Authors note: general disclaimer, I don't own any characters or anything to do with batman (I wish!)

Italics are character thoughts.

Any feedback is much appreciated x

another chapter today to make up for the lack of an update yesterday x

Ivy couldn't feel anything more but rage burning and swirling around her body. She couldn't look at Harley anymore. She couldn't decide if she was angrier that she didn't try and say anything to her, or that she was sobbing like an innocent. It was time to end this. She moved back to Batman and began caressing the babies holding him up. One by one they began to curl away from his body and wrap around the green skinned goddess' slender wrists, as they did so the Dark Knight slipped down inch by inch toward the monster's waiting jaws.

"NO!" The scream ripped out of her before she even had chance to think. Ivy's ice cold glare turned to her and she scowled straight back. Do what you want with me Ivy I will not give in to you.

The redhead was impressed, a small part of her at least, Selina was staring at her with a similar stubbornness and fire she knew was echoed in her own eyes. The rest of her, however, felt sick to her stomach. She tried to tell herself it was because their love was sickening. Truth was all she could think was that she had no one who would scream out for her. Her top lip curled with a snarl and she growled "You would try to stop me? Selina, look around...how would you succeed?" She floated over leaving Batman dangling precariously. She stroked Selina's face and laid a kiss on her cheek and whispered in her ear "You are brave Selina...stupid...but brave."

"I'm not stupid!" Selina wound her neck back and threw her forehead into Ivy's beautiful face.

It stunned Ivy for a split second before she began laughing. She shook her head disappointedly at the raven haired woman. "Really?" She patronisingly patted Selina's cheek. "You are stupid...I would have killed you too...now I might just let you live without him in the world, just for the sheer joy of watching you fumble in a dark world you will have given birth to." She laughed again as she turned away.

"No."

The word word was like a slap to Ivy and she span back angrily. "What?" She laughed hysterically "Does it look like you're in charge here Selina?!"

"Kill me instead."

"I already explained pussycat...doesn't work like that."

"Take my life instead of his." Three pairs of eyes snapped onto Selina in shock. She simply nodded and maintained eye contact with the plant queen "Let him go."

Ivy was stunned. "You're serious?" She looked at Batman while Selina nodded seriously. Batman was struggling and crying out trying to stop Selina but Selina didn't even look at him. "You'd sacrifice your life for his?" Selina simply nodded again. "You're even stupider than I thought..."

"She's not stupid!" Harley's voice was barely louder than a whisper but Red heard it clear as day. As she noted the green goddess trying to ignore her she continued, she had to say this, no matter what happened. "It's not stupid to love someone so much you want to save them. It's not pathetic to lay your life down for theirs. If you love someone you care for them. You protect them. You fight for them."

Ivy suddenly appeared in front of the blonde and looked at her with teary eyes and a furious expression "You don't know what love is. You deal in obsession not love. You don't know anything about it."

"You're right." Harley agreed as Red frowned at her. "You're right. I didn't know. I only knew obsession, I didn't know love, I'd never felt it, I'd never received it...until I met you Red..."

Ivy's resolve was cracking, I can't let her get to me. She went to move away but her babies wouldn't respond. She looked down in confusion and looked at Harley with fear in her eyes. How is she doing this?

Harley felt her heart calling out to Red even as she didn't say anything. I love you Red...I always have, I just didn't know it. I would do anything for you...please feel this...please believe me.

Ivy was stunned into silence. Her babies weren't responding to her, they were trembling and shuddering as if they were sobbing. She ran her fingers over them and felt their intense pain. She felt hot tears stinging her skin and she looked into Harley's beautiful eyes and could swear she could hear her voice although she wasn't speaking.

Harley felt her hands being released, Red's babies began caressing her instead, she could feel her energy being transferred into them and she could see on the green goddess' face that they were carrying her message for her. She reached out to the plant queen and stroked her face gently.

At the gentle touch Ivy closed her eyes, expelling tears that were losing their fire. Her babies were trying to tell her this was where she belonged, she could feel them speaking for Harley, they were happy when the two were connected. "Harley..." She whispered her name as her babies brought her closer and the blonde's breath ghosted over he green lips. They both closed their eyes and leaned in.

As their lips touched tentatively the wall behind Ivy exploded.