Selina was at the stove finishing preparing dinner. She was delayed, because Helena had insisted on helping her make some Christmas cookies. The table was covered in flour as was the kid. Selina hated the mess, but her child was happy every time she "helped" her in the kitchen. The problem was that she was terribly bad at it.

Helena put a bit of dough in her mouth and chewed it.

"Don't do that," Selina said, removing a pot from the stove.

"I like it," the child said.

"We are never going to finish." The blonde put her hands on her waist, "You eat half of the dough."

Helena looked at her with big blue still gulping down the dough. Selina couldn't avoid laughing looking at her expression and rubbed her head. "Finish now, it's late. I still need to bake them."

"I'm finished." She showed her the tray with some cookies that looked like snowmen.

Selina turned her head and looked at some distorted figures on the tray. They seemed to be snowmen… but melted ones; how could she do that? She was using the mold. She scratched her head and avoided making a face; she didn't want to hurt the little brunette's feelings.

"This is the best one." Helena said proudly, pointing at a cookie.

"Yes… pretty…" Selina smiled, but now she needed an excuse to get her out of there so she could clean the disaster. "Now go take a bath. I'll bake these while you're gone."


Barbara stepped out of her car. Leslie had invited her to dinner, Selina was going to Paris on vacation and she wanted to have a small Christmas dinner before her departure. She closed the door and opened the trunk to take out a dessert tray. Suddenly, she felt something, she turned, a man stood behind her, startling her. She jumped in her place.

"Damn! Don't do that again!" She rolled her eyes, looking at Robin in front of her.

"You don't answer my calls. Are you still mad?" the tall, young man asked, concerned.

She looked around, it was not good that he was there, "People could see you, what the hell is wrong with you?" What was he thinking?

"Why don't you want to talk to me?" Robin was tired. He had been looking for her unsuccessfully for the past two weeks.

"This is not the place to discuss this." She tried to move to the sidewalk, but he stopped her by her arm.

"I'm not going to move until you tell me why are you angry with me."

"I hate feeling used, okay?" she said in annoyance and tried to pull her arm away. "Now, go!"

"I'm not using you, who told you that?" Robin didn't release her and increased his grip on her arm. She tried to free herself but he kept the hold.

Green eyes glared at him, "I said I'm not going to discuss this here." She tried to walk away, but Robin took her by her waist and took her to an alley next to them. His attitude disconcerted her, she tried to free herself, but he was strong. "Let me go!" she shouted, but he pushed her against the brick wall and kissed her, pinning her arms against the wall and immobilizing her. He felt her relax after a few seconds and he released her arms. She wrapped them around his neck.

Breathless, he moved back. "Are you still mad?"

The answer was a hard knee burying in his gut and a punch in his face. He bent down and coughed.

"Never do that again!" she growled.

"What …?" he gasped, grabbing his stomach, "You… didn't like.. it?"

"Of course I did, but I don't like your attitude." She walked toward Leslie's house.

"Wait, Barbara!" He raised his head, "we need talk."

"I don't like that he is using you to find out who Helena's father is," she said without turning.

"What?" Robin blinked.


Leslie opened the main door, as soon as the bell rang. Barbara couldn't hide her annoyance. She walked quickly inside the house with the dessert between her hands. The old doctor raised a brow, closed the door, and followed her to the kitchen.

"Well?" she asked, crossing her arms as she stood the doorway.

"Sorry, I'm late," the redhead excused herself, trying not to think about her encounter with Dick a few moments ago. Some of his attitudes disconcerted her. He was charming, nice, intelligent. He always made her laugh; they had many things in common. They loved the night, the fight; doing the right thing. They loved the adrenaline running through their veins… they were orphans. It was like a course. He was handsome, an excellent lover and…

"Barbara, I'm talking to you." Leslie's voice pulled her from her thoughts.

"Sorry, distracted," the redhead said, looking around the house, the Christmas tree caught her attention, she went to it. "Hey, it's nice."

Leslie rolled her eyes and followed her, "Why do you think I will fall for those lies all the time?"

"What lies?"

"What's wrong with you?"

The redhead put her hands over her waist and sighed. She couldn't lie to her. She was too smart. After long seconds she finally said, "Dick asked me if I know who Helena's father is."

Leslie hesitated a moment. She wasn't sure if Barbara knew the secret. She would need to proceed carefully. "Did you tell him?"

"I don't know who he is." Barbara explained. That fact didn't make her frustrated. She respected Selina's decisions, but every time she saw the girl she reminded her of someone, and she couldn't avoid that though every time she saw some of the girl's attitudes or expressions. That was the frustrating part.

Leslie frowned.

Barbara looked at her, mistaking her silence for disbelief. She felt angry. "It's not necessary for me to know who he is" She walked toward the window shaking her head; Why did she have to know that secret? Selina, for whatever reason, trusted her, enough to allow her to care her most precious treasure: Helena. She didn't leave her child with anyone. Inside, she knew that the woman kept the secret of Helena's father as a way to protect her. He must be very powerful. She knew many people in the underworld and in her social life... high powered executives and politicians. Any of them could be her father.

"Wait, wait," Leslie raised her hands to calm Babrara, "I believe you."

Barbara shook her head and sat on the couch, covering her face with her hands. Leslie sat next to her and rubbed her back. "I believe you, I don't have a reason to doubt you, I know Selina. She is very closed about some aspects of her life, and I understand why she does that. Her life was dangerous, she was always on the edge, and she is afraid that edge could make Helena fall."

"Selina has never told me and I have never asked," she mumbled, crossing her arms on her knees, "It's something personal, if she wants to tell me she will do it, but I respect her privacy and Selina never talks about her personal life. I'm sure Bruce sent him to ask me. I hate that he tries to use Dick to ask me things."

"Why do you think Bruce sent him?"

"I'm sure he is still in love with her and he wants to know."

Blue eyes narrowed. She hesitateded before ask. "I don't think he would use Dick."

"Dick is a good man and has a big heart. He is…. easy."

"Maybe you misunderstood."

"I don't think so."

The door bell interrupted her conversation. Barbara raised her head. "If it's him I'm not here."

"If it's him, I'm not going to let him make a disaster of my dinner," the doctor said, standing up and going to open the door. She didn't want arguments or fights that night. She wanted to have a peaceful moment of relaxation; she was going to give that guy a good lecture.

"Listen, Di…."

"Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas!" Her speech was interrupted by a familiar little figure dressed as Santa Claus with a big bag next to her. The beard covered almost all of her face.

"Welcome, Santa!" Leslie winked at Selina, who was standing behind her child in an elegant dress. "How are you?"

"I'm okay."

Leslie smiled, leaning over her and putting her hands on her knees, "We prepared dinner for you, want to come in Santa?"

"Yes, ho, ho, ho." The child tried to raise the bag but it was heavy, Selina tried to help her, but she refused.

"No, no mom, I can do it alone," she protested, walking inside.

Selina helped her to put the bag on her back. "I'm just helping you... came on, go.." Helena, stumbling, walked inside, the bag was heavy. Selina and Barbara smiled watching her.

"Thanks for coming, come in Selina." Leslie said to the blonde.

"Thanks to you, I don't have many friends here and it's really nice have a good moment with friends." The tall woman walked inside with a tray in her hands.

"Don't say that," Leslie helped her, "half of the men in Gotham are behind you."

"Please! I brought the beef and some cookies."

"Oh! Great!" The old woman walked toward the kitchen.

"Just please say the cookies are delicious, Helena made them."

"Uh, oh. I want to live."

"Les! Please" Selina smiled, walking inside the kitchen. She looked at the pie on the stove"Mmm, looks delicious, you made it"

"Barbara." Leslie opened the fridge.

"Are you joking" the blonde raised a brow.

"No."

Selina put one hand on her waist and the other one on the table. "Les" she looked at her seriously"you know what I'm talking about. The kid doesn't know the difference between sugar and salt, both are white."

Leslie laughed"Please, Selina."

"I'm talking about our life."

"Don't worry, she bought it. I told her where, you always are hard on her. Why? She is still young."

"Ho, ho, ho, merry Christmas." Helena walked inside the living room. Barbara laughed, looking at her.

"Helena, what's that?."

"I'm Santa." Helena moved the heavy bag from her back to the floor, she sighed with relief, it was heavy. She removed the beard and put it over her head. "Itches."

"And what did you bring here?"

"Gifts, mom and I went to buy them." She opened the bag and looked inside.

"Helena, wait! Don't open it yet!" Selina warned from the kitchen. "Hi, Barbara, I'll be there in a minute."

"Okay!" Barbara leaned toward Helena curiously, resting her chin on her palm, "Is there anything interesting?"

The child looked back. Her mom was still in the kitchen. "My mom bought you something," she whispered to her.

"Yes?" Barbara whispered back, "I bought something for her too."

"Helena!" Selina glared at the girl from the doorway.

"I didn't tell her anything, right, Barbara?" Helena said.

"True," the young woman nodded.

The tall blonde hit the little brunette's butt lightly. "You forget I can hear you."

The child grumbled.

"Want something to drink?" Leslie smiled, "I have wine and... saki, a friend brought it to me from Japan."

"Saki." Selina said, sitting on the couch, "the last time I drank it was four years ago. It's good."

"Wine is okay for me." Barbara

"Yea, wine is okay!" Helena nodded.

"Fruit soda for you," Leslie glared at her.

"But…"

"Fruit soda."

Helena rolled her eyes. "I'm almost twelve!"

"Eleven." Selina smirked.

"She's ten?" Barbara frowned.

"Eleven," Helena crossed her arms.

"Ten." The blonde smiled leaned back on the coach, crossing her legs, "She always says she's older than she is."

"Have you been lying to me?" Barbara glared at the child.

"I'm eleven!"

Barbara turned her head and looked at Leslie.

"Ten." The old woman nodded and gave the glass of wine to Selina.

"Leslie!" Helena shouted.

"Oh, that was evil." Barbara glared at the kid.

"I'm eleven!"

"Yes, and I'm blonde."

The child cocked her head, "Do you color your hair?"

Selina spat her saki.

"Don't go there."

"You are the only red head I know." She looked at her mom. "Does she color her hair?"

"Helena. Go play," the blonde said, cleaning her skirt with a napkin. "Thanks for giving us this small Christmas dinner." Selina said to Leslie.

"Thanks for giving us this small Christmas dinner." Selina said to Leslie.

"Oh, I wanted to do it, you and Helena will be in Paris on vacation for almost a month." The old woman gave Barbara her wine.

"You deserve a vacation." The blonde smirked, crossing her leg.

"Why do you color your hair?" Helena asked Barbara.

"Do you to live to see tomorrow?" Green eyes wanted to kill the little brunette.

The kid opened her eyes and walked toward the bag of gifts, "I'm going to give out the presents."

"No, no, presents until after dinner." Selina shook her head.

"Oh no, it's boring, now!" the child said.

Selina didn't say a word, she just fixed her eyes on her. Helena knew that look, she closed the bag and said, "Okay, okay, so… where is dinner?"

"We are going to talk first," Selina glared at her.

"Talk?" Helena protested, "I can't wait that long!"

"Take your soda and wait until after dinner." Leslie said to the kid, giving her a glass of fruit soda.

"You can sit and talk with us." Selina took her by her arm and pulled her to sit next to her, she wrapped her arm around her waist to keep her still. "How is work, Barbara?"

"I want wine."

"Oh, not so bad. I'm working on re-ordering the library's data files."

"Just a bit, mom?" Helena looked at her.

Selina raised her brow and, leaning over her, whispered softly, "No."

"That is a lot of work," Leslie said.

"Yes," the redhead nodded, "but it's a nice job."

"You are a library mouse." Selina smirked.

"A sip, mom?"

The blonde rolled her eyes. "Open your mouth." She moved her glass near her lips.

The little brunette frowned and moved her head back, "What?"

"I'm going to give you saki."

"What's that?"

"Like wine, but better." Selina smirked.

Leslie shook her head. Helena licked her lips and tried to take the glass. Selina moved her hand back, "No way, open your mouth."

"Is it on the rocks?" Barbara asked in low voice to Leslie.

The doctor nodded and smiled.

"Oh boy..." Barbara made a face.

As soon as the kid tasted of it, she jerked her head back and coughed. Selina tried to contain her laugh. "Hel, please, this is an expensive beverage."

The kid pushed her mother's hand away, still coughing, her face turned red; it was burning her throat.

"That was evil, Selina." Leslie scratched her cheek.

"She learns best that way," the blonde explained, sipping a bit of saki.

Helena stood up and went to Leslie. "Coke, please." She gasped feeling her throat on fire.

"Do you always do these things?" Barbara sipped her wine, watching Helena in amusement.

"Hurry." Helena coughed. Leslie gave her glass of water from the bar.

"She is just a kid." Leslie raised her brow. Helena drank the entire glass in one gulp.

"And you know what kind of kid." The blonde winked, "Helena, okay, do you want wine?"

After swallowing the last of the water, Helena took a deep breath and coughed again. "No," she whispered grabbing her chest.

"Are you sure, sweetheart?"

"Yes... cough."

"See?" she whispered to her friends, "she learns fast."