Selina was reading a book; she heard Helena giggling and raised her head. She had put her in the bed half an hour ago. She put her book on the night table and went toward her bedroom. She stood in the corridor and looked down at her door. Her light was off, but, for Helena, playing with light off was not a problem with her night vision. She heard her giggling again.
She opened the door and saw her playing with some toys on the floor. The kid, realizing she had been discovered, tried unsuccessfully to hide the toys under the bed.
Selina put her hands on her waist. "What did I tell you?"
"I was picking up my toys..."
"Sure, go to sleep now!"
Helena did an amazing jump to her bed.
"I don't want to hear any protests when I wake you up tomorrow morning.""I never protest."
Her mother went to her and tickled her. "If you don't want to wake up tomorrow to go to school I'm going to wake you up with cold water."
"No, you won't." Helena laughed.
"Yes, I will do it." The blonde woman covered her with the blankest. "Your prayers?"
"I said them."
"The one to your guardian angel?"
"Oh.." She put her palms together in front of her face and closed her eyes "Angel of God,
my Guardian dear, to whom His love commits me here, ever this night be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen." She moved back and rested her head on her pillow.
"Amen." Selina kissed her on the forehead. She took Jaçques, who was on the other side of the bed and gave it to her. She hugged her cat. "Now sleep, it's late."
"But I'm not sleepy."
"Just close your eyes."
"All right."
Her mother left the room. Helena turned to her side and closed her eyes. She wasn't sleepy. It was so hard to try to sleep. After a few minutes, she sat up in the bed and looked around. She couldn't turn on the television or play. She got out of her bed and, grabbing her stuffed cat, and went toward the window, she looked down to the street below and sighed. She looked back, out her door. She could still see the light from her mom's room on.
She looked again through the window. Suddenly, she saw a familiar figure climbing down the front of a building. That was... her guardian angel? She opened her eyes wide. It was her.
Batgirl opened a window and moved inside.
Helena opened her balcony door and walked outside; it was a cold night, but it didn't matter to her. She kneeled on the balcony and looked at the other building.
Batgirl, inside the building, examined some files. She was trying to find some more clues on the murders. She took a scan and copied some documents; she worked there more than fifteen minutes. When she finished, she put all the papers in their places and walked toward the window.
A blow hit her on the back of her head and she fell downwards, stunned. Someone took her by her hair and slammed her against the wall. She felt she had lost some hair. Someone moved over her pulling something off of her waist and afterwards hit her roughly on her jaw, making her see stars.
She recovered after a few seconds and shook her head. Rubbing the back of her head she sat on the floor. Whoever had been there had gone as fast as they had appeared. She touched her belt and noticed the scanner had disappeared. "Damn," she growled.
She stood up and noticed the files had disappeared too. That was not good. Annoyed, she paced inside the small room. She couldn't do anything; she had been so stupid, he or she had taken her by surprise.
She secured the rope on her waist. In the corner of her eye, she saw the small face in the next building. She recognized that building, it was the one where Selina had her apartment. And that, that was Helena's balcony.
"Damn," she growled to herself. But she couldn't do more. She climbed up as fast as she could and jumped on the roof top.
Helena watched, amazed by how easily she climbed. "Did you see that, Jaçques?" she whispered to her stuffed cat. "Wow."
She raised her head trying to see her, but she couldn't see anything. The building was five floors higher than the one where she was. She stood up and looked at the next buildings trying to find a trace of her. She knew that no one could see her guardian angel and that she had been so lucky. She had seen her again.
"What are you doing?" A voice behind her made her jump in her place. Frightened, she stepped back, hugging Jaçques. She was speechless when she saw her "angel" standing up on the other side of the balcony with her arms crossed on her chest and with her back rested on the wall.
Batgirl chuckled, amused. "Do you know it's a bad habit to spy on people?"
"Angel..." Helena smiled and went to her, hugging her.
Batgirl was stunned for that unexpected act of love. She didn't know how to react in the first seconds, but she finally she hugged her back.
"Why are you awake at two am here?" She kneeled, smiling "Does your mom know?"
The kid shook her head.
Barbara looked at her bare feet. "And your shoes? You could catch a cold."
Helena looked at her feet and moved one over the other one. "It's not so cold."
Batgirl smiled. "Helena, go inside before you catch a cold."
"I'm glad to see you," the child said.
"I'm glad to see you too, come on, go inside your room." The redhead opened the balcony door and pushed her gently inside.
"Come in..." Helena said to her.
"I can't, it's not right."
"Let me show you my room." The kid took her hand and pulled her.
"Helena... I can't." Batgirl refused gently.
"Wait here." Helena gave her Jaçques and ran inside her room.
Barbara kneeled at the door frame and heard her steps moving from one place to another in the darkness. "Helena, I need to go."
Suddenly, the kid appearing carrying some toys. She put them on the floor and gave her a fat, pink stuffed hippo. Barbara took it in her hands.
"This is Charlotte. I'll be right back." She ran back into the darkness.
"Wait... Helena..." She looked on the floor and saw a squirrel, a Daffy Duck, a baby Mickey Mouse, some small Smurfs and a Garfield. She smiled.
Helena came back in a few seconds with a giant giraffe and a gorilla, one in each arm. "This is Pierre and the gorilla is Billo," she said, putting them on the floor, proud of all her stuff.
"Hey nice." Batgirl took the squirrel. "And this is...?"
"Boo."
"Hi Boo." Barbara said, looking at the squirrel. "The yare very nice, Helena."
"They wanted to meet you." She kneeled on the floor, standing up them. "I told them that you are my angel."
Batgirl shook her head. "I'm not a guardian angel. I'm a crime fighter, I told you. I'm a person just like you."
"But normal people don't dress like you." Helena frowned.
"Point for you. But I'm still not an angel, get it? I know many things about people."
"Things?"
"For example I know you are taking tutorials."
"Ohhh..."
"You are smart, but you need pay more attention in your classes."
"I don't like English. Why do I need to take English class? I speak English well." Helena lowered her face.
"English is not difficult when you pay attention," Barbara explained. "Try to pay attention, it will be easier."
"Barbara is helping me. Did you know that?" Helena smiled.
"Yes, and I know too that sometimes you make her nuts with your questions," the red head said, touching her nose with her finger.
"Everyone says that, but I don't ask so much. I just want to know."
"One topic at a time. You can't touch many topics in just one moment."
"Well, I can try."
"Promise me."
"All right." Helena raised her head. "I promise."
"Good, now go to sleep. It's late." Bartgirl rubbed her head and looked at her toys "Good night, everybody."
Helena smiled and surprised her again with a hug and gave her a kiss on her cheek. "Nite."
The child walked inside her room and Batgirl closed the door. She smiled to herself and moved back; she had something special. She couldn't deny it. She took the rope next to the balcony and climbed up again.
Helena yawned, opening her mouth. "I told you to go to sleep early," Selina scolded to her. The child, half-asleep, sat on the bed while her mother dressed her. "Why are all your toys on the floor again?"
"I dunno." The kid yawned again, letting her mother move her arms up and down while she put her school shirt on.
"I hope you don't tell me they had a party last night all by themselves."
"May I sleep for five more minutes?"
"No." She helped her to stand up "Now go and wash your face. It's late."
The kid nodded and walked sleepily, she stumbled against a chair before finding the way to her bathroom, while Selina picked up the stuffed zoo off the floor.