Blue Kitsune: Hey everyone what's up, been a little bit out of it but doesn't mean I haven't been doing some writing to keep me in the zone. I know most want me to work on my other stories and I'll try to do that but here's something I figure I give a shot at and also since tomorrow's my B-day I see how everyone likes it. Also I give thanks to Christine M. Greenleaf as it was thanks to her Batman fics that got me into this, so go and check her out. Please read and review, whoo-hoo!

Disclaimer: Blue Kitsune does not own Batman or any of the DC comic series. Story and OC are all original.

Love is For Croc

Chapter One

Today seem like a very gorgeous looking Saturday morning over in downtown Gotham. With the sun hanging high in the sky with not a cloud in sight and people enjoying their time off.

Who could resist getting to sleep in or watch cartoon or even hang out with their friends in certain local spot while adult just got to kick back a bit before Monday and having to return to their daily job to earn their pay.

It seem like a perfect weekend in the local's mind although then again not everyone could see it as fine and dandy. One in particular was in a pretty foul mood with the way she was driving through traffic like a madwoman on drugs. Or at least something to that extent.

"Goddammit all to hell!" Valerie managed to cry out as she avoid getting hit by the incoming car. She could hear the guy cursing her and more than likely giving her the finger for that. She would've loved to return the gesture but she had better things to do.

It was not looking so well for Valerie Dracon. In fact, she was downright pissed that one could see storm clouds brewing over her horizon along with some thunder if you weren't all too careful.

Valerie didn't seem to take notice how she may be going a tad too fast. Beyond the normal speed limit as she was putting pedal to the metal and ignoring the close calls she had so far down the road.

Sure, she might be breaking a few speeding laws and probably get a few tickets and points on her license if the police ever got to her, but she didn't really care about that at the moment.

Just wait until I get in, oh I'm going to really let him have it! Valerie had a good reason for being upset. She was trying her best to keep her eyes on the road, keyword 'trying' while her mind was absolutely racing with uncontrolled rage.

She could not believe even after everything she has done, putting everything on the line and this was what she got for all her trouble! Not to say she hadn't known what it likes dealing with narrow-minded people and how they treated her. She had to have that when she was in school, being picked on for being different and her standing out from the rest of the crowd with her interest.

But now she could laugh it off as here she was now with what she always wanted. Valerie was probably one of the best herpetologists in her field whose expertise lied with studying certain species such as crocodiles, snakes, alligators, etc and working at the Gotham Zoo was the perfect job for her. She did scientific journals on the studies she and her other colleague found and letting others know for them to better understand these fascinating and wonderful creatures that have lived since the Jurassic era and still around to tell the tale.

She put all her time and effort into her work, trying to prevent their extinction and had made it her life mission to see that no harm befell them in the process.

For the last two weeks, she had been in South America doing a documentary on the Black Caiman and seeing their living habitat with a guide and camera crew to record the whole expedition. It had been quite an amazing experience as she got to see those large beasts lurking about the water and seeing how much bigger they were than the American Alligator back in the US.

It had been a very long and exhausting with some mosquito bites and harsh rainstorms though it had gone rather well with all that they manage on documenting and surveying the creatures around that area.

She had gotten some very good data and research and thought it would be interesting to bring it up what they came across out there. Charlie would be very please and knew it would be shared with the board if anything on what they found.

Yet coming home had left her in a very sullen mood. She wasn't supposed to be coming in until much later tonight but manage to book an earlier flight to get back home after her time in the Amazon. Sure her flight had been very tedious, one delay and had to find another then dealing with annoying people, customs, the whole nine yards. Coming home at a quarter to one in the morning and had minimum sleep as her body was not use to the overlapping time difference.

It was only when she later woke up and went to fix herself some coffee and found the official looking letter stack on her table among bills and junks. Instead of setting it aside and looking at it later, she opened it and that had tipped her over the edge once she finished reading it.

Forgetting her need to recuperate as that flew out the window the moment she saw what was written right in front of her eyes. There was one thing going over in her head as she got dressed and was out the door with that letter held tightly in her grasp.

Her boss should be in right about now as she parked her jeep into her valeted space and walking through the gated entrance, fuming with every step of the way.

She went by the ticket booth where she took in the Simmons, though not related in anyway but all sharing the same last name oddly enough.

Tobias, 'call me Tony' had years of experience with handling the crowd much better than Ben or Jerry, both recently hired this month and had their hands full since weekends tend to be more lively than weekdays. Then let's not forget the summer season as those were usually a little more hectic and need all the help they could get around that time of year.

Tony glance to see her stroll by and nod his head in her direction while Ben did shout a greeting when he caught a glimpse of her. Jerry was too busy handling money and giving information to paying customers to see her and pass everyone else and head straight into the park.

She saw that it seem pretty packed with lots of people walking about, mostly families with their kids coming in to visit the Zoo and small tour group with a zoo helper giving them some insight on what species they had and letting them know more about them. The children were always hype on seeing all the cool looking animals and more focus on them than anything else. It always please her to see them take such an interest but now her focus was entirely on something else and going to go find him to get some answers.

She saw other employees going about doing their job as it was feeding time for most of them. Emily Jenkins, one of the co-worker, was carrying a pail full of fruits and other essential ready to be deliver to the small mammal habitats and bump into her on her way.

"Hey Val, it's good to see you're back. How was it down there? See anything interesting beside masses of trees and over intense heat? I thought you weren't going to come in until Tuesday, or was it Wednesday?"

Emily tend to be a sweet kid and Valerie didn't hold it against her when she was always being a tad too cheerful and seem to want to hold a conversation with her of all people.

"Where's Charles? Is he here?" It was hard to keep the tension out of her voice and Emily could tell she wasn't into the mood of making small chat and knew better than to stall her when she was like this.

People tend to steer clear of her and stay a safe distance until the disaster was over and given the okay. Nothing could stand in Valerie's way and doubt whatever she try to do would make her change her mind anytime soon.

"Yeah he's in—" But that was all she needed to hear. Valerie didn't give her time to finish, shouting her thanks rather quickly and continue with her even stride with one intention.

Charlie better have a damn good explanation for all this! She was ready to give him a piece of her mind once she saw him and it wasn't going to be anything the least bit nice.

She didn't have to walk that far as his office was close to the Bird's Sanctuary and near that small café that most people would stop by for lunch later in the day. She paid no heed to anyone who saw her but she was too focus on going to see her boss to even consider who was even there.

She head straight in with a single purpose and didn't care if Charles was busy with someone in an important meeting or that he was on the can, she had a bone to pick with him!

She stormed in, her eyes ablaze and nostril flaring as she threw the door open the moment she got in, startling Stacey who was at her desk and saw her walk by without so much as a hello. She head right towards his desk and threw her hands down on it and making everything rattled about.

"What's the big idea here Charles?! Just what were you thinking huh?!"

She did not stop to take any time to reconsider her actions since she storm into his office, passing his secretary on the way in without so much as a good morning. But her focus was on the older man sitting behind his desk and talking on the phone but not too bothered by her abrupt entrance.

She may have come home early but still Charles's could at least looked surprised to see her waltz in with her ready to hail fire down upon him and had something to say. Yet he appeared calm as a cucumber and went to listen to the occupant on the other line.

"Listen I got to, I'll call you back later…mmm-hmm yes thank you, you have a good day too." Charles took his time finishing his conversation before setting it back down on the cradle and turning his attention to one of his irritated employee. "Thank you Stacey, you can leave now."

The secretary look between her boss and Valerie and choosing to do as she was told than stay and watch the firework implode as she was sure that was bound to happen once the door was shut behind her.

Valerie had gotten the letter out and held it up in Charlie's face as she growled angrily, "Do you know what this is? Because I'm pretty sure you do, considering your name is on here as well as a few others I might add I'm familiar with."

She then went to cross both her arms over her chest while glowering down at him, "Just what's this I find about you having to call off the Terra-project. I'm gone for two whole weeks, two weeks in the freakin' Amazon, working my ass off for you and the first thing I find out on my return is that you pulling the plug on this? Just when were you going to tell me this huh?!"

Charles didn't say anything nor did he have to as took his glasses off and rubbing the ache between his eyes before lifting his gaze back on her.

"Now Val, I'm really sorry but the board has control over the funds and you know that we have our limitations on these," He swipe his hand over the documents on his desk as if indicating that they were the ones at fault and not the one in charge of everything else.

Valerie tried not to roll her eyes as she looked at him.

Charles Winsted was like her when it came to the welfare of others, especially those that couldn't speak for themselves and needed a bit of a helping hand when it comes to preserving the species from extinction.

He had been her father's colleague when they work together and was the closest to a second father for Valerie when he passed away four years ago. He was the reason she got this job in the first place, to be close to the animals she swore to protect and preserve. And apparently he wasn't doing so while in her absence when she had to find out herself what happened and now that ticked her off.

"So you're okay with letting them just sit back and do nothing on their asses while endangering the lives of those that live on those lands. Do you know how many are killed due to illegal poaching out there and how they're having less chance of survival with all the toxin and pollutions thrown in and let's not forget the other reckless endangerment to their environment by stupid people!"

Sure she may have been coming off highly strong with her words but she had dedicated herself to the natural preservation of these species and since they did have a couple of those crocodiles that were only a few living here temporarily and what's not to get anger over.

People gave her a nickname because of her temporal disputation and she was letting it show right at that moment. She was considered by most as Valerie the Viper as one of her many because of her sharp tongue lashing and the way she seem to spew whatever venom at whoever got on her bad side and seem to leave a bitter taste on them.

Some have thought of her less with slanderous names but when it comes to her priorities, she didn't care what others thought of her or give a damn if they didn't become friends or anything. She prefer her work over trying to make friends that just didn't fit her bill and was fine that way in her book.

"Charles you told me we would have this dealt with by the time I got back. That we have the board on our side and everything would be okay. I mean you know very well that the Indial Gavial we have here can't stay lock behind a glass pond when we know if we could manage to sanctify the habitat and see to the grounds are kept safe, there's a good chance they can bring back their population, but not in held captivity!"

She seen so many species that didn't do so well despite their being well kept and fed and living much longer than they would in the wild. They cannot be contain and control as if being domesticated because they weren't like regular animals, they needed their own freedom and didn't like being cooped up like that.

"Yes I can clearly understand you're very anger here, believe me so am I but you know as well as I that we can't always get what we want, even your father would've understand this, god rest his soul."

Charles's saw her shoulders became slack and was taking in what he was saying as he continue, "Believe you and me, we would be fighting this together all the way, tooth and nail but you know how conglomerates are, it's all about the people and how they represent themselves. The economy is at a difficult time and most people are concern on finding jobs to feeding their family and companies trying to do what they can in this time of need."

"Yeah and lining their pockets no less when it could go for a more beneficial factor like helping out the community for the endangered species that we have so little left with each passing year thanks to people who don't consider them near extinct." She barked back, not minding what she said despite their familiar friendship but knew it hit right where it hurt.

"I know you're upset..." began Charles.

"Upset?" repeated Valerie skeptically. "Oh no, I'm fucking furious! I'm mad as hell that I want to march up to them and show them how piss I am!"

"Well, that's not going to get us anywhere is it?" said Charles taking in that she was moving about and still commenting on the idiots in politics and how they're nothing but moneygrubbing bastards and other such things. "So just stop and calm down."

Valerie obeyed slowly, knowing it was better than to argue against him. But still she was feeling her blood throbbing hotly through her veins as fury pounded her heart.

She had often seen crocodiles ripping their prey to pieces, and right now, for not the first time in her life, she wished she had that same ability.

She would use it on board of directors until they saw things her way, so screw the consequences!

Charles took his time as he grabbed the pitcher and poured two glasses of water and handing her one. He watched as she took a small sip before finally saying something once she settled down and finally would speak like rational adults. "Val, believe me when I say I did everything I could..."

"I know!" She snapped. She took a deep breath and repeated, in a much calmer tone than before, "I know…. you did what you could and you do your best for my sake which I'm very much grateful for. You always manage this better than I could. It's just…it's just so damn frustrating because I know there's nothing I can do to change their minds even if we had some sort of leverage or something to make them do so in a heartbeat."

Charles said nothing for a moment and taking a sip from his glass of water and looking in her direction. "Maybe...there is," he murmured under his breath but Valerie obviously picked up on it.

She raised a brow at him and seeing he had something behind those somber eyes and knew the wheels inside his head were turning.

"What are you talking about?" Just what was he trying to say. She couldn't help wondering what he was getting at as she was sure they had done everything they could. So unless there was some miracle he had, than what wasn't he telling her?

He brought his hands together and entwining his finger under his chin as he looked her way, "Are you familiar with a mister Waylon Jones Val?" he asked, quietly.

She stared at him and wondering if he was being serious since that name was so vaguely familiar but knew it could only belong to one other person.

Who wouldn't know that as she did read the Gotham Prophet just as much as anyone else and kept up with the daily circuit of what goes on in this city and it's crazy lunatics. "You mean Killer Croc. What about him?"

"He's been shall we say…a tad more aggressive than usual lately - the doctors at the Arkham Asylum have made several reports of his recent outbursts, being more ferocious and violent and well you get the idea.

They think he's becoming somewhat feral, devolving from his humanity, as if his primal instinct is like those of an actual crocodile and is making him harder to control his temporal issues. That was the head director I was speaking to and they've asked for an expert in crocodile behavior to contact them. They're hoping that with careful observation and through intense research, that they could find a suitable solution for his condition and prevent this from manifesting itself before he becomes too dangerous for society to handle."

I think that ship has long since sail those waters but then just how dangerous did one have to be before they're considered worst off. Mentally she thought all this out, putting it all together but the words that did come out were, "Wait you mean me? Seriously?"

Valerie couldn't believe that he was suggesting this yet from what she understood it seem like the only reasonable thing to do. Sure she dealt with handing wild feral crocodiles in the past and had a few close calls with some of the more dangerous and venomous reptiles in the animal kingdom, she had the scars to prove it but still to hear that he was asking for her assistance on this?

It sound like practical suicide when you dare to think you can go up against one of those that is consider one of the most notorious criminals that Gotham ever seen.

Well at least it could be worse, at least it wasn't the Joker or even Two-Face or any others as she knew were much more dangerous but still Croc was not someone to look down at since he still count as a threat to everyone with his ravenous appetite.

Charles shrugged as though not surprised by her immediate reaction. "You're the best we've got here. You have dealt with similar and your articles are self-explanatory in themselves as you recall from one of your papers on the natural life cycle of the largest crocodiles that were found up North as you recalled. And don't get me wrong, Johnson would also be an ideal candidate for this position but he doesn't have the same expertise as you do or the capability you have."

You got that right, she thought though wasn't meant to sound prideful but Johnson couldn't be consider the most reliable person and could be a total dick when it comes to handling reptiles.

Croc would more than likely eat him alive and have indigestion from that guy. Plus Johnson was an absolute perverted dick and rude pig when he was around her. She couldn't stand him, not the very least with his obnoxious matter when it comes to trying to get in her pants like he did with most of their co-workers and thinking she was inadequate with her work.

He may be handsome and suave when he wanted to be but seriously his attitude could use some adjustment. And a swift kick in the groin wouldn't be so bad.

Yet this offer was very tempting and would shove Johnson off that high ass pedestal of his and hurt him right where it should. Also be nice to have him out of her hair for a while but then she wonder how she was going to be able to handle without getting eaten if the stories about Croc were half true about what he did to his victims.

But then Charles brought her back to now and telling her the reason he was very confident in her abilities to do this.

"Also they assured me that if you do this for them, the board at Arkham might see their way towards adding their funds to this conservation project. Considering what they asking of us and from you with having you take up your time in doing this for them. It's quite a long shot, but it's the only one we've got so far and personally I think this is very generous of them to do don't you agree?"

So bribery isn't too far from what they're asking but still who would be willing to do this, Valerie was silent as she thought about this to herself yet the pros outweigh the con even when every fiber of her being was telling her to say no to this offer.

"You know I would do absolutely anything…" she said at last knowing she had made her choice on this matter despite what she knew might as well be leading her towards her likely end if anything should go wrong. "Anything to help out and see this project goes through."

Seeing that gave him her answer and please to see she would go through with it. "Good I'm glad to hear that. I'll call Dr. Bartholomew and let her know you'll be there first thing Monday. I already had the information you send and anymore you can fax or email. Tomorrow is your usual day off so of course there's nothing wrong with that and I'll see about having someone filling in your position, temporarily of course don't worry. Can't let my best herpetologist slip away that easily. You'll have it back once you finished at Arkham and then everything will be all set."

She nodded trying to reassure herself that was true but inside she was still in turmoil on the matter. "Yes of course. I will see about getting everything ready and I'll try to do my very best while there."

When he didn't say another word, she took that as her cue to leave. She left the office quietly, without saying anything to anyone until reaching the reptile exhibit and getting right to work when she got to her small office. She tried to put her focus on the paperwork left on her desk but her mind kept going back to that conversation in Charlie's office.

Had she really just agree to that? She couldn't believe what she was signing herself for, to work with a criminal that could almost be closely related to the same subspecies of the reptilian family but still she consider the benefits if she made it through this. She was doing it for a good cause and could manage it if she didn't do anything to aggravate the guy.

That is if she made it through intact and without losing a few limbs in the process.