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
Helena sat on the couch in the living room of her apartment watching tv. She looked around. How could Dinah paint her walls this stupid pink color? She reached forward and took a sip of her coke and leaned back on the couch.
She heard the door opening, she looked back. It was Dinah.
"What are you doing here?" She rested her back on the couch again.
"Well - this is my place." Dinah said throwing her bag onto an empty chair and placing a big pizza box on the coffee table. My question is 'What are you doing here?"
"This is not your place." Helena said, looking the pizza.
"Why is it painted pink then?" The blonde went to the fridge and took a coke.
"My place was perfect as it was, I don't know why you changed the color." Helena opened the pizza box and took a slice. It was Pepperoni, her favorite.
"Looks better now," the blonde said walking into the living room. "Now tell me, why did you leave the Clocktower? Barbara is worried about you"
"I hate Barbara."
"Sure."
"You are both lying to me."
"Come on Helena, you know we are telling you the truth." Dinah sat next to the brunette taking a slice of pizza and putting her feet on the table. "We proved to you that reality is quite different from the one you have created in your head. I couldn't change this whole place in just one night and you saw the newspaper photos of you and Barbara at the Museum from a few nights ago."
The brunette didn't answer, she kept watching the tv.
"And I know," Dinah said, sipping her coke "Leonard told you that I moved here months ago. I just asked him. You are pissed because you saw Dick."
"What the fuck was 'Captain Asshat' doing there?"
Dinah spat the coke over the floor and choked.
"Now what?" Helena growled.
*cough* "What did you say?" *cough* Dinah took a napkin from the table and wiped her mouth.
"Dick. Don't tell me you don't know I call him 'Captain Asshat'. Barbara hates that I call him that, but it's perfect for him."
The blonde laughed. "Yes, it is."
"Did Barbara send you here?" Helena asked.
"No. Barbara is worried for you, but she knows you need time and that you are safe here." Dinah said cleaning her mouth with her finger. "She asked me buy the pizza, she was sure you would be hungry and my fridge is empty."
"Barbara knows I'm here?" Helena asked surprised.
"Of course. She knows you." Dinah said munching her pizza.
"I'm not that predictable."
"Believe me, you are. Where did you get the idea to quit our team and work on your own."
"I was tired of it all…" Helena said.
"Just that?" the blonde looked her.
"I need more reasons?"
"Yes." the teenager said "It's hard imagining you even two steps away from Barbara."
Helena sighed and sipped from her coke can.
"What are you watching?" Dinah asked Helena, taking another slice of pizza.
"Horror movies marathon, "Rage"." The brunette answered distractedly.
"I've read it's a good movie."
"It is."
Both of them kept watching the film on tv in silence for several long minutes. The brunette couldn't deny it was nice not being alone, to have some good company. Barbara had been nice too, sending her, her favorite pizza and keeping an eye on her.
"I haven't done this in months." Helena took a slice of pizza and gave it a big bite.
"Do what?" Dinah asked, all her attention on the movie.
"Being here, watching a movie with you ..."
"We do it every Friday night - you just don't remember it."
"Are you sure?" the brunette asked her.
The teenager suddenly screamed and jumped on the couch.
"Why do you always scream so loudly at horror movies?" the brunette sighed.
"That stupid zombie scared me." Dinah said pointing at the tv "I wasn't expecting it! Where did you get the idea that you lived here?"
"Well, that is what I remember." Helena said. "Tell me why you moved into my place? Why did I let you do it?" the brunette asked curiously. It was hard for her to believe that she had given up her old place.
"Easy, you asked me to." Dinah cleaned her fingers with a napkin.
"Me??" Helena asked, incredulously.
"Yes, you wanted me to move there."
"That's crazy. Why would I do that?"
Dinah just smiled and didn't answer.
"Okay," Helena took another slice of pizza "I moved to the Clocktower. I expect it was for a good reason. Did I rebuild my old room?"
"No, in fact, you don't sleep there." Dinah said taking a cushion and putting it behind her head.
"What? Don't tell me I moved to the small guest room." Helena sat, that was not good. That room was like a closet, she needed a bigger space.
"No." the blonde answered with her eyes on the tv screen.
"No?" the brunette frowned sitting on the couch "Where do I sleep then? Barbara built a new room?"
"No." Dinah shook her head.
"Where do I sleep then? I don't understand."
Dinah raised her eyes to her. Helena observed her, waiting for an answer.
"Dinah?" the brunette asked again.
"Uhh…" the blonde said hesitating a brief second. "Barbara's bedroom?"
"I sleep in Barbara's bedroom?" she thought she had misheard her.
The teenager nodded with a happy grin.
"Why do I sleep there?"
"Why do you think?" Dinah winked at her and returned her gaze to the tv.
Helena looked at her in silence for a few seconds before her eyes opened wide. "Noooooo….."
"Yeeessss." Dinah said.
"But it can't be!" Helena turned off the tv and stood in front of the blonde "Barbara has a boyfriend."
"She does not have a boyfriend. She has a girlfriend, and that's you."
"No! Dick is her boyfriend!"
The teenager looked for the remote control and turned on the tv. "Don't be absurd, Helena."
The brunette took the remote control and turned off the tv.
"Hey!" Dinah protested.
"Barbara is my girlfriend? We live together?" Helena asked confused.
The blonde nodded taking the remote control from Helena's hand and turning on the tv again.
"But she is straight!" Helena turned off the tv again.
"Well, she's not now." Dinah said amused.
Helena sat next to the blonde. "Dinah, no, no."
"Why not?" the teenager knew it would be impossible to watch the end of the movie now. She sighed and gave all her attention to her agitated crime fighting partner.
"She is my friend!" Helena almost shouted.
"And?" Dinah crossed her arms.
"I'm not gay!" Helena protested.
Dinah rolled her eyes "Oh, you forgot that too?"
"What?"
"About you being gay:"
Helena shook her head "No, I'm not gay. I dated Reese. I flirt with men!"
"You flirt with everything that moves, especially if it wears a skirt. All your things and clothes are in her bedroom, well, your bedroom."
Helena was speechless. Yes she had a crush on Barbara when she was a teenager, as any teenager discovering their sexuality would, but it was just a crush. She was interested in men. Her crush on the redhead was a hidden secret, neither Barbara nor Dinah knew about it. Or at least, she thought it was a secret, but Dinah was talking about her and Barbara, someone she respected as her mentor. She could never do that.
"Close your mouth Helena." Dinah smiled "Don't worry. Everybody knows about you two."
"Everybody?" the brunette blinked.
"Yes."
"What you mean by everybody?"
"Let me see… Barbara's dad, Barbara's friends, Barbara's students, Alfred, me, Reese, Leonard and all your friends at the Bar." Dinah raised her eyes to the ceiling thinking for a brief second "Oh yes, and all of New Gotham. Every time you two go out to an event, you appear in all the society pages."
"This is confusing." the brunette rubbed her face.
"Your will recover your memory soon," the blonde waved her hand in dismissal "Don't worry. All this will seem like a joke."
"Dinah," Helena said "I'll have to sleep with her!"
"You love it."
"Dinah this is serious! What I do?" the brunette asked worried.
"Sleep, what else? Now, if you have other things in mind, that's your business, not mine." Dinah stood up.
"You are not being helpful," the dark haired woman growled "Do you know that?"
"I'm a teenager, my experience with life is practically nonexistent." The blonde walked past her and moved toward the kitchen. Helena followed her. "You've slept with Barbara thousands of times."
"Not now. I'm angry with her! I don't even want to look at her! Now I must sleep with her!"
"You are not angry with her! All that is some fantasy you created in your mind. You love Barbara, you are crazy about her, she is your life."
"Am I in love with her?"
"Yes, she has been your lifelong crush." Dina kneeled looking for a bag of popcorn in one of the kitchen cabinets.
Helena looked at her. It seems her hidden crush was not so hidden.
"This is so weird. I don't remember any of it." Helena sighed. She would never try anything with her, she was her mentor, her friend. She admired her.
"Just go with the flow."
"What if she wants…?"
"Hel, she is not going to push you, she will give you time to recover. Calm down."
"I need some whisky." Helena said walking out of the kitchen.
"I'm a minor, I don't have liquor here." Dinah put the popcorn bag in the microwave.
"Helloooo, I live above a bar." The brunette said exiting the apartment.
"You live here?" the blonde rolled her eyes and programmed the microwave. "Keep saying that."
After exactly two minutes, the bag was ready and Helena was back with a bottle of scotch in one hand and a glass in another. She sat on the living room couch.
"Why did you leave the team?" Dinah asked stepping inside the living room.
"Barbara was engaged to Dick." Helena answered filling her glass with liquor.
"Oh, I get it. You were jealous." The teenager smirked munching a bit of popcorn.
"I wasn't jealous! He pissed me off. Dick was trying to be the leader" Helena said drinking from her glass, "and Barbara listened to him all the time."
"Leader? That's absurd."
"Well, he thinks he is the boss just because he's Barbara's fiancée."
"He is annoying, it would be really nasty having him as boss."
"What was he doing at Clocktower then?" the brunette asked.
"He's only being friendly. Barbara has known him for a long time, but for Barbara, you always come first." Dinah said.
"I don't understand…" Helena sighed and kept silent.
"What?"
"How Barbara and I could be together? I mean, I remember her as straight and me too."
"Believe me Helena, you are anything you say, except straight." The blonde smiled "You need to go back, let her help you so things will return to normal. Barbara is really worried for you."
"Is she?"
"Helena, she loves you."
"It's hard to believe that."
"Why?"
"I remember her as just a friend," the brunette looked into her glass "I remember being so mad with her and now I find out that I live with her and that she loves me. This is crazy."
"We will be joking about this in a few weeks." Dinah said.
"I hope so."
"And I will have my place to myself again."
"You are mean."
"Maybe."
"May I stay here tonight?"
"Yes, but I get the bed." Dinah said, taking a handful of popcorn.
"No way."
"It's my place."
"I'm the adult."
"All right," Dinah smirked "I want to see you sleeping in pink covers."
"Oh crap…" Helena protested "you needed to make everything pink?"
"So how was it?" Barbara asked, brushing her hair in front of her mirror in her bedroom.
"Fun…" Dinah said amused, she was sitting on Barbara's bed painting her nails. "She fell asleep on the couch in the living room while watching horror movies. I covered her with a blanket, she was pissed when she realized it was pink."
"You did that on purpose." the redhead smiled.
"Yes." The blonde laughed.
"Yes, she knows we are not lying, she was just pissed to see Dick."
"Poor Dick, this time he did nothing." Barbara looked at herself in the mirror and tied her hair into a ponytail "I asked him to stop coming here until we can get Helena's memory back."
"Where is she now?"
"In the gym. I told her." The blonde said raising her hand to look her handiwork. "About you two."
"Oh… What did she say?" the red head turned to look at her protégée.
"Well from her expression, she wasn't expecting it. She said it was hard to believe, that you are straight and that she is too."
"Please!" Barbara chuckled "Helena straight?"
"She was pretty disturbed." Dinah chuckled. "You should have seen her face. It was so funny."
"You are mean Dinah, she doesn't remember anything."
"She is pretty scared of the idea." Dinah smiled amused "She is scared of you."
"Helena scared of a woman? That is hard to believe."
"Well, she thinks she is straight and that her only relationships are with men."
"No women?" Barbara raised her eyebrow.
"She didn't say a word about it." Dinah closed the bottle of nail varnish.
"Well, I think I should take things slow."
"This will be fun."
"Dinah…."
"I'm just saying."
Barbara hit the punching bag hard with her feet. She turned and hit it again with her other feet. She stepped back and wiped the sweat from her face. All this was so strange, she still felt mad at Barbara but she knew it was just a crazy idea in her mind. It seems they have a good relationship… a very good relationship.
She stopped and looked at the punching bag. She sat on the bench.
She is in love with Barbara? She never thought about it. Yes she couldn't say she was strictly straight, she was bi. But Barbara? She respected her too much.
"I'm glad you are back."
Helena heard Barbara's voice behind her.
"Hi." she turned around.
"Are you still angry with me?" Barbara moved toward the young woman. She looked so hot in her exercise clothes.
The brunette adjusted her gloves, not looking at her. "A bit."
The redhead stopped her chair next to Helena.
"I asked Dick not to come back until you're no longer mad with me. He didn't know we are not in a good place."
"I'm never in a good place when he is around. I don't know what you see in 'Captain Asshat'"
"Excuse me?" the redhead narrowed her eyes.
"Nothing."
Barbara raised her eyebrow, Helena loved to use nicknames on Dick, but this one was new.
"All right." Helena said "I know I shouldn't call him that, but he is."
"Helena, I'm sorry, he is just a good friend," Barbara looked at her, "but you are right, he can be a moron, but I want you to understand that the only person important to me is you. What can I do to make you smile at me again?"
"It's… It's okay Barbara…" Helena whispered "don't worry, I just need to get used to this. It's new for me."
"How do you feel, sweetie?"
"Uhh… fine?" 'Sweetie'? It was strange to hear that from Barbara's lips.
"Are you sure? There have been no other side effects?"
"No."
"I'm glad. I want to keep an eye on you until we are sure you are one hundred percent fine." Barbara lifted her hand and brushed Helena's damp hair from her forehead, the touch was gentle and soft "I want you to know you are the most important person in my life." The redhead said "Not Dick, not anyone, just you. I love you with all my heart."
"Barbara… Are you sure?" Helena looked her.
"I've never been more sure of anything in all my life. Maybe you don't remember what is between us but it's wonderful."
"You are straight…"
The redhead chuckled. "Not anymore with you at my side."
The brunette took a deep breath and lowered her head. Barbara took her hand while quietly observing her.
"I know this may be too soon for you," the redhead whispered "but I want you to know that you can trust me. That I don't care about Dick or anyone else, just you."
"Thank you Barbara…"
Helena felt this was the weirdest thing that has ever happened to her. She always looked upon Barbara as a mentor, a role model to follow, not as this. She felt so confused. It was one thing to have a crush as a teenager who was just discovering life. It was another to face it as an adult. It was such a long time ago, and she had moved on to other things, other interests.
The old woman noticed Helena was avoiding looking at her, "Something wrong?"
"It's just…." The brunette tried to find the right words. "I..."
"You can tell me anything Hel. I'll try to do my best to help you."
"Barbara I don't remember anything about what you are telling me." The dark haired woman finally looked at her "I don't feel the same for you… I don't love you."
The redhead expected anything but that. She was speechless. It was hard to listen to those words coming from her.
"I just feel…" Helena stood up raising her arms "I don't know what I'm feeling. I'm confused."
Barbara had a hard time organizing her thoughts.
Helena covered her face with her hands. She looked up and after a few seconds she turned to look at the older woman, she felt like shit seeing the hurt in the other woman. "I'm sorry."
"We can get through this, Helena."
"Barbara…"
"I'm not asking you for anything Helena," the redhead said softly "Just let me help you."
"What If I regain my memory and I can't love you back?"
"Hel..." Barbara bit her lips "The only important thing for me is to make sure you are fine."
The dark haired woman kept silent.
"Will you stay?" Barbara asked.
"Do you want me to I stay?" Helena looked at her through her dark bangs.
"Yes."
The brunette just looked her. She still couldn't understand what was happening yet. She only knew that suddenly the emptiness she had felt for so long at being so far –in her imagination- from the redhead had gone and that the only person who could help her was Barbara.
"I don't know Barbara." Helena said, everything was so jumbled in her mind.
"Please?" the older woman looked into her eyes "I will feel better if you stayed here until you are better."
Helena sat on the bench shaking her head. "This is crazy."
"I know, it's crazy for me too." Barbara said honestly "But it's better that we are in this together so we can find out what happened and find a way to recover your memory. What do you think?"
The brunette fixed her blue eyes on her. The truth is that Barbara had always been her home, her refuge, her only friend. The only place where she could be safe was with her.
She nodded.
Barbara smiled.
"Now…" the cyber genius said wheeling her chair a few inches back "What about a little sparring?"
"Sparring?"
"I would like to make you sweat a bit." The redhead wheeled toward the rack that held the batons.
"You are very optimistic." Helena followed her, smiling.
Barbara chose a pair of batons and turned her head to look at the young woman. "Wanna bet?"
"Bet?" Helena raised her eyebrows. Barbara was not normally a betting person. "Bet what?"
"A dinner? The new restaurant near New Gotham Bay?"
"Sounds tempting."
"But I understand if you are afraid."
"No way." Helena smirked.
" 'Captain Asshat'?" Barbara chuckled "Where did you get that?"
"Uhm…. Internet?"
Barbara bit her donut while reading the newspaper and drinking a cup of coffee in the kitchen. Things had been calm in the city, and Mystic seemed to have disappeared. She still couldn't figure out what kind of weapon he had used on Helena to affect her mind in the way it had.
She longed to feel her arms around her, she missed her flirting and her warmth, but she couldn't rush things. Helena was confused and totally convinced that there was nothing between them.
She closed the newspaper and rubbed her forehead with her left hand.
Helena was so cold when she said that she didn't love her. It felt like being stabbed in the heart.
She could only hope that this amnesia would be fixed soon. She wanted her back.
This was crazy.
"How was your talk with Miss Helena, Miss Barbara?" Alfred asked walking into the kitchen
"Not good," The redhead said, folding the newspaper "She doesn't remember anything. We keep showing her things hoping she would remember just a bit but nothing works."
"Sounds bad." Alfred said.
"It is." Barbara sighed drinking of her cup of coffee. "She doesn't remember anything of the last ten months. And I mean anything."
"Are you referring to the two of you?"
"Yes."
"Then it is really bad." The gentle butler picked up the coffee pot and poured more coffee into Barbara's cup.
"Thanks. I've talked to her about us but she still doesn't remember."
"So she lost her memory?"
"No, the strange thing is she hasn't lost her memory, she just remembers a different past. I don't know how this can happen. I have been going over my analysis of her but I can't find any clues whatsoever."
"What does she think happened?" Alfred asked.
"That she works on her own," Barbara explained "that she was angry with me because I allowed Dick to join our team and let him take control and give orders."
"I remember when he tried to do just that. It was not nice of him."
"Yes, it was when I was beginning to look for Helena." The redhead remembered. "I think he felt it and he did it to show he had control. Dick is a nice guy but when he is in his 'macho' mode he really is 'Captain Asshat' "
Alfred opened his eyes wide. Barbara chuckled.
"I'm sorry Alfred." She said "Helena just said that and it was funny. I try not to encourage her with her nicknames but this one was too good."
"If she has managed to retain her sarcasm, it means things are not that bad." He smirked.
"Yes, but you should have seen her when she saw Dick. She exploded." The redhead took a cookie from a plate on the table.
"Well he always did drive her nuts."
"Yes, but she was really angry. So angry that she left and said she would never come back."
"But she did."
"Yes, but I was not sure if she would. She was absolutely convinced about what she thinks she knows."
"And about your relationship?" Alfred asked "What does she say about that?"
"Well, she thinks that I'm straight and that she is too."
"Miss Helena straight?" Alfred raised his eyebrows "Then she didn't just lose her memory, she lost her mind."
"I'm thinking the same thing." Barbara took another cookie from the plate.
"This can't be easy."
"It's not, but I must be patient if I want help her." The redhead said while staring at her coffee cup "If I push her I may make things worse."
"But does she know everything about you two?" Alfred asked "Did you tell her?"
"Dinah told her. I did too, but we didn't go into details. She just knows that we are together."
"What are you going to do?"
"Try to help her to recover her memory. Maybe showing her an object, taking her to places that she knows - anything that will "click" in her head and bring her back."
"Maybe you could hit her on her head." Alfred smiled.
"Dinah offered to do it if I wanted, but I prefer the scientific method."
Alfred smiled.
"She is fighting well, her reflexes are good, all her skills are at one hundred percent"
"So the only problem is her memory."
"Yes." Barbara cleaned her hands with a napkin "Well, I must go. I have work to do on the Delphi. I need try to find out more about this 'Mystic' "
"Is Miss Helena here?"
"No, she is working at the Dark Horse bar."
"Is it not too soon?" Alfred asked picking up the empty coffee cup.
"No, I think that she needs to get back to her normal life, and it will help her to recover her memory sooner."
"Good luck, Miss Barbara."
"Thanks, I'll need it." the redhead wheeled back toward the elevator waving to him.
Barbara turned the page of her book. She was reading in bed with her back resting against the headboard. The room was lit only by the table lamp, but the truth was that she couldn't focus on what she was reading. All her thoughts were on Helena. The brunette seemed very nervous whenever they got close. She needed to be patient and hoped that the young woman would recover her memory soon.
Soft knocks on her door caught her attention.
"Come in." she said, lowering the book.
The door opened slowly and Helena's head appeared.
"May I come in?"
"You don't need to knock, sweetheart."
"Uhhh… no?" Helena felt uncomfortable. This was going to be the first night (at least in her memory) that she was going to be sleeping with Barbara. Well, she had done so many times before but in a totally different way.
"No, it's your room, I told you,"
"Yes… well…" the brunette said stepping inside.
"All your clothes are in the dressing room." Barbara waved her hands toward her left.
Helena nodded, bouncing on her heels and looking around. It was a cool room. "It's a big dressing room."
"Yes, we needed it," Barbara said "Every time you bought clothes it was like you brought the whole store home."
"I don't shop that much." The brunette frowned.
"Ask your credit card."
"Okay, I spend a lot. But they are nice outfits." Helena said opening a drawer.
"The one on your right has your pajamas." Barbara smiled.
"I sleep in pajamas?"
"Often you prefer to sleep in just your skin, and I love it."
The brunette blushed furiously. Yes she used to do that but only when she was alone.
"Okay," Helena looked around, she couldn't hide her nervousness "I'll take a shower and be right back."
"Sure."
The redhead was sure Helena was taking the longest shower of her life. Helena had always been a confident person but whatever had hit her seemed to have changed her into a very "shy" person. She was not sure how else to describe it.
But she was a patient person, especially when it involved Helena..
After a long hour Helena stepped out of the shower with her hair still damp. She was wearing long pants and a thin t-shirt.
"Oh…" the brunette said "I thought you would be asleep."
"No, I was waiting for you." Barbara placed her book on the night table.
"I'm sorry, you didn't have to." Helena walked to the other side of the bed and lifted the covers. "I was going to take a quick shower but your bathtub is amazing. I love it."
"It's our bathtub, and yes, it's amazing." Barbara smiled, removing her eyeglasses "How was your day?"
"Fine, I got lots of tips." Helena rested her head on the pillow and snuggled under the covers. She had always liked Barbara's bed; it was big and soft. "I think people think I'm hot."
"You are."
"It's good being hot."
The redhead chuckled. "Was it a good night then? Were you okay?"
"Yes, everything was fine. It was a normal night. Did you find out anything about Mystic?"
"No, I checked the police files and nothing came up."
"Maybe I should do some sweeps."
"I don't think so. It's too soon," Barbara looked at the brunette, hoping to convince her that that was not a good idea.
"Why not? I feel fine." The brunette said
"We must be sure there are no other side effects." Barbara explained "I don't want you to faint in the middle of a fight or something like that."
"Maybe he thought he killed me," Helena said "If he knows I'm alive, he may come looking for me."
"I'd prefer if we waited a week at least."
"I feel fine."
"I don't like you risking your life, especially when it's not necessary." Barbara reached out and rested her hand on the young woman's arm. "Let's just make sure you are fine. Please?"
Helena understood her concern. She nodded.
"Thanks." Barbara leaned and kissed the brunette's forehead, surprising her.
The redhead turned off the lamp and lay on her back.
"Good night sweetheart."
"Good night Barbara." Helena turned to her side. She remembered sleeping with Barbara thousands of times, but… this time was different, knowing there was something between them, something that she couldn't remember.
She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She always felt secure and safe in Barbara's bedroom, it was like a cocoon. Before she realized it, she was asleep.
Barbara watched her. She was so used to Helena snuggling up to her that she missed it now. She was so temped to touch her, to hug her, to kiss her, but she knew she needed to give her time. But she missed Helena's playfulness. She was so used to being close to her that not being able to touch her was something she definitely didn't like.
But at least she was safe and she was home. Yes, that was what was important now.
She closed her eyes and tried to sleep.
Dinah finished her homework. Really, homework sucked. She closed the notebook and lifted her head. She jumped when she saw Helena standing in front of her.
"Dammit Helena!" the blonde growled "You need to wear a bell!"
"I've been here for ages. It's not my fault you were distracted." Helena said sitting next to her.
This was something new. Since Helena's attack eight days ago, she seemed to look for Dinah to talk.
"What's happened now?" the blonde asked.
"Why do you think something has happened?" Helena said.
"You come to see me when something happens with Barbara."
"Nothing's happened."
"No?"
The brunette looked around crossing her arms over the table. "Well, yes and no…"
"Very clear," Dinah smiled putting her school notebooks inside a bag. "What happened?"
"Barbara is flirting with me." Helena whispered.
"And that is strange?"
"Dinah…she is really flirting with me. She's not just playing, it's serious. She touched my leg when we were sitting at the Delphi!"
The blonde rolled her eyes. "Helena, when you love someone, you touch them and that could include holding hands…cuddling…touching their leg…kissing…"
"I'm not idiot, I know that." The brunette growled, "But you must admit it's weird. Well, it's weird for me."
"Why don't you try to relax? Barbara knows you don't remember anything about your relationship. She is not going to ask you for anything."
"Are you sure?" Helena felt relieved.
"Yes."
"But she is flirting with me."
"Well, I think since your progress in recovering your memory is 'zero'", Dinah made a 'zero' with her fingers, "She is trying to win your heart again. She may not ask you for anything but it don't means she's going to give up on you." Dinah smirked.
Helena made a face. "You are not helpful most of the time."
"She loves you, Helena. It's only natural that when you like someone, you flirt with them." Dinah put her hands on the table and looked at her "Do you know what's weird? That you are asking me these things. I'm a teenager, you're an adult. The person with experience here is you. You are overreacting, that's all."
"Dinah, I can't understand how Barbara can like girls. She has always been straight." Helena shook her head.
"I think that Barbara has always loved you. She just didn't recognize her own feelings until you began harassing her."
"Me?"
"It's your fault she fell in love with you. Don't complain about it now." Dinah closed her school bag.
"I don't remember it." Helena extended her hands.
"But she does." Dinah said.
The brunette leaned back on the chair. "What do I do?"
"Don't tell me you don't like girls." Dinah smirked.
The brunette took a few seconds before answering "No?"
Dinah glared to her. "You don't believe that. You have always had a crush on Barbara – ever since you were a teenager. All teenagers fantasize about other girls at least once."
"You didn't know me then." Helena said.
"Barbara told me." The teenager chuckled.
The brunette opened her eyes wide. "She knew about it?"
"You were pretty obvious."
"All right…all right." The brunette acquiesced "But it was a school crush and it was over years ago! She has a boy friend now and I can't imagine having something with her!"
"Why not?"
"I respect her too much, she is my mentor, we are like sisters…" Helena muttered. Yes, she had a crush on Barbara when she was a kid, but it had petered out years ago. Barbara was straight and it was just a five minute thing. Since then, her focus had always been on men.
"Sisters…sure." Dinah waved her finger "Now tell me why you quit the team with that crazy idea in your head?"
"I told you, I wanted to work on my own." The dark haired woman crossed her arms.
"And Dick pissed you off."
"You've been lurking in my mind!!" Helena straightened in her chair and pointed at her.
"I don't need to read your mind to know this." The blonde rolled her eyes.
Helena snorted, well, that was the truth.
"So why do you think you left?" Dinah asked again.
"You are a pain in the ass."
"And you love it."
Helena sighed. "Barbara was dating him again and I don't like how he is with her. I was tired of it and I decided to quit."
"See?" Dinah smiled pointing at her with her index finger. "You were jealous."
"I was not." Helena said to her "He just pissed me off, he wanted to give orders to the team."
Dinah raised her left eyebrow and smiled at her.
"Hey it doesn't mean I was jealous." Helena protested "I have always seen her as a friend."
"Friend?" Dinah chuckled "Please. You are acting like Barbara when you began flirting with her. She was denying her own feelings too." Dinah crossed her arms on the table "If you want, I can hit you on the head to help you recover your memory sooner."
"Ha, ha…"
"Come on." Dinah touched her hand, and immediately many images flowed inside her head. Helena felt it and pulled her hand back.
"Hey!" the brunette growled, "Don't go lurking around!"
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do it." Dinah said.
"You are dangerous, you know that?"
"And you have many dirty things in your head." Dinah said standing up "Not my fault."
"Where are you going?" the brunette followed her with her gaze.
"To school, it's getting late."
"But what will I do?"
"I dunno, watch movies, talk to your finger. Bye."
"Ha, ha ha…" the brunette sighed looking at her go. She needed to get some fresh air, yes maybe she could go out and just walk around.
Barbara had kept at her research but was unsuccessful. Mystic seemed to have vanished. She looked at the book in her hands; she couldn't keep her mind focused on it. She put it on the night table.
It had been almost two weeks since Helena's accident and there was no progress. She still couldn't remember anything about her past.
This was beginning to get annoying. Barbara brushed her hair back with her hands, she was really missing Helena's touch. Helena could be rude and was often moody but when they were together she was sweet and always had a caress for her. She liked to watch tv with Helena resting her head on her lap or to feel her purring in her sleep. She was dying to touch her at night, to feel her close.
She checked her clock, it was almost three o'clock. It was so late and Helena hadn't arrived home yet. Why hadn't she called? She began to fall into a bad mood. Maybe she should think seriously about hitting Helena in the head with a stick.
The door suddenly opened and Helena's head appeared.
"Uh… sorry. Why aren't you sleeping?" the brunette asked. "It's late."
"I can ask you the same thing. Where have you been?" Barbara asked.
"Having fun with Reese." The young woman stepped inside and removed her coat.
"Having fun?"
"Yes, I forgot how funny he was." Helena sat on the bed, removing her boots.
"Why didn't you call me?" Barbara asked arranging the covers over her waist, feeling upset.
"I didn't realize I would be so late, I just wanted a little distraction. I needed to talk with someone."
"I've been trying to help you, I've been trying to get you to talk to me and all this time you've been avoiding me." Barbara said angrily "But now, you have the time to go out with Reese to talk. That means you don't trust me"
"I trust you!"
"So why won't you talk to me?"
"It just happened." Helena said.
"Yes, and you talked with him and you had fun with him."
"Yes, he is a good dancer."
"Did you go to dance?"
Dinah was sleeping deeply. In her dreams, she was fighting bad men and knocking them down. Suddenly she heard knocks behind her. It was a door. What was a door doing in the middle of a dark alley?
Okay, those knocks were not part of her dream, they were real. The sleepy blonde opened her eyes and checked her clock, almost 3:30 A.M.
The knocks came from her window. Who could be knocking on her window? And she was on the third floor.
"Dinah! Wake up!" she heard a familiar voice.
Rolling her eyes she stood up and drew the curtains aside. Helena was standing there.
"What are you doing here?" the blonde asked.
"Open the window, it's freezing."
The girl unlocked the window and the brunette stepped inside.
"What's happened, Helena?" the blonde asked.
"Barbara kicked me out." Helena said closing the window behind her.
"Why?" Dinah rubbed her arms from feeling the cold wind from outside.
"I went out with Reese."
"Out?"
"To a bar, we danced and talked. I arrived a few minutes ago and she was mad, really mad."
"Are you nuts? Did you call her to say where you were?"
"No, I never thought she could be that angry."
"You really are stupid." The blonde sighed walking to her bed again.
"Hey! Reese and I just talked." Helena protested.
"Helena, you dated Reese, you don't remember anything about her and you, you think you are straight. She misses you." Dinah sat holding her pillow "What did you expect? You should call her."
"I never thought she could be that jealous." The brunette extended her arms.
"You really are a hard head. You know she loves you. What were you thinking going out with him?"
"Nothing, I just wanted to talk and see if I could remember anything but it didn't work. I didn't mean to annoy her, it's just that I'm used to not telling anyone where I am."
"You always tell her where you are. You just don't remember that." Dinah shook her head. "Now genius, you need to apologize."
"Me?"
"Yes you. You need to ask her to forgive you. She must be feeling so bad now."
"Dinah…." The brunette sat on the bed next to her.
"What?" Dinah asked.
"Since that day, since Mystic attacked me, I feel…"
"You feel weird. Yes, I've been hearing that every day."
"No."
The blonde narrowed her eyes.
"I feel fine." Helena fixed her blue eyes on her.
"What?" Dinah looked her surprised.
"I feel like I'm home again, maybe it's hard for you to understand but before I woke up in Barbara's room a few days ago, I felt as if I had been all alone and sad for the past year. Now I feel like I've rediscovered my family again."
"But you were never gone, we have been here all along."
"Yes. I don't know how Mystic messed with my head but this is what I feel."
Dinah smiled at her. "This has always been your home."
The brunette smiled back and lowered her head, looking her hands.
"Barbara really loves me that much?" she asked almost in a whisper.
"Yes." Dinah nodded "She knows what was between you and Reese and now, knowing you don't remember her, she is scared of losing you."
"You think so?" the brunette turned her head to her friend.
"Yes." The blonde nodded.
"I need talk with her. I think it's time." The brunette sighed. She had been avoiding Barbara for the last few days, yes. The truth is she was afraid to face her, to talk about them. She wanted to know many things but her fear and confusion had made her behave like an idiot.
"I think that is a great idea." Dinah patted her back.
"May I stay here?"
"Sure."
"Thank you." The brunette leaned and hugged her.
Barbara had never felt so angry, Helena's amnesia was beginning to get annoying. She had gone out with Reese, and had fun with him. That was so disgusting.
What was she thinking? Helena never did this before, they were always close, they talked about everything and now, she was distant, avoiding her.
A disturbing thought hit her. She stared at the notes in front of her.
What if Helena never recovered her memory?
This was not good. She covered her eyes with her hands. It had been a bad day, and it was time to go home. She just wanted go home and hit the punching bag hard and fast.
She opened her eyes and found a flower on her desk. She turned her head to her right, surprised to find Helena standing there.
"I'm sorry." The brunette said "I don't want you to be mad with me."
"You don't love me Helena," Barbara asked still feeling angry "why should it worry you?"
"Because you are important to me."
Barbara just looked at her and shook her head. Okay, she wasn't expecting that answer. Maybe she was pushing her too much. After all, Helena had yet to recover all her senses.
"I was avoiding talking to you because I felt confused," Helena whispered to the redhead "I'm still confused. I mean, the past that I remember is so real and the present so unreal for me. For me we were apart. Apart for so long… and now, I feel so… well, I like being with you. You are the only person I trust, with you I always feel I'm home. And I really care about you. You have no an idea how important you are to me."
Barbara just looked at her in silence.
"I need to start facing all this," Helena said "and to accept I can't be thinking about something that didn't existed." Helena sat in one of the chairs in front of Barbara's desk, and looked through the window. It was a sunny day and many young people were walking in the garden. "I'm sorry if I can't remember you… us…"
Her words hit Barbara's heart hard.
"I'm sorry for pushing you Hel. It's just that…" Barbara shook her head "All right, I was jealous."
Helena cocked her head. "You jealous? I don't believe it. You're always in control of everything."
"You don't remember us, and you spent a whole night with Reese. So, I was jealous:"
"It wasn't the whole night, it were just a few hours."
"For me it felt like a whole night."
"Do you really love me that much?" Helena asked.
"Yes, with all my heart." Barbara said softly
"I feel bad Barbara." The brunette leaned forward looking at the floor.
"Why?"
"You don't deserve this."
"I don't understand." Barbara looked at her.
Helena brushed her hair back with her hands. She didn't move, this was so hard.
"You are important to me, really, you are the person who rescued me when I was in darkness, you gave me a home, the only one who trusted in me."
"And you know you can count on me always, Helena."
The brunette nodded and kept silent.
"What's wrong Helena?" the redhead asked.
Helena took a deep breath. "I don't want you to be mad with me."
Barbara moved her chair and wheeled close to her. "You know you can talk to me. I can never be mad with you."
"Well…" Helena raised her eyebrows "You were mad with me last night, really mad."
The redhead blushed. "I was jealous. I'm sorry."
"Don't worry. It's me who must apologize to you."
"Why? This is not your fault."
"I know, I know but…"
The dark haired woman was visibly nervous. Barbara tried to give her time to organize her thoughts.
"Helena, we can talk when you feel you're ready."
"It's not that…" the brunette whispered.
"Do you trust me?" the redhead asked softly.
"You know I do."
"Then you know we can talk about anything."
Helena took a deep breath. It took her a few seconds to gather the courage to ask,
"Can we be friends, Barbara?"
Barbara felt her stomach clench. She cleared her throat. "Is that what you want?"
The brunette nodded.
Barbara closed her eyes for a brief second. This was something she didn't expect.
"Barbara, I'm sorry." Helena whispered "I need time, I'm confused."
Barbara nodded. "I understand."
"I don't want you to be mad with me."
The redhead cupped her cheek with her palm and caressed her face with her thumb; the young woman was so beautiful.
"I miss you." The redhead whispered "I miss you so much, I miss feeling you close to me." she moved forward and kissed the brunette softly on her lips, it was just a tender touch.
Barbara moved back slowly.
"But if this is what you want, we will be friends." She whispered.
"Friends?" Dinah almost shouted "Is she crazy?"
"No, she just can't remember." The redhead said closing her closet doors. She was getting ready for school.
"That's insane."
"Yes, in some way you are right." Barbara wheeled back and moved toward her bedroom
"But what did she say?" Dinah asked following her.
"That she needed time."
"She is not thinking straight."
"Well, I think she feels overwhelmed," Barbara stopped at her bed to pick up some papers. "Not remembering and knowing we had a relationship is too much for her, especially if she thinks she's straight."
Dinah sat on the bed, crossing her arms. "What are you going to do?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"Nothing."
The teenager shook her head. "Wait a second - I don't understand."
"There is nothing to understand. Helena doesn't remember our relationship. I'm not going to push her anymore."
"But you love her"
"Yes, but I can't force things, she must make her own decisions."
The blonde blinked, the redhead seemed so in control of her emotions, as if nothing disturbed her. "I don't understand, you look… Are you okay?" the blonde said.
"Yes." The redhead said smiling.
"But you love her." Dinah waved her hands.
"Yes." Barbara nodded.
"She asked you to be her friend!!"
"Yes."
"And you are okay with that?"
"Trust me." Barbara said "I know what I'm doing."
"I'm not sure." Dinah moved her head "And… what about… your room?"
"I don't understand."
"Will she be sleeping there?"
"Yes, well, Helena turned your old room into a games room with a pool table. I'll need time to fix it up again and it will give me time to help her to recover her memory."
"I hope you are right. You trust so much in her."
"I'm, I trust in our love." Barbara said.
Barbara was working on the Delphi and Helena observed her from upstairs. She felt so happy since being back, she felt home again, she felt alive again. She liked the redhead's attention. But after the "talk" a few weeks ago, things seemed to change.
Well, not exactly change, and everything seemed to be… fine? Barbara hadn't insisted or talked about it again. She was acting normally, but she was not flirting with her anymore. The truth is she didn't expect a reaction like this one. Barbara spent so much time working or going out and was no longer paying much attention to her.
Now, the redhead seemed to be absorbed in her work... again.
"Hi Barbara." She said resting her hands on the upper rail.
"Hi Helena." The redhead raised her head and smiled at her.
"Uhh.." Helena waved her hand "Are you busy?"
"Not really. Tell me."
The brunette hurried downstairs and stood in front of Barbara's desk.
"What's happened, Helena?" the redhead asked.
"I was thinking that maybe you would like to go out for an ice cream?"
"Oh, I'm sorry." The redhead said "I promised Wade I'd help him prepare his class for tomorrow."
"Wade?" Helena narrowed her eyes.
"Oh, a new professor who's just arrived in New Gotham. He's nice." Barbara explained removing her glasses "I think this is a good way of welcoming a new professor."
"I don't know him."
"Of course not, he only arrived a few weeks ago."
"He must be boring." Helena rested her hip on the desk.
"No, he is handsome and nice."
Helena moved her head. "Is he another moron like Dick?"
"Oh no, you will love him." The older woman said "I invited him to lunch next Sunday."
Helena frowned. Did she hear right? "Why did you invite him?"
"Why not?"
"We don't know him!" Helena protested.
"That's the point. We can get to know him." The redhead closed the computer screen.
"But this place is a secret!" the girl looked around "The sophisticated kit, the computers…"
"I'm not going to bring him here," Barbara chuckled "I invited him home."
"To our home???" Helena opened her eyes wide.
"It's just a lunch, after that I'll take him to the museum, so don't worry, he won't be here long."
"Museum?"
Barbara wheeled back and hit Helena's ass. helena grabbed her ass with her ands and turned to see her,
"Sorry, you have a nice butt. Now if you'll excuse me, I must go. It's late."
Barbara wheeled back "Now if you'll excuse me, I must go. It's late."
Helena watched her leave. "Sure… what should I do?"
Barbara stopped her wheelchair and turned to look at her. "What should you do?"
"I'll be here alone. Dinah is out. What should I do until you return?" the dark haired woman asked.
"I dunno, it's your choice." Barbara continued toward her room.
"I'll be bored here alone."
"You are old enough to entertain yourself, I'm sure of it, so don't worry."
Helena looked to the window "And it's raining."
"Watch TV, train, sleep, whatever you want, it's your home." The redhead said waving her hand "Just don't cook, please."
Dinah was watching TV when Helena stepped inside the living room. She looked toward the Delphi, yawned and let herself fall onto the couch.
"Hi." The blonde said with her attention on the TV screen.
"Hi." Helena crossed her arms and stared at the TV. She turned toward the Delphi again. She turned her head to the teenager "You should be at school. Why are you watching TV? Isn't it too early to be watching TV?"
"It's a holiday and I don't have satellite at my place. The question is what are you doing awake at eight o'clock in the morning?"
Helena crossed her legs over the couch and looked around. "Where is Barbara? I fell asleep before she came to bed and when I woke up, she was gone." The truth was it was her absence that had woken her.
"I dunno, she went out and said she would be back later." Dinah shrugged her shoulders.
"Did she go out with that Wade?" Helena asked annoyed.
"I don't know."
"Why does she want to bring him here?"
"Because she is his friend."
Helena sighed and looked around again. "I asked Barbara to be just friends."
"I know." Dinah said.
"What did she say?" Helena turned to look at her curiously.
"That it was fine." The blonde put another potato chip into her mouth.
"It was fine?" the brunette couldn't believe what she just heard.
"She said that if that was what you wanted, it was fine."
Helena looked at Dinah silently. She had felt so temped to ask more about Barbara and about their relationship but she didn't have the courage.
"Barbara didn't discuss or argue about it, she just said it is okay for us to be just friends." Helena said.
"Good." Dinah took another bag of potato chips and opened it.
"Is it?" Helena asked crossing her arms.
"Isn't it?"
"I dunno. She slapped my ass."
"She likes your ass."
Helena sighed and turned to watch the TV. It was something about zombies. Some of the zombies were being smashed against the wall by the hero and one lost his head. She snorted.
"I think she is angry with me." The brunette said.
"I don't think so" the blonde put more chips into her mouth "Why do you think that?"
"Because she is not angry with me."
Dinah knew this was going to be one of those conversations; she took a deep breath and asked.
"So she is angry with you because she is not angry?"
"Yes."
"How is that?"
"She is not paying any attention to me, she is ignoring me, so she is angry."
"She is not paying attention to you?"
"Before we had the "talk"", the brunette said crossing her arms over her chest "She used to talk with me a lot, she used to look for me, watch TV with me. She was nice. Now she is not."
"She is not nice to you?"
"No, she is ignoring me."
"Ohh... I see." The blonde nodded her head. "I don't think she is mad. Maybe she's just moved on."
"Moved on?"
"Well you say you don't love her." Dinah explained "She will never try to force her feelings on to you, or force you to do something you don't want to, so I think she is just moving on, letting you live your life."
Helena was silent for a few seconds before turning to look at the blonde. "So…you mean… she will not… insist? I mean… she'll stop flirting with me and trying to make me remember about her and me?"
"Yes." Dinah said.
The brunette kept silent. Dinah munched on more chips while watching the TV.
"She gave up too fast." Helena said. "And she says she never will quit on me, it's absurd!"
"What?" the blonde raised her eye brown.
"She gave up too fast!"
The teenager rolled her eyes. "What did you expect? That she would wait for you all her life "
"No… but at least she could show some sadness." Helena waved her hand.
"Helena, don't be absurd."
"I'm just saying."
"Do you know what I think?" Dinah said.
"What?" Helena asked.
"That you love Barbara but you don't want to admit it."
"That's not true."
"With your "idea" of being straight , where you got that idea I'll never know, you are just making her feel bad."
"Oh sure – she's feeling so bad that she went out! She went out with Wade and with Dick, and…"
"And you are a big idiot for letting her do that."
The brunette opened her mouth to protest. Did she just call her an idiot? What was she thinking?
"I know that you say you don't remember." Dinah interrupted before she could say a word "That you respect her too much because she was your mentor, but please Helena! Wake up!"
"Crap." The brunette winced.
"What?"
"A headache."
"Again? You are thinking too much."
"Ha, ha… not funny."
"Seriously Helena." The blonde said, "What do you want?"
"What do I want?" Helena asked.
"You pushed Barbara away and now you miss her."
"I don't miss her, I'm just saying she's changed."
"Well you did, so she has the right to as well, no?"
Barbara asked for a coffee from the coffee bar in New Gotham Park, close to the Clocktower. She couldn't stop thinking about Helena, but she knew she needed to give her time. Knowing Helena, she knew that if she pushed her, she would run away.
But she missed her, she missed her so much. It had been a long, hard month, dying to touch her, to feel her and not being able to
"Your coffee, Miss Gordon." The cashier said to her.
"Thanks." The redhead was about to pay for her coffee when an arm appeared and paid for her.
"Let me get that for you." Helena said.
"Oh hi." Barbara said smiling
"Hi, may I join you?"
"Sure."
"A big mocha coffee please." Helena asked.
"What are you doing awake so early?" Barbara looked her curiously.
"I'm asking myself the same question." Helena said "And you? What are you doing here at this hour?"
"I needed some fresh air."
"Why?"
The redhead felt tempted to say it was so hard to be so close of her knowing things couldn't be as they were. But she preferred not to say a word about it.
"I just needed it." She said.
A few minutes later, they made their way to the park lagoon. Barbara laughed at Helena's comments, it was so nice just talking with her. The brunette sat on a bench and noticed an ice cream van.
"Do you want some ice cream?" she asked the redhead.
"No thanks, I'm enjoying my coffee."
The dark haired woman went to the ice cream van and returned a few seconds later with an oversized chocolate ice cream.
"You're going to be sick eating that." Barbara said.
"Nah, I heal fast." The brunette smiled.
The redhead chuckled. "How do you feel?"
"Fine, I'm feeling fine. Work is fine too."
"I'm glad." Barbara smiled at her. She observed the brunette in silence licking her ice cream.
"Something happen?"
"Oh no, I just wanted be with you. You have been very busy lately and I haven't seen you." The brunette looked at her ice cream "And you woke up early today and I thought it would be good just to talk a bit."
"Is there something you want to talk about, Helena?"
"No."
Barbara smiled. "Good, I'm so glad for you."
They sat in silence for long minutes just observing people, and enjoying the scenery.
"How was it, Barbara?" Helena asked suddenly.
"How was what?"
"Things between us…"
"Oh…" the redhead nodded, smiling "Lovely, we really had a great time together, like now."
"Did you seduce me?"
Barbara chuckled "No, in fact you had been after me for ages. I was the one who didn't want to fall into your net."
"Me?" Helena asked surprised.
"Yes, you." Barbara looked at her "You were charming, sweet, lovely. You made me feel like a real woman."
Helena turned her head toward her. "And Dick?"
"Well, a woman always knows what a woman wants, as you said to me many times. Dick sometimes was overprotective. I hated it. He sometimes made me feel useless and you make me laugh more than he does."
"I bet it was a scandal at school."
"Oh no, they were respectful, yes there were two or three morons around but, it happens. We just ignored them."
Helena raised her eyebrow. "And your dad? That must have been a big issue."
"No," Barbara finished her coffee "he respects my decisions and he said he had never seen me so happy."
"Really?"
"Really."
"It was not hard for you?" Helena asked the redhead who was cleaning her fingers with a napkin "I mean, you were totally straight and suddenly…"
"With you everything is easy, Hel." Barbara touched her hand "I don't regret anything, except that you can't remember what we had."
Helena sighed. "In my mind you are someone whom I love and respect a lot."
"You don't need to treat me with that much respect Hel. Sometimes it's annoying. It stops you from being yourself."
"Are you mad with me?" Helena leaned back on the bench and looked at the redhead.
"No.Why do you ask?" Barbara narrowed her eyes.
"Well, since I asked you to be friends, you've changed…"
"Changed?"
Helena turned her head to her right. "You know…"
"No, I don't know."
"Well, you don't spend time with me like before and you are out much of the time."
"You asked me for time and space, and I'm giving it to you."
"Yes but…"
"Barbara Gordon, hi." A cheerful voice chirped.
Both women turned to see a tall dark haired woman standing in front of them in jogging pants.
"Oh, hi Gwen," Barbara said.
The woman hugged Barbara in a strong embrace. Helena stared at her. Who was this woman?
"Long time no see." Barbara said.
"Yes, I've been traveling around the world." Gwen smiled.
"On Business?"
"Always business. I see you are with your girlfriend taking some fresh air." Gwen smiled, stepping back.
"Oh no, she is not my girlfriend." Barbara said. "She is a friend, Helena."
"Helena, yes Helena Kyle," Gwen extended her hand and shook it "I remember her, your young protégée.
"Hi." Helena smiled.
"You are gorgeous too baby." Gwen said. She turned to look at the redhead, "She is not your girlfriend? People are saying that you have a girlfriend."
"No, no…" Barbara smiled "I'm taking a break now. You're looking well."
"Oh, thanks. You know? I've always had a crush on you but you never even looked at me." The woman crossed her arms on her chest "I think therefore this is the perfect time to invite you to dinner."
"Dinner? Oh no, no..." the redhead said.
"It will be just a friendly dinner." The woman said "I haven't seen you in… two years?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Look at you." Gwen extended her hands "You are gorgeous, how can you be single? No, I'm definitely taking you out for some wine."
"All right."
"All right, give me your number" the woman took out her mobile and wrote the numbers Barbara recited while Helena watched in silence. She then pressed the send button and Barbara's mobile rang.
"Save that number."
The redhead took her mobile and nodded. "Got it."
The woman stayed to talk for a few more minutes before going for her run through the park.
"She's looking well? She is just bones." Helena said, "You must be blind."
"Come on Helena - she looks great." Barbara said.
"Are you going to call her?"
"I don't know."
"Did you know that woman had a crush on you?" the brunette asked.
"Not really."
"Not really?"
"When you've only been interested in men and have not had any experience with women, it's hard to notice those kind of things."
"And now that you know, what do you think?"
Barbara looked the woman jogging in the distance. "She is hot."
"Hot?" Helena opened her eyes wide. It was weird hearing Barbara talking like that.
"Yes." Barbara moved her wheelchair and began to head toward home.
"Why did you say you were single?" Helena looked at the woman jogging at the end of the road before standing up to follow Barbara.
"I am now." Barbara said "You asked to be friends, remember?"
"You don't have to shout it out to everyone."
Barbara stopped her wheelchair and looked at the brunette, "I didn't shout it, she asked me and I answered. What did you expect me to say?""
"She didn't need to know."
"Why not?"
"Because people don't need to know about our lives."
Barbara rolled her eyes and continued toward the Clocktower. Helena followed her.
"Are you going to dinner with her?" Helena asked again.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Why not?"
Helena rolled her eyes. "She is gay and she is after your ass." Helena said
"I'm gay too and I'm single now, remember? Or am I wrong?"
"No, but I saw how she looked you, it was not friendly."
"Helena, I'm old enough to take care of myself."
"Date? Are you asking her for a date?"
"Helena," Barbara sighed and stopped her chair to look at her friend again "What do you want?"
"Nothing, I'm just worried for you."
"You don't need to be."
"You are doing all this just to annoy me." The brunette said angrily.
"What?" Barbara blinked.
"Going out with Dick, Wade, now with this..." Helena put her hands above her breast "this sister of Pamela Anderson to annoy me."
"Excuse me Helena?"
"Yes you are doing this to annoy me because I asked you to be friends."
"All right, wait a second," Barbara raised her hand "You asked me to be friends and I respected your wishes. I don't think it's a bad thing to want to go out with friends."
"That is not your intention!" Helena protested.
"What?"
"You want to annoy me."
"Helena, don't be ridiculous. I'm not that childish."
"Why are you ignoring me then?" Helena growled
"I'm not ignoring you." Barbara was finding it hard to understand the brunette.
"You don't talk to me like before, you come to bed after I'm sleep and you get up before I'm awake. I ask you something and you're always busy with your friends."
Barbara narrowed her eyes. "Are you jealous?"
"I'm not jealous! I just want us to be friends!" Helena said angrily.
"Well we are friends. What's the problem then?"
"That you are trying to taunt me and that pisses me off!!"
"Why I should do that?"
"I don't know! You tell me!"
"No, you tell me."