The loud explosion from the next room was the signal for Harley and Ivy to start running. The two women sprinted around old musty displays of stuffed animals, suits of armour, and pillars of stone taken from ancient buildings and placed on display in the Gotham City Museum. Harley skipped and laughed hysterically in triumph as they reached the getaway car, the hired thug practically took off before both women tumbled into the car.
'Look at that rock, Ivy! Look at this big shiny gem! Mistah J's gonna be so proud of me!' Harley's voice bubbled with unsuppressed joy and excitement. Her startling blue eyes gleamed with pride and reflected the glimmer from the large gemstone she held aloft for Ivy to examine in detail.
'It's beautiful, Harl,' Pamela agreed. She smiled slightly at how adorable and beautiful her little harlequin looked when she was excited. Then she shook her head. Harley was not her anything. She was Joker's.
As they drew up to the old warehouse – Joker's latest hideout – Ivy felt a weight settle in her stomach. She knew that the situation to follow was inevitable, but it still broke her heart to watch. She stood back in the shadows as Harley bounded towards Joker, giggling and waving the gem above her head.
'I brought you a present, Puddin'!' she squealed, proudly presenting her hard-won prize to him. Ivy glared as he looked first scornfully down onto the precious stone and then turned his disapproving gaze onto his devoted Harley.
'So that's what you've been doing all day, huh?' Joker stated more than asked, his tone dangerously soft. The pride and joy in Harley's eyes wavered slightly under his withering gaze.
'Yes, Puddin', Ivy and me, we thought – I thought – this heist would make you happy. Cheer you up 'cause you haven't killed Bat-brain yet,' Harley murmured, her eyes dropping to the floor with evident disappointment that Joker was not thrilled with her work.
'You're useless, Harley. Utterly useless. I needed you here today so we could plan our next move against the Batman. You did not have permission to go gallivanting off, causing a riot in Gotham, alerting Batman to our area of operation, with that,' Joker spat the last word with distaste in Ivy's direction and her anger flared dangerously. Still, she held her tongue, knowing that it was suicide to cross Joker. Ivy just turned and left, muttering she'd wait by the car. She couldn't watch what she knew was going to happen next.
Twenty-five minutes later, just as Pamela's patience was running out, and the anxious butterflies in her stomach were reaching the point where she couldn't bear the sensation any longer, Harley emerged from the warehouse in a sorry state. Her playful jester's hat was battered and a black eye was evident even under the mask she wore, one sky-blue eye already swollen half-shut. Her costume was ripped in several places and thin lines of blood trickled out of many cuts and bruises.
Pamela had to suppress a gasp of horror, and the urge to scoop Harley into her arms and comfort her was overwhelming, but she fought it down. She had composed herself by the time Harley got into the car beside her, and pulled off her mask in the most dejected manner.
'Mistah J's not happy with poor Harley, Pam,' she sniffed, resting her bruised head on the glass pane of the window. 'Can I stay with you for a few days until this blows over? My Puddin' will call when he needs me for somethin', right?' Harley asked.
Ivy sighed and reached across to take Harley's hand, and squeezed it gently. 'You can stay with me forever, you know, Harl,' she murmured softly. However Harley just nodded her thanks and stared out into the drizzling evening with glazed eyes.
Ivy sighed deeply once more, and then tapped the partitioned panel to signal to the driver to take them back to her apartment.
Ivy opened her front door and led Harley inside. Her home was on the top floor and had access to a large greenhouse on the roof of the building, where she kept many of her plant species.
'Go and undress, Harl, get out of that costume. It's ruined anyhow. I'll stitch it up for you later,' Ivy said. Harley simply nodded, and left the room. Pamela was reminded of a puppy that had been beaten by a cruel master, which was skulking away with its tail between its legs. Harley needed time to lick her wounds, she knew. As Harley changed into some old comfy clothes she borrowed from the wardrobe, Pamela distracted herself from her worries over Harley as she went to tend to her plants in the greenhouse above. She spoke softly to them, stroking them lovingly and soothingly with her long slender fingers.
'I wish Mistah J would touch me the way you touch your plants, Pammy,' came Harley's voice from directly behind Ivy's shoulder, 'It's so… deep and caring.' Ivy started and turned around quickly. She was surprised to find that her cheeks were burning with a furious blush – Harley had caught her off guard in an intimate moment with her beloved babies.
The urge to make Harley hers at last overcame her, and before she knew it Pamela whispered, 'I could touch you like that, if you'd like.' Her face almost matched the colour of her vibrant red curls as she caught herself too late. Harley giggled and blushed too, and the moment hung awkwardly between them, ready to go either way in a heartbeat if either young woman said or did the wrong thing. Pamela knew her next move was crucial, and so, traced one long elegant finger up a thin red cut visible on Harley's paper-white skin.
'I'll never hurt you, Harl,' she murmured gently into the blonde girl's ear, her heart pounding loudly in her chest as she brought her lips against the soft, warm skin of her neck.
Ivy felt Harley stiffen at the touch of her lips, and was sure her own heart stopped in terror. She had made a mistake, acted too quickly and ruined everything. Then, her heart leapt into overdrive as she felt a small shudder run through her little acrobat, and a tiny whimper escaped Harley's full pink lips as Pamela caressed her neck and jaw with gentle kisses.
Harley's hands found Pamela's waist and pulled her closer, bringing their faces together in a gentle, nervy first kiss. Pamela was instantly intoxicated by the feel and taste of Harley's soft mouth, letting a small groan slip into the kiss.
Harley broke the kiss for a second, keeping their faces close together and giggled, 'Your lips taste of honey, Pammy.'
Ivy gave her a crooked smile, and pressed their lips together again, still tentatively exploring the sensation. All the while one hand was stroking up and down Harley's lower back and thighs in the same motion Ivy used to caress her beloved plants. She would make Harley bloom and flourish under her touch. Another whimper of longing from Harley was enough to break what little self-control Pamela had remaining. She gently led Harley, without words, to a soft, specially designed bed that she had made for herself out of leaves so she could be with her plants, all night if she had to, if they got sick. The plants were her family, her babies, after all.
She and Harley slowly, nervously undressed one another, greeting each new section of exposed skin with moans of desire, burning kisses and gentle nibbling. Once they were both entirely naked and slightly red in the face, Ivy rolled on top of Harley and began to give her deeper more intimate kisses, slipping moans into their embrace. She slid a hand down Harley's smooth stomach and smiled wickedly to herself as she felt the other girl's breathing judder in anticipation.
'You want to be touched by my skilful fingers, do you, Harl?' Ivy, whispered seductively into the blonde's ear. Harley nodded, squirming in desire and raised her hips impatiently as if to remind Ivy her hand was there for a purpose she was neglecting.
'Oh, but I want to hear you moan and beg first, my little rose,' Ivy continued, beginning to taunt her lover by dragging her long slender fingers up and down the inside of her thighs, getting closer and closer to where Harley desired her touch but never close enough to satisfy her.
Pamela had to use all of her self-control not to cave immediately to Harley's desires as the most arousing moans and pleading words broke the near-silence of the greenhouse. Ivy moaned encouragement and sweet nothings into Harley's ear, her fingers slipping inside of her beautiful harlequin.
Harley groaned her thanks as the rhythmic curling and straightening motion of Pamela's skilled fingers sent waves of satisfaction and pleasure through her damaged body. The pain and humiliation of the afternoon was cleansed and washed away under Pamela's gentle kisses and soft words. For the first time in a long time, Harley felt loved.
'Pam!' she cried, burying her face in the crook of Ivy's neck as the pleasure built to breaking point inside of her. 'Oh, Pammy, please…'
Pamela held her lithe, athletic frame close as she felt Harley's orgasm nearing. She moved her fingers faster and harder creating just the right amount of pressure to send Harley over the edge, whimpering and wriggling, moaning Pamela's name into the sweet floral-scented quiet of the greenhouse.
They kissed lovingly and sweetly without pausing for air for several minutes, both women trying to convey her feelings for the other without words. Ivy held Harley close to her chest once they stopped to catch their breath. Harley yawned and buried her face into the thick curls of Ivy's hair. The two lovers said nothing – they didn't have to. She smiled sweetly down on her little harlequin. 'Yes,' she thought, with a certainty as Harley rolled over in her arms and fell into a peaceful sleep, 'She's my Harley at last.'