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Barbara's gaze turned to Helena, who was trying to get a piece of meatball with her fork and cut it with her knife. She was curious about Selina's daughter. Who was her father? She analyzed her face, her movements, her gestures, trying to record all the details. She wasn't blonde like Selina, but she had charisma.

The redhead blinked.

Just a second, what was she doing? She was analyzing the kid as if she was a criminal. Please, Gordon, take a grip! she said to herself.

Suddenly, she felt something hit her square on the forehead. She moved her head back and blinked, immediately she took her hand to her forehead and felt something warm and wet. Moving her hand down, she looked at her fingers. They were covered with…

…Tomato sauce?

She raised her eyes and looked at the little brunette, who looked at her, embarrassed, with her fork and her knife in her hands. "I'm sorry." She mumbled.

Barbara lowered her head and she saw a small meatball on her lap.

"I hate meatballs for this. I can never cut them," Helena tried to apologize.

"Don't worry, Helena, it was an accident." The young woman smiled, cleaning her forehead with her napkin.

"I prefer spaghetti, or ice cream, but meatballs are awful."

"Ice cream is not a meal."

"But it never flies off your plate." The kid moved her fork and knife and tried to cut a piece of meatball. Suddenly, it slipped and flew. It crashed against the Barbara's nose.

"Damn…" the girl grumbled, closing her eyes. She had screwed it up again.

The redhead blinked. What was this? The attack of the killer meatballs? She looked at the meatball that had landed on her plate.

Helena looked at her, afraid. Barbara had spots of sauce on her face. Great, now she was dead. Her dad was the Police Commissioner.

Barbara looked at the girl's face; she had a comical expression, Helena was really expecting to be yelled at; Barbara calmly cleaned her face.

The little brunette watched her expectant, why was she taking it so calmly? Maybe she was thinking about cutting her in small pieces painfully.

Helena saw the redhead take the meatball with her fork… Uh oh, now she was going to take revenge.

Barbara extended her arm and showed the piece of meatball to Helena. The girl watched her, unmoving.

"Did you lose this?" Barbara asked, amused.

"I'm sorry…" the brunette mumbled, taking the fork with the meatball and putting it back on her plate. When she did it, she gave Barbara back the fork.

"I see you truly have a conflict with meatballs."

"My mom doesn't understand that it's hard cut something round." She raised her eyes and looked at the redhead "Are you angry?"

"It was an accident, don't worry." Barbara put a piece of meat in her mouth.

"Oh cool…." Helena smiled and, trying again to cut a piece of meatball, it slipped and flew again, this time against Barbara's blouse.

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After dinner, Selina handed Barbara a knife to cut the cake. "Would you do the honors?"

The redhead accepted and, looking at Helena's face, she moved the knife to cut a small piece. The girl shook her head; she moved the knife to cut a bigger piece and the brunette nodded. She smiled and cut it.

Selina shook her head. "Sure, hype her up on sugar. You aren't the one who's going to be up all night trying to get her to bed."

Helena ignored her mother's comments and gratefully took the cake. "Thank you, Miss Gordon."

Barbara smiled at her. "You can call me Barbara."

Helena took a bite of her cake. "Cool."

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Selina told her.

"I'm not," Helena answered with her mouth full of cake.

The blonde rolled her eyes, "Helena, Helena…"

"You asked me, I'm answering, you said it's bad manners not to answer when an adult is asking…"

Selina covered her mouth with her hand, "Enough, eat and shut up."

Barbara had to admit that Helena had a charming way about her. She gave a piece of cake to Selina.

A few hours later. Barbara and Selina were still talking in the living room. Helena was in her room playing with her toys. The redhead couldn't believe, as couldn't Selina, that they were so comfortable talking to each other as old friends.

The redhead moved her finger over the mouth of her coffee cup "I'm sorry for being so rude."

"Don't worry, I'll react the same way if some day you tell me that you want be a burglar."

Barbara smiled. "I guess so."

Selina raised her brow. "I hope that now you believe me."

"I hope you really keep your word. Your daughter deserves it."

"I know it. I want a different life for her; I want a normal life for her without hiding, running, you know… I want her to have the life I couldn't, with a family."

Barbara gently took her hand, "You will do it."

"I'm trying," the blonde sighed, "I'm trying."

Barbara checked her watch, it was later than she thought. "Oh, I must go, It's late."

"I guess, New Gotham bad guys are waiting for you." Selina smirked.

"You got it. Thank you for inviting me over, Selina."

"My pleasure." The blonde raised her voice, "Helena, come here, Barbara is leaving! May I ask you something?"

"Sure…"

"Why did you accepted my invitation for dinner?"

The young woman though in silence a few seconds before answering, "Curiosity, I wanted to know what you were up to."

Selina crossed her arms "But you thought that I'm a criminal, maybe it could have been a trap."

"Well… I love the danger, I took the risk."

"And what do you think now?"

"That I really had a great time." The redhead turned to take her bag. When she turned and raised her head, Helena was in front of her. She looked down. A wood floor. It was a floor that should easily cause much noise.

"She is very silent too." Selina smiled.

"I see…." Barbara leaned down and extended her hand to the girl. "Helena, it was very nice meeting you."

"You too." Helena moved her head next to Barbara's ear to whisper: "I'm sorry for the meatballs."

"Don't worry, it will be our secret." A green eyes winked.

Helena smiled. "Thanks for the cake. Come over anytime. I insist."

"Helena, you do know that Barbara's not going to bring cake over every time?"

Helena looked back at her Mom. "Hey, I can try."

Barbara gave her a smile. "Your Mom's right, you know. Maybe next time I'll bring cookies."

Selina looked up at Barbara. "Barbara, it was good to see you again."

"You too, Selina. And I am sorry I doubted you."

"I understand… And, Barbara, do keep in touch. You have my phone number."

The redhead stood up in front of her and narrowed her eyes playfully. "Do you know it will be a dangerous situation for you? I'll keep an eye on you."

Selina raised a piece of paper where Barbara had written her phone number, "And I know where you will be. It's helpful for a thief to have that information, you know."

"Point for you."

Selina laughed, "I hope to see you soon… Do you know? We were…" the blonde noticed Helena watching them both, "playing on different teams, but in all that time, I learned that you always follow rules, justice, you try to do the right thing, and when you do something, it's because you really are feeling it, you are honest. And… I know that maybe the only person that I can trust in this entire city is you."

"Thank you, anytime you need it Selina." She kissed her cheek.

"Bye Barbara." Helena waved her hand.

"Bye Helena."

The crime fighter heard the door close behind her as she walked towards the elevator. Who would have thought Selina Kyle, a retired criminal, had turned into a mother. Barbara had to admit she had been prepared for anything except that. But from what Barbara had seen those few hours she had spent in their apartment, Selina seemed to be a great Mom. And little Helena was quite a character, a happy nine year old who loved her mother.

THE END