Barbara gazed to Helena, who had been distracted almost all day. Just staring at nothing. She had told her about her encounter with the stranger the day before and her visit to Arkham. Something she had feared for years.

She stopped her work at Delphi and went upstairs to where Helena was.

The brunette was just sitting in the library on a single couch staring at the glass of the Clock. Barbara observed her.

Helena was facing the possibility of knowing who had killed her mother, it worried her. The young woman had much anger inside and she was afraid of what she could do or how she could react. She was very impulsive and didn't stop to think.

She sat on the arm of the couch where Helena was sitting and moved an arm behind her, she noticed she was tense. She bent and kissed her head.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"You always were a bad liar." The redhead smiled lightly trying to make her relax.

"Yeah… I think so."

"A woman is behind this."

"Excuse me?"

"I know it's a woman the one that is the brain. We just need find who is she."

"It's weird."

"Yes."

"Thinking about that yet?" the redhead brushed unruly dark hair.

"He knows who killed her," Helena moved her hand close to her mouth. "he knows it."

"Clayface must be just taunting you. It's weird how a man appeared just to tell you that, sending you to him."

"It's scary, he seems know everything about me. Who is that man? Do you know him?"

"Yeah, he is a dangerous villain. We fought against him." the redhead looked at her "Don't trust in him. He is playing with your emotions."

"I must see him again. He knows who killed mom."

"Don't go."

"I need to go." Helena turned to look at Barbara "I need to find out who killed my mother. I'll kill him."

"Helena," Barbara said taking a deep breath "We don't kill."

"You don't kill." The young woman stood up.
Barbara felt frustrated. Why was it so hard for Helena to understand she was wrong? She followed her with her gaze. "And how could it help to bring your mother back?"

The thin woman turned to see her. "It doesn't help, but he must pay, an eye for an eye."

"You are wrong."

Helena stood up at the rail and looked down to the lab. The computers were humming and working.

"Barbara you can't ask me be to fair with someone that destroyed my life and stole my mother from my side."

The redhead walked to her and stood at her side. She touched her arm. "I know how much you have suffered but killing him will just destroy you."

Helena inhaled deeply. "Maybe you didn't listen to me. He already destroyed me."

"Do you feel now as if your life is destroyed?"

Helena moved forward and hugged her hard.

"You saved me." She mumbled in a low voice. "I'd be lost without you."

"So move on Helena, don't let this keep hurting you…" Barbara hugged her back wishing she could understand.

"I can't." the brunette moved back taking the redhead's face between her hands "I promised to take revenge on her. The murderer was never found, he never paid. No one fought to find him and make him pay. Not even my father… it was unfair, she didn't deserve it."

"You hate him for not taking revenge for your mother's death?"

"It was the only thing I asked him…" Helena lowered her head and rested her hands on her hips "He didn't love mom as much as he said."

"He loved her a lot." Barbara said.

"No… he didn't." she turned her back to the redhead "I never quit looking for her murderer. He never tried to find him."

"He did, he put the Joker in jail."
"Joker didn't kill mom."

"He sent the murderer to do it."

"But he was not the one who stabbed her." Blue eyes were cold, so cold that Barbara felt a shiver in her spine "I'll find him and I'll do what my father couldn't… make him pay."

"I can't support you in this. You do know that, right?"

"I know, it's something I must do on my own."

Barbara bit her lips. She shook her head and covered her eyes with her hand. Helena looked at her with sadness, she didn't want to disappoint her but she felt it was something she needed to do. She felt it in her veins, in her blood.

"I must do it Barbara, for her." Helena whispered.

"She didn't ask you to do it." Barbara clenched her teeth "She was against killing. She always respected human life."

"Don't ask me to respect the life of a person who didn't care about the life of other people." Helena said with sad voice.

The redhead moved in front of her and fixed green eyes on blue. Helena was incredibly beautiful. She made her heart thump hard, feel her knees weak with every touch, with the sound of her voice. She loved her as she never thought she could love someone. She didn't want be mad with her, maybe she needed to give her time.

"Revenge will take you to a road with no end. Don't do it. Please." The redhead moved forward and kissed her on her cheek. "Think about it."

Barbara turned and walked to the stairs.

"Barbara?" Helena mumbled.

The older woman stopped walking and turned to see her.

"Will you love me knowing I killed some one?"

"Don't ask me that."

"Will you do it?"

"And if I ask you don't do it… will you do it?"

Helena took a deep breath and lowered her head. "I love you Barbara, I'll die for you."

"Don't kill then."

The brunette didn't answer. Barbara kept walking toward the stairs. Helena fixed her gaze on her and said "You didn't answer me. Will you love me knowing I killed some one?"

Barbara stopped, taking the rail with her right hand. She inhaled deeply and kept silent long seconds. Helena felt nervous, the fact that she could lose Barbara shattered her heart but this was beyond her own reason. She needed to take revenge on her mother's death. She had given everything to her, it was fair to give her the same.

"I'll do it but…" Barbara finally said not looking her "I will blame myself forever for not making you understand that it is wrong."

"It's my decision, not yours."

"We are a couple, if you hadn't noticed. I want to share everything with my partner. And I'll hate to see you being consumed by your own pain and anger."

She then kept making her way down stairs.

Helena stood unmoving, she turned her head to the Clock window.

Afternoon was falling.

Clayface sat on the floor in his cell reading a book. The door lock buzzed and Helena walked into the room. The door closed shut behind her, she walked up to Clayface.

"You were a treasure hunter and found a mysterious radioactive pool of protoplasm in a cave. Immersing yourself in it, you transformed into a malleable clay-like form. You have a son named Chris."

"I now know that Oracle has done her research." He said.

"Tell me where I can find him."

"I think not, Helena. Besides, you wouldn't be able to stop him. He's become much too powerful now."

"Hmm, that's too bad." Helena cocked her head to the side "I was going to suggest a trade - you know, information for... some inspiration."

Her words caught his attention, he smirked and looked at the thin brunette. "Inspiration. Now you're talking."

"Tell me about him."

"Well..." Clayface put the book down on the floor next to him and stood up. "I... he always tried to kill Batman but he always would escape. The damn bat was lucky enough. So, when Joker asked him kill your mom it would be my guess that he was trying to take revenge on him."

"What my father did to him? Why he was he so angry at him?"

"It's your turn."

"Come on, just tell me."

"Helena, I laid down some ground rules here now." Clayface smiled "Now, you don't play by my rules, we ain't going to play nothing at all."

"Okay." The brunette exhaled with hands inside the pockets of her long coat "What do you want?"

"I want more emotion. Now, why don't you just re-live with me the night that mommy got killed?"

Helena didn't say anything. He was digging in a part of her feelings she had kept buried for long years.

"Now, as I recall, we were standing out in front of this big department store." He said.

Helena's head snapped to him. "What do you mean, 'we'?"

Clayface looked at Helena. She turned to look at Clayface as his face morphed into another face. The face of another man.

The memories of the night her mother died hit Helena's head. Selina was lying on the ground out on the street. She was kneeling over her mother's body. She screamed for help but no one moved.

Helena looked up and saw someone holding a knife in the crowd. She yelled to stop him but he dropped the knife and it fell into the water on the road and he ran. She then turned to her mom, trying to make her come back, praying she would be okay, praying she would open her eyes once more.

Helena stared at Clayface who was watching her with glee. She felt her heart beating hard in her chest. She remembered him, it was clear as yesterday. She couldn't hide the surprise.

"I remember that face. It was you."

"I used a 7-inch switchblade," the criminal said moving his face inches closer to the glass of his cell "and it tore through her flesh surprisingly well."

Helena took a couple of steps back, her eyes glued to him.

"I can still see that vacant look in her eyes, staring through the face of death."

"That's why they couldn't find the killer" she mumbled, "It was you."
Clayface morphed back.

"But the one regret that I have," he smirked "is that I did not linger at that scene long enough to watch your pain and your suffering and your anger."

"You bastard!" Helena stepped forward and pounded the glass with her fists trying to break it and kill the man with her own hands. The crashing sound echoing in the empty room.

Clayface took a step back in his cell and pushed her to keep going. "Yeah! Yeah!"

"You bastard!" the brunette smashed the glass with all her strength but it was too strong. She hit the glass again and again, pounding her fists against it, trying to break the only thing that stopped her from beating him to death.

"Yeah! Hit that glass! Yeah, hit it –" he shouted "That's what I'm saying!"

"I'll kill you!" the brunette shouted using her feet to hit the heavy glass.

"Come on! Hit that glass!" Clayface kept encouraging her, thoroughly enjoying Helena's anger and hatred "Come on, baby, come on! Yeah, come on! Hit the glass, baby!"
The brunette punched the glass with her fist making the whole structure tremble once more.

"Helena, hit the glass!" Clayface shouted.

The brunette suddenly stopped and leaned against the glass breathing heavily feeling a mix of feelings hitting her. He was playing with her feelings.

"Helena, no, don't stop! Hit the glass." Clayface tried to get her to continue. "Come on!"

Helena stepped back feeling as if a deep wound was opened that left her flesh exposed. She was facing the ghost that had haunted her for years, the person that she hated most in the world. It was something unexpected and shocking. He had killed her mother and felt proud of it. He was playing with her, with her feelings. He wanted to be in control.

"You're enjoying this." She said slowly making her way back toward the door.

"Oh, don't stop now." Clayface felt disappointed. "Come on, baby. We're just getting started."

The brunette shook her head, she was not going to let him win this match. The guard opened the door.

"No, no, no!" the criminal growled.

Helena left the room. The bars slammed shut behind her. She gave him a last look before turning and leaving.

The redhead had been working at Delphi –trying to- knowing that Helena was visiting Clayface again had her nerves on edge. All afternoon she had been looking at the clock, praying he wouldn't tell her the truth.

Maybe it was time to talk with her but… she was scared about how Helena would react, that she would let her feelings take control of her and make her do something she would regret all her life. She didn't want to see her consumed in her anger, her ire. Helena had a very beautiful soul that didn't deserve to be lost in hate and pain.

She didn't want it for her.

Helena had been a happy child, always with a smile to give and after her mother died she had hidden herself in a dark corner; she had been trying to bring back the beautiful and wonderful soul that Helena kept hiding afraid to be hurt again.

Behind that hard shell she had built around her. The young woman was sweet, tender and so in need of love. She was an exceptional woman.

She didn't want to lose her.

She loved her.

The bell of the elevator took her out of her thoughts.

A big relief filled her noticing it was Helena. But her relief disappeared almost immediately when she noticed her expression.

"He killed her." The brunette mumbled as she stormed out of the elevator not knowing what to do, scream, yell, or cry.

"What?"

"He killed my mother dammit." The brunette stepped inside the platform where Barbara was.

"What happened?" Barbara stopped her work at the computer and turned her chair to see her.

"He said he did it" Helena shouted pacing moving her hands through her hair. She still felt disturbed, confused, she didn't expect this. "Clayface said he did it and he didn't feel sorry for it. He felt proud of it, son of bitch!"

"Helena please calm down."

"He murdered her. I've got to do something." The brunette growled.

"What are you going to do?" Barbara asked with a calm voice looking her.

"I don't know." She shrugged her shoulders "Tear him apart?"

"He's in Arkham for the rest of his life, where he belongs." Barbara said sadly moving her head. "I shouldn't let you go."

Helena stopped her pacing, her eyes fixed on the redhead. Suddenly pieces fell in place. She locked her blue eyes on the older woman who seemed suddenly to avoid her gaze.

"You knew, didn't you?"

Barbara inhaled deeply. "Helena..."

"That's why you didn't want me to talk to Clayface." The brunette interrupted her feeling betrayed "You didn't want me to find out the truth!"

"No, I didn't know for sure." The redhead said out loud, Helena looked at her with such pain and anguish that she felt her heart brake.

"How could you keep this from me?"

"Because when the rumors first circulated, you were too young," Barbara explained trying to get her to understand "and then after, Clayface was in Arkham. I didn't see the point."

"The point? The point is knowing who killed my mother."

"Why? So you could exact revenge? That's not what we do, Helena!"

"Yeah. You keep saying that like you somehow know exactly what's inside of me. You don't, Barbara. You have no idea who I am."

With one last look at Barbara, Helena left.

"Helena please come back!" Barbara stood up and walked behind her, but the brunette didn't listen and stepped inside the elevator.

"Please Helena."

The doors closed behind her.

Barbara clenched her fists feeling impotent. Maybe it had been a mistake to hide what she knew about Clayface.

Dammit.

She covered her face with her hand.

Fuck.

The streets were empty as Helena walked out into the night. She still felt disappointed, betrayed, and angry. There were so many emotions flowing inside her and she didn't know what to do. She felt betrayed again by the person she loved most.

Why had Barbara hidden the truth from her?

Why?

She needed to kill that man. She needed to take revenge for her mother's death.

Huntress, are you there? the redhead's came over her comms.

Still angry, Helena didn't answer. She kept walking.

Okay, fine, then just listen. Clayface escaped from prison. I think he could be hiding in the dockyards, he used to have a hideout there.

Helena paced the street.

"Good. I need somebody to hit."

You need to go prepared. He is dangerous. Please, could you come here? We need to talk.

"I don't want to talk."

Okay, just –just, let's talk about what to do, how to catch him.

"I'll be fine." Helena said irritated.

Don't let your anger control you…

Helena interrupted. "Look, if something happens, you've got to be happy, I'll not annoy you anymore. You will not need to keep hiding things from the child."

You do not annoy me, you are not a child to me.

"Doesn't look like it to me. You treat me like one. I'm out."

Helena, we've been through this. We don't kill. End of story.

"Whatever you say, Barbara." The brunette turned off her mic and ran toward the dockyards.

She moved as fast as she could. She needed to find him and make him pay.

"Let her come in." Quinzel stood up from her desk arranging her dress. This was an unexpected, but nice, surprise. Helena had finished her sessions with her almost a month ago and she hadn't called or looked for her.

Well, the truth is that she had expected it, but not so soon.

She had looked for a way to take Helena to the edge and separate her from the moralist Batgirl such as making Helena do something against all the redhead's beliefs. She knew about the absurd code that ruled super heroes about not killing.

Batgirl aka Barbara Gordon was a strict follower of that rule.

Helena had a deep anger hiding inside her ready to explode, wanting to take revenge for her mother's murder. She had sent a man looking for the brunette to tell her who had killed her mother.

If she could make Helena kill her mother's murderer, it would create an insolvable distance between her and the redhead. She had seen the determination in Barbara Gordon, during her talk with Barbara, and Helena's conversations, she understood that the bond between them was incredibly strong and that Barbara really felt something deep for the young woman and that her feelings were reciprocated. It would be fun to take Helena from her side and break her soul.

The door of her office opened and the gorgeous Helena Kyle appeared. The girl was magnificent. Beautiful, she really wanted her at her side.

"Helena, this is a nice surprise." She smiled at the thin brunette who seemed to be disturbed, disconcerted.

Helena looked at her in silence, hands in pockets.

"I didn't expect you to come to see me. But I'm glad you are here" The blonde stood up in front of her "How can I help you?"

Helena moved her head and brushed her hair back with her hands.

"Something wrong?" Harley asked.

The brunette turned her back to her and stared at the city below through the big window.

"I know who killed my mom." Helena finally said.

"Excuse me?" Quinzel stood up keeping her distance from her.

"I know who killed my mother." She turned to see the doctor.

"Excuse me?"

"It's not important, I just know who it is…" the brunette turned again to see through the window.

"What are you going to do?" Quinzel asked curiously.

"Kill him." The answer was fast and sharp.

"Do you think that is right? Killing someone?"

"It's an eye for an eye... It's justice."

"Do you think Barbara will like it? For you it's very important what she thinks."

Helena bit her lips and moved her head. It hurt her that Barbara knew about him and she hadn't said anything. Once more she had…

Dammit how could she do this to her? Barbara was afraid she would kill, she knew it. It was against her beliefs but… it was her choice, she should not have hidden this from her.

"Helena?"

"It's my choice." She mumbled.

"Have you spoken with her?" the blonde asked standing at her side. Helena was tense, angry and sad. She was ready to explode, she was on the edge. Exactly where she wanted her. She looked incredibly beautiful.

"It doesn't matter." The brunette said with sadness.

"Why not? She is… your girlfriend…"

"I said it doesn't matter."

The blonde circled the young girl and stood in front of her.

"Are you afraid to lose her?"

"Why should I be?"

"Well, she is beautiful, men follow her like bees to honey. She's always dated men and maybe, after a time with you, she will want to try again with men."

"She will never do that!" Helena growled.

"How do you know?" Quinzel asked with a calm voice "She has only been with you a few times. Do you really think she could be in love?"

"I'm…"

"But we don't know about her… and there were men before you, you told me, Dick Grayson, Wade…"

Helena grumbled and turned her back on her, suddenly feeling jealous as hell. She clenched her fist.

"And we don't know what she would do if you found the man that murdered your mother and killed him."

"She said she would love me anyway."

Quinzel chuckled and walked to her. "Knowing her passion for doing the right thing, do you think she really could?" the blonde stood at her side fixing her eyes on her. "What if her sense of right is stronger than her "love" for you? It will destroy your relationship."

The brunette kept silent, staring at the floor, she was right. Barbara always followed the rules, she had become a crime fighter to help justice and law. Could she live next to a murderer? Next to a person that had gone so far and taken justice into her own hands?

She couldn't live without her, she couldn't imagine a day far from her.

"Why are you here Helena?" Quinzel's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"I don't know…" the brunette shook her head feeling confused.

"Why would you kill him, knowing Barbara will disagree with it?"

Helena fixed her blue eyes on Quinzel. Her gaze was deep, intense. She didn't answer, she just lowered her head.

"If I talk as your doctor I'd say you don't do it. But… If you ask me as a friend, I'd tell you… kill him. Kill him, it's only fair. Make him pay for what he did."

Quinzel was a beautiful woman, with a very powerful personality. She was not tall but had a magnetic personality, it was hard be in a place and not notice the petite doctor. Helena knew it.

"I want you to understand that I support you." Quinzel took her hand "I know how much it meant for you, the loss of your mother. I understand how much you have suffered and how much means for you that mother has the revenge she deserves."

Quinzel stood in front of her, very close holding Helena's gaze. The doctor's soft perfume filled the brunette's nostrils. It was a pleasant smell, different.

"I want you to understand that you are important to me," the blonde whispered "I care about you."

"Thanks." The brunette mumbled.

"Do you trust me Helena?" Quinzel moved her face inches closer to her.

"Yes." Helena had her eyes locked in the doctor.

"I want be a support for you, a friendly hand, a shoulder where you can rest… I'll be with you, no matter what you choose."

Not saying a word more, Harleen moved forward and brushed her lips against her. Helena gasped surprised and it was then that Quinzel deepened the caress.

Not knowing why, Helena let her kiss her.

Barbara threw her Batgirl cowl to the table feeling annoyed and frustrated. She let herself fall to her chair and put her elbow over the arm of the chair covering her eyes with her hand. It had been a frustrating night.

She had been looking for Helena all day, but she seemed to have vanished. She needed to see her, to talk with her.

Helena needed to listen to her.

The girl seemed to have vanished; she had searched unsuccessfully in every corner of the city where she used to be.

"Where are you?" she mumbled to herself.

She felt like she wanted to cry. Helena would be so filled with anger that she could do something crazy. She would be so blind with anger that she could commit a mistake and it would be mortal.

"Did you find her?" Alfred asked walking toward her.

"No," the redhead sighed "I looked for her everywhere, she won't answer her phone, she didn't go to work, she is not in her place… I found this on her night table." She extended her hand with Helena's necklace. "I can't locate her. Dammit"

"She must be really angry."

"Yes, I know, but I thought at least I could talk with her. I'm worried now Alfred. I need to find her, to talk with her."

"Master Bruce?"

"He knew Clayface had escaped and called me last night. I told him she was angry with me."

"I know, you told me." Alfred said "Did he find her?"

"Yes. He found her but she didn't listen to him. He told me he tried but she insisted on finding Clayface and killing him."

"She never listened to him, hard to think she would now. The only person who she would listen to is you miss Barbara."

"I hope so… he could kill her. He is insane… he could morph himself into anything. She must be in control of all her senses to avoid him surprising her, I need to find Helena."

Barbara turned her chair and took the keyboard between her hands.

"Will you try to find her again then?" Alfred asked behind her.
"No, I'll try to find Clayface. If I find him, I'll find Helena."

"And how will you find him?"

"I have noticed that there have been some robberies in some jewelry stores with the same connection, the employees said that the owner or the manager were the ones who took the jewels, but they deny it saying they were in other places, and they were telling the truth."

"Clayface?"

"He can take any shape and it's pretty obvious what is he doing."

"Trying to let her find him?" Alfred asked.

"Yes… he wants a confrontation with her…" Barbara mumbled.

"That doesn't sound good."

"Exactly…"

TBC