DISCLAIMER: Birds of Prey and its characters are the property of Miller/Tobin Productions, Warner Brothers and DC comics. No infringement intended.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Edited by Aussie & nightstorm.
FEEDBACK: To jagurin[at]gmail.com

The Thin Line Between Love & Hate
By Jaguarin

Part 9

"Alright." The redhead sat at her desk "How can I help you?"

"As you know I have been working close to Helena the last three months." The blonde removed her red gloves.

"Yes, I know. In fact you asked the court to extend her sessions with you."

"Well." Harleen crossed her leg and rested her hand over her thigh "it was not me, they made the decision after checking my reports. And it's for that reason that I'm here. I have a session with her today, so I thought it would be good to talk with you beforehand."

"I'm listening." Barbara crossed her hands over the desk.

"I'm worried about Helena and you seem to be the closest thing she has to a mother or sister figure."

Barbara chuckled and moved back in her chair taking a pencil between her fingers. "I'm not quite sure about those descriptions, Dr. Quinzel…"

"No? Oh, I'm sorry," she said resting a hand over her chest with her fingers extended "my apologies, then. I was merely making an assumption based on my conversations with Helena."

The redhead raised her left eyebrow and tapped the pen lightly on the desk. "She said I was like her mother or sister?"

"Not directly, but that was the conclusion I drew, based on her statements" she held her knee with both hands "which of course I can not divulge due to doctor-patient confidentiality, you understand."

"Of course…."

"But I digress, Barbara." The blonde paused and rested her elbow on the arm of the chair and her chin on her fingers "May I call you Barbara?"

"Sure Doctor, no problem."

"Please, call me Harleen."

"All right Harleen."

"Great, as I told you I wanted to talk to you briefly about Helena as I am a bit worried about her well-being." Quinzel said with a concerned expression and keeping all her attention on the redhead's reaction and facial expression. "At our last session, she seemed quite disturbed and confused."

"Disturbed?" the redhead narrowed her eyes.

"Yes, she was making a lot of progress but suddenly, I'm not entirely sure what brought about the change, but she was clearly conflicted and refused to talk about you."

Barbara kept her eyes fixed on the blonde.

"Helena is not a person that likes to talk much about her private life." she stated.

"I know, but…" Quinzel lifted her index finger "At every other session I've had with her, she only talks about you with admiration. You are the person that rescued her from the darkness and solitude, but not this time, and that is exactly what worries me."

"Maybe she doesn't want to share more about her thoughts." The redhead said "It's common for her."

"Not in this case. Let me explain. Helena has a lot of anger and abandonment issues, but she has become more open… happy, I could say. But I have noticed in our last two sessions that she seemed to be a bit uncomfortable, like as if something bothered her. And suddenly, she changed, she looked trapped, as if caged."

"I don't understand, what do you mean caged?"

"She always talks about how she doesn't follow rules." Quinzel moved back on her chair "She is a free spirit. You know this… right?"

"I know, Helena is not a person that likes the concept of authority much."

"I'm worried that whatever has caused this current conflict will lead her down a path of more anger and, possibly violence. So I've come here to ask you if you know what could be bothering her. If some kind of event that could make a strong impact on Helena has happened, so strong that she refuses talk about you? Do you know of something like that?"

"When did you say Helena's reactions changed?"

"Tuesday..."

Barbara nodded her head, it was exactly two days after Helena had reacted disturbed when she had tried to be intimate with her.

"Could she have a problem at work?" Quinzel again took her hand to her chest as she spoke with fake interest.

"I don't think so." The redhead said.

"Something must have happened with a person close to her. I don't mean it's you…" Quinzel clarified her sentence "…but it must be something strong. You see, Helena has a great heart and she is a very grateful person. She would do things against her beliefs to please a person she thinks she owes, like you for example."

Barbara rested her chin on her hand listening, not showing any emotion. Quinzel lifted her eyebrow, reading her was more difficult than she thought.

"You must know," the blonde explained "Helena feels a great respect for you and a deep gratitude. She would do anything for you."

"Well, as you have seen, Helena is not easy. Helena would never do anything she doesn't want."

"Wrong."

Barbara narrowed her eyes. "Wrong?"

"Helena has a strong concept of gratitude, do you agree Barbara?"

"Yes."

"It's so strong that she will sacrifice herself to please someone that she thinks she owes, against her will and beliefs. "

"Against her beliefs?" the redhead shook her head smiling remembering some childish attitudes of the girl. She was so cute. "I don't think so. She has a strong personality and firm concepts about life, about what she is. She would never do anything she does not agree with."

"Helena will never refuse to do anything you ask of her. Am I wrong?" the blonde paused long enough to make the redhead think.

"Tell me something Barbara." Quinzel continued crossing her hands at chest level. "Helena likes salads?"

"Excuse me?" the question was a bit awkward.

"You know her tastes and preferences. Does she like salad?"

"She hates it."

"However," Quinzel explained "she told me a few weeks ago that you had asked her to go to a salad restaurant and she didn't complain."

"She asked for a sandwich."

"Yes, but she went to a place she doesn't like just because you asked."

Barbara looked at her in silence. She got her point.

Yes, Helena could argue, but when she asked her anything, Helena never refused. She would protest, but in the end, she always agreed.

"It's just an example, I mean she would do anything for you…." She fixed her eyes on her "even lie to make you happy."

The redhead kept staring at her in silence. Quinzel smiled lightly knowing she gotten to her.

"What do you think Barbara?"

Barbara lowered her eyes looking at the pencil between her hands. "I still think Helena would not do anything she doesn't want."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Absolutely sure?"

Barbara lifted her eyes to her. "Yes."

"So… what do you think is annoying Helena so much? What happened to her that she refuses to talk about you, as if something bothered her?"

"I think that the only person that could give you an answer to that question is Helena."

"Okay." Quinzel nodded and stood up. "I'll keep trying, I really want to help her. Now I must go, I don't want to distract you from all of your work."

"And I appreciate it Harleen." The redhead stood up too "I love Helena so much."

"And she loves you too, for all the support you gave her, like feeling closer to her mother."

The former crime fighter smiled lightly.

"Please," Quinzel extended a card to her "anything you need, it will be a pleasure help."

"Thanks so much doctor."

"Goodbye Barbara." Quinzel smiled knowing she had made Barbara think about Helena's feelings, knowing now she would feel guilty and doubt Helena's feelings.

Barbara observed her leave. When the door closed, she broke the pencil she had in her hand with her fingers.

What truth was hidden behind the doctor's words?

She brushed her hair back and turned to look through the window. She loved Helena, she always had. She too was her family. Maybe she had pushed her into a corner. Helena never denied her anything.

What if Helena didn't love her?

Maybe Helena just looked at her as a friend or as a mother and she had taken her to a relationship that she didn't want.

That possibility was not so crazy. She was the one that had pushed and started it all.

She had kissed her the first time, and Helena had run away scared.

She stood up and rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands.

What if she had pushed her too much?

The doctor had said she had seen Helena disconcerted, she had seen discomfort in her eyes and fear that night at her bedroom.

What if Helena had just agreed to date her because she couldn't refuse… Out of gratitude?

"Dammit." She mumbled pinching the bridge of her nose.

She hadn't stopped to think that. Could it be possible that she had been daydreaming of something impossible?

Helena was wild, impetuous, no one could tame her. It would be hard for some one to do it, she was not used to following rules.

She lowered her head resting her hands on her hips. She didn't want to force Helena to do something she didn't want.

What if Helena loved her, but was not in love with her?

She was screwed.

She needed to have a talk with Helena.

Helena arrived at Barbara's apartment, Quinzel had extended her therapy session, luckily there were just two more to come and it would be finished. She walked inside her home, cleaning her feet at the entrance, it was snowing and hard outside. The redhead sat in the living room just looking at her fire place.

She looked gorgeous, she was wearing an orange sweater and white pants. Her red hair was like fire.

"Hi" she greeted the redhead and gave her a soft kiss on her lips.

"Hi." Barbara said smiling at her with a cup of coffee between her hands "How was therapy?"

"Boring as always." The brunette removed her coat and sat next to her.

The older woman pointed at a flask on the table. "I prepared a cappuccino mocha for you, your favorite."

"Oh great." The young woman took a cup and purred some coffee. She sipped a bit of it. It was warm, delicious.

"Do you think the therapy is helping you?"

The brunette shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not sure. Sometimes I like talking with the doctor but other times, she is a bit weird."

Helena lifted her eyes and noticed Barbara's face was unexpressive, it seemed she was in another world.

"Barbara?"

The redhead blinked "I'm sorry, I was distracted." Barbara put the warm cup of coffee she had between her hands on the table.

Helena noticed she kept her expression serious. Barbara was not used to being like that. "Something wrong?" she asked resting her cup on the table too.

The redhead inhaled deeply before turning to look at her taking her hand. "I want talk with you."

The brunette had the feeling she was not going to like this.

"What's wrong?"

"I have been thinking Helena." She said keeping her gaze on her hands.

Helena bit her bottom lip feeling her heart beating faster, feeling nervous.

"I just want the best for you, you know that. Right?" Barbara mumbled.

Crap. Helena thought, this was definitely bad.

"I think that… maybe this is a mistake… I mean," she looked the brunette "us."

Helena felt a cold shower on her back. She stared at her speechless.

"I have the feeling that that this is not what you are looking for and I…." Barbara had trouble finding the words. She didn't want to have her against her will "I don't want…"

"Is this about yesterday?" Helena asked feeling a knot in her throat. "I said I'm sorry…"

"No, Helena, is not just that…" Barbara exhaled loudly, this was so difficult for her "It's about everything honey."

"Everything?"

"Many things."

"What things?"

"I'm not what you need. I… I don't think this will work…"

Hearing the hard beat of heart against her chest, Helena mumbled almost with a whisper "Do you want us to… finish?"

"I… I think," Barbara nodded biting her lips and holding her gaze "it would be the best for you."

Tears filled the brunette's eyes. "I'm not what you expected?"

"No, you are all that I want."

"So?" blue eyes looked at her confused.

Barbara felt her heart brake noticing her friend's eyes were filled with tears.

"Helena, I don't think I'm what you need." she said "Maybe you are confusing gratitude with love…"

"I am confusing? Am I?" Helena felt anger filling her veins "You looked for me, you insisted that we should try."

"I know but… this would be a mistake." Barbara mumbled remembering Helena's fear of her touch. "I don't want to hurt you."

"You already have." The brunette stood up furious, feeling cheated, feeling Barbara had betrayed her again "You always do it!! And I'm fucking stupid for always believing your words."

"Helena, no."

"You said you loved me!" Helena shouted furious, she had been playing with her, just having a fun moment. Quinzel had warned her and she didn't believe it.

"And I do." Barbara stood up behind her.

"Shut up!" Helena covered her ears with her hands "You are lying to me again!"

"No Helena, not that. I was afraid that I had pushed you to do something you don't want and…"

Barbara tried to touch her arm. The brunette's reaction was so unexpected.

"Don't ever dare to touch me!" Helena jerked back abruptly, her eyes feral, filled with tears, and glowing with anger. "I'm a nuisance to you, I always was…"

"No, that is not true…"

"You don't want me in your life… Why did you make me think…? You are a fucking liar." The brunette stormed to the door.

Barbara ran behind her. "Helena please, maybe I…"

The brunette's hand grabbed her by her throat and pushed her against the wall.

"Never look for me again…" she growled, "You always lied to me. Why? I didn't want to be close to you, you looked for me, every time I was building my own life you interrupted it. Why do you enjoy hurting me?"

"No, Helena…" the redhead gasped.

"You are dead to me, you don't exist, you never existed."

Helena turned and exited Barbara's place. The redhead coughed grabbing her throat, she couldn't let her go, it was all a terrible misunderstanding.

"Helena wait." She shouted but it was too late, the dark haired woman had disappeared behind the elevator doors, she ran toward her secret elevator and pressed the button. It was faster than the normal one. She stepped inside and pressed the button to the lobby.

Helena closed her eyes and rested her back on the elevator wall feeling defeated. She covered her eyes with her hand and bent over, crying, she felt stupid, Barbara had fucked her up again, she had believed in her words and Barbara had just played with her feelings again.

Quinzel had warned her, she had told her that maybe Barbara was just experimenting, trying something new; that this could be just a fake illusion. She was right.

The doors opened and she stormed outside not looking back. She never would come back there, never.

Barbara pounded at the elevator door praying it would move faster. She needed to reach Helena, stop her, and explain that it had all been a mistake. It was the first time in her life she did not feel in control of her own emotions. She had thought she had pushed Helena to accept her, to be with her and that maybe the girl just felt affection for her.

The doors opened and she ran to the foyer of the building. She was not there, she ran outside the building. When she reached the street she turned around looking for the brunette; it was hard to see as the snow was falling over the city.

The dark haired woman was walking in a hurry down the street, on the next block, she ran toward her.

"Helena!" she shouted "Please, come back!!" her mind was focused on explaining to Helena that it was all a misunderstanding. She was so fucking stupid, why hadn't she confessed her fears instead of just asking her to breakup?

She stumbled against a man that appeared from nowhere and gasped feeling a sharp pain in her abdomen. The man held her by her back whispering in her ear: "Greetings from an admirer Miss Gordon."

Her first thought was that he had punched her and she moved her hands to her stomach. The man pulled his hand back, and she noticed then that he had a knife. She looked at him trying to recognize him.

"See you in hell." The man grinned.

The former Batgirl felt her mind cloud, she stared at her hands trying to understand what was happening. They were coated in blood, her blood.

She felt her knees bend under her weight and fell heavily to the ground. The man crossed the street in a hurry.

Helena was going to turn the corner of the next block when a sense of danger filled her senses. She snapped her head back and saw the man stumbling against the redhead.

Then everything moved in slow motion. The man kept walking. Barbara stood for a few seconds following him with her gaze before slipping to the floor.

"Barbara?" Helena narrowed her eyes stepping slowly towards her. The woman lay unmoving on her side. Her first hesitant steps became faster. "Barbara!"

The man crossed the street running, but he was not important. All her mind was focused on the redhead. She ran to Barbara knowing something was wrong, very wrong. She froze noticing the white snow was painted red below the tall woman who lay on her side in the cold snow with her eyes half open.

The memory of the night her mother died hit the thin brunette.

"Not… you" she mumbled kneeling at Barbara's side looking her "not you…".

The redhead's gaze was glassy and lost.

"Barbara." She cradled her carefully and gently against her chest. "Barbara please…"

Green eyes fluttered open. She stared at her and blinked slowly. "Hel?"

"Please hold on… I'll take you to the hospital." She looked around "Help!" she yelled

"Somebody help me!"

Helena felt the redhead's hand grabbing her. She felt it sticky and warm. She lowered her head. Barbara's hand was covered in her own blood, the brunette shivered.

"I… I didn't… mean to hurt you…" Barbara whispered fighting against the darkness that was enveloping all her senses...

"Don't talk." The brunette pressed her hand and kissed her forehead crying. "Please, somebody help me!

"I love you…" Barbara said with soft voice, she felt dizzy and dumb.

"And I love you with all my heart Barbara, don't leave me. I need you, I need you so much."

"I'm sorry… I thought you…"

"Please Barbara," Helena cupped the redhead's cheek "Don't talk."

Barbara squeezed the brunette's hand. She felt her eyes closing and tried to tell Helena it was all a mistake… that her heart belonged to her, but the words couldn't get out of her mouth. Her eyes fluttered closed and she passed out.

"Stay with me, please don't go Barbara," Helena yelled "don't leave me."

The redhead was unmoving. Helena didn't think twice, she was not going to lose her. She stood up and lifted her into her arms and crossed the street, there was a hospital five blocks away, and she needed take her there.

Helena covered her head with her hands, she rocked back and forth on her chair feeling desperate. She was scared as hell, she had seen the blood, she had felt her fainting in her arms. Her mother hadn't survived. Barbara needed to survive, she couldn't die, she would die too.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and she nervously jumped in her place.

"Miss Helena, easy, it's me, Alfred."

"Alfred?" she looked at him, eyes filled with tears "How is she?"

"I don't know, she is still in the operating room." He sat at her side and moved an arm around her back.

The brunette bent towards him and sobbed. "I don't want to lose her too."

"You won't." he hugged her trying to give some comfort to the young girl.

Maybe he was the only person besides Barbara that she let be so close to her. She trusted him, he knew her and always had supported her.

"What happened?" he asked softly when he felt she was calming down.

"I don't know." Helena moved back cleaning her eyes with her hands "A man stumbled against her and stabbed her."

"Who was he?" he gave her the napkin he had in his pocket.

"I don't know. I didn't stop to think about him. I just wanted to help her. I saw him when I walked to the corner, he was standing just there, but I didn't think he was important."

Helena lifted her head hearing steps. It was Jim Gordon, Barbara's father. She stood up abruptly looking at him with expectant eyes.

"It's fine Helena, she will be fine," he said resting a hand on her shoulder "no major organs were damaged besides her stomach."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, the doctor just told me, she is still in surgery, they are closing the wound now."

The brunette let herself fall to the chair and covered her eyes feeling great relief in her soul.

"You can wait for her in her room. They will take her there in a few minutes."

Helena looked him. "Thanks sir but… I'll wait here."

"Alright." He smiled.

"I'm glad she is OK sir." Alfred said.

"Thanks Alfred, thanks so much."

"Any time sir."

Jim walked to the end of the corridor. Alfred sat down again, next to the brunette.

"I will bring you some clothes."

"No, I won't stay."

The answer surprised him. "No?"

"No."

"Miss Barbara will look for you when she is awake."

Helena lowered her head. "I don't think so."

"Excuse me?" Alfred asked confused.

The brunette took a few seconds before answering. "I'm not what she wants."

The elderly butler couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"She broke up with me. She told me it was for the best."

"I don't understand," he said "She told me just two days ago that you were the best thing that had ever happened to her, that she felt really happy with you."

"Well," Helena chuckled sadly as she brushed her hair back with her hand. "Seems she to have changed her opinion fast."

"No, no," Alfred insisted "I never have seen her humming in the mornings and talking with such emotion about anyone else. Miss Barbara doesn't usually change her opinion just like that."

"I always was a moron with her…. I don't deserve her heart…" Helena exhaled "I was rude, I hurt her and I think all that… she thinks, she likes to think and analyze everything, I guess she analyzed all about us and she made a decision." The brunette crossed her arms over her legs "I can't do anything."

"But you love her, you have loved her since I've known you."

"It doesn't matter, what counts is what she wants and…" she licked her lips nervously "I'm not in her plans."

"But she loves you."

"No, she just realized she doesn't love me. She told me so."

Alfred felt disconcerted hearing the girl's words. This was not a common behavior for Barbara Gordon.

"Now I think you will understand why it is not good that I stay." The brunette stood up "I'll call you asking how is she going."

"I insist you must stay." He said.

"Alfred…." Helena bit her lips "it hurts, you know? Hurts to be close to her and… and know…" she bit her lips to not cry "…know that the only person that is important to you, can't love you back."

Helena turned and walked toward the exit.

Barbara was sitting in a wheelchair, staring at the base of the hospital bed.

She had awoken two days before and found her father taking care of her. She barely could remember what had happened, just the argument with Helena and the unknown man stumbling against her.

-Greetings from an admirer miss Gordon. See you in hell.Who was he referring to?

Who had sent him?

She couldn't understand.

She let her finger brush a bit of dust off her pants.

Helena had come back and helped her. She had flashes of Helena crying, saying she loved her when she was lying on the cold snow, but since that day she hadn't come back.

Every time the door opened her heart jumped waiting see her. But she had never come.

She had been calling, but she hadn't answered her phone calls.

This was not good.

Heavens, she had committed a terrible mistake. She covered her eyes with her hand, she wanted to cry. Why she had listened the doctor? Why did she always screw it all up?

She felt guilty, she had hurt her again, she always seemed ready to do it.

The door opened and Alfred walked inside.

"All is ready Miss Barbara," he said "your father is waiting downstairs to take you home."

"Has Helena called?" she asked softly.

"Every day, I told you, to know how are you doing."

"Did you tell her that I want to talk with her?"

"Yes."

Barbara exhaled. "And she doesn't want to do it."

"No." he said standing up behind her.

Barbara nodded.

"She asked me not to tell you she had been asking me to know about you." The old man crossed his hands on his back. "I saw her last night. She is very sad… May I ask you what happened?"

"I love her Alfred," Barbara said sadly "I really do, but I'm afraid Helena loves me, but she is not in love with me. I don't want to force her to do something she doesn't want. It breaks my heart just to think I never would see her again, but… I don't want her to commit a big mistake."

"Miss Barbara, it's hard to make Helena do something she doesn't want."

"I have the feeling she is confusing gratitude with love."

"I think you are wrong." He said. "Miss Helena has been in love with you for years."

Green eyes blinked. "Alfred, we were arguing all the time, she always said she hated me. This is new for us."

"Miss Barbara, there is a thin line that divides hate from love. She always loved you, but she didn't want to accept it, she was so scared to be loved and to give love that she thought hate would be easier."

Barbara took a deep breath

"Miss Helena is broken," Alfred said "she has spent the last days locked in her place drinking."

Barbara frowned. "What?"

"She is broken miss Barbara, you broke her heart, and if you can't see the love she feels for you, I think you are committing the worst mistake of your life."

"Did you see her?"

"Yes, she is really broken, I have never seen her like this. You need to open your eyes and see the truth."

"I'm confused Alfred… Why she then…?" the redhead took his hand "I didn't want hurt her. Could you please go to see her again and ask her come to see me?"

"Sure, I'll try it. But I think you'll need to try another plan. I don't think she will come to see you."

Helena felt depressed and alone. She never thought she would feel like this ever in her life. She had thought for a moment Barbara was part of her world, she had said they were family, that she never would leave her alone, she had said she loved her and she had lied… once more.

She didn't have anything now.

It was like waking up every day knowing there was no future, there was no today, there was nothing.

All had gone.

The door opened and Doctor Quinzel appeared.

"I'm sorry for the delay Helena, I was on a phone call."

"It's fine." The young woman was seated in front of the doctor's window with her hands on her back.

"I'm sorry, I read in the newspaper the terrible news." Quinzel went toward her with a worried expression on her face. "How is Barbara?"

"Doing fine." Helena lowered her head.

"But, tell me," Quinzel asked grabbing her arm and taking her to a seat "What happened?"

"We argued and I left…. She followed me saying it was all a mistake… and some one stabbed her outside her building."

"Oh my God." Harleen rested a hand over her chest "That is horrible, Why? Who?"

Helena sat on the couch. "I don't know."

"It must be horrible for you dear." Quinzel said sitting in front of her and taking her hand. "Why had you two argued? What happened?"

Helena kept silent. She didn't answer.

"You know you can count on me, right?" Quinzel asked with a smooth voice, trying to earn her trust.

The brunette nodded. She tried to move her hand back but Quinzel pressed her fingers.

"Anything you need Helena," she said "I'm here, I'm your friend."

"Thanks doctor."

"No, no, don't call me doctor, call me Harleen." She smiled at her "We are friends."

"Okay Harleen."

The blonde smiled at her. "That's it, what can I do for you, how can I help you?"

"Don't worry." The brunette moved her hand back "Everything is fine, she is recovering, thankfully it was a wound that didn't damage any vital organs."

Quinzel closed her eyes again taking her hand to her chest. "Thank God!"

Helena felt uncomfortable having her so close. "Do you want to start our session?"

"No, no, I want to support you today as a friend." The blonde said with smooth voice "We need friends because we want to share. We need friends because we need somebody who will be there with us when we fall into bad times." Quinzel locked her eyes on her "We need friends, because we want to let somebody know about our deepest thoughts, our ideas, and our real emotions."

"Thanks." Helena whispered turning her head to the side.

"Why did you two argue?"

Helena took a deep breath. "Barbara broke up with me."

The blonde had a hard time avoiding a grin. "But you said…"

"I know what I said." Helena interrupted standing up "It was a mistake. She said… it was a mistake."

"I'm so sorry to hear that Helena." The blonde stood up behind her. "But you said she followed you."

"Yes…" Helena said sadly with her gaze lost and moist "That man stabbed her, I ran to her… she was bleeding. I could only think that I didn't want to see her die as my mom did."

"What happened then." Harleen's eyes were bright, enjoying the emotions flowing from the girl.

"I…. I hugged her… she said she loved me, that she didn't want to hurt me… And she was bleeding, bleeding so much. I was scared, scared as hell, I felt I would die if she died…"

"But she broke up with you."

"But I still love her." Helena's blue pupils locked on her doctor.

"How do you feel now?" Quinzel voice was tender

The brunette chuckled. "How do you think I feel?"

"She lied to you again." Quinzel mumbled faking concern "She betrayed you again, how could you love her after that?"

That was the same question Helena was asking herself. How she could do that to her? She had trusted in her, she had let her be closer than anyone else and she had played with her feelings again. The problem is that she was so fucking in love with her, she wanted to hate her but she couldn't. Now living, not seeing her each day, listening her laugh, enjoying her smile, her touch, it seemed it would be like being in hell.

"I remember that I told you that maybe she could do this to you," Harleen tapped her chin. "But not so soon. Her behavior is pathological, she wants to keep control and she doesn't care who she is hurting or using. She just wanted to know she could have you. Once she got what she wanted… the game was over."

Helena bit her lips and lowered her head.

Quinzel crossed her arms. "Did she have sex with you?"

"That is something personal doc." Helena said moving her head.

"Harleen, Harleen please." Quinzel rested her hands on the brunette's left arm.

Helena turned to see her. "That is, something personal Harleen."

"I want to help you dear." The blonde turned and paced slowly around the office "Analyzing Barbara's behavior makes me guess she was trying to show you she is in control. She will try to make contact with you again."

"With me?"

"You said you two worked together. I'm sure she still needs you and she will want you two to keep seeing each other as friends."

Quinzel knew Barbara surely wouldn't want to break the Batgirl-Huntress couple, and it was not good, she needed to convince Helena that Barbara was not a good person, that she was alone in the world, and bring her to her side.

"Helena," the doctor said pacing slowly close her "imagine what would happen if the relationship between you and her would grow again. Do you think it really would work? Barbara seems to be very different from you, have different interests… Are you sure you wouldn't lose her later? Maybe your destiny isn't to be together."

Quinzel smirked; she had sent one of her men to hurt the redhead. He had been following her for two days, waiting for the best moment. Quinzel wanted to make Helena feel insecure about Barbara, to make her think she could lose her at any moment, but it seemed Barbara Gordon had done a much better job. Now she could be the only person Helena trusted.

She moved closer to the brunette looking for her eyes.

"But don't worry Helena, I'm here." The blonde said softly touching her cheek. "I'll be here anytime you need me. I'm here now."

"Thanks." The young woman said. She moved her head to the side "I must go."

"But we have time."

"I'm not in the mood now doc I just want to be alone."

The blonde took her hand again and put a card in it. "Here, it's my phone number, call me anytime you need me."

The brunette observed the small piece of paper and nodded.

"Helena."

Blue eyes fixed on her.

Harleen leaned and gave her a soft kiss on her lips. Helena closed her eyes for a brief second before opening them to observe the blonde.

"I'll give you anything you ask." She said "Call me."

Helena nodded and turned to exit the office.

Quinzel crossed her arms and observed her leaving. She smirked… now she could take advantage of Helena's loneliness, of her need to be loved.

She had the winning hand.

The brunette sat on the floor next to her bed, she had a glass with whiskey in her hand and a bottle to her side. She had her left leg bent in front of her and her arm resting on her knee and just stared at the far wall.

She felt like shit, she had felt like shit all the last week.

Why did Barbara keep playing with her feelings? She had promised not do it again…

She rubbed her eyes trying to contain her tears. Why had Barbara broken up with her?

She seemed to be happy and comfortable with her.

She had said she loved her. She had lied again. She sniffed and cleaned her nose with her arm before swallowed the rest of her drink.

Taking the bottle, she filled the glass again.

She chuckled and drank a bit more of her liqueur. She was an idiot, Quinzel had warned her and she hadn't listened.

She drank a bit more of her glass and closed her eyes. Damn, now she was really drunk. She couldn't stop seeing Barbara's face, her smile, the way she touched her, the taste of her lips.

She was screwed, she covered her eyes with her hand. Fuck.

Helena's nostrils caught a familiar essence. She snapped her head up and found Barbara standing at her door.

She must be drunk.

She stared at her glass and lifted her eyes again.

Dammit, she was not hallucinating. Barbara was there, standing at the doorframe, supported by a cane. She looked so damn beautiful. Just looking at her made all her hormones run crazy in all her body.

"I don't remember opening the door to you." The brunette mumbled, dammit, it was hard to talk now, she had tons of alcohol inside her.

"You didn't, Alfred has copy of your key." Barbara felt a great sadness seeing her like that.

"Fucking traitor..."

"He is worried for you, like me."

"Go away." she growled drinking her whiskey.

"No, you have been refusing to see me or talk with me."

Helena turned her head slowly to her, her eyes morphed to feral. "Maybe that is because I don't want do it."

"Helena…"

"What part of 'go away' don't you understand?" the brunette interrupted. She stood up and had trouble keeping her balance.

"You are drunk…" Barbara said with sadness. She hated it, she had lost her father for that reason. Alcohol was something that disgusted her.

"So?" Helena walked to her in a threatening way, feral eyes buried on her with anger, she looked like a predator, anyone else would feel intimidated and scared as hell but Barbara looked at her not blinking.

"We must talk."

Helena stood very close to her.

Barbara made a face, she smelled strongly of alcohol.

"Let me tell you this way." The brunette snarled "I don't want to see you ever again in my life!! Get out of here."

"I'm not going to go until we talk." Barbara said, she rested her weight on the cane. She winced lightly, she still felt sore. It had been just four days after the attack on the street. "If you want to leave, you can do it, but I'll find you, you know it."

Helena observed the delicate features of the older woman, she felt she hated her as much as she loved her. It was a weird feeling. She raised her hand and took a thread of red hair between her fingers. It was soft. She closed her eyes and moved back.

"Please go…" she whispered bending to pick up the bottle from the floor "I'm drunk, I want to be alone."

"Please, stop drinking."

"Maybe you hadn't realized it, but I'm at my place," Helena waved her hand holding her glass of liquor. She walked past her. "And it's my fucking life."

"I have been looking for you for days." Barbara followed her to her small living room.

"I was busy." The brunette stumbled against a table "You shouldn't be here, you are healing still."

"I'm in love with you." Barbara said "I don't want to hurt you."

"Bad news." Helena sat at her couch and set her bottle on the living room table. "You already did."

"Helena…" Barbara pinched the bridge of her nose "I thought…"

"Do you know what your fucking problem is? You always think, but you never think about me, just you. Everything is about what you want and what you need." The brunette swallowed the rest of the liquid in her glass.

Barbara understood that this was true, she never talked with her before taking her decision. It was her fault. "You are right…" she exhaled "I was just thinking what could be the best for you."

"You can't know what I think or I feel!"

"I don't want you to commit a mistake."

"My fucking mistake was believing in you, in your words!" Helena filled her glass with more whiskey. "I'm just your fucking toy."

"That's not true! Stop drinking please, it hurts me so much to see you like this".

"Sure… keep saying that." The young woman lifted her glass to her, making a toast before swallowing it contents. She cleaned her mouth with her sleeve and extended her arm to take the bottle from the table.

Barbara lifted the cane she was supporting and hit it hard against the bottle, breaking it in pieces.

"Fuck!" the brunette grumbled moving her hand back and covering her face "What's wrong with you??"

"Stop drinking. You smell like shit."

"You are crazy!" the brunette stood up cleaning her clothes of the drops of liquor that had fallen on her.

Barbara fixed her eyes on her "I said we need to talk."

"Why do you want talk?" Helena growled to her "I listened to you! I'm not what you want and you said it was a mistake. Do you want to apologize for fucking me and screwing my life again? All right, it's fine. Apologies accepted, now go!"

"Helena I'm really in love with you. You are the most important part of my life."

The brunette growled and she swept her right hand over the table throwing all the objects on it crashing against the floor with a big noise.

"I'm tired of you and your fucking games!" she shouted.

The redhead didn't flinch, she walked to her "I broke up with you because I thought I was pushing you to be with me and maybe you don't feel love for me, just gratitude and you…."

"Where the fuck did you get that stupid idea?" Helena narrowed her eyes. What was she talking about? "How could you think that? Are you insane?"

"You, you pulled away when I tried to touch you that night!" Barbara answered standing a few feet from her. She wanted to know what was happening. "You were scared!! And you… you were acting different… You really made me think this is not what you want!"

"I was acting different?" Helena shook her head, fuck, she was too drunk, it was hard think clearly with alcohol in your veins. "You never know what I need or what I want."

"That's not true." The redhead said.

"Tell me then, why didn't you tell me that you were Batgirl? I thought you were open and honest with me, and no, you didn't trust in me. And now… now you made me think that you loved me," Helena clenched her teeth, her eyes moist "that I was not alone anymore, that I have a home, a family… and… you…" she looked her with sad eyes "Why didn't you just ask instead of 'thinking' for me? It always is about what you think, never about what I think or I want. I'm not a fucking toy, I'm not a fucking child. And you don't understand. You are blind, you can't see me…" she covered her face with her hands "I know how much I love you and… it hurts… hurts to know that you can't see it."

Barbara felt like a piece of garbage. The brunette tried to walk away but she lost the equilibrium and fell to her side. Barbara tried to help but the girl waved her hand.

"I'm okay, I'm okay…" she straightened and rubbed her eyes with her palm. "I think I'm drunk… you better go Barbara, I go, I go to my room."

"Why did I see fear in your eyes that night?" Barbara asked. "Why were you so scared that night?"

Helena passed a hand through her hair and rested her back on the wall.

"Its about that Helena, it made me think that." the redhead said softly moving closer "Your fear, your rejection… made me think you love me as a friend, but not as anything else, that you are not in love with me."

"That's a lie!" the brunette shouted angrily glaring at her. When she lifted her head she noticed that Barbara was close, too damn close. She hated that her presence affected her so much. She lowered the tone of her voice. "You don't know what I'm feeling;" she said softly "you don't know what's inside me."

"Tell me then, help me to understand you, you confuse me. I know you have been with many other people before…" the redhead said "the idea is… the idea kills me, but I can't do anything. I hate to know you… you lay with other women. Its not nice to think on that… and it is killing me not to know why…" she cleared her throat and looked for her eyes. "Why you can't be with me as… you had been with other women before."

"I'll never would do that!" Helena mumbled.

Barbara felt disconcerted with her answer. "Why Helena?"

She was much closer than the brunette wanted. The young woman looked at her, her eyes were no longer feral, they had turned blue again, a deep blue filled with sadness.

"Because I love you… You are not like all those women… Don't you understand it? You are the only woman I have ever loved. I had fucked many times… but I have never made love. I realized it that day and… it scared me."

All the pieces fell in place for Barbara. She understood many things then.

"You must think I'm an idiot." Helena mumbled moving to a side.

The redhead grabbed her arm and stopped her. "No you aren't. I'm the idiot."

The brunette kept silent not looking her.

"I had been in hell the last days, the thought of not seeing you again turned me crazy. But I really thought I was doing something wrong, that you were with me because I was pushing you to do it… I… I kissed you… I looked for you…. I prefer to let you go, than make you live a lie."

"Why didn't you ask me?" Helena fixed her moist eyes on her.

"Because I'm an idiot. Please forgive me," the redhead cupped her cheek with her palm "I have been so blind and didn't see how much you love me. I need you so much."

Helena closed her eyes a brief second. Barbara's touch made her feel butterflies. She felt her heart beating fast, Barbara had placed a fucking spell on her. She opened her eyes and found herself trapped in intense green regarding her.

"I hate you." Helena whispered.

"No, you don't…" Barbara leaned forward.

"I do…" Helena's pupils fixed on her red lips.

"You can't…" the redhead brushed her lips against the brunette's mouth.

"Why not?" the brunette whispered closing her eyes under the melting touch.

"Because you love as much as I love you." Barbara closed her eyes too and let her tongue trace the inner lips of the dark haired woman.

"But…" Helena moaned under the soft touch "I really hate you…."

"Why?" Barbara's tongue asked for entrance.

"Because I can't stop loving you…" The brunette surrendered and opened to her.

Helena whimpered at the contact, her stomach muscles clenched in sudden desire. She reached a hand behind Barbara's head and pulled her even closer, pressing her mouth to her. Barbara wrapped her arms around her. It was a perfect moment, there was nothing else around them, just them…

Finally, they separated, a need to breathe, they rested their foreheads against each other as they gasped for air.

"Fuck… I'm drunk…" the brunette mumbled. "I'm dreaming you are here…."

"Yes," Barbara kissed her forehead "You are very drunk but you are not dreaming, I'm here."

"I love you so much. I was going crazy thinking I'd never see you again." Blue eyes fixed on the redhead with incredible love and tenderness.

"I'm sorry," Barbara said "I'll never, never do anything without talking with you first."

Helena let her fingers trace the redhead's cheek softly tracing it under her chin. She leaned forward and kissed her again, slowly and with sweetness. She enjoyed the taste of the other woman, she had wanted so much take her in her arms, kiss her, feel her again close to her.

The brunette buried her head on the redhead's neck.

"Mmmmmm…." Barbara whispered tasting her lips "Whisky and Burboun…"

"Oh sorry…" Helena said moving back a few inches "I'm drunk… I know you don't like it but…"

"Hey, don't worry." The redhead smiled at her "But you need a strong coffee and a shower. What do you say if we calm down and talk about it all tomorrow? I don't want anything, interfering between us again."

"Yeah and…" the young woman moved back touching her clothes "I'm a mess now…"

"I agree…" the older woman chuckled "Came on, go take a shower, we can talk tomorrow, I'll go home now."

"No, you need to be resting… you are hurt…."

"I'm fine," Barbara smiled caressing her rebellious lashes.

"No…" the brunette shook her head "I can take you home. You need to be resting."

"I pass, you are very drunk to drive…" Barbara laughed "Don't worry "Alfred is downstairs."

"Right… I'm drunk…" Helena nodded looking around "But you can't go out, it's freezing outside.… You can stay in my bed…"

"No, don't worry, Alfred will take me."

"No, I don't want you to go out." The young woman shook her head pulling her gently inside her bedroom "It's cold, you stay in my room and…" she waved her hand toward the living room. "I'll stay here…"

"Hel…" Barbara looked for her gaze.

"Just sit and rest." The brunette said making the redhead sit on her bed.

"I'm fine, you are the one who needs to sit." the older woman said amused.

"Do you want a tea?" Helena picked up some cushions from the floor.

"Helena." The redhead said amused.

"The person that cleans my house just came today…" she threw the cushions inside her closet "So don't worry."

The redhead smiled gently taking her hand. "It's fine."

"No, no, you are healing," the brunette stepped back and stumbled against the bench and fell down.

"Careful." Barbara said extending her arm.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." Helena stood up immediately waving her hands "Oh… I forgot Alfred… You stay there and be comfortable, I'll tell Alfred you will stay here…"

"All right, I'll stay if you promise to take a warm bath and a strong cup of coffee."

"Yes, okay." the dark haired woman rubbed her knee hopping to her door. Shit. That had hurt. "So… I'll be right back…"

Barbara smiled, she was lovely. As strong and hard as she looked, the truth is that she was a fragile girl, a girl with a deep need for love and affection.

Barbara had awoken finding Helena deeply asleep curled up at her side. After Helena had taken a warm bath, she had a bit of trouble convincing Helena not to sleep on the couch. She had refused saying she didn't want hurt her because she was healing. Finally she had convinced her to stay with her. She had fallen asleep almost immediately. She had barely slept the last days and was tired.

And it had all been her fault.

Caressing the brunette's hair, she inhaled deeply. She wanted to turn the time back and change all the mistakes she had done and that had hurt the young girl.

She kissed the brunette's forehead and stood up. She wanted to surprise her with a warm coffee, she was still feeling still a bit sore, she stood up slowly.

The city was just waking up. The sky had a color half lit red-gold from the sun's rays. It was a cold but nice morning. She opened the curtain and spent several minutes enjoying the view through the small window. New Gotham seemed to be more alive, more bright. It was as if that morning was different from others. Being with Helena made her look at things in a different way.

After preparing a warm coffee, she prepared a second cup and took the tray to the bedroom. Helena, half asleep, sat up in the bed and turned to see her.

"Morning" Barbara greeted. Helena looked adorable dressed in a white light cotton t-shirt, that let her view her small but firm breasts and white under wear. The brunette's hair was still mussed, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. 

"You are here." She smiled. Barbara was gorgeous; incredibly beautiful she never could feel tired of looking at her. An overwhelming need to touch her, to trace her body with her lips, taste her, invaded all her senses and body.

"Of course, don't tell me you can't remember anything."

"I thought for a moment I had dreamt about you coming back to see me last night." Helena said removing the blankets covering her legs. "But when I smelled you on the blankets and the coffee, I knew you really are here. Your brain can't start working if you don't drink a coffee first."

Barbara chuckled. "True, bad habit, I prepared coffee for you, I thought you would need it and the morning is beautiful." She was distracted, watching with pleasure as Helena stood up and stretched leisurely, extending her arms to their fullest, rotating her neck. It was a feline display, and… entirely seductive. 

Heavens.

She didn't even think Helena was aware of her sensuality, she had no idea how attractive she was as she stretched, she was damn sexy and she moved unselfconsciously in a way that left her panting.

"Do you want coffee Hel?" Barbara took the brunette's hand. She looked into blue eyes that seemed capable of seeing directly into her soul. Those eyes offered her absolution from all her past wrongs.

The young woman let her fingers caress long red hair. She was stunning with the sun's rays catching her hair. She felt her eyes glowing.

"No, I want you." She pulled her gently to kiss her. Barbara had expected a light brush of lips in greeting, but what she received instead was a very passionate kiss. Helena's tongue wasted no time in entering her mouth and all Barbara could do was take it relaxing into the caresses. Feeling her soft lips and tongue was erotic in a way she hadn't experienced before.

She pulled away just a fraction of an inch, and the movement of her lips just barely brushed against Helena's. Just the brushing of their lips across one another's was erotic, overwhelming.

"I love you." Barbara whispered the words Helena would never tire of hearing.

"You are so beautiful." The brunette whispered moving back a few inches, she caressed the redhead's face. Barbara looked over at her young partner. Desire was clear in Helena's eyes, but there was more: love.

Helena nuzzled her lips against Barbara. She trailed her lips down her jawbone. Helena felt a glowing heat begin between her legs. She was aroused.

"I think I need a cold shower…" she said breathless.

"Maybe I can help you." The redhead brushed her lips against her eyebrows.

"You are still healing Barbara…" Helena closed her eyes trying to remain in control but Barbara was not helping so much with her soft lips over her skin.

"I don't care." Barbara pulled gently her neck up to bring her for a kiss. Their lips met softly, the redhead enjoyed the sensation of having her mouth pressed against Helena's. Then she parted her lips and tasted the inside of the brunette's mouth.

Helena gently pulled on Barbara's tongue to draw her in deeper and the redhead willingly complied with the silent request.

Barbara loved covering Helena's mouth completely, she wanted more, her hands clutched at the sides of Helena's head and held her still, while she used her tongue, lips, and teeth to devour Helena's mouth.

She didn't know how, but she suddenly felt the back of her knees against the mattress. Slowly, she was pushed down. Helena blanketing her with her thin form. It made her whole body shiver in pleasure.

"You are so beautiful." mumbled the brunette looking in emerald eyes, her pupils glowing to feral. Barbara moved her arms around the young woman's neck and pulled her down to kiss her again.

Helena let her hand map the redhead's side moving down, until her thigh, she pulled it up against her side and caressed it with the tip of her fingers with slow and teasing movements.

Helena moved carefully, so sinuous, as a wind making the redhead senses ignite. Barbara moved her hands below the brunette's t-shirt and traced the strong muscles on her back. Helena moved slowly down, so damn slow. Barbara was sure she was torturing her. Helena was soft as a breeze over her body, knowing where and how to touch. Making her feel sensations in places she never thought would be that sensitive.

She pulled Barbara's head up for a deep kiss and slowly rolled making her back rest against the mattress.

Her arm moved to her lower abdomen mapping her abs, her back hand caressed below a firm breast before letting her fingers touch a hard nipple. She pressed it gently making Barbara moan in pleasure. It encouraged the dark haired woman to envelope her breast with her palm and knead it.

Helena closed her eyes trying to absorb all the sensations flowing over her body.

When Barbara felt Helena's warm breath over her nipple, she thought she would go insane.

Helena bit through her t-shirt but it was brief, she wanted more.

"Your mouth Helena…" she gasped holding her head between her hands.

Helena pulled down Barbara's shirt and kissed the tip of her beast. She traced slow circles around it before covering it with her mouth and sucking slowly. The brunette felt her clit throbbing harder against her, now wet, underwear.

With her other hand she covered Barbara's other breast and pressed her palm hard against it. Barbara felt lost under Helena's touch, soft whimpers echoed in the room, encouraging Helena to keep up her gentle ministrations, teasing, licking, caressing her chest with mouth and fingers.

Helena's hand moved below and cupped the redhead's warm center. Barbara moaned under her touch.

The brunette pressed her palm against it before she moved her hand making soft circles.

The young crime fighter purred enjoying the taste of the woman she loved so much. It was salty and sweet, a mix that made all her body tremble in excitement.

Barbara was with her, she was loving her. As she released her breast, she realized she wanted more and took the other soft mound in her mouth as her hand moved below and cupped Barbara's warm center.

The redhead arched her back feeling Helena's fingers on her. The brunette began to move her hand slowly, tracing teasing circles over the soft cotton of her underwear.

Helena growled excited when she felt Barbara began to rock her hips against her hand. She was looking for her touch. It was beyond all her fantasies.

She moved up and kissed the redhead. Moving her hand up, she felt the bandage over her waist. She brushed her lips against the redhead's eyelids and resting her knees at the sides of the other woman's torso, she moved back trying to control her breathing.

"…I don't want to hurt you…" Helena whispered.

Barbara's answer was to cup the brunette's head between her hands and pull her down to steal a deep kiss. Without breaking contact, the redhead's hands moved toward the brunette's t-shirt and pulled at it, forgetting all about good manners and finesse, surprising the young woman. She wanted to feel her skin under her fingers and, at the same time, she tried to be slow and gentle. She never thought she would feel that need to touch, to feel the other woman.

Helena moved back gasping to take oxygen. She didn't know Barbara was that demanding, she grinned at her.

She liked it.

Barbara sat and removed her own tank top with a single fast movement while the young woman still sat upon her lap. Helena's pupils glowed. She stared at Barbara's nude torso open mouthed, wow, she was gorgeous. It was a porcelain statue, a surreal vision, she extended her hands and traced Barbara's lower breast, her eyes following the movement of her own hands, the feeling of that soft skin was incredible, slowly she moved up to her sides and to her shoulders. Her hands stopped at the redhead's neck and her blue irises meet verdant green eyes.

Barbara wrapped her arms around the young woman's torso and lifted her head to kiss the brunette holding her against her. Feeling the young woman's nipples against her skin was electrifying.

Barbara softly tasted Helena's sweet mouth again as her fingers traced the strong muscles on her back. She felt it trembling under her light touch. Her hands moved making soft circles lower until she found the edge of her underwear.

"You need to remove this." She husked trapping between her teeth her chin.

"You are overdressed too…"

"I asked first." Barbara said smiling to her.

"I have a better idea."

"What's it?"

"Turn over…"

Barbara did as she was told. Helena kneeled, resting her legs across Barbara's thighs and leaned to kiss the back of Barbara's neck.

"You have a sexy neck."

"And you have a very skilful mouth…"

"Years of practice… for you." Helena purred in her ear.

"Practice…?" Barbara asked trying to organize her thoughts, it was difficult think with Helena touching her like that. She felt a sudden stab of jealousy "…with who?"

The brunette bit her lobe gently, and rubbed her breast against her back, she didn't want Barbara thinking right now and besides, the sensation was wonderful and the trembling of the redhead's body under her made her know she was enjoying it too.

"I love you…" Helena growled snuggling her nose in soft red hair and began to trace her back with soft kisses moving down slowly, tracing her muscles with her fingers and tongue.

The brunette took her time exploring, touching every corner of the other woman's skin, she wanted to memorize each inch, taste her, keep that moment forever.

Barbara heard a guttural moan that, to her surprise, was hers. She felt she could combust right there, Helena was doing marvelous things to her body, was touching her as no one had done before. Helena was really turning her on, she was making all her body shiver, taking her time discovering, tracing every inch of her skin. Her tongue laved her lower back with languid strokes; her hands moved smoothly over Barbara's rear sending erotic jolts to all her nerves.

Helena's hands found Barbara's cotton underwear and pulled it down as she removed her own.

The brunette kissed her buttocks and rubbed her face against firm thighs. She let her hands touch and trace her buttocks and kissing her spine she began to trace a journey to her neck with languid and soft strokes of her tongue, she let her chest rub along the redhead's back making her moan in pleasure…

"I always thought your butt was fake." She purred at Barbara's lobe.

"What?" green eyes blinked.

"Your butt looks fantastic in your Batgirl costume." Helena bit her neck "It thought it was fake…"

"Fake?"

"Well, it is too beautiful to be natural." The young woman smiled.

"Well, it is pretty real." Barbara turned her head and found amused feral eyes. Helena was so beautiful…

"I just noticed… and I love it." Helena snuggled her nose against her.

Barbara turned rolled over and put the brunette with her back at the mattress.

"My turn…" Barbara whispered as she let herself fall slowly over the other woman's body resting between the young woman's legs. She claimed Helena's mouth. She wanted to consume her, drink her, be inside her skin, her mind. She bit the young woman's neck hard making the brunette growl.

The feeling of a woman's body below her was very different than a man. The skin was soft, the lines of her body delicate; Helena seemed have a thin body, fragile, but it wasn't, it was firm, she could feel strong muscles making the touch of her skin an incredible experience. She moved back a few inches and rested her palm over Helena's left breast closing her eyes letting her senses discover the new sensations that were enveloping her.

She pressed her hand harder against the soft mound and the moan that escaped from her young lover was the most erotic sound she ever had heard. It encouraged her to press her hand against her again and lower her head closer.

She opened her mouth and inhaled deeply. She never had been with a woman, this was different and she felt amazed by her own reaction. Barbara then felt Helena's hand over her head, she pushed her softly down, toward her nipple.

"Please Barbara…" she murmured.

She let her young companion guide her and she enveloped the hard peak between her lips, tugging gently and touching it with the tip of her tongue. Helena trembled under her touch and moaned. She began to work slowly on that sensitive part of the young woman's body and her delicate first strokes turned to an overpowering need to take her, to mark her as hers.

Breathing heavily the brunette let her free hand trace the side of Barbara's body, caress her hair, her back. Barbara was gorgeous, the vision of her mouth over her chest turned her on like hell. She couldn't hold herself anymore and pushed her hips against Barbara's body...

Barbara moved and pushed her warm center against Helena. She rested her body between the brunette's legs and pressed her lower body against Helena's.

Both moaned under the sensation.

They began to move slowly against each other.

The only sound she could hear was her heart beating faster in her chest and her gasping sounds. They kept rocking for long minutes, enjoying the friction of their bodies together.

The dark haired woman moved up and gently bit the redhead's lips. Barbara's arousal filling her nostrils had her out of her mind. Barbara was hers. Barbara loved her.

Helena turned the redhead on to her back trying to find a better position. She mounted the redhead's thigh as her hand slipped to caress soft red curls. Barbara's hips jerked.

"I love you." Helena mumbled kissing her and moving her hand, explored the junction between her legs.

The redhead closed her eyes and moaned in pleasure and began to move in rhythm with the brunette's hand. Helena's eyes glowed to feral overwhelmed by the vision of Barbara arching her torso in pleasure. She was so beautiful… she wanted to love Barbara. She wanted take her slowly to the edge and come with her in a mind numbing orgasm.

Helena licked Barbara's nipple laving it tenderly with her tongue before enveloping it with her lips.

"Helena…" Barbara mumbled.

Helena tried to memorize every sound she made, she licked the small drops of sweat from the hollow between the redhead's breasts, she lifted her head to find green irises full of desire, desire for her.

"I want to be inside you." The brunette whispered biting her lower lip.

"Please Helena." The redhead answered wrapping her arms around her neck to kiss her.

Barbara arched as she felt a delicate finger moving inside her; Helena's eyes dilated at the vision of Barbara so lost in pleasure. She began to move slowly.

Barbara trembled under Helena's possessive grip on her; she knew how to touch her, how to awake every nerve in her skin, it was as if the young woman could be inside her soul and know which buttons to press to take her to heaven.

Helena's mouth pressed against her demanding entrance, the kiss this time was not gentle, it was hard, rough, as if she wanted to consume her, take her air, her life with her. Her hand moved a second finger inside and increased the tempo of her movements making the redhead hold her thigh against her and bit her shoulder hard as Helena pressed her center against her thigh.

Barbara moved her right hand to Helena's back to press her harder against her.

This was something she never had felt, all her body was on fire, her mind lost in the pleasure of being in the arms the woman she never thought could love her that much.

Feral eyes fixed on the redhead, Helena trying to control herself and not come too soon, she growled noticing the pupils of her loved one were dilated. Barbara was immersed in a wave of pleasure, she was close and looked so damn beautiful.

"You are mine…." her mouth took the redhead's to drink the sweet nectar of her lips as she felt her body explode, strong muscles pressed against her fingers and Barbara cried feeling her world explode.

Helena couldn't hold back anymore and both came in a mind numbing and intense climax that made the brunette howl; a white light filled her mind and there was not sound around.

The silence filled the room.

Barbara didn't know how long she was out, when she opened her eyes the room was quiet, the curtains closed and she couldn't say what time it was. She never had experienced something like that, she still felt dumb but full, alive. It took her a few seconds to organize her thoughts and remember where she was, to recognize a soft vibration over her chest.

She lowered her head and found Helena's head resting on her chest purring, with a possessive grip around her waist, she was deeply asleep. She smiled and moved her arms around her inhaling deeply of her hair before rubbing her face against the soft dark curls.

The young crime fighter, opened her eyes sleepily. She moved her head lazily and rubbed it against the redhead's chest. It was marvelous to awake surrounded by Barbara's scent and enveloped in her arms. She had dreamt many times about it, but this was beyond her best dreams.

"Hi lazy cat." Barbara whispered.

"Hi…" Helena moved her head up to kiss the redhead's lips softly. Barbara returned the tender caress. She never thought making love was so different from just having sex. It was overwhelming and out of mind, she definitely wanted to do it again.

"It was marvelous." Green eyes filled with love fixed on blue eyes. Helena was so beautiful, she caressed her cheek with her the back of her hand.

"You are amazing." The brunette rubbed her cheek against her hand.

"I'm not sure if I did it OK… I don't have experience with girls."

"Is much better. You are incredible." The brunette leaned and kissed her and let her hand caress her nude torso, she didn't feel tired of tasting her, touching her. The sensation of Barbara's nipples against her skin made her libido increase to high levels again.

Barbara broke the kiss and fixed her eyes on her. "Hel, you said… 'years of practice', years of practice with who?"

The brunette's answer was to kiss her jaw and move slowly down as her hand kneaded her breast.

The redhead gasped closing her eyes. "Hel, don't try to distract me… Who… Who did you practice with?"

"I'm busy…" the brunette grumbled moving down.

"I'm serious Hel." Barbara took her face between her hands and pulled her to her vision level.

Blue eyes appeared behind dark bangs. "Is that important right now?"

"Well… I just… "

"Barbara…" the brunette's hand moved over the redhead's lips "You are my life. You are the first woman I've made love to. I couldn't live without you."

"Why did you always push me away then?"

Helena snuggled close to her and buried her head in her neck. She took long seconds before finally answering: "I was afraid to love you."

"Why?" Barbara's hand scratched her scalp.

The brunette loved that touch. "Because I knew that if I fell in love with you I couldn't go back."

"And is that bad?"

Helena lifted her head and looked her amused and moved her hand down, "You ask so much…"

Barbara gasped when she felt Helena's hand on her sex. She closed her eyes and moved her head back under her gentle touch.

"I want to feel you again." Helena whispered kissing her jaw.

Barbara's answer was to trap her lips in a deep and sweet kiss.

The redhead was in front of her computer, staring at the monitor with her cheek resting on her palm. She had shared a wonderful day with Helena and she had wished it would never end. They had spent all day just loving each other.

She closed her eyes, she could still feel Helena's hands on her, she had been so sweet, so tender. It had been marvelous. She felt like a teenager.

A teenager in love.

She smiled.

She checked her watch, she couldn't believe she had done it again. She and Helena wouldn't see each other until night as the brunette had to work at the bar. The day seemed be moving slowly.

Knocking on the door awoke her from her thoughts.

"Come in." she said adjusting her glasses and leaning to her keyboard.

"Excuse me, a messenger brought some flowers for you Miss Gordon." The secretary said smiling opening the door.

"Oh, that's nice, come in." the redhead moved back in her chair.

Her eyes opened wide when she saw four guys walking inside carrying the biggest flower arrangements she had ever seen.

The secretary pointed to the table in the middle of the office.

"You can leave it there." And pointed at a shelf against the wall "And there too."

The redhead looked quizzically at her secretary who just shrugged her shoulders.

"What's this?" she asked standing up, not understanding.

"Mr. Brixton is very nice."

Barbara took the small envelope and opened it. There were just two single words. 'Love you. H.'

A big smile painted her face.

"It's not Wade. We already broke up." The redhead moved toward the arrangement and smelled it. They were her favorite flowers.

"I'm sorry."

Barbara smirked. "I'm not." All right, enough was enough. She picked up her coat and bag. "I must go out, call me if it's an emergency"

"Sure. Will you come back?" the woman asked.

"I don't think so."

Helena gave a glass of scotch to her client. The place was full, it seemed the cold outside made people drink a lot. She took her cloth and cleaned two more glasses and prepared two more beverages. She turned and gave them to her customers.

She bent and looked for more glasses.

Today seemed be different, it was as if everything had a sense in her life. It was as if everything had a special brightness.

She was in love.

Being in love was fantastic. She could now see the truth inside her, she had always loved Barbara, ever since the first time she saw her after her recovery. When she was coming down the manor stairway and Barbara stood there looking amazing in a tight, dark green dress. Her laugh was sunshine.

At the same time she felt so hurt, that she hated her, but it was not hate, it was love and fear to accept it.

"Hi beautiful," a known voice at the counter was heard "What would you suggest for me to drink?"

The brunette lifted her head and felt surprised with her unexpected visit.

"Dr. Quinzel?"

"Hi," the blonde smiled "How are you?"

"Hi," Helena smiled back "I'm glad to see you, what are you doing here?"

"I thought it would be a good idea know the environment where you work to understand you better." Quinzel eyed the brunette, she was simply… breathtaking with that thin top barely covering her belly and her tight black mini skirt.

"Well," Helena waved her hand to the left "this is my job."

"Very nice place." The blonde gave her the best of her smiles.

"Want to drink something?"

"Scotch will be fine." Quinzel crossed her arms over the counter observing the dark haired woman's movements.

"Sure." Helena turned her back to her "Our last appointment is on Friday."

"I know, and in some ways it makes me feel sad."

The brunette turned and extended the glass to the doctor. "Why?"

"Well, I really appreciate you. I hope we can keep being friends." Quinzel tasted her beverage.

"Sure." Helena said.

"Mmm... excellent."

"I told you, I'm good.".

"Yes, you always are. Can you talk or are you busy?"

"We can go to that table," Helena pointed to the bottom of the bar "I can take a few minutes."

The blonde walked over to the table the young woman had suggested. She sat and crossed her legs as Helena joined her with a glass of tonic water in hand.

"No alcohol?" Quinzel lifted an eyebrow straightening herself to let the brunette see the plunging neckline of her blouse…

"Working." Helena smiled noticing her movement. "Nice blouse."

"Thanks, I'm glad you like it." the doctor chuckled and fixed her eyes on her "I see you look different, happy."

"I am." Helena drank from her glass.

"Want to share something with me?"

"Barbara loves me." Helena said with a bright smile on her face.

That was bad and unexpected news. She was expecting Barbara to keep rejecting her. "Excuse me? Helena, I'm sure she is trying to confuse you, beware." Quinzel tried to keep her face from showing her discomfort.

"No, she isn't. She really loves me."

"She would say that but," Harleen crossed her fingers in front of her keeping all her attention on the brunette "She is straight and we don't know what will happen in the intimacy of a bedroom."

Helena smiled and lowered her head.

"Did I say something funny?" Quinzel looked for her eyes.

"We were together." Helena whispered fixing her eyes on her.

The blonde felt as if she had been punched in the stomach; the brightness in Helena's eyes was unarguably that of a woman in love. She swallowed and cleared her throat before asking "Do you mean… you and she…?"

"Yeah." The brunette bent her head smiling. "It was incredible. It was not just sex doctor." Helena whispered "It was something more, I have never felt like that, as I feel now."

Quinzel nodded feeling upset. This Barbara Gordon was really turning into a big pain in her ass. She swallowed a long sip of her scotch.

"And…" she coughed "How do you know she feels the same for you?"

"I just know it."

"I'm so glad for you Helena." Harleen said extending her hand and resting it over Helena's "but at the same time I'm worried for you. Barbara's personality seems to be unstable and I wouldn't like to know that she is just experimenting, trying something new with you."

"That never will happen."

"Well, you have been together just a few days? Weeks? We don't know Helena. A few weeks ago she was dating this Wade Brixton saying she loved him and now, she is dating you, saying she loves you. I just don't want her to hurt you again as she has been doing these last years." Quinzel took another sip of her drink. "I'm trying to be as neutral as possible to help you." She pressed Helena's hand "I would say it's my work, but this is beyond that, I'm interested in you because I see you as a friend more than a patient."

Helena took a deep breath. She didn't like her comments much, but Harleen's intentions were good. "Thanks."

"I hope she doesn't disappoint you," Quinzel withdrew her hand back "I hope she takes this relationship as seriously as you. We both know that Barbara has an excellent reputation".

Quinzel fixed her eyes on the girl, she needed to create a vulnerable point in Helena's heart to make her feel that she was her only support. "She is known to be the perfect model of a daughter, a business woman and a professional. A perfect woman, so perfect that she is the one most bachelors in the city want."

Helena moved uncomfortably in her seat, she didn't like to hear her comments but they were very true. On the other hand she was known as the rebellious daughter of an eccentric millionaire that used to be in trouble, that used to have fast relationships with people of her own sex. She was not exactly the girl that any father would want for his daughter.

Quinzel smiled to herself knowing she had hit the point. She kept talking.

"You two are different. Do you think she will talk about you with her friends, family? Maybe she wants to keep your relationship as a secret. Have you talked with her about it?"

"Our relationship is just between us doctor."

"Please, call me Harleen please, Helena. We are friends."

Helena was a beautiful woman that she wanted for herself. She was also the dangerous crime fighter that had been screwing her plans, but knowing how to handle her, it would not be so difficult to guide her to the dark side.

"All right Harleen." Helena sighed "But I don't want to talk about me and Barbara. I just can tell you I'll respect any decision she takes."

"Whatever it is?" the blonde lifted an eyebrow quizzically.

"Yeah." Helena nodded

"I hope you understand I'm talking about this with you because I'm worried for you. I just want you to be happy."

"Thanks, I appreciate your worrying but as I told you, this is just between she and me."

"Just remember I'll always be there for you honey." Quinzel leaned and extended her hand to touch her cheek,

"Remember it."

When Barbara arrived at Dark Horse bar it was full with people and it was hard to see because the lights were dim. She walked to the counter in the middle of the bar and looked around searching for her young partner. She wanted to surprise her, the detail of flowers was so nice, especially knowing that they had talked about flowers before and Helena had always said it was corny and for old people, 'I'm not a flower person' she had said.

"What would you like to drink madam?" a barman asked.

"I'm looking for Helena Kyle."

"Oh, she is at the bottom of the bar." He pointed to his right "I guess with her new conquest."

"Conquest?"

"Yes, she is very popular with girls and men." He sighed "Very hot. Shame she prefers girls."

The redhead turned her eyes and found the brunette sat at the far corner. She felt her anger boil noticing a blonde caressing Helena's cheek. Her face was very close to her.

"I see, thanks." She mumbled.

The woman with Helena leaned and kissed her close to her mouth, the brunette didn't move and just smiled. She recognized the woman.

It was her therapist.

Doctor Harleen Quinzel.

What was she doing there?

She observed them for a few seconds in silence. Definitely Quinzel was being more than friendly, she was flirting with Helena and she didn't like it.

Decision made, she went toward the table.

"Helena." She greeted smiling at the brunette who turned surprised to see her.

Before she could say a word Barbara took her by her scalp and pulled her against her to steal a demanding kiss, taking all the brunette's air.

She moved back smiling noticing Helena's dazed expression. She turned to see the doctor. "Doctor Quinzel, what a nice surprise." She said.

"Do you know each other?" Helena asked surprised.

"Sure, who would not know the famous Barbara Gordon?" Quinzel couldn't hide her annoyance.

"I'm sorry if I interrupted something," the redhead moved her arm behind the brunette's back "but I wanted say thanks to Helena for the wonderful flower arrangement she sent to me today."

"Did you like it?" the brunette smiled looking her.

"Loved it."

"Well, I must go." Quinzel said standing up. "So, I'll leave you two alone to talk."

"It's too soon, why don't you stay?" Barbara asked.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I have an appointment."

"It's a shame, maybe we can go out to lunch some day."

"Sure, will be a pleasure." She looked at the brunette "Goodbye Helena."

"See you doctor."

Both observed the doctor walk to the stairs.

"Now, what was that?" Helena asked smiling at Barbara.

"She was flirting with you." Barbara said caressing her hair "I just wanted to let her know who is the boss."

"Boss?" Helena chuckled.

"No one messes with my girl, and besides, I didn't want to wait until tonight to say thanks." She took her hand between hers "I loved the flowers. You are so sweet, no matter how much you try to hide it."

"I'm not sweet."

"You are, and I love you for it."

"You love it?"

"Yes, I love you being corny." The redhead gazed to her right and noticed Quinzel was at the stairway looking them. It seemed the blonde didn't like it because she turned and hurried to the exit.

Her reaction was strange.

The brunette noticed her distraction. She turned but Quinzel already had gone.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

"What's going on between you and your therapist?" Barbara asked turning to look at the brunette.

"Nothing, why?"

"I saw her being very friendly with you."

"She just came to visit me." Helena said. "And she wanted to let me know she wanted to be my friend."

Barbara played with her tongue inside her cheek. Quinzel had asked many questions about Helena the day she had come to visit her, 'worried' for her patient, and now she was here. She had showed too much interest in her young companion and she didn't like it.

"I will never cheat on you Barbara." the brunette hurried to say.

Barbara chuckled and took her hand. She didn't want to worry her. "I know, but I have the impression she is flirting with you."

"Well… many people flirt with me…"

Barbara lifted her eyebrow quizzically.

"Hey, I'm hot. It's not my fault, you are very lucky."

"True…" Barbara chuckled.

"The therapy is almost over Barbara, I just have one more appointment and I'll not see her anymore."

"Kyle!!" Leonard shouted at the bar.

"I'm sorry." Helena said. "I must go to work."

"I know, don't worry." Barbara moved her hand and rested it over the brunette's "You have a double shift right?"

"Yeah…" the brunette sighed. It was not nice, the idea of not being with the redhead that day.

"Don't worry, maybe we can have lunch tomorrow." The redhead caressed her cheek.

"Great." A big smile painted on Helena's face.

Barbara finished her work at Delphi, the activity in the city was calm. It was good to have a break. She took a warm bath and changed her clothes. She sat at her bed and stared at the phone on the night table. She felt tempted to call Helena, she checked her watch, it was almost two in the morning. Helena finished her shift at one and surely now she would be sleeping.

She turned off the light and rested her head on her pillow, closing her eyes. After a few seconds she turned the light back on, picked up the phone and dialed Helena's number. She felt a terrible need to hear her voice.

The sound of the line calling was long, after a few seconds her answering machine was heard. She sighed feeling disappointed.

"Hi" she whispered "I just wanted say good night. See you tomorrow. Love you."

She hung up the phone and turned off the lights.

She closed her eyes and tried to sleep. The memories of the wonderful night that they had shared filled her mind.

She could still feel Helena's hand touching her, the soft texture of her skin, the sweetness of her kisses. Helena was a human being filled with so much love to give, with a deep need to be loved. She had a lot to give. It had been a magic moment.

Slowly she began to fall asleep.

Barbara could feel the young woman's body trembling under her touch. Discovering a woman's body had been a new experience for her, a pleasant and incredible experience that she wanted to feel again. She could feel Helena's body blanketing her back, her arms wrapping around her torso and a warm mouth brushing her neck.

It felt so real.

Just that…

She gasped when she felt delicate fingers cupping one of her breasts and velvet skin and a nose rubbing against the shell of her ear.

She was not dreaming.

She turned her head and found her mouth trapped in a soft kiss.

"I needed to feel you again." the brunette whispered tracing Barbara's eyes with her lips.

"I was missing you too…" the redhead mumbled.

"Really?"

Barbara pulled the young woman's head down and trapped her lips again. She turned to wrap her arms around… a nude Helena.

"I see you come properly undressed." She chuckled.

"Did you mind?" Golden eyes sparkled in the darkness.

"No…" Barbara smiled at her letting her fingers trace Helena's back. "I love it."

Helena's lowered her head and kissed the redhead's neck "We need to undress you then."

"Do you need help?"

"Nah, I can do it alone." Helena moved back sitting on either side of Barbara's thighs and pulled her up to remove her top. Her night vision let her clearly admire Barbara's body, she was gorgeous. Sitting on her lap she trapped the older woman's lips, in a deep and intense caress. The feeling of her hard nipples against hers ignited her skin.

She cupped the back of the redhead's head with her hand to pull her deeper against her. She wanted to consume her, she was hers, she belonged to her.

"You are mine…" she growled pushing her slowly back to the mattress.

"I'm yours…." Barbara whispered before being lost in a wave of tender touches, kisses and an intense and powerful lovemaking.

The redhead closed the book and smiled at her friend. She was at the orphanage checking, as she did every month, all the details of the operation of the place.

"Excellent, things are going excellent." She said to the principal.

"Thanks miss Gordon."

"I hope we can get enough founds to support more children next year."

"Yes, the place is bigger now and we have the most comfortable rooms for the children. We had four adoptions last month."

"That is good." Barbara crossed her legs on her chair. "But I think we could increase it by starting a campaign to encourage people to adopt kids."

The redhead was at the orphanage's new building, she had needed to get founds to build this place after the old building had been consumed by the fire. She liked this place, it was much better than the older one. It was brighter.

"How is the Christmas party going?"

"Fine, we are all ready for it. The kids will be really happy."

"I have the kid's presents coming. A friend is coming with them. She will arrive at any moment."

"That is good."

A child appeared inside the office crying. The principal of the orphanage kneeled and touched the little girl who was barely six years old and was covered in snow.

"Shelby, what happened honey?"

"They hit me with snow balls." The child cried.

"In fact." Barbara exhaled standing up her chair "I think the gifts just arrived."

"Excuse me?" the principal asked holding Shelby against her.

"I'll be right back." The redhead stood up and walked to the door.

"All right." Helena said crouching behind a small hill of snow. "Got it?"

"Why are your snow balls bigger than mine?" Justin protested looking at the brunette kneeling at his side. The kid was now seven years old. He was a cute blonde kid with deep blue eyes.

"Because I'm bigger." Helena said looking up to check if any kid was close.

"It's not fair." The kid moved his head "I can't hit anyone with these snowballs."

"Just shut up and keep your eyes open." Helena sat resting her back on the small pile of snow taking a snow ball between her hands.

"I have my eyes open. Why I would I close them?"

Helena rubbed her face. "It's a way to say 'be ready'"

"Why wouldn't I be ready?"

"Do you want me to kick you?"

"If you kick me I'll tell the principal."

Helena turned and looked over the small pile of snow. "Just be ready. Kids will be out soon, it's almost mid day."

"Okay." Justin said.

Suddenly a hard ball of snow hit the brunette's head.

"What the...?" she growled and when she turned another one hit her in the face.

Justin turned ready to throw his ball but when he saw who was standing up a few meters from them, he ran away.

Helena spat the snow out of her mouth. She cleaned her eyes and looked up.

Shit.

"Having fun hitting small kids?" Barbara asked with her hands on her hips.

"I was just showing..." the brunette looked around and noticed Justin had gone.

"Coward." She grumbled.

"Where are the toys you were bringing?"

"In the truck." Helena cleaned her pants and stood up. "I had a bit of free time and I thought it would be fun to throw some snowballs."

As soon as she finished her sentence another snowball hit her.

"Hey!" she shouted "What's wrong with you?"

"You made Shelby cry" Barbara said preparing another ball.

"Shelby? It was not me, it was Justin." The brunette picked up a snowball and threw it at the redhead who laughed avoiding it.

"You are bad." She said throwing another snowball.

"I'm not bad." Helena ran toward her and threw another ball.

Barbara ducked but before she could straighten up, the brunette held her by her waist. "I got you."

The redhead laughed hard. "You don't."

Barbara turned surprising the brunette and threw her to the floor, but the brunette had time to sweep Barbara's feet and the redhead fell over her on her back still laughing.

"That was rude." Helena complained holding her back.

"I know." Barbara chuckled winced holding her side.

"Did I hurt you?" Helena hurried to ask sitting up. She knew the redhead was still healing.

"I'm fine, don't worry." The older woman rested her head on the brunette's gut. "I don't remember when the last time I hit some one with a snowball was."

"Thirty seconds ago." The brunette said looking at her down.

"It was fun. I should do it more often."

"I do it often and you scold me."

"Because you hit small kids." Barbara turned her head to see her.

"Not too small. I just hit the ones that are 3 ft or more tall."

The redhead lifted her hand and touched her cheek. "You are so beautiful."

Helena moved her hand and caressed her hair. She loved her so much and she couldn't avoid feeling a deep fear of losing her and being alone again.

"Barbara," she asked "have you found any trace of the guy that attacked you?"

"No."

"I'm worried. What do you think he wanted?"

"I don't have any idea."

"You told me he said: 'Greetings from an admirer miss Gordon. See you in hell'." Helena sighed heavily staring at her "What if he tries to attack you again? He knows where you live."

"The Clock Tower is a very safe place." Barbara smiled at her.

"I know, but he will try to attack you when you don't expect it."

"Are you worried?"

"How could I not?" the brunette whispered caressing her cheek "I don't want to lose you, you are my world."

"That's not going to happen."

"You can't be sure."

"I have been thinking about that Helena." Barbara admitted looking up to the sky "but I can't find a clue. No one has called or sent a threatening message. It's just… weird. I'm disconcerted."

"We need to find him before he finds you again."

"I know." Barbara sat up slowly and rested her arms on her knees "I'm thinking, first someone tried to kidnap Helena Kyle, later another guy tried to kill Batgirl and Huntress and later someone tried to kill me. All in less than a year."

"Do you think it could be the same person?" Helena asked.

"My question is: Does someone know who we are?"

"I don't think so. Why did they try to kidnap me and kill you? And why did they try to kill us as crime fighters? It must be different people."

"Our fan club is growing."

"I don't like this fan club." The brunette made a face.

"We need to work on it at night." Barbara bit her thumb "This is not good."

"I agree."

"Hel..." Barbara bit her lips and looked her "Christmas will be next week."

"I know." The brunette nodded.

"What do you usually do that day?"

"Nothing." The brunette lifted her leg and rested her arm over her knee looking at the house. "After mom died I didn't see the sense of it."

"I..." the redhead paused, "I always spend that day with dad."

The brunette lowered her head. She understood.

"Don't worry, it's okay if you want spend that day with him." She forced a smile that didn't fool the other woman "As I told you it's a day that I don't usually celebrate."

Barbara fixed her eyes on the sadness that Helena's face couldn't hide. She took her hand.

"I wanted to ask you if you want to come with me."

Blue eyes blinked "With you?"

"Why not?"

"I'm okay if you don't want to tell anyone about us."

"Who told you I don't want that?" green eyes observed her with curiosity.

"Well..." Helena mumbled "You have a reputation to take care of and... I'm... I'm not the girl with the best reputation in the city." The brunette chuckled nervously.

"Hel?" Barbara asked trying to know what was inside her head.

"Barbara, you are the perfect girl for him, for everyone... I don't want to ruin your reputation. It's okay, I understand."

Long fingers cupped the brunette's cheek. Helena lifted her eyes and found Barbara's green eyes fixed on her.

"I feel proud of you." Barbara whispered "I don't feel ashamed about what you are or what you were. I love you as you are."

"But your dad... will die if he knows, three weeks ago you were dating Wade and now you are dating a girl… me... you will kill him. Maybe we should take things slowly with him."

Barbara chuckled she was right. "Leave it all in my hands... I want you go with me."

"Are you sure?"

"Hel," Barbara asked with soft expression "Why do you doubt me? Sometimes you ask me questions you never had before…" the redhead kept silent a few seconds. Helena was not a person that shared her thoughts with people easily, but she had the feeling someone was putting those ideas in the brunette's head.

"Is not that, it's… well…" Helena shrugged her shoulders.

"You have always been a very secure person what's going on now?"

"Is not that, but I stopped to think what people will say when they know you… we…"

Barbara's answer was to press her lips against her's and give her a soft kiss. Helena felt lost under the marvelous touch and kissed her back. When the redhead moved back she smiled noticing Helena's eyes were drowsy and gold.

"Come with me, I want to share Christmas with you and we need to get him used to seeing us together."

"Okay." Helena smiled.

"Maybe we can go out to lunch."

"Oh… Can we do it early?" Helena stood up cleaning her pants "I have my last appointment with my doctor today."

"Sure. Let's go and give those toys to the kids."

"Not to Justin, he ran like a coward." She gave her hand to Barbara and helped her to stand up.

"Stop being childish, let's go."

Part 10

"So you are happy now." The blonde said writing some notes in her notebook.

"Yes." Helena smiled pacing around the room, she couldn't hide the happiness she felt inside her.

"You're still dating Barbara." Quinzel drew a woman with a bat-cowl and cape.

"Yes."

The blonde nodded and then drew flames around her. Yeah, it would be great to burn that damned Batgirl.

"Have you stopped to think on what I asked you?" she asked lifting her head and resting her head on her index finger.

"About?" Helena turned to see her.

"About her talking to people about you."

"She will do it."

"How you know that?"

"She told me. She feels proud of me and she told me she loves me as I am."

"And have you stopped to think about the dangers around her? The possibi…?"

"I have thought about everything." Helena interrupted her "And I don't care, I want to face everything with her."

Quinzel cleared her throat. "Good." She returned to her notebook and drew a black cat on it and a foot kicking it. "I see you trust in her."

"Yes."

"And how about you?" the blonde cocked her head.

"About me?"

"Do you trust in you? In your feelings? You have been a woman that doesn't like long term relationships. Do you think this is not just a tantrum?"

"No. I really love her." The brunette looked the clock at the wall. "Time is over."

Harleen moved her notebook to the side and stood up.

"Yeah, we are finished."

"So…" Helena grinned at her "I'm free now."

Quinzel smiled at her. "I hope you let me keep being your friend."

"Sure." Helena nodded lowering her head.

"And I hope too, I have been helpful."

"You were." Helena looked through her shaggy bangs. She leaned and hugged her.

Quinzel hugged back and closed her eyes smelling her, enjoying the contact.

"Thanks." The brunette mumbled.

"It was a pleasure Helena." Quinzel whispered close to her ear "You can ask me anything you want."

Helena moved back and nodded. She walked to the door and exited the office.

Quinzel went to her bar and poured a glass of scotch and drank it looking through her window. She needed to find a way to keep Helena at her side and Barbara Gordon was definitely not helping in her purposes. She moved the liquor making circles with her hand.

Helena had fear, a deep fear of losing Barbara, this fear had made her think she hated her.

Love means pain, especially when you lose the person you love, Helena didn't want to love any one for fear of losing that person.

Barbara Gordon was Batgirl, a crime fighter always on the side of law. She was against murders or injustice.

An idea came to her mind.

Helena always talked about how much she wanted to find the man that had killed her mother and take revenge on her own.

What if she took Helena to that edge?

Batgirl would surely never forgive her for it.

But… how to take Helena to that edge?

The brunette pushed the man against the hard wall. "Want me to ask you again nicely?"

"No, no, no… I heard some one was contracting mercenaries to do the job." The small man gasped covering his head with his hands.

"Why?"

"Seems you two are making too much trouble for her."

"Did the same person send a killer against Barbara Gordon?"

"Yes… But I don't know her name."

"Her?" the brunette frowned.

The scared man nodded.

"All right." She released him "I want you to keep your eyes open. If you know something else, for your own safety you must tell me.

""But they will kill me…"

"And I'll rip your head off, so…" she patted his chest "think carefully before you do anything."

The man ran scared to the bottom of the street.

<Seems you have been having fun.> Oracle's voice was heard in Huntress ears.

"I can show you one hundred ways to have fun with me." Helena purred.

Barbara chuckled. <Interesting proposal.>

"You said you were working late. So I thought it would be good to have some fun." The brunette jumped to the building closest to her.

<Yes, I just finished signing papers at the foundation. What did you find?>

"Seems the person who sent someone to kill you and Batgirl and Huntress is the same, and it's a woman." The brunette rubbed her hands, it really was cold.

<A woman? We need to check this.>

"Yeah. Okay, I must go to do my shift at the bar. Tonight is my turn to close."

<Tomorrow I wont see you until night, I must go to lunch with dad. I need to talk to him about us.>

Helena kept still a second. "That sounds bad."

<Don't be a pessimist.>

"I'm not, but I don't want to see my ass kicked when he knows I stole the heart of his precious little "straight" daughter."

<He is a very wise man. I'm sure he will understand.>

"I'm sure he will think I'm a pervert."

<You have a very nice opinion of yourself.>

"Well, I think that I don't need to remind you that he scolded me several times when I finished up at the police station after a fight in a bar."

<I'm sure he won't remember that>

"You are very optimistic."

The small restaurant was full of people but it had some tables far from all the noise. Barbara chose one of these tables, she wanted a bit of privacy. They used to lunch once per week, this time they had chosen an Italian restaurant. She thought it would be a good opportunity to talk about her new relationship with Helena. It was incredible how nervous she felt.

Her father was a person that she respected, he always had supported her and was a very wise man. He was her family, the man that had taken care of her since she was a child and had given her the warmth of a home.

His support was very important for her.

They had a very pleasant dinner then he asked for a soft liquor to enjoy with his cigarette.

"So tell me," Jim Gordon asked "What was that important thing you wanted to share with me?" Barbara took her cup of coffee between her hands. "I broke up with Wade."
"You sure delayed doing it."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm glad you did it. He is a moron."

"Dad!"

"Well, he is." He shrugged his shoulders, "Too dumb for you. You are smart, active, bright, and he is… well, passive, slow."

"You are mean dad."

"Okay," he sipped a bit of his glass "Why did you brake up with him?"

"He is sweet, just, I don't love him anymore."

"I doubt you were ever in love with him."

"I was." Barbara protested.

"I think you felt comfortable with him, but that's all." He cleaned his lip with his napkin.

"Are you saying you know my feelings better than me?" Barbara asked crossing her arms over the table.

"Yes, you used to be very clueless."

The redhead sighed, it was hard to talk with him.

"You are honey." He smiled to her.

"I'm dating someone else." She said.

"Mmmm…" he said interested and leaning forward on the table "This must be the good one."

"Excuse me dad?" the redhead frowned.

"Well, you never invite me to lunch to talk to me about your break ups and new boyfriends. So I guess this must be the chosen."

The redhead smiled lightly, she knew this would be harder than she thought at the beginning. She brushed her hair behind her ear in a nervous movement.

"I…" Barbara mumbled "I don't know how or when it happened, I just… fell in love. I didn't expect it. I just… I just realized I was in love."

"And I know this person?"

She looked at him and bit her lower lip. "Yes."

"Is it Alfred Pennyworth?"

"Dad no!"

"Well, you are very nervous," Jim said amused trying to make things lighter for her "I thought it must be someone you are afraid I wouldn't approve of. Alfred is a good man, but you will have grandsons with him, not sons."

"It's not a he…" she tried to find the words to explain to him. She couldn't understand why it was so difficult to find the correct phrases to say.

The ex-commissioner lifted his eyebrow curious. Now, she had all his attention.

"It's a… she." The redhead said blushing.

Jim stared at her not saying a word for long seconds. Barbara felt her heart beating harder against her chest, that look didn't mean anything good. Her father was a very conservative person, open minded but conservative, loving the words family, children and grandsons.

"I know it's something strange…" she muttered, he was the only person in the world that really intimidated her. "In fact, for me it's something I never expected but… I can't deny my feelings dad."

He kept looking at her in silence making her feel more nervous. He took a long pull on his cigarette and then placed it in his ashtray.

"Could you tell me when you crossed the line between straight and rainbow?"

"I don't know… It just happened." She suddenly felt small in front of him.

"Are you sure about this?"

"As I have never felt before."

He lifted his eyebrow. "And… this woman, loves you too?"

"Yes."

"And do you love her? I mean, really?"

Barbara nodded.

He lit another cigarette and took a deep inhalation. He exhaled the smoke and played with the cigarette between his fingers. Barbara felt as if she were in front of a jury awaiting the verdict.

"You are a person that always follow the rules," Jim said "You are the perfect girl, worker, professional and this… Well, this just breaks all the images people will have of you. Have you stopped to think about what people will say?"

"Yes, I thought about that and I don't care about other people." Barbara whispered.

"But Barbara."

"I just care about you and whether you will be okay with my decision."

"Decision? That means you won't change your mind."

"Yes."

"And if you are not going to change your mind…" he threw a bit of ash in a tray to his right, "why is it so important to you what I think?"

"Because you are my dad." The redhead kept her eyes locked on his.

Jim nodded and kept silent looking at his cigarette.

"And what if I don't approve?" he asked suddenly taking another deep breath of his cigarette.

Barbara couldn't hide the sadness of her eyes. "I really would feel sorry about that."

"And?"

"I really would like you to approve of this."

"Why?" he asked curious.

"I always had your support and this, it's really important for me."

He nodded and took another long smoke of his cigarette. He exhaled.

"Who is she?" he asked "You say I know her."

"Yes… it's Helena, Helena Kyle…"

He looked her with incredulous face. "The daughter of Bruce Wayne? That nut?"

"Yeah…" Barbara winced cracking her knuckles nervously.

"Now," he moved his head "this is new."

"…I… I invited her to our Christmas dinner. I would like you to meet her."

"I already did." He raised his eyebrows "I booked her… four times."

Barbara closed her eyes a brief second making a face. That was not good.

"And I helped her to get out the same number of times because you and Bruce asked me to as I remember." Jim smirked lifted his eyes thinking.

"She was young dad, and angry," Barbara tried to explain "she lost her mother and she didn't know what to do. She is different now."

"I have seen her close to you these last months and I have talked with her too, she is funny and smart." Jim smoked his cigarette "But I never thought you two would be involved. You two are very different. You are organized, smart, analytical, elegant. Helena on the other hand is rebellious, impulsive, smart, beautiful but rude, very rude." He looked at her and scratched his head "Are you serious?"

"Yes."

"Oh my, I need to see this." Jim said amused moving back in his chair.

"Excuse me?"

"I think I must talk with this girl."

"Helena?"

"Yes, the girl really doesn't know what she is doing."

"Dad!" Barbara protested.

"My dear you are the most difficult person I have ever known." He said chuckling "Me and Bruce Wayne will be family. Someone will have a heart attack and it is not going to be me."

The redhead looked at him with hope "Do you approve dad?"

"Well… in this love thing father's don't have a voice." He smoked his cigarette again and hit it with his finger to let the ash fall on the tray "So I guess I approve."

Barbara's face was filled with a big smile. "Really dad?"

"You are my only daughter, what else can I do? If Helena wants to kill herself it's her decision." he smiled gently taking her hand "Seriously, I just want you to be happy and if that hard head could do it. I don't care who your heart belongs to."

She stood up and hugged him giving him a full kiss on his cheek.

"Thanks dad!"

"Just tell her to behave, that and to keep her hands far from you." He said joking.

"Sure dad, thanks."

"I can't find my boots!" Helena shouted in the living room.

"Have you tried looking in your home?" Alfred asked amused from the kitchen.

"I'm sure I left them here." The brunette looked below the sofa.

"Where?"

"Under the sofa."

"When?" the gentle butler exited out the kitchen.

"Two weeks ago." Helena kneeled on the floor and straightened to look at him over the sofa. She and Barbara were going to the Museum to visit an exhibition, she had arrived early and she still was changing her clothes.

"You left your boots below the sofa two weeks ago and expect to find them there still?"

"Well… I always do at my home."

"I see. Maybe you hadn't thought that we clean here every day and not every month as in your place." He said taking his coat "I'm sure miss Barbara picked them up. I'll go to supermarket and be back later."

"Okay." She sighed standing up.

She went toward Barbara's bedroom and knocked on the door. "Barbara may I come in?"

"Sure." She said from inside.

Helena slowly opened the door. "I'm sorry. Have you seen my…."

The brunette felt her mouth dry when she saw the redhead sitting on her bench brushing her hair with just a towel covering her. Her skin looked so smooth, white.

"…boots?" she closed the door behind her.

"Yes," Barbara said distractedly standing up and removing her towel to pick up a blouse from her closet turning her back to her. "I thought you never would pick them up."

Helena stared at her not blinking. The redhead was wearing high cut white underwear that made her look stunning. Her bare back was incredibly beautiful. A soft growl rumbled inside Helena's chest, she couldn't avoid her eyes glowing.

"You must take care with your clothing." Barbara chose a white blouse and kneeled down looking for Helena's boots. "You always leave them every were."

"Yeah." The dark haired woman babbled open mouthed.

"Okay, here they are." The redhead lifted the boots and put them to the side. She stood up and looked for a skirt that matched her blouse. She observed her clothes for a few seconds.

"What do you think I should wear?" Barbara put her index to her mouth thinking.

She suddenly felt soft fingers tracing her shoulders. Helena really was silent as a cat, she was going to turn but the dark haired woman's voice stopped her.

"Don't…" The brunette whispered "let me touch you."

She let her hands move slowly, tracing the redhead's back, her eyes following the movement of her fingers memorizing every muscle, every curve. Barbara was as perfect as a porcelain statue. She moved forward and traced the redhead's upper back, brushing her lips over soft skin.

Barbara closed her eyes, Helena's movements were erotic, intense, overwhelming, she had never felt anything like that.

She was like a wave, a wave that could be wild or tender; a wave that could take her to the verge of a sudden explosive climax or take her to it slowly, letting her enjoy the pleasure of touching the young woman's skin and feeling the brunette's hands on her.

Barbara gasped when she felt a warm body enveloping her back, hard nipples pressing against her as strong arms wrapped around her waist and Helena's lips pressed at the curve of her neck.

When had Helena removed her clothes?

"You are so beautiful." The brunette mumbled licking softly at the shell of her ear, her hands cupped Barbara's breasts and kneaded them. She grinned feeling her nipples turning hard almost immediately.

"You… don't want go to the museum?" the redhead babbled resting her hands over the brunette's hands. Helena's lips on her shoulders and her wonderful fingers made it difficult for Barbara to think.

"Is it not better having me nude here with you?" Helena purred pressing her body harder against her back and nibbling playfully on her ear. Her hands removing her underwear.

The redhead arched her neck and moaned. She turned her head and found herself regarding gold cat eyes. It was so sexy. Helena moved forward and kissed her lips in a long and tender caress.

Barbara then turned her body and wrapped her arms around the brunette kissing her hard.

The brunette was so lost in the wonderful kiss that before she realized it, she was with her back on the mattress with Barbara straddling her.

Barbara enjoyed the feeling of her nude chest against Helena. She moved back and smiled at her. "You are overdressed."

"I can solve that now." Helena smirked lowering her hands to her belt.

"No." Barbara stopped her movement with her hands. "Let me help you."

Barbara leaned and kissed the brunette's neck as she unbuckled the young woman's belt and unzipped her pants with slow movements.

Helena moaned when she felt Barbara's lips on her breast. She moved her hands and pressed the redhead's against her chest.

The redhead cupped the soft mound with her mouth and sucked hard making the brunette buck under her. She continued her caress, her left hand traced her abdomen and moved below. It stopped at her underwear.

Helena rocked her hips searching for the contact of her fingers. Barbara lifted her head and the dark haired woman protested with a loud growl. Barbara smiled admiring those wonderful gold cat eyes filled with lust. She bent her head again and caught the other nipple licking it softly before she bit it gently and cupped it with her mouth to suck hard.

She lost long minutes on her task, Helena's soft murmurs encouraging her to keep her pace. Suddenly, she wanted more. Barbara moved back and pushed the brunette's pants down. "Definitely overdressed." Barbara smirked leaving the thin woman just in her underwear.

"So, it means you cancel our visit to the museum?" Helena asked.

"Yes." Barbara leaned over her trapping her lips again rubbing her chest against the young woman's skin.

Helena growled under her wonderful touch, the feeling of Barbara's hard nipples moving across her skin was overwhelming.

Her hips jerked up when she felt Barbara's hand playing at the waistband of her underwear. Helena swallowed lost in her intense green eyes.

The redhead moved down and bit on the curve of her neck as her finger brushed soft dark curls. Helena moved her hips forward.

Barbara moved back smirking. "Easy, we are just starting."

"I… I don't mind if you hurry." The brunette gasped.

"But I mind very much." The redhead lowered her head and opened her mouth to brush it against the young woman's skin as she let her hand move out of the brunette's underwear and trace the soft cotton on the edges of Helena's thighs. She wanted to take her time discovering this wonderful, seductive and sexy as hell woman.

Helena pulled her up to kiss her and her hands moved down the torso of the redhead and stopped at her buttocks.

"You are still overdressed." Barbara mumbled biting Helena's lobe gently.

Helena arched an eyebrow. "We need to fix that."

The sound of fabric breaking broke the silence of the room. Helena jumped startled.

"Hey!" she protested "Those were new."

"You said we needed to fix that." Barbara pushed Helena to her back and moved her leg between the brunette's legs who moaned surprised by the movement. "Do you mind?"

"Fuck, no…"

"Last time was your turn." The redhead's lips nibbled at the young woman's chin "Now let's see…" Barbara moved closer to the brunette's ear whispering with a soft voice full of promises "what can I do with you."

Helena growled feeling her center throb. She closed her eyes enjoying the redhead's movements.

Barbara spent more than two minutes on her breast before she felt teasing fingers in her throbbing center, Helena was very wet… for her. She moved below softly kissing the brunette's abdomen. She stopped a few inches before the juncture of her legs and closed her eyes smelling her arousal. Her touch, her strong scent was something that overwhelmed all the redhead's senses.

She was not skilled at loving a woman, but she had experience in making love and it was not about knowing or not, she just needed to let her instincts guide her.

Helena cried out when she felt a warm tongue touching her center, no words, just a wail of shocked pleasure. Barbara was lost in the pleasure of tasting her lover, she never had experienced something like this. She was so sweet, so intoxicating. She used to be a woman in control but, with Helena, it was something strong that turned her senses wild.

Helena jerked her hips; Barbara was doing incredible things to her, working where she needed.

She growled when she felt a finger moving inside her and buried her nails in the redhead's shoulders moving her hips trying to match the rhythm. Barbara moved slowly, making her feel and enjoy the pleasure of her touch.

"Barbara." Helena gasped feeling a second finger filling her. If Barbara didn't have experience with women, surely she had read or seen movies because she really knew what she was doing. She had been teasing her so much and she was going crazy, she wanted, she needed… "Barbara please…"

The redhead moved up and kissed the brunette hard.

Helena wrapped her hands around her torso.

"Please?" the redhead smiled, Helena looked so beautiful lost in pleasure.

"Please."

Helena howled when she felt more fingers moving and filling her, stars filled her vision.

And she finally came.

She collapsed on the bed limp, barely conscious, breathing raggedly and feeling her heart hammering away. She wanted to pay Barbara back but she had melted her brain and she was not sure if she could regroup herself before a week…. Or two.

Barbara pulled her closer and pressed her lips against her sweaty forehead.

"You are beautiful." She whispered.

Huntress looked around, the place was quiet and clean. An alarm had sounded at the Clocktower.

"Nothing here, false alarm." She said to her mic.

<Looks like.>

"Yeah," she rubbed her hands "My ass is freezing. Are you going to that meeting?"

<Yeah, I'll be back late tonight.>

The idea of not seeing the redhead until the next day was not welcome, but she had work to do.

"May I come by to give you a good night kiss?"

<No, I'll be terribly tempted then to not go out and stay with you.>

Huntress eyes sparkled.

<Don't you dare think about it.> Oracle's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Okay," Huntress sighed turning her head to toward the Clocktower "See you tomorrow."

<See you.>

"Will you miss me?" the brunette purred in her mic.

<You have no idea.>

"So… the goodbye kiss…"

<See you tomorrow honey.> Barbara chuckled interrupting her.

Helena rolled her eyes as she disconnected the communication. Seemed she and her cold ass would sleep alone again in her place.

But what the hell.

Barbara loved her.

She turned, whistled and walked to the corner. When she turned on it. She stopped.

Someone was there.

She looked behind her but saw no one.

Suddenly from one of the emergency stairs of one building, a black shadow jumped down. The brunette moved on guard.

"Huntress, right?" he asked.

"Who are you?" the dark haired woman asked trying to see his face, but he was dressed all in black.

"How would you feel if you found out who killed your mother?" he walked towards her.

"What?"

"How would you feel about him?"

"Do you know who he is?"

"And how would you feel to know that the person you most trust betrayed you by not telling you who he is?"

"What are you taking about?"

"Look in Arkham, Clayface, he will answer your many questions."

She took a step toward him and grabbed his hand. An electric charge filled her body and she growled in pain before flying back against the wall.

"Call me a friend." He smirked and disappeared down the street.

Huntress shook her head dazed and looked around, she had shattered some trash cans. Great. Now her smell was awful. She narrowed her eyes trying to look for the man but he had gone. Who was that guy?

He had said Arkham.

Clayface.

She stood up as fast as she could.

She needed to investigate what was going on.

Inside his cell, Clayface worked on a clay statue. It was dark, the room had a dim light except for the cell, it was brightly illuminated. The door lock buzzed, the guard opened the door and Helena walked inside, it was a big room with an hexagonal cell in the middle, no bars, just heavy glass around. She put her hands in her pockets and walked up to the cell.

Clayface didn't turn around, he saw her reflection in the various glass walls and smiled.

"Helena Kyle."

Her name on his lips was something she didn't expect. "How'd you know?" she asked.

"The grace with which you move... your eyes, your mouth." He turned to look her " damn, you are your mother's child."

He smiled and turned back to work on his statue.

Helena walked around the glass cell toward Clayface.

"You knew my mom."

"Yes, I had a thing for her. She was very beautiful. Sexy."

"What else do you know?"

"Many things," he smiled modeling his statue "Interesting facts indeed."

"I'm interested to know them." Helena fixed her eyes on him.

"What's in it for me?

Helena sighed, this was not going to be easy. She gave in. "What do you want?"

"Pose for me. Let me sculpt you."

"Forget it." The man was definitely crazy. Helena walked around a few more steps near the statue in front of Clayface.

"Now, child, now..." he said smiling to her "since I was defeated, ruined and ridiculed in front of New Gotham's pompous glitterati, I have had absolutely nothing to look at but these plain gray walls. I need inspiration. I work in clay, but my real raw material is human emotion. Let me see your anguish, Helena, your pain. Why don't you just tell me about the night that your mother was killed?"

"No thanks."

"All right, then our conversation is finished… Huntress is it?"

She glared at him. Who was that strange man? How did he know about…?

"I was thinking that maybe you're lacking that strong moral core that plagued your father." He interrupted her thoughts "Are you?"

"How do you know…?"

"I know many things you don't. But if you want to talk." He extended his arms.

Helena bit her lips, struggling with herself.

"Okay," she finally said "What do you want to know?"

"Everything."

Helena took her time before answering.

"It happened so fast. I don't really remember."

"All right, well, then, I'm sure there was blood. I mean, there must have been more blood than you had ever seen before."

Helena turned away, she didn't want to remember; it had been a nightmare that had followed her all her life. He pushed his face up close to the wall and looked at her.

"How did that make you feel?"

The brunette lowered her head and bit her lips. She felt a shiver running over her skin, thinking of that day was something that still affected her so much. Her eyes turned moist.

"Cold. Empty…" she couldn't keep doing this, she shook her head "I don't know."

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no." Clayface waved his hands in front of her "Alone... scared, terrified?... because you lost the one person that meant more to you than anybody else in this whole world."

Helena fixed her eyes on him. She was not going to let him see her cry.

"It's your turn." She mumbled cutting her speech.

"All right, you played nice." He smirked "Your mom was incredible, but she had many enemies too, she did good hiding you from all of them. You would have died years ago child. She hid in France for years, no one knew where she had gone, she just disappeared." He stood up and returned to his sculpture. "When she came back many of her enemies were dead or in jail. She was smart. Do you know what I liked about her? Her intelligence, her sixth sense, she always anticipated all that would happen, it kept her alive for years… Until that night."

"You know who it was. Tell me." The brunette looked him.

"Oh, now, don't get greedy, Helena. We're just starting to have some fun. Go ahead now. We can talk later." Clayface smiled at Helena. "I want you be my model for my statue." He said caressing the clay statue he was working on.

"I came here to know."

"Not today Helena. I'm tired. But we can work on my statue on Thursday."

The brunette stared at him. It seemed he was playing a game. She turned and walked out of the room leaving Clayface on his knees in front of the glass panel that Helena had stood in front of.

Barbara gazed to Helena, who had been distracted almost all day. Just staring at nothing. She had told her about her encounter with the stranger the day before and her visit to Arkham. Something she had feared for years.

She stopped her work at Delphi and went upstairs to where Helena was.

The brunette was just sitting in the library on a single couch staring at the glass of the Clock. Barbara observed her.

Helena was facing the possibility of knowing who had killed her mother, it worried her. The young woman had much anger inside and she was afraid of what she could do or how she could react. She was very impulsive and didn't stop to think.

She sat on the arm of the couch where Helena was sitting and moved an arm behind her, she noticed she was tense. She bent and kissed her head.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"You always were a bad liar." The redhead smiled lightly trying to make her relax.

"Yeah… I think so."

"Thinking about that yet?" the redhead brushed unruly dark hair.

"He knows who killed her," Helena moved her hand close to her mouth. "he knows it."

"Clayface must be just taunting you. It's weird how a man appeared just to tell you that, sending you to him."

"It's scary, he seems know everything about me. Who is that man? Do you know him?"

"Yeah, he is a dangerous villain. We fought against him." the redhead looked at her "Don't trust in him. He is playing with your emotions."

"I must see him again. He knows who killed mom."

"Don't go."

"I need to go." Helena turned to look at Barbara "I need to find out who killed my mother. I'll kill him."

"Helena," Barbara said taking a deep breath "We don't kill."

"You don't kill." The young woman stood up.

Barbara felt frustrated. Why was it so hard for Helena to understand she was wrong? She followed her with her gaze. "And how could it help to bring your mother back?"

The thin woman turned to see her. "It doesn't help, but he must pay, an eye for an eye."

"You are wrong."

Helena stood up at the rail and looked down to the lab. The computers were humming and working.

"Barbara you can't ask me be to fair with someone that destroyed my life and stole my mother from my side."

The redhead walked to her and stood at her side. She touched her arm. "I know how much you have suffered but killing him will just destroy you."

Helena inhaled deeply. "Maybe you didn't listen to me. He already destroyed me."

"Do you feel now as if your life is destroyed?"

Helena moved forward and hugged her hard.

"You saved me." She mumbled in a low voice. "I'd be lost without you."

"So move on Helena, don't let this keep hurting you…" Barbara hugged her back wishing she could understand.

"I can't." the brunette moved back taking the redhead's face between her hands "I promised to take revenge on her. The murderer was never found, he never paid. No one fought to find him and make him pay. Not even my father… it was unfair, she didn't deserve it."

"You hate him for not taking revenge for your mother's death?"

"It was the only thing I asked him…" Helena lowered her head and rested her hands on her hips "He didn't love mom as much as he said."

"He loved her a lot." Barbara said.

"No… he didn't." she turned her back to the redhead "I never quit looking for her murderer. He never tried to find him."

"He did, he put the Joker in jail."

"Joker didn't kill mom."

"He sent the murderer to do it."

"But he was not the one who stabbed her." Blue eyes were cold, so cold that Barbara felt a shiver in her spine "I'll find him and I'll do what my father couldn't… make him pay."

"I can't support you in this. You do know that, right?"

"I know, it's something I must do on my own."

Barbara bit her lips. She shook her head and covered her eyes with her hand. Helena looked at her with sadness, she didn't want to disappoint her but she felt it was something she needed to do. She felt it in her veins, in her blood.

"I must do it Barbara, for her." Helena whispered.

"She didn't ask you to do it." Barbara clenched her teeth "She was against killing. She always respected human life."

"Don't ask me to respect the life of a person who didn't care about the life of other people." Helena said with sad voice.

The redhead moved in front of her and fixed green eyes on blue. Helena was incredibly beautiful. She made her heart thump hard, feel her knees weak with every touch, with the sound of her voice. She loved her as she never thought she could love someone. She didn't want be mad with her, maybe she needed to give her time.

"Revenge will take you to a road with no end. Don't do it. Please." The redhead moved forward and kissed her on her cheek. "Think about it."

Barbara turned and walked to the stairs.

"Barbara?" Helena mumbled.

The older woman stopped walking and turned to see her.

"Will you love me knowing I killed some one?"

"Don't ask me that."

"Will you do it?"

"And if I ask you don't do it… will you do it?"

Helena took a deep breath and lowered her head. "I love you Barbara, I'll die for you."

"Don't kill then."

The brunette didn't answer. Barbara kept walking toward the stairs. Helena fixed her gaze on her and said "You didn't answer me. Will you love me knowing I killed some one?"

Barbara stopped, taking the rail with her right hand. She inhaled deeply and kept silent long seconds. Helena felt nervous, the fact that she could lose Barbara shattered her heart but this was beyond her own reason. She needed to take revenge on her mother's death. She had given everything to her, it was fair to give her the same.

"I'll do it but…" Barbara finally said not looking her "I will blame myself forever for not making you understand that it is wrong."

"It's my decision, not yours."

"We are a couple, if you hadn't noticed. I want to share everything with my partner. And I'll hate to see you being consumed by your own pain and anger."

She then kept making her way down stairs.

Helena stood unmoving, she turned her head to the Clock window.

Afternoon was falling.

Clayface sat on the floor in his cell reading a book. The door lock buzzed and Helena walked into the room. The door closed shut behind her, she walked up to Clayface.

"You were a treasure hunter and found a mysterious radioactive pool of protoplasm in a cave. Immersing yourself in it, you transformed into a malleable clay-like form. You have a son named Chris."

"I now know that Oracle has done her research." He said.

"Tell me where I can find him."

"I think not, Helena. Besides, you wouldn't be able to stop him. He's become much too powerful now."

"Hmm, that's too bad." Helena cocked her head to the side "I was going to suggest a trade you know, information for... some inspiration."

Her words caught his attention, he smirked and looked at the thin brunette. "Inspiration. Now you're talking."

"Tell me about him."

"Well..." Clayface put the book down on the floor next to him and stood up. "I... he always tried to kill Batman but he always would escape. The damn bat was lucky enough. So, when Joker asked him kill your mom it would be my guess that he was trying to take revenge on him."

"What my father did to him? Why he was he so angry at him?"

"It's your turn."

"Come on, just tell me."

"Helena, I laid down some ground rules here now." Clayface smiled "Now, you don't play by my rules, we ain't going to play nothing at all."

"Okay." The brunette exhaled with hands inside the pockets of her long coat "What do you want?"

"I want more emotion. Now, why don't you just re-live with me the night that mommy got killed?"

Helena didn't say anything. He was digging in a part of her feelings she had kept buried for long years.

"Now, as I recall, we were standing out in front of this big department store." He said.

Helena's head snapped to him. "What do you mean, 'we'?"

Clayface looked at Helena. She turned to look at Clayface as his face morphed into another face. The face of another man.

The memories of the night her mother died hit Helena's head. Selina was lying on the ground out on the street. She was kneeling over her mother's body. She screamed for help but no one moved.

Helena looked up and saw someone holding a knife in the crowd. She yelled to stop him but he dropped the knife and it fell into the water on the road and he ran. She then turned to her mom, trying to make her come back, praying she would be okay, praying she would open her eyes once more.

Helena stared at Clayface who was watching her with glee. She felt her heart beating hard in her chest. She remembered him, it was clear as yesterday. She couldn't hide the surprise.

"I remember that face. It was you."

"I used a 7-inch switchblade," the criminal said moving his face inches closer to the glass of his cell "and it tore through her flesh surprisingly well."

Helena took a couple of steps back, her eyes glued to him.

"I can still see that vacant look in her eyes, staring through the face of death."

"That's why they couldn't find the killer" she mumbled, "It was you."

Clayface morphed back.

"But the one regret that I have," he smirked "is that I did not linger at that scene long enough to watch your pain and your suffering and your anger."

"You bastard!" Helena stepped forward and pounded the glass with her fists trying to break it and kill the man with her own hands. The crashing sound echoing in the empty room.

Clayface took a step back in his cell and pushed her to keep going. "Yeah! Yeah!"

"You bastard!" the brunette smashed the glass with all her strength but it was too strong. She hit the glass again and again, pounding her fists against it, trying to break the only thing that stopped her from beating him to death.

"Yeah! Hit that glass! Yeah, hit it –" he shouted "That's what I'm saying!"

"I'll kill you!" the brunette shouted using her feet to hit the heavy glass.

"Come on! Hit that glass!" Clayface kept encouraging her, thoroughly enjoying Helena's anger and hatred "Come on, baby, come on! Yeah, come on! Hit the glass, baby!"

The brunette punched the glass with her fist making the whole structure tremble once more.

"Helena, hit the glass!" Clayface shouted.

The brunette suddenly stopped and leaned against the glass breathing heavily feeling a mix of feelings hitting her. He was playing with her feelings.

"Helena, no, don't stop! Hit the glass." Clayface tried to get her to continue. "Come on!"

Helena stepped back feeling as if a deep wound was opened that left her flesh exposed. She was facing the ghost that had haunted her for years, the person that she hated most in the world. It was something unexpected and shocking. He had killed her mother and felt proud of it. He was playing with her, with her feelings. He wanted to be in control.

"You're enjoying this." She said slowly making her way back toward the door.

"Oh, don't stop now." Clayface felt disappointed. "Come on, baby. We're just getting started."

The brunette shook her head, she was not going to let him win this match. The guard opened the door.

"No, no, no!" the criminal growled.

Helena left the room. The bars slammed shut behind her. She gave him a last look before turning and leaving.

The redhead had been working at Delphi –trying to- knowing that Helena was visiting Clayface again had her nerves on edge. All afternoon she had been looking at the clock, praying he wouldn't tell her the truth.

Maybe it was time to talk with her but… she was scared about how Helena would react, that she would let her feelings take control of her and make her do something she would regret all her life. She didn't want to see her consumed in her anger, her ire. Helena had a very beautiful soul that didn't deserve to be lost in hate and pain.

She didn't want it for her.

Helena had been a happy child, always with a smile to give and after her mother died she had hidden herself in a dark corner; she had been trying to bring back the beautiful and wonderful soul that Helena kept hiding afraid to be hurt again.

Behind that hard shell she had built around her. The young woman was sweet, tender and so in need of love. She was an exceptional woman.

She didn't want to lose her.

She loved her.

The bell of the elevator took her out of her thoughts.

A big relief filled her noticing it was Helena. But her relief disappeared almost immediately when she noticed her expression.

"He killed her." The brunette mumbled as she stormed out of the elevator not knowing what to do, scream, yell, or cry.

"What?"

"He killed my mother dammit." The brunette stepped inside the platform where Barbara was.

"What happened?" Barbara stopped her work at the computer and turned her chair to see her.

"He said he did it" Helena shouted pacing moving her hands through her hair. She still felt disturbed, confused, she didn't expect this. "Clayface said he did it and he didn't feel sorry for it. He felt proud of it, son of bitch!"

"Helena please calm down."

"He murdered her. I've got to do something." The brunette growled.

"What are you going to do?" Barbara asked with a calm voice looking her.

"I don't know." She shrugged her shoulders "Tear him apart?"

"He's in Arkham for the rest of his life, where he belongs." Barbara said sadly moving her head. "I shouldn't let you go."

Helena stopped her pacing, her eyes fixed on the redhead. Suddenly pieces fell in place. She locked her blue eyes on the older woman who seemed suddenly to avoid her gaze.

"You knew, didn't you?"

Barbara inhaled deeply. "Helena..."

"That's why you didn't want me to talk to Clayface." The brunette interrupted her feeling betrayed "You didn't want me to find out the truth!"

"No, I didn't know for sure." The redhead said out loud, Helena looked at her with such pain and anguish that she felt her heart brake.

"How could you keep this from me?"

"Because when the rumors first circulated, you were too young," Barbara explained trying to get her to understand "and then after, Clayface was in Arkham. I didn't see the point."

"The point? The point is knowing who killed my mother."

"Why? So you could exact revenge? That's not what we do, Helena!"

"Yeah. You keep saying that like you somehow know exactly what's inside of me. You don't, Barbara. You have no idea who I am."

With one last look at Barbara, Helena left.

"Helena please come back!" Barbara stood up and walked behind her, but the brunette didn't listen and stepped inside the elevator.

"Please Helena."

The doors closed behind her.

Barbara clenched her fists feeling impotent. Maybe it had been a mistake to hide what she knew about Clayface.

Dammit.

She covered her face with her hand.

Fuck.

Helena stood in front of her window.

She looked at the sky, it was filled with bright stars.

Her ipod played an Avril Levigne song. She was fan of hard rock but this girl had songs she liked.

Her thoughts flew to Barbara, she knew the redhead was sad and why.

Quinzel had offered her what she wanted. But what would be the cost?

She had always thought that she would take revenge on her mother's killer, no matter the cost. Now she wondered if she really wanted to pay the price.

She was not sure anymore.

Quinzel had offered what she had wanted for years. The opportunity to be face to face with the man that had broken her world.

She was tempted to accept.

If she killed him she would surely change… but how? Would she see the world in the same way?

Would Barbara see her the same way?

She crossed her arms over her chest feeling a sudden cold.

It was hard to accept it, but it was the first time she felt that the uncertain future scared her, the possibility of being alone again, of losing Barbara, that all the joy filled days she had been living would vanish.

Maybe all was a dream and she would wake up again in her living nightmare.

If that was true, she didn't want to wake up.

Her fine hearing heard the door of the living room open.

It was her, she could feel it.

Barbara felt a strong impulse to see her partner, she had tried to hold it back but she couldn't, she had just grabbed her jacked and driven to her small place in the city's south. She stood at the door and observed the brunette, Helena looked so beautiful, the silver light of the moon outlining her body.

*I'm tuggin' at my hair*
*I'm pullin' at my clothes*
*I'm tryin' to keep my cool*
*I know it shows*

"I couldn't sleep." Barbara whispered very softly

"I couldn't sleep either." Helena mumbled lowering her head.

"Why?"

*I'm staring at my feet*
*My cheeks are turning red*
*And I'm searching for the words inside my head*

"I'm scared…" Helena finally said. It was not easy to confess, but it was the truth.

*'Cause I'm feeling nervous*
*Tryin' to be so perfect*
*'Cause I know you're worth it, you're worth it*
*Yeah...*

*If I could say what I want to say*
*I'd say I want to blow you—away*
*Be with you every night*
*Am I squeezing you too tight?*
*If I could see what I want to see*
*I want to see you go downon one knee*
*Marry me today*
*Guess I'm wishing my life away*
*With these things I'll never say*

Helena felt Barbara's arms enveloping her waist as she pressed her body against her back. She closed her eyes.

"What scares you Helena?" Barbara whispered into her ear as she kissed her shoulder.

Helena took a deep breath.

*It don't do me any good it's just a waste of time*

*What use is it to you what's on my mind?*

*If it ain't comin' out, we're not going anywhere*

*So why can't I just tell you that I care?*

"Me." Helena opened her eyes and fixed her eyes on the moon.

Both kept silent long seconds just listening the music that filled the room.

"What scares you Babs?" the brunette finally asked.

"The idea of losing you." Barbara pressed her close and rested her head on the brunette's shoulder. "It makes me crazy."

*'Cause I'm feeling nervous*

*Tryin' to be so perfect*

*'Cause I know you're worth it, you're worth it *

*Yeah...*

*If I could say what I wanna say*

*I'd say I want to blow you—away*

*Be with you every night*

*Am I squeezing you too tight?*

*If I could see what I wanna see*

*I want to see you go downon one knee*

*Marry me today*

*Guess I'm wishing my life away*

*With these things I'll never say*

Barbara kissed Helena's neck and moved one of her hands up to press a firm breast. She kneaded it gently and moved her lips to lick the shell of her ear.

*(What is)What's wrong with my tongue?*

*These words keep slipping away*

* (I stutter)I stutter (I stumble)I stumble like I've got nothing to say*

Helena turned in Barbara's arms and fixed her eyes on her, her pupils traced the soft line of her eyebrows, her incredible and beautiful green eyes. That heavenly and full red mouth.

The brunette moved forward and kissed her, Barbara's taste was overwhelming, sweet. The redhead opened to her enjoying the sensation of her soft tongue exploring her, teasing, touching with such tenderness and love that made her knees feel weak

Barbara moved back and cupped the brunette's face between her hands. "Make love with me." she said in a low voice.

Helena kissed her again, she lifted her into her arms and laid her on down on the bed without breaking the melting touch of her mouth.

*'Cause I'm feeling nervous*

*Trying to be so perfect *

¨*'Cause I know you're worth it, you're worth it *

*Yeah... *

Helena stared at the far wall. It had been beautiful lovemaking, she had felt Barbara in every inch of her skin, she had felt she could touch her soul, be part of her. Barbara was cocooned against her back with her arm around her waist and her head resting on her back. Her fingers lightly scratched her belly. They had been lying there for a long time, just holding each other as the pale sun light announced a new day was arriving.

"Every time I'm with you its… amazing…" Helena whispered "I didn't know I could feel those things."

Barbara rubbed her cheek against her back. "Well… I didn't know I could fly… until I was with you. I feel as if I as I could fly to another world."

"Why are you scared to lose me Babs?" Helena asked knowing what her answer would be, she felt it.

The redhead exhaled loudly. She kissed her shoulder.

"I don't want to talk about that now."

"Why not?"

Barbara buried her face on the young woman's back and didn't answer. When Barbara wouldn't answer her questions it was because something was bothering her. She took the hand making soft circles over her belly and lifted it to kiss her fingers.

"We said we never would hide anything from each other…." Helena pressed Barbara's hand with hers. She bit one of her fingers lightly. It seemed both of them had been thinking the same thing. "Are you scared about me?"

"Not exactly about you." The redhead rested her cheek on the brunette's shoulder. "It's about… your temper… your anger."

Helena took a deep breath.

"Our sense of justice is different…" Barbara whispered "You were so angry with me for years. It kept us apart for so long… you couldn't forgive me because, you know… and… and I don't know what will happen with Clayface… I don't know what will happen between us.. It scares me that this could separate us"

The brunette turned and rested her back on the mattress fixing her eyes on Barbara's who moved on top of her. Helena lifted her hand and brushed Barbara's hair. It was soft and fine, she had always loved the color, it was like fire under the sun's rays.

"I don't have anything to give to you, I just work as a bartender… I didn't finish school…, I pushed you away so many times and you always came back…. Why do you love me Barbara? Why if I...?"

Barbara didn't let her keep talking, she rested her fingers over the young woman's lips.

"I see a woman with an incredible heart, who gives anything to help others, who is compassionate and tender… a woman that loves me more than anyone has ever done…. I love who you are, I love all that is inside you."

"You know then, that I need to find him."

"I know." The redhead gave her a brief kiss on her mouth "I'm not asking you to change… I'm asking you just don't let your anger control your feelings, your heart… don't let your anger destroy you... us."

"Promise me you always will be there." She whispered.

"I always will be there… for you, any time you need it…"

"I love you…"

"I love you too…"

Helena hugged her hard and rolled to move on top of her. She wanted to love her again, she wanted to love her forever, Barbara was her life, her world, her everything. She couldn't understand sometimes how love so strong, could be so fragile. She kissed her with all her heart.

Her mobile on the night table began to play hard rock music.

The brunette's hands caressed the redhead's side. Maybe If she ignored it, the person calling would give up.

But she was wrong. Why hadn't she turned the damn thing off?

She kept kissing Barbara and extended her hand and reached over her night table looking for her mobile. She finally found it and removed the battery with a fast movement before returning to her task.

"You should answer," Barbara said to her "it could be something important."

"Oh no, it's Harleen…" Helena looked her.

"Your doctor?"

"She calls me sometimes."

"She is really interested in your ass." Barbara slapped the ass in question and the brunette jumped.

"Hey! That hurts."

"Well she calls you often."

"It's not my fault I'm hot."

"Are you flirting with her?" the redhead lifted her eyebrow.

"No, never." Helena cocked her head "Are you jealous?"

"No, of course not."

"You are jealous!" Helena smirked.

"Hel, it's not that…" Barbara sighed.

"So you are not jealous."

"I told you no."

"Well," Helena extended her hand toward her mobile "I'll call her then."

Barbara grabbed her wrist and pulled it down. "If you take that phone I'll break your arm."

"See? You are!" Helena giggled.

Helena didn't see it coming, she suddenly found her back against the mattress.

"Let me explain it to you in this way." The redhead said holding her wrists at her sides "You try to cheat on me and I'll kick your ass very hard."

"You don't need to do that…" Helena chuckled. "The most important thing in my life is you…"

Barbara leaned her head trapping her lips to steal a deep and warm kiss.

Lost in their caress, they again lost all sense of time and the world around them.

Barbara pinched the bridge of her nose, she was restless, she couldn't feel in peace knowing that Clayface was free, taunting Helena. The fight between them was inevitable. She could only pray that the day it happened, the brunette didn't let her feelings cloud her mind.

She had been thinking of joining Huntress on her patrols but she didn't want the brunette to feel that she didn't trust her.

The sound of music filled the room. She turned her head. Helena had forgotten her mobile on the desk. She picked it up and answered it.

"Hello?"

There was a deep silence on the other end of the line.

"Hello?"

The line went dead.

She raised her eyebrows. She had a bad feeling.

She looked for the number in the phone's memory and stared at it. She wouldn't usually do this but she had a bad feeling. She turned her chair and opened a window on her computer typing the phone number from Helena's mobile and pressed the search key.

"Quinzel Harleen____ 234 Johnson Boulevard."

She again took the mobile and checked the last calls. Quinzel had been calling her incessantly. There were at least ten missed calls.

Barbara tapped the tip of her chin with her index finger and typed a few more keys and searched on the mobile database. It was easy to hack.

Quinzel's mobile history appeared on the screen.

Barbara pressed the enter button and a loading bar appeared on her computer screen. She leaned back in her chair and rested her elbow on the arm of her chair watching the screen.

"Miss Gordon?"

Barbara turned her head. "Yes?"

"I was calling you but you didn't answer."

"I'm sorry Alfred, I didn't hear you."

"I noticed." He said walking inside the platform. "Are you working on something important? Or is it Miss Helena's anger issues that kept your mind busy?"

"I trust Helena, I know she, at the end will do right but… it's not her who worries me."

"No?"

"It's that doctor Quinzel, there is something about her I don't like… look."

The butler leaned over the screen. There were a large number of phone calls to Helena's mobile number.

"She really is interested in Miss Helena."

"Yes." The redhead stood up and picked up her bag.

"Are you going to the Foundation?"

"No, I need to investigate Quinzel some more."

"What kind of work does she do here?" Barbara asked the Director of Arkham. It was a good thing that her father was the Police Commissioner, it opened many doors for her in unexpected places.

"She is working with dangerous criminals, she is trying to understand their behavior." The Director said.

"The elements of criminal behavior are by no means a simple equation."

"I know, she is trying to find a link between moral reasoning, criminal behavior and offender rehabilitation."

She leaned back on the chair in front of the director's desk. "Has she been successful?"

"Not yet, but we hope she could be."

"Her work seems to be very interesting." Barbara said checking the files in front of her.

"It is, we hope she will make a good advance. I appreciate your interest in the rehabilitation of these people Miss Gordon."

"I think that her success is something that is important for all of us."

"You can take that information and read it."

"Thanks I will." She smiled and put the files inside her suitcase as she checked her watch. "Well, it's late, I must go." Barbara stood up and extended her hand to him. "Thanks so much."

When the director opened the door Barbara noticed with surprise that Quinzel was there, talking with the director's secretary. Dressed in a red business suit.

"Miss Gordon, what a nice surprise" she said.

"Good afternoon Harleen." Barbara observed the petite woman, she still felt the woman had a weird side.

"I'm glad you two have met." The director said "Miss Gordon is interested in knowing the success you could have with your work with criminals."

"I'm thinking that maybe our foundation could support you with funds." The redhead explained.

"That sounds interesting." Quinzel smiled. "Your help will be a great support to our research."

"I'm very interested in your work." Barbara explained "I would like to know your techniques to better understand what you are doing."

"Are you leaving? I just came to get some papers." The blonde asked.

"Yes, I have an appointment," Barbara said "But if you want we can talk on our way to the parking lot."

"Perfect." The director said "I hope she can answer all the questions you have miss Gordon."

"Thanks." The redhead smiled at him.

Both women walked to the exit.

"A small percentage of crime is attributed to abnormality or genetics." Harleen said "Criminal activity can be explained in terms of the learning of societal norms; where an individual is mistaken or has been influenced to develop a way of living that is not compatible with the laws of a given society, a conflict is created that may lead to a criminal confrontation."

"Another aspect though, is that people will suffer from abnormalities or mental infirmities that are actually the predominant cause of an individual's criminal conduct. I know it is exasperated by the social phenomena of stereotyping, prejudice and racism."

"Yes, my theory is that biological factors predetermine criminal behavior."

"Society is a strong factor too." Barbara pointed out.

"Have you heard of Gudjonsson & Drinkwater, Miss Gordon?"

"Yes, I know they have accounted for professional's in the clinical area of aggression."

"Yes, the results of the study showed a significant indication of professionals to favor psychological treatments for violent patients."

Barbara looked at the blonde. "I was reading some of your work on the web, you are very interested in the investigation of violent behavior."

"Anger gives people power." The blonde's eyes brightened "Anger is not just a mental state of mind. It triggers an increase in heart rate, blood pressure and levels of adrenaline and noradrenaline. If you manage the anger we can make the people powerful."

"But it is destructive." The redhead observed.

"You have felt adrenaline Miss Gordon." Her blue eyes fixed on the redhead "You know what it feels like… or am I worng?"

"No, I love my bike and I love the feeling of riding it."

Quinzel smirked. "Well, then you know that once you experience it, you want to feel it again, it becomes part of your life. The sensation is incredible. Can you imagine it then, the power of anger? People go beyond their own limitations for it."

"It's dangerous."

"And addictive…"

"Is that the reason you are interested in Helena?" Barbara couldn't hold back the question.

"Do you mean the problems she has in controlling her anger? You know Anger management helps to identify what triggers emotions and how to respond so that things work in your favor…"

"No, I mean 'Helena'." Barbara interrupted her.

"It is professional miss Gordon, I want to help her. She is 'special', you know what I mean."

"I know."

Quinzel chuckled. "You know Helena's temper. I will ask you…" she tapped her chin with her index "Do you think you could support Helena in one of her hardest decisions?"

"I always support her Harleen." Barbara began to feel really annoyed with this woman.

"I'm talking about something that goes beyond your strong principles. Do you think your love for her could help you to cross the line."

"Harleen. I don't know what your intentions really are." Barbara said feeling irritated but trying to be as polite as possible "I have noticed that every time I talk with you, you try to make me doubt my feelings for her. I committed a terrible mistake a few months ago from your intrigues. I hurt her. Please leave us alone."

"Miss Gordon…"

"I know that your interest in Helena is more than friendly." The redhead said with firm voice "I will ask you to stop your game."

She turned and crossed the street to go to her bike.

"Are you sure about Helena's feelings?" Quinzel asked "Are you sure about your support of her when she does what she most wants in the world?"

The redhead didn't answer, she climbed on her bike and turned on the engine.

"You will feel betrayed Miss Gordon, you will turn your back on her. But I'll be there to support her."

Barbara took her helmet and fixed her green eyes on her. She wanted to slap the woman.

"Leave her alone." She said.

"Who will stop me? You? Or maybe Batgirl?" the blonde grinned crossing her arms.

"You are warned Harleen. I'll not let you play with her feelings."

Barbara understood then that Quinzel knew much more that she thought, but she didn't let her distress show. She moved her helmet over her head and pressed the accelerator.

Smiling, the blonde observed her leave.

Helena waited anxiously for her shift to finish. She would have the rest of the night free to make her usual patrol around the city. The bar was full of people, it usually happened on weekends. It was good for tips but a bit annoying when she wanted to go out early.

She moved her hand up to fix some cups on top of the counter.

"We need more whiskey Helena." Her partner said.

"I'll go for it."

The brunette went toward the back of the bar and looked for her keys to open the storage room.

"Good evening Helena." A familiar voice said behind her.

The brunette turned her head. "Harleen?"

"You are like a ghost you know?" the blonde said resting against the door. "You appear and disappear unexpected. I thought you would come back to see me."

"I'm sorry, I have been busy…" Helena excused herself "How are you?"

"Very fine." Quinzel smiled and walked to her. "And you?"

"I'm fine. Do you want something to drink?" the brunette offered. "I can get you something."

"No, thanks." Quinzel stood in front of her "You look beautiful tonight."

Helena chuckled "I'm a mess, I have been working all day."

"You look beautiful anyway." The blonde moved her hand and touched the fabric of Helena's blouse. "Nice fabric."

"Thanks…"

Unexpectedly Harleen moved forward and tried to kiss Helena, she moved back slightly and lowered her head.

"Doctor… I…" Helena said softly "I love Barbara, you know it, I don't want to cheat on her…"

"You haven't tried with me…"

The young woman took a deep breath. "Harleen… I don't want hurt you but… I'm not interested."

The blonde chuckled. "Maybe you will be… What would you give me if I gave you what you want most?"

"I don't need anything else, I'm fine."

The blonde lifted her hand and touched the brunette's cheek. "What would you say if told you where to find your mother's assassin?"

Helena stared at her.

"I know where he is now." Quinzel's hand brushed the brunette's fine hair off her forehead and to the side.

"How you know?" the brunette felt her heart beating harder in her chest.

"I told you, I have my contacts…" Quinzel smiled and moved forward to brush her lips against Helena's.

The brunette moved her head to the side. "Harleen I can't…"

"Do you want to know where he is?"

"Yes."

"You know I always will support you." She said.

"Tell me…" Helena said fixing her eyes on her.

"I'll do it… I want you to have your revenge." Quinzel smiled and kissed her lightly on her lips, this time the brunette didn't move back.

Helena picked up her short black coat and walked to the exit with Quinzel.

The redhead exited the elevator doors into the Clocktower feeling upset.

"Bad day?" Alfred asked noticing her mood. He stood in front of the gears of the Clock as he finished cleaning them.

"No, it's that Quinzel, now I'm convinced she knows much more about us than I like." Barbara stepped onto the platform and placed her briefcase on the desk. "Has Helena called?"

"Not yet, she must be at work. What does that woman know?" Alfred walked toward her cleaning his hands with a cloth.

"She has been insinuating that Helena has special skills." The redhead said sitting on her chair and looking for the computer mouse. "She talked about her strength and now she has mentioned Batgirl."

"She knows who you are?"

"I think so."

"Who would have told her?"

"I don't know but I need to talk with Helena about this woman." She leaned back in her chair looking at him. "And she is really interested in Helena. She is flirting with her."

"Miss Helena loves you."

"I know, but it worries me what this woman has seen inside her head." Barbara explained "She talks about anger, criminals and power with such fascination… it is like as if she loves it. She has a strange dark side."

"Did you find something interesting in your visit to Arkham?"

"Yes, I just need check to some info…" she leaned over her screen. "I don't like this."

Part 11

Quinzel took Helena to the old oil factory. It had been closed for years. The young woman climbed easily over the fence and jumped onto the roof of the closest building.

She felt the adrenaline running through her body, she would finally face him. She had looked forward to this moment for years.

The brunette walked quickly over the rooftop and looked around. Quinzel said he was in one of the main buildings. There it was in front of her. Not thinking twice, she easily jumped over to it.

She entered through a window and below her was an open space filled with old oil thanks. It was huge. The place was dark and smelled bad.

"Are you looking for someone?" a voice behind her said.

She turned and noted with surprise that Batman was there.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him.

"I came here to stop you."

"This is my war, not yours."

He walked towards her. He looked bigger in that dark costume.

"You must come back home."

"No one invited you, so you can go." Huntress said angrily. What the fuck was he doing there? She never expected to see him. She hadn't seen him in almost two years.

"Go away." Batman said standing in front of her.

"I'm not leaving until I find him."

"And what are you going to do? Do you think you can defeat him?" he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I'll kill him, I'll avenge mom."

"You can't." The dark knight said "You are just a kid, go home, this is a man's work."

"Who the fuck do you think you are? You are out of my life!"

"I said, go home."

"I'm not going, I'll find him and I'll kill him."

"He will kill you first."

"Don't be so sure…"

He slapped her hard on her face sending her backwards. She didn't expect him to hit her and so she couldn't avoid the impact and hit the ground hard.

"You are stubborn and stupid." Batman said "Come home with daddy."

Batman lifted her by her lapels and threw her against some old furniture at the end of the corridor. Huntress growled and rolled crouching on the floor.

"Daddy will spank you until you understand you fucking bitch" the masked man shouted.

She glared at him. He tried to kick her but she moved to the side. She jumped and kicked him in his chest. He fell back and before he could react further the brunette used both of her fists as a hammer and hit him hard in the face. The man held her by her waist and pushed her back.

Both fell onto the top of one of the tanks. They struggled until they heard a sharp crack. The top of the old tank broke under their weight and they both fell inside the empty tank. Huntress pushed him back as she tried to regain her balance and landed on her feet.

"I know it's you Clayface!" she said holding her arm.

He smirked and morphed to his normal form. "Well, well, how did you know it was me?"

"He never calls him self daddy and he has never insulted me." Huntress was on guard. She had been waiting for this moment for years. "And I smelt your bad smell."

"You have the same sense of humor as your mother." The tall man laughed standing up. "Do you recognize this?" Clayface opened a switchblade knife in front of him and showed it to Helena.

She remembered it. It was similar to the knife he had used to kill her mother. The same one that he had dropped on the roadway in the rain.

He swung trying to surprise her but she dodged. He thrust forward but she blocked his blow; he then tried to hit her but she smashed her fist against his face. Her other fist impacted with his gut.Clayface stepped back.

"Seems like this will be fun." He grinned noticing she was limping. He lunged his blade towards her again.

Huntress noticed some chains hanging from the racks on the ceiling, they were used to lift heavy weights, she pulled the closest one and they fell down.

Clayface tried to stab her but she used the chains to grab his arm and twist it.

He crashed against the ground and stood up annoyed.

"You love to play rude… I like it." He grinned at her while wiping his lips.

"Me too."

He tried to stab her but the brunette ducked and swept his feet making him stumble back. Annoyed he threw a piece of wood at her and she avoided it by moving to the side as she used the chains she was holding to hit his feet and make him fall...

"Are you pissed? Tsk, tsk, I'm so sorry…" she smiled.

He stood up again and tried to hit her. Helena blocked his arm but he swept his foot making her fall down. He jumped over her and she barely had time to lift her hand to stop the descending knife.

"First I kill the mother, now I kill the daughter. That's almost poetic." He grinned and used both hands to try to push the knife down and bury it in the brunette's throat.

Helena pushed him back and got to her feet kicking him back. Clayface flipped the knife over and stepped forward to attack her.

Huntress grabbed his arm and flipped him over. Both fell to the ground and she landed on top of him. She grabbed his hand which still held the knife and pushed until the knife was poised over him. One hand on his hand holding the knife, her other hand on his neck.

"You killed my mother. Now I'm going to kill you. That is poetry." She growled.

"Oh, look at you, Helena, huh? The rage. And you look so beautiful."

Huntress growled at the man feeling the blood burning in her veins. He had stolen her mother's life, he had broken her life, her heart.

"And I enjoyed seeing her life vanishing under my hand." He grinned.

She pressed her lips together angrily and hit him harder on his face knocking him out.

She had the knife at his throat and growled. Her hand had a hard grip on the knife.

She just needed push and she could have her revenge, the revenge she had dreamed of for so long.

Push… just she needed to push.

She could see her mother smiling at her, holding her in her arms. She almost could feel her sitting beside her on her bed watching some dumb TV show. Then she felt the cold, she could smell the blood that soaked her mother's body. She could see her dying in her arms.

She never did get to say goodbye.

A tear ran down her cheek.

She would never hear a last "I love you" from her mother's lips.

"Fuck!" Helena shouted throwing the knife against the far wall.

She couldn't do it.

She wanted it so much but she couldn't do it. She hit her fist against the wall.

"Kill him!" A voice behind her said.

Huntress looked back. The lower door of the tank was opened. Quinzel appeared dressed in a very strange red costume.

"Kill him!" the blonde said kneeling to pick up the knife she had thrown against the wall.

"What are you doing here?" the brunette asked.

"I gave him to you, now kill him!"

"I'm not going to kill him." Huntress felt angry, angry with him, with all that he had done. She wanted to run, to shout, to yell. She wanted to beat him to death… But she couldn't.

"Kill him," Quinzel said "feel the power it gives you. He killed your mother, he stole her life. Are you going to forgive him for that? For stealing your home? Your life?"

Huntress shook her head. She was right, he had stolen her life and the person she loved most in the world.

Harleen took her arm and fixed her eyes on the young crime fighter.

"Kill him Helena, you will be powerful and invincible. No one can stop you. You told me no one took revenge for your mother's death. Do it, you owe it to her."

The dark haired girl turned to see the unconscious man lying on the floor.

"You were alone for years Helena," Harley moved closer "you needed to move, you didn't have a home. Your mother didn't have a chance, she died bleeding in your arms. Don't fail her, you need to make him pay for what he did."

The brunette bit her lips, she felt her anger ready to explode in every inch of her skin.

"Kill him and feel the power that your anger will give you…" the blonde pushed her "…and then let me show you the way you can be free. You told me you hate rules. No more rules, no more stupid hero codes! You can do whatever you want, your destiny is in your hands."

Blue eyes fixed on the petite woman. Quinzel cupped her face between her hands.

"I can show you the way to find your freedom. No one will rule your life, just you." The blonde whispered "I promised to be at your side, I will be, I'm here. Do it! It's what you want. Honor the memory of your mother. Kill him, make him pay!"

Helena hesitated, she wanted do it but at the same time something inside her, an unexpected force stopped her. She couldn't understand the emotions flowing inside her.

Quinzel took her hand and put the knife in it. "Revenge gives you pleasure. Do it to feel the power it gives you. We could be a team, an incredible team. No rules, just what you want."

Huntress' eyes fixed on the blade in her hand and she lifted her gaze to Clayface.

"Kill him beautiful." Quinzel smiled. "Do you remember the man that stabbed Barbara a few months ago outside her building? It was him."

Huntress looked at her incredulously, she clenched her fist.

"He tried to kill Barbara, the woman you love… It was him, he told me! He told me he was planning to do it."

"You knew he wanted to kill her?" the brunette growled and pushed her against the wall. She put a hand over her throat.

"Feels good no?" Quinzel smirked "The ire filling in your body. It makes you powerful. You feel it."

"Shut up! Why didn't you tell me what he was planning??" Huntress shouted.

"I work with criminals, you know that. They always look for me. They like to talk, they like to have someone listen to them. I listened to him, but I never thought he would do it."

"You should have told me!!" the brunette released her and walked to Clayface knife in hand…

The doctor smiled noticing the tension in Huntress' muscles, her jaw was clenched, her knuckles white with the strength of her fist. It was fascinating to observe her, to see the power flowing in that young and beautiful woman, ready to explode.

The brunette stood up in front of the man and breathed heavily.

"Kill him." Quinzel whispered.

Huntress exhaled loudly and threw the knife to the floor. "No."

Quinzel blinked in surprise. What the hell was she doing?

"He killed your mother, this is what you have been looking forward to for years."

Huntress kept still.

"He will try to kill Barbara again, she will never be safe with him alive."

The dark haired woman turned and looked at her. "I'll take him to Arkham again."

"Is this for Barbara?" the blonde walked toward her "It's her again right?"

"No."

"Are you afraid that she won't support you? That means that she doesn't love you."

"No, it is not for her, it's for me."

"But you said…"

"Harleen..." Huntress interrupted her "I have hated for so many years, thinking of revenge, feeling so hurt… I hated my life, my father, Barbara, this man. I hated everything around me… and I was so empty. I wanted to die, my life didn't have meaning. Now, I feel I'm alive again, I awake in the mornings feeling like I want to stand up and enjoy every minute of the day. Barbara, she makes me feel full, she makes me smile… she is my everything." The brunette sighed and rested her hands on her hips fixing her eyes on the far wall. "Hate almost destroyed me, it pushed me away from the people I love… I don't want to go back to that darkness, I don't want to be alone again."

"You won't be," Quinzel took her face between her hands. "I'm here, I'm here for you."

"Thanks, but you must understand…"

"You are beautiful, strong," Harleen focused on her trying to catch all her attention "The world is in your hands, take it. Look at me, I will never abandon you…" Quinzel moved forward and tried to kiss her on her lips. Huntress moved back trying not to be rude

"I'm sorry…" the brunette whispered "but you know I don't love you."

"Because you don't know me, because you haven't tried with me. Let me love you and I can take you to places you could never imagine."

Quinzel moved her arms around the brunette's neck and pressed her lip's against her. Huntress closed her eyes, she felt Quinzel's mouth tracing hers.

"You are gorgeous." the tip of Quinzel's tongue asked for entrance and Huntress kissed her back trying to show her gratitude for all her help, but after a few seconds she moved her hands between them and moved her face away licking her lips.

"I can't Harleen." She mumbled.

"Kill him Huntress!!" Harleen said feeling the anger filling her soul, nobody rejected her, no one had ever pushed her away before. "Take the power it will give you!"

"Nobody gives you power, you just take it." Huntress whispered.

"No Helena, this is different, kill him and feel the strength it gives you. We can work together, be invincible."

"Work?" Huntress hesitated.

Six henchmen walked inside. Huntress narrowed her eyes and looked at the blonde.

"Who are you?"

"Harleen Quinzel, or maybe you know me better as Harley Quinn…."

"You are joking…" the brunette couldn't believe what she was hearing. This was the woman they had been looking for. She felt her vision blur for an instant.

"No, I rule the underworld, I control all the criminals in this city." Quinn smirked "Kill him and join me, we can rule this city. We can have everything you want."

"You have murdered…"

"Helena, join me. Ask me anything you want, I'll give it to you. Diamonds? Jewels? Travel? Cars? What do you want?"

The young woman glared at her. "You are a criminal."

"Think of the world I offer you, a new life, power, money."

"Forget it… You are his girlfriend…" the brunette took a step back feeling dizzy. She shook her head…

"You mean Mr. J?" Quinn smirked observing her "Oh, well it's hard, but yes. You can help me to free him and we will be…"

"He sent Clayface to kill my mother, he shot Barbara…" Huntress felt annoyed, she had been pretending to be her friend, but she had just been using her. The room around her moved, something was wrong.

"Barbara, Barbara, Barbara, she is so annoying!" the blonde waved her hands "But I can fix that. Now Helena, I'm not going to ask you again… It's your last chance. Join me or die."

"Fuck you!" Huntress growled.

"You are so stupid. I'm offering you the world." Harley crossed her arms and smirked. "Do you feel sick?"

The brunette rubbed her eyes. Quinn raised her hand to her lips and peeled off a thin membrane.

Huntress glared at her and took a hesitant step back trying to keep her balance.

"Sorry my dear, when I kissed you a powerful drug poisoned your nervous system. It will make you feel a bit… dumb. I'm not a beginner Huntress, I took my precautions."

Huntress tried to hit her but she was dumb and slow. Quinn punched her hard in her gut and her other fist crashed into her jaw. Huntress turned and tried to kick the woman back.

It pissed off the blonde who charged towards her but Helena's fist hit her hard making her fall back.

Huntress cried when she felt a hard blow on her back. One of Quinn's henchmen had hit her with an old piece of wood.

Quinn took the opportunity and hit her hard in the face, Huntress almost fell but the men caught her in time. Quinn stepped up to her.

"I was sure I could convince you to join me. Why are you so stupid?"

"Bitch…" Huntress felt her mouth struck.

Harley's back hand hit the brunette's face. Helena tried to attack her but the men restrained her easily and her limbs felt so heavy.

Quinn took her face between her hands. "My sweet Helena, your fucking love for that whore screwed my plans. Why are you so stubborn? You could love me."

"I… don't date… bitches."

Maybe that had been a bad answer, Quinn's fist hit her side even harder and it hurt like hell. She growled.

-

"You would have been a fucking fantastic lover." The blonde said tracing the brunette's lips with her hands "You must be very good, Barbara is crazy for you. Maybe I can't have you but she can't have you either."

"Psycho bitch…"

The impact of Harley's boot against her jaw was so strong that it made her see stars. A buzz sound echoed in her ears. She could taste her blood in her mouth.

"Boys, show her who's the boss." Quinn stepped back smirking and crossed her arms.

The brunette winced feeling a hard blow to her ribs. She didn't have time to recover as a fist hit the side of her skull and she fell to her knees.

This was definitely bad.

She didn't have time to think anymore as blows rained over her, she curled trying unsuccessfully to protect herself.

Luckily, a hard kick to the back of her head made her lose consciousness.

Oracle tapped her fingers against her desk.

"How goes your research Miss Barbara?" Alfred asked.

"The woman is a ghost" the redhead said pushing her glasses up her nose with her index finger. "There is no information about her anywhere. It makes me even more worried… Harley Quinzel… Harley Quinzel…" Barbara froze suddenly. The name sounded similar to…

"Is something wrong?" the butler asked looking at her.

"Harleen Quinzel… Harley Quinn."

"The Joker's girlfriend? Could this be a coincidence?"

"I hope…" Barbara turned and typed frantically on her keyboard. She found an old file picture of a masked Harley Quinn. It was a strange picture, taken years ago after a bank robbery, it was the only picture they had of the criminal.

"Her face is masked." Alfred said.

"Yes but I can make a comparison of her face shape, the mouth and nose…" Barbara pressed some keys and opened several windows on her monitor.

"She has been insinuating things about you and her."

"Yes, I have really a bad feeling about this."

Barbara's green eyes fixed on the screen.

"It's Quinzel Alfred." She mumbled seeing the match on the screen. This was not good. It was worse than bad.

"Oh my…" Alfred said. "This is not good."

"Definitely not." She pressed a button "Huntress we have a problem."

She noticed then that the signal was off. Barbara shook her head. "It's off."

"She must still be working at the bar."

"Right." She pressed a button and a phone icon appeared on her screen. "Dark Horse bar."

"Quinzel has been looking for Miss Helena frequently." The old butler pointed out. "Do you think she knows who you are?"

"I think so, and it really worries me."

<Dark horse Bar> a voice come over the speakers.

"Leonard, good evening, I'm sorry but I really need to talk with Helena, is she around?"

<She left the bar two hours ago. She went out with a blonde.>

Barbara turned to see Alfred was also looking worried. "A blonde? Is she small? Short hair?"

<Yes, she has been here two or three times.>

"Thanks Leonard." She cut the phone call and put her hands on the desk. "She is with her and she hasn't called."

"And her mic is off."

Barbara knew this could only mean problems. "I can turn it on but it will take me a few minutes. We need to find her"

She felt someone was dragging her. Her eyesight was blurry, but she could see lights along the ceiling. Then she passed out again and when she next opened her eyes she was lying inside a cold dark place. Her whole body hurt like hell. Where was she? She could hear the sound of the sea close by.

"Hi beautiful… Good nap?"

Huntress blinked and tried to focus on the evil woman smiling above her, but her face looked distorted and her voice had a strange echo.

"Hard time? Oh my, that's so bad… for you of course. My dear Helena," Quinn grinned as she traced her lips with her index finger. "you don't have any idea how much you hurt me. I dreamed of taking you to my bed, it's a shame you are so stupid."

Huntress tried to move her arms and she realized her hands were chained behind her back. Fuck, where was she? She looked around tying to recognize the place. Her eyes glowed golden and she felt totally disoriented.

"This will be the last time I see you." Quinn whispered "It makes me feel so sad."

The blonde leaned and kissed her as her left hand moved over her right breast and pressed it hard.

Helena felt Quinn's tongue touch her like a snake, taking, poisoning.

"So sweet." The blonde grinned and licked her cheek, she moved down and kissed her neck.

Huntress growled annoyed, she didn't want her touching her.

Quinn's hand moved from her breast and cupped her crotch.

"Do you like that?" the blonde smiled moving her hand in soft circles between her legs "Do you want me to make you feel good?"

"Fuck you…" Helena lifted her legs trying unsuccessfully to push Quinn's hand away.

"Come on, I know you like it." The criminal fixed her eyes on her "I can fuck you now… if I want," she pressed her hand hard against her center. "You love to fuck, no? You told me many times how much you liked the way Barbara fucked you. Has she touched you like I do? I'm sure she hasn't. I'm much better than her."

Huntress pulled the chains trying to free her arms, but she couldn't, she was so fucking drugged…

"Forget it Huntress," Quinn kissed her jaw "you are mine now." She kissed her again and after long seconds she moved back resting her knees on either side of Helena's thighs. "It's a shame our relationship has to finish like this." She picked up Clayface's knife, and observed it closely before she moved the tip to Helena's side and pressed it lightly against her. She smiled at the brunette. "Now your life is my hands. What do you think?"

"You… are crazy."

Quinzel chuckled. "That is what everyone says, but the truth is that all of them are jealous of my talent… my power." She bent and caressed the dark curls at her forehead "Like Barbara Gordon, she is a damn pain in the ass, and I should kill her."

"Don't touch…h… her…"

"Nah, it wouldn't be fun… How do you think poor Barbara will feel when she knows you are dead? I'm going to enjoy it, it will be much better than killing her." She brushed her lips against Helena's forehead and began to trace light kisses over her face. "Of course, I'm not going to give you the pleasure of a fast death my dear. It will be more fun if you die alone and slowly… helplessly."

Huntress cried feeling the knife burying into her side.

Quinn smirked looking at the pain on the girl's face "You don't have any idea how good this feels."

"Fucking bitch…" Huntress groaned in pain. She tried unsuccessfully to push her away.

"You must understand Helena," the blonde whispered in her ear burying the blade deeper "I can't give you any chance to survive, right?"

Finally Quinn pulled the knife out and caressed the brunette's cheek. "It's time to say goodbye honey. But I would like to keep something to remember you by." With a fast movement, she removed the girl's necklace and observed her. "This will do fine."

The blonde stood up and Huntress gasped in pain as she curled over.

"It's time to say goodbye honey." Harley said pacing around the small room. "This place is part of a secret hideout, built during the second world war. Only a few people know about this place. It's a dock inside a cave that could be used to escape in case of an emergency."

Huntress looked around, she was inside a cavern, a dim light lit the place, pretty creepy.

"The high tide fills this place with water every night, just after midnight." Quinn checked her watch, "You don't have much time. So, think fast."

Quinn turned and climbed the only ladder. Once she was out of the room her men kicked the ladder until the old screws broke and it fell down into the water.

"I know cats don't like water but… well, I hope your mother taught you how to swim." Quinn laughed "I'm sorry if I don't stay but I don't like cold water."

The brunette stared at her still distorted shape. She heard the sound of the door closing and being locked.

Her side hurt like hell and she tried to stand up but the world moved around her and she couldn't keep her balance. She rested her back against the cold wall. With her senses functioning normally she could have reached the door easily.

"Barbara…" she whispered.

She was the only one who could help her, but she didn't know where she was. Fuck. She was screwed.

"Can you turn on the necklace?" Alfred asked the redhead who was working as fast as she could to find a way to locate her partner..

"Almost, I just need to unlock this code and…" Barbara watched her screen. "The necklace is on…"

"Where is she?" Alfred asked.

"She is moving towards the center of the city."

The phone at her side rang.

"That must be her." She hurried to pick it up.

"Helena?"

<I'm sorry to disappoint you Barbara Gordon.>

The voice made a chill ran down the redhead's back.

<I can't tell you how disappointed I'm in your girl.>

Alfred and Barbara looked at each other in silence.

<What's the matter? Bat got your tongue?> Quinzel asked.

"Very witty, Quinzel." Barbara said.

<Harley Harley Quinn. And quite soon this city, or what's left of it, will be mine.>

"Don't count on it."

<I love your always controlled behavior. Would it flip a switch somewhere deep in your psyche to know that we kissed, Helena and I?>

Barbara didn't say anything. She bit her lips angrily.

<No? She is a damn good kisser and I bet she really made you scream in bed. How did it feel having her inside you? Tell me, she was wild? Was she was like an untamed… cat?>

"Where is Helena, Quinn?"

<Oh, your lover? Well, she will be past tense soon…>

"What did you do to her?"

<I am ready to make my dream come true, it's a shame your dear Helena Kyle your friend and lover couldn't see it. I asked her so nicely to join me and she refused.>

"She never would. You will never win Quinn."

<Yes? How about if I told you I stabbed her and she is now enjoying a slow death?>

Barbara listened without making a sound. The emotion breaking over her face spoke volumes to Alfred.

<It was hard to say goodbye to her. Now she is alone, in darkness, dying, with no hope and no Barbara or Batgirl to help her. You don't have any idea how nice it felt when I buried the same knife that killed her mother into her skin. You should have heard her cry Barbara, it was music.>

"What do you want Quinn?"

<I already have what I want, her life in my hands… I kept a small souvenir to remember her. It's a shame, she really was a good girl. You don't have any idea Barbara Gordon, how much I'm enjoying your suffering, knowing you can't do anything for her, because you don't know where she is or how much time she has left. I just can assure you, she will be with her mother in a couple of hours. Nature will do it's work. Hmm? Sweet dreams Barbara.>

The redhead heard the click of a button disconnecting the phone.

"She could be bluffing." Alfred said.

"Not a criminal like her." The redhead observed her screen again. "This is strange… Helena's signal is moving."

"But she said miss Helena was dying."

Barbara typed at her computer and replayed the phone call. She reduced the sound of Quinzel's voice.

"What are you doing?" Alfred asked.

Barbara tried to think as fast as she could. "She said she took a souvenir from Helena."

"The necklace."

"Yes, and she said Helena is dying alone, in darkness. When I turned on the necklace locator, the signal was moving along Road 34 towards the city." Barbara replayed the tape.

<Nature will do it's work.> Quinzel's voice was heard on the speakers.

"Nature?" the butler said "That road takes you to the old oil factory."

"And below that… are the cliffs…." Barbara opened a window on her screen and a map appeared. "Under the oil factory there is a secret refuge." Alfred said.

"Secret refuge?"

"It was built during the second world war." the old man said "Small boats could come inside, but at night the small dockyard inside the cave is completely flooded. I used to work at the factory when I was young and we knew the factory had a secret passage to that refuge."

"What time is the high tide?"

"Two o'clock, more or less."

"Quinn said that miss Helena will be dead in a couple of hours. It's 12:20 now miss Barbara. She could be at the dock… But, what if Quinn is lying? Miss Helena's signal is moving, she could already be in the city."

Barbara stood up and went to the elevator.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to follow my instinct. Keep an eye on Delphi, we will be in contact."

Helena never thought the water could be so cold. The tide was rising quickly, it was almost 20 inches higher. She moved her arms trying to free herself, but a sharp pain in her side made her stop.

Fuck, this was going to be hard. The light had gone out a long time ago and she was in darkness. Damn, this was like a cheap horror movie.

She rested her back against the wall and looked up She examined her options, there was no way to climb up, maybe she could try to jump to the door.

She stood up and felt she could barely support her own weight. There was a small ledge above her, maybe she could jump and stand there. She took a deep breath and jumped, but she miscalculated and couldn't reach her goal, she bounced off the wall and fell heavily into the water.

Shw geowled and bit her lips. That had really hurt.

She coughed and spat water.

Damn.

If she could barely stand on her feet she would never be able to try and swim out of there, the chains restraining her hands were too heavy. The drug's effect was passing but now she was paying the price of blood loss. Fucking Quinn, she had thought of everything.

Her thoughts focused on Barbara. Being with Barbara had been an important part of her life. She had learnt so many things about life and about her self. She made her feel full of life. She had the chance to kill Clayface but… one of the things she had learned was that she was stronger, much stronger than normal people and she was responsible for her power... it was what being strong was all about.

She needed to remain in calm and try to keep her strength. She needed to survive for Barbara.

She still had many things to tell her, to share, to make her feel.

She needed do it.

Batgirl parked her bike beside the biggest building. She used her batarang as a hook and threw it to the rooftop to climb the tall wall.

The oil factory had been abandoned for more than 15 years. What had Helena been doing in there? In some way Harley, as the criminal they had been looking for, had found out who Helena was and led her to a trap.

She took out a small computer which showed a map on the screen.

"I'm here Alfred."

<Go to the last building, the smallest.> he said.

"On my way."

<You must hurry, it's almost two o'clock.>

"I know." She said running across the rooftops.

<When you get there, you must go to the basement->

"Got it."

Helena coughed, the water was freezing and had risen above her chest, she shivered trying to remain conscious. She knew Barbara could find her, she always knew how to find her.

She coughed and spat water.

This was really bad.

"Fuck..." she growled through chattering teeth.

She closed her eyes. She could see Barbara smiling at her. She had really bad luck! Finally she had found someone that loved her and it seemed she couldn't enjoy it any longer.

She looked around again and this time the walls didn't move. It seemed her metabolism was kicking off the drug, but now the hypothermia was taking a real toll on her as was the loss of blood.

She closed her eyes. She needed to remain alert, she couldn't sleep, but it was hard. The damned water was so cold she was freezing.

Life was not fair.

She didn't get to say goodbye to Barbara. She would be really pissed and Barbara being pissed was not good. She could hear her calling her name, every time she pronounced her name it sounded wonderful. Barbara always had been so marvelous with her, she regretted the years she lost trying to hate her.

The saying was true: We hate some people because we do not know them; and will not know them because we hate them. She tried to raise her eyelids but they felt so heavy, maybe if she slept a bit she could recover some strength and try to get out.

"Barbara…" she whispered feeling her eyes closing. "I'm trying."

The redhead arrived at the basement, the room was filled with old boilers, she used a torch to look around the place. There was an old elevator car with it's doors stuck open, and a rusty door close to it. She shone the light on the door, maybe her feelings had been wrong, the door looked like it hadn't been opened in years.

She felt her heart beating faster in hope, there was a padlock on the lock and it was new. She took a small lamp out of her belt and hung it over the wall to light the room a bit more. She then took her laser from her belt and knelt to cut the chain holding the padlock. She removed it and opened the heavy door pulling with both hands.

The noise was loud.

There was no floor, just a hole, it was dark. It seemed there was a floor below. She could hear the sound of water moving below.

"Helena?" she shouted and searched the place with her torch. "Are you there?"

She couldn't see anything, just the dark water below. Barbara felt frustrated. "She is not here Alfred."

<Maybe you should look upstairs.>

"Yes…" Barbara felt she had failed he, she needed think fast, she needed find Helena, She looked down again on the dark hole and…

…there was a small dark head just barely visible over the water.

"Helena!" she shouted. Not thinking twice, she hooked her batarang around a pipe and hanging onto her rope, she moved down. The feeling of the cold water shocked her.

"Damn!" She growled.

She reached the brunette, she had her eyes closed and her lips were blue.

"Helena, it's me." She said touching her cheek "Helena?"

The brunette's eyes opened slowly. She looked at her and smiled weakly.

Hey…" she whispered. "You're late…"

"I couldn't get a bus on time." Batgirl moved an arm around her back to help her to stand.

"Cabs are faster…"

"But very expensive. Came on stand up." Barbara noticed then that her hands were chained behind her back.

"I want…" Helena said with low voice "My legs don't move."

"You are freezed."

Helena couldn't stand up, Hypotermia had overwhelmed her. She lifted Helena over her shoulder and pressed a button on her belt; the rope began to retract and pulled them up easily.

"I've got her Alfred." She said into her mic.

When the redhead was on the upper floor, she lay the girl on the floor and using her laser pen, she cut the chains to free her hands.

<How is she?>

"She is in shock, hypotermia, I need to warm her, she is very cold." Batgirl said. "She was inside a cave filled with freezing water." The redhead removed Helena's long coat.

"Do you really want sex now?" the brunette asked with a weak voice.

"I need to increase your body temperature."

"Ok, we can have sex then…"

Barbara tried to remove her blouse but Helena winced. She noticed Helena was bruised, she had been beaten very badly, she felt angry. Damn Quinn, the woman was crazy. Her hand felt slick, she looked at her fingers. Blood. It was then that she saw the wound in the girl's side. "Oh God…"

<Is something wrong?>

"Quinn stabbed her…" Barbara bit her lips, the wound looked bad. She felt an incredible rage building against the evil doctor. "I need help here Alfred."

It seemed the cold water had helped Helena by slowing her bleeding. Batgirl removed her cape and then the rest of Helena's soaked clothes. She wrapped Helena with her cape, it had a thermal system that she used to keep warm in winter. It would give her the warmth she needed.

She hugged her against her chest. "Hold on, you will be fine."

"I… didn't… kill him red." Blue eyes tried to focus on her.

"Don't talk now." The redhead smiled at her caressing her cheek.

"I didn't… kill him."

"Who are you talking about?"

"Clayface…" Helena said with low voice

"Clayface? You fought him?"

The brunette smirked feeling proud of herself. "I kicked his ass… She asked me do it but I didn't kill him."

"Quinn?"

Helena nodded.

"Why?" Barbara asked.

Helena took a few seconds before whispering. "I don't want live with hate…"

The redhead felt touched. She rubbed Helena's arms trying to help warm her up. "I'm so proud of you."

"It's cold."

"I know, just try to keep awake, you will be fine." Batgirl said.

"Did I… tell you… that I hate Batgirl?"

Barbara chuckled and removed her cowl. "One hundred times. Why you hate her?"

"She likes…. to taunt me… and to… piss me off." Helena whispered shivering.

"You love piss her off too." The red head rubbed the brunette's back.

"Just a bit…:"

"Maybe Batgirl likes taunt you, because you are the only person that knows how to challenge her. But she loves you wth all her heart:"

"Do… you think?"

"You are her life." Barbara leaned in and kissed Helena's forehead.

Helena tried to remain awake despite the feeling of dizziness enveloping her "I will feel better… if you kiss my lips."

Barbara leaned and brushed her lips against her. "Better?"

Helena gave her a weak smile.

"Oh, what a moving scene. So sweet. Barbara Gordon and her dying lover."

Barbara lifted her eyes and found Quinn smirking at them. Next to her, Clayface was pointing a gun at them. She couldn't hide her surprise.

"Quinzel?" Helena recognized Harleen's voice, she tried to move but the redhead kept a hard grip on her.

"Stay…" the redhead whispered to her.

"I did the old trick of 'follow the fake signal'." The blonde said "I knew you would find her, I don't know how but I knew it." She fixed her eyes on the brunette who was shivering from the cold. "MMM… seems the little Kyle survived, but not for long."

"What do you want?" Barbara's green eyes pinned the other woman.

"Well…" the blonde waved her hands "To kill you both?"

"You will never win Quinn"

"Don't be so sure, this is my time. You and your fucking bitch will burn in hell."

Barbara felt a hand on her waist.

"I have an idea…" Helena whispered.

Barbara noticed where Helena's hand was, on her belt.

"Now please," Quinn said as she stood up slowly and took a step back.

"You want me to jump in that hole?" the redhead asked.

"Yes, and please help miss Kyle inside too."

"You will kill us anyway," Barbara said "what's the difference?"

The blonde tapped her chin. "That's a fucking good point. But, it's your problem, not mine, now, do what I say…"

The redhead took the brunette's hand. "Are you ready?"

The girl nodded.

Barbara helped the brunette to stand, Helena suddenly turned towards Clayface, pressed the button of Barbara's Wall-Penetrating Grapnel and it hit Clayface on his chest, making him drop the gun and crash into the wall behind him.

The redhead jumped at Quinn, punched her in the face and forced her to the ground. The anger inside of Barbara kept her attacking the evil woman over and over, never letting up.

Harley dodged and turned trying to stave Barbara off. She grabbed whatever she could find to hit the redhead managing to hit her once.

Harley swung but the experienced crime fighter leaned back and dodged the fist. Feeling cornered, Harley pushed Barbara away, she picked up a metal pipe and swung wildly and missed.

Barbara turned and kicked her hard in the gut. Annoyed, she kicked her while she was on the ground until she released the pipe. Barbara picked it up and grabbing Harley, she pushed her backward over a railing holding her there with the flat of the tube.

"You should have heard her crying when I stabbed her." The blonde taunted her.

The redhead clenched her teeth. She had almost killed the brunette. "You fucking bitch…"

"Barbara, don't!!" the brunette shouted.

"Stay back, Helena!"

"Barbara, listen to me…" the brunette stood up slowly…

"There's nothing left to say."

Helena stood right behind her feeling her legs shaking.

"Yes, there is… You have saved me so many times. It's my turn... When my mom died, you told me something that I didn't understand until right now. You told me revenge might dull the pain, but the less we felt, the less we were."

"It was a lie."

"No, it wasn't… Please… Barbara, we don't kill. No matter what. I can't let you do this. It makes us less."

-

Still, Barbara didn't let go of her hold on Harley. Helena knew she could stop her but this was one choice that Barbara needed to make for herself.

"It makes us less." Helena said quietly.

After a moment, Barbara released Harley. The brunette sighed relieved and bent over holding her side. Fuck. She didn't know how she had stood up, maybe had been the adrenaline.

Barbara turned and noticed Helena was barely standing on her feet. She walked over to her and wrapped a hand around her back, helping her to stand. "You need medical attention."

"I'll be fine…"

"No, I need take you out of here…"

"You will burn in hell!!!" Quinn shouted suddenly lifting her hand.

The redhead turned and noticed a strange shaped object between her fingers. She had her thumb over a red button.

It was a bomb.

She saw the crazy woman throwing the object at them as if in slow motion.

Barbara held the brunette by her waist and jumped inside the elevator car.

A loud explosion was heard.

The place seemed blow into thousand of pieces, it sounded as if the whole building was collapsing. Barbara covered her head. She felt an incredible pain in her back when a heavy piece of metal hit.

Everything turned black.

She didn't know how long she was out. A voice calling her brought her back slowly from the darkness... She felt a hand pressing hers. She coughed. The place was in comlplete darkness and she couldn't see anything.

"You scared me." She heard Helena's voice.

"Hel?" Barbara coughed again and looked around, it seemed that part of the room had collapsed. She noticed she was trapped from her waist down and they were surrounded by rubble. She didn't know how they had survived, they were in a small hole. It seemed it was true that elevator shafts were a good place to hide during earthquakes after all.

"Are you okay?" the brunette asked softly.

"I think so." The old woman said wincing. "And you? I can't see you."

"I'm here." She felt Helena's fingers pressing hers.

"Can you move?"

"A bit…" Helena felt that she would pass out at any moment, she felt totally spent.

"You are cold." Barbara felt helpless. She never had felt so useless as in that moment. She knew Helena needed medical attention urgently or she would die.

"I'm fine." Helena lied knowing she was fighting for consciousness every moment. Her cat vision let her see the tears in Barbara's eyes.

"Don't cry Barbara, I hate it when you cry…. It was my fault… I must knew about her,,,,"

"No, I failed you…" Barbara whispered knowing she would never get out of there and help Helena in time.

"You never failed me. You saved me so many times." The brunette rested her forehead on the cold ground, she felt so tired and sleepy. "I'm alive just because of you…"

"I need take you out of here," Barbara tried to move again but she was totally inmobilized.

"Did I… tell you how… how much I love you?" Helena whispered.

"No." Barbara said playfully feeling her heart break, Helena voice sounded weak, dumb.

"Fuck, I'm an asshole then… I love you red."

Barbara chuckled softly, she didn't know how Helena could make her laugh in the worst moments.

Helena closed her eyes for a brief second and unsucefully tried to move. She didn't have any strength left and her fucking side was burning.

"We are screwed red." She mumbled.

"Looks like." Barbara knew she couldn't deny the reality they were facing. They were trapped with no hope. They were at the end of their roads. Alfred couldn't rescue them in time. "Did I tell you how much I love you?" she asked softly.

"Yeah… tell me again." The brunette asked.

"I love you Hel…"

"I… love when you… say my name."

"No more than me." Barbara bit her lips to avoid crying. She never thought things would end like this for them. She felt her fingers loosening her grip on her hand.

"Hel?" Barbara pulled Helena's hand, she could be falling unconscious "Helena? I need you to keep awake."

"Yea…" the brunette said with sleepy voice.

"Helena stay with me, please."

"I'm here red…"

There was a deep silence, Barbara prayed for Alfred rescuing them on time. Suddebly she felt Helena's hand gripping her fingers hard.

"I, Helena Kyle," the young woman whispered with low voice "love you, Barbara Gordon, and I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life."

"You are cheating."

"Why?"

"Because we are going to die soon."

"You caught me." Helena said feeling her eyes closing. "I'm tired Barbara…"

"Hold on Hel…"

"I'm cold… and I'm tired red." The brunette closed her eyes.

"Hel please..." Barbara said feeling her fingers loosen "Don't go…"

"I'm here…"Helena tried to keep her eyes open but she couldn't. The darkness began to envelop her.

"Just hold on a bit more."

"I… always will be with you red…"

Barbara felt a knot in her throat. "Helena please…"

Silence was the only answer.

A tear rolled down Barbara's cheek. She pressed her hand hard against the brunette.

"Helena stay with me, please."

Barbara cried noticing Helena couldn't hear her. "We will be together soon honey…" she said softly.

She head a noise above her and dust fell from the ceilng. It seemed the ceiling was collapsing. She closed her eyes and rested her head on the ground waiting for her end. Her life with out Helena was not a life.

+A YEAR LATER…+

Bruce was standing in his garden with his hands in his pockets. It was a nice place and now it was filled with color from all the different flowers within it. He had spent many days in the last months enjoying his garden, it gave him peace. The tall New Gotham buildings were visible in the distance.

He had missed the city all the years had been gone. This city so big, so dark, so violent, had given him so much and at the same time it had claimed a part of his life, and the person he most loved.

It was still hard.

His thoughts moved toward Selina.

The only woman he had loved… and he had lost her.

With all the experience he had now things would have been different. Maybe he would have been a better father too.

Many 'maybe's'.

"Thinking about her?" Alfred's voice interrupted his thoughts.

Bruce smiled. "You know me very well."

"Observation master Bruce, just observation." The butler stood at his side "Have you ever thought about returning to crime fighting?"

"I'm old Alfred, it is not the same."

"New Gotham still needs a hero."

"A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles."

"Interesting quote. But it is not easy to be a hero."

The tall man lowered his head. "Yes, it isn't easy, you are lonely most of your life and afraid to love, knowing the day your enemies know who you are, they will try something against the people that are the most important part of your life."

"But you need a life," .

"True… I'm living it."

"Good for you."

"Maybe too late, I wish I could have been a better father for Helena. The time we lived together was bad…"

"Well, she was not a piece of cake."

He chuckled "I agree."

"They are here." Alfred said "Waiting for you in the living room."

"Oh, excellent."

They walked inside the manor. In the living room were Barbara and her father looking at an oversized painting on the wall.

"Hey, I'm glad you are here." He said.

The redhead smiled and turned her wheelchair towards him.

"Now what is that?" he asked smiling, noticing that it was not her usual manual chair.

"It's my new invention." She said waving her hand "What do you think?"

"It's incredible."

"I've worked on it for almost four months."

"Wow, that's amazing." He extended his hand to his old friend "Hey Jim."

"Hi."

"I have something you will love." Bruce said "Godet selection special, ten years old."

"Really?" Jim Gordon couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Yes. Come with me," he lifted his index finger to Barbara. "We will back in a few minutes."

"Don't worry, I'm stunned here admiring your new acquisition, the Matisse."

Bruce smiled and rested a hand on Jim's shoulder as they walked outside the living room.

Alfred stood next to Barbara. "Do you want something to drink Miss Barbara?"

"A glass of water will be fine." She said. "This painting is incredible."

"And pretty expensive."

"I can imagine it."

"You surprised master Bruce with your new wheelchair." Alfred laced his hands behind his back.

"Yes," She smiled proud of herself "it's pretty cool."

"It's quite impressive." He looked at the wheelchair "I'm glad to see you are improving every day."

"I'm the Oracle, remember?"

"You know all."

"Almost all." She chuckled.

He observed her and hesitated a brief second before commenting "It has been almost a year."

"A year, three months and sixteen days." She exhaled heavily.

He lifted his eyebrow.

"I wanted to die that night… I prayed to God to take me with him…"

"I'm glad he was deaf that day." He smiled.

Barbara chuckled. "Alfred, Alfred…"

"It was incredibly lucky that Master Bruce appeared after you left for the oil factory. He went there straight away to help."

"Yes. It's a shame he couldn't get there before Quinn made that bomb explode."

"Destiny is a book filled with unknown writing." Alfred stared at the painting on the wall.

"I never will forget that day," Barbara said softly "I could escape my destiny once, but not twice. Quinzel and Clayface died, I was paralyzed and…" she paused briefly "You know…"

"It has not been easy."

"No, it's still not easy some days… everything is different." She waved her hands towards her legs. "But now I know I'm much more than my legs, that I still have my life and I'm trying to enjoy each day intensely. Every second is a gift for me."

"I'm really proud of you"

"Thanks." She touched his hand.

He moved his other hand over hers. "Really proud."

She nodded smiling. Alfred turned to the bar. "Do you want ice in your water?"

"Yes please." She turned her wheelchair and wheeled inside the living room.

He poured a glass of water and returned to her side.

"Do you miss her? I can see sadness in your eyes."

"It's impossible not miss her." The redhead took the glass "When I return from school I expect to see Helena sprawled on the couch changing channels; when I work at Delphi I almost can feel her gaze behind me. But when I miss her most is when I'm alone in my room.. I expect to see her appearing suddenly with her smile and her usual way of walking but no… she is not there. I never thought I would miss someone that much."

Alfred smiled gently at her in understanding.

"But well…" Barbara shrugged her shoulders "This is me, a bit corny sometimes."

"A woman still in love I would say."

"Yes." The redhead sipped a bit of her water and looked at him "I'm not the hero I once was, Alfred."

"Well, thank goodness." the old butler said "Batgirl was strong, but impetuous. You've grown into a thoughtful, beautiful woman with the capacity to care more for others than you do for yourself. Now, if that's not a hero, I don't know what is."

Amused green eyes fixed on him. "How is it you always know just the right thing to say?"

"Years of practice, my dear. Years of practice. Dinner will be ready shortly."

"Hey, we are back." Bruce said walking into the living room.

"This Cognac is really good." Jim Gordon lifted his hand with the glass of Cognac.

"I'm glad Barbara is here." Bruce said "So you can get drunk and she will drive."

"No way."

"Why not?" Jim asked.

"I don't want to be cleaning my car if you have complications and want to throw up."

"Point for her." Bruce said.

"I can use your limo then." The ex-commissioner smiled.

"Forget it."

Barbara was amused as she observed them, it was nice see how they had turned into a real family in the last few months. Now they usually have dinner twice per month and just sped time together to talk.

She liked that.

She felt grateful for her life and God. Life had turned good for her. She never could forget the sad and painful events of the year before but she needed to keep living.

"A toast?" Jim asked.

"Fine." Barbara lifted her glass of water.

"You need something stronger." Bruce said, "Maybe mineral water."

"Don't be silly." The redhead chuckled.

They spent a nice evening talking and enjoying the moment.

Barbara wheeled inside her penthouse, it had been a wonderful evening. She left her bag on the table and moved towards her bedroom. Since the accident she had needed to adapt the place to be able to move more easily inside her apartment and the Clocktower.

It had not been easy, she was depressed for almost two months and she had needed learn to live again, to do things for her herself. She had always been an independent woman and she wanted to stay that way.

Little problems became monumental tasks. Her challenges now came in all shapes and sizes and when least expected. Sometimes when she went to the orphanage a young child grabbed the handles on the back of her wheelchair and tried to push her, she was sure they would try to move the lever that controls the movement of the electric wheelchair too. The curiosity of a child is normal, but it could also be dangerous. Guarding the controls of her wheelchair was extremely important for the safety of all concerned.

Other times, while she was wheeling around some department store or park, a child would suddenly appear out of nowhere and stop, standing directly in front of her with eyes wide open as big as saucers, staring at her as if in a trance. So far she had always been lucky enough to stop her wheelchair in time to avoid running them over. Their feet seemed to be planted in the ground, unable to move until their mother arrived to grab their hand and jerk them aside, while glaring at her as if she had done something wrong, or scolding them for getting in the way.

Amused, she shook her head and began to fill her tub before untying her hair.

Sometimes she suffered the lack of ramps or sloped curbs instead having to hurdle high curbs or steps at every turn.

While she had to admit that great strides had been made for the benefit of people who have physical disabilities, post office, banks, service stations, public parking, and rest rooms, services that the entire population needed, were not always available for people in wheelchairs.

She removed her clothes, she needed a really warm bath.

Service stations were far behind the times in providing access for the wheelchair population. Most stations had lowered their gas pumps but had given little thought to providing sufficient room for wheelchair access in-between the vehicle and pump to fill their gas tank. If she parked too far away, the hose would not reach her gas tank. Nearly all of the full-service gas stations had been replaced with "convenient food store" fuel stations without outside attendants and that was terrible.

Few employees at these stations were trained on how to help a patron in a wheelchair. Often, employees who are trained, operate alone in the store, and they were not required to help because they would have to leave the convenience store unattended.

She slowly, transferred herself inside the tub. Once she was comfortable, she bathed her arms with a soft soap.

Her thoughts returned to her new daily problems. Most discouraging were parking spaces in shopping areas. The city and store owners had spent big bucks changing parking signs to read "Van Accessible", but often she was not driving a van with a lift. Worse was the fact that no one seemed to be able to control who parks in the van accessible parking stalls. The police did not usually issue tickets or have compact cars towed off.

The challenge of just going to a department or grocery store sometimes made her want to stay at home. Aisles were frequently too narrow, displays could be in the way, and she was fortunate if the wheels on her chair did not latch onto something that caused a large crash as she passed.

The real challenge was determining what and how much to buy, finding ways to get everything needed in one shopping trip, and then back home.

Barbara chuckled to herself resting her head on the ledge of the bathtub and closing her eyes. This goal could be accomplished, believe it or not, depending on exactly how ingenious she was using her wheelchair.

What she hated most were the hostesses in restaurants who invariably seated her in the direct line of traffic within an aisle. This made trying to consume a meal an ordeal as the back of her wheelchair was often jarred by people walking behind her, or worse, accidentally tripping over her wheels. She had learnt her lesson and now she always asked for a position away from the direct line of traffic.

After taking a warm and pleasant bath, the redhead dried herself and dressed in a light top and cotton shorts.

She wheeled inside her bedroom and transferred to her bed. Laying with her head on her pillow she stared at the ceiling.

God. She missed Helena, she missed her so much.

She thought she should be used to this by now, but no.

She turned her head to her night table and picked up a picture of herself and Helena. It was from the first time they had shared a Christmas with her dad as a couple. Her smile was so bright, so open.

She smiled and hugged it against her chest.

She wished she could be with her now.

Cooking was definitely not one of her best skills. The smell of burned eggs filled the place. Taking a cloth she grabbed the pan and threw the now black eggs inside the bin.

She shook her head, it seemed her only option was to go out for breakfast.

She looked at the mess she had just made in the kitchen. It was incredible how a computer genius like her couldn't even cook eggs.

She moved a thread of hair back behind her ear. Maybe she could call her dad and ask him to join her.

"I knew you would be in trouble." A voice behind her said.

She recognized the voice and turned her head in surprise. "Helena?"

The brunette lifted the plastic bag she had in her hand. "I stopped to buy breakfast before coming here."

"What are you doing here?" Barbara asked happily.

Helena left her backpack on the table with the plastic bag and rested her hands on the arms of the wheelchair. "I couldn't last another day without you."

Barbara cupped her cheek and pulled her against her to give her an intense and hot kiss, cupping the back of her head with her hands. Helena opened to her and moaned in pleasure.

They enjoyed the caress, Helena loved the way Barbara kissed, it was soft, intense, gentle and sweet. -

"Now, that was a great welcome home kiss." The brunette purred with golden eyes "You do know that I have not had sex for a whole week? I think I need a cold shower now, you are so damn hot".

Barbara chuckled. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too." The young woman brushed her cheek against her and moved back smirking. "I see your wheelchair is finally ready."

"Yes, it took me a while but it is working pretty well." Barbara wheeled back and lifted her hands in celebration.

"Pretty cool red." Helena said admiring her friend's new invention. This will help her to move more freely.

"So, you said you brought breakfast?" the redhead lifted her eyebrow.

"Yep, your favorite from Joey's coffee shop." The brunette opened the bag. She took out a cup of coffee and put it on the kitchen table.

"That's excellent. I thought you were coming back tomorrow, why didn't you call me? I could have picked you up from the airport."

"I wanted to surprise you." Helena sat at the table and passed a food container to the redhead..

"You did it, it was a nice surprise." Barbara couldn't hide her happiness.

"Oh. Look what I bought for him." the brunette put her food down, reached for her pack and opened it. She poked around for a few seconds and finally pulled out a plastic bag. She took out an oversized T-shirt.

"A Batman T-shirt?" Barbara asked amused looking the at black shirt with a Batman logo on its front.

"It's not a T-shirt, it's pajamas." Helena took out the matching boxers.

"Boxers with bats?"

"They're pretty cool heh?" Helena said extending the shorts and looking at them.

"He will love it."

The brunette showed Barbara a wooden box. "Look, this is for your dad, original Cuban cigars."

"Oh." Barbara took the box and looked it " 'Monte Cristo' he will love them."

Helena got up, moved behind Barbara and placed a thin necklace around her neck.

"And this is for you." Helena whispered kissing her cheek, "I thought of your eyes when I saw it."

Barbara admired the thin white gold and emerald pendant around her neck. It was exquisite. It seemed Helena had the same taste for jewels as her mother.

"Helena it's so beautiful." she turned her head and cupped the brunette's jaw between her fingers. She gave her a soft kiss on her lips. "Thanks so much."

"Anything for you." The young woman winked at her "Do you want fruit? I brought some with granola."

"Sure." Barbara touched the small pendant with her fingers. "Oh my, this really is so wonderful."

"I'm glad you like it." The brunette opened the food containers "The orphanage in Utah is working very well."

"And the factory? You said you were going to open it tomorrow." Barbara opened her container and took a fork.

"We opened it yesterday, so we will start selling shirts and raising funds with the profits soon. I tried to take last night's flight but it was full," Helena gave Barbara a glass of orange juice "so I took the first flight this morning."

"I'm glad your idea is working."

"Me too. How was the dinner yesterday?"

"It went well, your dad sends his regards." Barbara put a piece of watermelon in her mouth "Mmm, this is delicious."

"I'll call him, maybe we can have lunch with him. I need to tell him I've got tickets to the New Gotham vs. LA Lakers game." Helena sipped her orange juice "First row area 101."

"Those are excellent seats. How did you get them?"

"I have my contacts."

Barbara felt happy. When she had thought all hope was lost, trapped inside the destroyed factory, Bruce as Batman rescued them.

Alfred had told her that while he was following her signal, Bruce had arrived at Clocktower looking for her. He had just returned from his long trip out of the country. He was there when the bomb exploded.

She had pleaded with him to help Helena, she was seriously injured and weak. The brunette fought for her life for almost three days, in all that time Barbara hadn't thought about herself. It wasn't until she knew Helena would survive that she realized that she was seriously injured, her spine had been damaged and she never would walk again.

She felt depressed and sad, thinking it would have been better to have died that night.

As soon as she could, Helena was at her side and didn't move until Barbara had left the hospital.

She'd had infinite patience with her, in her bad days, in her most depressed moments she was always there and she never made her felt useless or less than a complete person.

The young woman worked hard with Bruce and Alfred adapting the Clocktower and their penthouse to make it easier for her to move her wheelchair.

Bruce and Helena had finally learned how to talk to each other, Helena had moved on from her hate and had learned to forgive and live. She and Bruce had developed a good relationship and it was Helena who had proposed the twice a month meals with their parents; "We need to enjoy our family" the brunette had said.

She found that while she was sleeping at night, Helena spent hours in front of the computer reading and learning about disabled people.

After a few months they began to train together again. Barbara also trained under the tutelage of Richard Dragon, one of the best martial arts masters, and learned to engage in combat using eskrima sticks from her wheelchair. She developed her upper-body strength and targeting skills with both firearms and batarangs.

She spent hours on her training. Some days she took so much time training that when she was finally exhausted it was late and Helena had fallen asleep on the couch waiting for her. The brunette never complained, instead she always supported her.

She never stopped showing her love for her.

At first she had felt guilty, she refused to be intimate with the brunette for several weeks after her recovery. Helena had never been mad, instead she had been gentle and always said she would wait for her.

But she couldn't refuse her for long, Helena was sensual, breathtaking. She could say that Helena had seduced her and again she couldn't resist. Together they had learned a new way to make love, and every time it had been wonderful.

She observed Helena talking, she was expressive and waved her hands as excited as a big child. She could have any women or man she wanted. When they went out or to a restaurant it was common to see heads turning to see her.

Once she had heard a comment that had made her stop to think about the future of their relationship.

"How is it possible that this gorgeous girl could be with that invalid? She must be wild in bed, she needs someone who could satisfy her."

Sometimes she thought it was unfair for her young lover to be chained to a disabled person like her, she was young, full of life, bright.

"Red?"

Barbara blinked.

"I have been talking to you but it seems you are in another world." The brunette said cleaning her lips with a napkin.

"I'm sorry sweetheart," Barbara played with her fork on her plate "I was just thinking…"

"Thinking? About what?"

Barbara took a deep breath.

"When you have to take your time to answer it means it's bad." Helena crossed her arms on the table.

Barbara chuckled. "It's not that bad, I was thinking that maybe all this is unfair to you Helena."

"Unfair?" puzzled blue eyes looked at her, "What's unfair?"

"You, being tied to me." Barbara fixed her eyes on her "You are young, with a full life to live, you need some one who…"

The brunette stood up and walked to her, not saying a word, she leaned and kissed her. It was a light, soft and tender caress. The redhead kissed her back, it was impossible resist the call of her lover, her advances, her touches.

When Helena moved back her blue eyes were golden cat eyes showing her want, her need for her.

"Sometimes you think too much." Helena whispered letting her fingers trace the curve of her cheek. "I love you as you are. My life with you is full Barbara, it's the first time I know I don't need anything else."

"You make me feel like a complete woman." Barbara caressed the dark hair.

"You always have been." Helena locked her eyes on her "I can't avoid feeling jealous when I go out with you and I see how men look at you. But then I remember you are mine, and I feel so proud because you could choose anyone, handsome men, rich men, but you chose me, gave your heart to me. It took me so long to find you, I'm not going to let you go now. Today I want it to be just you and me."

"You said you wanted go out to lunch with your dad." Barbara smiled "Maybe it would be good to call him first."

"Let him keep thinking I'm back tomorrow." Helena looked her with tender expression "Did I tell you how much I love you?"

"No." the redhead said playfully.

"Oh man, I always forget to say it…" the brunette purred "I'm an asshole, I love you red. You know that. I carry your heart with me and I'm never without it, anywhere I go, you go."

Barbara felt her heart ache, she never thought she could be loved with such devotion.

She trapped Helena's lips surprising her. This time her kiss was intense, filled with passion and Barbara felt an overwhelming need to be with her, she wrapped her hands around the young woman's neck.

"I want to see you dressed only in the necklace." Helena whispered in the redhead's ear.

Barbara smirked. "I can do that…"

The visual image was enough to make Helena's libido soar. Blue eyes morphed to gold. Helena kissed her and lifted her out of her wheelchair with a fast movement, the redhead chuckled.

"It seems you are in a hurry." She said.

"Do you know that your smile is an invitation for my imagination to go wild?"

"Mm… I'm going to smile all night."

Helena couldn't believe she had her in her arms, she couldn't believe the happiness filling her life. She felt blessed, loved, she felt so full, Barbara had changed her life. "I love you so much."

"My love for you is a journey;" Barbara traced her lips with her index "starting at forever and ending at never."

"Let's start it then…"

"Forever? Is it a promise?"

"Ending at never." Helena kissed her and not breaking the kiss, she carried her to their bedroom.

The End

Return to Bird of Prey Fiction

Return to Main Page