BOP Slash

"Helena. Come on Helena! Helena wake up! You're having a nightmare! Helena!" Barbara leant over the beautiful woman, shaking her shoulders gently. She had been trying to wake her for almost an entire minute, and Barbara was beginning to get a little worried.

"NO!" Rips from her throat as Helena sat bolt upright, striking out blindly, fist slicing through the air with super human strength and speed. Barbara stopped the fist coming towards her face with ease.

In a soothing voice, Barbara kept repeating, "Helena, it's ok. It's Barbara. It's ok! You're in the Clock Tower! It's over." She was stroking the side of Helena's face while speaking, as one would stroke a cat's.

Helena stared at her for a minute, her eyes maintaining the feral look of a cat, vertical pupils dilated and the iris an icy blue. Slowly, the tenseness in her shoulders and arm began to give. She started to focus outward, instead of holding the haunted look that told Barbara she was still looking upon the scene of her mother's murder.

"Barbara?" Came the barest of whispers from Helena's lips.

Barbara pulled Helena towards her. "Sshh, sshh, it's okay now. I've got you. It was a nightmare. You're with me Hel, you're safe."

The woman in Barbara's arms slumped for a minute, her face buried into Barbara's neck still lost in the grips of the nightmare. Slowly Helena became fully aware, realizing she was almost nuzzling Barbara's neck, she pulled away from her.

"Hey - you ok?" Barbara asked, her voice soft and full of concern, her hand still resting on Helena's clinched fist.

"Ah, yeah. Just another nightmare." One corner of her mouth tilting slightly upward as Helena attempted to just shrug it off. She opened her hand, turned it over, and grasped Barbara's hand, squeezing for a brief second then letting her go.

Barbara's voice was soft and a little gravelly as she asked, "Just how long has it been since you had a really good, solid nights sleep?"

Sitting with her head thrown back, leaning on the back of the sofa, Helena felt a slight shiver run through her body as she listened to Barbara's voice. 'What the fuck is that all that about?' she wondered to herself, being too weary to delve into it for the time being, answered softly yet sincerely, "It's been awhile." There was something about not being able to be a smart ass when she heard Barbara's voice sound like that, so full of concern and kinda, well, sexy.

"Why don't you stay here tonight? My bed is more than big enough for both of us, as I'm sure you remember…" Barbara said with a small grin, referring to all the times Helena had slept in Barbara's bed the first couple of years getting through the loss of her mother, Selina Kyle, a.k.a. Catwoman. Then again while learning how to control the new and powerful metahuman abilities that started to show when she hit full-blown puberty.

There was also the fact that Barbara had still been recovering from her spinal injury at that time. It had been a mutually beneficial time for both of them, which Helena had been there to help out Barbara and vise versa. They had come to trust each other and cement their friendship, then cement their over all relationship, so it had been a good time for them both, in an odd sort of way.

"No, I'll be ok. I should get up and head back to my place." Helena suggested, not sure why she felt uncomfortable about staying, but her "spider-sense" told her it would not be a good thing to do. She felt just a little too vulnerable and… and - 'God- I don't know!' she thought to herself, confused. She ran her hand through her already mussed locks and scrubbed at her face with a hand. Since the night Wade had been killed by Harley Quinn, a.k.a. Dr. Harleen Quinzel, Helena felt such an incredible amount of guilt. 'If I hadn't told Doctor Quin… Harley Quinn about Wade being in on "the life" that she and Barbara led, she would never have known what he was to Barbara, and he would probably still be alive. I feel like I failed her!'

With the overwhelming feeling of guilt, Helena had also pushed Reese away. She had never really thought that things would heat up between them to be a forever thing anyway. The last time he kissed her, she had allowed it because she needed to feel needed, not because she felt any real passion. 'Being in love ain't that great! I always let those I love down anyway. Love is for fools. There is never a happy ending!'

Helena realized that she had been brooding; she looked up and saw that Barbara had some pretty hefty dark circles under her eyes. "While we're on the subject of sleep, when did you last get a full night sleep?"

Barbara tried to blow off the question, as she smiled ruefully "You know me, I rarely sleep all that much." Which she knew full well was a lie, as did Helena. Her body needed the rest, and sleeping for an hour at a time with nightmares wasn't getting rest. As if to prove a point, she broke into a huge and uncontrollable yawn at that moment. Helena cocked her head to one side; her left eyebrow rose questioningly, "Yeah - I can see you're ready to run a marathon." She deadpanned as she rose to her feet effortlessly.

Helena pushed Barbara's chair back a foot or so, bent down and picked the red head up into her arms, as easily as if she was picking up a doll. "What do you think you're doing?" Barbara blurted out. Amused with herself, Helena thought, 'Ha.. I caught Barbara by surprise!'

"I'm going to throw you onto the bed and have my way with you!" Helena stated in an evil sounding voice, then more airy, "What do you think? I'm going to tuck you into bed and then read you a bedtime story! Just like you used to try to do to me back when I was a kid and you'd baby-sit."

For just a second, Barbara's heart had jumped into her throat. She wrote it off to the speed in which Helena had swooped in and picked her up. 'Kind of like when you drive over a hill top at top speed.. No wait, that's your stomach.. Oh well - something like that.' She was too tired to do any self-analyzing. She felt as if that was all she had been doing forever, self-analyzing. And - it felt so - nice to just let someone look after her for once. Someone nice and strong and warm - soft, couldn't forget soft. And beautiful. Yeah, had to include… 'Man- I must be losing my mind. That doesn't sound like me. I'm the one who takes care of everyone else. Soft? Warm?'

What Barbara didn't realize, was that during her diatribe to herself, her eyes had slowly closed, and her head had dipped down and ended up laying on Helena's shoulder. 'I guess Barbara was way more tired than she would ever let on.' Helena thought with a small smile on her lips. She walked up the stairs to Barbara's room, pushed the door open with her foot, and walked to the side of the bed. She gently laid Barbara down and took her shoes off. She picked up the redheaded woman's shoulders just enough to pull her pillow out from beneath the comforter and then placed it under Barbara's head.

She turned to grab a throw from the armoire and noticed a picture on the side table that Helena didn't remember posing for. It was of Dinah, Barbara, and herself. It looked like it was taken shortly after Dinah had come to New Gotham. They were on the balcony outside the Clock Tower at sunset. She was standing to the left of Dinah who was in the middle; Barbara was sitting just to the right, beside her. They were all smiling. What Helena couldn't figure out was how in hell the picture had been taken! 'Man, Oracle is good, but I didn't know she was that good!'

Helena finished grabbing the throw and covered Barbara up. She brushed a few stray hairs from Barbara's forehead lightly with her fingertips; she found her mind wandering back to the time frame of the picture.

The Past - Clock Tower, August 15, 2010, The morning after Dinah's Arrival

They were trying to solve the mystery behind two apparent suicides. The second suicide happened right outside the New Gotham bus station, as Dinah was exiting. She had witnessed the entire thing. In fact, had been the first to run to the man's side afterward. Her metahuman power being telepathy, all she had to do was touch the man's arm to see what it was that drove him to run out in front of the passing semi-truck.

Dinah had come to the city, chasing her dreams from long ago which had revolved around two women. One who had lost her mother, and the other who had been shot by the Joker. She had no idea of their identities or if they even were in New Gotham. She was leaving a less than ideal living situation in which she was considered a freak, even by her so called loving parents. She felt drawn to the city and these women.

The young blonde was a little naïve, coming from a small midwestern town of Opal, Missouri. She had gotten mixed up with an unsavory character immediately, just didn't realize it until it was almost too late. Luckily, the Huntress intervened, kicked the guy's ass, and in a whoosh - was gone into the night. Not before Dinah recognized the Huntress from her dream of long ago and was able to grab her hand and 'see' where the Huntress could be found.

She had made her way to the building, where as luck would have it, was mistaken for an intruder, knocked unconscious by Huntress, then brought to the Clock Tower. She awoke to hear Barbara and Helena arguing just how she had come to be in the Clock Tower. After a brief explanation of how she sees things when she touches someone, or sometimes dreams about things that come true, Barbara decides to test her for metahuman abilities.

The cerebral cortex scanner confirmed Barbara's suspicions; Dinah had over 50% cerebral cortex activity where most humans have less than 5%. Dinah wanted to "join in" on being a super hero with Barbara and Helena. Both women initially said no, but after Dinah told them that she had no where to go, Barbara softened toward the girl and Helena, knowing how soft a heart Barbara really had, none to gently reminded Barbara that what they did; crime fighting, was no place for someone as young as Dinah.

Helena became pissed and left when Barbara compared Dinah to Helena; the young girl who had no place to go after her mother had been murdered. Dinah had slept that night on the couch in the Clock Tower.

Alfred had awakened Dinah, giving her a change of clothes and directions to the showers.

"Morning Miss. Alfred Pennyworth, how do you do? I've brought you an assortment of clothes in your size. I trust you will find them adequate." Alfred said, in a very proper British accent.

"Thank you." Dinah says a little shyly, pushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"Perhaps a shower and change?" Alfred suggested. "Sure." Dinah self-consciously replies, getting up off the couch and heading towards the bathroom.

As Alfred picks up the tray containing a teapot, juice, and other breakfast type things "How do you prefer your eggs?"

"Um, scrambled?" comes a distant reply from Dinah.

Stepping upon the Delphi platform, "I've restocked the refrigerator in your apartment. It was rather alarmingly empty." Said Alfred, as he addressed Barbara who was at her computer terminal already busy at work typing away.

"So I hear." Barbara replied, remembering Helena's hunt for something to eat the night before.

The Past -Clock Tower, August 14, 2010, Evening

Oracle sat in the green glow from her computer as Helena entered after a sweep.

"I'm telling ya the word on the street are that these deaths are your garden variety, good-bye cruel world. Is there anything to eat in here?" Helena said without stopping.

As if she didn't hear the Huntress, Barbara replied, "The way they did it's, it's almost as if they were running from something."

Continuing to rummage through the cabinets, slamming doors, Helena was ranting, "There's never any food in this place. Gazillion dollars worth of computer equipment in this place and not one jar of peanut butter!" She turned an unbelieving gaze at Oracle.

"This doesn't make any sense. I mean - if I were going to kill myself …" Barbara started, still talking out loud to herself.

Helena, examining a jar of caviar, mumbled under her breath "You wouldn't."

"What?" Barbara asked, turning from the computer screen, finally hearing something that Helena has said.

Grabbing a box of crackers Huntress responded, "Kill yourself. You wouldn't. Do you know how old these are?" taking a cracker out and sniffing it while making a face.

"Wha…wait, wha.., what do you mean, I wouldn't kill myself." Barbara stammered.

"Its just not your nature." Hel said offhanded, continuing to forage through cabinets.

"I resent that." Barbara said, rolling back from the workstation, then turned to face Helena in the kitchen. "I'm as broody, and romantically self destructive as the next girl." She argued moving toward the kitchen.

"Yeah." Helena turned from her quest for food; "In a lets-go-get-the-bad-guys-let-nothing-stand-in-the-path-of-the-mission sort of way" she punched her hands forward in a cheering kind of motion. "You know, I'm the one who does all the night sweeps! I'm the one that does all the fieldwork!! I'm the one with bruises in really embarrassing places! Would it kill you to go to the grocery store once in awhile??" Helena raised her eyebrows at Barbara, who was amazed at how Helena got the entire rant out in one breath!

Very seriously Barbara asked, "What is this obsession with food?"

Annoyed, Helena responds, "You try fighting the forces of evil when your blood sugar is low."

TThe Past - Clock Tower, August 15, 2010, Morning

Barbara smiled fondly remembering that discussion. 'God, to hear us you would think we were an old married couple!' Barbara turns to Alfred, "Thanks Alfred, you're a life saver!"

"No bother at all. There's little enough to keep me busy at the Manor. I keep hoping that, Miss Helena will change her mind and come live there." He hands Barbara a cup of tea. "After all, technically, it is her birth right."

Barbara takes a sip of tea, "She's not going to accept…" putting the cup and saucer down and swallowing. ".…Anything connected with Wayne money. I mean, I'm lucky she can handle the trust paying for the equipment in here!" Barbara rolled backwards to a different computer workstation.

"This time of year is always difficult." Alfred states.

Frustrated Barbara says, "Ah, I - I don't know what to do! She just won't let me in!"

"I meant for both of you!" Alfred says.

"ME?" Making a disgusted sound yet smiling, Barbara continues, "Don't be ridiculous! I'm… I'm fine!"

"Dinah's a very gifted girl if I'm not mistaken. Quite interesting." Alfred says changing the subject and dipping his head forward as if to say "Read between the lines Miss Barbara…"

"It's temporary." Alfred lifted an eyebrow, "You're being superior again!" Barbara pointed a finger at Alfred.

"Oh - perish the thought!"

"I mean, Helena's right! She can't stay with us! This is no place for a kid!"

At that point Dinah walked in to see the article up on the plasma screen regarding the man she witnessed being run down at the bus station.

Present Time - Barbara's Bedroom - January 14th, 2011 3:00 a.m.

Helena's mind came back to the present. During her stroll down memory lane, she had moved to the other side of the bed and reclined back against the headboard. At some point, Barbara had rolled over and now had her head on Helena's stomach. Helena was unconsciously stroking the red hair.

'That's odd. I don't even know when she did that.' Helena thought while gazing down at the red head. She looked at the clock and noticed that it was going on 3 in the morning. 'I should get to my apartment and try and get a little sleep myself. I think I'm tired enough that maybe I can get a couple hours without any nightmares.'

As she slowly started to slide out from under Barbara and off the bed, she heard "Don't go… please."

"Barbara? You awake?" Helena asked in a whisper. When there was no answer, she started to move again, only to be stopped by two strong arms that moved around her waist to hold her in place. "No…I need you!" Barbara whispered more plaintively. Helena wondered if Barbara realized whom she was addressing or if she was in a dream about Wade. Barbara had admitted that she missed him. And that had caused Helena's chest to tighten as she remembered that day on the Clock Tower balcony. There was a light dusting of snow on covering the balcony and the breeze had been brisk. Barbara had looked so lost sitting there and Helena had felt so helpless.

'Well, I guess I'm going to sleep here…' Helena thought wryly. As she sat forward on the bed and took her jacket off, laying it on the floor next to the bed. She bent over to undo her boots; Barbara's grip let her go just a little. Testing to see if she could now leave the bed, she scooted over to the edge a little and the grip tightened. Shaking her head, she finished removing her boots, then laid down next to Barbara, pulling a little of the throw over herself as well.

As Helena was drifting off to sleep, she felt Barbara move. She placed her head on Helena's shoulder, her breath played lightly across her neck, which sent a tingling, arousing sensation throughout Helena's body. 'Oh yeah, I'm awake now! What the hell is wrong with me? I'm not exactly the touchy feely type, but I've held Barbara before.. what.. why am I feeling like this? God, it must be the guilt! It sure is a fucked up emotion!!'

Fully awake - again, Helena reached over and turned the radio on. She turned the volume down to a barely audible level, for most people. She could hear it as if it was all the way up. Soft strains of a guitar and piano waft out, something from the words helping to sooth Helena, helping her to relax.

I waited 'til I saw the sun
I don't know why I didn't come
I left you by the house of fun
I don't know why I didn't come
I don't know why I didn't come

When I saw the break of day
I wished that I could fly away
Instead of kneeling in the sand
Catching teardrops in my hand

My heart is drenched in wine
But you'll be on my mind
Forever

Out across the endless sea
I would die in ecstasy
But I'll be a bag of bones
Driving down the road alone

My heart is drenched in wine
But you'll be on my mind
Forever

Something has to make you run
I don't know why I didn't come
I feel as empty as a drum
I don't know why I didn't come
I don't know why I didn't come
I don't know why I didn't come

Right Click and 'Save as' to download mp3 of "Don't know why"

'You'll be on my mind forever' Helena kind of scrunched up her face, as she realized that was how she felt about Barbara. 'She would be, she is, on my mind all the time. I always stop before doing something, wondering how Babs would react. Well, maybe not always. But for the things that count.'

Barbara whimpered softly in her sleep. Helena brought her other arm from behind her head to completely surround the woman in an embrace. 'Damn, I hate it when she is hurting! I've done my fair share of hurting her! I don't mean to. I just open my big mouth and say what's on my mind, consequences be damned!'

As Helena's gaze fell to the window, she looked up at an unusually clear late winter sky; the stars were bright for once. Helena remembered a specific instance where she really felt she had pushed Barbara too hard. Hadn't been the first time for that, but she had since tried to make it the last.

The Past - Clock Tower, August 15th, 2010, Evening

Barbara had figured out what was going on with the suicides. A new company, Phoenix Industries had been formed a few months prior. The men who were dying had been partners within the corporation. Two were dead from murder, not suicide, and two were still alive. Helena had gone to the home of the third man, only because he was in town; the fourth was out of town. The Huntress had arrived too late. The man was already dead. Oracle warned her that neighbors had heard an argument and alerted the police, she needed to get out of there and fast. Suddenly there was a flash of light and a voice telling the Huntress to freeze. Detective Reese, New Gotham PD had arrived. Thinking that Helena had killed the man, Reese handcuffed her to a 2nd century Greek bronze. 'Artemis' thought Helena. Helena, trying to win Reese's trust, "We're on the same side Reese." "Now wait just a minute!" Oracle ordered. "I know what I'm doing BACK OFF!" Huntress replies, out of the side of her mouth. She proceeded to tell Reese about a couple of the villains she has delivered, "practically gift wrapped", to the NGPD. Reese raised his gun and stepped toward the Huntress, close enough that she is able to kick his gun from his hand. She broke out of the cuffs, and is at the window in the blink of an eye.

"So you save people?" somewhat dazed, Reese asked.

"On good days." Huntress said cockily.

"Why don't you carry any weapons?" Reese asked her.

"I am the weapon!" Winking saucily, Huntress turned, took a step onto the balcony and jumped over the baluster.

Feeling proud of herself, for having gotten away from the detective, without hurting him, Helena breezed into the Clock Tower .

"I can't believe you told him all that!" Oracle accused, anger written through out her body language.

"He chained me to a 2nd century Greek bronze. Kinda classy." Barbara removed her glasses, irritated at Helena's lack of self-control. "Don't worry - he won't say anything." Helena said confidently.

Rubbing her eyes, Barbara continued, "If you would just - listen to me and wear a mask!"

Pissed that this argument was coming up again, and the feeling that Barbara obviously thought that Helena had fucked up again, she retaliated. "You want me to dress like my parents. Being a crime fighter doesn't mean having to be a fashion casualty. " Hel headed toward the kitchen.

"There's nothing wrong with wearing a costume." Barbara stated. After all, as Batgirl she had worn one.

"OK, can we say conspicuous?" said Hel, sounding annoyed.

"Oh, and that outfit's low key." Barbara comes back at Helena with a sarcastic lilt to her voice. Helena was wearing leather pants, a black bustier, and a filmy see through duster.

"It's trendy, I can go clubbing in it, but no, that would involve having a life." Helena opened a cabinet door.

Barbara spit out, "We have a life!"

Shutting the door, Helena said, really pissed now "No! We have a job! And maybe that's enough for you! It's what you wanted! You sought him out, convinced him to train you! You chose your mentor. I don't even know if I want to be in the family business!"

Amused at Helena's turn of phrase, Barbara chuckled and said, "Its not the mob Helena."

Feeling like Barbara was laughing at her, Helena struck out at Barbara, "No - they get to kill people."

"You think this place, this chair, this life is what I wanted?!" Barbara responded, no longer amused and the bitterness dripping from her voice. Helena looked away, realizing she had gone too far.

Almost a whisper, Barbara continued, "You can leave if you want. For a day. A week. Year maybe. But you'll be back." Barbara leaned forward towards Helena. "Because this is were you belong. This is where we both belong."

Present Time - Barbara's Bedroom - January 14th, 2011, 4:00 a.m.

Helena opened her eyes that had closed while mentally watching the remembered scene as she relived the emotion. She was feeling the pain she had caused her friend that night; the friend who now slept peacefully in her arms. 'Why does she still trust me? What have I done to deserve this.. to deserve her… her loyalty, her caring, her warmth? She has always been there for me.. even when she could barely function, right after the surgery.'

Barbara rolled over in her sleep, mumbled something softly, and faced away from Helena. Helena felt the tenseness that she hadn't realized she was holding melt away. She turned onto her side, reached out a hand to barely touch Barbara's back, sighed deeply, and fell deep into the arms of sleep.

About This Site | Site Map | Contact Me | ©2003 Dragonswald Web