CHAPTER 21
"Taylor, are you okay?" Karla hugged her sister tight when they finally reached a safe distance from the Dark Horse. "I've been so worried about you!"
The young girl molded into Karla's arms. "I'm okay," she answered. "They didn't hurt me. I was scared though. I thought they were going to kill me. That woman…" Taylor started to cry.
"Shhhh, sweetheart, you don't need to worry about her anymore. I'll never let anyone hurt you again," Karla promised.
"She saved me," Taylor broke out of the hug and pointed to Dinah. "Her and that woman in the chair."
"I know, Tay… These are my new friends. You already met Dinah," she motioned to the blonde teenager, "And this is Helena," she smiled, looking at the brunette.
"Nice to meet ya, kid," Helena spoke in her usual I-don't-have-a-care-in-the-world voice.
Taylor scrunched up her face much in the way Dinah does. "I'm…"
"Not a kid… yes, I know… " Helena finished, knowing what was coming next. She winked at the young girl. The girl stared at Helena for a few seconds; studying her. "What?" Helena finally asked, breaking the scrutiny. Taylor smiled; a warm, genuine smile. "What??" Helena asked again.
Taylor's smiled faded slightly, turning to empathy. "It must be hard for you to keep all that inside…" she said, sympathetically.
"Keep all what, inside?" Helena asked as Karla tried to hush her sister.
"All the pain you're trying to hide from everyone." Taylor was as forthcoming as her sister.
Helena tiled her head back in exasperation. "Oh for Christ's sake… Just what I need, to be surrounded by mind-readers!" she glanced at the three women surrounding her. Each in their own way could see the secrets Helena desperately tried to keep hidden. Each capable of seeing her greatest fears.
Karla couldn't help but laugh. Helena didn't find it as amusing. She enjoyed her mystery… lived with secrets… opened up to very few… the last thing she wanted was for someone to see all the things she desperately wanted to keep private.
"I'm sorry," Taylor spoke through Karla's laughter. "I didn't mean to make you upset…"
"She's always upset," Dinah mumbled in the background; earning herself a death-glare from the brunette.
"It's just that…" Taylor continued, "You're heart feels so weighed down. It makes me sad."
"Tay, I think we better leave Helena alone," she insisted, knowing it would only be a matter of seconds before Helena snapped; saying something she might regret. She turned her attention to Dinah. "Barbara said you left some tapes in Michael's van?"
The teen nodded.
"We need to go get them."
Helena interjected. "Dinah, take Taylor to the uh…" she paused; about to say the clocktower by mistake. "To uh…"
"To the hotel I'm staying at," Karla offered. "New Gotham Grand, room 814."
Helena continued, "Take her to the hotel and wait for us. We'll go get the tapes and meet you there." Dinah accepted the plan and Taylor hugged her sister.
"Don't be gone long," the young girl whispered; fear still plaguing her.
"Don't worry, sweetie, we'll be back soon. Take good care of her, Dinah," the older blonde insisted; hoping Dinah would protect her better than she had protected Dinah's family.
"I will!" she waved as they took off.
As soon as they were out of sight, Karla sat down on the curb; the weight of everything quickly hitting her. She clutched her ribs which were still hurting… hurting more than she had let on.
"We need to get out of here," Helena stated, placing a gentle hand on Karla's shoulder. "Police patrol this street regularly." She helped Karla rise to her feet and asked her what was wrong.
"Barbara's got one hell of a hit with those escrima sticks…" Karla blurted.
"Well I did tell you not to fuck with her head…" Helena winked in return; feeling little sympathy. "Come on," she pulled the woman close, urging her to walk.
"Does this mean you don't hate me?" the blonde wanted to know. Helena stopped dead in her tracks.
After a moment's silence, she said, "I don't know. I haven't had a chance to process any of this…" she spoke with candor. "I'll let you know later…"
Karla leaned into Helena's shoulder and they continued to walk. "Well do yourself a favor, while you are trying to process everything, don't beat yourself up too much. You don't deserve any of the pain you think you do."
"Stop psycho-analyzing me…"
"Then stop lying to yourself, Huntress. I mean it. When you start to process everything, don't do it alone. Go and talk to Barbara. She needs you as much as you need her."
"She tell you that?" Helena asked, finding it hard to believe.
"Not directly. But she practically screams it in her head. It's obvious to everyone but the two of you that you are soulmates so do yourself a favor and lean on her. It would mean the world to her."
"Why do you care, Karla? You don't even really know us…"
Karla smiled and kissed the brunette on the cheek. "I don't always use my powers for evil, Helena… on rare occasions… I've been known to use them for good."
"Right…"
They continued to walk in silence, arriving at Michael's van less than ten minutes later. Helena retrieved the tapes Dinah had left in the back and from there, she decided to drop them off at the clocktower; which was on the way to the hotel.
***
As soon as Dinah and Taylor entered the hotel room, Dinah called Barbara's cell to let her know where they were. Barbara was still en route in the vehicle and quickly arrived at the hotel for a debriefing.
The room was massive. She wondered if Karla used some of her mind tricks to upgrade the room at no extra charge. She wheeled up to a table where the two girls sat, sipping soda and making small talk; comparing meta skills.
"Thank you for saving me," Taylor said to the redhead; thankful that she was safely in the hotel and not still locked up in a cage. "I thought that woman was going to kill me."
"You're welcome," Barbara nodded politely. "But she's not going to bother you again. She's going back to prison and this time, they're going to make sure it's impossible for her to escape."
"You really hate her, don't you?" Taylor asked, almost rhetorically.
Barbara smiled, knowing she wasn't going to fool the young meta. "You don't know the half of it…"
"Are you and Helena a…" Taylor cut herself off before she finished her sentence. "Sorry, never mind. My sister tells me I have to stop saying whatever's on my mind…"
Both Dinah and Barbara laughed lightly. "Well I think she's trying to teach you one of those 'do as I say, not as I do' lessons. What were you going to ask?"
"I was just sorta wondering if you and Helena… if you guys were… a couple. You know, like lovers." As soon as she said the words, Dinah started choking on the soda she had just taken a drink from. Part of the liquid coated her hand as she covered her mouth; the rest went down her windpipe. Barbara patted her on the back; ignoring her reaction.
"What would make you think that?" Barbara asked curiously before she answered the question.
"Because every time you hear her name, your heart lights up. And so does hers. So I thought maybe you two were…"
"No, sweetie, Helena is just a friend. She's my family."
"I think she's your soulmate," Taylor spoke seriously.
Barbara paused for a moment, taking the words in. And then she smiled; her heart warming at the thought. "I think you just might be right, Taylor," she agreed, realizing it made sense. She smiled; losing herself in thought.
Dinah sat quietly in her chair and to her surprise; Taylor reached out and gripped her hand softly. She smiled sympathetically to the older meta and whispered, "They still have a place for you in their heart, Dinah. You're not alone."
Suddenly the world swirled into monochrome and Dinah caught a glimpse of what Taylor had been feeling. The emotions she felt coming from Helena and Barbara were incredible… intense… and she finally understood the depth of their relationship; even if they couldn't. Dinah felt their love as her mind melded with Taylor's. And then she felt their emotions when they looked at Dinah. It surprised her. She had no idea they both cared so much. After all of the fighting, all of the destruction, deep in their hearts, they truly cared for the newest part of their team… of their family. The reality overwhelmed Dinah and she quickly yanked her hand away, tried to shield her now-teary eyes and ran into the bathroom.
Barbara watched as her charge suddenly ran off; obviously upset. She looked to Taylor. "What happened?" she wanted to know.
Taylor smiled compassionately. "I think she just found her way home," was all that she said.
***
As the elevator rose, Karla pressed her body against Helena's. "Ever make love in an elevator before?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"With all the high-tech security cameras Barbara has throughout the entire building?? Not a chance."
"And since when did you become modest?" Karla insisted in playing; now running the back of her hand over Helena's chest, teasing her until the center became hard. Helena shifted out of the way.
"There's a big difference between being modest and not wanting your sex tape all over the internet…"
"She wouldn't do that!" Karla was surprised, thinking Helena was joking.
"She bought the domain name a long time ago… threatened me that if I ever used this place as my sexual playground, then '' would become the most popular website on the net…"
Karla backed away, trying to hold in her laughter. "Is your bedroom off limits as well?" she asked as the elevator door opened. Her grin faded when she saw Gabby standing on the other side of the doors, walking by. "I guess so…" Karla finished her own sentence. "Unless the three of us…" she quirked a brow again.
"Don't even think about it," Helena growled as they exited.
Gabby was surprised to see the two women. She managed to stammer a 'hello'.
Helena walked out carefully; still sensing some fear from the younger girl. She also grabbed Karla's arm, ensuring that she kept a bit of distance.
Karla ignored her and pulled away, approaching Gabby. She offered her hand. "Nice to see you again, Gabby," she greeted the younger girl, bowing her head politely. Gabby reluctantly accepted the handshake and let go quickly. Karla noticed as the younger blonde backed away, trying to keep a protective distance. Karla didn't approach a second time… she knew she was partly responsible for the girl's fear. And the guilt hit her.
"Hi," Gabby had answered following the handshake.
You have nothing to be afraid of, Gabby. Helena will never hurt you again. She cares about you very much and hates herself for what she's done to you. She is so very sorry she hurt you. It wasn't her fault, Gabby. You don't need to be afraid anymore. Karla looked back and forth from Helena to Gabby, filling the awkward silence with subliminal messages to Gabby. The girl paused, looking momentarily confused. It was a look that Karla was used to. Whenever she would send out a message that only one person could hear, they often looked puzzled, trying to figure out why such a random thought would pop into their head.
"Are you doing okay?" Helena asked softly, words thick with guilt.
"Yeah," she lied. Helena could smell the fear on her. Karla knew she was lying also… she could hear the girl silently praying that Helena wouldn't attack her again.
She won't hurt you again, Gabby… it was my fault; and I'm very sorry. Neither of us will ever hurt you again.
Gabby turned knowingly to Karla. "You were the one that drugged them, weren't you?" she asked sharply, her defenses up.
Karla lowered her head and sighed heavily as Helena watched the scene unfolding. She took another deep breath and then gave Gabby the courtesy of looking her in the eye. "Yes, I was," she admitted honestly.
Silence weighed heavily in the air. Gabby wasn't sure if she wanted to run, to fight, or do both. She looked to Helena; who remained stoic; and then back to the blonde. Finally she asked the one simple question that nagged at her mind. "Why?"
Karla looked over to Helena and said, "Why don't you go lock up the tapes?" she suggested. "I'll wait for you right here."
Helena knew Karla was indirectly asking her to leave. She turned to Gabby, silently asking her if it was alright. The teen nodded, indicating she was okay. Helena then left for the secret lair to put the tapes in the safe.
Once out of earshot, Karla started talking. "To make a long story short, someone I loved was in trouble and the only way I could get her back was by doing what I did." She didn't want to offer up details, she wasn't sure how much Gabby knew about Helena and Barbara. She listened to Gabby's mind quickly jumping from silent question to silent question. The moment she heard Gabby thinking about Helena's meta-human power, Karla knew it was a safe topic to discuss.
"I know you are wondering so… Yes, I am a meta-human, Gabby. I trust you will keep that to yourself," she eyed the girl questioningly. The teen agreed. "I used my power to drug Dinah and Helena."
"You told Helena to…" she swallowed hard. "To rape me?"
"NO!" Karla responded; adamantly. "I never said that."
"Then why did she try?" the younger blonde snapped in return, confused.
"I don't know, Gabby," she shrugged. "Because I confused her? Because I messed with her self-control and made her believe things that weren't true? Because I wanted her to hurt herself? Maybe she went at you because she thought it was the best way to punish herself. I can't give you a straight answer, sweetie. I confused her. That's all I can tell you. There is no magic answer."
Gabby's eyes blazed into Karla's. "Why did you want to hurt her? I thought you two had something going?" She asked the question but Karla knew Gabby was afraid to hear the answer. She could still hear the occasional thoughts that Gabby had about Helena and despite everything; Gabby still cared a great deal for the brunette.
Karla cared for Helena as well, but she knew they had nothing more than a fling. She hoped it could continue the next time she visited New Gotham but she didn't put too much thought into it. It was a fling… with incredible sex… a great deal of chemistry… some caring… but no real love. She had a feeling it could develop into something if she lived in the city; but she wasn't willing to move. And she assumed Helena wouldn't want her too anyway. They both seemed equally content on keeping their relationship brief.
"Helena is an incredible woman but to answer your question, no, we don't have anything going. Nothing serious anyway. And I didn't want to hurt her." She softened her voice. "I didn't want to hurt you either but some very bad people kidnapped my sister and threatened to kill her if I didn't do the things I did."
"Where is your sister now?" Gabby asked reluctantly; hoping to hear good news. Karla's heart melted when she heard Gabby's compassion and worry. She knew Helena had found a great catch… even if she was still a bit too young.
"She's safe. She's with Dinah and Barbara. Anyway, before Helena comes back, I just want to tell you again that I really am sorry and I hope you don't blame Helena. Don't hate her for the things I caused. She's an amazing person and she really cares about you. If you want to hate someone, you can hate me."
Gabby shrugged. "That's what has me so frustrated… Given the circumstances, I can't really hate anyone, can I?…"
Karla laughed. "I know what you mean. Makes you feel like you want to beat someone up until you feel better, huh." Gabby smiled shyly, wishing she could just fight away all the confusion. "Well I'd offer myself up," Karla continued, "But Barbara already kicked the shit out of me…" She lifted her shirt and revealed a very dark, purple bruise over her ribs.
"Good," Gabby replied flatly. "I hope it hurt…"
"Trust me, it hurts like hell…"
And with that, no more apologies were necessary. They had learned the truth… there wasn't much more they could say.
Helena returned as the two women shook hands, resolving their differences; at least, for the moment. "Ready to go?" the brunette asked.
Karla thought for a moment. "I think you should stay here," she stated. "Come by the hotel tomorrow so we can say goodbye, okay?"
Helena scrunched her face, wondering what she'd missed while she was gone. She glanced at Gabby but couldn't smell the same fear that was apparent when they first entered the tower. What did I miss? She asked Karla silently, knowing the woman was still invading her thoughts.
Remember what I told you, Huntress. The more you punish yourself, the more you hurt the ones you love. It's time to stop being afraid and let everyone love you as much as you love them. You deserve to be happy. "Stop being your own worst enemy," she waved a threatening finger in front of Helena's face.
Huntress folded her arms; defiantly. It was hard for her to admit the truth and change wasn't going to come in just one day. "I'll see you tomorrow," she grumbled as the elevator doors closed, taking Karla away. She unfolded her arms and looked at Gabby. "We good?" she asked.
"For now…" Gabby smiled; and walked to Barbara's room, closing the door behind her.
***
When Dinah exited the washroom, she promptly changed the subject, not wanting Barbara to ask her what brought on the sudden outburst. She kept the conversation light; discussing school and eventually each girl elaborating on their meta powers. Barbara enjoyed watching as Dinah shared her skills; freely able to discuss her powers with someone close to her age. Someone who was going through the same things as she was. They exchanged email addresses and promised to keep in touch.
Barbara sat quietly as the two teenagers discussed an array of topics. She was lost in her own thoughts; thinking about the night's events, wondering what was going to happen next and thinking about what Taylor had told her. She always knew she and Helena were close but hearing the words from Taylor really hit home with Barbara. She always said her home was with Helena; it just never occurred to her that she was her soulmate as well. She smiled to herself, knowing that despite all the problems they went though recently, their family would endure and eventually… heal.
It didn't take long for Karla to arrive at the hotel. She entered the room and headed right for the mini-bar, pulling out a handful of bottles then sitting on the table on the chair next to Barbara. She placed two of the small bottles in front of Barbara and greeted her with a nod. "It's not spiked,' she winked; and when Barbara finally opened up the cap, Karla tipped her tiny bottle, clinking it with Barbara's and each drank the contents in one shot.
The redhead then reached for the second bottle; this time she initiated the toast and together, they downed a second shot.
More? Karla asked. Barbara replied with a slight grin. Karla took it as a yes. She went back to the fridge and pulled out the remaining eight bottles, carefully dividing them up between the two of them.
"Do you want to go out on the balcony?" Taylor asked her new friend as she tried to avoid the mixture of emotions in the room. Dinah happily agreed and they went out to watch over New Gotham from the balcony railing.
Immediately after they left, Barbara said, "You've got a really great sister." She must have been adopted, Barbara thought to herself.
"Thank you," Karla answered. "And no, she's not adopted…" Barbara blushed as her private thoughts were heard.
"Sorry," Barbara laughed, unable to help herself.
Karla raised her eyebrow. "Yes… I can see how sorry you are…" she replied sarcastically. She then held up another drink. "Cheers!"
Within ten minutes, both women had finished off five shots of booze each. Neither woman had eaten much in the day so the alcohol affected them rather quickly. It surprised the redhead how drunk Karla got on just five shots. "I thought meta-humans could hold their liquor better than that," she commented as Karla's eyes glazed over.
"Not this meta-human," she informed her drinking partner. "I wasn't blessed with the drinking gene like Helena was."
"Well then I guess we're on even ground then," Barbara observed; but the blonde disagreed.
"Truthfully Barbara…" she leaned closer for emphasis, capturing one of the woman's hands, "I don't think I could ever be on even ground with you."
"You could start by not killing people…" Barbara couldn't resist saying.
Karla continued to rub her thumb over the back of the redhead's hand. "I'll tell you a little secret, Barbara," she whispered, moving closer until her lips were right against her ear. "I've never killed anyone in my life. And with the exception of Harley, I don't think I ever would kill." She kissed Barbara's ear, holding for several seconds before pulling away, looking Barbara directly in the eye; and smiling.
Barbara didn't know whether or not she should believe the woman. She was a master of manipulation… of seduction. She could trick anyone into doing almost anything. "Then why did you lead me to believe that you had killed before?" she asked. "Why try and mess with me?"
Karla used her free hand to reach out and touch Barbara's face; using her thumb and index finger to hold Barbara's chin. "Because it's what I do…"
"Says the scorpion to the turtle... but you know what happens to the scorpion in the fable, don't you?"
"He seduces the turtle into taking him across the river, promising he won't sting. Halfway across, he stings the turtle. As the turtle is dying, he asks why and the scorpion says 'because it's my nature… it's what I do…'" Karla leaned across the table again, still holding Barbara's chin and kissing her softly on the lips. "And they both drown," she finished as she backed away, still locked on emerald green eyes.
"But now you have your sister back…"
"And you have Helena…"
"Then I guess neither of us should drown," Barbara half-smiled; looking at the empty bottles in front of them.
Karla finally let go of Barbara's hand, giving it one final squeeze before she did. "It was very good to meet you, Barbara. I hope our paths cross again."
"As long as it's not on a river…"
***
Helena tapped lightly on Barbara's bedroom door. She waited until she heard a faint 'come in' before she turned the knob and opened the door slowly; carefully. "I just wanted to check on you," she spoke softly, walking closer but still maintaining a fair distance.
Gabby sat on the bed, knees pulled to her chest and back leaning against the headboard. She said nothing.
"How is your concussion? And your arm?" Helena asked cautiously, feeling tremendous guilt as she asked; knowing full well she made both issues worse with her attack.
"I'm not sure if my headache is from stress or from the concussion," the blonde admitted. "But my arm definitely hurt more after I punched you." Her words were flat; direct; truthful.
"Maybe you should have stuck with just kicking me?" Helena suggested; eliciting a tiny smile from the girl.
"I'll remember that for next time…"
Helena approached cautiously and sat at the foot of the bed. Her crystal blue eyes looked into Gabby's. "There won't be a next time," she whispered; her words deep with promise.
A brief moment of silence passed before Gabby spoke again. "I'm tired, Helena," she said, yawning for emphasis.
The brunette immediately rose to her feet. "I'll let you rest then," she replied, slowly walking towards the door.
"Helena?" Gabby called out; hesitantly. When the brunette turned she added, "Would you…" she took a deep breath, calming her nerves, "Would you… stay?" She took another deep breath after she'd said the words. She couldn't help the apprehension she felt, but she was willing to give Helena another chance.
She could almost see Helena's heart jump into her throat after she'd asked her to stay. Her lips parted slightly and her eyes narrowed, wondering if she had heard Gabby correctly. The girl placed her hand on an open spot on the bed; next to her, indicating that Helena had heard her correctly. She wanted to make Helena smile… she hadn't intended on making her teary-eyed. Something Helena had rarely done; with the exception of the past few days.
"Are you sure?" she asked gently. Gabby nodded; so Helena approached, kicking off her shoes and carefully sitting in the open space the blonde had offered. "I really am sor…" she started to say but Gabby cut her off.
"If you say you're sorry one more time I'm going to hurt you…" she threatened; and then smiled to let Helena know she wasn't serious. Not completely, anyway.
Gabby slouched down further on the bed until her head was resting on the pillow. Helena did the same; lying on her back stiffly, not wanting to move in fear of upsetting Gabby who still held some apprehension. The blonde rested on her back for several minutes and slowly inched her way closer to the brunette. She held some reservations but willed herself to get over the nerves and listen to what her heart was telling her.
She moved closer, and rested her head on Helena's shoulder, ever so carefully. Her left arm then slowly crept across Helena's stomach. She could hear the heaviness of Helena's heart beating in her chest. Minutes later, her heart slowed as she got more comfortable; content in the fact that Gabby was offering her some level of trust. Finally she shifted her right arm that Gabby had been leaning against and slipped it around the younger girl's shoulder; allowing the blonde to snuggle closer; resting on the pillowy softness of her chest rather than her bony shoulder.
Gabby's breathing began to slow as she relaxed into the comfort of Helena's arms. The anxiety she felt from the closeness started to fade as exhaustion took over. She closed her eyes and drifted to sleep by the gentle motion of Helena's chest rising and falling as she breathed.
It didn't take long for Helena to drift off from her own exhaustion.
***
Dinah drove back to the clocktower with Barbara in the passenger's seat; too drunk to drive herself. Although she maintained composure, Barbara was definitely over the limit. She didn't say much during the short ride. Many things were on her mind but she wanted to wait until the morning to sort out all the crazy events that had happened. For now, all she wanted to do was crawl into her bed and forget the night ever existed.
They reached the apartment and Barbara immediately headed for her room; wishing Dinah a good-night and then closing the door behind her. The light of her bathroom filtered into her bedroom and she noticed her bed was occupied. She quietly wheeled closer and was surprised to see both Helena and Gabby; sleeping peacefully after such a harrowing night.
She wheeled to the side of the bed and sat in her chair, staring at Helena. Her face looked so soft; so gentle; so peaceful. It was a look that didn't reflect often in her face; so Barbara sat and admired it while she could. They had a mountain of things to discuss; lots of pain to resolve; but as she watched the beautiful woman that Helena had become; Barbara couldn't think of a single thing that would ever pull them apart. No matter what happened, no matter how terrible, life just wasn't the same if she couldn't come home after a rough night and stare down at the sweet face of Helena as she slept. Barbara had been watching her for years. Comforted by the fact that no matter how terrible things got, they would always get through it together.
"Are you going to keep staring at me or are you going to come to bed?" a sleepy voice asked in the darkness.
Barbara smiled… busted again. "There's no room for me," she answered.
Helena opened her tired eyes and gently slid over, taking Gabby with her and freeing up an opening on the bed. "There's always room for you, Barbara," she whispered; her heart wanting to cry from the raw emotion she felt. "Always."
Barbara adjusted her chair and transferred herself onto the bed. She moved towards Helena and adjusted her legs so that she could rest on her side. The brunette slipped her free arm around Barbara's shoulder and helped her slide closer; wanting to feel the contact. Barbara allowed Helena to pull her close and she mirrored Gabby's position. Head resting on Helena's chest, arm around her waist.
Huntress leaned over and kissed Gabby on the top of her head, and did the same with Barbara. "I'm not sure I deserve this," she whispered so quietly in the night air and the response she received; in stereo, made her heart glow.
"You do," both Gabby and Barbara whispered back; simultaneously.
Remind me tomorrow if I start to forget, she thought to herself; then smiled and fell asleep; happy.
***
As the morning sun rose, Helena opened her eyes and discovered that another person had found their way into Barbara's bed. The blonde and redhead were still fast asleep, comforted by Helena's arms. The brunette smiled at her companions and then glanced at their newest visitor. "You didn't have to sleep at the foot of the bed, Dinah," Helena whispered as Dinah awoke. "There's room next to Gabby."
Dinah yawned sleepily, stretching her sore muscles from the position she had slept in. "I didn't want to intrude," she answered back, still feeling a little left out.
"Isn't that what little sisters are supposed to do?" Helena quirked her eyebrow; her question asked playfully.
This brought a smile to Dinah's face. She knew she could never come between the incredible bond that Helena and Barbara shared but after her realization the previous night; with the help of Taylor; Dinah realized that she did belong; in her own way; and that was just as good. "I don't know… I've never had a sister…" Dinah mumbled.
Helena smiled warmly. "Neither have I… but now that I do, I couldn't imagine ever going without."
The blonde's face lit up and with a wide, toothy grin she whispered, "Better watch it, Hel, you're starting to get sappy in your old age…"
"And if you tell anyone, you're not going to live to reach my age. Got it?" she growled in a low tone. "I'll deny everything I said."
Another voice interrupted the conversation. "It's too late, Helena, Dinah's got witnesses," Barbara spoke, opening her sparkling green eyes. "And we heard every… sappy… word… didn't we, Gabby?"
"Mmm hmmm," the blonde mumbled; awake yet too sleepy to talk.
"Oh that's just great!" Helena grumbled as she watched her tough-girl imagine being shattered. "I'm out of here!" She attempted to get up but all three women clutched onto her, not letting Helena out of their grip.
"It's too late, Helena… you're stuck with all of us," Dinah laughed, enjoying the sounds of what she had just said.
All… of… us…
***
Karla and Taylor packed up their belongings and set them by the door. "What time did Helena say she was coming by?" the younger sister asked. "Is Dinah coming with her?"
"I don't know, Tay. I'm not sure she even will," Karla answered.
"Oh yee of little faith," a voice greeted as the hotel room door opened. Helena walked in, pleased that her lock-picking capabilities worked yet again. Both sisters grinned as she strutted in; looking very relaxed and happy.
"Looks like your night got better," Karla commented. "You get lucky?" she winked.
Helena paused. "In a way… yeah…" she smiled inwardly but both women in the room could see the smile in her eyes.
Taylor approached the brunette and gave her a warm, affectionate smile. "I hope this feeling stays with you for a long time," she said, sensing the weight that had been lifted from Helena's heart.
Helena arched her eyebrow. "You trying to psycho-analyze me?" she challenged, lightheartedly.
Taylor blushed, knowing that her mouth spoke before her head told her to take a moment. "No," she admitted. "But I can't help but feel the emotion that you feel. And I'm happy things are working out for you."
"I can't keep any secrets to myself, can I?" she grumbled as another notch in her tough-girl belt disappeared.
"I'm afraid not," Karla laughed, giving Helena a big hug. "I'm glad you stopped by," she said, kissing Helena full on the lips. "I'd invite you to stay," she tilted her head, motioning for the bed, "But we have to head out soon. And something tells me you would end up turning me down."
"No… I'd just say 'some other time'. Call me the next time you're in New Gotham," Helena said; meaning it.
"There were some good times," Karla's voice got quieter; her tone holding a bit of regret.
Helena hugged her tighter. "Yes, there were," she confessed. "But next time, come clean with me from the start."
The blonde kissed and sucked on Helena's earlobe and whispered so only she could hear. "I'll come with you any time, Huntress…" Helena pulled Karla's head back with as her hands mingled in her hair. She tugged lightly and as Karla's mouth came into view, Helena planted hers firmly on top, giving her a final kiss good-bye.
Taylor rushed out to the balcony, trying to escape the flood of emotions that suddenly hit her. The passion was overwhelming and she knew she was far too young to be experiencing what her sister and Helena were feeling. She rushed out, causing the two older women to burst out laughing.
"The joys of having a little sister," Karla laughed, amused.
"I guess I'm about to find out," Helena added; knowing she'd finally, truly accepted Dinah into their family. Even if the kid was a pain.
They said their final good-bye, each woman affectionately giving Helena a hug and reminding her that she always had a place to stay if she wanted to visit Metropolis.
***
As darkness loomed over the city, Helena and Barbara relaxed on the clocktower balcony, side by side.
"You know… they said we were soulmates, Barbara," Helena said, turning to meet Barbara's emerald eyes.
Barbara smiled at her companion and reached out to hold her hand. She sighed contently. "I think they just might be right…"
"Does that mean we finally get to have sex?" Helena asked, hopefully.
"Not a chance in hell, Hel…"
"Not even a quickie?" Barbara glared at her partner. "Great… I'm the only girl in history with a soulmate that won't put out!"
Barbara's eyebrow raised curiously. "But I thought you only liked teenagers?" she teased.
Helena scrunched up her face; knowing she'd been out smartassed again. She stuck out her tongue defiantly and said "Shut up, Barbara."
And silence filled the balcony yet again, as both women watched the night sky, together, as soulmates.