DISCLAIMER: Birds of Prey and its characters are the property of Miller/Tobin Productions, Warner Brothers and DC comics. No infringement intended.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks so much to North, Aussiekimmy and Weird Twin helping me editing this fic. I really appreciate they really gave me a lot of time in her busy days. Loving you girls!!
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
FEEDBACK: To jagurin[at]gmail.com
Worlds Apart
By Jaguarin
The redhead sipped a bit of her wine and looked at the empty chair that was Helena's at the Foundation dance ball. She still couldn't understand what had pushed her to kiss the young woman. It was something her analytical mind couldn't understand. Helena was a woman, and she was a woman.
Thinking about a relationship between them was an absurd idea.
It was not in her plans either.
It's just that she had never felt so alive before.
She swallowed the rest of her wine.
"Hey, easy." Dick said "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine." Barbara rested her cup on the table and made a sign to the waiter, asking for a refill.
Dinah stood up behind her and leaned to whisper in her ear, "We need talk."
"We can do it at home."
"It's important."
Barbara looked her. "We are at an important event now Dinah."
"I know and this is very important too."
"All right.." Barbara was about to sip a bit of wine when her eyes caught Helena's thin form at the end of the ballroom. She couldn't hide her surprise, the young woman looked stunning, wearing a dark blue cocktail dress.
Just gorgeous..
"Barbara?" Dick asked noticing her distraction "Barbara?"
"Oh sorry, it's just… Helena is here." The redhead mumbled with her gaze on the brunette.
Dinah opened her eyes wide.
"Helena? Isn't she sick?" Dick said at the moment that she noticed the thin form of the brunette "Wow, she looks great."
Barbara glared to him.
"Well, you can't deny she looks much better in a dress than in pants." He sat straight in his chair adjusting his jacket.
Helena asked a waiter something and he waved his hand toward Barbara's table. The brunette smiled and walked toward them.
Barbara felt nervous. At the same time, she noticed the many looks that fixed on the brunette, She really was sexy and that outfit made her look so beautiful, but the dress was too short, it captured too many glances toward her. Dick stood up.
"Helena, this is a surprise." He said.
"Hi. Good evening." The brunette smiled at them.
"Hi…" Barbara said, "This is a nice surprise."
"Uh…" Dinah moved a strand of hair behind her ear, "I thought you were staying at home."
"I was bored being by myself. Besides, I had just been dumped and I wanted a bit of fun."
"Dumped?" Dick asked at the same time that Barbara blushed.
"You know," the brunette smile at the redhead. "sometimes you have no luck with the people you love."
Barbara cleared her throat. "Ladies, gentlemen…" Barbara said smiling to the people around the table "Helena Kyle, Bruce Wayne's daughter. Helena, this is the major Mr. Hendricks, his wife Katherine, the English Ambassador Dean Carter, his wife, Lynn, his Public Relations manager Matt Lloyd and his wife, Andrea."
Helena greeted all the people present. Barbara waved her hand toward the empty chair next to her.
"Would you please join us?"
"It will be my pleasure." the young woman smiled.
"You look amazing Helena." Dick said.
"Thanks."
"Helena what you doing here?" Barbara whispered to the brunette.
"I told you I was bored being alone." Helena leaned toward the redhead to talk in low voice. "Mmmm, you smell wonderful."
"Don't change the subject. You are not well."
"I heal fast." The brunette smiled at her. "And you cut the pay per view."
"You charged almost 100 USD last month to my credit card for porn movies."
"I didn't know pressing that button would charge your credit card."
"Who's credit card then?"
"My dad's?"
A waiter filled Helena's cup with wine.
"We invite Barbara Gordon and Dick Grayson to give the toast of the night." The speaker at the front of the ballroom said.
A microphone was handed to the redhead. She gave a brief speech thanking everyone who were present at the dinner and lifted her cup. After the toast everyone sat down and music began to fill the room.
"Please Miss Kyle." Detective Reese appeared suddenly at Helena's side "May I have this dance?"
"Oh, sure." The brunette smiled.
Barbara noticed the many looks that were directed at the dark haired woman. The truth is that she looked very beautiful.
"Shall we dance?" Dick asked Dinah.
"I…" the blonde said "I need talk with Barbara."
The tall man took the blonde's hand and pulled her up. "Work later, now is time for fun."
"Go on Dinah." the redhead said smiled "Have fun."
After two dances in a row, Helena sat at her table again chuckling. "Thanks Reese."
Barbara wiped her lips with her napkin and said in low voice to Helena. "Your dress is too short."
"I don't think so."
"People are staring at you."
"That's the point of wearing a nice dress, no?"
"But you…"
"Hi…" the ambassador's wife greeted them, interrupting their conversation. "Nice party Miss Gordon."
"Thanks."
"So you are Helena, Bruce Wayne's daughter" the woman said sitting on a chair next to Helena.
"Yes, hi, nice to meet you."
"You two are old friends I suppose."
"Yes." The redhead nodded, "I've known her since she was very young."
"She was good friends with my mom." Helena said.
"You are beautiful Helena." The woman rested her hand on Helena's thigh. "I know you only from the photos in newspapers but you are much prettier in person. I'm so glad to meet you."
The woman's movement was caught by Barbara.
"What do you do? Travel I imagine."
"Oh no, I work as a bartender."
"Bartender? Oh that's interesting." The woman rested her finger on her chin. "And very useful when you organize a party."
Both chuckled.
Barbara talked with the people around the table, but her eyes followed the momevent of the woman's hand when they touched the edge of Helena's skirt. She was definitely flirting with the young woman.
"Do you want a drink at the bar?" the woman said "My husband is busy talking about politics. The view there is fantastic."
"Sure."
"Dear," she winked at her husband "I'm going with Miss Kyle to the bar for a few minutes."
Barbara was talking with the major but when she heard those words, she turned her head toward them.
"Be right back Barbara."
"Where are you going?" Barbara was worried, that woman really was after Helena's ass. Didn't the young woman realize it?
"For a drink and to look around this place, it's spectacular."
The redhead was going to protest when the major called her attention.
"Miss Gordon, what do you think about the new Congress decision about our credit funds?"
"Well…" the redhead said watching the brunette walking away with that brazen woman toward the bar.
At the distance, the redhead observed the woman taking any chance she could to touch Helena's hand, or arm… or leg. Dick sat at her side and began to talk, she found impossible to follow what he was saying, that woman was really pissing her off.
Finally Helena and the woman returned. When she saw them coming, Barbara wiped her lips with the napkin and calculated the exact time. She turned her wheelchair at the right moment and bumped against the brunette. The young woman winced and held her leg.
"I'm, sorry, Did I hurt you?" Barbara said with worried expression trying to sound concerned.
"No, I'm fine." Helena winced.
"I didn't see you coming." The redhead apologized "I'm so sorry."
"I'm fine." The young girl rubbed her knee.
"I need to be more careful before turn my chair." Barbara touched her arm "I was going to the restroom, will you please come with me?"
"Sure, thanks, see you in a few.." The brunette turned and followed her limping.
"Okay sweetie."
Barbara stopped her wheelchair suddenly, and Helena hit the edge of it, once again bumping her leg painfully.
"Oh Hel," the redhead covered her mouth with her hand "I'm so clumsy tonight."
"No…" Helena bit her lower lip with her teeth while rubbing her leg. "It was me, I should have been looking in front of me instead of looking back."
Barbara smirked and wheeled to the other side of the ballroom with Helena following her. Luckily the hall of the restroom was empty. When they were both inside, Barbara turned to face the brunette.
"What do you think are you doing?"
"Uh?" Helena winced surprised, hopping onto the couch.
"That woman is flirting with you!!"
"Yes, I know, but only a bit." Helena sat rubbing her leg..
"Just a bit? She was touching your leg in a very friendly way."
"Where you spying on me?" Helena narrowed her eyes.
"Of course not," Barbara said offended "Why should I be? It was pretty obvious that she was flirting with you!"
"And if she is, why do you care when you are not interested in me?"
"I'm not! She is the wife of the ambassador!"
Helena looked at her smiling.
"Don't start Helena!" Barbara said angry "This is serious, stop encouraging her!"
"I'm not encouraging her. She is trying to encourage me."
"Encourage you?" Barbara wheeled and stopped inches from Helena.
"Hey easy…" The brunette moved her feet onto the couch.
"Encouraging you to do what?"
"She wants me spend the weekend in her house in New Jersey."
Barbara opened her eyes wide, she tried to remain in control. This was not good.
"I suppose her husband will be going too?"
"You suppose wrong, he is travelling to Washington."
"You wouldn't dare…"
"Why not? It's just a weekend, she says she has a boat and…."
"Helena she is the wife of the ambassador, please show her some respect."
"You're talking like my mother." The brunette stood up.
"I'm not!"
"Yes, you are."
Barbara turned her wheelchair to face her. "Where are you going?"
"To pee, where else?" Helena walked into the toilet and closed the door behind her. "If you are worried about my virtue, forget it, I lost it a long time ago."
"I'm not worried about it."
The door of the toilet opened and Helena's head popped out. "That sounds rude. Okay, you are not worried about me, so what are worried about?" the brunette closed the door again amused. Barbara was jealous and she didn't want admit it. "I'm sure Lynn lost her virtue many years ago."
"'Lynn', now you call her Lynn." Barbara agonized, shaking her head.
"Her name is Lynn, what should I call her?."
"With respect, by her second name, you just met her."
"Barbara, I think you are overacting."
"I'm not overreacting, I'm trying to prevent you from creating an incident. She is the Ambassador's wife."
"She is gay Barbara."
"I can't believe she is gay…" the redhead waved her hand trying to explain.
"Believe me, you have no idea how many gay people are at this party."
"Helena she is married."
"I'm single and I'm not jealous."
"This is not a joke Helena."
The sound of the water flushing was heard.
"Is that bad being gay?" Helena opened the toilet room and walked toward the sink.
"No, but I didn't know you were gay, I always thought your goal was men." Barbara said.
"I was, until you appeared in my life." Helena took a bit of soap and washed her hands,
"What?" The redhead asked surprised "Are you saying now you are gay because of me?"
"Yep."
Barbara opened her mouth trying to find the correct words to say. "Wait a minute, you can't blame me for it."
"I'm not blaming you." Helena dried her hands and stood in front of Barbara "I'm saying that you are so beautiful," Helena bend and her faces were closer "that is impossible not fall in love with you."
The brunette gave Barbara a quick kiss on her lips making the redhead feel butterflies in her stomach.
"But I understand you are not interested."
Helena straightened, leaving the redhead speechless. She walked toward the door and when she had the doorknob in her hand, she turned to Barbara.
"And about the Ambassadors wife, don't worry, she is not my type, I already checked out a hot girl around here."
Now that was really infuriating, Helena was playing with her, first she said she loved her and a second later she said she saw a hot girl around.
The door opened and Dinah appeared.
"Hey, you are here." She said.
"Hi kiddo." Helena smiled ot her.
"Barbara I really need talk with you. It's urgent." The blonde said to her mentor.
"Now?"
"This is urgent."
"All right, I'd better leave you two alone." Helena said waving her hand and returning to the ballroom.
The redhead took a deep breath and tried to remain calm; she needed to continue this conversation with Helena.
"All right, tell me."
"Barbara, she is not lying." Dinah whispered.
"Who?" Barbara felt intrigued for the comment.
"Helena."
"Lying about what?"
"About everything." The blonde said.
"Could you please try to be most specific?" Barbara asked..
"All the things we think is a fantasy, is not." Dinah began to pace nervously.
Barbara blinked trying too understand. "I don't get it."
"She is right," Dinah tried to find the correct words to explain herself, not one of her best qualities "She and you…were… um… girlfriends?"
"Excuse me?" Now, that caught her attention.
"You two were girlfriends."
"We are not girlfriends."
"But you were."
"We were?"
"Yes, more than girlfriends… I mean, you and…", the blonde moved her hands nervously, "You… really were together…"
"Together?"
"Oh God," Dinah marveled at how Barbara could be so clueless sometimes. "You two were lovers!!"
"What???" the redhead waved her hands, gesturing to her to lower her voice. "Are you insane? I have never been with Helena. Where did you get that idea?"
"I touched her hand today, and all the images flowed, I saw it, she is not lying."
"You… saw it??"
"I didn't want to see it," Dinah hurried to say blushing "but the images just appeared! You and her were touching, and… well…were doing it?..."
"Stop!" Barbara lifted her hand "It's not necessary to be that specific."
"It's not my fault!! It's in her head! In her memories, it's not a fantasy, her version of her life is very different from the Helena that we knew."
"How do you know it's not a fantasy?"
"I can't see dreams. A fantasy is like a movie, you just watch it but don't feel anything. Memories capture smells…. Uh…" Dinah waved her hands nervously "Sensations? I mean… I could feel… feel… you two…see you two… naked? Doing…?"
The redhead rubbed her temples and felt warmth on her cheeks. This was embarrassing and confusing "Please, I said not to be so specific."
"Sorry, I can't control what I see. But it's not a dream, it's a memory. She really is in love with you, you two really had been lovers."
"But I have never been with her! How can it be a memory? That's illogical."
"l never said it was logical. What if there were really two Helena's here?"
"One is enough." The red exhaled. "I don't think so, it must be part of her dream."
"Maybe she is an impostor."
"No…" Barbara hesitated "It couldn't be, we would notice it."
"And if we do have two Helena's here? Can two Helena's be in the same world?"
Barbara raised her hand and looked the blonde. "Could you please stop to think just a second?"
"Uhh.. sorry…"
"I don't know what's happening then." The redhead rubbed her temple with her hand, this was insane and crazy. "I'll run some tests on her to check if it's really her."
"Okay."
The redhead and the blonde exited the restroom. Barbara stopped along the way to her table to talk with some guests. Suddenly she caught the brunette talking with a very attractive woman at the end of the ballroom, she was not joking when she said she had seen a hot girl.
The good thing is that she had said she had given up on her, she would not be taunting her again, or flirting, or… kissing her….
""Barbara?"
"What?" she said angry.
"Hey easy," Dick said "Why are you mad?"
"I'm not mad."
"Don't looks like it to me. I was calling you and you didn't answer."
"I'm sorry, I was distracted."
"Do you want some salad madam?" A waiter asked.
"Please."
Helena arrived then and sat at the redhead's side. "Excellent, I'm hungry."
"Seems you are very popular Miss. Kyle." The major said "You have been busy almost all night."
"Oh I just found many old friend here, it's nice seeing them again."
"I invited Helena to join me this weekend in our guest house dear." Lynn said to her husband.
Barbara glared to the woman.
"That will be good" the ambassador said "You wouldn't be alone."
"I told her it's a fantastic place."
"I'm anxious to see it." Helena smiled, eating a bit of her salad "Thanks so much."
"I hope to see you more often at these events." The major wiped his mouth with a napkin.
"I'm sure you will." Helena smiled to Lynn, the movement was caught by Barbara.
"Do you have a boyfriend?" Matt, the Public Relations Manager asked.
"No, I'm single."
"How strange. You are a gorgeous young woman." The man said "The boys must be blind, you could get anyone you want."
"Don't be so sure of that." The brunette said taking her cup of wine "I have been dumped several times recently, right Barbara?"
The redhead blushed. She cleared her throat and smiled at the brunette."But you recover fast. That's the good thing about a young heart - one day you think you love someone and the next, you are in love with someone else."
The ambassador laughed. "Pretty true."
"Well that depends on who you are in love with." Dick said. "There are crushes that you have all your life."
"Very true," Lynn nodded.
"And when it ends, it's time to move on." Helena put her fork on the plate.
"I think the person who rejected you must be blind."
"That's exactly what I said." Helena looked at the redhead.
"Maybe the person is not blind." Barbara lifted her cup of wine and sipped a bit of it, "maybe they just think it's wrong."
"Well no one can say if a relationship will work until you try."
"That's true." Lynn nodded "I had a boyfriend for years and when we married, it didn't work out." She turned and smiled at her husband "I met him and in two weeks we were married."
"Thirty years." The ambassador said chuckling.
"Hey that's a lot." The major said.
"Tell it to my credit card."
Everybody at the table laughed.
"Miss Dinah." Do you want something for breakfast?" Alfred asked the teenager gently when she appeared in the kitchen on Sunday morning.
"No thanks Alfred, I'll be spending the day with Gabby and my friends." The young girl put her bag on the kitchen table.
"On Sunday?"
"Believe me, it's healthier."
"Healthier?" The butler took a napkin to clean his hands.
"Oh… you weren't here yesterday. Barbara was in a terrible mood." The blonde opened the fridge and took out a bottle of water. "She was really grumpy all day and then Dick arrived at night to see her, and they had a hard and long discussion."
"Oh, that sounds bad. Why was she in a bad mood?"
"Helena left on Friday afternoon to spend the weekend in the guest house of the Ambassador's wife."
"I don't understand."
The young girl sighed and rested her hand on the table. "Alfred, I think Barbara is in love."
"Well she is. She had been dating Master Dick for years."
"I'm not talking about him, she is in love with Helena."
"Oh… she has finally accepted it." He chuckled to himself.
"Uhh… what?" Dinah blinked.
"Don't worry, continue please."
"Well, it seems the ambassador's wife is gay and was flirting with Helena. Barbara was very angry when she found out about it and more so when Helena said yes."
"She is taunting Miss Barbara." The butler said, rolling the sleeves of his shirt over his elbows.
"Do you think so?"
"Yes, I know she loves and respect her more than her life."
"Why do you think that Alfred?"
"Miss Barbara was the only one who took care of her during her darkest times, the only one who is not afraid of her meta side and the one who she truly loves." He took a piece of watermelon and began to cut it into pieces "I always thought Miss Helena left because she was in love with her and her heart broke when Miss Barbara returned with Master Dick."
"You are right… Helena was really nasty when Dick arrived and was rude to Barbara."
"She was jealous, and a few weeks later she disappeared."
"That makes sense." The blonde said
"When will Miss Helena return?"
"This afternoon. Barbara will surely be in bad mood all day. I prefer be far away."
"Wise decision, Miss Dinah."
They heard the elevator door opening. Barbara was arriving. Dinah picked up her bag and hurried toward it. "Time to go, see you."
She almost stumbled into the redhead.
"Where are you going?" the redhead asked the blonde.
"School picnic..." The teen said stepping inside the elevator "I'll be back late."
"Why is she in such a hurry?" Barbara asked.
"No idea Miss Gordon." The butler said turning toward the stove.
Helena finished her shower and stepped out of her bathroom covered only in a blue towel. She found a furious redhead waiting for her, wearing only a robe. From the look of her, she seemed really pissed off. Her plan had worked, in her dreams, flirting with girls in front of her was something that always pissed Barbara off and it had helped her to win her heart.
"Hey!" she tried to appear nonchalant, knowing the storm was coming. She walked toward her clothes drawer.
"You left."
"Yea, it was a lot of fun."
"I told you I needed to run some tests on you."
"Well you can do that tomorrow." The brunette sat on her bench and began to dry her hair. "I feel fine."
"No, something is wrong."
"What is wrong?"
"What do you remember exactly of your past… with me?"
Helena stopped drying her hair and turned to see her. "Why the question?"
"It's important."
"I already told you."
"Please. You said you felt it was not a dream."
Helena took a deep breath and observed the redhead. She had no idea how hot she was in that brown robe, half opened in front, letting her see her cleavage, lit only by her small night lamp. She felt warmth between her legs.
Shit.
"We lived together and happily." She said with a soft voice "We were partners in everything, work, fun, crime fighting, bed… your dad knew about us and he was happy with it."
"How could my father agree?"
Helena chuckled and brushed her hair back. "He said I was the only one who made you laugh and that it was the first time he saw you really happy."
"But we really had….?" Barbara asked waving her hand trying to find the correct word.
"Sex? Tons of it." Helena grinned "You are incredible on bed."
The redhead felt the color rise on her face.
"It's so easy when you are with the person your heart belongs to." The young woman said "It's amazing, it's like flying, it's the most beautiful feeling in the world."
"And this was your house?" Barbara coughed trying to change the subject.
"Yes, our room was your room. Dinah moved to the Dark Horse. She was pretty happy, she could invite as many friends home as she wanted."
"And what happened the night we found you?"
"I was with Dinah, you sent us there."
Barbara pinched the bridge of her nose. This was so confusing.
"And you don't remember that you abandoned us?"
"No, in fact I just remember you and I were planning a romantic weekend in Hawaii, to have time just for us."
"Well, you already had it with your new 'friend'?"
"Well it was a fun weekend." Helena stood up and opened her drawer "The house is in front of a lake and Lynn has a boat."
"Why did you accept her invitation?" Barbara asked angrily.
"Why shouldn't I accept? She was very friendly." The brunette took out her underwear and a tank top.
"Yes, I can imagine how friendly she was during your weekend."
"What's your problem Barbara?" Helena turned to face her, resting a hand on her hip.
"I don't want you flirting with my guests. The dinner was important and you were flirting with every single girl all night. The worst part is you then spent a "friendly" weekend with the ambassador's wife."
"Yea, so?"
"So?" Barbara felt infuriated with Helena's flippant response. "She is married and you know she is gay!"
"I'm gay too."
"Helena, if the Ambassador finds out about this, there will be a scandal. I can't imagine…"
"Are you worried about what the ambassador might think?" Helena walked to her bed "Or are you mad about what you think we did?"
"Don't be childish, we are talking about the repercussions of your behavior…"
"Do you know what I think?" Helena interrupted, turning to look at her. "You love me."
"What? Don't be…" Barbara laughed incredulously. The last thing she needed was for Helena to tell her what she was feeling.
"You love me" the dark haired woman smirked "and you don't want accept it. In a single word, you are jealous."
"I'm not jealous." Barbara growled.
"You are." Helena removed her towel and suddenly was nude in front of the redhead who couldn't stop staring at her. She felt her mouth go dry.
Helena's skin was white, almost like porcelain. Helena's firm body was perfect, her breasts small but beautiful.
"You have been yelling and scolding me. I told you I'll leave you alone and you turn pretty aggressive with me..." Helena cut her words short when she noticed the redhead staring at her nude chest.
Barbara suddenly realized that Helena had caught her staring.
"It's impossible to talk with you!" Barbara turned her wheelchair toward the door. That had been so embarrassing.
"I didn't do anything at the party, I was just being friendly. You pushed me away!!" Helena put on her tank top and followed her "What did you expect? That I would sit around crying for you?."
"No, you don't need to. In fact, you moved on very quickly."
Helena blocked her way and rested her hands on the arms of the wheelchair, she fixed her eyes on the redhead.
"What pisses you off more?" she asked "Knowing that I quit on you or that I flirted with those girls?"
Barbara tried to move away but Helena didn't let her.
"This conversation is ridiculous. You are just a wayward…"
"Don't call me that!" the brunette shouted pointing at her with her index finger.
"You are throwing tantrums because I'm not playing your game!" Barbara tried to move again.
Helena suddenly lifted her off her chair and pushed her against the bed, straddling her. Barbara tried to push her back with her hands but the brunette took them between hers and held them above the older woman's head.
"What part of the word "I love you" don't you understand?"
Barbara struggled but the brunette kept a firm grip on her.
"You gave me everything," Helena said angrily "the home I lost, the strength to wake up every day, the love I need. The only thing I need is you. Don't tell me what I feel for you is just a tantrum."
The redhead stopped struggling and looked at her.
"I love you Barbara." Helena whispered "This life will never be enough to show you how much I love you."
"I will not be toyed with." Barbara mumbled.
"I didn't do anything with Lynn." Blue eyes fixed on green "I just talked about how much I love you. She told me not to quit, that I should keep trying…"
"You don't…" Barbara whispered feeling Helena's warm breath close to her. Her smell was sweet and wild at the same time. It was intoxicating.
"I just wanted to make you jealous… to hear you say you love me too" the brunette said with a soft voice. "I felt it when I kissed you, you couldn't be lying, you love me as much as I do. I would die for you, kill for you. You are my life."
"No Hel…" Barbara felt helpless having Helena so close, feeling her warmth blanketing her body, she couldn't fight against her, against all the emotions she made her feel.
Helena trapped her lips in an intense and hard kiss. The redhead felt her skin burn under the contact, her heart beating so fast that she thought it would explode. She heard a voice in her head shouting "Stop now!" but it felt so right and very good. She kissed Helena back with all her heart.
She felt the brunette's hand caressing her neck.
She knew it now, she was sure, she couldn't deny it to herself anymore. She loved Helena. She didn't want to stop feeling those velvet lips on her.
"I love you so much Barbara." The brunette whispered moving back breathless. "I need you so much."
Barbara gripped Helena's neck with her hand and pulled her closer to steal another wonderful and sweet kiss. Helena growled in excitement. She was living the dream, she was in heaven again. Barbara finally said it; softly she ran the tip of her nose up and down the side of the redhead's neck inhaling deeply feeling her skin under her touch, she was so soft, then did the same with her lips.
"I'm sorry for everything." Barbara whispered.
"Shhh… don't say anything."
"I need to say it." Barbara took her face between her hands, "I didn't want to see you. See how much I need you. I was so stupid. When you left you broke my heart. I looked for you for weeks. I felt I would die thinking I would never see you again."
"I'm here. My life belongs to you." Helena kissed her again.
Both took their time caressing, touching. The sensations were new for Barbara, Helena's body was delicate, soft, her waist so thin.
The dark haired woman lightly and teasingly began to kiss Barbara's neck, the kisses started to grow more and more intense until she was sucking on Barbara's neck, wanting so badly to mark her as her own.
Helena's hand opened Barbara's robe and let her hand slide smoothly inside, she felt her hand crawling up along her stomach and caressing under her breast; when she felt her hand squeezing her breast she loved it. She wanted her to do it, she wanted more.
Digging with her teeth and then planting little kisses on her shoulders, the brunette moved toward her lips again.
Barbara couldn't think anymore, she was feeling. There were no wrongs anymore. No wrongs.
Suddenly the brunette froze, her muscles tensed.
"Helena?" Barbara felt it and opened her eyes to look her. "Are you all right'"
"I… I just felt… suddenly sick…." She closed her eyes.
"Sick?"
"Give me a second…" she said closing her eyes.
Barbara noticed the brunette began to sweat. She cupped her face with her palm, she was warm.
This was not right.
"Helena…sit down…please."
Clumsily the dark haired woman moved aside and lay on the bed.
"Helena, do you feel all right?" Barbara turned to check on her.
"I'm cold." The girl said.
Barbara pulled the wheelchair to her and transferred herself to it. She moved closer to Helena and touched her skin, her temperature was increasing and she was shivering.
This was not good.
Barbara had never felt as sure as she did now about what she wanted. She had loved Helena for a long time but she didn't want to accept it. She didn't listen to her own heart when Helena had disappeared months ago, she didn't want to accept that she loved her.
She rested her elbows on her desk and covered her face with her hands. Things had never been easy in her life, but this… this was as if life was telling her she couldn't be happy. It was not the road chosen for her. Barbara pinched the bridge of her nose after reading the results of the test she had conducted on the brunette. She felt moisture in her eyes. She sat back and looked at her fingers. She was crying.
This was not fair.
She felt her whole world shattering, Why this? Why now?
This hurt as much as anything else that had hurt her in her life.
She felt Dinah's hand on her shoulder.. "Are you okay?"
"No…" Barbara said.
Dinah sat at her side. It was rare to see Barbara like this. "What happened?"
"She is dying Dinah."
"What?"
"Helena is dying."
The blonde was speechless. She never expected that answer.
"Something is destroying her meta-cells," Barbara explained "I don't understand, I can't find a virus or any sign of sickness…"
"Destroying her cells?"
"Yes, it's very strange, I need to run more tests on her. Is she awake?"
"No, sleeping." Dinah said worried. "Barbara what is happening? All this is so bizarre, her lack of memory, I touched her and I could see her with you… doing, doing that… This is insane!"
The red head remained still, thinking. She was right, it was a puzzle. Suddenly she remembered something. She typed at her computer as fast as she could.
"Something wrong Barbara?" Dinah asked.
"A few days after Helena appeared, she showed me a bite on her skin, she said I had done it when we..." the redhead waved her hand " When we had…. you know. But I was never with her."
"So?"
"You saw her with me, right? You can see memories in people when you touch them."
"What's your point?" Dinah stood up behind her.
"I took this photo of Helena's shoulder." Barbara explained, showing her the photo.
"Yes, it's a bite."
"Now," Barbara opened another window on the Delphi. "This is my dental profile. Now I'll try to make this fit… and…"
Barbara put the image of her dental profile over the bite mark in the photo.
She and Dinah both froze in place. It fitted perfectly.
"Oh damn…" Barbara mumbled, moving back. It was incredible.. They were her teeth marks.
"Woa… you really are wild…" Dinah said, looking over Barbara's shoulder. "you bite hard."
"It was not me!" Barbara protested.
"Well, that's your teeth."
"Well, yes but it was not me!"
"I really saw her with you!" Dinah crossed her arms and looked at her. "If you have never been with her, how could this happen?"
"No idea. I must see Mystic," Barbara said wheeling her chair back "I'm sure he is behind all this. All this started since he appeared.
"How do you know he can help"
"I don't. Keep an eye on Helena. We need to find out what is happening here."
"But how could he know?"
"I don't know but we must try, any clue is important now. Take care of her until I return . I'll try to be back as soon as possible." Barbara moved her wheelchair back.
The buzz of the cell announced a new visitor. Sat in a corner, the thin man turned his head, annoyed. He felt bored being cooped up in that small glass cell. Barbara wheeled herself into the cell. She noted that he was very white with big blue eyes, his blonde hair was short and he looked like a lunatic. He heard the sound of the wheelchair and turned his head.
He didn't get visitors and was puzzled to see the woman moving toward him.
"Who are you?" he growled not moving from his place. "Go away."
"I read about your incredible skills in crime. I'm interested in your work" The redhead stopped in front of him.
"Are you a detective?".
"No, I work on my own," She said knowing she had to appeal to his ego "The Police say you have a brilliant mind."
"Really?" he turned to face her.
Barbara knew she got his full attention.
"Yes, you really gave them a hard time." Barbara opened her notepad. "In my notes I see that you were one of the most wanted criminals in the last year. Seems you are smarter than the police."
"Who told you that?" He raised his arms.
"A reporter. I admire you. I think your work is exceptional."
"A fan? That's good, yes, very good." He paced in his place moving nervously. "I have many things to say."
"What happened?" How did they catch you?" the redhead asked.
"That stupid girl" he growled pacing furiously. "But she will be dead soon!!"
"Who?"
"I'm not sure how she can still be alive." The man began mumbling to himself.
"Are you talking about Huntress?"
"Yes!" he looked at her "Do you know her? Fucking girl! Why is she still alive? I don't understand why!" Mystic shouted furiously.
"Why should she be dead?" Barbara asked, intrigued.
Mystic walked toward her, looking around as if people were looking at him.
"I'll tell you a secret." He whispered bending and resting his cheek on the bullet proof glass, but don't tell anyone."
"Don't worry." The redhead said.
"I discovered a parallel world to our own."
"A parallel world?" Barbara asked frowning..
"Yes, there exists two worlds, the same in every respect but with small differences. Choices made that change peoples lives. There is another "us" out there."
"That sounds unreal." Barbara followed his movements, he really seemed to be a lunatic, but a very intelligent lunatic.
"But it exists! I discovered how to travel between our worlds, and I met my counterpart."
"Counterpart?"
"Another Mystic, he was working on the same project as me and he, like me, was pissed off with Huntress. She was getting in our way."
"Are you trying to say that a world parallel to this one exists and that there is another you…?"
"A counterpart for every person living in this city, in this world."
Barbara was speechless, this was a really incredible story, one that was hard to believe.
"So…". She said. "You opened a door between the worlds?"
"Yes, exactly," Mystic rubbed his chin.
"How did you do it?" Barbara asked curious.
"With my weapon, my light gun…but she stole it." Mystic began to step back and forth in his cell "I worked so hard on this because she pissed me off. I just wanted be in a place without her."
"You are referring to the Huntress."
"Yes, that was when I discovered how to travel between worlds and I found my counterpart. We thought by working together, we could do marvelous things but then, we discovered that travelling between worlds is dangerous."
"Dangerous? Why?"
"Because it kills you."
The redhead looked at him, intrigued. "How is that?"
"If you don't belong to the world, you are breaking the natural laws of that world. The environment tries to restore everything to its natural form. So the world rejects the people that don't belong to the world, it begins to attack their cells and kills them, they begin to feel sick, to feel weak until they die."
Barbara felt a shiver run down her back
"I tested it with one of my henchmen," Mystic mumbled "I sent him to the parallel world. He died, and after a few hours his body vanished. The defensive system of the Universe is similar to the one in the human body. You can't move an element from one world to another, it's unnaturalJust like the antibodies in our system destroys viruses, this world destroys anything that doesn't belong to it."
The redhead remembered that Helena had told her a similar tale.
"I don't know why she is still here…" he mumbled to himself "She should be dead… We moved them from their worlds to kill them…"
"Are you saying that you exchanged Huntresses?" Barbara asked surprised "The one here doesn't belong to this world?"
"Yes, the idea was to kill them and they will be dead soon." The crazy man smirked. "We moved them between worlds. Hard to notice the differences."
Barbara opened her mouth surprised - that explained why Helena didn't remember anything that happened before they found her in the warehouse.
"You swapped her in the warehouse." She whispered.
"Well here yes, the Mystic of the other world did it in an old hotel. It worked so well… we were the kings of our streets." The crazy man said angrily "But she didn't die, I don't understand why."
"Where is the Mystic of that parallel world?" the redhead asked. Helena's meta-cells must have helped her survive. Barbara was sure of it.
"I don't know what happened to him since I've been locked here. I think he was trapped too." Mystic stepped back rubbing his chin.
Barbara swallowed realizing, Helena was in terrible danger. She felt her stomach clench. Had she fallen in love with a person who was not her Helena? She was in love with a woman who didn't belong to her world.
"But I win." Mystic laughed "and she lost. She can never go back. This place will be her tomb, just as the other world will be a tomb for the other Huntress."
+THREE MONTHS BEFORE…. ORIGINAL WORLD+
"You're late again." Huntress said, hands in the pockets of her long black leather coat "You need to drive faster."
"Heavy traffic." The blonde said. "And I can't drive too fast, Oracle will kill me if something happens to her Hummer."
"Maybe you should try "flying'" the brunette smiled.
"I can't fly, and neither can you."
"But you can levitate things." Huntress extended her arms "Maybe you could levitate yourself to avoid me kicking your ass for your bad jokes." Huntress turned to look at her.
"Well, you talked about a honeymoon, not me." Dinah laughed and Huntress glared at her.
"Shut up Dinah, let's go." Huntress walked towards the main door.
"Maybe you can take her to Europe for your honeymoon."
"Just remember I work in a bar."
"Extra-shifts will help" Dinah smiled.
They heard a noise in the next room. Helena's eyes snapped, turning feral, her senses on alert.
"Did you hear that?" She asked the blonde.
"Too loud to be a rat," Dinah whispered.
"Let's go check. I'll go upstairs and cross through there, you go for that door."
The blonde nodded.
The brunette jumped easily to the next floor and opened a door. It opened into another ballroom with two levels. The place was empty. She walked to the bannister and looked down. Dinah was there, the blonde had her flashlight on, lighting the empty room.
"Nothing here Huntress."
"So I see," Suddenly a bright light filled the place.
"Dammit!" The brunette growled covering her eyes. That had hurt - night vision was a disadvantage when hit with bright light.
"Hello my dear, long time no see." A voice said to her left. It was the man with the silver costume.
A blue light hit the brunette on her chest and she howled in pain.
Dinah looked on in horror when Huntress' body disintegrated in front of her, and vanished into thin air.
"Huntress!!" she shouted.
<Dinah, tell me what's going on, please, answer me.>
<Dinah, tell me please, how is she?> Oracle said.
"Still in shock, she's not in good shape," Dinah said. She was kneeling on the floor holding Huntress against her; the brunette was shivering with her eyes half open. "She is covered in snowflakes… and her body is shaking."
<I'm almost there…>
The blonde touched the brunette's cheek "Huntress? Are you okay?"
Huntress felt like she was floating in darkness. The last thing she remembered was the silver guy standing upstairs and a brief second later a blue light hit her. It had been painful as hell, she felt like her body had shattered into pieces. She thought she had died. It was then that she heard Dinah so far away, but slowly her voice began to come closer.
<Are you trying to warm her up?>
Dinah checked her pupils with a small light, they didn't react. The brunette's skin was really cold and her body kept shaking.
"She's still in shock. I covered her with my coat and I'm rubbing her but her temperature is still low, only 79°F, but it should be 98.6°F". I need help here. I moved outside the hotel like you asked. I'm in the backyard, are you still far away?"
<Two blocks…>
Huntress could clearly hear Oracle's words. She tried to utter a word but her mouth was stuck. She wanted to say she was fine but her body refused to respond to her thoughts…
"Huntress, it's me, Dinah, come on… you can do it."
<Dinah, temperature please…> Oracle said.
The blonde used her scanner on her friend again. "81°C"
<She is still below the critical temperature.>
The brunette could finally move a bit but growled in pain. It was as if someone had pulled all her joints apart and then put them back together again; and the worst was the cold she felt.
"Huntress is coming round." Dinah hurried to say.
<I'm coming, hold on.>
"I'm okay." Huntress thought the words and tried to say them but still she couldn't. She stirred trying to move again but her body wasn't helping. She winced.
"Easy," Dinah said hugging Helena against her "You will be fine, hold on."
"Dinah?" Huntress finally whispered, her voice raspy and rough. She tried to open her eyes but they felt so heavy. It was hard to think, she felt sharp bursts of pain all over her body. "Hurts…"
"What hurts, where?" Dinah asked concerned.
"All… Where… am I?"
"The old New Gotham Hotel."
"What am I doing here? I was at the old storage depot…"
"Easy," Dinah said "Oracle will be here in a few seconds." the blonde looked back. Oracle had arrived and was getting out of the Hummer. "She is here."
"Oracle?" the brunette could finally move her hand and touched the blonde's arm.
"Yes. She is here, just please don't move." Dinah said as the redhead wheeled over to them.
Huntress clearly heard the familiar sound of Oracle's chair. Damn, maybe she really was dying. Oracle never left the Clocktower unless it was an emergency… or the world was on the brink of disaster. Before she could react, she realized the redhead was at her side.
"How is she?" she heard Oracle's voice.
"She says she is cold and keeps shivering."
"Have you scanned her body?"
"Yes, she doesn't have any visible wounds but her metabolic system is altered."
"Temperature?"
"82°C."
Huntress could open her eyes but she couldn't see anything, everything was dark. Well, this just sucks. Something was very wrong, her mind was confused, she couldn't think clearly.
"What happened?" Oracle asked, leaning down from her wheelchair and making a quick visual check of the dark haired woman. She seemed not to be hurt, but she was shaking and her skin was so cold, she was covered in snowflakes as Dinah had said, and that was weird, it was summer.
"That man hit her with a strange gun. I swear Barbara that I saw her disintegrating and a second later she was lying on the floor." The blonde said, not hiding her worry.
"She has acute hypothermia, we need to warm her up quickly. Help me to move her inside the Hummer. We need to provide her with hot fluids."
"Oracle?" the brunette mumbled.
"I'm here." The redhead turned her attention to her lover and cupped her cheek with her palm. She didn't look well, she felt concerned. "How do you feel?"
"I can't see…"
"What?" the redhead frowned.
"I… can't see..." the brunette blinked.
The redhead turned and asked Dinah for the light. Dinah obeyed. Barbara checked the dark haired woman's pupils. They were feral, like a cat's; Barbara moved the light in front of her eyes and noticed she didn't react. Dinah looked worried.
"Am… I… blind?"
"No, you will fine, but I need to take you to the lab." The redhead said trying to sound casual and taking her hand.
Oracle felt the brunette's fingers loosening their grip on hers.
"Huntress? Huntress stay with me." Barbara slapped the brunette's cheek.
"She passed out." Dinah hurried to say
"Damn…" Oracle said looking at the teenager "We need to get her to the lab, fast."
Barbara wheeled inside her room after completing the final analysis at the Delphi. Helena lay sleeping on the bed. She moved close to her, her face looked so pale. She had many mixed feelings inside her and it hurt to see Helena like this.
She traced the soft skin of Helena's face with her fingers. She traced down her nose and the edge of her lips; she had her mother's lips and grin, playful and seductive. She brushed the stray strands of hair off her forehead. She looked so vulnerable, so young… She was so beautiful.
Barbara remembered the first time she met her as a child, so full of life; with sparks in her eyes. She smiled to herself, it seemed like it had been yesterday.
Life seemed to be smiling on all of them, and then it had happened - that fatal night.
Her attention was distracted by Helena stirring on the bed. Blue eyes fluttered open.
"Barbara…?" the brunette's voice was barely audible.
"I'm here, love." The redhead took her hand between hers.
"…Barbara?" Helena felt dazed and numb. It was hard to stay awake. Everything was still jumbled in her mind.
"I'm here…"
The young woman turned her head toward Barbara, fixing her sleepy eyes on the other woman. "I… can see you…"
"Yes, the blindness was temporary. I told you."
"Why?" the brunette tried to fix her gaze on the redhead but it was not easy, her eyelids were so heavy.
"Why?" Barbara asked intrigued.
"Why?" Helena whispered before fall asleep again,
Barbara looked at their intertwined fingers with sadness and kissed Helena's hand. "I'll be here honey."
Helena awoke slowly, she felt sore as hell, she recognized the scent surrounding her immediately. Barbara, it was so warm and at the same time so painful. She opened her eyes and realized she was in Barbara's bedroom, she jerked up abruptly.
The sudden movement woke the redhead at her side.
"Hel?" Barbara asked sleepily.
"Uh…" the brunette mumbled stunned, looking at her. What was she doing there? "Barbara?"
"How do you feel?" the cyber genius extended her hand and touched her arm.
"Fine?" Helena looked at Barbara's fingers touching her.
"I'm so glad you are fine. Let me look at you." Barbara used the bar above the headboard to support herself and sat on the bed.
"What am I doing here?" Helena felt awkward, she expected everything except waking up in Barbara's bed.
"Can you remember anything about last night?" the redhead asked.
"Uh… yea. Why am I here?"
"Someone attacked you and you were unconscious for almost half a day. Dinah told me what happened."
"Dinah?"
"Yes, she was scared, she thought you were dead."
"Yes, he surprised me," the dark haired woman placed her hand on her chest. Well, she felt whole, it seemed no body parts were missing. She was wearing one of Barbara's oversized NGPD t-shirts "I thought he had killed me. Hurt like hell."
"You seem fine." Barbara cupped Helena's cheek with her hand and smiled "I'm glad you are fine."
Helena moved her head back slightly. The redhead noticed the movement.
"Thanks… But you don't need to help me."
"Why not?"
"I can take care of myself." Helena placed her feet on the floor.
"Where are you going?" Barbara asked..
"Home. Where are my clothes?" the young woman looked around.
"This is your home, Helena."
"It was…"
Barbara pushed her blanket aside and reached for her chair. "Helena, what's going on?" "Nothing, I'm fine, thanks." the dark haired woman noticed her clothes were draped over the couch and picked them up.
"No, you are not all right. You need rest and I must run checks on you in the lab."
"I'm fine, seriously." The brunette put on her pants.
All right, something was definitely off. Barbara transferred herself to the chair.
"Really, thanks, but I still have things to do. The brunette took her clothes, dressed in record time, and picked up her coat. She turned to leave but found her way blocked by Barbara.
"Barbara…" the brunette exhaled, feeling tired "I really need to go."
"Go where?"
"Home."
"This is your home."
"I don't want to start this argument again.." Helena buttoned up her blouse.
"Argument? Why? I just want to know what's going on with you." Barbara looked at her, the behavior of the brunette was worrying her.
"We always end up arguing." The brunette sighed. "I just want to go home."
"Helena," Barbara narrowed her eyes "Where is your home?"
"Where?" Helena said "My apartment at the Dark Horse! Where else?"
"The Dark Horse?" Barbara looked at the young woman. "You haven't lived there for a long time."
"Please!" Helena rolled her eyes and extended her hands "Barbara, I really need to go."
"Helena, I think that whatever hit you has affected your mind." Barbara said raising her hand trying to calm her down.."You live here."
The brunette chuckled. "Sure."
"Sit down now, we need talk."
"I don't wanna talk."
"Sit down!"
Helena didn't understand why she couldn't refuse Barbara anything when her voice was demanding. It was weird. She took a deep breath and sat on the bed.
"I'm not going to come back, I told you." The brunette crossed her arms.
"Come back where?"
"Here."
"But you never left!"
"All right," Helena said angrily "You want us to talk about this? Let's talk: I don't want to work with you, with Dinah or with stupid fucking Dick Grayson. So, I quit this team months ago and I work on my own now, I'm the lone avenger. Thanks so much for helping me, but it doesn't mean I'll be coming back here."
"No it's not okay." Barbara said "Now calm down. Something is wrong with you."
"With me?"
"Listen to me - you live here with me, and we work together, we never worked in different teams."
"I haven't seen you in months, Barbara!" Helena growled.
"What are you talking about?" the redhead asked. "Wait, Did you say that you haven't seen me in months?"
"Yes, I haven't seen you in months!"
"Could you please check the newspaper on my nightstand?" Barbara extended her hand toward it "It's yesterday newspaper."
Helena bent and took the newspaper, annoyed.
"Look at the photo on the left." Barbara asked.
Helena eyes widened. The newspaper had a photo of her and Barbara at the New Gotham Museum attending an opening of an exhibition on Indian art."
"It was taken three days ago." Barbara explained "We went to the opening of a new exhibition together."
"I never went there!"
"Well, explain the photo then."
"This is absurd, Barbara. What's with you?" Helena pushed the paper aside and stood up. "I told you the last time I didn't want to come back! I am tired of all this!"
Knocking on the door interrupted them.
"Barbara? It's Dinah" the voice of the teenager was heard.
"Come in." Barbara said.
The door opened slowly and a smiling blonde head appeared.
"Hey, hi," Dinah said smiling "How are you doing, Helena?"
"Fine thanks." The brunette said sitting on the bed again. She wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. Being there was painful.
"I'm glad that you are fine."
"And I'm glad you are here." Helena looked at her "Could you please tell Barbara where I live?"
"Here." The teenager said.
"What are you two trying to do?" Helena asked angrily.
"Dinah," Barbara touched the teenager's arm "Could you please tell Helena where you live?"
"At her old apartment above the Dark Horse bar." The blonde put her hands inside her pants pockets.
"What?" Helena growled.
"Could you tell her how long you've been living there?" Barbara asked the girl.
"Uhh… almost six months." Dinah noticed something was off "Why? What's happening?"
"If this is a joke, it isn't funny." the brunette said, standing up again.
"Helena, I think you have amnesia." Barbara explained with a calm voice.
"Amnesia?" Helena almost laughed "I remember perfectly well what happened."
"All right," Barbara crossed her arms, "tell me what happened last night then."
"I went to the warehouse chasing Mystic."
"Warehouse?" Dinah interrupted "We were…"
"We? Excuse me, I was alone."
"Alone?" Dinah looked at her, confused.
"Let her finish Dinah." Barbara squeezed the blonde's hand gently.
"I was in the warehouse chasing Mystic," Helena said "I was chasing him and we fought. He ran, trying to escape and when I was about to catch him, he turned and shot me with his strange gun."
"Warehouse?" Dinah didn't know what was happening "We were at the New Gotham Hotel."
"What's going on with you two?" Helena crossed her arms and glared at them.
"Helena, you were with Dinah last night. I can prove it." Barbara explained "There was a security camera that recorded when you and Dinah were outside the old hotel. I always hack all the cameras around you in order to delete those files."
"I was never there!"
"Come with me." Barbara turned and wheeled out of the bedroom.
"Okay but you are not going to convince me to stay here." Helena picked up her coat.
"What? Why do you say that?" Dinah asked.
"Because I don't want to stay here!" Helena said.
"You live here!" Dinah felt confused.
"I don't live here! You know that! I quit the team!
"Uh???"
"Please, calm down." Barbara said raising her hands "Please follow me and let me show you something."
Barbara and the girls moved to the Delphi. The redhead stopped in front of her keyboard and began to type.
Helena stood moodily behind the redhead, next to the blonde.
"I'm not going to let you into my place." Dinah said.
"It's not your place, it's my place." Helena answered.
"I don't think so. Why did you say you quit the team?"
"You know I did it months ago. Your question is absurd."
"I want you to look at this." Barbara wheeled back to let Helena watch the video on the screen.
The video showed Dinah and her talking on the street.
Helena looked at the date at the bottom of the screen. It had been taken the night before, and yes, she was wearing the same clothes. This couldn't be.
"I never talked with Dinah last night." She mumbled.
"Well you did." The teenager said waving toward the screen "unless she is a ghost and not you."
The elevator doors opened and Alfred appeared smiling.
"Miss Helena, I'm glad you are doing fine." The butler smiled.
"Alfred," the brunette looked at him, crossing her arms on her chest "Do you see me here often?"
"Of course, everyday." He said.
"That's a lie! I haven't stepped inside the Clocktower in months!"
"Miss Helena, believe me," Alfred smiled gently "It's you who has been living here the last few months." He gave her a folded piece of cloth.
"What's this?"
"Your white skirt. You asked me to clean it after you spilled chili sauce on it."
"I asked you??" she frowned unfolding the skirt. Yes, she had dirtied it two days ago but she hadn't asked him to clean it. In fact, she had left it inside her bathroom sink. She examined the skirt and raised her eyebrows "Wow. The stain is gone. It's incredible."
"You're welcome."
"But I never asked you to clean it."
"I know that old people tend to forget things, but I assure you Miss Helena, not in my case." He turned and walked toward the kitchen.
"Helena you have amnesia." Barbara said again, trying to convince the brunette.
"No Barbara, my memory is fine." Helena shook her head.
"Well tell me then why you don't remember that you live here."
"I don't live here! I live above the Dark Horse Bar."
"You keep saying that." Dinah said crossing her arms and resting her hips on the desk.
"Whatever. Thanks for everything." The brunette stepped toward the elevator "See you."
"Shame she didn't forget her bad manners." Dinah sighed.
"Helena, you can't deny the evidence I showed you." Barbara said removing her glasses "Things are not as you imagine."
"I don't know what you are planning but it will not work." Helena extended her arms "I'm tired of all this! I told you!"
The doors of the elevator closed.
"Why is she saying that?" Dinah asked.
"Something has affected her mind. Must be some collateral damage from the accident." The redhead removed her glasses "That's the only answer I can think of."
"Are you going to let her go?" Dinah asked the redhead.
"She will be back soon." Barbara smiled. biting the arm of her glasses "Alfred, please prepare breakfast for three."
"Sure Miss Barbara," he said.
"How can you be sure she will come back.?" Dinah sat on a chair next to the redhead.
"I know her." Barbara turned toward the computer and closed the windows that were opened.
"But she acts like she hates us. Barbara…" the teenager mused "…she doesn't remember she lives here and she doesn't remember anything about her and you."
"I know." The redhead said, stopping her work at the computer and turning toward her, "When she comes back, I need to scan her brain and run some tests to find out what she can and cannot remember"
"Looks like in her crazy mind, she is angry with us."
"Yes and we need to help her to return to reality." Barbara scratched her head.
"She will be really pissed." the blonde observed, smiling and standing up "I'm sure she will hate the new wall color."
"I know."
"Are you crazy?" Helena shouted furiously . She exited the elevator and looked around. Barbara and Dinah were in the kitchen. She stalked toward them. That dumb teenager had screwed up her cave and she was going to pay. "Why did you paint my walls pink?"
Barbara and Dinah were preparing to eat breakfast; Alfred was pouring coffee for the redhead. In the middle of the table was a big plate of eggs and ham.
"I told you it's my place and you didn't listen." Dinah picked up her iphone and pressed some buttons. When she found the photo she wanted, she leaned forward and showed it to the redhead, "See the curtains? They are great, all pink now."
"Hey, that lamp is nice. Is it new?" Barbara asked.
"Yes."
"Hello?" Helena growled "She painted all my walls PINK, Barbara!"
"Well, she lives there." The redhead wiped her mouth with a napkin "She has the right to do what she likes with it. You gave her your apartment."
"Me?" Helena put her hand on her chest.
"Yes, when you chose to come to live here." Barbara explained.
"Me?"
"In fact, you offered it to her."
"Me???"
Barbara raised her eyebrow, suddenly the only word in Helena's mind was "Me?".
"Helena," the former vigilante said seriously "Dinah couldn't possibly change your whole place in one night, can she?."
"Well…Yes…"
"She didn't change anything," Barbara said "she has been living there for months."
"But that is…"
"I showed you the newspaper, we were at an exhibition a few nights ago; you watched the video from last night. We are not lying. You are confused."
"Miss Helena," Alfred moved a chair back "Why don't you sit and have some breakfast? You need to have a long talk and it would be better not to do it on an empty stomach."
"Do I have amnesia?" Helena mumbled sitting at the table "How?"
"My theory is that whatever hit you caused your amnesia." Barbara explained taking her cup of coffee..
"But how come I remember other things?"
"Must be a side effect. I need to run some test on you; I need to know what you can remember and what you can't, try to understand what's happening to help you."
The brunette exhaled and rested her back on her chair. "This is insane."
"But it's real. You need to calm down, we will work on this together."
"I quit the team." Helena whispered.
"You never did." Barbara said "Look, let's have breakfast and after that, we will start work on this. Okay? I will try to answer any questions you have."
"All right, but amnesia or not," Helena pointed to Dinah "I'm not going to forgive you for painting my place pink."
"Your brain activity is normal." Barbara said, analyzing the readout on her computer screen. Her finger traced the lines on the screen, trying in vain to find something abnormal.
"Does this mean she is as annoying as always?" Dinah asked with her legs crossed over a chair next to the redhead.
"Ha, ha, ha…" the brunette removed the helmet from her head and unbuckled the belt at her chest.
"Your cells fragmented for a brief second but then they returned to normal." The redhead adjusted her glasses "I… I don't understand what could have caused it."
"Me neither," Helena said "but it hurt like hell."
"Do you think there could be other side effects?" Dinah asked. "Like maybe making her like pink or something like that?"
Helena glared to her.
"Actually, there is a side effect," Barbara said "She can't remember what happened within the last year, so she has replaced her missing memories with new ones."
"And I bet you piss everybody off in the memories you have now, just as much as you used to in your old ones." The blonde smiled at her friend and walked toward the elevator "Well, I'm going to the library. See you later, ladies."
"Very funny," Helena said standing up. "Well - whatever. I'm going to work out on the punching bag in the gym,"
"Helena." Barbara turned her head "Can we talk?"
Helena nodded, she took a chair and sat in front of the redhead.
Barbara smiled to her. "How do you feel now?"
"It's weird." Helena said "The last thing I remember is that I was angry with you."
"Why?" Barbara asked gently.
The brunette moved uncomfortably in her chair. "Many reasons."
"Tell me why you think you were mad at me. I want to know."
"I was tired of it all."
"What is 'all'?" The redhead knew that when Helena refused to talk, she needed to be prodded.
"You know, Barbara." The brunette didn't want to talk about this, it was still too painful for her. Dick had broken up their team. She remembered that Barbara had looked for her and gone to her place once, and that she had said nasty things to her. Not the truth, but enough so that she didn't come back.
And sadly it had worked, she never came back.
"No Helena, I don't know." Barbara said.
"I'm tired." Helena whispered "I'm going to rest."
"No Hel, we need talk."
"I don't wanna talk."
"But I want to. I want to know what's in your head, to help you, to understand you."
"He was always giving orders," Helena stood up annoyed. "He was always trying to tell us what to do."
"Who?"
"Dick! Who else?" the brunette paced angrily. "I don't know why you let him fuck everything up!"
"Dick was in our team?" Barbara followed her with her gaze.
"Yes, you let him in!"
"He helps us sometimes. Why do you say I let him in?"
"You said yes when he asked you. After that, he was there, acting like he was the leader, pissing me off. But you couldn't see it, you were blind and you let him screw it all up."
"Helena don't be mad, he is not in our team. This is only in your imagination."
The brunette felt annoyed, she gave her back to her, resting her hands on her hips.
"Why do you say I'm blind?" Barbara asked gently "I want to understand what is in your head, how you feel now."
The elevator door opened and Dick stepped out.
"Hey, how are you doing?" he said cheerfully.
Helena glared at him and turned to Barbara angrily. "You are lying to me!"
Oh damn, he really chose a bad moment to show up, Barbara thought.
"Lying?"
"He is still here, so I didn't lose my memory! You are trying to trick me"
"No, I'm not lying!" the redhead said.
"What are you trying to do?" Helena growled.
"No, no! You are wrong, Dick comes here but is just a friend!"
"No, you are engaged to him! Stop lying to me!" the brunette shouted "He is trying to control us and I'm not going to let him do it!"
"Engaged? That's absurd!" Barbara said.
"What's going on?" Dick asked, feeling confused.
"Please Dick," Barbara asked him "Could you please leave us alone?"
"That won't be necessary. I'm leaving." Helena walked toward the exit.
Barbara grabbed her arm. "Helena, wait!"
"I don't know why you invented all these lies, but it's over!" the brunette pushed her hand away. "I hate you!"
"No Helena! Wait" Barbara shouted.
The brunette didn't listen and stormed out and she couldn't stop her.
"What's happening?" Dick asked, stunned.
"Long story." Barbara sighed rubbing her head. Things were becoming more complicated.