Helena rested on the couch, staring at the ceiling. She couldn't sleep,
just like the first night she had been there. She looked around, the lights
were off but she could see perfectly well, she took the pillow and held it,
closing her eyes. It was soft like the blankets; she felt so good. It was
a couch, but it was so much more comfortable than the mattress that she had
sleeping on for those last months.
Barbara had given her a home but. Helena opened her eyes again and was suddenly frightened; this was too good to be true, and she was afraid that some day it would be taken away, just like her life had been stolen that terrible night months ago. She hugged the pillow strongly trying to block that moment forever. This was her new home and she didn't want to lose it. Maybe it would be better not to become too attached to this home. nor to Barbara.
* * *
Barbara was eating her breakfast waiting for Helena appear. Now her room was ready and the kid was resting in her own room; she had took the girl to choose her own mattress and the decoration of her 'place' as she called her bedroom. She loved be there hours and hours listening music.
Barbara had been silently waiting since she had been there. Alfred gave her a cup of coffee.
"Something is wrong?"
"No, I was thinking... Do you think that I must reveal everything to Helena?"
"She needs to know about Master Bruce." Alfred pointed.
"I figured that, I have to do some hard work here... I don't know how Helena will take it when she finds out, I'm afraid of that." Barbara sipped her coffee.
"Miss Helena is very smart and intelligent, maybe a little rebellious, but usually only rebellious against things she doesn't understand." Alfred raised his brow. "If you explain it well, I don't think it will be a problem for her.
"I guess you are right... as always."
Helena entered, running into the kitchen, and stumbled, falling to the floor with her books. Barbara and Alfred looked her trying not to laugh.
"Late again?" Barbara asked.
"Sorry...." Helena said picking up her notebooks "I didn't hear the alarm."
"You never do Miss Helena" Alfred said serving her an orange juice. "I have to bang on your bedroom door every morning."
"Sorry."
"Big Ben might work Miss Barbara." Alfred pointed out.
"Too expensive. You must try to go to sleep earlier." Barbara looked Helena.
"I'll try but.. but..." Helena tried to explain.
"Yes, I know, you stay awake watching me work at Delphi until late."
Helena lowered her head, ashamed, she thought that Barbara had never seen her.
"The first time you scared me, you are very silent, like a cat. But later it was easy to feel your gaze behind me on the second floor."
"I'm sorry, I won't do it again:"
"It doesn't matter to me, you can do it, just go to sleep earlier."
"It doesn't matter to you?" Helena didn't expect that answer.
"No."
"Barbara, do you work with the police." Helena began to eat her sandwich.
"Not really, I'm a kind of a detective." Barbara cleaned her mouth crossed her arms in the table and locked her eyes on hers "Hel, I'm going to confess something to you, and I'm going to do it because I trust you, and I want you to trust me some day. This is just between you and me. You can't tell anyone a word. Okay? "
"Okay."
"Well, I'm not the person that you imagined; I'm not just a school teacher" she took a deep breath "I'm a crime fighter. I used to work helping the JLA team with my data base ."
Helena was surprised and puckered her frown. "What?"
"I'm also the second in command of Amanda Waller's Suicide Squad. It's a long story but that's the truth, I help some heros to trap criminals. For that reason, it's important that you don't talk about this with anyone. Many people would kill to know this secret."
Helena looked Alfred.
"Trust him." Barbara smiled taking Alfred's arm. "He knows more than you. There re only two persons with whom I would trust my life, and he is one of them. I have your word? Will you keep the secret?"
Helena was still stunned by the surprise and just nodded her head.
"Thanks." Barbara smiled her. "There is more and I promise tell you everything but not now, it's late. I have an exam now at school." Barbara looked her watch. "and you need go to your classes."
* * *
Barbara finished another day's work at the Delphi. She turned off the equipment and put some CD's in boxes; she was thinking of Helena, she had noticed Helena appeared to always be nervous. Even the smallest noise made her jump and look around in fear, especially when she was distracted, but Helena was proud and she didn't like admit to her weaknesses. She guessed it was part of her trauma from her mother's murder, as were her nightmares.
Barbara wheeled to her room and when she crossed in front of Helena's room she heard soft moans. She stopped a moment to make sure that the girl was okay but she knocked on the door without receiving an answer; She opened it and entered. She guided her chair next to the bed. Helena was breathing fast and Barbara could see her eyes moving quickly underneath her lids and a tears running down her cheeks.
"Let me go." she mumbled. Barbara understood that she was having another nightmare and took her hand. "Please let me go."
"Where do you want to go?" Barbara asked in a low voice. Helena moved her head from one side to the other. Barbara often needed go to her room when she heard her cry at nights. They never talked about it the next day; for that the girl was grateful and at the same time ashamed of her own fears.
"Where do you want to go?" she insisted, trying to get Helena to face her fears.
".My home"
"You are at home." Barbara whispered.
"No. he. locked me up again." Helena sobbed lightly. ".I'm cold."
"He can't confine you. You are home." She covered her with the bedspread.
"He's mad. he locked me." Helena cried and half opened her eyes. Barbara could see them in feral mode.
"Shhh, easy, easy. It's just a nightmare" Barbara said with soft sat next to her holding her hand and brushing her hair; the kid closed her eyes again "He can't hurt you. Now you have a home and people that love you nearby. He can't come here, you are safe. I'm here with you."
Barbara was there until she saw that her panic disappeared. She wheeled to her room when Helena finally fell into a deep sleep.
Barbara tried to help her, to make her felt protected and secure. But it was difficult because Helena wouldn't open up to her. So, she tried to earn her trust slowly. One day they walked down the street, Barbara had promised to buy her new clothes; she loved clothes. They looked through stores and later entered a department store. Barbara looked for some blouses and the girl for jackets.
Helena was near an exhibitor that was preparing a fashion show that weekend. Some workers were installing some walls as decoration. A kid that was playing under a rack of clothes pushed it and it crashed against one of the walls they were installing and it hit a scaffolding that fell. Helena was startled when she hear the noise. She jumped up instinctively, almost 15 feet, and she crouched on a kind of cornice used as decoration.
The scaffolding fell with a big noise and raised up an enormous amount of dust; it crashed against many other racks of clothes and broke the store window; Helena's eyes changed to feral mode; she didn't understand what was happening and just looked down, frightened.
Barbara turned her head when she heard the noise and watched the brunette; she couldn't avoid gaping at seeing her move so quickly. When the dust settled, there was confusion and many people ran out of the place, screaming. Barbara wheeled between the people and racks and stopped close to where Helena was. She had pressed her back against the wall; she saw her fear.
"Helena, come here." She called her.
"What happened?" she asked, her voice shaking.
"Come here, everything is okay. It was just an accident." Helena looked around, there was mass confusion. "Come here, everything is okay, we need get out." Barbara insisted.
Helena jumped down making sure no one saw her, which was easy, the people were distracted running from one side of the store to the other.
"Are you okay?" the red head asked.
"Yes." she nodded.
"Take it easy, you are so nervous; you need to control it." Barbara looked at her surprised; Selina had talked about her skills but it was different now, watching it.
"What?" Helena examined herself. "Something happened?"
"Put these on." Barbara said, taking off a pair of sun glasses and giving it to her.
"We're in a store." Helena said.
"Your eyes..." Barbara whispered pointing them.
"Oh, sorry." Helena put them on.
"How high can you jump?" Barbara looked up to the cornice where Helena had been.
"I don't know, I usually just jump to the second floor. I've never tried going higher." Helena looked up too.
"Doesn't matter. Let's go." Many ideas began to whirl around in Barbara's mind. They left the store and went to eat lunch.
* * *
Barbara had given her a home but. Helena opened her eyes again and was suddenly frightened; this was too good to be true, and she was afraid that some day it would be taken away, just like her life had been stolen that terrible night months ago. She hugged the pillow strongly trying to block that moment forever. This was her new home and she didn't want to lose it. Maybe it would be better not to become too attached to this home. nor to Barbara.
* * *
Barbara was eating her breakfast waiting for Helena appear. Now her room was ready and the kid was resting in her own room; she had took the girl to choose her own mattress and the decoration of her 'place' as she called her bedroom. She loved be there hours and hours listening music.
Barbara had been silently waiting since she had been there. Alfred gave her a cup of coffee.
"Something is wrong?"
"No, I was thinking... Do you think that I must reveal everything to Helena?"
"She needs to know about Master Bruce." Alfred pointed.
"I figured that, I have to do some hard work here... I don't know how Helena will take it when she finds out, I'm afraid of that." Barbara sipped her coffee.
"Miss Helena is very smart and intelligent, maybe a little rebellious, but usually only rebellious against things she doesn't understand." Alfred raised his brow. "If you explain it well, I don't think it will be a problem for her.
"I guess you are right... as always."
Helena entered, running into the kitchen, and stumbled, falling to the floor with her books. Barbara and Alfred looked her trying not to laugh.
"Late again?" Barbara asked.
"Sorry...." Helena said picking up her notebooks "I didn't hear the alarm."
"You never do Miss Helena" Alfred said serving her an orange juice. "I have to bang on your bedroom door every morning."
"Sorry."
"Big Ben might work Miss Barbara." Alfred pointed out.
"Too expensive. You must try to go to sleep earlier." Barbara looked Helena.
"I'll try but.. but..." Helena tried to explain.
"Yes, I know, you stay awake watching me work at Delphi until late."
Helena lowered her head, ashamed, she thought that Barbara had never seen her.
"The first time you scared me, you are very silent, like a cat. But later it was easy to feel your gaze behind me on the second floor."
"I'm sorry, I won't do it again:"
"It doesn't matter to me, you can do it, just go to sleep earlier."
"It doesn't matter to you?" Helena didn't expect that answer.
"No."
"Barbara, do you work with the police." Helena began to eat her sandwich.
"Not really, I'm a kind of a detective." Barbara cleaned her mouth crossed her arms in the table and locked her eyes on hers "Hel, I'm going to confess something to you, and I'm going to do it because I trust you, and I want you to trust me some day. This is just between you and me. You can't tell anyone a word. Okay? "
"Okay."
"Well, I'm not the person that you imagined; I'm not just a school teacher" she took a deep breath "I'm a crime fighter. I used to work helping the JLA team with my data base ."
Helena was surprised and puckered her frown. "What?"
"I'm also the second in command of Amanda Waller's Suicide Squad. It's a long story but that's the truth, I help some heros to trap criminals. For that reason, it's important that you don't talk about this with anyone. Many people would kill to know this secret."
Helena looked Alfred.
"Trust him." Barbara smiled taking Alfred's arm. "He knows more than you. There re only two persons with whom I would trust my life, and he is one of them. I have your word? Will you keep the secret?"
Helena was still stunned by the surprise and just nodded her head.
"Thanks." Barbara smiled her. "There is more and I promise tell you everything but not now, it's late. I have an exam now at school." Barbara looked her watch. "and you need go to your classes."
* * *
Barbara finished another day's work at the Delphi. She turned off the equipment and put some CD's in boxes; she was thinking of Helena, she had noticed Helena appeared to always be nervous. Even the smallest noise made her jump and look around in fear, especially when she was distracted, but Helena was proud and she didn't like admit to her weaknesses. She guessed it was part of her trauma from her mother's murder, as were her nightmares.
Barbara wheeled to her room and when she crossed in front of Helena's room she heard soft moans. She stopped a moment to make sure that the girl was okay but she knocked on the door without receiving an answer; She opened it and entered. She guided her chair next to the bed. Helena was breathing fast and Barbara could see her eyes moving quickly underneath her lids and a tears running down her cheeks.
"Let me go." she mumbled. Barbara understood that she was having another nightmare and took her hand. "Please let me go."
"Where do you want to go?" Barbara asked in a low voice. Helena moved her head from one side to the other. Barbara often needed go to her room when she heard her cry at nights. They never talked about it the next day; for that the girl was grateful and at the same time ashamed of her own fears.
"Where do you want to go?" she insisted, trying to get Helena to face her fears.
".My home"
"You are at home." Barbara whispered.
"No. he. locked me up again." Helena sobbed lightly. ".I'm cold."
"He can't confine you. You are home." She covered her with the bedspread.
"He's mad. he locked me." Helena cried and half opened her eyes. Barbara could see them in feral mode.
"Shhh, easy, easy. It's just a nightmare" Barbara said with soft sat next to her holding her hand and brushing her hair; the kid closed her eyes again "He can't hurt you. Now you have a home and people that love you nearby. He can't come here, you are safe. I'm here with you."
Barbara was there until she saw that her panic disappeared. She wheeled to her room when Helena finally fell into a deep sleep.
Barbara tried to help her, to make her felt protected and secure. But it was difficult because Helena wouldn't open up to her. So, she tried to earn her trust slowly. One day they walked down the street, Barbara had promised to buy her new clothes; she loved clothes. They looked through stores and later entered a department store. Barbara looked for some blouses and the girl for jackets.
Helena was near an exhibitor that was preparing a fashion show that weekend. Some workers were installing some walls as decoration. A kid that was playing under a rack of clothes pushed it and it crashed against one of the walls they were installing and it hit a scaffolding that fell. Helena was startled when she hear the noise. She jumped up instinctively, almost 15 feet, and she crouched on a kind of cornice used as decoration.
The scaffolding fell with a big noise and raised up an enormous amount of dust; it crashed against many other racks of clothes and broke the store window; Helena's eyes changed to feral mode; she didn't understand what was happening and just looked down, frightened.
Barbara turned her head when she heard the noise and watched the brunette; she couldn't avoid gaping at seeing her move so quickly. When the dust settled, there was confusion and many people ran out of the place, screaming. Barbara wheeled between the people and racks and stopped close to where Helena was. She had pressed her back against the wall; she saw her fear.
"Helena, come here." She called her.
"What happened?" she asked, her voice shaking.
"Come here, everything is okay. It was just an accident." Helena looked around, there was mass confusion. "Come here, everything is okay, we need get out." Barbara insisted.
Helena jumped down making sure no one saw her, which was easy, the people were distracted running from one side of the store to the other.
"Are you okay?" the red head asked.
"Yes." she nodded.
"Take it easy, you are so nervous; you need to control it." Barbara looked at her surprised; Selina had talked about her skills but it was different now, watching it.
"What?" Helena examined herself. "Something happened?"
"Put these on." Barbara said, taking off a pair of sun glasses and giving it to her.
"We're in a store." Helena said.
"Your eyes..." Barbara whispered pointing them.
"Oh, sorry." Helena put them on.
"How high can you jump?" Barbara looked up to the cornice where Helena had been.
"I don't know, I usually just jump to the second floor. I've never tried going higher." Helena looked up too.
"Doesn't matter. Let's go." Many ideas began to whirl around in Barbara's mind. They left the store and went to eat lunch.
* * *