"And how are you doing, Bruce?" asked Selina Kyle, smiling at Bruce Wayne over the rim of her glass. "How's your little…hobby?"
"Fine, Selina," he replied, smiling back. "How's Harvey?"
"Oh, he's fine," she said. "That's right, I forgot you used to be best friends before his accident. That had completely slipped my mind when I got together with him."
"Somehow, I don't think it did," retorted Bruce.
"And you still take an interest in him, don't you?" she continued. "I mean, in your professional capacity."
Bruce's smile looked even more forced. Some days he regretted letting Selina in on the secret that he was Batman. "Yes, I do," he agreed.
"Well, you're in luck," she said. "Harvey's just called, and he's on his way here, with some guest of his. But if I were you, I'd keep the cape and tights off tonight. No need to spoil the evening."
"There's no reason to spoil the evening if he keeps his behavior non-criminal," said Bruce. "Who's the guest?"
"I think we'll find out together shortly," replied Selina.
The door opened at that moment, and all eyes in the room immediately fixated on the figure standing in the doorway. The room fell silent, and even Bruce's jaw dropped, as he gazed upon the most beautiful young woman he had ever seen in his life.
She was slim and pretty, with pale green skin, long red hair, and a stunning red dress that accentuated her perfect figure. She was holding Two-Face's arm as he strode into the room, looking very proud.
"Bruce! Selina!" he said, smiling as they came over to him. "Allow me to introduce my daughter. This is Rose."
"Your…daughter?" stammered Bruce.
"Oh, is this the girl Ivy grew from her and your genetic material and some plants?" asked Selina, her own smile looking forced as she glared at Rose. "It's been proven as your genetic material, has it?"
"I think Rose's resemblance to me is pretty obvious, Selina," said Two-Face.
"Well, yes, she's a very attractive young lady, isn't she?" asked Selina, keeping her forced smile.
"Thank you," said Rose, smiling genuinely back at her. "It's so nice to meet you, Selina. Father has said some wonderful things about you."
"And this is my friend, Bruce Wayne," said Two-Face, gesturing to him. "The oldest and best friend I've got, isn't that right, Bruce?"
"That's…right," stammered Bruce. "It's such a pleasure to meet you, Miss Dent."
"Oh, it's Miss Ivy," replied Rose. "But you can call me Rose, Mr. Wayne. Any friend of my father is a friend of mine."
"Oh please, it's Bruce," he said, bowing and kissing her hand. "Uh…would you like to dance, Rose?" he asked.
"Do you know how to dance, Rose?" asked Two-Face.
She nodded. "Mother taught me," she replied. "I asked to learn in case I went to a ball one day. I never thought it would be so soon. I'm such a lucky girl," she said, taking Bruce's hand as he led her onto the dance floor.
"Well, isn't she a sweet little rosebud?" muttered Selina, clearly jealous as she glared at the couple on the dance floor.
"She is," agreed Two-Face. "Just adorable. So sincere and sweet and kind…"
"You wouldn't know Ivy had raised her," agreed Selina.
"Bruce looks quite taken with her," said Two-Face, helping himself to a drink.
"Does he?" muttered Selina. "Well, you're not going to allow that, are you?"
"Why wouldn't I?" he asked. "Bruce is my best friend, and he's a great guy."
"Well, first of all, because she's terminal," retorted Selina. "That's putting aside all other concerns you might have about age difference and nocturnal habits…"
"Nocturnal habits?" repeated Two-Face. "What are you talking about?"
"Nothing," she said, hastily. "But you haven't forgotten that she's only got so long to live, have you, Harvey?"
"Of course I haven't," he said. "But that doesn't take away her right to fall in love. That's one of the best things life can offer, and she deserves to experience that."
"But is it fair on Bruce, if he gets really attached?" asked Selina. "It'll break his heart."
"Yeah, you've always been concerned about breaking guys' hearts, haven't you, Selina?" he asked. "I know you've broken a few for fun in your time. Probably Bruce's among them. Anyway, don't worry – I'll tell him about Rose as soon as possible, before he can get too attached."
Bruce was well aware that he was dancing with the daughter of two of Batman's most persistent enemies, but he didn't seem to care right now. Rose was a natural dancer, and chatted to him throughout the dance about how incredible it was to be among people, about how beautiful the room and the other dancers looked, and about how happy she was to finally meet people at last.
"Mother wanted me to wait before I saw these things, but Father insisted that I'm old enough now," she said.
"Oh…well…how old are you?" he asked.
"I have been alive a month and a half," she replied. "But I have a quicker than average growth rate."
"I can see that," said Bruce.
"It has its advantages," agreed Rose. "And its disadvantages, of course."
"What would those be?" asked Bruce.
"Oh, I'll be dead by winter," she said, with a smile.
Bruce stared at her, stopping in the middle of their dance. "What?" he stammered.
"I'll be dead by winter," she repeated, casually. "Like all flowers, my lifespan is short. But I'm not complaining about that. Just getting to experience life like this is so wonderful. Nobody could ask for anything more. The world's a big, bright, beautiful place, don't you think so, Bruce?"
"Uh…I suppose so," he said. The dance finished, and he led her back over to where Two-Face and Selina were standing by the drinks table.
"Harvey, can I have a word?" asked Bruce, beckoning him to a corner. "Rose says she's going to be dead by winter. Is that true?"
"Yeah, her plant cells shorten her lifespan," said Two-Face, nodding. "It wasn't my idea, Bruce, believe me. It's all Pammie's doing. She can't see anything morbid or upsetting in the idea of Rose only living a year – she says flowers do it all the time. She has a hard time telling the difference between plants and humans, believe me," he muttered, taking a drink.
"But…that's awful," stammered Bruce. "Can't you do something to change it?"
Two-Face shrugged. "I'm no scientist, and if Pammie can't change it, I doubt anyone can. Anyway, Rose seems happy enough. If we don't make out that her dying is the worst thing in the world, then I'm sure she won't see it that way. Pammie's instilled in her a kind of acceptance about it."
"That's…good, I guess," said Bruce, slowly. "I just have…this thing about death. Since my parents, y'know."
"Yeah, I know," said Two-Face, gently. "I'm sorry, Bruce. Hey, you should talk to Batman sometime!" he said, smiling at him. "He's got the same idea! Except he's a caped freak who goes around beating up people and thinking he's making a difference, while you're smart enough to just live the luxurious playboy lifestyle and not worry about things you can't change. Maybe you could talk some sense into him while you're at it."
"Oh, I doubt it, Harvey," said Bruce, forcing a smile. "Excuse me."
He headed back over to chat to Rose, who was gazing around the ballroom in awe.
"It's just the most beautiful place I've ever seen!" she said, smiling at Bruce. "Do you see places like this often?"
"Er…yes," said Bruce. "Yes, I attend a lot of society functions. And I even host some."
"Really? So you live in a place like this?" she asked, gesturing around at the spacious room.
"I live in a mansion," agreed Bruce.
"That must be wonderful! I bet you wake up every day feeling happy!" said Rose, smiling.
"Uh…no, not really," said Bruce.
"Why is that?" she asked. "I think I would, if I had a beautiful place to dance in whenever I wanted."
"Well, my…parents are dead," he said, slowly. "So that's sad."
She stared at him blankly. "I don't see why," she said. "Death is the natural order of things."
"Yes, but…they were murdered," he said, slowly. "In front of my eyes, when I was a boy."
Rose's gaze turned to pity. "I'm so sorry," she murmured, taking his hand. "Mother says there is nothing more dreadful than violence. I am fortunate not to ever have experienced such things."
"Your…Mother said that?" asked Bruce, slowly.
"Yes. I trust her – she is a very wise women," said Rose. "Taught me everything I know. And she's so loving and kind."
"She is, Rose," agreed Two-Face. "She just…doesn't always let people see that."
Bruce had reached a decision. "Could I invite you all to dinner sometime?" he asked Rose, Two-Face, and Selina. "And your mother, if she wants to come, Rose, of course."
"Oh, I'd love that!" exclaimed Rose, beaming. "And I'd get to see your mansion! Can we, Father, please?" she asked, turning to him with pleading eyes.
"Anything you want, Rose," said Two-Face, smiling fondly at his daughter.
She threw herself into her father's arm, kissing his scarred cheek. "Oh, thank you, Father!" she cried. "I can't wait to tell Mother!"
"Yeah…why don't you keep it our little secret for now?" asked Two-Face. "I'll tell her. It'll be a nice surprise on the night."
"All right, Father," she agreed. "I just know she'll be as happy as I am!"
"Are you sure that's wise, Bruce?" asked Selina, casually. "Inviting us all around to your house? What if…one of us stumbled upon something you didn't want us to see?"
"I don't have any secrets, Selina," replied Bruce, giving her a warning look. "And if I did, I'd be smart enough to keep them locked up."
Selina glared at all of them. "Harvey, I think I'll be going home," she said, loudly. "I have a headache."
"Ok, I'll see you there," he said, not turning around.
"You don't want to take me home?" she demanded.
"Well, I'm not going to leave Rose," he said. "And she's only just arrived, so I'm staying until she's ready to go. You're a free woman, Selina – you can do what you like."
"Funny, I thought I was your girlfriend," she growled, heading for the door. "If that little weed doesn't leave Bruce alone, I might just have to tell Harvey about his friend's secret identity. For Rose's sake, of course," she added, smiling to herself. "It wouldn't do for Two-Face's daughter to be dating Baman."