So I went back and rewrote it. I hope you like this better.
Ivy didn't know what to do with the reporter walking back and forth amongst her plants. She wanted to kick her out but the girl had been so…so intrusive that it was hard to pass up the offer.
*Flashback*
Poison Ivy shot down a dark alley and around a corner into a dead end.
"Great, now what?" She was all out of vine pods and it was not like she had a grappling hook or anything. Ivy could hear the police running down the alley after her.
She was stuck.
Before Ivy could prepare herself to use her charms, she was pulled through a door.
"Wha-"
"Shhhhh," said a voice with a finger on her lips. The finger left Ivy's mouth and turned into a hand that wrapped around the doorknob of the alley door. Ivy could hear the confused voices of the police on the other side of it. When the door was tugged on Ivy jumped. The voice shushed her again and put a hand on her shoulder. The door was pulled and yanked on but it didn't budge.
"She's not here!"
"Well, she escaped somehow! Find her!" Ivy recognized the second voice as Detective Bullock's. The police rummaged through the alley for a little while. Ivy could hear them opening and closing other doors and digging through dumpsters. When the voices were finally gone, Ivy let out the breath she didn't know she was holding and leaned against the wall of the alcove. Then she remembered there was someone with her.
Now that her eyes had adjusted, Poison Ivy got a good look at the person who had pulled her through the door.
It was a woman.
She was much taller than Ivy and had brown hair that was shoved up into a messy bun. The woman smiled at Ivy and pushed her sliding glasses up her nose.
"Hello Poison Ivy. I'm Linda Lee-Danvers, and I want to interview you."
*End Flashback*
"Don't touch…that." Linda Lee-Danvers touched the petal of a rare rose Ivy had stolen last week. Linda looked at Ivy over her glasses and stood up, her fingers moving slightly away from the flower.
"Relax Miss Isley. I've taken care of flowers before."
"I'm sure you have, but none as rare." Linda stepped back from the flower completely.
"Point taken." She turned away from the rose's table and started walking down one of the many rows of flora and greens Ivy had. Ivy watched Linda walk with ease amongst her flowers. The same ease she saw the first time they met.
*Flashback*
Ivy watched the young woman, who introduced herself as Linda Lee-Danvers step back from her and onto the wide floor of the abandoned warehouse.
"Excuse me?" asked Ivy.
"You heard me Miss Isley. I want to interview you. It will be part of the Daily Planet's anniversary paper. Not front page but close."
"Look, I don't know who told you I do PR stunts, but they lied." Ivy moved away from the door but stayed near the wall.
"No one told me Miss Isley. In fact, I've noticed your lack of interviews and felt obliged to do one myself." Linda Lee-Danvers was walking backwards while talking to Poisons Ivy. Ivy noted three or four paint cans behind the girl but didn't say anything.
"That's because I don't like giving interviews."
"I can change that." Just as the words came out of her mouth, the reporter tripped over one of the cans and fell on her butt. Ivy laughed at her. "Well, there goes my seductive reporter façade." Linda grabbed the can from under her long legs and set it on another can.
"I think you needed to be seductive for that to work Miss Danvers," said Ivy in between the laughing. Linda blew a puff of air to get the fallen strands of hair out of her face then stood up.
"Gee, thanks." Linda blew a puff of air to get the fallen strands of hair out of her face then stood up. Ivy finally regained her composure and got a good look the young woman. There was something in the way the girl walked that caught Poison Ivy's attention. A confidence even her loose clothing or slight slouch could cover up. As Linda walked towards the villainess, Ivy realized the position she was in and got an idea.
*End Flashback*
As Ivy followed the young reporter through her vines and flowers, she could feel how the woman's presence was affecting the surrounding plants. Usually when a stranger is near, the plants put off a defensive vibe but this time they were calm. Ivy realized the plants actually liked Linda. In fact, every time the reporter's fingers brushed across a vine or a flower, they would shake with excitement. When Linda laughed as one of the vines she touched shivered, Ivy was stunned. Only she was able to see and know when her plants would shake. There was something about this tall brunette that Ivy was missing.
"I'm correct in assuming most of these plants were stolen?" ask Linda. Ivy popped out of her thoughts and answered Linda's question.
"Not as many as you might think. The extremely rare plants are, but most of these-especially the vines-are my own design."
"I take it you used you chemistry degree along with cross-breeding to get this many hybrids."
"Yes." Linda nodded her head as she walked through the garden. They were coming up to Ivy's rainforest section, which meant they were getting closer to her more "vicious" plants. As Linda walked amongst the plants, she constantly wrote down notes. And from what Ivy could see she was drawing too. "If you're drawing any of these plants, I would appreciate it if you left out my 'special' plants."
"You mean your genetically altered mutant plants?" Ivy grounded her teeth to keep from attacking the reporter.
"I prefer 'genetic hybrids,' but yes those plants." Linda stopped walking and wrote down what Ivy was saying. When Ivy walked by the young woman, she could have sworn the girl smiled at Ivy's correction.
"I'll keep that in mind for the article." Ivy rolled her eyes at the girl's subtle sarcasm. This was going to be a long interview.
*Flashback*
Realizing the situation she was in, Ivy slowly approached the young woman coming towards her. Linda stopped moving when she realized what Ivy was doing. Ivy stood up on her tipped-toes, which was needed since the young reporter was so tall, and wrapped her arms around Linda's neck.
"So, you want an interview. You're going to have to…earn it." Ivy whispered the last part into the woman's ear. The young woman leaned back slightly from Ivy and smiled.
"Nice try Ivy, but your tricks don't work on me." Ivy didn't realize how heavily she was leaning on the girl until Linda stepped back Ivy lost her balance. The young reporter grabbed the green villainess's arms to steady her, but that didn't mean Ivy wasn't embarrassed. She was always cool and on her game when it came to influencing people. If Linda could easily resist the chemicals Ivy was putting off, then the red-head needed to change her tactics.
"Fine," she said. "So my charm doesn't work on you, so what? I have many talents, I'm sure there is something I can offer you." Ivy leaned on her left side and placed a hand on her jutting hip.
"Oh, I'm well aware of your talents Poison Ivy. I just need your talent of talking…for this interview." Ivy rolled her eyes and started walking away.
"No, I'm not doing it and you can't make me."
"Wanna bet?" said the reporter. Before Ivy had could turn around and rebuke the young woman, her whole world went black.
*End Flashback*
Ivy and Linda were at the very back of Ivy's garden. This was Ivy's sanctuary and place to think. Not even Harley Quinn was allowed back there. Linda sat down on the only dry place in the entire garden, a large and rather uncomfortable rock.
"So Miss Isley…"
"Ivy, I prefer Poison Ivy," corrected Ivy.
"I'm well aware of what your villain name but I prefer to call you by your birth name, whether you mind or not." Ivy sat down on a swing made from vines and stared at the young woman. "Now Miss Isley, are ready for me to ask you questions or not?"
"Obviously I don't have a choice."
"You have choices they're just limited." Linda smiled at Ivy and started writing in her notebook again. "I've already done a preliminary background check on you. Where you were born, where you went to school, who your mother is-who by the way is a delightful woman to talk to-and how you became Poison Ivy. But I want to know who you are now, not where you come from. I want to know the woman beneath the plants."
"Two things Miss Danvers: first, what you see is what you get, and second, you spoke with my mother?"
"Mhm, and might I say I see where you get your enthusiasm from."
"I get nothing from that woman."
"Yes you do, you get your obsession from her." Ivy was about to call on her plants to wrap around the reporter because she was so mad but what Linda said next made her stop. "But at the same time you get your passion from her. Something I feel that is the only thing rooting you to your humanity. Pun not intended." Ivy was completely surprised by the young woman, but she also felt pity towards her. Ivy was no longer human. Her green skin and severe change in her body's chemicals made sure of that.
"I'm not human Miss Danvers. If you truly looked at me, you'd see that."
"I don't believe that and I know for a fact Harley Quinn doesn't believe that either." Ivy sat up straighter in her swing.
"What does Harley have to do with this?" Linda smiled and shifted on her rock.
"I know-thanks to some doctors at Arkham Asylum-that when Joker hurts and kicks Harley out she goes straight to you."
"That doesn't mean anything." The laugh lines around Linda's eyes softened.
"It means something Harley Quinn. She wouldn't keep going to you if she didn't see something in you." Ivy didn't want this reporter analyzing her and Harley's relationship, whatever it may be.
"If you haven't noticed, Harley isn't exactly an expert on things human."
"Harley used to be an excellent psychiatrist. And just because she has developed some sick and twisted dependency on the Joker doesn't mean her ability to see what's inside of people is gone. The girl may be twisted but there is something left inside of her, and enough of it to see the human inside of you."
"You're wrong."
"Am I Pamela?" Ivy was tired of playing games and urged her beauties to attack Linda, but none of them moved. Not one vine, not one flower even attempted to attack Linda. And the girl noticed. "Is something wrong Ivy?" Poison Ivy looked up at Linda's smiling face; this was the first time she called her Ivy directly since coming to her house.
"What did you do to my plants?"
"I didn't touch your plants Poison Ivy, at least not in the way you think." Ivy thought back to what could have happened that the plants wouldn't even move on her commands.
"What did you do to me?" Linda's smile disappeared and she stood up from her spot.
"I think you know."
*Flashback*
Ivy woke up with a startle. Her body was ready to react to whatever situation she was in. When Ivy sat up she realized two things: she was on a couch, and the couch was in her house.
"And so she blooms." Poison Ivy looked behind her at the person who had spoken up. It was the young reporter. Ivy shot up from the couch and went to attack the young woman, but Linda stopped her by pushing her back down. Ivy blinked a few times after the reporter pushed her down; she didn't even see the girl move. "Relax Isley, your safe."
"How-how did you find out where I lived?" Linda smiled and sat down on the coffee table that was in front of the couch.
"A reporter never reveals her sources."
"Harley Quinn told you, didn't she?" Linda's smile broadened.
"No, I'm just a better reporter than people think. So, do you want to give me the tour or do I have to do it myself?"
"Bite me." Linda raised an eyebrow at Ivy's choice of words then made a face.
"As enticing as that sounds, I'd rather not." Linda stood up and put a hand out for Ivy to grab. "Come on, let's get you up and moving." Ivy ignored the hand until she almost fell back down on the couch after standing up. Her adrenaline had passed and now Ivy was left drained. "Okay, looks like I hit you harder than I thought." Ivy stepped back out of Linda's embrace and gave her a look.
"You hit me?"
"Yes." Ivy walked away from Linda and to the kitchen.
"What kind of reporter hits someone she wants to interview?"
"The same kind that wants to interview a super-villain."
"Touché." Ivy poured herself a glass of water and emptied immediately. After downing three glasses, Ivy realized something and turned around to look at Linda. The brunette was sitting down at the table and pulling out a notebook and pen. "Quick question." Linda's head popped up at Ivy's remark. "The air in here is extremely toxic, I made sure of it. How are you not dead yet?" Linda's smile disappeared.
*End Flashback*
"Again Miss Danvers, what the heck did you do to me?"
"And I keep telling you, you know." Ivy rubbed her face and took a breath.
"This is getting nowhere." Ivy flopped back in her vine hammock and stared at the ceiling. There was the possibility that Linda had done something to her while she was unconscious, but Ivy doubted that. But as Ivy lay in her vine hammock and Linda wrote in her notebook, something started changing in Ivy. It was small and not even Ivy knew what was going on, but that didn't mean it would keep it from happening.
*Flashback*
Ivy tapped her foot waiting for Linda's explanation as to why the air wasn't killing her.
"Are you going to answer me or not?" Linda stared at Ivy for a few seconds but then blinked it away and smiled.
"I'll answer yours if you answer mine." Poison Ivy sighed and leaned back against the kitchen counter. The girl already knew where Ivy's hideout was. It would pointless to let her leave without something in return.
"If I do this, do you promise not to tell the cops where I am?" Linda held up three fingers then crossed them over her heart.
"Cross my heart and hope to die." Ivy rolled her eyes at Linda's childishness. If reminded Ivy of Harley a little bit.
"Okay, but I think to get the full package we need to do this in my garden."
"You're letting me into your greenhouse?"
"Might as well," said Ivy with a shrug. Linda pushed back her chair and got up to follow Ivy to the greenhouse. This wasn't something Linda had expected, but that was okay; she could handle Poison Ivy.
*End Flashback*
Poison Ivy had been lying in the hammock and staring at the ceiling for over five minutes. Every so often Ivy would look at the young reporter scribbling in her notebook. She wondered what the girl was writing but didn't want to ask her. Ivy closed her eyes and was about to nod off when she felt a warm body nearby. When she opened her eyes, Ivy noted that Linda was standing next to her hammock and holding the notebook in front of her.
"Here, take a look through it." Ivy took the notebook. It was filled with very detailed sketches of plants and notes on them. The drawings reminded Poison Ivy of the sketches she saw in art books or textbooks she studied in college. Most of the notes described the plants, or were remarks on something Ivy had said. There were over thirty pages filled like that. When Ivy reached the last page her heart stopped. There was an extremely detailed sketch of Ivy lying on the hammock. Under it was one sentence.
An extravagant, red rose with viciously, sharp thorns; best for looking, not for touching.
"That's how I'm going to describe you. That's how everyone will describe you." Ivy looked up at the young woman. Linda's words struck a chord with Ivy. "If you don't want to be described like a flower in a textbook, I need you to talk to me. Tell me who you are Pamela Isley, thorns and all." Ivy looked back at the notebook then sighed. To her own astonishment, Ivy scooted over on her hammock then patted the spot next to her. Linda was hesitant at first but then lied down next to Ivy.
"So, what do you want to know?" The brunette reporter smiled at the older, red-headed villain.
Ivy has always seen herself like she sees her plants. Beautiful and exotic, beings that not even the most imaginative person could picture. But as Ivy answered all of Linda's questions, she felt something inside of her change. Something chemical was happening inside of her that caused her to blush at Linda's blatant questions and smile at the simple ones. The answer to Ivy's transformation in that moment was simple.
Poison Ivy was changing into a new species, or perhaps she was changing back into one. To what Ivy didn't know and probably never would. But as Ivy lay in her hammock with Linda, and even after the young woman left with her interview; there was this silent hope inside of Ivy that Linda Lee-Danvers would be a willing gardener to this new species.
Maybe