Back to the streets
Barbara returned late that day, it was almost 1 AM. She had been in a very long and boring meeting. In one way she felt grateful for that. The tension between Helena and her was so thick that she could cut it with a knife. She had called Alfred to advise him and to ask him to keep an eye on Helena. The kid had a bit of a temperature at midday. She had spent many hours in the cold night air and her clothes were wet. Thankfully it wasn't anything serious.
He was there when she returned. She put her things on the kitchen table and took off her coat.
"It's very cold outside. How is she?" Barbara asked to him taking off her gloves..
"Bad." Alfred said putting his hands behind his back.
"What happened? Is she in pain? Is Her temperature high? Did she take her pills?" Barbara asked worried. "Why you didn't you call me?"
"She is okay physically. She still has a bit of temperature, nothing serious. But she had her heart broke."
"Oh my! What happened to her now?"
"She thinks that you want her to leave because of her behavior."
"What?" Barbara felt angry. "Alfred, I don't have time for these things."
"She told me you said that." Alfred said pointedly.
"I told her that I will not be her legal guardian the next year. She'll be eighteen years old, and if she feels so uncomfortable with me then she was free to do whatever she wants. That I won't stop her."
"So, she misunderstood you."
"Well, tell her that she is wrong and if she wants stay she can." Barbara wheeled toward the coffe machine
"It's not place. You are the one who needs talk with her. She stayed closed up In her room all day. She didn't eat her lunch or dinner. She just took her medicines."
"I talked with her in the morning. I told her that she will be free of me soon, I'm not going to interfer in her life. She is free. It's what she wants. So I am giving her what she wants, her freedom."
"How do you know that's what she wants?" Alfred asked.
Barbara moved her hands nervous "Alfred I need to accept that she is not happy living with me. She wants her own space, that's to be expected.
"She misinterpreted you as you misinterpreted her. I insist that you two talk. It's what you both need to do."
Barbara looked her cup of coffe, "I promise do it. But I need do it when I don't feel this anger inside me or I will hurt her even more. I don't want to hurt her. as she hurt me. I don't know, sometimes we are."
"Closed."
Barbara glared to him.
"You are." Alfred pointed. "But some one here needs be open. And here, you are the head of the famiy."
Barbara felt trapped "Is she awake?" she finally asked.
"No, she is sleeping. She fell asleep and hour ago after I gave her the medicine."
"Okay, I'll go see her." Barbara put her coffee cup on the table and wheeled toward her protege's room.
* * *
Barbara opened the door slowly, she knew it was hard to wake up Helena, she was a heavy sleeper. But she prefered take her precautions. She didn't want a discussion at midnight. She felt tired and wanted to rest. Alfred had left the lamp on the nightable on. She wheeled inside and stopped next to her. Helena was sleeping deeply. She touched her forehead. Her temperature was normal.
Barbara stayed there looking her in silence several minutes thinking. She was sure that the kid felt unhappy living with her and that's what made her feel sad and frustated. The last days Helena had been cold and distant. She guessed it was because she felt ashamed to be living with a disabled person. She had not realized it was because the kid felt she had failed her mother.
Helena began to move restlessy. Barbara could saw the movement of her eyes under her eyelids. "Nightmare", she said to her self. She stayed there watching her thrash around on the bed. She wasn't sure if she should wake up her or not.
Barbara could see the anguish in the kids face, her breathing becoming rapid. Barbara sighed and raised her arm to take the hand of her protege that was over her chest. she squeezed it and immediately she felt the kid squeezing her back. After a few minutes the kid stopped moving around and began to breath normally again. Barbara waited a few seconds before pulling her hand back slowly.
"If she did't trust in you, be sure that your touch wouldn't make her nightmares disappear." Alfred said at the door, "Good night Miss Barbara." He walked to the elevator.
Barbara turned her head. He was right, but she still felt hurt by the kid's words a few nights ago. "Good night Alfred."
* * * * * *
Barbara woke up and went to the school late. She didn't see Helena that morning. She was better since one of her best advantages was her quick healing. The kid had left for school early. At the lunch time she looked for her unsuccessfully. It seemed like kid was a ghost. She was hiding from her. When the classes finished, Helena left before Barbara could find her.
She was preparing to leave for home but the principal called her for a last minute meeting and she agreed, muttering under her breath. She wanted get home early to talk with the brunette. She arrived three hours later.
"Hi Alfred" she greeeted the old man wheeling inside the kitchen. "Is Helena here?"
"Yes, she told me she was tired and went to sleep in her room almost an hour ago. Would you like me to call her?"
"No, let her rest. She's been hiding from me all day." Barbara took off her gloves. "Maybe I could talk with her later. Thankfully the classes will finish tomorrow and I'll have more time to talk with her. She can't hide from me forever."
"Would you like some dinner now?"
"No, I have work to do. Maybe later." Barbara felt upset and decided it would be better if she went to work on the transponder. Now she had new hope. She had a few bugs to iron out before it would function properly. But she was sure she could fix it. While she worked, she was thinking about what to do with Helena. How to teach her how to control her temper and that running away everytime she had problems was wrong.
"Barbara?" she heard Helena's voice behind her.
"Yes?." Barbara finished to put a transistor on the system.
"I'm going out to patrol."
Barbara took off her glasses and turned around to see her. Helena was standing behind her. She was dressed all in black. She had her hands inside the pockets of her long coat. Her expression was serious but firm. "We talked about this Hel, I don't think the time is right yet."
"I'm going to patrol." she said again.
"You are still hurt."
"No, I'm fine. I heal quick."
"Yes, that's true, but."
"I have been acting like an idiot. But I do learn from my mistakes. I can do this, and I can do it well."
Barbara wheeled around to face her as she moved her head "Helena."
"I'm going to do it, no matter if you help me or not." Helena said fixing her eyes on her. "But I'd prefer to do it with you guiding me."
Barbara looked her surprised, she never had heard Helena speak with that much determination. Helena was talking seriously. "Why?" she asked.
"I want to show you that you didn't make a mistaken with me, that you aren't wasting your time training and teaching me." Helena had the determination to prove it to Barbara and to make the redhead proud of her.
"I never said that."
"But you have been thinking it and I can't blame you for that. I can show you that you weren't wrong, that I can do it. "
"You don't need prove anything to me," Barbara said. "I know that you have the capability to do it. Bt you aren't sure you want to do it. You have your doubts and I want you solve those problems first."
"I'm going to do it. Are you going to guide me or I must do it alone?"
Barbara wasn't sure about her yet, but she couldn't let Helena go onto the streets alone. "Okay" she said pointing her "We are going to do it but one condition: when I say come back you come back, no discussions, okay?"
"Okay." Helena turned and walked to the elevator.
"And do not turn off the comm!"
"Yeah"
Barbara returned late that day, it was almost 1 AM. She had been in a very long and boring meeting. In one way she felt grateful for that. The tension between Helena and her was so thick that she could cut it with a knife. She had called Alfred to advise him and to ask him to keep an eye on Helena. The kid had a bit of a temperature at midday. She had spent many hours in the cold night air and her clothes were wet. Thankfully it wasn't anything serious.
He was there when she returned. She put her things on the kitchen table and took off her coat.
"It's very cold outside. How is she?" Barbara asked to him taking off her gloves..
"Bad." Alfred said putting his hands behind his back.
"What happened? Is she in pain? Is Her temperature high? Did she take her pills?" Barbara asked worried. "Why you didn't you call me?"
"She is okay physically. She still has a bit of temperature, nothing serious. But she had her heart broke."
"Oh my! What happened to her now?"
"She thinks that you want her to leave because of her behavior."
"What?" Barbara felt angry. "Alfred, I don't have time for these things."
"She told me you said that." Alfred said pointedly.
"I told her that I will not be her legal guardian the next year. She'll be eighteen years old, and if she feels so uncomfortable with me then she was free to do whatever she wants. That I won't stop her."
"So, she misunderstood you."
"Well, tell her that she is wrong and if she wants stay she can." Barbara wheeled toward the coffe machine
"It's not place. You are the one who needs talk with her. She stayed closed up In her room all day. She didn't eat her lunch or dinner. She just took her medicines."
"I talked with her in the morning. I told her that she will be free of me soon, I'm not going to interfer in her life. She is free. It's what she wants. So I am giving her what she wants, her freedom."
"How do you know that's what she wants?" Alfred asked.
Barbara moved her hands nervous "Alfred I need to accept that she is not happy living with me. She wants her own space, that's to be expected.
"She misinterpreted you as you misinterpreted her. I insist that you two talk. It's what you both need to do."
Barbara looked her cup of coffe, "I promise do it. But I need do it when I don't feel this anger inside me or I will hurt her even more. I don't want to hurt her. as she hurt me. I don't know, sometimes we are."
"Closed."
Barbara glared to him.
"You are." Alfred pointed. "But some one here needs be open. And here, you are the head of the famiy."
Barbara felt trapped "Is she awake?" she finally asked.
"No, she is sleeping. She fell asleep and hour ago after I gave her the medicine."
"Okay, I'll go see her." Barbara put her coffee cup on the table and wheeled toward her protege's room.
* * *
Barbara opened the door slowly, she knew it was hard to wake up Helena, she was a heavy sleeper. But she prefered take her precautions. She didn't want a discussion at midnight. She felt tired and wanted to rest. Alfred had left the lamp on the nightable on. She wheeled inside and stopped next to her. Helena was sleeping deeply. She touched her forehead. Her temperature was normal.
Barbara stayed there looking her in silence several minutes thinking. She was sure that the kid felt unhappy living with her and that's what made her feel sad and frustated. The last days Helena had been cold and distant. She guessed it was because she felt ashamed to be living with a disabled person. She had not realized it was because the kid felt she had failed her mother.
Helena began to move restlessy. Barbara could saw the movement of her eyes under her eyelids. "Nightmare", she said to her self. She stayed there watching her thrash around on the bed. She wasn't sure if she should wake up her or not.
Barbara could see the anguish in the kids face, her breathing becoming rapid. Barbara sighed and raised her arm to take the hand of her protege that was over her chest. she squeezed it and immediately she felt the kid squeezing her back. After a few minutes the kid stopped moving around and began to breath normally again. Barbara waited a few seconds before pulling her hand back slowly.
"If she did't trust in you, be sure that your touch wouldn't make her nightmares disappear." Alfred said at the door, "Good night Miss Barbara." He walked to the elevator.
Barbara turned her head. He was right, but she still felt hurt by the kid's words a few nights ago. "Good night Alfred."
* * * * * *
Barbara woke up and went to the school late. She didn't see Helena that morning. She was better since one of her best advantages was her quick healing. The kid had left for school early. At the lunch time she looked for her unsuccessfully. It seemed like kid was a ghost. She was hiding from her. When the classes finished, Helena left before Barbara could find her.
She was preparing to leave for home but the principal called her for a last minute meeting and she agreed, muttering under her breath. She wanted get home early to talk with the brunette. She arrived three hours later.
"Hi Alfred" she greeeted the old man wheeling inside the kitchen. "Is Helena here?"
"Yes, she told me she was tired and went to sleep in her room almost an hour ago. Would you like me to call her?"
"No, let her rest. She's been hiding from me all day." Barbara took off her gloves. "Maybe I could talk with her later. Thankfully the classes will finish tomorrow and I'll have more time to talk with her. She can't hide from me forever."
"Would you like some dinner now?"
"No, I have work to do. Maybe later." Barbara felt upset and decided it would be better if she went to work on the transponder. Now she had new hope. She had a few bugs to iron out before it would function properly. But she was sure she could fix it. While she worked, she was thinking about what to do with Helena. How to teach her how to control her temper and that running away everytime she had problems was wrong.
"Barbara?" she heard Helena's voice behind her.
"Yes?." Barbara finished to put a transistor on the system.
"I'm going out to patrol."
Barbara took off her glasses and turned around to see her. Helena was standing behind her. She was dressed all in black. She had her hands inside the pockets of her long coat. Her expression was serious but firm. "We talked about this Hel, I don't think the time is right yet."
"I'm going to patrol." she said again.
"You are still hurt."
"No, I'm fine. I heal quick."
"Yes, that's true, but."
"I have been acting like an idiot. But I do learn from my mistakes. I can do this, and I can do it well."
Barbara wheeled around to face her as she moved her head "Helena."
"I'm going to do it, no matter if you help me or not." Helena said fixing her eyes on her. "But I'd prefer to do it with you guiding me."
Barbara looked her surprised, she never had heard Helena speak with that much determination. Helena was talking seriously. "Why?" she asked.
"I want to show you that you didn't make a mistaken with me, that you aren't wasting your time training and teaching me." Helena had the determination to prove it to Barbara and to make the redhead proud of her.
"I never said that."
"But you have been thinking it and I can't blame you for that. I can show you that you weren't wrong, that I can do it. "
"You don't need prove anything to me," Barbara said. "I know that you have the capability to do it. Bt you aren't sure you want to do it. You have your doubts and I want you solve those problems first."
"I'm going to do it. Are you going to guide me or I must do it alone?"
Barbara wasn't sure about her yet, but she couldn't let Helena go onto the streets alone. "Okay" she said pointing her "We are going to do it but one condition: when I say come back you come back, no discussions, okay?"
"Okay." Helena turned and walked to the elevator.
"And do not turn off the comm!"
"Yeah"