This fic it's suppoused happened before Selina was killed. When Barbara and Helena began to know each other. Sorry I posted by mistake another chap intead 4. now is fixed.
Barbara opened the door. It had been a difficult night. It was hard, but she had finally trapped that damn gang that had been selling drugs to kids at schools. She wanted a warm bath and to sleep all day. She rubbed her head with her hand and closed the door, throwing the keys on a table next to the entrance and her bag on a chair. Luckily, it was Saturday.
She heard the television on, that was strange. Helena couldn't be awake. She went to the living room and froze. Helena was asleep on the couch. On the table was a bowl full of popcorn, a plate with sandwiches and some other snacks. She closed her eyes and let her back rest against the wall. She had promised to spend Friday night watching a movie. Oh damn... She covered her face with her hand, feeling like an ass. She had forgotten that and the girl had been waiting for her, until who knows what hour.
Suddenly, her pager vibrated on her waist. An emergency, a robbery inside a department store. She sighed, she needed to go, but first she needed take Helena to her bed. She took a deep breath and walked toward the girl, kneeling next to her.
"Hel... let's go to bed. It's late. Hel..."
The girl rubbed her eyes and woke up dizzly. "What time is it?"
"Five thirty, I'm sorry, I couldn't be on time. I had trouble and I..."
The girl stared at her with sadness etched into her slight features.
"But we can do it tonight and..." the young woman said.
Helena stood up, drowsy, and taking her cat pet, she walked toward the room, stumbling.
"Hel..." Barbara mumbled. She felt bad but her work was her work. She followed her to the bedroom.
The kid had removed the bedspread and was settling under the blankets.
Barbara stood up at the doorframe and crossed her arms. "Hel, I'm sorry, but I have work..."
The child was trying to not to cry. She was proud and didn't want Barbara to see her cry. Barbara had promised be with her that night. She felt abandoned. She was sure now that Barbara didn't like her. She missed her mom; she missed her company, she felt alone and sick too; she had felt sick since the afternoon.
Barbara noticed she was crying. She rolled her eyes. "Helena, don't cry! Please! You must understand! I work, I have work to do! It's not easy!! It's hard, help me make it easier!!" She didn't know what to do, her work took almost all her time and she was Batgirl, in addition. Many people needed her, she couldn't leave them alone.
"You promised..." Helena said in low voice.
"I know I promised, but I had a last minute problem!" Barbara raised her arms, frustrated. "I couldn't avoid it!"
"You promised..."
"Please help me, Hel, my life is not easy. I don't want more problems."
"I do everything you say!" Helena sat on the bed looking at her with rage, tears streaming down her face. "I did my homework! I'm here all day! You are never here! You don't want me here!"
"I never said that!"
"You don't have to say it! You don't want me here!" she sobbed.
"That's not true!!!" the red head said, exasperated. Her pager sounded again.
"I want my mom back!! I want to go home! Take me home!" Helena shouted.
"Don't yell, you know your mom is not here! Calm down!" Barbara went to her.
"I miss Mom!! You are not like her."
"I'm not your mom, Helena!"
"I know!" the girl yelled. "I know you're not my mom! She always keeps her promises! You are not like her! You promised to come home early, not me! Why are you angry with me? I was just waiting for you!"
"Helena," she massaged her temples, the pager was sounding; she didn't want to argue with her at that moment "Please, I'm sorry. I need to go again. I'll be back as soon as possible but, I promise you that when I get back, we can talk about this."
The girl didn't answer and covered her face with the bedspread, crying. Barbara felt guilty, but she didn't have a choice. She felt bad for her, but people needed her. She couldn't do anything more for the girl right then. "I'll be back in one hour, Helena. I promise," she said and closed the door to the room.
Barbara changed as fast as she could in her secret place behind her apartment. She put on her mask and sat on her bike. As Batgirl, she wheeled out of her secret place. She liked to drive at high speeds on it, it was marvelous. Helena worried her, but she couldn't think about the girl, her duty was to stop criminals. She was a child, she had just thrown a tantrum, but, tomorrow, she would be fine. She turned around the corner of her building and saw a small, familiar figure walking down the sidewalk.
That couldn't be... Helena? Was that Helena
Damn!
Helena. Walking alone with a cap on her head and carrying Jaçques. What the hell was she doing? She had an emergency and she was taking her tantrum too far. She used her leg to make a fast turn on her bike; Helena was going to cross the street. She stopped her motorcycle in front of the girl, before she stepped off the sidewalk.
"Hey! Where are you going?" Batgirl asked, angrily moving the kickstand of her bike to park it.
Helena opened her mouth without know what to say; she hugged Jaçques and stepped back.
"You should be at home," the red head said, pissed. She bent down slightly. "Are you crazy? You should be in bed! What are you doing in the street?"
Helena tried to run, but Batgirl held her by her arm. "Wait, where are you going now?" The red head noted her yellow glove and realized that she was wearing her Batgirl costume.
"Shit..." she thought.
"Let me go!" Helena said, frightened and pulling her arm.
"Wait, I don't want to hurt you... sorry, I was rude... I'm a friend." Barbara released her.
Helena stepped back. "I've never seen you before..."
"Don't go, please." Barbara kneeled in front of her.
Helena observed her, her senses told her in some way that the strange woman would not hurt her. She was wearing a strange costume with a cowl and a cape; all in black and yellow.
"I don't want to hurt you, it's just that it's not good that children walk alone at night." She said with soft voice.
"Is... that a bat?" Helena asked shyly, pointing at the image at Batgirl's chest.
"Yes... I'm, I'm Batgirl... I help people."
"Why are you dressed like that?"
"I'm a crime fighter, I fight against bad guys."
"Are you good?"
"Yes... I'm good. I'm sorry if I scared you, but I saw you walking alone. It's dangerous for you to walk alone so late. You need to go back to your home."
"I'm going home..." the kid whispered.
"That's not true." The redhead took her hands.
"Yes, I live at Jefferson Street, 233 Jefferson Street."
Barbara frowned. It was Selina's address. For a few seconds, she didn't know what to say. "Why are you so far from it? Is your mother there?"
Helena lowered her head and shook it.
"So...?" The red head looked at her.
Helena looked her eyes; she felt she was a nice person "I'm staying here." she pointed to the apartment building. "With Barbara, a friend of my mom. She works at the library, but she is always busy, she doesn't talk much with me; she never has time... She doesn't like me..."
"That's not true." Barbara felt terrible bad. She had failed her again.
"Yes it is, you don't know her; she is nice, but she's never home, and when she is, she is busy. I'm a nuisance for her, she has many things to do and I'm in her way... I want to go home."
Batgirl shook her head. Now she felt like a big piece of garbage. She had done that... Helena felt pushed away and lonely, that was not her intention, but she had done it. She looked into the girl's eyes and hugged her.
"I'm sure she didn't mean to hurt you." Barbara felt her skin warm. She moved back. "Do you feel all right?"
"Yes."
She took off one of her gloves and touched her cheek. "You have a fever."
"I'm going home." Helena pushed her hand back and walked.
"No, you need to come back." Batgirl stood up putting on her glove.
"I'm going home."
"Hey, wait." Barbara took her arm.
"Let me go! I want to go home!"
"It's dangerous, you home is here, for now."
"No! I want to go to my home!" The brunette pulled her arm. She pushed the crime fighter and made her step back. She kept walking.
Batgirl was surprised by her strength, she was a child, but she was strong. She stood up and took her hand.
"Let me go!"
"Damn, you have a fever." she wrapped her arms around her waist feeling even more guilty now. "Please, You are sick! You need to go back."
"You don't understand... I'm just in her way..." the kid sobbed and struggled.
Batgirl had a hard time keeping her still, the kid kicked in the air. She held her legs and began to walk toward the building.
"Jaçques!" Helena shouted, trying to held her stuffed cat that had fallen on the ground. "I want Jaçques!"
"I need to take you inside."
"Jaçques! Please don't leave him there!" she cried, "Jaçques! Please!"
The young woman turned and saw the cat on the floor. She put Helena down and she ran to pick up her little cat, crying.
Batgirl kneeled next to her; she was touched and caressed her hair. "Let me take you inside." She asked her softly "You have fever."
Helena didn't answer, she kept crying and holding her cat tightly. Batgirl hugged her, Helena buried her in her neck. She wrapped her arms protectively around Helena, like a mother would her daughter. The two share a moment. Batgirl kissed her forehead. She gently picked Helena up and took her inside the building.
Batgirl moved the blankets and put her on the mattress. Helena didn't stop crying. She removed her gloves again and touched her forehead. She was burning up.
She went to the bathroom and took a thermometer, some Tylenol, and a glass of water. She felt so bad, she had been unfair with the poor kid; Helena needed attention and she had been so selfish in her own world, trying to act as if Helena wasn't there. She returned to her room and sat next to the kid.
"Open your mouth," she ordered gently.
After a few minutes, she checked it. It was not good, 101F, she has a fever. She gave her some Tylenol. "Take this while you wait for Barbara to come back."
Helena obeyed and, when she finished, she gave her the glass. "I want my mom... She doesn't like me."
Good, now she had screwed it up. She was talking to her as if she were an adult and she was just a child. And she was right, she was at home and helped her to clean the house. The only thing that she had been asking for, in silence, was company and she had denied it to her. "Give her another opportunity," Batgirl said. "Some times adults are stupid; but they learn from their mistakes. Barbara was so stupid..."
"I miss mom... I want to see her."
"Look, your mom will be back soon; and if she left you with Barbara, it's because she trusts her." She touched her chin gently. "If you go, she would feel sad and worried, because you'd be alone."
"I am alone... Barbara is always busy and I'm in her way. She doesn't have time for me. She let me stay just because my mom asked her to."
"No, that's not true." The red head took her hands. "Look, stay there, and talk with her; about how you feel, I'm sure she will understand you. I'll be here tomorrow night. If that doesn't work, I'll take you to your home."
Helena's eyes shone. "Is that a promise?"
"Yes. Are you going to wait for her? Promise?"
The kid nodded, sobbing.
"Deal." She rubbed her head.
"I'm Helena."
"Hi Helena, nice to meet you." She shook her hand and smiled looking at her pet. "Hey nice kitten, it's Jaçques right?"
"Yes."
"Hey, Jaçques," Batgirl spoke to the pet. "Keep an eye on her until Barbara returns and if she is bad with her again, tell me, and I'll come here to help you. Deal? Deal!" She smiled at the girl. "Jaçques says yes."
Helena smiled, her eyes red from crying. She was very nice.
Batgirl wiped her eyes with a Kleenex that was on the night table. "You look beautiful when you don't cry... Why don't you put on your pajamas?"
Helena looked under her pillow for her pajamas and Batgirl helped her to change her clothes.
"How did you know where Barbara had the pills? Do you know her?" the child asked.
"I know many things, for that reason I'm a crime fighter." The masked woman winked at her. "People always keeps medicine in the bathroom."
"True, mom does the same... Why do you wear a mask?"
"Well... It's something about a secret identity. People like me, can't let other "people" knows who I am; look, I'll be outside; I'll be there until I see Barbara come back, all right?"
"You can't wait until she comes back?" Helena asked with a sweet voice.
"No, people can't see me," Batgirl answered touching her cheeck.
"Why not? Are you meta?" the child rested her head on her pillow.
"Of course not..."
"So why can't people see you? You wear a mask."
The red head took a deep breath; Helena was starting with her questions. "Well... I fight against many criminals, if they know who I am, they would try to hurt my family or my friends. I wear it because I'm protecting them."
"And why can't Barbara see you if you are a good girl?" Helena cocked her head.
"Because we don't want people to know that we exist."
"We?"
Oh damn, she was asking many questions and she needed to go out, change her costume and take care of her. "Some day you will understand, it's too complicated," she finally said.
"Barbara says that every time I ask her to explain something to me."
"Okay," Batgirl knew she was cornered, "there are people like me, that like to help other people, like you. But we don't want that them to know who we are. They would try to attack or hurt our family or us. And we don't want normal or good people to know that we exist; it's better. It's like being their guardian angels."
"Guardian angels?" Helena cocked her head.
"Yes."
"You know they are helping you but you can't see them."
"Yes, exactly." Barbara covered her with the blankets. "Now I need to go. Please, wait for Barbara."
"Okay.."
"And remember that I'll be outside keeping an eye on you, right?"
"Right."
Barbara left her there and went to her bike again; she drove it quickly to her secret garage. The thieves could wait, they attacked everyday and part of her job was helping and taking care of people. She had been blind and didn't see that giving Helena food and a home didn't mean that she had given her the most important thing: love.
