Bruce sighed, going straight from ornery to guilty. "Lori, please don't cry. I'm fine, see? I'm not going to die. All I need is a little rest. I just don't want to be smothered, that's all. I'm a man, we're sensitive about that kind of thing." He told her.

"OK." Lori pouted a little but let it pass as Lena drove to the manor. As soon as she parked Lori went to the door to unlock it will Lena waited for him careful not to hurt his man pride.

Joker was lounging on the couch waiting for a idea to come to him. He didn't like lying there with nothing to do.

Bruce carefully got out of the car and walked a couple of paces before looking at the stairs. There were only a few, but they were large and looked a bit daunting with his ribs hurting. "Okay, I'm putting my man pride away for a moment. I need help." He said.

Gemini had stuck around to keep him company, but now she was bored, too. "I need to go feed Lucifer. Do you want to come with me?" She asked, unable to think of anything else.

"OK." Lori took one side and Lena the other together they woman handled him up the stairs into the manor. "Know we just need to get upstairs." She bite her lip examing them.

Joker nodded "since I can't mess with batbrain I might as well try my hand at being around you in a normal situation."

Bruce looked up with a resigned look on his face. "This is going to be horrible." He predicted.

Standing up, Gemini smiled a little. "I feel like I should point out that me going home to feed my half-wolf partner who not only assists me in thefts but also talks to me is not exactly normal." She said.

"More normal then what I do at least." Joker chuckled and took her hand waiting for her to the lead the way. "Shall we?"

"Lets do it." Lena and Lori helped muscle him up a few steps then stopped to take a breath. "Jeez your heavy."

Gemini shrugged, conceding his point. "Okay, I'll give you that one." She said, heading out. It didn't take long to get back to her apartment, where Lucifer was waiting at the door for her. "Silly dog, I left the fire escape open for you. You could have come and gotten me." She chided gently. Lucifer barked, and she nodded. "Okay, so you wanted to protect the apartment. That's fine." Gemini answered. Clearly they were talking. Lucifer barked again, and Gemini blushed. "How I smell is none of your business." She said defensively.

Bruce pouted, also breathing heavily, but for him it was from pain. "I'm not heavy...and if I was, it's all muscle." He said.

Joker blinked and look from one to the other. "Alright then." he chuckled.

"Your a fat old man." Lori teased and nodded to Lena then got him the rest of the way up. "We made it." she gasped. "Now we just need to get you to the bedroom." she glanced down the hall. "At least this part is flat."

Gemini cleared her throat, blushing deeper, and put the food down in front of Lucifer. "There, now eat up and no more comments, knucklehead." She told the half-wolf. Lucifer woofed softly, almost as if he were making a comment under his breath, and started eating. "We're going now. Be good." Gemini said, pulling Joker out the door.

"I am not..." Bruce said sulkily. "I can handle the flat part myself." He added, not wanting to make them carry him the whole way. Plus, his man pride was back and he didn't want to seem that feeble.

"Alright." Lori took his hand and waited for him to start walking. "As long as I get to hold your hand." she smiled bright at him.


"Where are we going?" Joker blinked letting himself be dragged away glancing back at Lucifer once but didn't say anything.

Bruce raised an eyebrow, trying to figure out whether she was planning to help him along, but nodded. "Okay...but no holding me up. I can walk just fine." He said.

Even from behind, he could see Gemini's blush. "I don't know, just not here." She said, and continued mumbling about her traitorous scent and her dog's ability to smell certain things.

Joker squeezed her hand and smiled. "It's cute when you talk to yourself you know that." he teased guiding her towards the roller skating place.

"Alright." Lori just walked beside him though he could feel her watching him as they walked to his room. She shooed away Ace who tried to lick Bruce's face. "Oh no buddy not until he sits down." she smiled.

Gemini looked up, startled, s if she hadn't realized she were speaking out loud. "Oh...th-thanks." She said, her face a little pink.

Bruce chuckled as he sat down. "Good to see you too, Ace." He greeted, patting the dog's head.

Ace licked his face nudging him gentle with his nose whining softly. "Know I need to get your meds." Lori turned "I'll get them mom you relax." Lena pushed her towards Bruce. "hold that." she grinned and left knowing her dad didn't need encouragement to do that.

"Your cute when you blush to." Joker kissed her gentle and held the roller skating places door open for her. "At least I'm Darien so we can relax and enjoy ourselves."

Bruce grabbed onto Lori's hand and pulled her down onto the bed with him, all while still patting Ace's head. "You heard her. I have to hold you now." He said, pulling her closer.

Gemini only managed to blush more. She was saved from saying anything else on that matter by the need to enter the building. "Oh, I haven't been here in ages!" She said after his next comment.

Lori blushed and grinned relaxing against him. "I don't mind you holding me." She squeezed his free hand. "But you should lie down." Ace jumped onto the bed and placed his head on Bruce's lap.

Joker blinked then entered after he bought the shoes he stared at them unsure what to do. "OK I have no idea what I'm doing never got the chance to learn this."

Bruce shrugged. "But I'll have to sit back up to take my medicine, so I'll just wait." He said.

Gemini blinked rapidly. "Oh, that's a problem." She said, looking sheepish. "The only time I ever came here was with Lori, and it was my first time ever skating, so...I'm no good at it." She told him.

"Well we can learn together." Joker managed to get them on then carefully he skated away hoping he didn't fall.

"Alright." Lori laced there fingers together. "I'm such a mother." She chuckled then stopped. "Strange how Joker tried saving you isn't it?"

Gemini got hers on easily enough, but had a lot of trouble balancing. She kept getting about a foot forward and then falling. Once, she fell and grabbed onto Joker for balance, bringing them both down. "Ow! Sorry...is it just me, or do I tend to fall down a lot around you?" She recalled the many times she'd bumped into him on the street and fallen.

Bruce nodded, smiling. "But it's a good thing, you're a natural mother." He responded happily. His smile faded a bit at her next statement. "Yeah...I keep wondering why. He wouldn't do something like that without a reason, but he hasn't tried anything else yet..." He shook his head. "I don't know what to think, but it's making me nervous."

"Maybe he's turned over a new leaf?" Lori thought of Gemini and thought she knew why he had helped. "Or maybe he has someone he loves enough." she mused then kissed him gentle. "Don't worry about it love."

Joker laughed and helped himself up at then lifted her up. "Maybe I'm just the one who's suppose to catch you whenever you fall and the earth wants to make it obvious...man that was chessy." he grimaced. 'Sorry about that."

Bruce raised an eyebrow. "You don't really think that the Joker, of all people, has been influenced by love?" He asked incredulously. It just seemed too bizarre. Then again, Gemini seemed like the type to influence a man like that...he shook his head again. "Okay, I'm not going to think about it."

Gemini started laughing, though she was also blushing. "You're right, that was horribly cheesy. But cheesy seems to work, with you." She replied, finally getting her balance. "Shall we continue?"

"Good." Lori kissed him again just as Lena entered. "Lovely." she laughed and handed over the meds and a bottle of juice. "One a day and then your to go for a check up next month."

Joker smiled a little and took her hands guiding her around the rink. "How's this?" he kissed her hands.

Bruce rolled his eyes. "Yes, I know, the doctor already told me all of that. Honestly, you'd think I was a child, the way you're treating me." He said, taking the first pill. "He also said that I only need to be in bed for a week, and that I'll only need the medication for a week and a half. So I'll be able to take Lori on our honeymoon long before that checkup."

Gemini blushed slightly, a soft smile on her face. "I like this." She replied. "Oh look, I'm getting it!" She said happily.

"Well I wasn't there when he told you that." Lena slammed the bag down. "No wonder no one stays on as your sidekick." "Lena!" Lori gasped. "No it's true I was just passing one the message and he acts like I've insulted his intelligence but he may be reminded that not everyone knows what he knows." She was venting a lot of the anger from the years without a father as well as expressing her hurt feelings for being talked to like she ought to know he knew.

"First of all, I was only joking, so calm down. Second, I simply wanted to inform you of what was said while you weren't there. And third, I don't see why you would be upset about not knowing these things, considering that you are my child, not my wife or caretaker. Generally, a doctor would tell these things to the patient and their significant other, not their child, so there was really no reason for you to know any of the details in the first place. If I wanted to, I could have chosen to tell you nothing at all." Bruce said in a calm tone. He refused to be upset by Lena. "As far as sidekicks go, there are things that go on that no one knows about. Each of them had their own reasons for leaving, and none of those reasons are any of your business...or mine. I realize that you are upset with me, Helena, but the fact remains that you do not know me well enough to pass any kind of judgement about me."