Planning For Paradise
Title: Planning For Paradise
Fandom: Batman
Author: Apache Firecat
Characters: Harley/Ivy
Rating: Slight PG-13/T
Summary: Harley has a special night, a special thank you, and a special future planned for and with the one who rescued her.
Word Count: 2136
Written For: Lands of Magic Round 9 Challenge 6: Earth Day
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: All characters within belong to their rightful owners, not the author, and are used without permission.
Ivy had done so much for Harley over the years. She had freed her from the Joker's vile manners and awful treatment, but that had just been the beginning. Back during those years, Ivy had insisted they be only friends, and although they had had some very fun nights, every morning after, she had began to distance herself from Harley. It had not taken Harls long, once her wisdom and training as a psychiatrist had began to resurface, to figure out what Ivy had been doing: She had been rescuing Harley, from the Joker, from the world at large, and from what Harley had allowed both to make her into. That was why it had taken them both so many years to stop running from their feelings, to accept their budding love, and eventually, to build this paradise through which Harley and her hyenas were currently walking.
It had been months since they had been to Gotham, longer still since she had last had to look at the Joker or hear his cruel, insane laughter anywhere other than her nightmares. They didn't need to steal, rob, or kill. Ivy made certain she had everything she wanted, and Harley had learned not to ask questions. It wasn't that she minded the answers Ivy gave when she pushed as to where their funds came from. No, it was much rather that she barely understood a word her Scientist lover spoke when she began explaining such things. Ivy was making leaps and bounds not just in her field at work but also in her dreams, of rescuing the planet and of making Harley a happy, and kept, woman.
The Joker had always said he wanted to do that, but he never had. He'd never had any true intentions of settling down not with her or anyone, or of stopping his life of crime. Ivy had instead built a paradise around Harley that included everything she could ever want, including the freedom to go out any time she chose and do whatever she chose, but she rarely wanted to go out any more. The world was becoming an increasingly sicker place, and Harley was perfectly content to stay at home with her babies and her woman and not wander, or wonder about what was beyond the entrance to their lush, jungle home.
Oh, it just looked like a big, fancy facility on the outside, but on the inside, there were trees and flowers of every type. Harley was allowed to bring home any animal she chose by Ivy, but it wasn't so easy when it came to her jealous boys, one of whose mangy heads she patted now. He panted, his tongue lolling out, as he grinned up at her. She giggled. "Today's an important day," she whispered.
She never used to think of Earth Day as having any real importance. Oh, sure she understood humans were killing the Environment and slaughtering whole animal species left and right, but it had never made any difference to her. Except for recently. Ivy had mentioned it late one night when she'd angrily flicked the news off. There was something about some company doing something big and fancy smancy today, on Earth Day of all days, and Ivy had been determined to thwart their plans. She hadn't asked Harley to go, however, and Harls hadn't volunteered.
But then she had began to think about it in the long hours since Ivy had been away on her latest caper. She didn't have to kill anybody any more, but it didn't mean that Ivy didn't still feel the need. She did have a certain way of mothering just about everything in sight -- to a certain extent at least. There were very few people for whom Ivy cared. Harls was lucky to be one of those few, and even luckier still that Ivy cared for her to the length she did. But she'd seen it time and again. It wasn't that Ivy hated people per say; it was much rather that she hated what they did to all living beings around them. That was why she had rescued Harley in the first place, as she'd confessed to her on their last anniversary: She had seen the remains of something beautiful and mostly innocent having been all but destroyed by mankind and had yearned to rescue it, to rescue her.
And boy howdy, had she ever! Harley let out a giggle as she gently pulled on one of the vines hanging down from the trees. Several more vines came swooping down to her, wrapping around her gently but securely and lifting her from the ground. They carried her up to a new canopy that Harley had just made that afternoon with their assistance. She was still getting used to the idea of being able to make things without having to force those involved, but every plant, from the tallest redwood to the youngest sapling, absolutely loved their Ivy in this domain, and they all wanted her to be happy.
Her hyenas yipped, and she blew them kisses. "You boys will be fine," she called down to them. Tonight, when Ivy did finally get in, Harley was going to make sure she understood just how much they all valued her, especially herself. She was going to have her carried to this canopy, where she would massage her every muscle, and then she was going to have Ivy lowered into the bubbling, warm, healing springs. She'd join her there and feed her her favorite soil and nutrients by fingertips, even ingest some of the (ugh) mess herself (she hated it but Ivy loved it and that was what mattered), make love to her there, and rub her down again. All the while, the pussy willows and weeping willows would be swaying, making beautiful, peaceful music.
When they were done in the springs, she'd have her lifted again, carried this time back up to the canopy which will have been lifted higher. At her signal, the trees will spread their bushy tops, and Ivy will delight at the stars shining in the sky. She reached down, lifted a particular, purple flower from the canopy's bed, and tucked it behind her ear. Instantly she felt the canopy lift. She clutched the sides out of habit far more than any fear or doubt in the trees that were lifting her. Just as Ivy had come to adore Harley's hyenas over their years together, Harley had likewise come to be able to put her trust not just in Ivy but in her plant brethren as well. They all shared one particular, very important thing in common, and they all wanted Ivy to feel loved and to be happy. To that end, Harley knew, Ivy's plants would always protect her rather Ivy herself was there or not.
"What do you think?" she asked, settling back into the canopy's bed and resting her pigtailed head on her crossed arms. She blew a bubble with her pink gum. "Think she'll love it?"
There was a soft rustling, and vines came together to form two small holes. A limb lifted up and curved underneath the makeshift eyes, altogether giving Harley a big, happy smile. "Everything's going right in the springs, right?" she asked, just to make certain. She couldn't imagine what could go wrong, but she wanted to be sure everything was perfect for Ivy when she came home that night. Ivy was always doing for them all. She'd made certain Harley had had a merry Christmas, a bombtastic Fourth of July, a hilarious April Fool's Day, and had felt genuinely loved and pampered on both her birthdays (the actual day she'd been born, and then again on the day when she had been remade in the Joker's image -- thank her lucky stars that thing was behind her now!) and Valentine's Day. The only day of the year that really mattered to her Pam-a-Lamb was Earth Day, and Harley was going to make certain that night was absolutely perfect. She was going to make sure Ivy knew just how much she loved her.
The trees parted, and the canopy swung gently low. Harley flipped over onto her bare stomach and looked over the canopy's edge. Sure enough, just below her, the healing springs bubbled softly. Steam rose up, its natural fragrance mixing with those of jasmine and rose buds. The willows began to play their music. Harley grinned and bounced her head in time to the slow, peaceful melody.
Tiger lilies were scattered around the spring, and they lifted their little, green petals in salute to Harley. One little stump guy dragged a bag that was bigger than he was filled with Ivy's favorite nutrients and soil. Harley couldn't seem to help making a disgusted face at the sight, even though it was cute, because she knew the taste was going to be horrid. It's all for Pam-a-lamb, she reminded herself.
Her gum had lost its flavor. She spat it out into the palm of her hand, and a vine swiftly took it away. She didn't know where things were discarded in this paradise Ivy had created for them, but she knew it would be the most eco-efficient way possible. She held her breath for a moment, and then she looked down at the single tulip floating on top of the only lily pad in the springs. "Okay, let's see it."
The tulip opened its bud to reveal a velvet box. Just as Harls didn't understand the work Ivy did, Ivy had never understood why she had been so determined to run her own, little Internet business for months selling both greeting cards and all kinds of gags and pranks under the sun. That box, and especially its content, were the very reasons why Harley had insisted on running her own business, and not even stealing, for the months she had. She leaned further over the canopy as a pussy willow bent down and carefully opened the velvet box. Then she grinned and nodded her head at the gleam of gold that sparkled up at her.
Everything was perfect! Everything was going to be perfect, and everything was going to stay perfect! There was nothing that could go wrong with her plan tonight, and very soon, Ivy was going to realize that Earth Day wasn't just about the Earth after all but about celebrating its, and her, greatest savior. She sighed happily and decided perhaps she had earned a quick catnap after all. Besides, she had no idea when Ivy would get home today, just that she would. Sometimes it took her days, sometimes weeks, but she always, always came home to her.
She was so vastly unlike J. The Joker had always promised her things, and had never once delivered on anything good. Ivy had given her this entire world which she had built not through fear, terror, or violence but through love. Everything that lived in this place owed its life to her, including Harley herself. She felt, rather than saw, the face the trees were making at her. She smiled back at them and nodded in confidence. "She's gonna love it." It was far pass time they started giving back to their Queen, to their Earth Mother, and what better day to do that than on Earth Day?
On the very first day they could, Harley thought, glowing with happiness. She should've done this long before, but Ivy had waited for her patiently -- even if Harley had thought she'd been the one doing the patient waiting. Ivy had always treated her with love, compassion, and patience. She had given her an entire world, and tonight, or whenever she did make it home, Harley was going to show her once and for all that whereas Ivy might have given her a world, it was Ivy herself who had become Harley's whole world.
She loved the woman with a passion that ran far deeper, and flowed both more powerfully and more peacefully, than the obsession she'd felt for the Joker. She had become not just her new obsession but the very love and light of Harley's once utterly dark and miserable life. She was her savior, her love, her Queen, and tonight, Harley was going to make it all official. She was going to let Pam-a-lamb know, beyond any shadow of a doubt, what they all thought of her, how much they all loved her, and how much she always would, and by the end of this next week, they were going to be Doctor and Doctor Isley. Harley beamed as she drifted off to the pleasant dreams she always had when she fell asleep thinking of the woman she loved and who in turn, blessed miracle of miracles, genuinely loved her back.
The End
Fandom: Batman
Author: Apache Firecat
Characters: Harley/Ivy
Rating: Slight PG-13/T
Summary: Harley has a special night, a special thank you, and a special future planned for and with the one who rescued her.
Word Count: 2136
Written For: Lands of Magic Round 9 Challenge 6: Earth Day
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: All characters within belong to their rightful owners, not the author, and are used without permission.
Ivy had done so much for Harley over the years. She had freed her from the Joker's vile manners and awful treatment, but that had just been the beginning. Back during those years, Ivy had insisted they be only friends, and although they had had some very fun nights, every morning after, she had began to distance herself from Harley. It had not taken Harls long, once her wisdom and training as a psychiatrist had began to resurface, to figure out what Ivy had been doing: She had been rescuing Harley, from the Joker, from the world at large, and from what Harley had allowed both to make her into. That was why it had taken them both so many years to stop running from their feelings, to accept their budding love, and eventually, to build this paradise through which Harley and her hyenas were currently walking.
It had been months since they had been to Gotham, longer still since she had last had to look at the Joker or hear his cruel, insane laughter anywhere other than her nightmares. They didn't need to steal, rob, or kill. Ivy made certain she had everything she wanted, and Harley had learned not to ask questions. It wasn't that she minded the answers Ivy gave when she pushed as to where their funds came from. No, it was much rather that she barely understood a word her Scientist lover spoke when she began explaining such things. Ivy was making leaps and bounds not just in her field at work but also in her dreams, of rescuing the planet and of making Harley a happy, and kept, woman.
The Joker had always said he wanted to do that, but he never had. He'd never had any true intentions of settling down not with her or anyone, or of stopping his life of crime. Ivy had instead built a paradise around Harley that included everything she could ever want, including the freedom to go out any time she chose and do whatever she chose, but she rarely wanted to go out any more. The world was becoming an increasingly sicker place, and Harley was perfectly content to stay at home with her babies and her woman and not wander, or wonder about what was beyond the entrance to their lush, jungle home.
Oh, it just looked like a big, fancy facility on the outside, but on the inside, there were trees and flowers of every type. Harley was allowed to bring home any animal she chose by Ivy, but it wasn't so easy when it came to her jealous boys, one of whose mangy heads she patted now. He panted, his tongue lolling out, as he grinned up at her. She giggled. "Today's an important day," she whispered.
She never used to think of Earth Day as having any real importance. Oh, sure she understood humans were killing the Environment and slaughtering whole animal species left and right, but it had never made any difference to her. Except for recently. Ivy had mentioned it late one night when she'd angrily flicked the news off. There was something about some company doing something big and fancy smancy today, on Earth Day of all days, and Ivy had been determined to thwart their plans. She hadn't asked Harley to go, however, and Harls hadn't volunteered.
But then she had began to think about it in the long hours since Ivy had been away on her latest caper. She didn't have to kill anybody any more, but it didn't mean that Ivy didn't still feel the need. She did have a certain way of mothering just about everything in sight -- to a certain extent at least. There were very few people for whom Ivy cared. Harls was lucky to be one of those few, and even luckier still that Ivy cared for her to the length she did. But she'd seen it time and again. It wasn't that Ivy hated people per say; it was much rather that she hated what they did to all living beings around them. That was why she had rescued Harley in the first place, as she'd confessed to her on their last anniversary: She had seen the remains of something beautiful and mostly innocent having been all but destroyed by mankind and had yearned to rescue it, to rescue her.
And boy howdy, had she ever! Harley let out a giggle as she gently pulled on one of the vines hanging down from the trees. Several more vines came swooping down to her, wrapping around her gently but securely and lifting her from the ground. They carried her up to a new canopy that Harley had just made that afternoon with their assistance. She was still getting used to the idea of being able to make things without having to force those involved, but every plant, from the tallest redwood to the youngest sapling, absolutely loved their Ivy in this domain, and they all wanted her to be happy.
Her hyenas yipped, and she blew them kisses. "You boys will be fine," she called down to them. Tonight, when Ivy did finally get in, Harley was going to make sure she understood just how much they all valued her, especially herself. She was going to have her carried to this canopy, where she would massage her every muscle, and then she was going to have Ivy lowered into the bubbling, warm, healing springs. She'd join her there and feed her her favorite soil and nutrients by fingertips, even ingest some of the (ugh) mess herself (she hated it but Ivy loved it and that was what mattered), make love to her there, and rub her down again. All the while, the pussy willows and weeping willows would be swaying, making beautiful, peaceful music.
When they were done in the springs, she'd have her lifted again, carried this time back up to the canopy which will have been lifted higher. At her signal, the trees will spread their bushy tops, and Ivy will delight at the stars shining in the sky. She reached down, lifted a particular, purple flower from the canopy's bed, and tucked it behind her ear. Instantly she felt the canopy lift. She clutched the sides out of habit far more than any fear or doubt in the trees that were lifting her. Just as Ivy had come to adore Harley's hyenas over their years together, Harley had likewise come to be able to put her trust not just in Ivy but in her plant brethren as well. They all shared one particular, very important thing in common, and they all wanted Ivy to feel loved and to be happy. To that end, Harley knew, Ivy's plants would always protect her rather Ivy herself was there or not.
"What do you think?" she asked, settling back into the canopy's bed and resting her pigtailed head on her crossed arms. She blew a bubble with her pink gum. "Think she'll love it?"
There was a soft rustling, and vines came together to form two small holes. A limb lifted up and curved underneath the makeshift eyes, altogether giving Harley a big, happy smile. "Everything's going right in the springs, right?" she asked, just to make certain. She couldn't imagine what could go wrong, but she wanted to be sure everything was perfect for Ivy when she came home that night. Ivy was always doing for them all. She'd made certain Harley had had a merry Christmas, a bombtastic Fourth of July, a hilarious April Fool's Day, and had felt genuinely loved and pampered on both her birthdays (the actual day she'd been born, and then again on the day when she had been remade in the Joker's image -- thank her lucky stars that thing was behind her now!) and Valentine's Day. The only day of the year that really mattered to her Pam-a-Lamb was Earth Day, and Harley was going to make certain that night was absolutely perfect. She was going to make sure Ivy knew just how much she loved her.
The trees parted, and the canopy swung gently low. Harley flipped over onto her bare stomach and looked over the canopy's edge. Sure enough, just below her, the healing springs bubbled softly. Steam rose up, its natural fragrance mixing with those of jasmine and rose buds. The willows began to play their music. Harley grinned and bounced her head in time to the slow, peaceful melody.
Tiger lilies were scattered around the spring, and they lifted their little, green petals in salute to Harley. One little stump guy dragged a bag that was bigger than he was filled with Ivy's favorite nutrients and soil. Harley couldn't seem to help making a disgusted face at the sight, even though it was cute, because she knew the taste was going to be horrid. It's all for Pam-a-lamb, she reminded herself.
Her gum had lost its flavor. She spat it out into the palm of her hand, and a vine swiftly took it away. She didn't know where things were discarded in this paradise Ivy had created for them, but she knew it would be the most eco-efficient way possible. She held her breath for a moment, and then she looked down at the single tulip floating on top of the only lily pad in the springs. "Okay, let's see it."
The tulip opened its bud to reveal a velvet box. Just as Harls didn't understand the work Ivy did, Ivy had never understood why she had been so determined to run her own, little Internet business for months selling both greeting cards and all kinds of gags and pranks under the sun. That box, and especially its content, were the very reasons why Harley had insisted on running her own business, and not even stealing, for the months she had. She leaned further over the canopy as a pussy willow bent down and carefully opened the velvet box. Then she grinned and nodded her head at the gleam of gold that sparkled up at her.
Everything was perfect! Everything was going to be perfect, and everything was going to stay perfect! There was nothing that could go wrong with her plan tonight, and very soon, Ivy was going to realize that Earth Day wasn't just about the Earth after all but about celebrating its, and her, greatest savior. She sighed happily and decided perhaps she had earned a quick catnap after all. Besides, she had no idea when Ivy would get home today, just that she would. Sometimes it took her days, sometimes weeks, but she always, always came home to her.
She was so vastly unlike J. The Joker had always promised her things, and had never once delivered on anything good. Ivy had given her this entire world which she had built not through fear, terror, or violence but through love. Everything that lived in this place owed its life to her, including Harley herself. She felt, rather than saw, the face the trees were making at her. She smiled back at them and nodded in confidence. "She's gonna love it." It was far pass time they started giving back to their Queen, to their Earth Mother, and what better day to do that than on Earth Day?
On the very first day they could, Harley thought, glowing with happiness. She should've done this long before, but Ivy had waited for her patiently -- even if Harley had thought she'd been the one doing the patient waiting. Ivy had always treated her with love, compassion, and patience. She had given her an entire world, and tonight, or whenever she did make it home, Harley was going to show her once and for all that whereas Ivy might have given her a world, it was Ivy herself who had become Harley's whole world.
She loved the woman with a passion that ran far deeper, and flowed both more powerfully and more peacefully, than the obsession she'd felt for the Joker. She had become not just her new obsession but the very love and light of Harley's once utterly dark and miserable life. She was her savior, her love, her Queen, and tonight, Harley was going to make it all official. She was going to let Pam-a-lamb know, beyond any shadow of a doubt, what they all thought of her, how much they all loved her, and how much she always would, and by the end of this next week, they were going to be Doctor and Doctor Isley. Harley beamed as she drifted off to the pleasant dreams she always had when she fell asleep thinking of the woman she loved and who in turn, blessed miracle of miracles, genuinely loved her back.
The End