Part 6

Dinah

This is exactly where I'm supposed to be.

The last standing building after the earthquake that shook down Old Gotham.

The Gotham West Street Cinema.

There's a large red patch on the pavement to the left and I know it's blood. I don't need to look at it. I can remember how it got there. I remember why I was bleeding. Helena.

Bright lights flash. I remember why Helena hit me. I remember why Gabby had to go away and I remember how I ended up in that 'rest home.'

---

"Come on Gabs, you'd look beautiful in a paper bag, would you hurry up already," I call through the wooden door. "Please Gabby. We're gonna be late."

"Alright already!" she yells back as she pulls open the door and stands proudly in front of me wearing a dark blue formal dress. "Does it look ok?"

OK! I want to scream. You look like a freakin' goddess.

"Wow," I manage to mumble out, "You clean up ok Andrews."

"Clean up ok?" she squeaks indignantly, "I get all dressed up just so I can be your date to this stupid family dinner and all you can give a girl is 'clean up ok'. You sure know how to flatter!"

"Are you done? Cos Alfred's waiting in the car downstairs and he gets grouchy when you make him wait to long."

"Huh! Yeah, let's go."

---

The restaurant is busy, packed with people all celebrating something. I knew that tonight we would be celebrating surviving even if no one made a toast to it. We would be celebrating the man we lost and his valuable contribution to the final fight.

We were family now and family celebrate when they survive.

"We're with the Gordon reservation," I tell the man at the front and he smiles then leads us to the back of the restaurant. Reese, Helena, Barbara and Gibson are already there. They stand up as we get closer. Looks of astonishment and pride fill their faces.

"What?" Gabby says to them, "Did we clean up ok?" she asks sarcastically, leering towards me. I slap her on the upper arm and let Gibson hold my seat for me.

I have to be careful how I sit because I know if I get any wrinkles in this beautiful dress they'll be really hard to get out.

"So," I say as Gibson hands me a menu, "What's good?"

---

Gabby's staring at me again. I can feel her eyes roaming over my body. It's a little frightening really. I don't know what to do. I don't want to embarrass her by yelling, "Quit perving." I don't think I would anyway. I love the way her eyes savour my hips and long legs encased in the purple silk of the dress.

"I say drinks at the Clocktower," Barbara suggests as she gets into the hummer and motions for Reese and Gibson to join her. "Sounds good," Reese agrees.

"Fine with me," Helena grins, "But if anyone tries to take my job as unofficial bartender I'm gonna start ripping out kneecaps."

"You're so charming," Barbara says with a laugh, "Will you marry me?"

Helena snorts, "As if I haven't heard that one before!"

---

"Hey Hel, can you leave your drinks for a minute I want to talk to you," I say softly, gripping one strong arm in my hands.

"Yeah sure D, let's head outside," she says over loud beating music.

As I walk across the Clocktower with Helena trailing behind me. I catch sight of Gabby trying to dance with Barbara, who is more than a little drunk, so Gabby is left with just trying to get out from under Barbara's wheels.

I grin to myself and shut the balcony doors. The music inside is abruptly cut off. "Thank god for sound proofing hey," Helena says with a lazy smile.

I grin back at her. The nerves start to bubble up inside me.

"What did you wanna talk about Kid?"

"I just wanted to tell you, that is try and explain that…I um…well, ever since I first dreamt about you I've…"

"Just spit it out already D, you're making me a little nervous," she says with her normal Huntress cocky grin.

"I'minlovewithyouHel."

"Sorry what was that?"

"I said…I'm…I'm in love with you Helena."

Wow I did actually just yell that. Judging by her eyes she's not to happy about it either.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to…" I start to say, but who am I kidding. I meant it. I've been meaning it ever since I met her.

"Don't apologise Ki…uh Dinah. I'm, I'm really flattered," she says slowly.

Oh great, flattered. I can almost feel my heart breaking and something primal building up inside me.

"It's just that I'm not in love with you. I'm in love with Barbara."

There it was. The control sentence. I'm not in love with you.

She wasn't stupid; she knew I could never keep my feelings to myself. She knew Helena was in love with Barbara and could never love anyone else.

"That's a real pity Helena," I say softly, much more calmly than I actually feel on the inside. "You know, she said you'd say that. She's really a smart woman."

"What? Who D?"

"Quinn. She said you'd never love me the way I love you. She said Barbara would always have you and really the only way I could have you was if Barbara weren't around."

"Quinn said what? I don't understand D. When did you speak to Doctor Quinzel?"

I stand up from my seat on the side of the balcony.

"Really, she's smart for a psychopathic killer. So when I asked her to tell me what I could do to get you she told me how…"

Helena's getting guarded, she's stepping backwards trying to lean towards the balcony doors. "What did she tell you to do D?"

"It's simple really…"

I take a deep breath and smile because for the first time ever I'm going to get what I want.

"I just have to kill Barbara."

Before Helena can even get a swing in I use my telekinesis to shove her against the wall and she screams. Thank god for sound proofing.

I open the balcony doors and step inside just in time to see Barbara smack into Gibson and send his drink flying into her lap. She laughs as she tries to clean it up. It's surprising how fast straight liquor will burn if you telekinetically knock a burning candle into it.

For a split second I realise why Helena always described Barbara's hair as fiery red. Wow, if only she could see it now.

Gabby is screaming at me to help but I don't. Gibson grabs a giant silver bowl full of ice water and dumps it over Barbara's chair and body. The flames are partially extinguished but some still burn. Her frightened screams make me angry. She isn't dead. Apparently Quinn was right; I can't do anything properly the first time.

With an inhumane howl I dart forward throwing myself at my mentor and guardian. I attach my hands around her neck and squeeze. She's coughing and spluttering. Her eyes are fully open, staring at me with such horror and pain. How could someone be that scared? I'm just a girl.

I let go just a little bit when her hands grab onto mine and I can feel the fear coursing through her, all because of my hands around her neck. Her entire life is playing through her mind, all the things she'll miss out on or all the things she's wanted to do again.

She's been sleeping with Helena.

My hands got tighter again.

She doesn't love her.

Tighter.

She doesn't love her.

A sharp hit to the back of my head gets my attention. I roll away from the badly burnt redhead and look up to see wild blonde hair and a bright red fire extinguisher.

"Dinah please," Gabby begs.

With a simple wave of my hand she's thrown against a wall with a deadly crack.

Gibson is trying to pull a now unconscious Barbara away from me but I stop him with a heavy silver serving tray to the head. I don't need to hurt him but if he stops me from getting to Barbara then I will.

My hands return to her neck.

"Dinah stop! If you love me you'll stop!" Helena's loud voice rings around the Clocktower, over the pounding music. She shouldn't have been able to get away from the wall where I pinned her.

I stop.

That single moment of hesitation is enough for her to grab one of the Delphi monitors and throw it at me with a huge cry of anger. It slams into my head before I can even get a hand up in defence.

Something snaps again.

I drop onto my back. The music is getting duller now. Barbara's lying beside me and Helena's desperately trying to get her heart beating. I smile at the beautiful woman screaming. I can't hear what she's saying but I doubt it's very nice.

Reese is suddenly beside Helena helping her with the CPR.

I reach out one hand and rest it on Barbara's chest. With the tiniest amount of strength I have left I send a wave of energy from my hand into Barbara's heart.

Just as the music dies completely, the screaming stops and the pain gets to me I feel darkness surrounding me.