Chapter Four – A Motivation Worth Working For

Selena looked around the greenhouse if one could call it that, sometimes Ivy tended to favor on the side of making sure that the plants had more powers than those who usually tended to them. As long as Ivy was working on her own plans rather than on destroying any person or place then Selena would look the other side. Ivy, after all, did provide plants for her and the kittens, catnip of the highest quality so to speak. "I heard that you've been doing work for the Wayne foundation?" she asked and Ivy shrugged.

"I've been growing some of my babies for them to study, yes, but Bruce Wayne made a deal to discuss with me before cutting or killing any of the plants that I grow," she said and Selena nodded. Ivy hadn't realized it yet but Bruce Wayne was willing to work with the former villains as long as they chose to start their lives afresh and rehabilitate themselves. Selena knew why though, she knew a long list of his secrets.

"Your babies, darlings…whatever you wish to call them," Selena said as she studied an exotic variant of a Venus fly trap. She saw how it hungrily devoured a passing fly. She nodded before looking at Ivy with a determined grin on her face.

"So, you are going to stay on the side of the plants, I presume?" she asked and Ivy nodded.

"I am always with the young ones," she said as she turned her attention towards some saplings. She had one draw that was not of a plant base and was more human in nature but Harley understood her desire to protect her garden flowers and Harley had her own vices. One of which Ivy wanted very much to see eliminated but knew that she had no power over him.

Selena sighed and put a hand to her forehead, "I have heard that he has returned," she said and Ivy tilted her head before laughing. She knew that the Joker could never be held down for good as much as she would have loved that to happen. No, Joker would always be flexing his muscles and seeing who he could recruit and he was someone who destroyed Ivy's fantasies of being in a bed with Harley covered by her flowers as the roses offered her their dying petals to make the most romantic covering possible.

She cherished Harley's body and she wanted to create a home for her to come back to. Her so-called, 'Mr. Jay' was someone who could block that future dream for her but he was someone immune to her toxin. She closed her eyes and took soft breaths in and out. "I know what you're thinking. I wish for Harley to come to her senses but I'm not going to allow her to manipulate me and use me. I have a bigger goal that I want to see flourish, something that I am hoping blossoms into life."

"I've heard talk that Bruce Wayne wants to see you," she said and Ivy hesitated. Those rich assholes always did try to sweet talk her and then steal the green treasures. Maybe Mr. Wayne could be persuaded in other ways.

…

…

Ivy was interested in the reason why Bruce Wayne wanted to talk to her, she didn't want to say that she would do anything that she didn't want to or would have a harmful effect but maybe Bruce Wayne was attracted to her and that was why he was so interested and motivated to get her released from Arkham. She had done her time and her motivations were more than destroying and manipulating others but in studying new plants and in making medicines and other items that would increase the plant's life rather than ruthlessly chopping them down. Of course, love had something to do with it.

She walked over to where he sat at the bar and pulled out a seat. "Thank you for waiting for me," she said and Bruce nodded. Ivy eyed him. She hadn't expected for him to ever want to ask her out for a date without being under the entrapment of her…aromatic talents.

"I was worried when you picked this place," Bruce commented with a stern expression on his face. "However, you must have had your reasons."

"Not the kind of man to go around in dark places? Above or below the cloth?" she asked and Bruce coughed. He hadn't expected for her to say that but he wasn't worried that she knew his identity and this wasn't business that the Batman had, it was business that Bruce Wayne had.

"I'm afraid that I'm not such a playboy as you might think. There's some land that I'm interested in…"

"Developing?" Ivy asked as she saw the pictures of a vast wooded area, she could see different plants already and she'd have to change her tactics were his plans going to involve the destruction of these beauties.

"Quite the opposite actually. I'd like to save these trees, I was quite interested in seeing if you had any way of preserving these trees and maybe even of making the area a little healthier. I'm sure that the botanical world can offer more than placing more factories down and I think that you'd be the best person to help me," he said and Ivy blinked in surprise.

"I don't want to consider us allies, Mister Wayne, but I would be honored to work on this project," she said and Bruce looked to her.

"If completed, please let me know if there would be anything I can assist you with," he told her and Ivy nodded.

"Like a request?" she asked and Bruce frowned.

"Within reason, yes, within reason there could be a request or two filled," he asked and then Ivy leaned forwards. She could have asked for a lot of thing but there was one thing that really motivated her and she wondered if she would have the guts to ask for it.

"The psychiatrist, Harleen Quinsel," she said and Bruce managed to hide the way that this had grabbed his attention. "I'd like you to offer her an early release."

"Releasing her from Arkham is a matter for the hospital staff to decide. Doctor Quinsel has committed her crimes and she does need to pay for them, that's what I've heard after all," he said before seeing Ivy staring at him. "I'll have words upon the completion of this project but as for her love interest."

"But Mr. Wayne," Ivy said as she stood up and put her hand on the table, she leaned towards him. "I have all intention of being her love interest. I want that happy ever after ending of riding off into the sunset. In fact, you denying me this request might be the thing that sends me back into a sense of loss and…"

"We'll see what we can do about her," Bruce said as Ivy smiled. Finally she was working on a project that she believed in with a goal and promise that she wanted to believe in even more.

End of Chapter Four

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