Later that evening Helena and Katharine were at the Clocktower, Helena listened as the teen told her about her day, she was trying her best not to laugh. Not at Katharine, but at Mr. Rambaldi, that man had given her hell when she was in High School somehow he always managed to stay one step ahead of her. Granted she didn't exactly make it easy on herself she could have been a good kid. But really where was the fun in that?
Helena shrugged slightly after she'd composed herself, "Just try to be good, don't get on that man's bad side." she told the teen. "He's actually not that bad. He's nice to me." Katharine replied as she looked towards her sister. Helena raised a brow, "You're lucky then he rode my ass daily." She said with a snort. Okay so maybe she deserved it a little but the guy didn't have to be such an asshole. She'd just lost her mother for crying out loud she was rebelling!
Shifting a little she took a sip of her drink as she caught the scent of the food Alfred was cooking started to travel slowly downstairs to the couch, Helena made a face covering her nose and mouth a little as she groaned.
Normally she loved Alfred's cooking but tonight something about what he was cooking turned her stomach. Helena tried to hold back the sudden wave of nausea that washed over her but it was no use. Grunting she stood quickly and rushed to the balcony, "Helena?" Katharine breathed as she stood to move towards her sister, but as she stood she heard it. The teen made a face, unsure what she should do she really didn't want to be out there with sister but she probably didn't want to be alone. On the other hand, she was one of those types that usually got queasy when she saw or heard others throwing up.
Grimacing she moved away from the balcony and ran towards Barbara, with ease she jumped up grabbing the ledge to the second floor. She was just about to pull herself up when Barbara scolded her, "Use the stairs! I've told you and Helena both not to do that or else you'll break the railing." She told the teen yet again. "Wait Helena does it?" Katharine countered. "She did when she was your age yes. Now drop down and come up the right way." Barbara told the teen. "Okay fine but.." Katharine began but Barbara cut her off. "No buts now." Katharine nodded and sighed dropping back down the the floor. The teen landed on her feet with ease then looked up at her guardian "Helena is throwing up." Katherine told her, there was no point in using the stairs to tell her that. "Oh dear... shall I mix up some of your special tonic Ms. Barbara?" Alfred asked with a concerned look in his old eyes. "Yes please send Katharine down with it if you like." She told the male then looked down at Katharine "Help him finish with supper."
The teen nodded slightly as she made her way upstairs (the proper way). Barbara meanwhile was making her way down with the help of the elevator. Once on the first floor, she wheeled quickly out to Helena.
Once she was upstairs Alfred smiled at the teen, "Stir the sauce please Miss. Kat while I get this done for Miss. Helena." the teen nodded and quickly came over to the stove. She picked up the spoon and slowly began stirring. "Alfred what's in that stuff Barbara gives us? She has a drink for everything. Oh upset stomach? Drink this. Can't sleep? Drink this." the male chuckled. "They're family recipes. That's all I can say. Barbara has perfected it over the years. I can tell you this though. Not all of them are Ms. Barbara's creation." He said with a grin, "Sometimes you're as cryptic as she is." Katharine said with a sigh. "Perhaps, now keep stirring the sauce it won't be any good if it burns." The male told her with a kind smile.
The teen sighed and kept stirring. She probably could have easily looked to see what was in the concoction that Alfred was wiping up for her sister but the thought didn't really cross her mind. Even with how curious she was she just kept stirring the sauce.
Meanwhile downstairs overlooking the city Barbara sat beside Helena, reaching down she gently brushed some of her hair out of her face. "Someone down there won't know what hit them..." She said trying to make light of the situation. Helena groaned, "Not funny." She breathed before finally pulling herself away from the edge of the balcony. "I thought it was morning sickness. Not morning, noon and night sickness." Helena said with a sigh as she looked into into her mentor's eyes. "Every woman is different Helena and so is every pregnancy for that matter. They don't all go the same way." Barbara explained as she ran a hand gently through Helena's hair. "I guess... I just feel like shit right now." Helena said moving into Barbara's touch. Her eyes fluttered softly as a light purr escaped her lips.
Hearing it Barbara chuckled softly then shifted her weight a little. "You have to tell him.." She said still letting her hands move throw Helena's hair. "I will I'm just waiting for the right time," Helena told her as she moved closer letting her head rest on Barbara's lap. "Helena there is no 'magical' right time. You need to tell him, what are you going to do if you end up puking your guts out around him? Blame some bad fish or too much liquor?" She asked as her hand stopped moving, "Don't stop..." Helena groaned in protest. Smiling slightly Barbara started moving her hand again, but the conversation was far from over. "About a year before your mother died, Dick and I were getting really serious. So serious in fact that I ... uh, I was pregnant." Barbara said slowly letting the words leave her mouth. It had been years since she'd talked about it, even then it was something only one other person knew at the time. She had confided in the woman that'd become like family to her - Selina Kyle.
Helena's head shot up as she turned her head to look at Barbara,"Wait for what... you were pregnant why didn't you tell me sooner? And... what happened?" The curiosity dripped in her voice, Helena wanted to know she felt as if she 'needed' to know. "You were only fourteen I didn't think it was something you needed to know. Plus at the time I was like you struggling with telling the father."
After a moment Alfred touched her shoulder gently, "Go take that down to her, I'll take over this. When you three finished come back up supper will be ready." He told her, nodding Katharine pulled her hand away from the spoon after Alfred had taken it again. She picked up the glass, then quickly and carefully went down stairs with it.
"Barbara, I'm pretty sure at fourteen I could have handled hearing that the woman who practically helped raise me was pregnant." she countered as she looked up her Barbara with a soft sigh as she placed a hand on her knee. "It wasn't that you couldn't handle it, it was just that at the time I'd only told your mother." Barbara explained then went on. "And what 'happened' is that I couldn't bring myself to tell him until it was too late. I was fighting his at side, but the guy we were after caught me off guard, he kicked me in the stomach and... well let's just say when I came to I was laying in a hospital bed with him hovering over me. He knew of course and he asked if I knew, when I told him I did he frowned. I tried to explain to him that I was just 'scared'. It didn't go over well because he stormed out. I didn't see him again for a few months after that, he came back apologized for the way he'd acted, and told me that he'd always love me no matter what but that I couldn't keep secrets from him."
Helena nodded then looked at her questioningly, "I know you're only human... but it sounds like there's more to this. A blow to the stomach wouldn't put you in the hospital." Barbara sighed, "We were in the dockyards, seems like everything bad in our lives always starts there." She said with a sigh then went on, "He kicked me into the water, it was a cool night in late October. I must have hit my head because don't remember anything until I woke up. I'm guessing Bruce found me, because when I came to I remember asking about my 'stuff' there was a nurse in the room. So all Dick could say was 'It's taken care of." Barbara sighed, "I got one hell of a lecture from your father after that... telling me to be more careful and that next time I might not be so lucky. He never admitted to helping finding me, but I think I know."
Sighing softly Helena lay her head back down on Barbara's lap, "I wish I could know him like you do. But he was never there, I don't know if mom kept him away or if he did it himself, but I could have used a father. Sure I had Alfred but he's not a dad... he's not 'my dad' as wonderful as he is.." Barbara smiled and ran a hand through Helena's hair. "He's a grandfather type." She mused. "Yeah he is, Victoria is lucky. But then I guess I am too we get to share him."
In that moment Katharine reached them and chimed in, "Wait... Victoria is... related to Alfred?" Helena and Barbara both chuckled, "Yes Katharine she is." Barbara replied as Helena lifted her head from Barbara's lap, "Go ahead and give me Barbara's mystery tonic." she said knowingly as she held out her hand for it. Katharine was quick to give it to her but now she was curious, "Okay but what about Victoria?" Katharine asked clearly unwilling to let this go. Helena meanwhile was slowly drinking the contents of the glass. "I don't know what the hell you put in these drinks Barbara but they always manage to help. Thanks" she said with a soft smile before she pushed herself up on her feet. "You're welcome." Barbara replied. Helena gaze then turned to her sister, Her gaze then turned to her sister, "Tori should be here soon you can ask her and Alfred to tell you." She told her sister with a smile as she ruffled her hair.
With the glass in hand she made her way back inside as the elevator doors opened to reveal both Victoria and Dinah. "Speak of the devil." Helena quipped as Barbara and Katharine came in behind her."Oh should our ears be burning?" Dinah laughed, "Tori's should be we were just talking about her." Helena answered. Before Victoria could question it Katharine spoke. "You're related Alfred!" there was a little more excitment in her voice than perhaps their should have been. "Wait what? How did I miss this in Superhero 101?" Dinah questioned them. Victoria chuckled, "Am I now? How'd you find that out?" She teased, "I heard Barbara and Helena talking." The teen answered. Victoria nodded, "Well it's true I am." She said with a smile as she headed upstairs. "I have got to hear this story..." Dinah said with a grin. "Me too!" Katharine agreed. "During supper I'm starving. I heard tell there's Chicken Alfredo to be had for supper and I refuse to pass that up." Victoria told them as she headed upstairs.
Once everyone was upstairs and gathered around the small table with their food, Victoria finally spoke up. "So... grandpa our secret is out." She said with a chuckle looking to Alfred. The male smirked, "Is it now? I'm surprised it lasted this long without Miss. Dinah and Young Kat finding out." He mused. Dinah groaned and shook her head, "Just tell us please?", Katharine nodded,"Yeah c'mon please." the teen chimed in.
Victoria leaned casually against the counter, as she ate, she shoved a few bites of her pasta before she began. "I was born in Bludhaven, my mom was his daughter." Victoria explained then before she could stop herself she was telling Dinah and Katharine her 'sad story', "I was eleven, he'd come to Bludhaven to watch me. Mom and dad really didn't like leaving me home alone because I usually got into trouble." Victoria laughed slightly taking a drink of her beer before she went on, "That night they'd gone out just for a night out, without me, I was okay with it by then they'd done it a couple of times a month when they could. But on that particular night they didn't come home. It was getting late I'd fallen asleep on the couch, not long after telling him I wasn't tired." She said with a side glance at Alfred, "The ringing of the phone didn't even wake me up, but him shaking me did. He was calm, but then he always is. He didn't falter as he told me that mom and dad had been in a car wreck, they'd been hit broadside by a drunk drive, it was enough to shove them into oncoming traffic, which got them hit again from the front by a simi. They said the second impact killed them both almost instantly, they weren't far from home less than two miles maybe." Victoria's voice trailed off a little as tears brimmed in her eyes.
Victoria was much like Helena such emotion was rarely seen, but it was clear thinking about that night and about her parents was sad. "Victoria I'm so sorry..." Katharine breathed softly. Dinah nodded, "Me too I had no idea." Victoria sighed and nodded lightly, "It's okay...you both had a right to know, after all we all have a tragedy in our lives." She said as Alfred and Helena moved to her side. A soft smile came to her lips as she wrapped her arms around them, Alfred kissed her forehead as Helena rest her head on her shoulder, Alfred then spoke continuing the story. "We got everything squared away and a few months later she moved down here with me permanently." Alfred told them with a smile as he gave Victoria a gentle squeeze. She had always gone to school in Gotham, so she and Helena had grown up together. So none of this was new to Helena or Barbara.
Helena chuckled, "And that's when Victoria and I started giving Barbara gray hair." She teased looking to the woman. Barbara rolled her eyes, "You started far earlier than that Helena, but yes it got worse then with both of you around full time." Katharine and Dinah laughed at that as they finished their supper.
