Heeeeeerrrrrre's Pammy!
My take on how Harley meet her future B.F.F., played by the elegant and lovely Christina Hendricks. I have thought she would make a perfect Ivy since the moment I first saw her. Historically, Mother Earth has been represented by ancient sculptures and paintings of women with large curvaceous forms, and this is the deity which Ivy models herself after. Not the tiny green stick that played her part in the old movie from the 90's.
I'm not hatin' on Uma, though! She was awesome! This is just how I would cast it :)
Monday came quickly and Harleen had finally been able to get some much needed rest on Sunday; napping most of the day after stocking her refrigerator and cabinets with sustenance. She awoke from her cat naps a couple of times thinking she heard something in the apartment, but drifted easily back into dreams. She even skipped waking up at her usual 3:00 am and felt at ease when her alarm finally sounded at 5:00 am. After a good stretch she stepped into the shower and winced as the hot water cascaded down her back; the claw marks were still fresh. As she submerged her head under the soothing heat, she let her mind drift back to Friday night. The Joker had bore his fingers deep into her back while she straddled him on the couch and dragged his short nails down her flesh from her shoulder blades to her waist as they reached the peak of ecstasy together. After her shower, she toweled off and wiped the steam from the mirror. She squinted at her reflection, just now noticing the yellow and purple bruise that encircled her left shoulder. She traced it slowly with her fingertips and recalled the sensation of his sharp teeth clenching tight to her. She stared at herself in the mirror; to look at her, one would think she had had the hell beat out of her. The place under her cheek was now turning the shade of an old banana to match the teeth marks. She turned around in the mirror and looked over her shoulder at the claw marks that ran down her back which would probably scar.
Harleen still didn't know what to do about The Joker. She couldn't bring herself to insist that he return to a place that only sought to destroy him from the inside out while they used her as the ignorant patsy. She refused to be an accomplice. If she was going to treat him, she would do so in order to help him, not condemn him. On the other hand, she knew that their highly unprofessional intimacy had to cease, but she obviously couldn't bring herself to do that either. What was far worse was the unsettling notion that she was actually beginning to crave him, though she wouldn't dare admit it to herself. It was by far the most complicated situation she had ever been in. She walked to her closet, tussling her wet hair with the towel and humming, feeling so at peace. She picked out her attire for the day and lathered her skin with lotion before brushing the tangles from her hair. The rose that had been left on the bed for her rested on the dresser in her room. It reminded her of two people; one being the obvious, the other being her new patient evaluation for the day:
Pamela Isley, AKA Poison Ivy, was a notorious eco-terrorist and master biochemist who had once been Head of the Botany Department at Gotham University. Harleen could remember hearing about her when she was an undergraduate student there. She was said to be a crazed extremist who fought for her cause unremittingly, the cause being to save what was left of the organic Earth, and regarded plant life over that of human begins. It was rumored that she became intimately involved with Al Gore after the release of his documentary An Inconvenient Truth, but that was only speculation. She had finally gone too far when a toxic chemical compound, created by her, mysteriously crept into the morning coffee of an entire Board of Trustees which was overseeing the excavation of the former forest preserve to the West of the city. They planned to build an amusement park there, but apparently, Ms. Isley didn't find the news very humorous.
'Could be fun', Harleen smirked to herself.
After dressing, she made a point to eat a decent breakfast for once. She had oatmeal with red berries and a glass of milk while she scanned the morning news channels for any sign of The Joker; all clear. As she climbed into her Prius she wondered if her new patient would approve of her efforts to be 'green'.
'Maybe I should ride my bike.'
Inside the Asylum, members of the GCPD were scrounging for any evidence they could recover from her former patient's cell. Dr. Quinzel secretly hoped they would wind up disappointed. She unlocked the door to her office and paused when she noticed the huge bouquet of red roses that rested upon her desk. She entered the room and quickly shut the door quietly behind her. Smiling brightly at her gift, she approached the desk and examined the card perched in its red petals:
I'm an asshole,
Simon
Her smile faded.
"Yes, you are" she muttered out loud, tossing the card onto the desk.
Slightly disappointed, she gathered the flowers and placed them into an empty vase that she had stored on a filing cabinet in her office. She would put water in it later, but now she had to prepare for Ms. Isley who would be arriving shortly. Fifteen minutes later, and right on schedule, the sultry redhead entered Dr. Quinzel's office with the company of an Arkham guard.
"Hey Harl-uh, Doctor", Simon greeted in a shameful tone.
"Good morning, Mr. Knox", she answered professionally, "Ms. Isley, it's so nice to meet you. I'm Dr. Harleen Quinzel, and I'll be your psychiatrist while you're here at Arkham. Please, have a seat."
Simon stood nervously by the door as the evaluation began and Isley took a seat on the couch across from her new doctor. Her every move was impeccably graceful.
"Now Ms. Isely, I'd like to began with-"
"-Please, call me Ivy."
"I'm afraid I can't do that. Hospital policy strictly prohibits referring to patients by their Alias, unless of course, they have no other known identity."
"Like, The Joker?", Isley asked casually.
"Yes, that would be a specific case."
"Ugh, detestable life form", the redhead spouted in disgust.
Dr. Quinzel could sense that he had obviously done something to warrant a black card from this incarnation of Mother Earth herself, but that would have to be a later discussion. Now, they had to get through all of the red tape of hospital protocol. Isley's eyes suddenly locked onto an object behind her doctor's head and she shrieked, hiding her face. Dr. Quinzel glanced behind her at the roses that where sloppily arranged in their empty vase.
"Is something wrong, Ms. Isley?", she asked in a concerned tone.
"If you insist on butchering children, would you mind repressing the temptation to display them when I am present?", her patient responded in an agitated tone.
"I'm sorry, I thought you liked flowers", the doctor apologized as she quickly removed the roses from their position and placed them on the floor behind her desk.
Isley dropped her hand from her face and leaned forward, eyes narrowed, "How would you like me to send you a bouquet of infants' heads? Would you shove them into a glass jar and sprinkle water on them, hoping to preserve their lifeless form as they rot in your windowsill?"
"I apologize, Ms. Isley. Truly, I never thought of it in that way. I am very sorry if I have insulted you."
Her patient looked surprised. She sat back into the couch and a small grin spread across her rosy lips, "I like you, Dr. Quinzel. Tell me, what would you say is the measure of your carbon footprint, if you had to guess."
The young doctor made a thoughtful expression before answering, "Well, I'm not familiar with an actual score that can be attached to it, but I drive a Prius", she answered in a hopeful tone. "I'm also an avid recycler, and have attempted on multiple occasions to persuade the stakeholders of the hospital to switch to electronic documentation in order to preserve paper. I even designed an entire software program for them so they needn't concern themselves with the financial aspects of the investment, but they didn't bite."
It was all true; Harleen had become quite adept at computer programming toward the end of high school and throughout college. It wasn't something that had to be taught to her, she simply came to understand the process through hours of solitary tinkering. A boy in her freshman biology class had attempted to compensate her for the answers to the upcoming final exams. She knew she could have easily retrieved them and gotten away with it, but she had decided that if she was going to become a doctor, it would be because she had earned it.
Isley looked impressed, "Not exactly a crusader, but it's a start" she smiled. "Alright, Doctor, let's proceed with the mundane questioning. The sooner we get that out of the way, the sooner we can have some 'girl talk'."
An hour later, overall, the entire session had been a success. Pamela Isley had no issues talking about herself with her new doctor, which was a refreshing change to the dancing and balancing act which normally had to be performed around Arkham patients, especially The Joker.
"I'll see you tomorrow at the same time, Ms. Isley. Is there anything I can do to help you become more adjusted?", Dr. Quinzel asked as they exited the door of her office.
Her new patient gave her an admiring grin, "Is this a prison, Doctor, or a five star resort?" They shared a small laugh. "All I require is a few plants to keep me company…uh, bodies intact, please…fresh air, and sunlight."
"Well, I'm sure that can be arranged. Thank you for your cooperation, Ms. Isley. Good day."
Simon gave the doctor a sheepish grin as they turned to walk away. She could tell he was racked with guilt and decided to accept his apology by returning his grin with a small wave. As they headed toward the elevators, Dr. Quinzel cut across the hallway to Dr. Arkham's office.
She knocked and heard, "Yes?" on the other side.
"Dr. Arkham, I'd like to speak with you about my new patient, please."
There was a long pause before he answered, "Make it quick."
She turned the knob and entered without sitting down, "I'd like to request that Pamela Isley receive rec yard privileges, beginning today if possible."
Dr. Arkham was writing furiously on a tablet in front of him, referencing to a large text that was opened next to it.
"She has not met the required time for consideration" he said without looking at her.
"I know, Sir, but she is extremely compliant, and given the root of her psychosis…"
'Haha! Root. Mr. J would have loved that one.'
"…I feel that some time in nature would be beneficial to her recovery."
The Director of Rehabilitation let out a frustrated sigh and set his pen down forcefully, "Dr. Quinzel, I don't think that, given your recent history of patient-related episodes at this facility, you are in a position to be making any recommendations against standard protocol. She will wait the required month like every other patient here. That is all. Please leave."
He returned to his writing and she opened her mouth to speak but realized it would be a waste of breath. Seething, she left his office and closed the door. She stomped back to her office and flopped down in her chair, twisting it angrily back and forth as she dug her nails into the leather arm rests. Releasing a deep sigh, she laid her head back onto the chair and closed her eyes. She wondered where The Joker must be at that moment, what he must be doing. She wouldn't be having a session with him today and the uncertainty of when she would see him again bothered her somewhat. His safety was a concern, and if The Batman found him, his entire progress could be compromised. She reached across her chest with her right arm and pressed her thumb into the bruise on her shoulder. It stabbed at the nerves underneath as she bit her bottom lip and moaned quietly.
"Harleen?" a male voice startled her and she was suddenly embarrassed, "Your shoulder ok?", Simon asked.
She tried to smile casually, "Yep. What's up?"
"I wanted to come and see if…well, if we're ok. Ya know, after the way I acted" he said nervously.
She nodded at him, "Yes, Simon. We're ok. I can understand your frustration, really, and thank you for the flowers, they're lovely."
"Some don't seem to think so."
She laughed, "Yeah, it's probably a good thing she didn't know they were from you."
"I don't know how you do it, Harleen. These wack-o's would drive me completely insane, but you work so well with them. It was amazing watching you with that Plant Lady."
"Ms. Isely."
"Yeah, you're really an amazing woman."
He stepped closer to her and tried to take her hand, but she pulled it away. She knew he was just trying to be romantic, but it was beginning to make her skin crawl. Human attraction was chemical in her mind, and unfortunately for poor Simon, the chemistry just wasn't there for her.
"This isn't acceptable in a professional setting", she insisted quietly.
"Then let me take you out somewhere. Anywhere, you pick, I don't care how expensive. Not as a couple or anything, just as…friends."
She was trying not to be rude, "I don't date my friends, Simon."
"That's because you don't have any" he retorted shortly.
She dropped her jaw at him.
"No, look, I'm sorry I didn't mean that. It's just-"
"-Dr. Quinzel?"
'Oh, thank god.'
"Your next patient is ready", said the new orderly at the door.
'Man, they turn them over quick in this place.'
She realized she didn't exactly know his name, "Ok, thank you, um, I'm sorry…"
"Miller, Ma'am. Jake Miller."
"Thank you, Mr. Miller."
'In more ways than one.'
Simon shot her an annoyed expression before walking out the door.
'Geeze, will that man ever let it rest?'
Harleen turned the radio off and rolled the windows down on the way home from work. It had been a long day, and she was feeling particularly…restless. It also irritated her to no end that Simon was persisting even though she had strictly established a line; a line that he was starting to cross. She pulled into her parking spot and started to grab her stack of files, but paused and stared down at them. She had been working hard over the last few months and deserved a rest. Those files could just wait until tomorrow. She entered her quiet empty apartment and stood for a moment, listening; alone. She dropped her purse on the floor and headed back toward the bedroom where she discovered two shiny black shoes crossed one over the other at the foot of her bed.
['Your Heart is as Black as Night' by Melody Gardot]
"Evening", greeted The Joker with a smirk.
He was propped up against the headboard of the bed, arms crossed in his chest, fully dressed in his suit attire except for his coat which lay on the chair in the corner. His face had been covered in fresh paint and she cringed at the thought of it smudging on her white sheets. She was glad to see that he was safe, but the fact that she was actually happy to see him irritated her to the core. Tonight would be the night that she established some ground rules. Starting with;
"No shoes on the bed!" she scolded and pushed his legs toward the edge near her.
He swung them around and sat on the side of the mattress, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her toward him. She resisted for a moment, but found herself relaxing into his boyish grin as he slowly untucked her blouse and began softly kissing her stomach. She held a sharp intake of breathe and felt the goosebumps spread. His lust seemed insatiable, but as much as she hated herself for it, she could feel the uncontrollable excitement rise beneath her skin.
"Do you just come over at night to get into my pants?" she asked playfully.
"I don't hear you protesting" he remarked between kisses, "I work all day, too, ya know."
"Yeah, about that, where do you go all day when you aren't here?"
"Does it matter?"
He was starting to unbutton her pants. She reached down to stop him but he snatched her wrist, and the irritating arousal shot down her spine.
"And how do you keep getting in here when my apartment is locked?"
He finally stopped kissing her and leaned back, resting on his elbows "A true magician never reveals his secrets, M'dear. So, do you wanna keep chit chatting or can I make you scream my name now?"
She took a step backwards, "Not with all that stuff on your face."
He reached for her, growling.
"No! It's going to stain the sheets!"
He pulled her down on top of him.
"No, no, wait! Go wash your face!"
He rolled over on top of her, kissing her neck and making her giggle.
"Stop! It's not funny!"
She heard him laugh quietly in her ear.
"I'm serious, damnit!"
She continued struggling until he finally kissed her lips, taking her breath away and making her succumb to his every wish. The attraction was agonizingly out of her control and she knew she was in trouble.
The chemistry was definitely there.