Disclaimer: See the first page, Chapter 1.
Barbara wasn't sure how long it had been now. A week, a couple of weeks, a month. All she was aware of now was the pain.
Pain and loss. Those were the two constants in her life. This time, she didn't have the strength to fight back.
She had a good reason, Dinah. Dinah needed her. But her true reason for living was gone.
Taken from her. Never to return. Never to feel the weighted gaze in the night, when no one should have been there. But she had always been there, in the shadows, watching, waiting, protecting.
Barbara had made sure that Dinah was taken care of. Alfred had taken her to the manor. Barbara had told him and Dinah that she needed some time, to come to terms with what had happened. To grieve the loss. But they didn't know. They couldn't know that that the woman she was grieving was her life, her soul! They didn't know that she would never recover.
Alfred had taken the broken Canary in one hand, a questioning look given to Barbara, and they had entered the elevator and left. After their departure, Barbara had done something that hadn't been done in years. She locked everyone out of the Tower, and shut the Delphi system down. Completely. No one would ever be able to bring it back on line. She had the knowledge to do that, but didn't plan on being around much longer to do so.
There was only one way to enter the Tower now. Well, there were two, but one entailed using explosives. The other, only one woman had the ability - and she was gone. Taken away from Barbara by a woman who Barbara couldn't even get the satisfaction of confronting, for Huntress had killed Cheshire.
For the hundredth, maybe thousandth time, Oracle replayed what she knew of what happened, trying to see anything she may have missed that could give her some hope that Huntress could still be alive.
Dinah had described Huntress and Cheshire as battling on one of the tallest buildings in New Gotham. Canary had exited onto the roof in time to see Cheshire rip the protective mask off of Huntress. Had yelled out to try and distract Cheshire.
They were fighting on the edge of the building's roof, along the ledge. Before Dinah had a chance to get to Huntress, to help bring the woman down, Cheshire had grabbed something from her belt. Huntress had one hand around Cheshire's throat; the other grabbed the hand coming toward her face, and then…. Cheshire had thrown them both from the building roof.
Dinah ran and looked over the edge, screaming for Huntress. She got to the edge in time to see them continue to descend - too quickly. They were still fighting, turning somersaults in the air, Dinah saw them hit what she thought was the sidewalk. It was 20 stories and ran to get down there as quickly as she could.
Barbara's heart had stopped beating as she had listened to Dinah, sobbing and running. Oracle alerted the authorities. She just sat there. She couldn't move. She knew that a part of herself kept talking to Dinah; her voice sounding cool and controlled yet inside was a maelstrom of emotion. She sat there. There was nothing she could do. Dinah said she had screamed, but she didn't remember.
Dinah made it to the street - but there were no bodies. Maybe, just maybe Huntress had made it - maybe Helena was alive! They both made it. Oracle called Canary home and cancelled the call to the authorities.
Now it was just a waiting game. They found Huntress' comm with the ripped mask on the roof, so there was no way to track where she may have gone via the GPS. They would just need to rely on her making contact when she could. If she could.
Two days later, there was a report of a woman's body found on the bed of a semi tractor-trailer. Her body had impacted the trailer roof with enough force that it was imbedded into the metal roof several inches. No other impact site recorded though. The discovery had been made in Kentucky. It was Cheshire. But no other body. No Huntress. No Helena. That helped explain why their bodies weren't found outside the building. But it didn't explain what happened to Helena.
Barbara and Dinah searched non-stop for days, looking through newspapers and at television reports from towns along the truck's route. They were looking for a report of a woman being found, or at least, heaven forbid, a woman's body. Nothing.
Finally, Barbara called a halt to it.
The truck had gone over several mountain passes. It was possible Helena's body would never be found.
It may have rolled off the truck and into a ravine. No one would ever know.
That's when Barbara asked Alfred to take Dinah; take her to the mansion for a little while so Barbara could have some time to herself.
She had come up to her room and just sat by the window, never moving.
Trying not to feel. Trying to will herself to stop existing. There was something within her that prevented Barbara from just ending it all quickly. It was that piece of her that once made her Batgirl, that had become Oracle.
Hours turned into days, and as time past, Barbara would float in and out of consciousness.
She lost track of what was real and what was dream. Sometimes, Helena would be breezing into the room, "Morning Super Friend!" and would belly flop onto the bed next to Barbara, causing them both to laugh.
Other times, Barbara would jerk her head up off her chest suddenly, as she sat by the window and just stare at the skyline of the city she had worked so long and hard to protect. Tears would roll down her cheek.
Finally, reality quit stepping in. A part of Barbara knew her waiting was to be over soon. She could feel it. Her body was giving up from the lack of food and water. Then Barbara knew that Helena was there. Her Helena, her Huntress had come back to her. It was dark. Night. Two golden glowing eyes had looked into Barbara's face. A voice came from a long way away.
"Barbara…" Hands cupped her face, cool, chilled hands. With great effort, Barbara lifted her head and looked into the eyes in front of her. "Finally, you came back to me!" was all Barbara could manage, that at a whisper. She closed her eyes. The hands left her face. She felt herself being borne up in strong arms. So this was what it was like to die. So peaceful.
Soon, she felt herself surrounded, floating in warmth. The sounds of waves on the shore. The soft voice of Helena telling her to hold on. Huntress raging. Floating within strong arms. Being laid on a bed of silk. Arms wrapped around her, holding her, rocking her. "Come back to me..." Whispered over and over. Then nothing.
Helena was back, telling her she needed to drink. Drink what Helena was offering her. 'Ok.' Something was placed at her lips, and she allowed the fluid into her mouth. She swallowed. It was ok. She allowed more. This happened again and again over an unknown amount of time. Each time Barbara would drink, and then she would drift away again.
Slowly, Barbara felt herself coming around. The end hadn't come. Was she destined to spend the rest of her life in this hell, without the one person who made it worth living?
She wanted to cry but didn't have the strength. She wanted to rage, but couldn't find her voice. All that escaped her throat was a whimper as fresh tears started to flow unchecked.
She heard the elevator. But that was impossible. The only person in the top two levels of the building was her. She remembered she had shut the Delphi down. Without the Delphi, there was no getting out or in of the Clock Tower or Penthouse. Delphi controlled the main elevator that came to either level. Not even any communication was possible. She had controlled everything with the Delphi system. There it was again; the sound of the elevator doors opening.
Struggling, Barbara opened her eyes. The effort was exhausting. She turned her head in the direction of the door. It was closed just as she had left it. She was no longer in her chair be the window. The door to the bedroom opened slowly, and a dark headed figure moved in through the doorway, the person had their back to her. They were pulling Alfred's butler cart after them, hunched over as if in pain, limping a little and favoring one arm. Without looking they dragged the cart up to the side of the bed and were busy mixing something in a cup. Barbara's hand inched out from her body, struggling, she needed to see if this was real or her imagination. Slowly, painfully her fingers crept toward the figure standing next to the bed - next to her. She touched warmth. She closed her eyes, her fingers continued to touch. Warm skin, and fingers enclosing her own. The rustle of someone moving, the bed dipping as someone sat down next to her. Barbara opened her eyes, and looked up into indigo orbs, smiling, crying. The sound of soft laughter. Warm breath on her cheek as and soft lips kissing her face.
"Are you really here?" Barbara croaked.
"Yes. I'm really here. Have been for a couple days. What were you thinking? Locking up the Tower. I can't even get a phone to work so I can call Alfred to come and help me. I've been wracking my brain here." Helena stopped ranting, her face softened, a hand cupping Barbara's cheek. "You were almost gone when I found you. I've been getting warm broth into you for the past couple days, but I know you need more than that."
Barbara turned her head away from Helena. In her weakened and emotionally broken state, it felt like more than she could handle. Her world had been turned upside down; inside-out and every which way farthest from normal - and now… Now, Helena was back. This had to be an illusion! Barbara closed her eyes; her exhausted body started shaking with the anguish bubbling to the surface. "Why are you doing this to me?" She sobbed to whatever deities that where out there. "How long are you going to torment me this way? Letting me see her; this time - I can even feel her!"
She covered her face with a carelessly thrown arm over her eyes. It felt so real, the movement as weight shifted, to feel as if someone was lying up against her. The warmth felt so inviting. But how often had Barbara thought the specter of Helena was real in the immediate past? How could this be actually happening when it hadn't been before?
A warm hand cupped around her face, and encouraged her to turn her head.
"No, you're not real!" she said fighting the ghost.
"Barbara. I am real! Please look at me." Helena pleaded.
Barbara turned eyes filled with too much pain, "How many times have I looked at you, to see you disappear into mist, like a wraith? Why do I have to keep going through this? I know, any second, I'm going to wake up, and be in my chair looking out that window and you will still be dead." She tried to turn away again, but the hand held her face in place, so she closed her eyes to escape the vision of the woman she could see before her.
"Barbara! Tell me, please! What can I do to convince that I really am here?" Helena had tears running down her face. She really was at a loss as to how to convince Barbara. She couldn't use anything from there past, like a shared incident. Doing the only thing she could think of, she consciously went feral, and let go of the cougar yowl she used when the hunt would get exciting. Then allowed the rumbling purr to get strong in her chest, taking Barbara's hand and placing her palm on her sternum so the full extent of the sound could be felt.
Barbara still was resisting, so Helena, almost in a panic, reverted to a hurt kitten without realizing what she was doing. She pulled Barbara roughly into her lap, so that the red head's face rested on her chest. She started rocking back and forth with the woman, letting her emotions do all the convincing.
Back when Helena was still in high school, she had become very ill, running a high enough fever to the point that she was delirious. Barbara later theorized that this was when the feral puberty hit. Through out the night, Barbara had held Helena curled up around her, whimpering and barking like an injured kitten. It would sooth Helena to have her head and stomach stroked, as if petting a cat. And when Barbara would pet her, Helena would purr, and her sternum and ribcage would strongly vibrate. Barbara had been the only person who knew what that felt like.
As Helena rocked the woman in her arms, the purring increased in pitch and intensity. So lost was she in trying to make Barbara feel that she was really real, she didn't notice when the red head quit resisting and clung to her, pulling herself up Helena's body to bury her face into the woman's neck.
Helena felt the tears running down her neck as they dripped from Barbara eyes. "So, do you believe me yet?" she asked hoarsely.
Barbara responded by pulling Helena tighter into their shared embrace, until Helena reacted to the pressure on her still injured arm. "Ow... careful."
"You're hurt. How bad?" Barbara said.
"I'm ok. I just need some rest. I would have taken you out the way I came in but I barely made it in myself. How do I get things open so I can get us some help, Barbara?" Helena leaned across Barbara; grabbing another pillow she gently lifted Barbara's head and shoulders and placed the pillow under her. Every move that Helena made was slow, painful, and deliberate. She reached out, wincing a little and picked up the cup of broth, holding it to Barbara's lips. Barbara took as sip, and then shook her head.
Looking at Helena, Barbara whispered, "I need more than broth. Think you could make a protein shake?"
"Yeah- I think I can manage that. Thank god the fridge didn't shut off when you powered everything down. Be back in a minute." With that, the limping brunette got up and left the room.
By the time she got back, Barbara had fallen back to sleep. Crawling into the bed next to Barbara, Helena carefully woke her up so that she could get the shake into the red head. Green eyes were slow to focus on Helena's face. When they did, the confusion was there briefly, then a radiant smile lit up Barbara's face. She brought her hand up and lightly traced Helena's lower lip, "I really wasn't dreaming…"
"No babe, you really weren't dreaming. I am really here, sitting next to you." To prove her point, Helena took Barbara's hand and brought it to her lips, and kissed each finger tip. "Now, you need to drink all of this yummy shake you had me make for you!" She made a face showing just how much she loved the protein concoctions that Barbara would have Alfred make for Helena.
The women fell into the same routine for several days, almost a couple of weeks. Sleep, eat, and rest again. Each needing time to heal body and mind as well as spirit. As Barbara became stronger, Helena was able to relax on the need of getting her to a hospital.
One morning, Barbara woke up feeling much stronger. She sat up and grabbed the bar overhead and was about to swing her legs out when she realized that her chair wasn't beside the bed. About to call for Helena, the woman in question came through the door.
"I was just going to wake you up to eat." The lanky woman said as she approached Barbara. "How are you feeling today?"
"I'm actually feeling pretty good. I thought I would see about getting out of this bed… but my chair seems to be missing…" Greens eyes looked up into blue, twinkling.
"Well- I think it's too soon for you to be getting out of bed yet. At least under your own steam and all… where exactly did you want to go?"
"Well. For one, a trip to the bathroom is in order.. Unless your nursing duties include something that you haven't spoken about before now…"
"I can help you into the bathroom. And could even draw you a nice hot bath…Remember this the next time I'm the one laying in the bed." With a saucy wink, she crossed over to the bed and picked the red head up into her arms.
"I guess I'm not the only one who is starting to feel better. Whoa!!" the red head was taken by surprise as she was born quickly up.
"I am feeling better. Much better thank you." Helena said with a smirk, then shyly added "Thank God you you're getting better." Helena set Barbara down on a built in bench in the bathroom. "I'll be right back with your chair."
Helena wheeled the chair into the larger than normal bathroom, started the bath water running and turned to Barbara. "So, what do you feel like for breakfast this morning? Another shake with green stuff? Or do you think you are ready to venture into the exciting world of solid food?"
Looking up and smiling, Barbara admitted, "I would love some juice, and maybe just some fruit and yogurt. I don't think I'm up for bacon and eggs." Her smile got wider when she saw the pout that developed on Helena's face. "That doesn't mean you can't have that."
"Well then, one order of juice, and the fruit plate. And a load of fattening, cholesterol laden food for me!"
With that, Helena left the room and went to the kitchen to start making breakfast, and Barbara undressed to get into the tub. She smiled softly at a rising wall of bubbles that were forming around the cascading water from the faucet. 'I didn't even see her put the bath salts in.' she thought to herself.
As she settled into the deliciously, almost too-hot water, a moan escaped through Barbara's lips. From the other side of the door, which wasn't completely shut, Barbara heard a low chuckle, followed by "Hey, you had better be in there alone! I'm the only one who should elicit that sound from you!" Barbara slid under the water, dunking her head as Helena asked if she could come in. When there was no response Helena, a bit concerned, stuck her head around the door to peek in. No Barbara was in sight. As Helena stepped into the bathroom fully, Barbara emerged suddenly, exhaling a breath and blowing water and soap bubbles everywhere.
Helena jumped back with a squeak, tossing the cup of coffee she had in her hand over her shoulder, which in turn caused Barbara to start and gasp then start choking on the water that was drawn into her windpipe. Helena surged forward to help Barbara, somehow tripping herself, and she fell into the bath on top of Barbara.
Both broke out laughing, "Helena, if you wanted to join me in the tub, all you had to do was ask!" Barbara sputtered between coughs.
"Had it been something I'd planned, I would have at least taken my clothes off first!" Helena said laughingly.
Barbara sobered instantly. She reached out and cupped Helena's face with both hands. "I thought I had lost you!"
Smiling a little uncertainly, "Hey, you should know I don't lose that easily!"
Helena brought a hand up to cover one of Barbara's. With that motion, she triggered the opening of a floodgate. Barbara let all her pent up emotion go and started crying, sobs wracking her body almost violently. Helena pulled the hurting woman into her arms, not making a sound and just held her, letting Barbara cry everything out.
As the sobbing abated, Helena whispered, "I'm so sorry Barbara. Had I been in my right mind and able to contact you, I would have! It's… it's something that will take a little bit of time to tell you! I don't even have it all straight in my mind, let alone be able to put it into words right now." Making one of her well-known mercurial changes, she joked "At least not before the water gets cold!"
Barbara hiccupped a bit of a laugh. She pulled back from Helena's arms, and looked up into concerned midnight blue eyes. "Yeah, what's the big idea of just barging in on an old cripple trying to enjoy a little bubble bath?"
Helena placed a hand behind Barbara's head and pulled the red head towards her until their lips met. Giving her a warm yet quick kiss, Helena pulled back and growled, "I'll give you crippled! I don't ever want to hear that phrase cross your lips again!" With a quick nip to Barbara's lower lip, Helena scrambled to get out of the tub in a very ungraceful manner. Barbara reached up and gave a helping push; using Helena's butt has a pushing point.
"Hey- watch where you're grabbing woman!" Helena said jokingly. Then looking at her soaked clothes, she grabbed a towel and started drying off, "Well, this was the last clean outfit I had here."
"Go grab a pair of my sweats and a tee or something. I'm going to enjoy what's left of my bath." Barbara reached for the hot water spigot and turned it on to warm up the bath water as Helena made a soggy exit into the bedroom.
Barbara was able to finish her bath with out any further mishap. Getting out of the tub, she made sure that she took her time, each movement slow and deliberate. Even though she was starting to feel better, she still had a lot of ground to cover in regaining all her strength. She reached into the little closet that always held a terry cloth robe, slipped it on, and then maneuvered into her chair. The smell of bacon was very strong as she opened the bathroom door, making her stomach growl.
She rolled out of the bathroom and to find that during the time it had taken her to finish her bath, Helena had a small table set up with breakfast laid out in the bedroom by the windows. Helena was stretched out on the end of the bed, looking very cat like, with that blank stare that makes one think that the cat is looking at nothing, but they really are and you just don't know it.
Barbara rolled up to the end of the bed and placed a hand on Helena's hip. The sexy woman stretched her body out fully, arms over her head, eyes partly hooded. "What was taking you so long in there?"
"I didn't think it took that long. Breakfast smells wonderful! I'm starved!" Barbara said, smiling as she started toward the table.
"What smells so wonderful is MY bacon, and don't think you are having any of it. You ordered the fruit plate!" Helena pointed out.
"I wasn't even going to ask. I just said it smelled wonderful!"
Helena stopped next to the table, adopting her usual pouty stance; all her weight on one leg, arms crossed in front of her chest, head cocked to one side. Barbara took a sip of juice and looked quizzically up at the brunette who was just standing there. "What?"
"You really don't want my bacon?"
"No Helena, I really don't want any of your breakfast… Why?"
"Because I did make extra for you… You always steal some from my plate when Alfred makes it… So I just figured this morning wouldn't be any different… and…. Oh, never mind!" With that Helena sat down still pouting. She was enjoying toying with Barbara's seriousness.
Barbara, looking a little confused at Helena's reaction, "Ok, if it will make you feel better, I'll have one piece. But only if I get to steal it off your plate!"
"Good!" like a child that had succeeded with her plan, Helena's smile lit up her face. "So, since you are feeling better, what did you think you would do today?"
"I thought I should at least start getting Delphi back on line. It will take several hours just to go through the initial boot sequence. Luckily, once it's started there isn't a lot I have to do, so I will still be able to take it easy today."
"That'll be good. You need to still take it easy." Helena said around a bite of breakfast. "I think we have some catching up to do as well. You know… talking?"
"Talking. About?" Barbara looked up puzzled.
"Well, seems to me that we had put a lot on hold during that whole Cheshire thing; didn't we?" Helena asked uncertainly.
Barbara looked up from her juice, a look of concentration on her face, "Yeah, you're right. It's amazing how little time has really past, and so much has happened to think and talk about!"
"Right, well, today would be a good day to start. We are guaranteed that no one will interrupt us!"
A little annoyed and uncomfortable, not really ready to get into a heavy conversation, Barbara asked "I suppose that's your subtle introduction to your first topic of discussion?"
Barbara sat and observed a silent Helena for a moment. Helena was obviously deep in thought. She appeared troubled, as anyone, who had just found their girlfriend nearly dead from self induced starvation, might. She murmured, "I didn't have a specific item from the discussion list per se... But now that you mention it... There is a big purple elephant that we have been tip-toeing around."
"That would be a pink elephant, Helena."
"I like purple better. And no changing the subject." Helena had that 'very determined' face going.
"Ok, I know it wasn't the smartest thing I've ever done." Barbara started to say, feeling embarrassed by her actions that brought on this conversation.
"About as smart as when you put that damn neural response thing on your spine and then went to meet with the Shiva lady!" Before Barbara could correct her, "I know, Lady Shiva." then more quietly, "Sandy." Helena didn't look up - but Barbara knew that Helena hurt over that more than she would ever let on. "Never the less, in both instances, you were trying to kill yourself!"
"We won't go into the Lady Shiva incident. That has been settled. I wasn't trying to kill myself …." Barbara dropped her spoon to her plate, feeling very self-conscience. She couldn't bring herself to look at Helena, so she hid behind her hand, rubbing her eyes then just leaving her head buried there.
Finding her voice and the strength to admit it, "OK, maybe I was trying to kill myself. You have to understand Helena! We… I thought you were dead. Dinah and I searched through everything we could after Cheshire's body was found in Kentucky. I tried everything I could think of to at least try and bring your body…" Barbara broke down sobbing.
Helena went around the table and pulled the red headed woman into her arms. "I'm here Barbara… I've got you." Helena whispered over and over, running her fingers through the still damp red strands.
Barbara pulled back, still lost in her pain; she struck weakly at Helena on the upper chest and shoulders with her fists, "Dammit! Don't you ever leave me like that again! If you're going to die, you damn well better take me with you! I can't live without you Helena!"
Helena gently took Barbara's balled up fists into her hands and held them to her chest. "I promise that the next time I am going to try and get myself killed; which I wasn't by the way; I will take you with me."
Barbara just stared at Helena for a second, and then realized how absurd her statement had been. She started a low chuckle, which turned into a full laugh when Helena winked and smiled at her.
"I guess that was kind of a stupid thing to say, eh?" whispered Barbara.
"Well, at least I know you missed me." They both leaned in and rested their foreheads together.
"Barbara, is it supposed to look like that?" Helena asked for the umpteenth time, really beginning to annoy Barbara.
"Yes Helena. As I've said before, Delphi is going through the boot process. I understand all of what you call gibberish and it will tell me if there is something wrong - if I could pay attention to it long enough." Barbara all but growled.
Raising her eyebrows, Helena responded, "I thought you wanted me to show an interest in the computer stuff. Now that I do - you all but bite my head off! I'm going to get something to drink, want anything?"
"Maybe a cup of tea... That would be real nice... And Hel?"
"Yeah?"
"Sorry." Barbara said over her shoulder a little sheepishly. Helena smiled and headed toward the kitchen.
Helena was determined to not let Barbara over do it, but hadn't realized what it would take for her to get the Delphi back up. She thought that all it would take would be to throw a switch and sit back and wait. 'I mean, that's all I have to do with my laptop!'
Barbara had explained that Delphi wasn't a simple computer. It was actually the most sophisticated computer that Wayne Industries ever developed. It contained more than one processor thing and a bunch of other stuff that made Helena's head hurt trying to recall all the things that Barbara had tried to explain. Helena put the water on to boil, and grabbed the milk out of the fridge. Opening the carton, she gagged and quickly poured the contents down the drain while holding her breath. "That does it!" she stormed out of the kitchen back to the Delphi. "Barbara, the milk was all chunky so I threw it out."
"Um-hum…" was all she heard form Barbara.
"Since you are up and around, I am going to go out and pick up some milk and a few other things we are out of." She stopped her pacing and looked at the red head who nodded her head in agreement.
"I'll be on comms if you need me." Again she received a nod in response. "And I'm also going to order up a couple of high priced hookers, go back to my apartment and have a threesome, so I may not be back for, say, days. Cause I'm going to use Daddy's money and keep them around for a while. Want me to bring one back for you too?"
"Ok, sure Hel. I'll be here when you get back… Hey, could you pick up some salmon? I have this craving for fish." Barbara turned around and looked innocently at Helena as the brunette burst out laughing. "What? What's so funny?" Barbara asked, very confused.
"So you weren't listening to me, where you?" Helena said between hiccups.
"Well, I kind of was. You said something about milk and going out…" Barbara was quickly being drawn back into the Delphi monitor and the boot process, which was proceeding nicely so far.
"Never mind… I'll tell you later Barbara." Helena walked over and gave her a peck on the cheek, "I'll be back soon." She hooked a finger on Barbara's chin and waited until the green eyes focused on her, "I'll be on comms if you need me."
"Ok." Barbara said a little exasperated from having to pull her attention from the computer monitor again. Helena let go of her face and turned to leave. "Wait… comms won't work. They need the Delphi. Hmmm, do you have your cell phone?"
"No, I think it was lost in the fight with Cheshire."
"Well, you won't be gone long… Right?"
"Right. I promise." With a wink and a toss of her head, Helena left the room.
"If you get tired, you get your butt into that bed! Got me?" She yelled through the open door. When there wasn't even an offhanded "um-hum" she came back into the room, crossed to the red head, turned her around quickly and picking her out of her chair, and proceeded to thoroughly kiss Barbara Gordon, until the woman was clinging to Helena's shoulders, moaning. "Now that I have your full attention, I said before that if you get tired, you get your butt into bed!"
Barbara was slow to open her eyes, her lips still puckered a little for a kiss, as if waiting for Helena to realize her mistake of stopping the kiss. "What? Bed? Ok… no wait. I have to monitor the boot process. I can't leave yet…."
"Ok Barbara, are you on something that you didn't tell me you were taking? I've never seen you like this." Helena asked chuckling with amusement.
"Like what? And you can put me down now."
"Unable to split your attention efficiently. Maybe you are still too weak for this and should be back into bed now." Instead of putting Barbara back into her chair, Helena started for the stairs.
"No, Helena, I'm ok. I admit I am still a little tired, but I need to monitor Delphi for just another hour or so, then it should be ok, to leave it to do its thing… really, I promise!"
"Alright. I'll be back within the hour. And when I get back, you are going to get back in bed, or at least stretch out on the couch." Helena turned around, and sat Barbara back into her chair. As Helena moved to straighten up, Barbara grabbed the lapel of her coat, and pulled the sexy woman down for another kiss. This time it was Helena's turn to be taken off guard. "I'll be back in a couple of minutes." Huntress panted after the prolonged kiss. Barbara just chuckled and said "Paybacks can be a bitch, eh Helena?"
"You are so lucky that we are out of milk! Just wait until I get back, I'll give you payback's that will top your payback's - ten fold!" and then Huntress was off and headed out of the building.
As good as her word, Helena was back within the hour with two large grocery bags of stuff and what looked to be a back pack full of something as well. She went into the kitchen after a quick check on Barbara. She had gotten herself the cup of tea that Helena had started getting for her earlier. After putting everything away, Helena grabbed a glass of milk and headed back to see how Delphi was coming along.
As she walked up on to the platform, she noticed that Barbara's shoulders were getting hunched up… so she figured that there was a problem. She walked up behind Barbara, placing a hand on the woman's shoulder, "Is everything still going ok?"
"Yeah, it's going great. I think I'm just getting tired…and should listen to a certain someone who told me to go to bed if that happened." Barbara took off her glasses, set them on the worktop, and smiled up at Helena.
"Then lets get you into a horizontal position for a little bit of rest." Helena pulled a Fudgsicle out from behind her back, "But first let me put this in the freezer."
Before Helena could even consider turning around, Barbara's hand shot out for the iced treat and exclaimed, "Oh no you don't!" She managed to grab the Fudgsicle and back away from the willowy woman in front of her. "I LOVE these things!"
"You do?? I had no idea!" Helena said smiling indulgently. "Now, you need to rest. I also picked up some movies. The DVD will work won't it?"
"Yeah, it should. We just can't get any satellite right now." Barbara said, unwrapping the chocolaty treat, almost smacking her lips in anticipation.
"Well, little Barbara Gordon, let's get you over to the couch. Do you need a bib or anything?"
"No, I'm just fine thank you." Helena picked her up to take her over to the couch. "Wanna bite?" Barbara offered the Fudgsicle to Helena.
"Thanks." And took a big bite. Before Barbara could complain, she said around a mouth full of ice-cold ice cream treat. "Dey were on thale, so I bough a couple bocth.."
"Good, because once you set me down, you are going to have to go get me another one."
Helena first set the red head down and then stretched her legs along the length of the couch; she then looked up into the smoky green eyes and smirked "Not a problem. Be right back." Helena went over and turned on the TV and DVD, put a movie in, then ran to the kitchen. She came back a moment later with her own Fudgsicle and another for Barbara.
She arranged herself to be lying between the back of the couch and Barbara's legs. As she propped her head up with her hand, Barbara asked, "So - what are we watching?"
"You'll see." Helena looked up to see the skeptical look on Barbara's face, "Really - it's not one of my movies. I swear!" Just then the opening credit for "Maid in Manhattan" started rolling across the screen.
Barbara lightly cuffed Helena with a soft smile, and settled in for the movie. Helena was the first to fall asleep, her head resting on Barbara's stomach. Barbara's eyes took longer and longer to open each time she blinked, until finally her body won out and she fell deep asleep, one arm resting across Helena, the other draped off the side of the couch.
Slowly, the afternoon wore on, the shadows making their way across the sleeping pair. Helena was the first one to wake up. It was about 5:00 p.m. She allowed herself the luxury to just lie there for a minute and absorb her surroundings. She could hear Barbara's stomach starting to complain about being hungry. Smiling, she slowly pushed herself up and off the glorious woman she had used as a pillow all afternoon. When in repose, Barbara looked so vulnerable; so much younger than she did when she was awake and taking on the troubles of the city. Helena covered her up with a light blanket and went into the kitchen to see what she could throw together for dinner.
Barbara woke up to the smell of cooking. Sautéing garlic... it smelled wonderful. She pulled her hand onto her stomach. It had fallen asleep as it hung off the edge. She massaged her arm to get the blood flowing again.
About that time, Helena popped her head out of the kitchen to check on Barbara. "Hey - and Sleeping Beauty awakes!" She walked in, wiping her hands on a kitchen towel and sat down next to Barbara on the couch. "How did you sleep? Feeling any better?"
"Feeling much better. What are you cooking in there? It smells great!"
"Well, you may just have to wait and find out. Want a ride over to check on Delphi?"
"I'd rather just stay here and relax. I'll look at it later."
"Ok then. I'll go finish making dinner."
Barbara lay there and watched bits of the movie she missed from falling asleep. She was still having a little trouble keeping her eyes open though. Helena found her asleep again when she brought two plates of pasta out. She set them on the coffee table and went for the garlic bread and drinks. When she came back, green eyes were just beginning to open again.
"I thought you were going to sleep through dinner."
"I can't believe how tired I am."
"Do you feel up to eating?"
"I'm starved! And it smells wonderful. What did you make?"
"Well, as you know, the cupboards are all but bare. So I just threw some stuff together. I broiled the salmon I picked up for you. There were some frozen stir-fry veggies, pasta, and those tiny little dinner rolls. So I threw the veggies in some olive oil with garlic and a little white wine, then tossed everything together. Warmed up the rolls with some garlic butter, and viola - dinner."
"Why do you let everyone think you can't cook"? Barbara asked, taking her first bite.
"Then everyone would expect me to!"
After they had finished eating and the kitchen was cleaned up, Barbara checked on the progress of Delphi. Since things were running smoothly, she joined Helena who was reclining on the couch. "Hey, what you thinking about?"
"Not much… A ton! Just - so much has changed in such a short amount of time. And I almost feel at times that I've been a spectator or something." Helena fell quiet for a moment. Then she quietly started in, "The night I fought Cheshire…"
Barbara leant forward and placed a hand on Helena's knee, "You don't have to talk about that if you're not ready."
Helena looked up at Barbara, her indigo eyes tearing with remembered pain, "I need to Barbara. I haven't had a decent night's sleep since it all happened." She closed her eyes and took a deep settling breath. "Dinah - Canary came out onto the roof. I was…. I was so there… So on it. I had the upper hand and I wasn't going to let up, not for a second." Helena's eyes flared with the remembered excitement of the fight. "Cheshire was getting tired. She was becoming reckless. She was getting sloppy in her fighting. Our fighting moved us closer to the edge of the building. Then - it's like we were on a high wire, each of us pushing to see who would go over first. I heard Dinah scream that she was there. It broke through my concentration enough that Cheshire was able to grab my mask. I tried to throw myself toward the roof, but I had lost enough of my balance that we just went over."
"It was the strangest feeling at first. But I still had a hold on Cheshire and she was still trying to get that damn spray into my face. It was like she didn't realize we weren't on anything solid anymore. I kept fighting her, and trying at the same time to get myself turned around to be in a position to get to another rooftop. But she pulled me closer to her. Like she knew what I was doing. She wrapped her whole body around me. I was trapped. I couldn't fly." Helena's voice broke. But before Barbara could say anything, she put a hand up, "I'll be back in a second."
As if spring loaded, she was off the couch and in the kitchen. She came back with a bottle of tequila. She sat back on the couch and took a swig. "I know we hit something, Cheshire took the brunt of the impact. She was dead instantly. Things were pretty fuzzy for a while. I know I broke my leg, and I think my arm. Not sure what else. It took what felt like forever for me to get off Cheshire and when I did, I fell again. I just rolled when I hit. Next thing I remember, I woke up in a rat infested warehouse shell in the old docks area. I have no concept of the time that past. I remember once in awhile waking up and scaring the damn rodents away from me. Moving enough to get water. Seems like I remember someone there after a bit. Somehow my leg and arm were set and splinted. Sometimes there would be a tin of food next to me when I woke up. Lucky for me there was a bum who took pity instead of advantage of me. Then one day, I woke up and my mind was clear. I knew where I needed to go… Home." Helena looked up into emerald eyes that were full of concern. "And lucky for you I did! That's the down and dirty of what I remember about what happened after that fight."
"Well, when we are all back on our feet, we should check out the docks and see if we can find your benefactor." Barbara said, breaking into a yawn. "I'd like to. How soon before Delphi will be back up and running 100%? This may sound really odd, but I'd like to see Alfred and Dinah, soon." Looking up shyly through her eye lashes at the red head.
"If all goes well, we should be able to call them by late afternoon tomorrow."
"Good, on that note, let's get you to bed. Before you fall asleep in your chair."
Helena climbed into bed with Barbara until she was sure the red head was deep asleep. She was feeling restless. She loved being with Barbara and spending time with her. But now that Babs was getting better, Huntress needed to get out and play a little. Helena scribbled a quick note - for just in case Babs woke up and was out the "door".
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