Author's Note: After much searching, I finally decided to use the names
given to the Redmonds by SamIAm in the story Beginnings. The names are not
my creation and I just wanted to give SamIAm credit for that. Thanks
Chapter 7
The car ride to the Clocktower was silent. Dinah grabbed some clothes and her comms and they got back in the car. They drove to the address the Redmonds had given Helena in silence. Dinah sat in the passenger seat, hugging her duffel bag, and staring out the window. Helena turned on the radio, so the silence wouldn't drive her crazy. She didn't know what to say. Nothing she could say could make it any better, so they sat in silence.
Helena pulled over to the curb in front of a high-rise apartment building. "Nice place," she said.
They both got of the car and headed inside. The Redmonds apartment was on the tenth floor. They rode the elevator up in silence and when they got to the door, Helena reached out and knocked.
Mr. Redmond opened the door and gave a forced smile. "There you are. We were wondering what was taking you so long. Come on in."
Helena and Dinah entered the apartment. Helena thought it was nicely furnished for a couple from Missouri who had just got into town. It didn't look how she had expected. It was more modern with a black leather sofa and loveseat and matching black coffee table.
Mrs. Redmond came in from the kitchen. "Oh, Dinah you're here. Good. Come on, let me show you to your room."
Dinah turned to Helena who nodded. Dinah followed the woman out of the room leaving Helena and Mr. Redmond alone. Helena looked around. "Nice place you got here Mr. Redmond." She said.
"Oh please, call me Wayne. Yes, it is nice. I was surprised by the cost of apartments in the city, but Beth doesn't like hotels and since I didn't know how long we would be here, renting just seemed the best way."
They both stood in silence surveying the room. Wayne broke the silence. "You know Helena," he started, "this is the best way."
Helena glared at him, "How do you figure that?"
Wayne shrugged his shoulders. "You're what twenty-three or so. You work as a bartender. What type of life do you hope to give Dinah? Dinah needs a family; she needs parents."
Helena continued to glare at him. "She has Barbara. I am just watching out for her until she gets back."
"Do you really think that, that school teacher friend of yours is still alive? I've seen the news. I've heard about this Joker guy and what he's like. Do you really think he would keep her alive this long? The woman's as good as dead."
Helena took a step closer to Wayne. It was all she could do to keep herself from attacking the man and snapping his neck. Before she could give him a piece of her mind, Dinah and Mrs. Redmond came back into the room.
"What's going on, honey?" Beth said as she and Dinah entered the room.
"Oh nothing. Helena and I were just admiring the apartment, right Helena?"
Helena just stared at the man still enraged by his words. Dinah gave her a curious look, but Helena just shrugged. "Yeah."
"It is a lovely house. So much more upbeat than our house back home." Beth said looking around the room. She turned back to Helena and smiled warmly. "Helena, would you like to stay for dinner? We would really like to know what Dinah's been doing all these months and we really would like to get to know you."
Helena stared at Wayne who gave his fake smile. "Uh, no, I'm sorry. I have an appointment with my lawyer that I need to get to. Thanks anyway." She turned to Dinah, "I'll see you later, kid." She turned and walked out the door.
"Helena, wait!" Dinah yelled as she ran past the Redmonds and out into the hall. Helena turned as Dinah ran up and hugged her. "Bye," she said, trying not to cry.
Helena hugged Dinah back, trying her best to keep tears from coming to her eyes. "Hey, how about I pick you up for lunch tomorrow, okay?"
Mr. Redmond looked like he was about to object, but Beth grabbed his arm. Dinah pulled away and nodded. "Sounds like a plan," she said, trying to put on her best smile.
"You got your necklace and earrings Barbara gave you?" Helena asked referring to the comm system Barbara had created for the girls. Dinah nodded. Helena gave Dinah another quick hug. "I got to go. I'll see you tomorrow." She turned and walked down the hall. She didn't look back. She made it down to the car alright, but after putting the keys in the ignition she stopped. Barbara, now Dinah. They were gone and now Helena was all alone. Helena leaned her head against the steering wheel and cried.
~Hey guys. Sorry it took so long. I know the chapter is short, but I hadn't posted in a while and I really wanted to get this chapter out. Also, I hope no one takes offense to the way I portrayed the Redmonds and them being from Missouri. I kind of portrayed them as being hicks because they are from Missouri. I only did it because I wanted them to be unlikable. I have nothing against people from Missouri (I am actually from a small town in the southern part of Illinois so I really have nothing to make fun of). I just wanted to make my reasonings clear and I hope no one was offended.
Chapter 7
The car ride to the Clocktower was silent. Dinah grabbed some clothes and her comms and they got back in the car. They drove to the address the Redmonds had given Helena in silence. Dinah sat in the passenger seat, hugging her duffel bag, and staring out the window. Helena turned on the radio, so the silence wouldn't drive her crazy. She didn't know what to say. Nothing she could say could make it any better, so they sat in silence.
Helena pulled over to the curb in front of a high-rise apartment building. "Nice place," she said.
They both got of the car and headed inside. The Redmonds apartment was on the tenth floor. They rode the elevator up in silence and when they got to the door, Helena reached out and knocked.
Mr. Redmond opened the door and gave a forced smile. "There you are. We were wondering what was taking you so long. Come on in."
Helena and Dinah entered the apartment. Helena thought it was nicely furnished for a couple from Missouri who had just got into town. It didn't look how she had expected. It was more modern with a black leather sofa and loveseat and matching black coffee table.
Mrs. Redmond came in from the kitchen. "Oh, Dinah you're here. Good. Come on, let me show you to your room."
Dinah turned to Helena who nodded. Dinah followed the woman out of the room leaving Helena and Mr. Redmond alone. Helena looked around. "Nice place you got here Mr. Redmond." She said.
"Oh please, call me Wayne. Yes, it is nice. I was surprised by the cost of apartments in the city, but Beth doesn't like hotels and since I didn't know how long we would be here, renting just seemed the best way."
They both stood in silence surveying the room. Wayne broke the silence. "You know Helena," he started, "this is the best way."
Helena glared at him, "How do you figure that?"
Wayne shrugged his shoulders. "You're what twenty-three or so. You work as a bartender. What type of life do you hope to give Dinah? Dinah needs a family; she needs parents."
Helena continued to glare at him. "She has Barbara. I am just watching out for her until she gets back."
"Do you really think that, that school teacher friend of yours is still alive? I've seen the news. I've heard about this Joker guy and what he's like. Do you really think he would keep her alive this long? The woman's as good as dead."
Helena took a step closer to Wayne. It was all she could do to keep herself from attacking the man and snapping his neck. Before she could give him a piece of her mind, Dinah and Mrs. Redmond came back into the room.
"What's going on, honey?" Beth said as she and Dinah entered the room.
"Oh nothing. Helena and I were just admiring the apartment, right Helena?"
Helena just stared at the man still enraged by his words. Dinah gave her a curious look, but Helena just shrugged. "Yeah."
"It is a lovely house. So much more upbeat than our house back home." Beth said looking around the room. She turned back to Helena and smiled warmly. "Helena, would you like to stay for dinner? We would really like to know what Dinah's been doing all these months and we really would like to get to know you."
Helena stared at Wayne who gave his fake smile. "Uh, no, I'm sorry. I have an appointment with my lawyer that I need to get to. Thanks anyway." She turned to Dinah, "I'll see you later, kid." She turned and walked out the door.
"Helena, wait!" Dinah yelled as she ran past the Redmonds and out into the hall. Helena turned as Dinah ran up and hugged her. "Bye," she said, trying not to cry.
Helena hugged Dinah back, trying her best to keep tears from coming to her eyes. "Hey, how about I pick you up for lunch tomorrow, okay?"
Mr. Redmond looked like he was about to object, but Beth grabbed his arm. Dinah pulled away and nodded. "Sounds like a plan," she said, trying to put on her best smile.
"You got your necklace and earrings Barbara gave you?" Helena asked referring to the comm system Barbara had created for the girls. Dinah nodded. Helena gave Dinah another quick hug. "I got to go. I'll see you tomorrow." She turned and walked down the hall. She didn't look back. She made it down to the car alright, but after putting the keys in the ignition she stopped. Barbara, now Dinah. They were gone and now Helena was all alone. Helena leaned her head against the steering wheel and cried.
~Hey guys. Sorry it took so long. I know the chapter is short, but I hadn't posted in a while and I really wanted to get this chapter out. Also, I hope no one takes offense to the way I portrayed the Redmonds and them being from Missouri. I kind of portrayed them as being hicks because they are from Missouri. I only did it because I wanted them to be unlikable. I have nothing against people from Missouri (I am actually from a small town in the southern part of Illinois so I really have nothing to make fun of). I just wanted to make my reasonings clear and I hope no one was offended.