Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to the WB and DC Comics.

Author's Note: Thanks to everyone for their kind reviews.

Dinah paced in the middle of the clocktower. She had tried contacting Barbara several times in the last five minutes. Dinah was beginning to freak out. She had heard yelling and what sounded like fighting before Barbara's mike died. Calm down, she thought to herself. Barbara's fine. She can take care of herself. For goodness sake, you learned most of your fighting techniques from her. Still, Dinah could not shake the ominous feeling she was having. Maybe I should talk to Helena. She'll know what to do.

********

Helena was in her apartment above the bar. She could hear the dull murmur of people talking and the beat of rock music. Looking through her closet, which was composed of mostly black articles of clothing, she thought, What will I wear tonight? Black, black, or black? In the end, she pulled out a black leather coat to go with her black tank top and black leather pants.

"Huntress?"

Helena activated the mike in her chocker as she pulled on the coat. "What's up, kid?"

"I think I have a problem," Dinah said, unsure of how to tell Huntress what was going on.

"What did you touch that Oracle told you not to? And did you break it?" Helena replied with a smile. The kid was always getting into trouble.

"I didn't do anything, but I think something's wrong with Barbara," Dinah blurted out.

The smile disappeared from Helena's face. "What's wrong with her? Is she sick?"

Dinah explained to Helena how Barbara had contacted the tower and then there had been sounds of yelling and fighting before the mike died.

"I've tried to contact her, but she hasn't responded for the last ten minutes. What should we do? Do you think she's okay?"

Ignoring the knot in her stomach, Helena forced confidence into her voice, "I'm sure she's fine. But to be sure, I want you to use the computer to trace the GPS signal in Oracle's chair and I'll go check that she's okay."

"I can't do that."

"Why not? It's not difficult. Even I could do it and I'm techno-illiterate," Helena snapped, losing her patience.

"Oracle didn't take her motorized chair. Something's wrong with it. She tried to explain it to me, but the only word that I understood out of the techno-babble was 'short-circuit'. I don't think that the manual chair has a GPS signal, does it?" Dinah knew that she was ranting, but she could not stop herself. She was afraid for Barbara.

Helena rubbed her forehead and answered, "No, the manual chair can't be traced. Figure out where the car is. At least, I'll have a general idea of where she could be."

"Right, I'm checking now."

They waited in silence as the computer zeroed in on the car's GPS signal, each lost in her own thoughts. Dinah broke the silence, "According to the computer the car is in the parking lot behind Howell's Grocery Store,"

********

Barbara moaned as she regained consciousness. Her head was throbbing. It felt like someone was using a jackhammer to the back of her skull. It was difficult to think with the pain in her head. With a start she realized something was on her chest. Opening her eyes, she saw that her attacker was straddled over her hips. Her new shirt was ripped open down the front, exposing her bra and chest. This can't be happening, she thought. He was fondling and licking her breast. He moved down her body and was undoing the button of her pants. I won't let this happen, Barbara thought desperately. She moved her head slowly, feeling a wave of nausea pass through her, as she searched for her escrima stick. It was half a metre away from her right hand. He was undoing the zipper of her pants as his lips caressed her belly button.

Slowly, she shifted some of her weight to her left hand, and as quickly as possible, she shot her right hand out in a fist and connected with his nose. His head snapped back and he brought his hands to his face as the blood oozed out between his fingers. Barbara picked up the escrima stick and swung it hard at his ribs. She heard the satisfying sound of bones cracking as he rolled off her. He stood up holding his nose with his left hand and his ribs with his right.

"You stupid cow!" he yelled. Then kicked her in the ribs and spit in her face. He left the parking lot, limping slightly. Relief flooded through Barbara's body, but her head and now her ribs were in excruciating pain. She felt so tired. She tried to fight it, but she slipped back into the blackness of unconsciousness.

********

Helena jumped from the building's roof to the sidewalk below with a soft thud.

"I'm across the street from Howell's Grocery Store," Helena told Dinah through the communicator.

"Is Barbara there? Do you see her or the car?" Dinah asked anxiously.

"There are a few cars in the parking lot," Helena answered as she approached the parking lot. "I think I see her car in the back."

Helena entered the parking lot and made her way to the back corner to what looked like Barbara's car. As she got closer, she could tell that the car was Barbara's. There was an overturned grocery bag and jars of peanut butter on the ground. Actually, they were crunchy peanut butter, Helena's favourite. The knot that had been growing in Helena's stomach since Dinah had contacted her grew so tight that she almost stopped in her tracks. She kept going forward towards the car as her dread grew. There was something between the car and the building. When she saw what it was, her heart stopped. Barbara was lying on her back, not moving with her eyes closed. Helena flashed back to the image of her mother lying on the sidewalk seven years ago.

"Oh God! Not again!" Helena screamed as she dropped down next to her best friend, her only family for the last seven years. "Barbara?! Barbara, can you hear me?"

With relief, Helena saw that Barbara's chest was rising and she seemed to be breathing without any trouble. At the same time, she noticed that Barbara's shirt was ripped open and her pants were unzipped. "Come on, Barbara! Wake up!"

Dinah started to yell in her ear, demanding to know what was happening.

"I need an ambulance here, now!" Helena shouted as an answer.