It was cold as she sipped hot coffee out of a paper cup, walking towards the street corner several blocks from the apartment she shared with Selina and Pamela, better known to the general public of Gotham as Cat-woman and Poison Ivy. Normally, she would be pegged by the public as the one and only Harley Quinn as she skipped down the street but she had opted out of her usual uniform, as it were.
Her black boots made easy work of the puddles and litter dotting the Gotham street sidewalk. She'd settled on black tight fitting jeans and a red hooded sweatshirt due to the crisp chill in the air. Her iconic pig tails had been married into a high pony tail that bounced this and way that with each skip. She'd left her grease paint at home, and had opted for coal black eyeliner and crimson lipstick. A girls gotta have some style after all.
It was also infinitely easier to catch a cab with a ruby lipped pout and a G.C.U. Sweater than spandex and greasepaint.
As she bounced over a trashcan lid, something green caught her eye. Thinking she might have been lucky to find someones lost dollar, she bent down for a closer look. A little green branch poked up from a pile of spilled potting soil and shards of ceramic.
"Huh," She moved some shards of pottery out of the way and shifted some of the dirt aside to discover a tiny, once-potted bamboo plant. "Where did you come from little guy?"
Looking up at the apartment buildings behind her, she spotted an open window and several other potted plants resting on the sill, a notable space in the midst of them. She put two and two together and knew exactly what had happened.
"Oh! You poor little guy! Did those other meanie shrubs push you out the window?" She quickly dumped her coffee into the street, filled the cup with dirt and snuggled the little bamboo shoot and it's roots into the dirt, trying to emulate the care and caution she'd seen Ivy do a thousand times with her "babies." Red always said the roots were delicate and needed to be paid special attention to. "I ain't no green thumb, but Red is and she'll take good care of you, don't worry."
Standing, she gently hugged the poor haggard plant before glancing at the remaining plants several floors above, sitting securely on their sill. "You selfish bastards! I hope you all get a bad case'a caterpillars!" Looking back to her rescued leafy friend, she smiled and imagined how pleased Red would be with her for helping a fellow plant in need.
"Ima call you Bonzai, cuz you dove out a window. I gotta pick up a few things 'round town before we go back home. You can tag along. I got someone you gotta meet."
Once on the corner of 32nd and Poplar, she started her search for a cab.
"Bonz, I know what it's like to need a helping hand." She harrumphed as a cab flew by her without the slightest hint of application to its breaks. "Jackass. Anyhow, one minute you're down in the dirt, busted and bruised up, trying to figure out how ya got there and the next minute you're-Taxi! Hey!"
The cabbie slammed on the breaks just in time to narrowly miss running over Harley, who had leapt out into the street. Harley skipped around the to the passenger side of the car and slid into the back seat.
"Holy cow Lady! I coulda ran you over! Flattened you like a pancake!"
Harley settled into the corner, cradling her new pet plant. "Not a chance Mac. Too slow! Gotta get to Bernards tailoring on 27th! Let's go! Let's go!"
"Ok ok Lady. Meters run'n."
Harley turned back to the baby bamboo. "Anyhow, one minute you're down and the next, you're being picked back up, brushed off, held and fed-"
"You talk'n to me Lady?"
"Do I look like I'm talk'n ta you buddy? Can't you see me and the shrub are have'n a moment?" Harley gestured to the plant held protectively in the crook of her arm.
The cabbie sighed and rolled his eyes, turning back to the road. "I hate this city," he murmured.
"Look Bonzie, all I'm say'n is that we all need help sometimes."
The drive to the tailors was relatively uneventful and Harley leaned into the drivers window as they idled in front of Bertrand's tailoring.
"Look Pal, me and bonzai here are only gonna be a few minutes. Leave the meter running, k?"
"I'll be here Lady. Can't beat a good fare. Gotta put my kid through school, ya know."
Harley turned towards the shopfront as the cabbie turned on his radio. She tugged her sweater into place as she slipped though the door. At the sound of the door chime, an elderly, sedate looking man with a thin mustache looked up from behind the counter.
"Ah, Miss Quinzel. I have your items ready."
"Oh Bert! I told ya a million-gagillion times! Call me Harley." She sashayed up to the counter and plunked down the plant. "This here is Bonzai. I found him this morning, just lay'n on the street, all busted up. Can ya believe someone would do that to such a cutie-pie?"
"Unbelievable. A pleasure to meet you Mister... or is it Miss Bonzai."
"Mister. Obviously."
"Hello Mister Bonzai. If you will excuse me Ma'am-"
"Harley."
"Yes, of course. Miss Harley. I will retrieve your items."
He turned and calmly made his way to the back of his shop, Harley bouncing up to sit on the counter top as she waited.
Now, alone, aside from her new found green comrade, Harley thought to entertain herself while she waited. A few minutes, a pair of scissors, some thread and an unfortunate red cashmere cardigan later, Bonzai was sporting a hastily crafted and quite crooked, make-shift tee-shirt.
"Three red and black jump suits, two green sweaters, one pair green leggins and a night gown."
"Thanks Bert!"
"I prefer 'Bertrand,' please. I suppose I will be informing Misses Simon that her cashmere cardigan was damaged during the cleaning process?"
"Oh yeah. Ha ha! Oops. It was just so soft. And it's cold outside! Bonzai might catch a cold!"
"Hmm."
Harley plunked down a stack of bills down on the counter. She didn't like to pay for her goods, normally, but it was tough to find a good tailor who didn't blab his gab when she showed up with a burn the shape of a bat on the butt of her suite.
"I'm sure she'll understand. It's always a pleasure, Miss Quinzel."
"Harley."
"I'm sure. And good day to your bamboo shoot, Mister Bonzai."
"See Bert, that's why you're so great. You really relate to your clients."
Harley collected, her pieces and plant and bounced out the door.
The cabbie was still waiting when she bustled out of the shop, clothes and plant in hand. She piled in and settled Bonzai in her arm, protectively.
"Where to Lady?"
"Flower shop. 12th and Elm!"
"You got it."
"It was chilly out there huh Bonz? Come'ere." She held the plant close to her face, breathing softly over it. Red told her plants could benefit from the air humans exhaled.
"Red says plants like to be talked to, so maybe this will pick ya up a little. No need to thank me pal. It's what friends do for each other ya know?" She ruffled the shock of leaves sticking out the top of the shoot. "Take care of each other. They tuck you in at night when you have bad dreams'n brush your hair when you're arms busted, and make you cinnamon toast with a maple syrup smiley face." She paused to adjust the tiny tee-shirt that plant was wearing. "An because being taken care of make you feel so good, so safe, you take care of them too. You make sure they remember to eat and that they get enough sleep. You hold 'em when they're sad and remember to water the ficus, even though she didn't tell ya to."
"Hey Lady, we're here."
"Oh!" Harley looked outside at Ned's vegetable and sapling emporium. "Thanks Mac! Keep the engine run'n!"
After ensuring Bonzai's cozy shirt was in place, Harley briefly braved the cold and slipped into the flower shop. A small bell jingled as it was struck by the door opening and closing. The smell of greenery and earth fill Harley's nose.
"Mmm." She said breathing deeply and shifting bonzai from one arm to another. "Smell that? Kinda like Red."
"Hello?," came an elderly voice from behind a display of fertilizer. "Hello, is someone there?"
"Hey Missus B! It's me Harley!"
"Oh Harley!" said a small roundish woman, looking like every mother one had ever seen in a movie ever. Right down to the half moon glasses perched on her button nose. "Welcome back dearie. Out of potting soil already? Or maybe you need another bottle of miracle grow? I've never seen someone go through so much of that stuff. I swear, you and your friend, you know the red head?"
"Yeah, Red," Harley confirmed as the little tottering woman moved into view.
"Yes, Red. You two could keep me in business."
"Yeah, well, Ya know she likes to grow stuff."
"It's so nice to see this generation interested in cultivating a green thumb. Who's your friend there?"
Harley beamed and presented Bonzai to the shorter woman. "This is Bonzai. I found him this morn'n."
"This is a bamboo shoot deary, not a bonsai tree."
"I know, but he jumped out a window. It seemed appropriate."
The woman touched Harley's arm affectionately. "I like the cute shirt. Did you make that yourself Harely?" Harley nodded, still proudly beaming. "Oh you're so creative."
"Thanks Missus B!"
"So what can I do for you today?"
"Well I was think'n some flowers seeds. Maybe some grass seeds? Some kinda bulbs? I kinda messed up and I wanna bring Red some flowers, but she has a thing against store bought ya know? She'd rather grow her own."
Missus B smiled indulgently and patted Harley's cheek. "I know just the thing deary. You just wait here."
As she turned to go deeper into the shop, Harley stopped her.
"Hey, ya got a pen?"
"I have a marker, would that be alright dear?"
"Yeah! Swell!"
Equipped with her marker, Harley perched herself on the plastic sacks of fertilizer and turned to attention to Bonzai.
"Let's give ya some personality." She cradled Bonzai in her lap as she carefully applied the marker to the upper half of the plant.
"Sometimes friends mess up," she muttered, doing her best to be as careful as she could. "But they don't mean to. I mean, a lot of it has to do with good intentions. We needed cash ya know. And why did she grow so much weed if she wasn't gonna sell it? I was just helping. I didn't mean nuth'n." She gave the little bamboo shoot, now displaying a smiley face her own watery smile. "But friends forgive each other their mess ups. Especially when you're real sorry and you won't do it again. Ya just gotta smile through the tough times till the good times come back around. Especially when you'd do anything for 'em. Especially when they mean everything to you and you don't know what you'll do if they are angry with ya forever. Especially for Red."
"Deary? Oh Harley honey are you alright?"
Harley sniffled a little, wiping her eyes as Missus B returned with a basket of plant pieces and seeds.
"Yeah, yeah sure Missus B I'm ok. Musta breathed in this marker. It's got me acting all silly."
Missus B put down the basket and gathered up the blond woman in her arms. "Come her and give us a hug now deary. You've had a tough day?" Harley Nodded. "Did you have a fight with your friend Red?" Harley nodded again."It's alright dear. You just take these back. I picked out some of her favorites. Some she's got before and added some of my own for good measure. She won't stay mad forever honey."
Harley sniffled and nodded, feeling her chest tighten with emotion. She'd slept on the floor the night before, feeling too guilty and uncomfortable to sleep in her usual spot in bed. Red had stayed in her lab in the greenhouse all night, not coming to bed at all. Harley had wanted some affirmation, some sign that she would be forgiven and everything would be better. Normally she would have gone to Selina and had a tub of rocky road ice cream with fruit loops sprinkled on top, cried her eyes out and called it a night, but Selina was at that pretty boy Bruce Waynes for a few days. Harley was a very physically affectionate person and had desperately wanted comfort. Missus B's hug and assurances undid her.
After a few moments Missus B pulled away a little and pointed at Bonzai.
"Oh look at that. How adorable!"
Harley admired the happy looking, tee-shirt wearing plant with pride. "Yeah. He's grow'n on me."
"Would you like a pot to put him in?"
Harley thought about it for a moment then shook her head.
"Nah. He's had a rough day already. I don't want to move him again. Some water might be nice though?"
"Of course dearie, and I have your things all ready."
"Great!"
Harley followed the woman to the counter and hummed to herself as she was given a watering can and instructed how much to give the plant. While Harley cared for the bamboo shoot, Missus B rung up several packets of seeds.
"So what did ya get me?"
"Pink carnations, holly, hyacinth, ivy, red rose, star a Bethlehem, and white tulip seeds."
Harley blinked blankly at the blushing woman who smiled back with a twinkle in her eye. "You just give them to her dear. She'll understand."
Harley nodded, gathered her bag of seeds and Bonzai and, after leaving Missus B with a sizable wad of cash as a thank you and, headed back out to her waiting cab.
Under normal circumstances, she would have robbed the place blind and blow it back to the stone age to hide all evidence, but Missus B was an angel and deserved better.
After piling in, the man turned around in his seat and gave Harley a lop sided, five o-clock shadow grin.
"Welcome back. You were longer than I thought. At the rate today is go'n, you'll put my kid through college!"
"Yeah yeah. I'm pay'n. Why are you complain'n?"
The man shrugged and turned back to the wheel. "Ok. Where do Lady?"
"Back to where ya got me Mac. I'm done for the day."
"You got it."
The ride back to Thirty Second and Poplar was uneventful and upon pulling up, the cabbie turned around a looked Harley up and down.
"That'll be 128.47 Lady."
Harley handed the man a charge card and after puttering around a bit, he handed it back with a pleased smile.
"Thank you so much Misses Kyle. It's been a pleasure being your cabbie today."
"Ain't nuth'n Mac. See ya!"
Harely gathered her parcels and plant, carefully making her way back down the street. She didn't want to drop anything in the dingy, green-tinted, puddles. Even though it was now the middle of the afternoon, the air was still crisp and the sky, gloomy.
As she approached the house, she felt her nerves falter and solidify into a cold ball in her stomach. What if Red was still mad? What if she told Harley to leave? She stood there, for several minutes, dry cleaning slung over one shoulder, a heavy bag full of seeds over the other, and a coffee cup filled with a smiling bamboo plant wearing a red tee-shirt in her hands. Well, what if Red had missed her? What if Red did like the goodies she brought home?
Finding the possibility encouraging, Harley took a deep breath and walked the rest of the way back to the apartment.
Opening the door cautiously, she stuck her head in first, ready to pull it back quick if a flower pot should happen to sail over the back of the couch, aimed at the door.
"Red?"
A still and dark room answered her back.
Seemingly, safe from vines and flying cacti, Harley bustled in and set her things down on the couch.
"Whew! Ok Bonz. Let's find Red. I know you two will get along great!"
Leaving the seeds in a bag on the floor and the clothes carefully draped over the back of the couch, Harley edged through the quiet house. After exploring the bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and cookie jar, Harely guessed Red to be in her greenhouse lab, out back.
She entered the greenhouse quietly, relaxing a little as warmth began to seem into her bones. Red made sure it was always warm enough for her 'babies.' If the flower store in town smelled of greenery and earth, the greenhouse smelled like an entire forest and cave system collided with emeralds and old faithful. The scent was so rich, Harley had to blink a few times to clear her head. Whatever Red was working on, it was a doozy.
"Red?" Harley tried quietly, but her voice seemed to be swallowed up by the lush flora surrounding her.
She ventured through, what could have honestly, been some rainforest in South America, to find Ivy in a white lab coat, form fitting slacks and a green polo, pouring over test result of some form or another. Her fiery hair was mussed and her glasses sat crooked on her dirt smudged nose. She looked up and pinned Harley to the floor with a sharpened glance.
'God damn it she beautiful,' thought Harley, feeling her mouth open in amazement.
She stood there, unmoving while Ivy raked her green gaze over her, head to toe.
"Shut your mouth Harley. You'll catch flies," Ivy said, her voice deadpan as he looked back to her copious notes.
Harley blinked, snapped her mouth shut and shook her head, finally coming back to her sense. "H-hey Red! What'cha work'n on?"
Ivy briefly glanced up at her then back down her to paper pile. "I'm working on altering the properties of the Urtica dioica from a topical into an inhalant."
"Ah. What?"
"Stinging Nettle in your lungs Harl."
"Oh Jeez!"
The corner of Ivy's mouth ticked up in a what could have been the beginning of a smile at Harley's reaction to her creativity, but it was quickly pulled back down into the frown she was sporting, where it belonged.
"I'm still mad at you Harley. I want to get this done and I don't trust you to be here while I do it," Ivy said, aiming to make Harley feel the twist of pain she had felt when she discovered the blond woman had been harvesting her babies and selling them to street thugs behind her back. She immediately regretted it as Harley seemed to pull in on herself, her head lowering and shoulders hunching to take the impact of Ivy's heavy words.
"I-I'm sorry Red, really. I brought you a new one though! Look?" She held out the silly bamboo plant, dressed in it's rag tag shirt and wearing it all to cheerful smile. "I know it won't replace the ones I sold, but I thought-"
"That's nice of you Harley but I'm still very upset. Please leave it and go back inside. I'll be in later. Maybe we can talk then."
Harley's lip quivered as she carefully place Bonzai on Ivy's desk and straightened his shirt before shuffling back through the foliage and into the house.
The moment Harley was out of site, Ivy pulled off her glassed and hid her face in her hand, elbows resting on her desk. What was she doing? She should just send the girl away. Send her back... where? Back to that monster of a man who abused her so? How could she do that? She couldn't. Besides, she had become somewhat invested in Harley.
She ran her hands through her tangled hair in frustration. She didn't need this! She was the right hand of Mother Nature herself! She was a godess among puny men! And here she was, staring at a dressed and animated bamboo plant, trying to figure out how it had gotten that way and why it made her smile.
With a sigh she pulled the... what... coffee cup? Yes, that's what it appeared to be. Pulled the coffee cup closer and gently ran her fingers over the tiny tree.
"Hello my friend. What the hell happened to you?"
And because she was a godess among men and plants bent to her very whim, Bonzai told her, in not so many words, about falling, and being rescued, and provided for. He told her all he learned about friendship from the 'other one' that day. Then asked if he could be moved to a place that was not so confined and a little more moist.
Ivy moved Bonzai to a bigger pot and gave him his fill of water, all the while, her mind swimming with things the plant had 'told' her.
Harley had been a busy little bee.
She felt like a lousy little shit. She shouldn't have lashed out at Harley.
A part of her always waited for the ones she cared about to turn on her, to hurt her and she knew she was overly sensitive to it. Viewing Harley's small offense as a complete and utter betrayal, and doing what she new would bring about such pain and discomfort on Harley as she felt had been done to her. She knew, like one of her plants, Harley thrived on affection, both physical and mental. By withhold that affection, she had the power to retaliate. An eye for an eye.
Now that she had calmed, and she saw things from another perspective, albeit a bamboo's perspective, she felt horrible.
Quickly she shed her lab coat and tossed her glasses on the desk, pausing to stroke Bonzai's leaves into growth, before hurrying into the house to find Harley and make amends.
Immediately upon entering the house, she almost tripped on the bag sitting expectantly on the floor. Quickly peeking inside, she saw several packets of seeds. Her curiosity peeked, she investigated further and read off the names on the packets one by one, feeling more and more like a heel. Obviously Missus Benson had helped Harley pick these our but the message behind them was clear enough for her.
Venturing further into the house she found Harley sitting at the kitchen table, poking a few floating sugar rings of cereal around in a bowl of milk. She looked sullen and broken but quickly came to attention and stood, wringing her hands when Ivy paused at the doorjamb.
"R-red! Uh, done already?"
Ivy sighed deeply and took a few steps forward, opening her arms in invitation. "Oh Red!" They were instantly filled with the blubbering blond as she muttered and hiccuped her way through another string of apologies.
"Hush Baby, shhh shhh. It's alright. I'm sorry too. I was being an ass," Ivy murmured into Harley's ear, hair as fine as corn silk tickling her nose.
"I didn't mean it Red!'
"I know Honey, neither did I."
"I want ya to trust me Red. It mean s-so much to me ya know?"
"I know Daffodil. I'm sorry I said that. I'm sorry I left you alone last night too. I was feeling hurt."
"Aw Red!" If possible, the tears redoubled themselves and cascaded down Harley's face to darken Ivys shirt. "I never ever wanna hurt ya ever. You're everything to me Red. Really!"
"Shh. I know, Pumpkin." The tears had slowed to a sniffle but Harley still held on with the tenacity of a koala to a tree. Ivy smiled slightly. "Bonzai told me about your day."
"He did? I shoulda named him Benadict!" Harley said blushing, a frown furrowing her brow.
Ivy laughed softly and pulled back, smoothing her thumbs over Harley's frowny features. "He's a Phyllostachys edulis. Not a traitor Harl."
"He's a stool pigeon."
"He told me all the things you said about friendship, and forgiving?"
Harley's eye had begun to droop with pleasure at Ivy's touch. She'd needed this so badly. It was like a first rain after a drought. "Especially for you Red. I'd do anything for ya."
This time the corner of Ivy's lip ticked up and stayed in a sultry smile. "Oh, would you now?"
"Yeah," Harley said dreamily.
Ivy hesitated and her smile flickered. "Would you forgive me for being as ass?"
Harley was taken aback. That was not what she had been expecting. "Wha-yeah. Yeah Red a'course!"
"Because sometimes friends mess up. But they don't mean to."
"Oh my God Bonzai seriously spilled all the beans! That's it! No new sweater for him for Christmas!"
Ivy laughed quietly as the tension melted out of the both of them and she lead them to the couch.
"Don't be so hard on him. He's adorable. Like you."
"Aw," Harley said blushing as Ivy reclined on the sofa, waiting patiently as Harley arranged herself on top of her like moss covers a stone. The weak overcast light filtered in through the windows, adding to the cozy atmosphere.
"I do have one question."
Harley lifted her head up off Ivy's shoulder, waiting.
"You actually paid for all the things you got today?"
Harley giggled and nuzzled Ivy's neck. "Well, kinda. Yeah."
"Harley dear, I think you may be in danger of going straight!"
The gymnast shook her head, eyes already her prize as she leaned over and softy let her lips brush over Ivy's. "Helluva thing to suggest, Red," She murmured, her tongue darting out taste the lips below hers. "See'n as there ain't much straight about what I'm think'n right now."
"Oh my little Honey suckle-"
"Yeah I will," Harley snickered lecherously.
"My randy rutabaga."
"Rawr!"
"My cute-cumber"
Harley lost it and dissolved into a fit of giggles against Ivy's chest.
Ivy grinned in satisfaction at the turn of events, and held her Harley close.