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

Italics are character thoughts.

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(Continued flashback)

Earlier in the week...

The next morning Ivy woke refreshed and excited. Her dreams had been happy and filled with Harley. She had woken up painfully aroused due to her dreams and the first thing she saw when she woke was the sparkling rose gem. She got up and began wandering around the warehouse to find Harley. She entered her bedroom but saw nothing but Harley's babies on her bed snoring like pneumatic drills. She frowned, it wasn't like Harley to be anywhere without her babies when she was home, they followed her like her shadow. As she reached their kitchen she found Selina cradling a bowl of cereal, fresh cuts and bruises on her face and an ice pack strapped around her ankle. "Heavy night?"

Selina startled at the smooth voice that drifted into her consciousness and simply replied with a scowl. Last night had not been one of her finer moments, she had ended up on the wrong side of Two Face's favour after trying to steal twin diamond jewels from Gotham's second national bank. If she hadn't been distracted and angered by Bruce then she would have been thinking clearly and realised that Harvey would of course be heading for the same goal.

"Seen Harls?" Ivy tried to keep her voice even but couldn't help but let in a little hope into her voice.

Selina shook her head and winced at the pain "Sure she's not back with lover boy?" She scoffed.

Ivy's temperament thundered as Selina mentioned the Joker and she panicked until she remembered seeing Harley's babies. She'd never abandon them. Maybe she went out. Something wasn't sitting right in her though, Harley and early mornings didn't mix. She frowned unsettled and retreated back to her den to get ready for the day. She was about to hop into the shower when she heard a loud curse from Selina. She paused, if she was just bitching because she got beat up Ivy wasn't interested. She went to climb in again when she heard Selina screaming her name. That doesn't sound like a pathetic grumble. She grabbed a towel and flew out to where Selina was yelling.

Selina was frozen staring down at the floor in horror. She had seen similar but never quite like this. The amount of blood made it seem almost impossible for her eyes to be seeing the truth. But she was, a matted, bloodied, congealed mess disguised what was once beautiful blonde hair. The bright baby blue eyes were swollen shut with blue and purple orbs that were almost black. The cheeky grin that was irresistible, even to Selina, was replaced with ugly gashes deep into the face, so deep some teeth were visible. The lithe, bouncy body lay crumpled like scrunched up paper on their doorstep. Selina paled at the sight but felt her heart truly ache when she heard the bloodcurdling, horrifying, soul wrenching scream that came from behind her.

The redhead goddess dropped like a wilted flower, every cell in her green body cried out in pain at the sight. She wanted to cry but she couldn't find the strength. It wasn't until Selina put a hand on her shoulder to try and comfort her that she found her unbridled rage. She shot up off the floor, pushed Selina away furiously and scooped up the limp mess that was Harley and raced inside.

Selina would have picked a fight if they had been in normal circumstances, but this was anything but normal and she felt her heart strings being tugged as she saw the pure emotion on the redhead's face as she gathered up their friend. She cared for Harley, she could be annoying but they were a team, friends, allies, housemates, women. She had never seen Ivy look like that before, not even when someone hurt her babies.

Ivy raced Harley inside and lay her on her bed, she quickly set to work with IVs and assessed the blonde's situation as quickly as she could. Thoughts were racing across her mind so fast she barely had time to process any of them. Hospital? Won't act fast enough. Batman? Not skilled enough. She shook her head frantically, she had to do this and fast. Harley was fading. She had saved her own life, expanded it, enhanced it...maybe she could do it for Harley? She had to.

Selina hobbled back inside and closed the door, she was thinking of how she could help when a familiar feeling rippled across her body. "Why didn't you stop him?"

"I didn't know." The gruff reply wasn't without regret.

"You should have stopped him." She didn't even turn to make eye contact.

"I was preoccupied with the commotion at Gotham's second national bank."

She winced guiltily "She should have taken precedent."

"I didn't know until it was too late."

"Then why come here?"

"To help."

She turned slowly and her eyes were steely and cold "You're too late."

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