Author's Notes: Thanks to Lily, Cari, and Kate for all the support. Thank you Terra for all the wonderful comments and advice. Also thanks to everyone who sent in feedback. Special thanks to Ashley for bearing with me and assuring me that even though I think this part falls short of my usual writing, it was good enough to send in.
Helen sat alone in McCall's sipping her iced tea and tapping her fingers along the marble countertop. She scanned the room for any signs of Lindsay, wondering why she was so late. It wasn't like Lindsay not to be on time. She glanced down at her watch. She had to be back at work in less than fifteen minutes. If Lindsay didn't hurry, she'd have to leave soon.
"Helen!" Lindsay called, rushing into the restaurant. "Sorry, I got held up at trial. Hiller was pissed that the prosecution withheld evidence and coached a witness. They claimed that it was a filthy accusation and I…" She stopped, still seething after that embarrassing display in the courtroom. "Well, let's just say I was angry, and then Hiller called us into Chambers and lectured us."
Helen shook her head. "It's okay. I mean, I only have a few minutes left, but no big deal. Anyway, let's get down to business. You know that apartment you looked at the other day?"
Lindsay smiled. "You mean the one I couldn't afford because of the crappy pay Bobby gives me?"
"That's the one," Helen said grinning. "I think you should reconsider.
"Oh, I don't know," Lindsay admitted shaking her head. "The down payment's okay, but the rent's a little high…"
"Not if you split it!" Helen said bluntly.
"What are you suggesting?" Lindsay asked wryly, looking at Helen suspiciously.
Helen slammed the newspaper down on the table and looked her friend in the eye. "Well," she replied. "My lease is up this week, and I've been searching for a place. And, you've been shopping around for a new apartment so, I figured we could move in together."
Lindsay bit her bottom lip in deep thought for a moment. If she agreed to Helen's proposition than she would only pay a small amount of money for rent a month, plus she'd get to see more of her best friend. Also, she had been itching like crazy to find another place to live and she had already checked out the apartment. It was extremely nice with a lot of included accommodations. However the rent was a bit on the pricey side…but with her and Helen's salary together, it would be more than enough to cover the rent plus all the bills. On the other hand, she'd have to deal with Helen's crazy boyfriends, invasion of privacy, and only one bathroom for the two of them. Still…the pros sure outweighed the cons.
"Okay," Lindsay agreed sighing. "We'll look into it later. I'm supposed to get out at five. I'll tell Bobby that I can't stay any later."
"Great!" Helen remarked, smiling. "I'll call the owner on my break. I already talked to her about the good possibility that we would move in and she's holding it for us."
"Why do I have the strangest feeling this is going to be like college all over again?" Lindsay asked, the slightest hint of a smirk on her face.
Helen hit her playfully with the newspaper. "Well, I make no promises about the men and the drinking thing, but I can guarantee I won't smoke since somebody made me quit. Besides, I practically live at work. I won't have nearly enough time to annoy you."
Lindsay laughed. "Oh, I'm sure you'll find the time."
Helen thought for a moment then smiled. "Probably!" she remarked, getting up. "I got to go. Must head back to work before Kate flips. She's already scared to death about my murder trial. It's kind of hilarious to see the way she paces around my room watching every move I make."
"Leave it to you, the cynic, to find humor in the midst of a murder trial," Lindsay said grinning.
"Well someone has to," Helen replied. "Catch you later babe."
"Bye," Lindsay called, taking another sip of her coffee as Helen left.
"Hey babe," Helen called, walking into the main office of DYD&F…again without knocking. Lucy shot her a snide look and Helen tried desperately to hide her laughter.
Lindsay tried to ignore the tension between them as she slid her coat on. "Tell Bobby I left," she told Lucy.
"He wanted you to stick around for that lujack we got," Ellenor told Lindsay. "Said you were the only one available to take it."
Lindsay sighed. "I always get the lujacks! You take it! I'm already defending half the drug dealers in this city. I can only do so much!"
"Which case is this?" Rebecca asked, looking up from her computer.
"Double homicide," Ellenor said.
"The Jeffers' case?" Rebecca inquired.
"That's it."
Rebecca sighed. "I'll take it."
"But what about your carjacking case?" Lindsay asked.
"Mistrial," Rebecca announced. "Apparently the prosecution wasn't aware that they had to turn over all the evidence. They tried springing a videotape on us during trial. Kittleson flipped, case was dismissed."
Ellenor raised her eyebrows and shook her head. "Yet another criminal back on the streets."
"It's what we're good at," Lindsay pointed out.
"Maybe you should make that your slogan," Lucy joked.
"It already is," Helen replied.
"So where you going so early?" Beck asked.
"Um, Helen and I are checking out an apartment we might get," Lindsay explained. "It's a little on the expensive side, but together we can afford it."
"So you two are going to live together?" Ellenor asked, surprised.
"Yup," Helen replied. "We did in college."
"And survived!" Lindsay added with a grin.
"Hey, if it makes your rent cheaper, then go for it," Rebecca said. "As long as it's not a small two roomed place like I got."
"No, it's gorgeous," Lindsay exclaimed.
"Well, if you ask me…" Lucy began.
"We didn't," Ellenor and Helen remarked at the same time.
"Geez, don't have to get so snippy!" Lucy replied, offended. "I was just going to say, I thought it was a pretty good idea."
Lindsay and Helen turned to each other incredulously. "You do?!" they asked at the same time. Helen cocked her head to the side, waiting for one of Lucy's sarcastic comments. She could see through that fake smile and innocent act that everyone had bought.
"Yeah, I do," she said grinning. "I mean, hell, that way you guys can share Bobby. You know like joint custody. Lindsay can get him Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and Helen Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. And alternating Sundays." Lucy smiled a victorious smile, as the room became deathly silent. Lindsay and Helen hadn't discussed the whole Bobby situation and Rebecca and Ellenor definitely didn't want to get involved. It was way too complicated. Leave it to Lucy to find the situation humorous.
Without another thought, Helen charged at Lucy, this time Lindsay unable to sustain her. Lucy screamed as she fell out of her chair, hoping she her heels were sharp enough to keep Helen from killing her.
"HELEN!" Lindsay remarked as she rushed over along with Rebecca, trying to help break them up. Lucy shrieked as Helen kicked her, her arms refrained by Lindsay, and Lucy tried vigorously to squirm out of Rebecca's grasp.
"You bitch!" Lucy shouted. "You're frickin crazy!"
"Me? What the hell was that comment for huh? Can't get laid yourself so you're trying to mess with people who can?" Helen spat as Lindsay pulled her to her feet.
"That's low!" Lucy remarked. "You're the one who…"
"Hey!" Eugene remarked as he and Bobby entered the room.
"What the hell is going on?!" Bobby demanded, noting Lucy's upside down chair, Helen's disheveled hair, and paperwork all over the place.
"She started it!" Lucy replied, pointing at Helen, in her usual immature manner.
Ellenor sighed. "Give it a break Luce."
"She did!" Lucy insisted. "All I did was say…well… She's the one who got violent!"
"As I'm sure Lindsay wanted to do as well!" Rebecca remarked.
"Hey, what is this, gang up on Lucy day?" Lucy asked incredulous that they were all taking Helen's side. They had all joined her in the gossip of Helen, Bobby, and Lindsay's strange relationship earlier. They were all a bunch of hypocrites. The traitors.
"Would somebody please explain what just happened here?" Bobby asked, his voice firm and demanding.
Rebecca sighed. "Lucy decided to piss Helen off as usual, only this time, she went a bit too far…"
"And she came at me!" Lucy said. "I'm the victim here!!! I'm the damaged party!"
Rebecca rolled her eyes, and hit Lucy over the head with a chart.
"Ow," Lucy remarked, though the chart had barely scraped her hair.
"Well what did she say?!" Bobby asked, still baffled by the whole scenario.
"Nothing!" Lindsay remarked quickly, not allowing anyone to repeat it. Lindsay finally let go of Helen, hoping she'd leave Lindsay alone now that Bobby and Eugene were back.
Still not knowing when to quit, Lucy smiled and repeated, "Alternating Sundays." She grinned triumphantly, her eyes daring Helen to come at her again.
Not caring who the hell was watching her, Helen started forward again, a frozen look of terror on Lucy's face, and she darted backwards. However, Bobby quickly grabbed both of Helen's arms, not allowing her to move any further.
"Let go of me!" Helen snapped, trying futilely to escape his grasp.
With Eugene now in between Helen and Lucy, Bobby decided it would be safe to let her go. She quickly pulled away from him, throwing the office door open and storming out. Bobby looked around, not sure what to do. He could try comforting his maniac secretary…the one who had supposedly started this whole thing. He also might be able to get Lindsay to talk about what happened…find out why Helen was so upset. But he figured, his best bet was going to the heart of the problem. That meant talking to Helen. Would it be easy? Hell no. She'd probably refuse to answer any of his questions and throw him out. But he had to try.
Without a word to anyone left inside of the main office, Bobby turned and walked swiftly out of the room. He rushed into an elevator, nearly cutting his arm off in the process. He leaned against the wall, not aware that everyone's eyes were on him, the crazy man who had ran inside as if his life depended on it. He sighed deeply thinking of Helen. The two hadn't talked since that day in the corridor, despite his futile attempts. She ignored him at work and never returned any of his phone calls. He had finally given up a few days ago, giving her some space to think things through without interference. She had returned his 'hi' earlier this morning, which he took as a good sign.
Finally the damn elevator, (he swore it went slower when he was in a hurry) opened up and just as quickly as he darted in, he went out. He rapidly went across the street to the building where Helen's office was located. He could only pray she was there. He had no idea whether or not she was there…she could be anywhere in this damn city. At the courthouse, a crime scene, a meeting, the station…however going to her office was worth a shot. Sighing once more, he straightened his suit, and walked inside.
"Damn it!" Helen muttered, tossing another crumbled up piece of paper in her trash bin. She had been working on this damn closing for three days. Nothing sounded right. She eyed the area around the garbage that was now covered in balls of paper and she slumped down in her chair. She threw her elbows on her desk and rested her chin in her palms. Why couldn't she concentrate? She'd been like this for a few weeks now…come to think of it, she had been like this ever since she returned from vacation.
The answer was obvious, she knew it was. It was because of Bobby. She hated him. No, she loved him! She hated him because she loved him! It wasn't fair! Her life had been going just fine without him! She had been ignoring him as much she could. But she couldn't go on pretending he was oblivious to her for the rest of her life. She had to face him sooner or later. She preferred later…much later.
She heard a quiet rap on her door and froze. She knew that tap. It was the same knock he always used. Even when he was furious with her, he never changed that tap. Five short knocks on the door, each one as quiet as the first, yet she still always managed to hear it no matter what. Then he would push the door open, just as he was doing now. She instinctively sat up straight staring dead ahead, afraid to move.
"Hey," he said, shutting the door as he stepped inside.
"Bobby," she replied, ready to force a smile, but surprised when one already formed on her face unexpectedly. "Uh, what brings you here?" she asked, looking down as she got to her feet.
"I wanted to check on you," he said honestly. "Make sure you were okay. The whole thing with Lucy and all."
"I'm fine," she insisted, still not looking up at him. She walked to the side of her desk and stopped, not allowing herself to get too close to him. She wasn't sure she could control herself if she did. "Is that all you wanted?" she asked. "Because I still have a lot of work to do. I have a closing to finish."
"Yeah, I see that," he said, eyeing the clusters of balled up paper all over her floor.
"Yeah," she said, nodding and crossing her arms. She felt a chill down her spine and she bit her lips to sustain it. She remained staring at the floor, shuffling her feet slightly to serve as a distraction.
Bobby noticed her distance and threw his head back in frustration. What was it going to take to get through to her? Why couldn't she just talk to him? It would make things so much easier if she'd just open up to him. But he knew her, and he knew that wasn't her style. He knew he wasn't the easiest person to talk to, hell, he never opened up either…but she could at least scream…yell. Anything was better than her silence. It was ghastly, and it pierced right through his heart, like a jagged arrow.
"Helen," he whispered. His words came out soft and soothing, yet he could still feel her pulling away. His eyes saddened, wishing there was something he could do, something he could say. He just wanted to make things better for her. He wanted to let her know that he was there for her. That he always would be. That no matter what she could turn to him. He longed to comfort her, to ease all her pain. So many things he needed to tell her, yet he couldn't until she broke this barrier she had put up between them.
Helen winced as he stroked her cheek, turning her head away quickly. She couldn't look at him. To see his eyes…it would be unbearable. She wasn't sure she'd be able to keep up with this façade of hers if she saw the truth in his eyes. It was easier to believe that his promises were all just empty words. Words he was only saying but didn't mean. She could keep pretending that was true until…
Not able to let her fight her inward battle any longer, Bobby moved closer, cupping her face in his hands. Helen was forced to look into his eyes. Into his profound, sapphire eyes. They showed the same yearning for her that she felt for him, and now she was unable to deny any of the feelings she kept hidden deep down inside. "Bobby…I can't…" she began, but never turned away from him. She wasn't strong enough to walk away. Not this time. Not able to fight it any longer, Helen's lips met his, parting them gently. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he pulled her closer to him, holding her tightly. He ran his hand down her back as the kiss deepened. She leaned in more passionately, more forcefully, until she had him pinned up against the wall.
She pulled away suddenly, her breath still mingling with his.
"What's wrong?" he asked, his arms still wrapped around her waist. He wasn't about to let go for fear that she would leave again.
"I just think that we should take this slow," she said, still gazing into his eyes. "If we want it to work out this time, I think we better slow down. Otherwise, it's just going to go downhill like before."
He nodded. "You're right," he agreed. "We should take things slow this time."
She smiled. "Wh…what are we going to tell Lindsay?" she asked, suddenly feeling guilty.
He shook his head. "I'm not sure yet," he admitted. "But we'll figure something out…we have to."
She nodded, and rested her head on his shoulder. "Do you think we can make this work?"
He smiled and locked her into an embrace. "I'm sure we can." His eyes glinted. He couldn't resist one last smart comment. "Just as long as you don't go killing my secretary on me."
Helen laughed. She had nearly forgotten about the whole Lucy situation. "I make no promises," she said grinning, as she kissed him again.
TBC
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