Barbara sipped a cup of coffee in her living room. It was raining, and she had a cold. She couldn't doing her usual nightly routine. She had nothing to do. It was strange, and it felt very unusual for her. She felt so ill that she wasn't even in the mood to read a book. She just lay there on her couch, watching the rain fall.

After she'd been taken in by the Gordons, she's discovered that her uncle – who'd soon after become her adoptive father - was no ordinary policeman. He knew Batman! Inspired by equal parts of hero-worship and ambition, Barbara set out the very next day to train herself to become Batman's partner and never wavered from her goal during the next several years, until college and more "grown-up" dreams sidetracked her.

But for the next few years, wherever Barbara's "real life" took her, Batgirl went, too. As Barbara, she was the head librarian of Gotham. As Batgirl, she had wild adventures, captured all sorts of villains and eventually won Batman's respect, becoming one of the few to know his true identity.

It had been hard to win his respect, but she had finally done it. He was a complicated man. An orphan like her, he hadn't had the luck she'd had with her adoptive family, but had grown up alone, with only his loyal butler as caretaker.

The phone rang. She picked up her mobile and answered.

"Dad? Hi…" she was glad to hear from him. "I was thinking of you just now… Yes, I've got a cold… uh? But… It's raining I don't want you come here just to bring me my dinner… oh…" she sat up on the couch. "You're downstairs?..." She stood up and went toward the door: "Come here…"

It was one of the things she loved him the most for, that he always gave her lovely surprises. He knew she was sick and so he had brought her dinner. She waited for him standing up at the door. When the elevator door opened she couldn't avoid a big smile, seeing him arriving like Santa Claus, with big bags in his hands.

"Hi sweetheart." He kissed her cheek, "What are you doing standing up? Go to bed, I'll prepare the dinner."

"But…" Barbara tried to argue.

"I said, go to bed." Gordon insisted.

"I was on the couch."

"Okay, so go back to the couch."

She kissed his cheek and did as he'd ordered. She loved him.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - -

Well, that was humiliating.

Sighing, she looked around.

She hated that thing.

She ran again toward the door but with that thing tied to her back, she couldn't walk more than a few steps. She growled, lying down on the floor. Since her mother had discovered that thing, she'd been tied her in morning while Selina worked at the table or in the kitchen.

Helena made a run for it again.

Selina smiled hearing the body of her child scrabbling all over the wooden floor. She turned around.

Yes, Helena was indeed once again lying on her stomach, frustrated. Selina had brought that baby leash a few days ago. She'd hung it from the ceiling. It was marvelous. It gave Helena a wide area to play and run inside the house, but she couldn't go too. The long rope was far away from expensive ceramic dolls and anything that could hurt her if she fell. Helena didn't walk that well yet and she still fell to the floor often. All in all, this was much better. Selina had been tired of following her daughter all day. Now she never was tired.

Helena kneeled on the floor and crawled trying to escape. Again the baby leash pulled her back.

Pissed, she sat on the floor and turned. Taking the rope, she bit it, trying to break it. After a few seconds, she noticed her efforts were unsuccessful, so she began to pull at the rope, trying to free herself.

Still nothing.

She growled again, protesting. She stood up and began to walk, pulling against the elastic rope, pulling with all her weight; trying, again unsuccessfully, to break it.

The elastic rope pulled her back.

Damn. It was hard. She needed to think of something. She turned once more and grasping the rope with both hands she began to pull at it. Without knowing quite how, suddenly Helena was wrapped around the rope.

Great. Now she was trapped.

Selina laughed, looking at Helena's efforts to free herself and walked toward her. "Hey, hey, easy, I've never seen a baby trapped in a baby leash before."

Helena gurgled, annoyed. Selina didn't understand a word, but she supposed correctly that she was protesting. "Let me help you …" the blonde kneeled and tried to help her. Helena pushed her hands back. "Oh, you're angry." Selina removed the baby leash and freed her in a few seconds. "Look, you're free."

The little brunette sat on the floor, growling and waving her hands.

"Helena," Selina smiled lovingly to her, "don't be grumpy, you're free now."

Helena looked around. She discovered she was free.

Hey! That was great!

She stood up, now was time to run free. But she suddenly felt her mom took her in her arms. Now what was happening? She wanted run.

Little blue eyes opened wide.

Oh. Damn.

She was taking her there.

She struggled, trying to climb over her mother's shoulder but her mom was bigger and stronger. She kicked unsuccessfully and growled again when she felt she was being moved inside there.

All unsuccessfully.

And now she was in jail. Bars surrounded her.

The damn playpen…

Maybe plan "A" would help.

Selina saw Helena's eyes begin to fill with tears. She raised a blonde eyebrow.

Helena cried loudly. That would surely break her mother's heart and she would get her out of there.

The blonde chuckled. That was the fakest crying that she'd ever seen. She stood and went to the kitchen.

Helena was surprised. "What?" She was leaving! She had to do something. She stood up, grasped the bars and cried as loudly as she could.

Selina, amused, turned her head. "The old trick of the sad baby." She thought. Helena was giving her best efforts to get out of the playpen but Selina still had a lot of work to do and didn't have time to be following her child around the house.

A few seconds later, Helena saw her mother return, a hand hidden behind her back. The crying had worked. She sobbed and raised her arms, waiting for her mom to take her out of there.

Selina rested her chin over the playpen bars. "No, young lady you're going to be there all morning."

Helena let herself fall and sat cried louder still.

Selina moved her arm to the front and revealed a plate which she put inside the cradle next to Helena.

Cookies? Were those cookies? Helena reached out and took one. She bit into it. Yes, they were cookies, and her favorites ones at that, chocolate.

Next to her, Selina placed a sippy cup filled with milk. "Well I hope with this will quiet you down for a few minutes. Like it?"

Helena nodded. Anything for a cookie. That was great!

The blonde put some toys inside the playpen, turned on the radio and went back toward her work. She turned to check. Helena was jumping in place at the rhythm of the music; she was always easy to convince with a plate full of cookies and milk.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - -

"How was your day, dad?" Barbara asked, sitting on her couch, eating a warm soup. She enjoyed all the times she shared with her father. He could be a very hard man at work, but was a sweet father with her.

"Pretty fine, luckily this days the burglars are calm." Commissioner Gordon said smoking on the couch facing hers "Rainy days are good sometimes."

"Yes, I'm enjoying this a lot." She smiled to him. "Thanks for this, dad."

"Why must you thank me? You know I love being with you."

"I know it, and I love being with you too."

He took her hand and kissed it. "I hope you feel better now."

"Much better, thanks to you."

"The doctor checked up on you?"

"Yes, he said it's a pretty bad cold. He'll back tomorrow midday." She swallowed another spoonful of soup.

"I hope you're telling me the truth." He raised his brow. He knew her perfectly well, she hated doctors and surely she was lying. "Because I asked for a day off tomorrow."

The redhead cocked her head. "Yes? Why? Do you feel okay?"

"I'm feeling perfectly fine." He showed off his biceps and she laughed, "I'm strong as a bull."

"Dad, you're crazy…" She put the plate of soup down on the table next to her.

"And you're a sweetheart." He went to her and lifted her.

Barbara hugged him. "Dad, careful! You could knock me down."

"I'm showing you I'm strong as a bull!"

"All right, all right, you are, put me down!" she laughed and hugged him.

He was a marvelous father.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - -

Winter was coming. Paris was freezing. Selina liked the city's cold weather. She liked what it announced: Christmas. Now she felt like doing something special. It now had a special meaning for her. She had someone to share it with. She had a family.

She observed her little girl as she sat on a rug, playing with her toys. She was adorable. The tall woman kneeled and gave her a Flintstone vitamin. Helena loved it. She took it and put it inside her mouth. It tasted good. She raised her little hand asking for other one.

"No sweetheart." Selina put it back in its drawer.

"Mu!" the little brunette raised both hands.

"No," Selina ignored her and sat down at the phone, dialing.

Helena lowered her hand. Plan "A" had failed. She needed to think of plan "B". She loved those Flintstone vitamins. She stood up, bracing herself with both hands against the floor. Hesitantly, she stood, taking a few seconds to gain her equilibrium. That standing thing wasn't easy.

She turned her head to see her mother and smiled. Selina smiled back. Helena was starting to walk, she knew this phase marked the transition to independence. The little one liked imitating her mother and doing the same things she did.

Helena clapped, happy she could stand up alone. That was great. She looked up to see that the pills were in a high place. She looked at her mom and pointed to the Flintstone pills. "Mu?"

"I know you're trying to be charming," Selina told her, "But I'm not going to give you any more pills." She took a Gerber jar from her night table and scooped some of the substance with the spoon. "Better eat this."

Helena raised her head and again pointed to the pills: "Mu"

"Come on, you like the apricots with mixed fruits." A voice at the other end of the phone line called her attention. "Bonsoir Carl, c'est Selina…"

Helena sighed. Her mother wasn't going to give her that thing that tasted wonderful.

"Oui, oui…" Selina said standing up to go to the living room to look for some papers, "Stay here Helena, be quiet."

Helena stayed standing there, looking at her leave the room. She looked at the drawer. The candies weren't so high,after all. Taking hesitant steps, she walked toward it. She took hold of the furniture and looked up. She couldn't see it, but she knew it were there.

Possessing a photographic memory, a brown belt in judo, a keen analytical researcher's mind, and a background in gymnastics, dance, and other athletics, Barbara Gordon had became Batgirl long after graduating summa cum laude from Gotham State University with a degree in Library and Information Science. After graduating, she had become the head reference librarian at Gotham Public Library.

The transformation from librarian to Batgirl happened one night on her way to the policemen's masquerade ball. Dressed in a homemade "Batgirl," costume, she accidentally encountered the villain Killer Moth and foiled his attempt to kidnap wealthy Bruce Wayne. Barbara enjoyed the thrill and risk of crime fighting, and after modifying her motorcycle to create the Batcycle, Batgirl was born.

Though many people would think her too young – and maybe she was - but she had a very mature mind. Her incredible memory and intelligence had gained what few could: Batman, one the greatest heroes of the world, respected her. That made her feel proud of herself.

An emergency call came through on her police scanner. She turned in the next the corner in high speed.

Action. That was good.

She loved it.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - -

Her stomach hurt.

Oy.

Really hurt.

Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to eat that big "candy" bottle.

Oy.

"Helena! What did you do?" Selina walked inside Helena's room and found her sitting on the floor with an almost empty bottle of the Flintstones vitamins next to her. Selina had hidden it in her closet but it seemed that it hadn't been an obstacle for the little baby and her amazing cat abilities. "My God! Did you eat all these pills?" She kneeled next to Helena.

Why was she yelling? It really wasn't necessary to yell, she felt sick enough.

Oy.

Selina grabbed her by the waist, picked her up off the floor and dialed a number on the cell phone while running to the bathroom.

Now what was she doing?

She kneeled in front of the toilet and plonked Helena in front of it. "Dr. Harris, please. It's an emergency." She said as soon as she heard a voice at the other side of the line.

Selina opened Helena's mouth and inserted two fingers inside. Helena tried to push her back, that was disgusting. Selina moved her hands back and put her fingers again in her mouth.

Well, that would make anyone feel sick.

She threw up.

"Dr. Harris, I'm Mrs. Kyle," Selina explained holding the girl "I have a problem. Helena swallowed almost the whole bottle of Flintstone vitamins…."

Wewww. It feel terrible. Her stomach contracted and the taste in her mouth was awful. She struggled but her mother kept her still and put her fingers inside her mouth. She threw up again. She didn't like it.

She cried.

"Yes, yes, I'm making her throw up now. Okay, okay, I'll bring her in now."

Helena threw up again, crying loudly. Why was she doing that?

"Shh… it's okay, it's okay honey," Selina hung up the phone, "Just do it once more. I must take you to the doctor."

"No mom…" Helena moved her head, she didn't want throw up. She hated it. She hugged her mother, crying.

"I need you throw up once more, Hel."

"No, no, no…" the kid sobbed, hugging her tighter, her eyes swimming in tears.

Selina felt her heart break. She cleaned the tears from her daughter's cheeks with her fingers. "I'm sorry honey but it's for you…"