her arms around herself and hastily looked away, thoroughly flustered. Bruce found that he was holding his breath. The Joker's voice had a lascivious lilt to it when he answered.

"Yeah. Unfortunately..."

They stared at each other. Oblivious to the heat being passed between his parents, Ethan said excitedly, "I made you something, Dad!" The Joker released Beth from his torrid appraisal and he turned back to his son with a normal smile. Ethan handed the gift to him, and the guards again stepped forward, and again Gordon held them off. The Joker took the little package and knelt next to his son. He unwrapped a cardboard box, then opened it and took out a small wooden horse. He examined it carefully, noting the detail and care with which it was made. He looked at Ethan admiringly.

"You made this yourself?"

"Uh-huh. Carved it with my Cub Scout knife."

The Joker grinned. "Well, it's a damn fine piece of work. Knives are fun, aren't they? I always liked knives, they--"

"Jack." Bruce gave him a warning look and the Joker looked at him, then nodded.

"Oh, yeah. Well, this is the best present I ever got. Thanks, kid."

Bruce turned to Gordon. "Can't he sit down with the boy?" He nodded and said something to the guards. The Joker was led to the makeshift seating area and allowed to sit next to his son. Beth looked discomfited, but didn't say anything. The Joker now completely ignored her and instead leaned forward and asked Ethan, "So, Cub Scouts, huh? And, soccer? Tae kwon do? You're a busy guy, aren't you?" Ethan quickly began telling him all about his activities and for a while, everyone forgot that the Joker was the Joker, that he'd done terrible things, that he could kill someone with any common household object he happened to find at hand. For a while, he was just a father reunited with his son.

Ethan had a happy, eager expression on his face the whole time, and Bruce could see he was learning his father's face again, looking into his eyes, marveling at the scars, clearly aching to climb into his lap once more, but thinking he was probably too big for that.

The Joker was listening intently, occasionally stroking the boy's unruly blond hair, asking a question now and again. He would nod and smile at the answers, and sometimes he would laugh, and Ethan would laugh, too. Bruce couldn't hear the conversation, but he remembered telling his own dad about his day when the tired physician came home and sat down with him and gave him his full attention. Those were golden memories, and he knew Ethan would always remember the look in his dad's eyes rather than the shackles, the guards and the institutional setting.

After only thirty minutes, the director indicated the time was up. Relieved, Beth stood and went to Ethan, telling him it was time to go. The stricken look on the little boy's face made Bruce feel sad, and everyone was silent as Ethan impulsively crawled into the Joker's lap and hugged him fiercely. "I want you to come home, Dad. When can you come home?" he whispered.

"Oh, buddy. I can't. It'll be a long time before they let me out of here. But, I bet you're going to get to come see me again. That'd be ok, wouldn't it?"

"Yeah--but it's not the same. These people are mean to you, I don't like them."

"Aw, they're all right. This is mostly for show, so that they can tell all their tough guard buddies what a top-notch job they're doing, keeping me in line." He grinned, and brushed the hair from Ethan's eyes. "I've done some bad shi--, uh, stuff. Now I've got to be good, so they'll let me see you again. But, one day, I will get out of here. Then, we can see each other all the time. Ok?"

"Ok, Dad." He looked around, then turned back to the Joker. "I just miss you so much."

"Yeah, me too." He frowned as the guards came to take him back to his room. Ethan reluctantly stood up and watched as the Joker was led away. At the exit, the Joker struggled for a moment and Bruce heard him say "Please." Uncertainly, the guards allowed him to turn back to face Ethan.

"Hey, kid--you know I didn't want to leave you, right? You do know that?"

Ethan passionately nodded "yes", and the Joker nodded back, and again smiled crookedly as they forced him to turn and head toward the door. He looked over his shoulder and winked at Ethan, who sadly waved goodbye. When the prisoner was gone, everyone else in the room seemed to sag with relief.

Bruce turned to Beth. "Well, that went pretty well." Beth was looking at her son, who was no longer able to hold back a tear as he stood staring at the closed door through which his father had been taken away.

"Yes, but what now? Look at him, Bruce. Do you still think this was a good idea?" Beth flashed a bitter look at him before going to her son and giving him a hug. She ushered him toward the exit and Bruce watched them leave.

Rachel came to Bruce's side. "Well, she's not happy. Ethan's not happy. I bet the Joker's not happy, either. Great job, Bruce!"

Bruce frowned at her. "Give me a break! I'm just relieved that we're not all bleeding by now. I have no doubt that this was the right thing to do. The first time was bound to be tough, but it's going to get better. Didn't you see how happy they were to see each other?"

"Sure, but now it's going to be even worse, being reminded of what they've lost."

"I know. I know." Bruce rubbed a hand over his face in frustration. Maybe he had just made everything worse.

"I'm going to check on Jack." He started to walk away, then he turned back. "Thanks for everything you did, Rach. I know it was a real challenge."

"Nothing like what you're about to walk into," Rachel said grimly.

"Yeah." Bruce smiled wanly and headed off to find Jack.