Title: Erase/Rewind
Author: Jen Kollic

Disclaimers: All characters are trademarks of DC Comics. I make no money from this. Wah.
Feedback: Absolutely, but if you're just going to go "OMFG! HARLEY/JOKER OTP!11one1" then don't bother. I'll just make fun of you.
Notes: Harley is in a swamp, and also denial.

Spoilers: Vague references to events in the animated series, Gotham Adventures, Batman Adventures and Harley and Ivy. Will most likely not make sense if you've not read Batman Adventures #16.

Chapter 5

As she sank into ankle-deep mud for the umpteenth time, Harley reflected that it was just as well she hadn't changed into her costume. And had chosen boots over sneakers. With a grunt of mixed annoyance and disgust, she hauled herself back onto more solid ground, reminding herself (for the umpteenth time) that she should try and keep close to the trees.

Of course, there had been the clearly marked and signposted road, but, well, (where was the fun in that?) she didn't want to risk walking up it in broad daylight, and running into anyone who wasn't Ivy. Especially not that… guy.

Alec Holland. Harley had never heard of him until she'd seen the newspaper article. Once she'd reached Louisiana, she'd been checking the local papers for any reports of foliage gone berserk, or crimes that seemed like Ivy's style. (attacks on refineries? Construction sites? Bank heists using mutant plants?) Instead she'd found a short column about how this oh-so-clever, supposedly 'internationally renowned' (yeah, right, so how come Harley had never heard of him?) botanist had been invited to speak at some stupid ecology seminar. She'd wondered why on earth this was newsworthy until she'd noticed that he had a research facility in one of the Louisiana swamps, so clearly it was some kind of dumb 'local guy does good' thing.

Then it had clicked. Botanist. (maybe even 'internationally renowned') Louisiana. Research facility. Ivy. Of course! Batsy had said that Ivy had been looking for a cure, and surely this Holland guy would be the person Ivy had gone to.

The violent stab of jealousy that Harley had felt at that thought had been frightening. For an instant she'd hated him more than Batman and all his sidekicks combined. (times infinity)

And maybe he'd fucked it up, and made Ivy a plant by accident. (she'd kill him) Or! Maybe he'd fucked it up ON PURPOSE because he was JEALOUS! (come on, everyone knew that Ivy was the best botanist in the world! Could this guy make plant clones? Harley didn't think so!) Yeah, maybe he'd wanted rid of Ivy, and instead of curing her, he'd made it so she turned into a plant! (she'd kill him slowly)

Or, well, maybe Batman had been right and it had been too late. But if that was the case then Harley would have to kill someone, and this Holland guy would be convenient.

No. Ivy wasn't a plant, and Harley would have kicked herself for even thinking that she might be, but that would have made her even muddier. (she bit her tongue instead)

This brought up another thought, one so terrible that Harley could barely even begin to consider it. What if Ivy was, well, with this Holland guy? In that kinda way? (she was so going to kill him) Because he was a botanist, she was a botanist and, well, in the photo in the newspaper he'd been pretty cute. (before Harley had attacked it with a sharpie marker)

No. No, no, no, no, NO. Why the hell would Ivy run off to Louisiana with some guy, even if he was a freakin' botanist! (and leave Harley behind) She'd have said something. She would! Ivy wouldn't just drop everything (and Harley) for some stupid guy! Why, that would be just like…

…just like Harley. Who stopped dead in her tracks as the thought hit home. Was this how Ivy felt every time she went back to Mistah J? (oh come on! Ivy knew about Mistah J! This wasn't like that at all! It wasn't!) Well, maybe this was payback, right? Yeah, that was it, Ivy wanted her to know what it was like, that was all. It didn't mean anything. Harley would find her, beg forgiveness, (vaguely wondering how things had managed to go from being mad at Ivy to owing her an apology) and Ivy would forgive her and everything would be fine. (once she'd killed the Holland guy)

Because Ivy couldn't possibly… well… love this guy, right? No, that couldn't be right; Ivy was all for dominating men, not falling for them! (and she loved Harley) There was no way she'd have changed that, (and she loved Harley) at least not without saying something to her!

…but… she'd never said anything about not being human any more, had she? (shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!) And when Harley had found out, she hadn't exactly been supportive, had she? (she'd been mad!) No, she'd (run off with the Joker) gone and left her under a pile of rubble. (yeah, nice going there Harl!) But… she'd been mad… Ivy had been keeping secrets from her and it hurt. All she'd wanted was to guilt-trip her a little; give Ivy a taste of her own medicine really. She'd never meant to push her away…

…Mistah J was right. Harley really was a grade-A fuckup. And now she'd screwed up things with Ivy so badly that she'd gone off and found herself someone else. (or maybe she really was a plant. Harley wasn't sure which thought was worse now) But she'd thought Ivy was over it, especially after she'd torn up her stomach and poisoned her and all in Blackgate, whenever Mistah J did stuff like that to her he was always fine the next day. (well, usually. Sometimes) And then they'd been sharing that cell (despite everything Harley couldn't help a tearful grin at the memory) and everything had been fine.

Until the wedding. (well, attempted wedding) Wait, maybe THAT was how Harley had fucked it up, (she really wished she could find an alternative theory where she hadn't fucked up somehow) maybe Ivy had thought that if she'd really married Mistah J, that would have been the end for them. (as IF!) And maybe… maybe she'd heard that Harley had sworn to hunt her down and kill her. (why the hell had she gone and said that?) Harley should have told her the plan from the beginning, then maybe this whole mess wouldn't have happened. (maybe Ivy would even have been a bridesmaid… no, that was even less likely than the B-Man being best man) Maybe if she'd just understood…

Too many maybes. Harley was sick of them already. Rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand, she continued on her way with a determined stride. (straight into another pool of mud) It was no good just moping around, she was going to find Ivy, explain everything (and ask for an explanation!) Ivy would laugh at her for being silly, then everything would be fine and good and dandy.

Concentrating on those thoughts, Harley didn't realise she was nearing the road until she stumbled onto it, the hard surface sending shockwaves through her legs after the hours she'd spent trudging through mud. It curved off to the left up ahead, leading right to the door of a large building that Harley hadn't been able to see through the swamp trees and plants. (and, well, maybe she hadn't been paying attention) There was no car in the driveway. Maybe that Holland jerk was off to wherever the hell he was going already. (damn) But there was no reason not to check, especially since Ivy might be here.

Swallowing back both nerves and doubts, Harley headed towards the door. Ivy would be here. She'd be glad to see her. Harley would apologise and explain everything. Ivy would forgive her. (Ivy always forgave her, no matter how badly she screwed up!) Harley would find out exactly what was going on with the Holland guy. And if anything, it wouldn't be serious. (hey, maybe it would be like the thing Ivy did with Steven Carlyle, then it would be fine 'cause he'd just be a clone!)

Then Harley noticed the plant. The weird-looking ivy vines wrapped around one of the pillars supporting the porch. (just some ivy, chill) The leaves were the same colour as Ivy's hair. (and what was weird about that?) They were the same vines that had MADE her hair. (oh fuck no) The vine itself was the same colour as Ivy's skin had been last time Harley had seen her. (no, it wasn't true, it wasn't!)

Her hand shaking violently, Harley slowly reached out to touch one of the tendrils snaking off the main vine. It curled itself around her finger, like it recognised her. Like it remembered her. Oh god.

With a thin wail, Harley sank to her knees and began to sob. It was worse than Ivy being with someone else…