A/N:Sorry this took a while to update. We went on a tour of Portland Community College for my daughter and then time went by this past week. Here is the next part everyone has been waiting for. Two words on the portrait drawn by Martha Wayne are most puzzling. What do they mean? Sammie is in her sixth month of pregnancy and she suddenly comes down with a mysterious illness. Tim is with the Titans talking to new recruits, and one of them is from a far different place. Does he hold the key to Samantha's mysterious illness?

Neptune's Daughter

By

Part 15: Green With Envy

Elizabeth Goodfellow sat on a bench outside of her father's estate. She was in tears. The picture she stared at in the society page smiled broadly, as if it was mocking her without remorse or recognition.

"He can't be getting married," Elizabeth complained out loud. "He was supposed to marry me, not some rescued orphan who has no breeding."

"There's nothing you can do about it, sweetie," Mr. Goodfellow stated, as he came up behind her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Besides, he probably got the little slut pregnant and they have to get married. I say their relationship won't last a week. Afterwards, you can console the broken-hearted boy."

"I'm going to stop it!"

"How can you?" her father scoffed. "We're not invited, and I wouldn't attend even if we were."

"You're no help, Daddy," Elizabeth scowled.

"You listen to me, young lady. I kept you out of prison and out of Arkham from your antics at great expense. Don't you dare do anything foolish."

Elizabeth stocked off. She couldn't help thinking there had to be a way to get back at Timothy for jilting her, or at least get rid of that horrid girl he was marrying. The wedding was tomorrow. There wasn't much time. Elizabeth went into the living room of her father's estate. This place was a joke. It was smaller than what the Waynes had. It was also all they had left of her father's estate. Luckily, it was paid for.

'They couldn't kick us out,' she thought.

What millions they did have barely kept them in furs. Her father kept putting the money back into his business dealings, leaving very little. All she had was a measly $250,000 in her personal bank account.

Elizabeth dropped on the couch among the remains of the newspaper her father had ransacked to get to the financial section. That was all he read, well not all. Sometimes he read the society pages. That's how he found out about Timothy Wayne's coming out party. The term 'coming out' meant something totally different to the elite. It meant you were ready to be seen and to date a potential match. It meant in a few years, you'll be eligible for marriage, marriage to another eligible personage among the elite. It was considered uncouth to even consider marrying anyone from the lower classes.

It was how all that wealth stayed "in the family," but Timmy wasn't following the rules. He was going to have to pay for his mistake. Of course Elizabeth would forgive him, but only if he promised to behave himself and hand over his trust fund to her If he really wanted to keep that little slut on the side, that was find by her. Just don't show her in public.

Elizabeth stared at the photo of Timmy Wayne for a few more minutes. He was quite handsome in a kind of feminine sort of way. He wasn't rugged like some of the other boys. She heard even guys were attracted to him, if you liked that sort of thing. Just under the picture, a headline caught her attention. She pulled the article out from under the rest of the newspaper and started to read.

"Hmm," Elizabeth hummed to herself. Maybe there was a way. She just needed to draw some money from her allowance and head to the park. If anyone can help her, maybe this lady could.

~~~~~

After acquiring funds, Elizabeth Goodfellow asked her driver to leave her off at the park. She walked through the formal gardens and entered the greenhouse of the botanical garden. The botanical garden was part of the Gotham Park's grounds keeper's residence, when Gotham Park had a grounds keeper 150 years ago. The small stone residence was nothing more than ruins from disuse, decaying from time's cruel hand. The house had seen better days, but the greenhouse, it sparkled like an emerald, it's greenery inside was lush and alive. It threatened to burst out of its seams, to take over the wider area of the park, the city itself.

Trepidation entered Elizabeth's heart as she crossed the threshold of what felt like a forbidden paradise.

"Hello?" Elizabeth called out. "Is anyone here?"

"Who dares to cross my door?" A sultry voice echoed through the glass interior.

"My name is Elizabeth Goodfellow. I was wondering if you could help me."

"You want my help?" the voice said, again.

"Yes," Elizabeth's voice trembled. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all, but she couldn't back out now. "I'll pay you."

"Pay me?" the voice questioned. "And what can you offer little girl."

"I have money, $10,000, and I'm not that little." Elizabeth countered.

A vine snaked out, wrapping around Elizabeth, causing her to let out a shreek. The vine carried her into the interior of the greenhouse.

"I'm not interested in money," Poison Ivy stated. "Though it does go a long way to continue my research, developing plants that are totally resistant to man's destructive nature, including the poisons they use on my precious children."

"I . . . I have it here," Elizabeth said as she tried to hold up the briefcase.

"You will give me $10,000? And what do you want me to do for that amount of money?"

"Stop a wedding from taking place and get rid of my rival a boy that I want is marrying."

"Hmmm, that's hardly worth my time," Poison Ivy stated. "Who is this boy you speak of?"

"His name is Timothy Drake-Wayne," Elizabeth replied. "We're made for each other."

"And the rival?"

"Some island slut he probably got knocked up. She's nothing. No fortune to speak of. I want Timothy to fall for me."

"You did say Wayne?" Poison Ivy asked.

The girl nodded.

"Hmm, I've been after Bruce Wayne for a long time. His money would be just what I need. I'll do it for $100,000."

"But that's half my savings," Elizabeth muttered.

"You want your boyfriend back don't you?"

"Yes."

"Then get me the rest of the money," Ivy stated.

"They're getting married tomorrow!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

"Get the money or the deal is off, or my special carnivorous plants will have a new item on their dinner menu."

"I'll get it, I'll get it," Elizabeth pleaded.

"Good, now leave me. I will expert you back here in two hours."

The vine dropped Elizabeth back out by the greenhouse door. She quickly left the premises, leaving the briefcase behind. She didn't see the sly look that came over the woman's features. In truth, Poison Ivy cared little for Bruce Wayne. He was going to be a means to an end. Her thoughts were solely on Batman.

Elizabeth quickly left the park. 'What have I gotten myself into.' She dismissed her own thoughts and fears, and thought only of Tim. She had to have him. He was worth all the money in the world, and if she could get rid of her rival, that made it all the more sweeter.

Two hours later Elizabeth found herself back at the greenhouse with half her savings. It took a lot to convince the bank manager that she needed the money for something special. The manager had even called her father and she had to quickly explain that it was a surprise for his birthday. Her father relented and she was soon walking out of the bank with a briefcase filled with money, heading back to the park to give it to a supervillain whom Elizabeth didn't even know whether she would help her.

"I have the money," Elizabeth said as she crossed the threshold of the greenhouse door one more time. A vine once again snaked out, this time taking the briefcase.

"Come my dear, let's begin to plan our next move," Poison Ivy stated.

"And what will that be?"

"We're going to need to know where the wedding will be taking place and who will be bringing the flowers."

"I don't understand how that's going to get Timothy back to me."

"Oh you will my dear, you will."

Continues with Part 16