Title: Unforgiven V

Author: kirasmommy

Fandom: Batman

Pairing Batman/Joker

Series: Engraved Metal Hearts

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or song nor do I make any money off of this.

Rating: R

Summery: Nightwing has a talk with Batman

Alfred is working on getting the medicine. He's good at that type of thing. I don't know how and I'm not sure I want to know how.

What I do know is that this has gone on far enough. There is no reason to keep Joker here. Even if he and his brother were up to something it would be easier and much better to use the direct approach in this situation.

Batman is taking this whole thing entirely too personally. He always has.

I find Batman sulking in the back room. Yep Batman sulks. He's a pro at it. Others call it brooding but let's face facts he sulks.

He sees me come in but is pointedly ignoring me.

"What the hell is going on?" I ask him with my arms crossed over my chest. He may give Alfred the run around but he won't give me one. I've learned his games and know my way around them.

"Nothing I'm just trying to get to the bottom of this newest game that Joker is playing."

"That's bull and I think you know it." I get a little impatient when he tries to sidestep me.

"Then you tell me what you think they are up to!" Batman growls.

"I think that they were trying to figure out what exactly was wrong with Joker and I think his brother was helping him. I also think that truthfully Joker isn't too fond of his brother."

"He could be lying" Batman almost but not quite pouted.

If the Justice League could only see him now I don't think he would intimidate any of them not even the younger members.

"Maybe so but you effectively kidnapped or perhaps aided and abetted an incarcerated prisoner!" I bite my tongue before I yell what the hell were you thinking!

He clams up at this point. I should have known he would. He's good at that too. He's also real good at avoiding his own emotions.

More than one time I've walked out on him during a fight when he decides to do the block of ice routine. He can be such an asshole. Sometimes I wonder what I ever saw in him.

But he isn't playing that game with me today. This is complete bullshit!

I decide to use another approach. Perhaps I can draw him back out into the conversation.

"How did you figure out that Dr. Ramon is Joker's brother." I ask him finally.

He is still trying to ignore me.

"How?" I ask again. "Look unless you tell me how I'm going to assume that you don't have solid proof and I will personally take Joker home to Arkham."

Damn now there is a gamble and a half. I don't want to piss him off too much but unless I use extreme measures at this point I'm not getting anywhere and this situation is too screwed up to leave alone.

"Because Ramon was Joker's mother's maiden name!"

Now there is a surprise.

"How did you find that out. As far as I know, no one even knows Joker's real name!" I sit down.

"I know." Batman finally sighed. "I've always known."

"Care to explain?"

He knows I'm not going to leave it alone. "After all authorities have wanted to know his name forever, why didn't you supply it?"

"Because it no longer mattered. The man he was, no longer existed. He is gone forever there is no getting him back. And I would like to forget that the Joker and him were one person once."

"You sound rather sad." I'm hoping he goes into greater detail. To my dismay he does and I look at Batman in an entirely new light.

"Harvey Dent isn't the only criminal I used to be friends with. Once Harvey was the District Attorney. Hell we had dinner with him and his wife every weekend for a long time."

I nodded. I remembered that. It was just before he was hit in the face with the acid.

"Years ago in college I knew a young man by the name of Jack Napier. He was a great guy." Batman's voice got a little rough and he cleared his throat.

"Mmm hmm" I make the noise in encouragement.

"We were roommates. I knew him that way." Batman tried to leave it at that.

I gave him a look saying I knew better. I knew there had to be more to the story than he was letting on.

When he turned away from my look, that was when I knew the truth that he wasn't telling me. I felt a twinge of jealousy. Batman's high morals didn't seem so high anymore. He wouldn't bed me but he would bed the Joker.

When he turned back he must of seen the look on my face and understood what I was thinking.

"This was before he became the Joker. Jack, Jack had his problems back then but he wasn't a total mad man. Hell even after he first turned to crime he wasn't as unhinged as he is now." He offered me a shrug.

I thought back. He did have a point. I remember the case of the Red Hood, the accident that turned The Joker into the Joker. It seemed... my goodness the cases seemed fifty years ago at least even though it wasn't that long ago. After all I'm still in my twenties yet. Even after his first few capers as the Clown Prince of Crime, the Joker was usually regulated to jail because he wasn't considered insane yet. It wasn't for a while till he showed how crazy he really was. After the murders started to happen that was when he started making his home at Arkham.

And I suppose if it happened at College then I suppose that I have no right to be jealous. LIKE HELL! So the Joker meant more to him than I did?

Batman lifted a hand to me and I jerked away out of reflex. I didn't want his pity. If he didn't love me the way I loved him...I guess it can't be helped.

"Jack was my best friend in college." Batman managed a grim smile.

Well that's an understatement isn't it?

At this point I don't think I want to know anymore. I think it would hurt too much. I go back to watch over Joker. The rival I never knew I had.

=30=