"Lori, you can't leave. It's not safe anywhere else. Do you really think he won't come after you? Are you willing to put your parents in that kind of danger?" Bruce asked. He didn't want to be harsh, but it was the truth. "And do you really think that being with your patents will stop you from worrying? The safest place for you right now is here."

Rosemary nodded. "This time, if it comes down to it...I'm going to kill him, Damian. I couldn't do it last time, but this time I will."

"This is all your fault." Lori glared at him. "Why can't you just stay home?" Suddenly her eyes changed the only hint he got before she lifted her suitcase and slammed it into his head using the skills he had taught her.

"Let's agree whoever gets the first chance kills him." Damien squeezed her hand.

Bruce had a single moment to figure out what was going on before Lori swung her suitcase at him. He had to hand it to her- if he wasn't so used to avoiding out-of-nowhere attacks, she probably would have gotten him. As it was, he ducked and moved forward, using the small opening she left by swinging at him to get close...and hugged her. He pulled her close, effectively trapping her arms at her sides. "Someone has to take care of this, Lori. Believe me, I don't want to. But the police can't handle him..." He sighed. "If it really means that much to you...I won't go. I'll call Richard and ask him to take the lead on this one. But even if I don't go, someone has to. I'd rather it be me, since I have the most experience and therefore the least chance of getting hurt, but I won't if you don't want me to."

Rosemary nodded, squeezing her eyes closed for just a moment. She wouldn't fail this time. If she got the chance to kill him, she'd do it.

Damien pulled her into a hug squeezing her tightly.

Lori's eyes dark and she snarled. "No don't you dare involve the kids more then they need to be involved." she glared at his chest and then with all her force bite his shoulder blade.

Bruce hissed in pain. "Well then what do you want me to do, Lori? Tell me what you think I should do. I can't involve the kids. I can't leave it to the police. I can't do nothing, or he'll come after us, and there is no way in hell I'm going to put you and Martha in that situation. So what else do you want me to do?" He asked her angrily. Despite the anger, though, he was mostly terrified. This logic was the only thing he had, and he had to make her see it the same way, or she would be in mortal danger. He couldn't lose her. He wouldn't.

Rosemary hugged him back tightly, putting all the things she couldn't say into that one embrace.

"It's alright Rose." Damien assured her. "As long as we have each other."

"Then hate us. Prove to Joker that you want nothing to do with us. We will never be safe no matter how hard you try." Lori glared at his shirt. "You let this happen. It's all your own doing."

Rosemary nodded and hugged him.

Bruce flinched at the harshness of Lori's words. "You're right. I've always known that I was responsible for him...that he's my fault." He stepped back. "Do you really, honestly think that he'll leave you alone if I pretend to hate you? He's insane, not stupid. But if you think that will work..." He would do anything at all to keep his family safe. No matter how painful it was.

"Let's get some food. I have a feeling it's going to be a long day." Damien sighed.

"I hate that he knows...what a second...how does he know who you really are? He can't possibly know that. I thought you only told a few people. How could he have found out?" Lori glared at him. "What did you do?"

Rosemary nodded. "Sounds good to me." She said.

"I did only tell a few people. Technically, there is no way he should know. But somehow he does...or he did before, anyway. He basically told me as much." Bruce sighed. "But, I mean...Rosemary figured it out on her own. So did Gemini. The Joker's insane, but he's also very smart. It's easy to imagine him figuring it out on his own."

Lori frowned. "Let go Brue I need to make supper." she ordered with a blank look on her face. "The sooner you guys eat the sooner we can get this over with."

Damien grabbed a cookie and started to rummage threw the shelves.

Bruce looked at her, worried. "...Alright." He said, backing off. "Lori...I'm sorry. I know it doesn't mean much, but I am sorry. And I love you. More than you realize."

Rosemary contented herself with a cookie as well, not wanting to ruin her appetite for dinner.

Lori walked off and scowled at Damien and Rose who where eating there cookie's. "Dessert before supper. You two know better." she sighed and pushed them out of the way. "Get out of my kitchen so I can cook."

Damien swallowed. "Yes ma'am." he hurried out smirking a little.

Rosemary hurried out after Damian. "I hope she's okay..." She said, worrying for her aunt.

Bruce came down the stairs looking tired and drawn. He didn't look at anyone.

Seeing the way the couple had come down, Gemini headed for the kitchen. "Lori? What happened? Are you okay?"

"Nothings wrong." Lori started making supper pouring the herbs in using a new one that Ivy had given her for sleep. She didn't even notice since it looked like a normal spice bottle.

"I don't think it's going to be ok between them for a while." Damien sighed.

Gemini frowned. "Are you sure? Because if I were you, I wouldn't be okay. You know you can tell me anything, right? I helped you with Talia...I'll help you with anything else you need." She said sincerely.

Rosemary nodded, her expression turning dark. "Just one more reason to kill him." She said. It wasn't enough that he had ruined their lives years before, now he was back and getting between her aunt and uncle. That was unforgivable.

"Why does he have to be a hero?" Lori exploded slamming a plate onto the table breathing hard. "Why can't he just be normal? The stress of waiting up hoping he'll come home alive is killing!" she was crying again. "What if he doesn't come home this time?"

Damien jumped as a crash came from the kitchen. "What?" he frowned.

Gemini frowned, feeling bad but knowing that hugging Lori would only make her angrier. "Unfortunately, I really can't promise anything there. He only wants to keep you safe. But...Lori, if you asked him to, I think Bruce would give up being Batman for you. I know he feels horrible about leaving you alone all the time, and he is getting a bit older now..." She suggested. Yes, Bruce felt a certain responsibility towards the city, but he felt a stronger responsibility towards his family.

Rosemary grabbed his arm. "Auntie is probably venting. I'd stay out here if I were you. My mom's in there...she'll take care of things." She said.

"But then Damien and Rose would be in control and after what he did to Jason." Lori punched the fridge as hard as she could yelling. She stood there breathing hard and slowly sank to the floor "I don't know what to do. If he wasn't around I would ask Bruce to stop being Batman but he's around."

"Your a genius." Lori grinned and Gemini saw the moment when her eyes turned from worried to unhinged. "If the four of us on we could take him out and tear him limb from limb." she started giggling a crazy little giggle that turned into a full on evil laugh.

Damien blinked. "Um...please tell me you hear that." he glanced at Rose.

Gemini gulped, a little worried. Lori had been like this before killing Talia as well, and had ended up in tears afterwards. "Easy there, Lori. I'm eager too, but if you don't calm down Bruce might end up having to bring you to an asylum." She teased.

Rosemary nodded, looking scared. "That's a bad sign." She stood up. "Damian, I don't think we can wait for your dad to be ready. If auntie is laughing like that, I can only imagine that she's planning to go after Joker herself. We have to find him before she does."

"Your right of course." Damien swallowed. "He's going to kill us." he sighed. "Let's eat then we'll head out. I'm starving."

"Let him." Lori shrugged and plated the food. "Supper." she called.

Rosemary nodded. "Sounds like a plan." She said, just as Lori called for dinner.

Gemini shook her head and went to take a seat, waiting for everyone to show up.

Bruce was the first one into the kitchen. He looked between Lori and Gemini, wondering what they had talked about and if Lori was okay, but he dared not say anything.

"Everyone eat up." Lori gave them there food and sat down digging in. It tasted weirder then normal and she frowned she glanced at the herbs she had just used and her face turned sheepish.

Damien dug in as well sighing happily.

Rosemary went to take a bite, but she wasn't hungry. She looked up and noticed the sheepish look on Lori's face, and looked back down at the food. Slowly putting two and two together, she pushed her plate a little bit away from her.

Gemini dug in, thinking nothing of the different taste. She trusted Lori's cooking- perhaps unwisely so.

Bruce took a few bites before he noticed the taste. "It tastes different than usual. Did you use a new seasoning?" He asked.