The elevator door opened and they walked outside the building. The kid stopped at the stairs and crossed her arms before facing them.

"And?" she asked.

Dick kneeled next to her touching her shoulder. "Here is the surprise," He extended his hand toward an incredible black and blue motorcycle parked at the entrance of the building. "Want a ride?."

"Wow!!" the girl exclaimed. She couldn't believe it, it was an incredible motorcycle, a Harley Davison, she only had seen it in magazines. "Is it yours?" she asked surprised.

"Yes. Harley Davidson V-Rod. Aluminum body. 49mm 38° raked fork. 180mm rear tire. The effect of all the shine getting stripped down is an even more raw, aggressive nature. Black calipers."

"Black brake lines," Helena added. "Black hand controls. Black rear shock springs. And an all-black hydro-formed frame."

"Exactly."

Barbara smiled, that had been a very smart idea of Dick.

Dick pushed Helena lightly toward the bike, he took her hand and softly moved it over the machine. "Feel it, Helena, it has brighter reflector optics headlight to offset all the blackness." The girl followed the movement of her hand, stunned, it was incredible, she was touching a Davidson. "The VRSCB model starts with the idea that with 115 horses running directly beneath your saddle," Dick explained moving his mouth near her ear "You don't need much more. The liquid-cooled, fuel-injected 60° V-Twin Revolution engine with EFI delivers all those stampeding horses. So as the style goes minimalist, the off-the-line power most definitely does not."

The child smiled and looked at him hopefully "Can we go for a ride?"

"Sure." He took a helmet from the bike and put it over his head. He took the other one and put it over Helena's head.

"I can't see anything," she said, while he adjusted the helmet.

"Don't move, it's big, but you can see. The glass is big." He closed the lock under her chin. "All right, now let's go." He climbed on the bike and helped her to move up.

"It's great!" Helena giggled, holding his waist. But as soon as she leaned her head against Dick's back the helmet turned, she couldn't see anything. She moved back and adjusted again it with her hands.

"Careful, Helena," Barbara said.

Dick smiled and looked at Barbara, they had done it well. "Want to come?"

"No, I need to call someone, you know who."

I'll finish making the meal, when you come back, I'll have it all ready."

"Great, ready Helena?" Dick asked.

"Yea!!!" the kid yelled, holding his waist.

He turned on the bike and wheeled toward the street. Helena felt really excited, she never had been for a ride on a motorcycle, and that one was wonderful.

Barbara shook her head, laughing lightly and walked inside the building. Shehad talked to Selina, she had convinced the blonde to let Helena stay with her a few days, maybe two or three until she could understand that the pet's loss had been an accident. Selina wasn't convinced, but Barbara had insisted, Helena was really hurt.

The red head finished studying in her bedroom and went toward the living room where she heard the television. The place was a mess, toys everywhere, as were notebooks and color pencils. The young woman sighed, looking at Helena sprawled on the floor watching television.

"Helena, did you finish your homework?" Barbara stood in the doorway.

"I'm watching TV."

"I told you to pick up your toys and finish your homework before watching."

"It's my favorite show now, Barbara," Helena answered without moving her gaze off the screen..

"Okay," Barbara took the remote control off the couch and turned off the television, "no more television."

"Barbara! Tom and Jerry is going to start!" Helena rolled her eyes, Barbara had the same bad manners as her mother, "Please!"

"No, I told you two hours ago to pick up your toys and finish your homework before watching TV. Now, first, pick up all your toys and then I want to see you at the table doing your homework."

"Let me watch my show!"

"No." Barbara was firm.

"I'll do my homework after I watch it!"

"No, first homework, and later TV. I told you! Now pick up your toys and finish your homework."

Helena rested her forehead on the floor. "Va te faire foutre!" she mumbled in French. (kiss my ass)

"Helena!" Barbara shouted, turning her head toward her.

"What?" The kid raised her head.

"Ne dites pas cela!" (Don't say that) The red head crossed her arms and glared at her.

The kid opened her eyes wide. She was in trouble again. "Parlez-vous le français ?" (Do you speak french?)

"Oui, et très bien. Vous êtes punissent la jeune dame." The red head pointed at her. (Yes, and very well. You are punished young lady.)

"Je…" Helena knew the redhead had her again. What a way to screw up everything.

"Que votre mere disent?" (What would you mother say?)

"Maudit! (Damn)" the little brunette growled.

"Helena…"

"All right, all right." She began to pick up her toys.

"Hurry up, you are not going to get up from the table until you finish all your homework."

"You are worse than mom."

"You have no idea."


Helena moved to her side, trying to sleep. After a few seconds, she turned to her other side. Outside it was raining, she could heard the drops on the window. She moved under the covers and, after a few seconds, she rolled to the bottom of the mattress. She missed Jaçques; it was the first time in years he wasn't sleeping with her. She couldn't believe he had blown up like a rocket inside a dryer.

She hated laundry machines.

Yes.

She never would buy one in her life.

She crawled to the top of the bed and rested her head on the pillow again, looking at the ceiling. She would never forgive her mom; the problem was that she missed her so much. She smelled so good, and she could always run to her and she petted her head. She liked it when she petted her head; or when she felt alone she could go to her bed and curl up at her side.

Barbara was deeply asleep on her side, hugging her pillow. She easily fell asleep, it was not a problem for her. She tried to turn to her other side, but something on her back stopped her. Sleepily she opened her eyes and turned back. There was a small ball against her back under the covers. That damn ability of the kid to be so silent was weird sometimes. She sat up and turned to her other side; she rested her head on the pillow again and, with her left hand she raised the blankets. Helena was curled up against her. She moved the blanket down.

"What happened now, Hel?" she mumbled with her eyes closed.

"I miss Jaçques," the kid said from under the covers.

"You miss Jaçques."

"Yes, he always slept with me."

Barbara yawned. "And you can't sleep now."

"Yes."

Rain was falling outside. After a few seconds of silence the red head asked: "Are you sure you only miss Jaçques?"

"Yes."

"I don't believe you." Barbara finally opened her eyes and raised the blankets. "Come here."

Helena crawled up and hugged her, resting her head on her chest. Barbara hugged her back.

"You miss mommy." Barbara smiled gently, looking down.

"No, she killed Jaçques and Boo." The kid pouted.

"Boo? Who is Boo?"

"My squirrel."

"Oh, yes, I remember. Hel, your mom didn't kill Jaçques, it was an accident. You have broken many things in your house and your mom doesn't hate you."

"I didn't mean to."

"Well she didn't mean to blow up Jaçques and Boo." Barbara bit her lips, trying not to laugh. "Do you think she would try to kill them, knowing how much you loved them?"

"I don't want to see her again," Helena mumbled.

"You can't hate your mom just for that." The young woman began to pet her head. "She has given you to you so many things. When you were little and you woke up crying at three am, she always got up to see what was wrong; she always gives you food to eat; she helps you with your homework. Who takes care of you when you are sick?"

"She always pets my head." Helena pressed herself against the red head.

"Uh?"

"She always pets my head… like you now."

"You like this?" Helena was so cute.

The child nodded.

"Hel, have you thought about how worried your mom was when you went out without telling her where you were going? You broke her heart."

"But…"

"She loves you, and she feels so sorry about Jaçques. She thought something terrible would happen to you." The red head took her chin and raised her face, cat pupils shone in the darkness and looked at her. "Do you like to see your mom crying?"

Helena never had thought of that. She didn't want to see her mom crying. She had seen her doing it a few times and she felt bad. Terribly bad. "No…"

"She cried," Barbara explained, "she cried so much because she missed her kitten."

"I miss her too." The child rested her head on Barbara's chest again. She wanted to cry.

"So, don't do this again. Why don't you call her in the morning?" Barbara rested her head on the pillow, fixing her eyes on the ceiling.

"She hates me. I will never go back to my home."

Barbara laughed, a kid's logic was marvelous. "Who told you that?"

"I ran away… she will be angry."

"She is not angry, she wants you to come back."

"No…"

"Hel, she told me, she wants you back. Call her."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Are you going to call her?"

"All right."

"Good. Now let's go to sleep. It's late." The redhead closed her eyes.

Helena pressed herself against Barbara again, she missed the warm of her mother; her scent. She was used to smelling her everywhere, she felt secure with it. But now she was far away, and in some way, Barbara's scent made her felt protected to. She closed her eyes and slowly fell asleep.