I'd gotten back in the Quinnmobile to just drive around for a while. I didn't know what to do with myself. It was only half an hour before I heard the alarms of Gotham Botanical Gardens' Rare Plants wing. And then I saw her. She was carrying two potted plants and running across the gardens, through a crowd of people. Guards followed, hollering, but she only spurred herself faster. I pulled the car over near the entrance to the Botanical Gardens and leaned over, clicking the door opener so the door would swing up. As soon as she burst through the entrance, I yelled out the car, "Hey, lady! Need a ride?"

She didn't have time to think. She just ran over and jumped into the Quinnmobile, grabbing the door and pulling it down quickly. "Drive!"

She didn't need to ask twice. I slammed my foot on the gas and we peeled away from the curb, leaving the guards running up into our dust.

"I'm Harley."

"Ivy," she replied, cradling the potted roses like babies. "Thank you for saving us."

"Us?" I glanced at the plants, "You know those are just flowers, right?"

"They're not just flowers," she frowned.

I glanced her over as I sped around the streets - I couldn't use the underground roads without my cellphone. Long red hair, deep emerald eyes, smooth creamy skin except for her lips, which are dark green. I thought it was makeup at first, but no, I came to find out her lip color changed when she had transformed, "I know you. Pam Isely, right?"

"How the hell do you know -"

"Sorry. Poison Ivy. It's Poison Ivy, right?"

"Yes … just who are you, Harley?"

"Harley Quinn, Queen of Gotham, at your service. I knew of you in another life. In fact, I was almost your therapist."

"My therapist?"

"I worked in Arkham. But I was known as Harleen Quinzel back then."

"Harleen Quinzel … Harley Quinn … Queen of Gotham?"

"You got it, Red."

"Right. Listen, can you just drive me home?"

"Just tell me where we're goin'."

She guided me to the small toxic waste dump at the back of Gotham Garbage and Waste Removal, on which they had begun a housing development that was now shut down. For being a toxic waste dump, the greenery was impressive. One house specifically looked particularly jungle-like. There were green plants covering the entire home. After I parked and we climbed out of the Quinnmobile I grabbed my bags and followed her inside.

"Is it safe to be here?"

"It is for me," she answered calmly.

"Well, that's comforting."

She laughed, "Isn't it just? Let me take care of these two and I'll get right back to you."

I put down my bags and she walked off into another room to do whatever it was she was doing. I looked around a bit, taking in all the ferns and flowers and little trees. Finally, I wandered after her, wondering what she was doing.

"Here we are, my babies. Look at what they had you in. These pots were far too small, weren't they? Poor things were choking in there."

I watched her as she tutted and transferred the plants to bigger pots, pouring in more dirt and moving it about just so. When she turned, she said, "The Juliet Rose. Rarest roses on the planet. And look what they were doing to them. These poor things will be much happier here."

"Won't the toxic waste hurt them?"

She smiled, pleased that I seemed interested in the welfare of her plants, "I know how to take care of my babies."

Then she led me through her home, naming off the different plants as we passed. She'd given each of them human names and I didn't retain any of them.

"So, how'd you become Ivy?" I asked for her origin story.

"I was a botanist in Seattle. My boss, Marc LeGrande, seduced me. He convinced me to help him steal a rare Egyptian artifact that was just coming in to be loaned to the local history museum. We got it from the port before it was delivered. Inside there were ancient herbs, a scientific discovery that would change the course of history. But Marc didn't want to share the herbs, he wanted to use them for himself. He told me he wanted to keep it quiet until he'd managed to grow a live sample but he somehow got it in his head that I would turn on him. So, he developed a plant-based poison and began injecting me on a daily basis. He'd said it was experiments to grow the herbs; but he was trying to kill me. I was so lost in my love for him that I believed him. Until he just snapped one day. He locked me in an airtight room and began pumping in toxins. Thing is, his experiments protected me. The poison he developed had an unforeseen side effect and I now have an immunity to all poisons and toxins. Once I got out of the room, I killed him and then fled here, to Gotham."

"And you can control plants." I'd seen in her file that part of her abilities was controlling plant life, influencing men with her pheromones to get them to do what she wanted, and killer kisses.

"Along with a few other things."

"That's why you live here?"

"Who's going to come out to a toxic waste dump? No one will find me here. No one would survive here."

"Not even Batman?"

She scowled, "That creature has stopped one too many of my plans."

"At least Robin is dead."

"What? Robin is dead?"

I nodded, "Me and Mistah J killed him last night."

"Mr. J?"

"Yeah, you know … the Joker?"

"You know the Joker?"

"He's my boyfriend … was my boyfriend. I think I just dumped him?"

"You dumped the Joker?!" dark emerald green eyes were wide, shocked. "I can't believe anyone would date him, to begin with."

"He's not that bad!" I defended.

"If he's not that bad, why did you leave him?"

"It's … complicated."

"Right. Complicated."

"It's not his fault! He didn't mean for it to happen."

"For what to happen?"

"I can't … I … it's not important."

She hmphed and rolled her eyes, "So unimportant you walked out on him. … How'd you wind up with him in the first place?"

I told her – filled her in on everything that had happened between us. From first meeting him up until last night. I definitely didn't tell her about this morning, though. Or about the time he killed me; I had a feeling that would be triggering for her with what she had gone through with her ex.

"So, you went from murdering Robin together last night to leaving him this morning?"

"I don't even know if I have! Technically … I mean, I never told him we were breaking up."

"Well, what does he think about how you left?"

"Uhh … well … he wasn't exactly conscious for it?"

She shook her head, laughing a little, "You knocked him out and left … Yeah, I'd say you're broken up, Harley."

"You don't know that," I crossed my arms stubbornly. "He'll want me back. You'll see."

"What if he doesn't?"

It was like she had slapped me. Daddy not want me? the little girl inside me wept. Tears stung my eyes, "He will. We're destined."

Ivy rolled her eyes, "Never trust a man, Harley. They'll just fuck you over in the end."

"Not my Puddin'. He loves me."

"If he hasn't fucked you over already, why did you leave the first time? Why did you leave now?"

I scowled at her, one tear spilling over onto my cheek, "I told you, it's complicated."

"Why don't you just tell me what happened?"

I refused. She already didn't seem to like him; I didn't need to give her more reasons. Instead, I pointed out the potted flower on the windowsill in the kitchen, "Who's that one again?"

"Don't try to change the subject."

"I just needed some space, ok?"

She sighed and shook her head again. "Look. I wouldn't do this for just anyone. But you can stay here as long as you need."

"You'll let me stay?" I brightened.

"There's something about you, Harl."

I grinned wide, "Thanks, Red!"

"First things first," she said and then walked off into another room. I trailed after her, unsure of what else to do in a house completely filled with live plants. There was a mini science lab in a spare bedroom and she sat down before the table to work. I pestered her with questions about what she was doing, but it was all so technical I don't remember any of it. All I remember is her telling me that if I didn't get a vaccination within a certain amount of time, I'd croak. It was really neat watching ivies and other plants respond to her will, carrying over beakers and vials of chemicals. Weird. But neat.

By the time she was done I'd been there less than half an hour. "Ok, Harl. One injection and you'll be all set."

I frowned, feeling mildly upset, "Does it have to be a shot?"

"Only if you want to not die. Staying in a toxic waste dump will kill you otherwise."

I didn't want a shot. Not after what I'd discovered this morning. At least she's not telling me it's "vitamins." In the end, I allowed her to inject me with the vaccine she'd made. And now I'm like her, immune to all poisons and toxins.

"Are you sure it worked?" I asked, slightly worried that I'd still wind up irradiated or something.

"Well, there's one way to know for sure." She moved close to me and bent to kiss me before I realized what she was doing.

My eyes were wide with shock when she stepped back. I certainly hadn't expected that. "You … I …"

"I told you there's something about you, Harl..." she smiled softly.

"You can't just go kissing people when your lips are toxic!"

"Harley."

"What?!"

"You're not dead."

"That's not the point." Damn, I'm saying that a lot today... Is everyone I meet just going to play with my life?

"You wouldn't have died. I have an antidote."

"Oh."

"I'm sorry if I scared you."

I don't know why but I kissed her again, this time without the worry. Her lips are so soft. She smelled like jasmine and gardenia, a beautiful little garden on her skin. NO. NO, I WANT DADDY. Kill her. Smash in her face. Death. The chattering in my head was all negative, which only made me more determined to like her. No one controls me, not even the voices. She's nice, and soft, and a badass. And just because she's not Puddin' doesn't mean I can't like her.

She broke the kiss, "I guess I didn't scare you that bad."

Much to my dismay, my heart broke; and I hated myself for it. "I don't … I'm not … Red, I'm sorry. I'm not ready for something else. … With anyone."

"I didn't think you would be. But I haven't kissed anyone in a very long time. That was nice."

I smiled, but she could see the heartache. She wrapped one arm around my shoulders, "You really love him, don't you?"

I nodded, beginning to sniffle, "I really, really do."

"C'mon, Harl. Let's watch some TV and eat junk food."

"Thanks, Red. I don't know where I'd be without you."