"Selinaaaaaa." Selina had to bite her lip to keep from screaming. Ivy's face was inches from her own, and she stank of tequila. "Selina guess what, Selina? I'm in looooove."
"Ivy it is three in the morning and you are drunk," Selina said, trying to calm her heart. The news that Ivy was in love wasn't surprising. She fell in and out of love faster than anyone Selina had ever known. "You're going to get in trouble for sneaking out in the middle of the night."
"No one will miss me. I'm the smartest one there, unless you were there, in which case you would be the smartest one there, but you're not there. I wish you were there, but that would mean that you were in jail and jail is not fun. Not fun Selly." Ivy said, her words slurring. Selina sat up, leaning on one elbow. Ivy's eyes were huge, her pupils blown wide.
"Shit, V, are you high?" Selina asked, her voice ringing with disbelief. Ivy had always had a high-tolerance for drugs and alcohol. Enough booze could get anyone drunk, but Selina had never seen Ivy successfully get high.
"Yes," Ivy said happily. "It's wonderful. Everything is so…spinny. And I am in love, so in love!" Selina shook her head, throwing back the covers so that Ivy could crawl in next to her. She couldn't send Ivy back to the home like this, and Selina was happy for the company. She hadn't slept in over a week, not since Gerard and Wayne had invaded her apartment. Every little noise woke her, and she'd started sleeping with her knife under her pillow, instead on the dresser beside her bed. And then there were the nightmares, filled with Gerard's sickly-sweet voice and the look Wayne had given her when she'd told him to shoot her. His eyes dark and accusing, shocked and horrified. Every time she tried to sleep, he stared at her from behind her eyelids.
"Selina," Ivy said, pouting. "You're not listening to me."
"You're in love," Selina parroted, trying to refocus. She smiled a little. "I'm hurt. I thought that I was the great love of your life."
"Oh you know I love you," Ivy said, swatting at Selina's nose. "But you're not my type. This girl is amazing! She's a med student so she's really smart, and she likes chemistry! Do you know how hard it is to find a girl who likes chemistry? Hard, Sel. It's hard. You're going to like her a lot, I know it. You have to like her because she's important to me and you're important to me and it's important to me that you get along."
"I'm sure I'll like her." Selina said indulgently. Ivy's eyes narrowed a fraction.
"You're patronizing me, but I don't care. I'm going to sleep."
"Okay, go to sleep." Selina said. Ivy smiled and snuggled forward, pressing her forehead to Selina's. Selina closed her eyes and, for the first time in a week, slept.
"I am never drinking again," Ivy proclaimed, padding into the kitchen the next morning. Selina snickered from where she stood at the stove, pouring pancake batter into a skillet. She wasn't a breakfast person, or much of a cook either, but Selina had figured that Ivy would need it. "And Jesus, when they say 'hugs, not drugs,' they are not kidding."
"I think you should thank the tequila for the hangover. You look terrible. And yes, please help yourself to my clothes." Selina commented drily, noting that Ivy had ditched the crop top and miniskirt from the night before for a pair of Selina's old sweatpants and a loosely-fitting T-shirt. Dark makeup smudged around her eyes and her vibrant red hair was pulled up into a messy nest atop her head.
"Never again," Ivy said, perching herself on one of Selina's stools and laying her head on the counter. "Never again!"
"What did you take, anyway?" Selina asked, setting a plate down in front of Ivy.
"No idea," Ivy said, picking at the pancakes. "It was blue."
"And what about this great love who's replaced me?" Selina said, leaning her elbows on the counter. Ivy's newest love interest was always a fun topic of conversation. Ivy had dated all across the spectrum: Boys, girls, criminals, and law-abiding citizens alike. Once, Selina had tried to figure out what linked them all, what it was that garnered Ivy's interest. She'd come up blank, and eventually Selina had decided that her friend had diverse tastes. The end.
To Selina's surprise, Ivy blushed crimson, her cheeks matching her hair. "I told you about that, huh?" she said sheepishly.
"'Selly,'" Selina said in her best imitation of Ivy's voice. "'I am so in looooooove. She's pretty and smart and I think she might be the one Selly.'" Selina laughed, dancing around the kitchenette.
"I do not sound like that." Ivy insisted, glowering.
"You sound exactly like that."
"I hate you."
"You do not. Now, are you going to tell me about this new love of yours or no?"
"Well if you keep making fun of the whims of my heart…" she trailed off, looking offended as Selina burst into hysterical laugher. "What are you laughing at?" Selina couldn't respond, too busy trying to breathe. She laughed until there was no sound left, and she was left gasping and red-faced. For a moment, she was almost able to regain her composure, but one look at Ivy's outraged face had her in stiches all over again.
"I'm sorry…" she managed, breathing deeply through her nose. "I'm sorry, but when you say things like that – Shit!" Selina swore and ducked as Ivy hurled her fork across the small kitchenette. It wasn't a strong throw and the fork clattered to the ground without sticking into the wall. "Hey!" Selina protested as Ivy picked up her knife to throw it too. "Ivy if you throw that knife at me I will take away your pancakes, so help me God." Ivy let go of the knife, glaring sullenly.
"You are so mean to me."
"Says the one who breaks into my apartment at three am to tell me about the latest 'whim of the heart' – " Selina shrieked as Ivy threw herself across the counter, toppling them both to the ground. She tried to push Ivy off of her chest, but the redhead was at least six inches taller than her, not to mention tickling her sides. Finally, when they were both breathless with laugher, Selina gave in, holding her hands up in surrender.
"It's a good thing I'm the only one who knows how ticklish you are," Ivy gasped, laying on her back next to Selina. "Your street cred would fall to pieces." Ivy grinned. "Imagine if Gerard knew how easily his favorite gives in when tickling is involved." Selina's heart stuttered and the smile slid off of her face before she could stop it.
"Yeah," she said, standing so that Ivy couldn't see. "Imagine. So tell me," she said, changing the subject to back to something safer. "What's her name? When did you meet her?"
"Her name's Harley. We met at bio-chem seminar a few days ago." Ivy said, moving back to the counter.
"Nerd."
"Shut up. It was on the effect a rare neurotoxin on the human body. I was doing research."
"Nerd," Selina repeated, this time with emphasis.
Ivy stuck her tongue out. "It's was a cool seminar," she protested. "And I nabbed a little of the toxin from the professor." Ivy wiggled her eyebrows like some kind of vaudeville villain and Selina rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I kind of knocked into her as a distraction to get the poison, and then her coffee was all over my shirt, so she loaned me her sweater, and I offered to buy her a new coffee." Ivy grinned. "French vanilla, cream, no sugar. You'd love her, Sel, she's brilliant and sweet, and we have another date tomorrow."
"Very smooth," Selina said. She was glad that Ivy had found someone, although she couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. Selina and Ivy had only ever had one-another, and Ivy had never talked about anyone else like she was talking about this Harley. "You happy?" Selina asked after a long, pleasant silence. Ivy's eyes flashed up, meeting Selina's.
"Yeah. Yeah I am. Unbelievable, right?" Ivy said softly. "I didn't think people like us got to be happy." Selina couldn't disagree. She knew the dangers of this life, they both did, and the life expectancy wasn't high. "Speaking of, I was thinking about bringing her around tomorrow after the date. Obviously not here, but I was thinking about going to the bar."
"No," Selina said sharply. "Sorry, that came out a little quick," she backtracked, seeing the surprise flit over Ivy's face. "It's just that Gerard's the mob and it's his bar."
"Yeah I know, but we're good with the family. Gerard actually called me the other day, said that he's got work for me if I want it." Selina had to fight from shouting at her, to keep from begging that she didn't take the job. But there was no way that Ivy would let an outburst like that slide, and that would put both of them in jeopardy.
"First rule of working for the mob," Selina said, trying to keep her voice even. "You don't bring in civilians. Speaking of…" she said as her phone started buzzing. "Talk to me."
"Sel," Papi said on the other line. "Turn on the TV. Channel ten." Selina was surprised to here from him – usually Gerard was the one to call her in. But surprise or no, he sounded deadly serious and Selina flipped on the television.
"Thanks to the generous donations provided by the Wayne Association," Detective Gordon was in the middle of saying to a throng of reporters. "We have been cracking down on mob activity. This city will no longer live in fear of gang violence. Thank you, no questions."
"It didn't work." Selina breathed. The whole point of stealing from Wayne was to discourage him from getting involved with the police.
"The boss is pissed. You need to get down here."
"Papi, if he's mad, I'm the last one he'll want to – "
"Just get down here!" the bartended snapped and hung up.
"I've got to go," Selina said after staring at her phone for a minute. If Gerard did want her, it would be better to go to him than for him to come to her.
"Is everything alright?" Ivy asked. "Who's that cop on the TV?"
"I just have to go," Selina said, quickly gathering her things and slinging her backpack across her back. "Nothing's wrong, it's a work thing." She was halfway out the door when Ivy caught her hand.
"What's going on, Sel?" Ivy demanded. "You're doing that thing where you don't blink."
"I'm fine. It's not a big deal."
"You will explain this to me when you get back."
"V – "
"You will explain this to me when you get back." Ivy repeated, her voice steel and her eyes flashing in a way that Selina recognized. Ivy was not going to give in and she didn't have time for this.
"Fine, fine, fine, but I have to leave." Ivy withdrew her hand and Selina practically ran out the door. She didn't know what she was going to tell Ivy, but she sure as hell couldn't deal with it now.
"He's in there." Papi said the moment she burst through the doors. Selina could hear shouting from the back.
"He was supposed to back down," Gerard was ranting. "He was supposed to play the spoiled, scared little kid. And yet he's now funding a taskforce that directly works against the families?"
"I shouldn't be hearing this," Selina said urgently, ducking her head as if that would drown out the words.
"You're the best, Sel, he's going to need you. It's better that you're here." He had no idea. No idea the kind of shit she was in with Gerard. Selina couldn't blame him – he just thought that he was helping his boss – but being in at he bar when Gerard was going on a rampage was not going to end well.
"Papi, por favor…" She had to leave, she had to get out of here while she still could.
"Selina." Too late. "You do have a talent for showing up when you are least wanted, dear girl." There was a sudden, manic flash in his eyes and Gerard advanced on her. Selina bit her lip to keep from screaming obscenities at him and backed up as far as she could. "Did you hear what I was saying in there? Were you spying on me?"
"No," Selina said quickly, eyes darting back and forth, looking for some kind of escape route. "I didn't hear anything."
"I was the one who called her, boss," Papi interjected, sounding startled at Gerard's violent reaction. "She heard nada, she's been with me the whole time."
"You're plotting against me, aren't you?" Gerard demanded. "You're working with the police? How else could you fail so spectacularly?" Selina didn't have time brace herself as his fist met her cheek and she was thrown backwards into the wall. Her head slammed backwards and she sank to the ground, suddenly unable to stand. "You were supposed to send a message!" Gerard said, hitting her again. Selina's head snapped to one side and her vision swam.
"Boss!" Papi protested, but it was like Gerard couldn't hear him. He struck her again and again, until Selina lost track of time between each blow. "You're going to kill her!" Papi shouted, finally pulling him away.
"Little bitch doesn't deserve to live. Neither of them do," Gerard snarled, stalking out of the bar.
"Sel, you okay?" Papi asked, hauling Selina to her feet. Selina didn't answer at first, too busy trying to shake the ringing from her ears. Blood was trickling into one eye and she could already feel bruises forming on her jaw and cheekbone. "I don't know what got into him. Dios mio, he really messed you up."
"I'm fine," Selina managed in a garbled voice, spitting blood out of her mouth. Out of her one good eye she spied Gerard's phone – he must have dropped it. "Here," she said to Papi, picking it up. "Give this back…" Selina trailed off, attention drawn to a text message that was still up on the screen. Oh shit. "Just give this back to him." She had to move, and she had to do it now.
"Sel, you sure you're alright?" Papi insisted, hovering over her. Selina swatted his hands away and rushed out of the bar as fast as she could.
Get rid of the Prince, Gerard had texted to a number that wasn't in his contacts but that Selina recognized nonetheless. Today.
She had to get to the Hill. Because if she was right, Bruce Wayne was going to be assassinated.
Consider this a Hanukkah present to all of my readers who celebrate! (Also, I'm procrastinating studying for finals). Enjoy and please review!
~Fae