Gotham's Unknown 2 (A Batman Fanfic)

Chapter 33: Out of the Bat Closet

Bruce woke up with the sunlight gleaming through the split in the velvet curtains in his bedroom and with his beloved clown wrapped around his midsection. Joker's make up was smeared all over Bruce's chest and face. They hadn't had a night like that since Sarah was born. Bruce knew that almost losing Joker was really the shock to his system that he needed to really show people how he feels. Bruce looked at Joker laying there and smiled a little in a soft way as he ran his finger through Joker's emerald green hair. Suddenly Alfred knocked on the door but it didn't wake Joker so Bruce slid out from under him and threw on his robe to answer the door. "Yes?" Asked Bruce softly as he opened the door.
"Master Bruce perhaps we should speak in your study." Said Alfred as Bruce looked back at Joker and nodded then left with Alfred.

"So what did you need to talk to me about?" Asked Bruce as Alfred closed the door to his study and turned to face Bruce. Alfred unfolded the newspaper he had draped over his arm and slammed it down on the table. Bruce's eyes grew wide with both surprise and rage as the front page picture was of him kissing Joker. The title read, Is the Bat hooking up with the Clown? And just under that in small print read, written and photographed by Jack Ryder. "JACK RYDER THAT SNAKE!" Bruce shouted as he slammed his hands down on the table. "I'LL KILL HIM!!" He shouted as he ripped the page in half.
"Master Bruce, making a mess won't solve anything. I read the article and there was no mention of your name just your alias so, so long as you leave the crime fighting to Master Greyson and Master Drake the city should forget about it in a week or so." Said Alfred as Bruce shook his head.
"A week! Alfred you know just as well as I do that every criminal in this city would tear Gotham to pieces without Batman looming over them for a week!" Said Bruce as Alfred looked at him.
"Unless you want to risk losing the trust this city has in you, you'll be nothing more than Bruce Wayne for a week." Said Alfred as Bruce sighed and lowered his head.

Bruce decided that he really needed to just forget all about this for at least a little while so he crawled back into bed with Joker and as he stared at his lover sleeping next to him he sighed feeling calmer than before. Suddenly Joker's eyes blinked open but when they focused on Bruce they were filled with nothing but love. "Morning Bats." Said Joker with a soft smile as Bruce smiled.
"Your makeup is everywhere!" Said Bruce with a chuckle as Joker rubbed his finger on his lip then on Bruce's bottom lip.
"Well now it's all over you too." Said Joker as he put his hand on the side of Bruce's face and kissed him but stopped. "Bats, are you ok?" Asked Joker as Bruce smiled softly.
"I'm fine." Said Bruce as Joker frowned.
"Please Bats, I've been kissing you long enough to know when you're tense. Now I don't see your mansion engulfed in flames so what's going on?" Asked Joker as Bruce sighed.
"Jack Ryder posted a completely asinine story about Bruce Wayne and I often find Ryder's desperation and recklessness to beat Vale as top journalist in Gotham to be quite annoying and completely ridiculous." Said Bruce as Joker grinned placing his hand on Bruce's chest.
"Don't let Jack Ryder get to you, just toon that jackass out." Said Joker as he kissed Bruce's cheek. "Well gotta go!" Said Joker as he hopped out of bed.
"Where are you going?" Asked Bruce as Joker pouted his lips.
"Now if I told you that, you'd bust me before the fun even began!" Said Joker as he tapped the tip of Bruce's nose. "Boop! Bye, bye, Batsy!" Said Joker as he kissed Bruce then got dressed. Bruce sat in bed watching him get ready thinking of the fact that now he knew Joker was planning something but he couldn't intervene because of Jack Ryder's stupid story.

Once Joker left Bruce decided that even though he wasn't allowed to be the Batman he could still get up to something as Bruce Wayne. Bruce got dressed and drove over to Sarah's place hoping to find something of interest going on with her. Bruce knocked at the door but no one answered. Suddenly the woman next door opened her door. "Are you looking for Dr. Ivory?" Asked the woman as Bruce turned and nodded.
"Yes, actually, do you know where I can find her?" Asked Bruce as the woman turned on the sprayer on her hose and started watering her plants.
"Well I don't know where she went but she left with that delinquent boyfriend of hers." Said the woman as she shook her head. "What's wrong with that girl anyway?" Asked the woman as Bruce didn't know what she meant.
"What do you mean?" Asked Bruce as she avoided eye contact for a second.
"Well she's frightfully pale! Like that father of hers... And her hair! Is she trying to look as crazy as her father!? I don't know why that asylum hasn't fired her yet for such a frightening appearance!" Said the woman as Bruce found the woman's bigotry to be annoying and disgusting. Bruce just stepped off his porch and got back in his car then called Lucius.
"Mr. Wayne, how may I assist you today?" Asked Lucius as Bruce turned on his car.
"Lucius, I need to to activate the tracker on Daniel Van Dahl's vehicle then reroute the navigation to my navigation here." Said Bruce as Lucius sighed.
"Please don't tell me you're becoming an overprotective parent." Asked Lucius in a worried tone.
"No I'm just bored." Said Bruce.
"That sounds like an even worse reason to stalk your 30 year old daughter." Said Lucius as the directions popped up on the screen in his car.