Ivy jolted when someone knocked on her door. She stared at it, unsure if she'd really heard it when the pounding came again. She groaned and tossed the blankets away as she rolled out of bed. She walked across the room and flung the door open, glaring at whoever it was. Harley beamed at her before ducking past her into the room.

"I need a favor."

"Can it wait until the sun is up?" Ivy grumbled, rubbing her eyes.

"No. It's gotta be like five am right?" Harley glanced at the window. "That's reasonable ain't it?"

"No," Ivy said shortly.

"Maybe I should get a watch," Harley mumbled to herself. "But what would I set it against? Noon or something? I guess ya can kinda tell when noon is when the suns at the peak. I could just guesstimate it." She held her arm straight up as she leaned back, tongue between her teeth.

"What is that?"

"What is what?" Harley stared at her innocently, straightening back up.

"Why is there a dog in my apartment?" Ivy demanded. She glared at Oscar Mayer as he peeked his head around Harley's legs, tongue lolled out happily. Harley picked him up.

"This is Oscar Mayer, and he's the favor." She beamed hopefully.

"No."

"Please, Red," Harley begged. "Can he stay here just for a little bit?"

"No."

"But Mistah J said I couldn't keep him in our place," she whined. She held the dog out toward Ivy. He panted as he stared up at her and then licked his nose.

"No."

"Please, please, please?"

"No."

"But you can't send him back on the streets."

"No." Ivy winced at her reflexive answer as Harley cheered victoriously.

"See! So he has to stay here."

"Me misspeaking does not equal me giving permission for him to stay here," Ivy sighed and crossed her arms.

"Doesn't it?" Harley grinned, raising her eyebrow.

"No."

"Yes."

"No-and we are not starting this again," she cut over Harley.

"But we can't abandon him." Harley pouted, clutching the dog to her chest. Ivy stared at her for a moment before groaning and rubbing her hand across her eyes.

"A couple of days, just stop with the face."

Harley squealed happily and hugged her. "Thank you thank you thank you." She bounced up and down and set the dog on the ground to let him explore the apartment. "I brought some food. It's out in a bag in the hall." She skipped to the door.

"Because of course you knew I'd say yes," Ivy sighed. Harley grinned at her as she came back in and set about setting Oscar's stuff out.

"He's afraid 'a zombies an' vacuums, so you've been warned." She filled his water bowl and set it down in the kitchen. "He likes beef jerky so I dunno if he's gonna like your plant stuff. An' I'm pretty sure he's potty trained."

"Pretty sure?" Ivy demanded. "Only pretty sure?"

"Well he hasn't peed on my stuff." She shrugged.

"I am so going to regret this," Ivy muttered. "Where did you even get him?"

"In Uptown," Harley said nonchalantly. Ivy glared at her.

"And why were you in Uptown?"

"I, uh, may or may not be able ta deny the fact that I was possibly there ta maybe see… Nightwing."

"Harls! We talked about this!"

"I know we did, okay? I know." She sank to the floor beside Oscar. "You get ta wander round Gotham whenever ya feel like it, so why can't I just see him every once an' a while?" The dog sniffed her fingers.

"You know why."

"Well he already knows so…" Harley shrugged, picking Oscar up. Then Ivy saw the bruises on her cheek.

"You covered them up with makeup didn't you?" she asked gently.

"He said he was sorry," Harley mumbled.

"And you still think seeing one of the Bats is a good idea?"

Harley laid down and let Oscar walk over her. "You see one 'a the Bats, and ya don't see me lecturin' you," she muttered.

"That's because you're more interested in hearing about Gotham than the consequences."

"How was it? Did ya see people? Did ya flirt with Red Hood again?"

"Stop it," Ivy scolded. "We're talking about you right now."

"Well there isn't a point in ya goin' to Gotham if I don't getta hear about it."

"I thought we agreed you wouldn't go see him again," Ivy persisted.

"We did! Kinda. I mean, I wasn't gonna go see him, but then I got bored. An' I hadn't even made up my mind if I was gonna talk to him when I fell, an' he caught me. So that kinda decided it for me."

"So...what? He's your knight in shining armor? Is that what this is about?"

"No," Harley protested. "We're just friends."

"Friends don't just sleep together."

"Don't they?" Harley smirked.

"No." Ivy glared down at her. "Seriously Harls, there are more dangerous things than the Infection."

"All right, all right. I'll be careful," she mumbled. "Jeez ya kill joy. No promises that I won't see him, but I'll try an' be careful."

"Ha, you careful," Ivy snorted.

"What? Careful's my middle name," Harley grinned.

"We're not done talking about this," Ivy warned.

"Fine, but can we talk about it later?" She sat up and hugged Oscar in her lap. "I wanna hear about Gotham."

Ivy sighed. "Are you hungry?" She moved into the kitchen.

"Is it beans?"

"Does it matter?"

Harley thought about it, her stomach rumbling. "Well it's no chocolate," she muttered. "Or cake! We should get cake."

"Yeah," Ivy scoffed, "let me know how that turns out for you."

"Ya don't hafta crush my dreams," Harley muttered, and Ivy ignored her.

'"Did I tell you that I dream about you?'" Harley swallowed hard and let Oscar go to chase after Ivy. She knew she shouldn't let Dick kiss her so often, or allow his hands linger, or let her thoughts wander to him, but it was the same way she knew committing a crime was wrong, and criminals weren't the type of people she should be happy to have as friends, and that being with Joker wasn't the safest relationship she could be in. It was crazy, mad even, but she couldn't stop. Maybe it was the insanity of it all that drew her to it. But she knew she didn't want to stop. The same way she knew Joker knew just how close she'd gotten to Dick, that she shouldn't encourage Ivy to go into enemy territory, and that Joker had only been so harsh because he was trying to send Nightwing a message, and that she shouldn't let Dick develop any more feelings for her. She was dancing on a knife's edge and would have to fall one way or the other, but she was testing her balance for as long as she could.

"I should give you beans just because of the whole Nightwing thing let alone the dog," Ivy said, offering out a plate of grapes to Harley. "Can you make him stop following me?"

"Maybe ya smell good." Harley shrugged and popped a grape into her mouth. "Is there like a dog catnip? Maybe that's what ya smell like."

"Oh good, I'm appetizing to dogs," she muttered watching as Oscar sniffed her ankle.

"Well you are appetizing," Harley grinned, "does hunky Red Hood think so?"

"Who said he was hunky?" Ivy crossed her arms, glaring down at Harley.

"You did."

"I did not," she objected.

"Well it was something like that. So does he?"

Ivy pursed her lips, staring at her. "No." She turned away. Harley gasped.

"What?!" She jumped up, setting the plate on the table and away from Oscar. "Do ya like him?" She chased after Ivy. "Do ya? Do ya, do ya?"

"No. Stop it." She swatted Harley away.

"You like him," Harley taunted.

"No I don't," Ivy snapped. "He's infuriating," she slammed a cabinet door, "with his pointless humor and plant jokes and his stupid mask."

"Ya do like him!" Harley cried triumphantly.

"How does any of the translate to me liking him?"

"I'm infuriating with pointless humor an' plant jokes." She shrugged. Ivy stared at her before groaning.

"You're useless."

"I know. I bet ya think Red Hood is too," she giggled. Ivy peered in the fridge, not looking for anything. "Have ya been flirtin' with him? I bet you have, ya hypocrite," Harley muttered.

"Only because the stupid moron won't bend to my tricks the way everyone else will. It's that stupid mask," she muttered before closing the fridge and glaring at Harley. "Sit and eat," she ordered, and Harley complied immediately. "I can't use my pheromones-not that I need them-but it's so infuriating and emotionless, and I can't tell what he's thinking," she continued ranting. "And the only time the buffoon will show emotion is to taunt me or… out seduce me." She made a frustrated noise, and Harley popped a grape into her mouth as she watched. "Do you have any idea what it's like to be outdone at your own game?" Harley pursed her lips and shook her head. "Exactly. I just want to strangle him with vines covered in thorns, and then he has to go and be all nice to kids and defend me in front of people. Can you imagine how frustrating that is?"

"No," Harley answered honestly, watching Ivy pace in the kitchen.

"Eat," Ivy ordered, continuing her pacing; Harley shoved some grapes in her mouth. "And I haven't failed to get a man's attention since college, and maybe he's right. Maybe I do rely on my pheromones too much, and I hate the fact that he's right. And I hate the fact that I can't get reaction out of him. And I hate the fact that I'm not succeeding at flirting with him, and I hate the fact that I want to succeed in the first place. I don't want to want to flirt with him, so why the hell am I doing it? What the hell? I know I shouldn't." She glanced at Harley who was beaming. "No."

"No one could possibly-"

"-No, please stop."

"-know what it's like ta flirt-"

"-I really… Just please no," Ivy begged.

"-with one 'a the Bats-"

"-I take it back. I take it all back."

"-even though they know they shouldn't," Harley giggled. "Face it, you're in the same boat I am."

"No. I'm not," Ivy insisted.

"You're right. You're so much worse." Harley grinned. "Ya haven't even seen his face, an' your heads over heels for him, ain't ya? You like like him!"

"No, I do not."

"Ivy an' Red Hood sittin' in a tree. K-I-S-S-"

Ivy put her hand over Harley's mouth. "You will stop, or I will make you stop," she warned. "Ew!" She released her face when Harley slobbered on her hand. Harley giggled.

"I'm just so happy that ya hate men, an' ya hate him, but ya loooove him."

"I do not," Ivy groaned.

"I keep hearing no but if ya mean it, why does me bringin' it up bother ya so much? Because ya want him to like yoouu." She giggled again, and Ivy clenched her jaw as she stared down at her. She was saved from answering when someone yelled outside her window. "Jeez Louise," Harley jumped. "What was that?"

The two of them looked at each other before rushing for the window. Ivy flung it open, and they leaned out.

"...and they live like royalty!" someone was yelling from down the street. People were streaming past Ivy's apartment building and more were funneling from other streets. "They live in the tower looking down at us peasants!" a man continued to rant from the beginning of the mob. There was a cry of outrage from the marching crowd. "The only ones with power at the cost of our lives! I bet they eat like pigs while we starve!" The people booed.

"I do not eat like a pig," Harley muttered. She ducked through the window and onto the fire escape.

"What are you doing?" Ivy hissed grabbing her arm.

"I wanna see."

"They're a mob. Against you. You need to stay in here," she insisted.

"But that sounds boring," Harley whined. "Can't I just go watch the rioters?" she begged. "Please." Ivy pursed her lips.

"Fine, but I'm coming with you, and you're staying out of sight."

"I'll consider your rules," Harley told her as she climbed out onto the fire escape. "Stay," she told Oscar who was sitting by the window and watching them. "An' don't eat my grapes." Ivy closed the window.

"I should lock you in my apartment," Ivy grumbled as they hurried down the fire escape.

"Sounds kinky, but no." Harley grinned at her as the caught up with the back of the crowd. "Besides, who has a riot at like five am? That's boring. Someone needs ta teach these guys what quiet hours are."

"There!" A young man with a ring through his nose, barely over twenty, cried as he pointed at Harley and Ivy behind the crowd. Heads swiveled to look at them before the shouting began.

"Oh great," Ivy muttered.

"I would like a word with whoever called me a pig!" Harley called. "Actually, my hammer would like a word with him."

"Do not provoke them," Ivy sighed. The crowd hesitated collectively, seemingly for an entire minute.

"Fascist!" a woman yelled from the back, and they charged. Everyone that approached Ivy froze, turned around, and formed a blockade against the rest of the crowd. Harley flipped over them and punched the woman who cried out in the face.

"Anyone who uses that as a war cry, deserved that." She bounced out of the way as the people around her turned to react. She pushed off of a man's shoulders and flipped up to a fire escape, dangling upside down by her legs. "Don't make me come down there," she giggled. Ivy rolled her eyes.

"We starve while you live like royalty, you and the Joker!" An angry man shouted at her.

"Let's take her! Maybe the Joker will loosen his hold on all of the food he's hiding if we send him her head!" A massive woman screamed loudly from the windows of the building. Harley burst out laughing.

"I'd like ta see ya try. No really. I would." She tilted her head sideways, her pigtails dangling. "Who wants ta try first?" she taunted, grinning. "Come on. Make my day."

One of the taller men in the crowd suddenly leapt up and yanked on her pigtail, falling away from her again as the crowd gathered below where she hung from the fire escape.

"Not cool," she cried. She swung her legs off, landing on the man's chest. He hit the ground hard, and Harley crouched on his chest. She pulled her gun out and pressed it into his stomach. "See a headshot, you're down an' out. Gut shot, an' you're back for round two." The people closest to them took a wary step back.

"I'll starve to death soon enough anyway," he spat, glaring hatefully up at her. "So it's either I starve and turn slowly, or you shoot me and I get a quick death. I've got nothing to lose anymore. None of us do!" he shouted to the rest of the people- thugs and criminals; murderers, rapists, thieves and gangsters- all banding together like true members of their own dystopian society. "Do we have any family? No! Do those of us who have any family know that they're even alive out there? No! We're never getting out of here!" The man screamed, and the crowd stirred in agreement around them. "So our only option is to survive! Kill her and take control! find our own food! We have to-" he choked off when Harley shoved her gun into his mouth.

"You're right," she told him. "None 'a us are ever gettin' outta here. Including me." She peered down at him. "So if ya think I won't do what it takes ta survive as well, that'll be the last thought runnin' through your head. So," she stood up, holding her gun up in the air, and stepping away from the man, "who wants ta come at me first?" she called to the crowd. "Who wants ta try an' get me? I thought ya wanted ta survive!? I can promise ya, if ya try ta kill me, ya won't survive much longer."

"Couldn't have said it better myself, Harley," Joker's voice carried over their heads as he came down the street, holding Nygma on his dog pole.

"Hiya Puddin!" Harley waved with her hand holding the gun. "Come ta join the party?"

"Quite the party to join, I see," he shouted, gradually gaining the attention of everyone in the mob. He glanced at Poison Ivy and grinned.

"I should have never opened the door this morning," she muttered.

"Lovely morning for an angry mob, huh?" Harley asked the Joker.

"Lovely," he agreed, staring at her for a moment, his eyes narrowed. He finally turned his attention to the crowd of gathered criminals, all growing restless again. "It's food you want?"

I've got a bad feeling about this, Ivy thought. She glanced over at Harley, but she was staring adoringly up at the Joker. A few people in the crowd shouted affirmatives as the Joker walked lithely up onto the hood of a car, leaving Nygma with Harley. Joker's pistol swung lazily in his hand as he turned to face the gathered men and women.

"So take it," he grinned. There was a general mumbling as people looked around in confusion.

"You're as crazy as they say!" someone yelled. Joker burst into a fit of laughter mad enough to send a chill down even the most hardened criminal's spine.

"I'm the crazy one? Me? Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results, and honey-" he grinned down at the crowd before his eyes settled on Harley- "I never do the same act twice. So why are you all gathered here?" Joker called, spreading his arms as he smiled darkly at them.

"We're sick of you living in the lap of luxury while we starve!" One man stepped forward. "We're not your peasants."

"Are we not all confined to these walls?" Joker looked down at him, cocking his head. The sun shining on his hair made it seem greener, like the grass that was so rare to see in Uptown Gotham. "So that's it then? You came to demand food?" Joker dropped down to sit on the hood of the car, grabbing Harley's pigtail and pulling her towards him. "What do you say, Doll, should we let them eat cake?" he threw Harley forward towards the crowd, laughing, just barely catching Nygma's dog pole before he could bite a member of the mob. "Go on, lop off the queen's head; a lot of good it will do you and your rebellion. As for food, there is none." Harley stumbled into the crowd and looked up at him.

"Puddin?"

The man who called out grabbed her arm. "You wouldn't let us kill her!"

"Of course not. No more than I'd let you kill me, or you'd let me kill you, or any of your other friends. The point of the matter is, even if I did let you- what good would it do you?" He raised his eyebrows, looking like a psychiatrist with a troublesome patient.

"It'd wipe that stupid smirk off your face," he replied. Harley glared at him as she yanked her arm free. Joker's grin widened and he stared back at the man, his eyes narrowing.

"And yet again I ask, what is it you came here to accomplish?"

"We know you have food!" the man cried. "We saw the truck drive in! You're keeping it from us."

"Do you think I would lie? Yes, that food will be for distribution just as soon as you earn it," he grinned, looking around at the crowd.

"What are you talking about, clown?" the man asked.

"He just said he has the food!" a woman cried in in the crowd.

"We should take it!" The was a general mumbling of agreement.

"I said take it," Joker snapped as he stood and pressed the barrel of his silver pistol against the man's head. His voice was quiet, but so deadly that it seemed to be heard by everyone in the crowd. "If you want it to be the last meal you ever have."

"So you do want us to die," the man sneered.

"I don't care one way or the other but I think you're all quite fond of your lives, so why would you want to starve? Think about it." He grinned, giving Riddler to Harley. She took hold of the pole distastefully. "If you want the food, take it. But where will you get more when the supply runs dry? Who's going to get more? You? If you take the fish, fine, you eat for a day. But let me teach you to fish? You'll feast for the rest of your days."

"And why you?" the man demanded. "Who put you in charge?" Joker threw his head back and laughed.

"You did. You pathetic little meatsacks put me in charge when you refused to step up to the plate yourselves, and lucky for you, you made the right choice." Spinning around, the Joker marched back to the car and stepped up onto the hood, walking clumsily onto the roof of it. "Since my survival is dependant on your survival, it looks like we're allies, and that-" he spun on his heel, grinning down at the gathered criminals- "that, ladies and gents, is how wars are won. And we are at war." Joker looked around at all of them, narrowing his eyes. "You're starving. Where do you think I keep getting the food for you?" he shouted, his voice echoing in the empty buildings lining the streets.

There was some quiet grumbling before a woman called out, "Gotham!"

"Somebody give the lady a prize!" Joker called, laughing. "If the food is there, but we're here- what's between it and you?" He demanded, pacing on the car roof.

"Batman!" A few people shouted, and Joker stopped.

"Bingo, ladies and gents-" he burst into laughter, grinning darkly. "He's trapped you all- us all here- you believe you'll never see daylight outside of these walls again? Well who's fault is that? The world has changed, yet he's repeating the same tired cycle; lock up his problems here- us and these vermin-" he gestured with his pistol to Nygma snapping at the crowd- "but the very definition of humanity has changed now! We're entitled to the food that they have, just as much as they are! We're human aren't we?!"

"Yes!" they cried.

"More human than the Bats!" A man stepped forward.

"Exactly! The mindless people of the new Gotham revere the Bats as their Gods- saviors- but the masks hide what they truly are: less than human! We're entitled to that food- we're entitled to life just as much as they are! Their gods are weak, they bleed; I've drawn that blood with my own hands! Why shouldn't we fight what is less than human!?" Joker screamed, his eyes flashing as he grinned at the crowd. Harley beamed at the Joker as she moved over to the car he was on. The crowd was getting riled up again.

"We shouldn't be treated like caged animals!"

"What gives them a right to Gotham?!"

"Exactly!" Joker jumped down from the car, landing in front of the man who'd been speaking for the crowd. "I think you and I have a lot to discuss." he grinned, throwing an arm around his shoulders, guiding him away. "Come! Get your shares of the food!" he called to the crowd. "The next round will be on the Batman!" Harley happily skipped after him, the rest of the crowd streaming along after her. Ivy shook her head and sighed as she watched her go.

"Focus," Jason said quietly. The meditation lesson had gone well, until Selina began to get restless. Now Jason could see why she would have tried even Bruce's patience. With his eyes closed, he could hear her shifting in her position, breathing unevenly; she sighed slowly and then blew a raspberry.

"Jason, I'm bored. We've been at it for hours now, and I don't know that I'm getting better," she sighed quietly and stood, pacing. "I can't- I just can't-"

"You're not getting any better, but you can do this," he told her, opening one eye to look at her.

"No I can't! Why do any of you think that I can do this? I may as well just live in that glass box for the rest of my life," she gnawed on her fingernails, turning to pace the length of the room again.

"You might as well if you keep this up." Jason shrugged.

"Thanks," she snapped, glaring down at him.

"What? You want me to lie to you and tell you that everything Bruce and I have taught you so far hasn't been a waste of time?"

"No, I want you to do something useful," she spat, leaning down to look in his face.

"I'm not the one who wants to be here," he argued.

"I don't want to be here! I don't want to be in this whole stupid situation, I don't want to learn how to meditate I control myself just fine thank you-" she shot a glare at Jason as he opened his mouth to counter her, and he closed it again. "But if I don't, I'll kill my husband in the heat of the moment. So I have to be here. I don't want to," she threw her hands up, groaning. "Just go away, Jason, you're not helping. Thanks for trying, but just get out."

"You're mad at me," he smirked.

"No, really?" she snapped. "Get out, Jason!"

"Would that make you feel better?" he taunted.

"Actually, it might! Why are you trying to provoke me?!" Selina wrapped her arms around her waist angrily, turning her back to him.

"Because how can you try and control an emotion if you're not feeling it?" he asked. "I mean, come on. It's so easy to sit here and breathe in and out when you're bored, but you want to be mad at me. And that's what Bruce doesn't get. He doesn't want to feel, but you," Jason leaned back on his hands, "you do. It's hard not to feel an emotion when you want to feel it, huh? Now try meditating. Now that you want to be pissed, now that you don't want to meditate. Now try controlling yourself."

"I don't understand," she breathed, looking down.

"You want to be mad at me- let's face it, I'm infuriating- try controlling that. It's easy to be angry or upset because you want to be. That's why meditating is so hard. Not because you have to master breathing perfectly or listening to the wind, it's because you want to feel. Try again."

"I…" she sank down to the floor, closing her eyes. "I don't understand. How?"

"There's a couple methods. Bruce hides from it, suppresses the emotions. You can embrace them. Use the emotion to drive you, but I don't suggest it. Or you can work through it. Accept the emotion, but something is always more important. Learning to control yourself is more important than being mad at me. Not maiming your husband is more important than losing control, no matter how good it feels." He smirked a little. "And surviving is more important than any amount of sadness," he told her gently.

"Jason, about that…" Selina looked down, pained. "I'm so sorry. You shouldn't have-"

"-That's okay." He shrugged. "No judgement from me. Not then, not now."

Selina looked back up at him and reached out to stroke his cheek, smiling sadly. "It hasn't even been a year since then, but you're still so much older." her hand dropped away from his face and she sighed quietly, her head dropping to look down again.

When this had all started, her depression was a lot worse. She had never been suicidal, but that night, when Bruce left her for patrol, when she really realized that her dream- a beautiful house, family, all with him- it was dead; she'd lost control. Selina could still remember the blissful numbness and warmth of her blood rushing over her hands from her wrists before the panic had set in. The cold. She was already slipping away when she'd seen Jason burst in the door through her hazy vision, and then everything had gone black. When she'd come to with bandages wrapped around her wrists and a throbbing ache in her head, it had been Jason's furious face that she'd seen first. And she'd been angry. Angry that he'd saved her, and terrified of how angry that Bruce would be when he walked in the door. Instead, as soon as they'd been left alone in their bedroom, Bruce'd screamed himself hoarse, scolding her, before breaking down in tears. She'd never seen him in such a fervor of emotion until then, and she hadn't since.

Selina shook her head a bit and met Jason's eyes. "I never knew you before… well I never met the you that you were before you died. But this one? Jason 2.0 isn't so bad," she smiled a little and stroked his cheek. "Someday everybody will see that. Thank you."

"Pity is an emotion."

"It's not pity, it's empathy," she insisted, smiling as she hit his knee. "Stop being such a jackass," Selina shook her head.

"It's kinda my natural setting." He shrugged, grinning. "Now get back to meditating, or Bruce is going to kick my butt." Selina sat back and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "So is it true you kept making the moves on old Batsy when he tried to teach you to meditate?"

Selina chuckled. "Why do you ask? I'm a married woman, Jason, and you're a bit too-" she opened one eye- "small for my tastes."

"Hey! Watch it kitty cat," he cried. "I'm doing you a favor here, no need to be mean. And I wasn't asking for those reasons. I just wanted to fact check on why I got stuck with this job."

"Yes, that's why. Also because I can do-" in what seemed like a split second she had lunged forward and her lips were right next to his ear- "this." Selina laughed, falling back on her heels and grinning.

"Right," Jason blinked in surprise, "zombie speed. So zombie speed, zombie emotion, this is going to be interesting." He looked at her seriously. "You're getting a little excited, emotion check."

"I'm not excited, I'm happy," she frowned. "And I don't always feel like this. As a matter of fact, I hardly do, so why am I not allowed to have any emotion?"

"You are," he laughed. "In moderation. If your downs are extreme, then your highs will be too. Which is fine, until the high is gone. Then you have a long way to fall," he pointed out.

"That's… a scary thought, Jason," she whispered, looking down.

"No it's not," he assured her. "It's great to know you have the capacity to feel… that much, and I don't think this family is the best example on how to handle that. But you need to be careful Selina. I've seen you crash," he reminded her. "We both know it's not good. You need to learn to recognize the good the same way you need to recognize the bad."

"Have you ever felt that blissful, Jason? Pure elation… why would you want to give that up?" she asked, sounding desperate.

"I have." He nodded slowly. "And then I died." He shrugged nonchalantly. "That's the thing about it. You don't choose to give it up. You don't choose for Bruce to leave you every time, but we've both seen how that can crush you. I'm not saying don't be happy with him, but you have to be in control just as much when you're happy as when you're sad."

"Okay," she nodded, her voice quiet.

"Be happy," he stressed, "but you did lose control and bite him that one time. Do you get my point?"

"I understand. Be happy, just not too happy." She pulled her knees to her chest, looking down. "I'll have to keep practicing."

"But that's why I'm here." He studied her downcast face. "Emotion check."

"Stop doing that!" She cried in exasperation, looking up at him.

"I'm sorry," he put his hands up in surrender, "I thought we were here to help you control your emotions."

"Control them, not expel them," Selina whimpered.

"Do you feel like you're in control right now?" he asked gently. "I know this isn't easy, and that it sucks, but you've got to do it."

"I don't want to," she buried her face in her arms. "I'm not in control. Help me," Selina whispered sadly. "I can't do it…"

"Hey," Jason grabbed her hand, "I will. One step at a time, okay? Deep breath. You don't need to feel helpless. You're not going through this alone. You've got this." Selina looked up at him.

"Okay. I can… I've got this," she agreed weakly, again crossing her legs and sitting up straight, closing her eyes. She took a slow, steady breath.

"You need to do this for you," he told her. "Not for anyone else- even Bruce- you. Got it? You need to want to control this, not because you think it's the right thing to do, but because you want to be in control. This is your life, Selina. Don't let one accident dictate it."

You're right, she thought, focusing harder. "I can do this."

"Well I've never doubted you," Bruce said from where he was standing in the doorway. Selina's eyes flew open and she grinned, jumping to her feet.

"You're late," she squealed, throwing her arms around him.

"And I thought we were making some progress," Jason sighed, standing up. "You were right. It's hopeless when you're around." He shot Bruce a grin.

"How was it?" he asked, kissing Selina on the forehead.

"It was good," Selina smiled at Bruce and then glanced at Jason, her smile wavering a bit. Keep your emotions in check. "I learned a lot. No offense, but Jay is just a better teacher."

"Ha, the obvious truth." Jason smirked. "Well, I'll get back to patrol." He clapped Bruce on the shoulder. "And remember what I talked to you about." He gave him a meaningful look. Bruce nodded.

He'd approached Jason about helping Selina because he knew Jason was just as mastered at meditation as him, if not more so. Even if he didn't act like it. Jason had wanted to talk to him too, about Ivy. He thought Ivy could be swayed or convinced to help them after his time with her. Bruce wasn't so sure. Even now he was hesitant, especially if Jason was showing interest in her. He watched Jason head toward the elevators. Selina touched his face and made him turn towards her, smiling.

"Penny for your thoughts, Mr. Wayne," she purred, stroking his cheek.

"You look lovely," he told her. "How has returning to your patrols been?"

"Exhilarating. Something I've missed. Though it's a pity that you won't let me go with you anymore," she giggled, biting her lip as she looked up at him.

"I believe I have been told multiple times that I distract you." He closed the door and pulled her with him to the bed where he nudged Alfred the cat out of the way and dropped down. He yawned a little as he pulled her close. "We'll have patrols together again soon," he promised her. Selina stood up again.

"Good. And as far as I knew, the feeling of distraction is mutual," she smiled as she walked to the windows, glancing over her shoulder at him.

"Absolutely," he agreed. He took his cowl off and ran a hand across his eyes.

"Tired, my love?" Selina watched his reflection in the windows, wrapping her arms around her stomach as she smiled a little. It was warm in the sun, and it felt comfortable and safe. She felt serene. Thank you, Jason.

"Nothing I can't handle." He stretched, pulling his gloves off.

"Yes, and that's what worries me," Selina smirked at him over her shoulder.

"I thought I was the one who was supposed to worry?" The cat leaped back up on the bed and curled up on Selina's pillow.

"Well you do a good job of hiding it if you do," Selina smiled nonchalantly, turning back to the windows as she pulled her shirt over her head. After a moment, she felt his arms wrap around her waist.

"I worry about you all day every day," he whispered in her ear. "I worry about all of the boys and Cass and Steph. I worry nonstop until I can see you." He kissed her cheek. "And then I worry some more."

Selina turned her head towards his lips on her cheek as she closed her eyes, leaning against his strong chest behind her. "I love you," she breathed, placing her arms over his around her waist and stroking his hand.

"I love you too." He kissed her gently. "And I'm happy you're around to worry about."

"It's just a pity you're hardly around to worry," she smiled a little, her lips brushing his. He smiled.

"I know it's an absolute crime. Someone should let Batman know pronto."

"I think I will," Selina smiled, turning in his arms, her hands caressing his face, "but Catwoman may have to cuff you until he gets here. Just to make sure you can't escape," she giggled, licking her lips.

"Catwoman," he pretended to scoff. "I think I can take her." He smirked.

Selina raised her eyebrows in disbelief, a grin breaking over her face. "You haven't been able to up until now. What makes you think you'll get away with it this time?" she took a step forward, shoving him back towards the bed before tucking her fingers in the waistband of her shorts, smiling playfully.

"I can't get off on bad behavior?" he asked as he grinned, grabbing her arms.

"Not a chance," she giggled, stepping closer to him. She kissed the corner of his lips and then hooked her leg around his knees, forcing him to fall back on the bed as she laughed, falling with him.

"Then I take it back." He leaned up to kiss her. "Catwoman can take Batman anytime she wants." Selina moaned as she kissed him, her hands tightening in his cape as she pulled him closer.

"Any time, every four days, for twenty four hours," she teased, releasing him in order to sit up and pull her shorts off. Selina straddled Bruce's waist and kissed his chin. "You got mad at me last time I slipped out to the field to see you. Even then, you couldn't resist slipping into my pants," She smiled against his lips, looking in his eyes, so pale they almost seemed white. "So not anytime I want."

"Maybe that was just wishful thinking," he murmured, kissing her gently. His hands ran up her hips and up her sides, pulling her down to him. Selina grinned, arching her back into his touch and reaching behind herself to unclip her bra. She tossed it aside before kissing Bruce passionately, her hands returning to his face to hold him closer. His soft hair peppered with gray sifted through her fingers as she kissed him again. He ran his hands over the exposed skin on her back. "I thought you were supposed to be taking me into custody."

"Mhmm," she mumbled, kissing his jaw. "And you should be getting some sleep so you don't die of exhaustion," Selina smiled and bit his neck gently, and then kissed his shoulder. "Don't see that happening."

"Well then I've found Catwoman's only weakness," Bruce smirked. He grabbed her thigh and rolled them over, pressing his hips against hers as he kissed along her neck.

Selina moaned, clawing at his belt before she frantically pulled it off and threw it aside, pulling the torso of his suit up. Her fingers traced up his abs and pulled the fabric higher. "Did you get me pink diamonds? I love pink diamonds," she gasped, closing her eyes.

"No, but I'll get you all the diamonds you want." He ran his hands up her arms, kissing both corners of her mouth. "I'll get you anything you want."

"Anything," she said thoughtfully, pulling the torso of his suit over his head. Her hands traced along the well defined lines of his muscular chest and down his abs. "I want a nice sandy beach. I want to get drunk on a beach with you, and I want to lay in the sun and go sailing- I want you and me, and I want to be happy and relaxed and safe and living in luxury. Still think you can pull that off, Batman?" Selina smiled, pressing her lips against his shoulder.

"Maybe not today," he grabbed her hand and kissed it, "or tomorrow," he kissed up her arm, "or the next day," he stared into her eyes, "but I will always try to give you anything you want. No matter how long it takes."

She grinned and laughed, cupping his face and pulling him closer to kiss his lips gently. Selina sighed against his lips. "Thank you." Her hands trailed up his arms, feeling over his muscular shoulders.

"For better or worse, right?" His arm slid under her back, holding her against him.

"For better or worse," she agreed quietly.