A/N: Thanks to everyone for their comments and encouragement! Again, remember I'm taking some liberties with the comic/TV world here so don't get offended. Thanks again to Denis who guest wrote the whole first section of our dearly departed Goliath. To be honest, I wasn't going to get into too much detail about G, but then Denis had a great idea for a spinoff story for this one and to set that up we went with this. I'm hoping that some of your questions are being answered with these last few chapters, keep them coming to let me know if I've missed something!
Enjoy!
Somewhere on a different Plane…..
The night was falling on Los Angeles - or at least it did, in its Heavenly version- when the white Dodge Viper turned on Figueroa, heading south. Street lamps were starting to diffuse their yellowish lights down the streets. Behind them, Goliath could see the tall shape of the Library Tower that so reminded him of the Eyrie Building, shining white like a needle in the Angelino sky.
He has seen the Citicorp building earlier that afternoon. It was mostly like the mortal version of Down Town LA he had visited with Elisa, but the people around were more relaxed, their guards down. No fights, at most a light argument, between people of all kind of origins. And their clothes.
People that looked straight out a Philip Marlowe book, chatting idly with a couple dressed like the characters he had seen in these Zorro serials on TV. A group of Native American were playing music in the middle of a circle of tourists, clapping in rhythm.
That was utterly odd for the tall gargoyle.
A line came back to his mind, maybe not word for word, but the general sense of it: "The first Matrix was made as an utopia, a perfect place. It was a complete failure, a disaster; we lost entire crops before we pointed what the problem was: the Human can't stand happiness. He doesn't have the skill."
What Agent Smith, if his memory served him well, said had revolted the noble gargoyle back then, but now, he started to see the truth in it- and it wasn't limited to the humans only.
The truth was, warriors like him, out of some battlefield lose their raison d'être. Vikings saw Afterlife as an eternal succession of feasts and battles. He himself chose to become a Guardian. Aimless eternal bliss wasn't made for him. He needed a purpose in life. In any life, it would seem.
"We're almost there, Big Guy" Sue Dibny told her passenger, pulling him from his reverie. "Time to meet your new team mates." She added.
Over the course of the afternoon, they had the chance to talk and get to know each other. She was an easygoing woman, but strong willed, heart driven, and a sharp mind.
Née Sue Dearbon, a socialite from Opal City, she was gifted with diplomacy skills that rivalled Princess Leia and a sense of organization. She met Ralph Dibny, the man who became her husband during a debutante ball that was crashed by some super-villains, chased by the Justice League of America. Once the threat was neutralized, and while most of the attendees stood back, still shocked, young Sue came closer and started to chew on the heroes.
Didn't matter that these people were among the most powerful beings on Earth and the Universe, Sue didn't hesitate to give them a piece of her mind!
Goliath was astounded how much alike were his Elisa and Sue Dibny. Sue and Ralph – also known as the Elongated Man – grew close, and married. Sue became part of the JLA, working as administrator and go-between the heroes and the official.
Another similitude with Elisa, Goliath had though.
Not even Lois Lane had such honour. Sue had been on first name basis with several heroes. Superman had looked up to her, Batman respected her and she'd even been like a sister to the Maiden of Might, Wonder Woman…when she was still Wonder Woman, not just Diana Prince-Kent as she was, nowadays.
Goliath remembered the footage of the funeral of the woman driving the car he was sitting in. He remembered Ralph crying on the shoulder of a blonde haired woman, and comforted by a brunette with a music-hall attire. He remembered Wonder Woman, solemn, a virginal white cloak wrapped around her, touching the coffin, speaking three words: "Farewell, Little Sister."
Goliath closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat. The leather squeaked softly, as his wings rubbed against the manufactured, tanned skin.
Images were popping in his mind. Sue, several years younger, barely 30 - if even that – running in a hall. Through the bay view, Goliath could see stars…and the curve of Earth.
A white-gloved hand grabbed Sue's hair, and pulled her down forcefully.
The scene changed
A costumed man, with a small black goatee, and the most grotesque costume Goliath has ever seen, seemed to dances, under the impacts of a blindingly fast red blur, while emerald green arrows struck in the man's shoulder and thighs; boxing gloves made of green light punching him again and again, and a flying man the size of a mockingbird, but packing the kick and punch of a normal sized human buzzed around him. Finally, the bearded felon was immobilized and held by a winged man wearing a mask that looked the head of an eagle or a hawk. There were also two women. They were familiar to Goliath. Looking younger, yes, but definitely them. A blonde and a brunette.
"Ahem"
Sue, now looking the same age she had now, and dressed alike, was packing something. Peering closer, Goliath could see it was an antique magnifying glass, gold rimmed. On the table, near the elaborate birthday cake, another object was exposed out in the open. And it looked like…a thermometer? No. He has seen it before, at the Castle, a couple years ago, in Fox's hand, when she had believed to be pregnant again –a prospect that positively terrorised the red haired beauty. That object was a pregnancy test, and a word, attached to it, was saying "Daddy, two words: Test Positive"
When the phone rang, a feeling of dread filled Goliath, and a cold fist gripped his guts.
"GOLIATH!"
The loud invective pulled him back to reality. He looked at Sue, whom was glaring at him. Goliath, all mighty warrior he was, felt himself shrink under the glare. In New Gotham he had heard several times about the withering glare Batman could give. Alfred, Barbara and Dick had related several humorous stories about the varied responses the Bat-Glare, as they called it, had gotten over the years. He had heard from Bluestone, who had met Sue and some of the League –he was related to the Question, one of their reservist members, after all- that someone had mastered a glare that matched the infamous Bat-Glare and could make Superman all fidgety. He could see whose glare it was, now. She looked pretty upset.
"That's rude to pry into someone else's memories, Goliath of Wyvern." She said, her tone clipped.
But then, her expression softened. "You're new to is, so I'll let this one slide. But you need to learn to control your Scrying Eye, and not pry into other people's memories." A pause. "Especially traumatic ones."
Goliath looked, and felt, ashamed. He looked down, then felt a soft hand on his arm.
"Hey, no harm done, okay? It's not your fault if you weren't told. Someone didn't do his or her job when you arrived. Just be careful"
"I'll do my best, Sue"
Sue, Sue, Suzie-Q… a voice rang briefly to his ears, but he did his best to close his mind to it. Sue smile approvingly, and nodded, as to say "See? You're learning already!"
"May I ask you a question, though?" He asked tentatively. This was all so confusing, he still felt in him memories that wasn't his.
"The blond haired woman I saw… She was at your… hum…"
"You can say it, you know. It's not a dirty word. FU-NE-RAL"
She looked pleased with her smart-assed answer as she grinned at him while he was looking at her annoyed.
"At your funerals, as I was saying, she was holding your husband. She looked pretty familiar, though I'm positive I've never met her… Or have I?"
Sue smiled at him approvingly. "You saw Carolyn Lance. She's…"
"Dinah's mother! Black Canary!" Goliath exclaimed, putting two and two together.
"Clever boy!" Sue giggled, patting his knee, before restarting.
Some humans were decidedly weird, whether alive or dead!
The rest of the trip was spent in silence, and when they arrived in front of a black non-descript two stories high building, beside the word "MIDNITE" written in aluminium, red colored letters, it was dark. But there was something else. It took Goliath a moment to realize they weren't in Heaven LA, anymore, but in the mortal side of the City. The Dodge stopped nearby, and they climbed out. Goliath, was shocked to notice that his partner didn't bother locking her car.
By the Dragon, they must go through cars in the Afterlife like Broadway through noir novels and cooking books!
Tags covered the front side of the building, while hookers were trying either to get some tourist to 'hire' them for a moment, or get partygoers to take them inside the club. There was a long line in front of the small French door, and watched by two men- probably retired football players, or small-time thugs trying to go straight.
When Goliath and Sue walked in front of the public, neither the public nor the bouncers seemed to notice them. Passing by, Goliath looked at the humans; it was almost as the people were looking everywhere, except in their direction.
"Follow me, Big Guy." Sue told him from the entrance.
Inside the building…well, the exterior completely belied the interior.
Rich carmine carpet, walls covered by dawn gold hued soft velvet…and framed original –if macabre- artworks by H.R. Giger, Steve Niles, Tim Bradstreet and John Vanfleet, and those were only the ones that Goliath could read the signatures of.
They walked deeper inside the building, and reached a staircase heading below. A tall Nubian athlete was guarding the access to the stairs, standing behind a blood red velvet cordon. In his hand he was holding a deck of unusual cards. The man lifted his head when the couple approached, startling the gargoyle.
He can see us!
As if Sue heard the silent question, she nodded, then turned toward the man, who already reached for the deck.
"He's with me, handsome. The boss is expecting us." Sue told him, as he was holding a card, with the back toward them, its picture hidden from them.
Yet Goliath could see it clearly, as if the card was translucent.
"The dancing Weird Sisters" he said, a Thailog-ish grin on his face.
"The Weird Sisters?" the medium bounced as he looked at the picture.
Three dogs, all of them wearing tutus, were dancing on their posterior legs. Three bitches dancing, in other words. Sue obviously got the joke, because when she was climbing down the marble stairs, she was laughing, and laughing hard.
Unnoticed by Goliath, carved runes gleamed under the rich carpet covering the marble. Nor did he notice the prickling sensation, as he had felt ten years prior in Scotland, when Hakon tried to steal his physical shell, and failed.
"Wait in the room, while I notify your squad leader we've arrived." Sue said, as they arrived in a small parlour, before pushing the double door open.
Goliath had seen what clubs looked like inside, he gone to some…to stop crimes, mind you. But he'd never been in one in public like this before. Looking around however, it was just like everything else he'd experienced so far in the Afterlife. Very unusual.
The humans present were Goths, for the most part. Some ghosts were also presents… and there, a few tables on the left, not too far from the dance floor, a young woman, not much older than young Dinah, back in New Gotham, was offering her wrist and elbows two a bunch of well dressed businessmen –and woman, who had their teeth, excuse-me, their fangs deep in her skin, a look of total, utter rapture on her face.
Vampires.He though with a sneer. Is this a test? Am I to slay this rotten lot to prove myself worthy? But as soon as he though that, the quatuor withdrew their fangs, and licked the wounds, making them disappear. The eldest looking of the four reached inside his blazer and handed an envelope to the girl.
"Here you go, pet. But remember, this is for college. Got it?" the girl nodded sheepishly. "Good. Now go to the kitchen, and eat something."
The vampire woman, brown haired, looking in her middle-to-late forties, slid something in the girl's hand.
"And here's something for you to have fun." The woman said with a conniving wink.
The girl looked in her hand, beamed, and leapt at the woman's neck to hug her. Giving a throaty laugh, the woman returned the hug.
"Now shoo, and don't forget to email me the grade you get in Monday's math test."
"Be good!" the third vampire said softly, his tone slightly feminine.
The teenager gave him a "yeeeaaah, right!" look, before heading toward a corner of the room, while waving to the four, leaving Goliath completely baffled by what he had just seen.
To avoid more confusion, he turned his attention toward the scene, where a band just started to play. Their look pretty much matched the other humans in the room. Grey or black shirts, dark hair –save for the guitar player, who had bleached blond hair- leather pants, and boots. What caught his attention was the cute singer of the band. She looked like a gothic version of Alice for Lewis Carroll's books. Her bare left arm displayed an elaborate tattoo on the biceps, a girl he recognized from a cartoon Lexington used to watch, Sailor Moon or Saturn something.
Above and behind them, on the wall, he could read THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE, with the letters slightly off centre, and drawn blood dripping from the high curve of Massacre's capital C. The music itself was a bit surprising. Seemingly discordant notes on the keyboard, and soft semi-spoken-semi-sung verse.
Then, suddenly, the song gained in tempo
Take – Just one last dare
Pretend you don't care
Till Twiii-liiightfaa-aals
Waiiit! Is someone else theeere
And I can't stop my tears
I've never been so sca-ared
"Great band, isn't it? They're from Canada." A young man, about twenty-two asked him.
"I guess so." Goliath said non-committally.
"It's rare we get mortal bands to play here, and they won't likely remember performing down here either. I can't even ask Chibi for her digits, she won't remember giving 'em to me, she won't remember me at all!" he sighed.
"I guess the living aren't cut to see much of the larger world without forcing themselves to forget or try to destroy what they see.
"Speaking from experience, huh?" the man asked with a slightly shrug. "I got to see some pretty tough stuff, even when I was alive. You're Goliath, right?"
Goliath, taken off guard by the abrupt change of topic, fixed the young man with narrowed eyes.
"Oh! Crud! Completely forgot to introduce myself. It's Kramer. Chaz Kramer. I'm your platoon leader."
Goliath's eyes grew wide, full of disbelief. He was supposed to answer to this hatchling!
It's a jest, right? Wait. Since the dead don't grow older, he could have been dead longer than I've been alive.
Kramer raised both his hands in defence "I know, I look too young to be leading a platoon of Guardians, I get that a lot from newbies, and those who don't know better or don't give a crap. But I've been formed and trained by the best of the best! See that guy over there, at the bar, with the drunk ghost of that Irish priest?"
Goliath did his best to see whom Kramer was referring to. Irish priest… okay, spotted. Now…
He saw someone.
"The barman? Err Barmaid?"
"Naaah! That's Gabe. Gabriel. Former Archangel, before she tried to bring forth Mammon, screwed up and lost her wings. She was a bum, begging right outside the club. Papa Midnite took pity on her sorry ass and offered her a place to stay, in exchange, she works here as barmaid for minimal wages."
Goliath looked at his new leader, baffled. "Long Story, I'll tell you, some time. Anyway, I wasn't talking about her, but the other guy, completely sloshed, with the three zombie like ghosts on his left."
Goliath took a better look, spotted the three ghost, and there, leaning against the bar, a bottle of JD in the hand, clad in a beige Burbury coat, with a fuzzy mess of dusty blond hair, he spotted the man Kramer was referring to.
This…hulk of a man is Kramer's mentor? Some references!
"That, Goliath, my garg, is the one and only John Constantine. He's just getting through a rough period. He recently lost his sister, and my cousin, his best mate, won't even give him the time of the day. He's finishing his 'Torch the Past!' party. Now, come, I'll introduce you to the rest of the team. We're quite a weird patchwork, ya know? And our job, well, it ain't normal, everyday Guardian."
Kramer led Goliath to a door the former leader of Clan Wyvern hasn't even noticed. It opened to another door, and that one, to a smaller room, filled with cigarette and Havana cigar smoke.
There's smoking in the Afterlife? Well I suppose it's no longer a habit that can kill you, he thought wryly.
"You see, our jobs is like Mission Impossible and Dead Like Me. Now, come over, Peanuts."
The reached a round table where three people were sitting- two women, and a man. The man, he recognized instantly, although he could put a name on his face.
"See, Goliath, when I said our job was close to Dead Like Me, I was right! We've even got our own Daisy Adair!" Kramer laughed, motioning toward a gorgeous petite woman, with bobbed fiery red hair. Her brown eyes were stormy. The blonde haired man next to her tried to hide a grin in his goatee and behind his hand
"Vas te faire mettre, p'tit branleur!" the redhead said in French with a honnest-to-God Québec accent, giving Kramer the finger. "I don't even look like Laura Harris, not even when I died my hair blonde for that mission!" she sassed, sipping her Absinth, after stirring it with a gold spoon.
She turned toward Goliath: "I'm Bette Sans Soucis, though you might have heard of me as Plastique. This blonde grinning doofus next to me is Oliver Queen, aka Green Arrow."
"Ollie, please," he said, getting up to give him a handshake.
"I'm Goliath. Please to meet you both."
Goliath studied this Ollie Queen as they shook hands. There was something familiar about him, now that he was seeing him without his mask. His eyes… Off course!
He's Dinah's father! Goliath realized, and remembered something Oracle…Barbara said, shortly before his timely death.
"Dinah got her good looks and meta-gene from Carolyn, and her attitude and sense of humour from her father" That had made Alfred and Helena chuckle, and caused Goliath and Jessie Reese to exchange a perplexed look.
Though Barbara hadn't named Queen by name, it was now plain for Goliath to see how right the crippled genius was.
"And I'm Darla Aquista" The second woman said. She was late teens, or early twenties "I've heard a lot about you, sir. I wanted to attend your funeral but my team had an emergency."
"It's quite alright, Darla" Goliath said with a smile. "I appreciate the thought. What is your team? You're not in our group?"
"Nope. I'm alive. Cursed, but alive. My team is the Shadowpact. My ex-boyfriend, after saving my unconscious ass from these OMAC freaks, thought they could help me find some redemption. He was right- even after I tried to kill him and he lied to me. Our teams often work together and exchange intel."
"Working with your ex-boyfriend?" Goliath asked, puzzled, trying to picture himself working with Demona…and surprisingly, found the idea pleasant.
"No…well, yes. Sometimes," she settle on. "But he's with the DEO, and we try to steer clear from governmental agencies. No, I was referring to your team We've even worked with gargoyles before." Darla tried to reach for Goliath's ear, and he gently leaned over. "Eve -- Nightshade, one of my team mates, even has a crush on a gargoyle from London, much to Gryff's chagrin, I think!"
Goliath gave her a good-natured chuckles.
"Well, people, I've gotta grind, or Billy is gonna have a fit." Darla sighed, after she finished her Dacquari and picked up her leather jacket.
"Billy?" Goliath mouthed. It was Ollie who answered his silent question.
"Bill Barton. He used to be Captain Marvel a few years ago, before the Spectre killed Shazam, and deprived Bill of his powers."
"Oh," Goliath said simply, starting to feel a little lost.
"The Doom Patrol had Dr Caulder, we got Billy." Darla chuckled, as she pecked Ollie's cheek and hugged Bette, and, at last ruffled Chaz's hair, much to his dismay, and Bette's amusement.
She paused a second, then jumped and gave Goliath a hug, and a peck as well. Her cheek and lips were cold as ice.
"Don't worry, you'll catch on soon enough," she grinned at him before vanishing.
The four of them chatted for a few minutes, getting to know each other. Goliath got wind that he was replacing another young woman. "I didn't mean to steal her place." He apologized.
"You didn't know, mon grand. And she broke a cardinal law, that got her 'parole' revoked, and her removed from the rooster." Bette soothed him.
"Bette's right. Stephanie knew the risk she was taking." Ollie said.
"I remember, before her last mission, she hugged all of us, as if she knew she wasn't going to see us again."
"She'll be back!" Bette retorted venomously. "She did what she did for good reasons!"
"Hell's filled with those, sweetheart." Ollie remarked, resting a hand on Bette's shoulder. She leaned back, resting her head on his broad chest
"And it was doing something like that that got Stephanie killed in the first place. She had told us so the first day she came." Bette concluded. "You're right. But still, it hurt. She's a good kid. It's not fair they put so many deaths on her file. She called herself Spoiler, but in the end, she was the one who got spoiled, ante-mortem, and post-mortem.
The next few minutes were spent in silence, until someone walked close to their table
"Hey, people, your funerals are long past, so no more mopping, okay?" a vivacious voice kicked their lot out of brooding.
Goliath turned and fought the reflex to jump. There, standing in front of him, was standing a skeleton…dressed in red spandex, with a Dracula-ish collar.
He better watch his bones if he goes near Castle Wyvern, when Bronx is there This was followed a mental image of this guy trying take his femur back from Bronx's jaw. The image was apparently picked up by Bette, who started laughing till tears welled in her eyes. Ollie himself snickered
"ANNNYWAAAY." 'Bone-guy' sighed dramatically, starting to understand why Sue had such a predatory grin when she told him his new charge needed a crash course in what Rowlings called Occlumens in her Potter books. "I'm Boston Brand, Ikea…err, AKA Deadman. I'll be your…" he gestured discretely, and Goliath felt three long lock of his sable hair knit together in a small but long braid, going from behind his right ear to the top of his pectoral muscle. "Mentor, and you will be my padawan. I will be understanding, but also very, very demanding. "
If Brand had visible cheeks, Goliath waged he would be grinning. Though slightly annoying, his new mentor was nowhere as bad as Puck or Anansi. It didn't miss, Ollie took a deep voice, while dodging a swat from a giggling Bette.
"Goliath –kshhhh- I'm you're –ksshhhh- best friend's neighbour's third cousin by his mother's father."
The long tirade came completely unexpected that they all looked at Ollie then the little group burst in a peel of laughter.
"That was SO totally ripped off from Spaceballs, Ollie!" Bette wheezed, wiping tears from her eyes. Goliath grinned, but tough, in all seriousness he thought:This group is closely nit together, they may laugh at the silliest thing, but I feel that when it counts they know their job, and they watch each other's back.
Brand, after a couple minutes, gathered himself together, and stepped aside. Chaz spoke then, all pretences of childishness and careless gone.
He reminded Goliath of himself, younger, when he was being trained to be a second-in-command. Hudson had put him in charge of a hunting pack that comprised of Demona, Desdemona, Othello, Iago and the gargoyle that later spawned Ophelia, with a large forehead crest. Thinking about it, that was there and then, during that hunting party that Iago became jealous of both Othello and Goliath.
Chaz' words brought him back to the matter at hand, a millennium and a trespassing later.
"Now here's the stitch, guys. It's confirmed we are getting another new recruit and it's one with a rap sheet. I don't know who it is yet. That's also why Sue came here along with Goliath. All I know is that he'll join us roughly in two months. Till then, there won't be any new missions, just a training session, so that Peanuts here can be brought up to speed. You all should have some linking built up with him by the time the other newbie arrives. Second…"
They're more than this ragtag of deceased heroes and redeeming villains, than just a team. They are a clan in its own right. A clan that I hope I can find a place in.
I have a new mentor, as well.
This is just another beginning.
Another journey…
January 13
Destine Manor
She woke, much in the same fashion that she had been over the last two weeks. Sweating, twisted in her sheets, a scream dying on her lips as a sob chocked up her breath. Oh. Add pain to that list.
"Damn you," she whispered in a shaky voice as her fist tightened in the bed sheets and tears streamed down her cheeks. So lost in her nightmares and memories, the Detective was oblivious to the rapidly darkening room until an ear-piercing scream ripped through the mansion.
Elisa bolted upright, her heart racing even more than it already was, as adrenaline began to flow through her body. The pain was immediately reduced to nothing as she untangled herself from the sheets and limped hurriedly towards the sounds of the tortured screams. She knew they were Demona's, but what could cause such a pain-filled howl? Had someone broken into the mansion and was now attacking her?
As she silently pushed open the door to the immortal's bedroom, and carefully peered inside, Elisa was greeted by a sight that took her breath away. Demona hadn't been kidding when she had hinted at the fact that her transformations were painful. From where Elisa stood frozen, it was horrible and fascinating all at the same time. The redhead was writhing on the ground, her skin already is normal azure hue, and her bones almost completely reformed. Yet Elisa had managed to catch the final part of her transformation where her tail was formed with a bone crunching noise, and her back ripped open to give birth to her wings with noise that turned even Elisa's stomach.
Demona lay panting on the ground, trembling and moaning softly before she realized that she had an audience. Closing her eyes, she braced herself and rolled to her feet. Elisa stood amazed, as she watched the immortal shake off the effects of what had to be an excrutiating experience after a few more seconds.
"Jesus, you go through that every day?" she breathed.
"Twice," Demona confirmed tersely. Then her demeanor calmed some. "I'm sorry I woke you, but I had dozed off and didn't have a chance to make it down into my workroom before the transformation hit."
With the adrenaline fading, Elisa was quickly becoming aware of her own pain, and sagged against the doorframe. "It's your house Demona. Besides, I was already awake," she said, her voice growing rough with the reminder of the nightmare.
"I think I heard you scream just before. I would ask if you're alright, but you're standing here so I guess it would be redundant."
"Just a nightmare…nothing new," Elisa answered flatly.
"About that night?"
"Yeah…can we not talk about this now? I just want to go home."
"As you wish," Demona answered, feeling a little out of sorts herself. She too, had woken from her nap with images of that night still burning in her mind when her transformation had hit. The combination of the two, were wearing on her newly formed patience. She realized that they both should talk about this, but they were still too stubborn to want to delve into the depths of their churning and volatile emotions right now.
They were still too deep into their anger and guilt. Any forced conversations at this point would probably result in one or both of them lashing out at the other, potentially destroying the shaky trust and friendship they were beginning to build. No, it was best that she take Elisa home and leave her be for now.
Elisa returned to her room where she pulled on her shoes and heavy coat. She balked slightly when the immortal made it clear she would carry Elisa back to her apartment, but Demona made it clear that it was the quickest and easiest way and she wasn't going to take no for an answer. It had been one of the most unsettling flights ever for Elisa, and yet, ironically, she never felt unsafe in her former enemy's hold.
Wayne Manor
New Gotham
"So?" Dinah asked, practically bouncing on the bed where she sat as Helena tossed her jacket to the side and flung herself down face first onto the bed.
"Where's Jesse?" she mumbled into the sheets.
"Doing cop stuff with Dick, said they wouldn't be back until late. So you've been gone for like, eleven hours. How was it?"
"Aren't you like recovering or something? How can you be so damn cheery?" Helena whined.
Dinah sighed. "Hel I've been cooped up in this house for two weeks being coddled! Once I was up and around the other night I started to feel a lot better. My headache's are barely there now, but no one will let me do anything," the teen complained. "I was so bored today that I actually begged Alfred to let me help him with some chores!"
"Wow, that's pretty desperate," Helena said, unable to help the giggle.
"It's beyond desperate it's pathetic. Now you've been gone all day turning the corporate world upside down, so the least you could do is tell me how everything went."
"It wasn't all that glamorous kid," Helena sighed. Then she grinned a bit. "But I did ruffle more than a few feathers today. Man you should have seen the look on everyone's faces when they found out that I was his daughter…and by Selina Kyle no less. I mean sure with my mom's death, everyone knew that my mom had had a kid, and more than a few of them were aware of the fact that Barbara had been my mentor. But they were all dumbfounded that no one ever put two and two together."
"So what did you guys do today?" Dinah grinned, as she dug for more details.
"One endless boring boardroom meeting after another. Basically, I was introduced to everyone, and then my dad and I were brought up to speed on what's been going on. Dad didn't seem too surprised by anything, though he seemed little unhappy with certain departments about some of the paths they've been taking over the years. My grandfather was a doctor and his father before him and his father before him. Dad said Wayne Foundation was built on helping people, not finding more ways to kill each other. Guess R&D was getting a little too carried away in bidding for government contracts and weapons development."
"Did you get to fire anyone today?"
Helena grinned again. "Nah. Just do what I do best. Threaten."
Dinah was bouncing again. "Spill." She demanded.
"So like there was this young guy who took over R&D awhile ago. Strikes me as a sneaky bastard, and someone who stepped on more than a few people to get where he's at. He all but got in my dad's face and told him he hadn't been around for ten years so what right did he have to say what direction the company went as long as it moved forward."
"He didn't" Dinah gasped.
Helena chuckled low. "Oh he did. But he was good….real smooth. He didn't just come right out and say it mind you. But everyone in that room knew exactly what he was implying when he made his little self-defense speech."
"So what did your dad do?"
"Gave him the glare- which he's been practicing, cause eve I wanted to squirm- and then I stood up." Helena paused, smirking at the memory.
"Hel," Dinah whined.
"It was so dramatic D. When you're feeling better, remind me to share the memory with you cause it was so cool. Ok, so the room had gone totally silent after his little speech. My dad was glaring and then I stood…slowly. I am so glad I wore that jacket, 'cause you know how leather creaks, and it just drew everyone's attention. So here I am, trying to mirror my dad's glare, fifty eyes on me, and for a moment I nearly froze," she admitted. "I mean who am I right? But then I caught it- his fear. He was putting on a good show, but D I swear he was ready to piss himself. And suddenly it was like me being Huntress and he was my prey. I may not know boardrooms and all that yet, but this I knew."
"So what'd you do?" Dinah grinned, knowing just how much Huntress liked to play with her prey.
"I asked him who's name was on the building. After he finally stuttered out Wayne, I simply told him that when he had a building with his own name on it, then he could call whatever stupid shots he wanted. It didn't matter if my father was around or not, he wasn't the one in charge and if the man in charge said jump, his only response should be how high. Then I let them all know where I stood on things since I hadn't really said much before that."
"Yeah?"
Helena shrugged. "I told them that while my mother didn't always see eye to eye with my father, when it came down to business, they both shared many of the same principles. If there was one thing that my mom did share with me about my mystery father, it was that he was a good man, and used his means to help other people in any way possible. I guess it's kind of a tradition for the Wayne's, and I'm not about to change any of that."
"Wow. So then what happened?"
"I sat back down, eyed him the rest of the meeting while he squirmed, and then smiled sweetly as he practically high-tailed it out of there as soon as that meeting was done. I think I was a few people's hero," she added smugly.
"So did you meet anyone else famous?"
"Not today. But dad has like, this knack for having cool old guys around. The guy that was running the show for him while he was gone, his name is Lucius Fox, and get this he knows!"
Dinah frowned. "Knows? Knows what?"
"About dad…about him being Batman and everything. He even knew about my mom!"
"He did?" Dinah asked in shock. "But, like, I thought your dad never told anyone. The whole secret identity thing and all."
"Well, you know I had to corner him on that after Fox inadvertently spilled the beans. I guess Fox found out about him back in the day when dad was just cutting his teeth as Batman. And then he admitted that it had been helpful to have a few people on the outside in case of an emergency. Like Leslie and of course Alfred. Of course that was all followed with the 'you need to pick your confidants wisely' talk," she added as she rolled her eyes.
"Like you couldn't have seen that coming from a mile away," Dinah agreed knowingly. They'd both gotten that talk from Barbara on dozens of occasions- especially after Wade's death last year. "So all in all?"
"Well it was pretty dull today. It was kinda cool to see my dad in this element though. It's like were in some play and we're the actors. I guess it wasn't too bad though. I mean I did get to meet some interesting people, but my head is ready to explode right now," she groaned. "However tomorrow, I get the tour and that should be tons more fun," she said perking up a bit. "I can't wait to go by R&D tomorrow," she added with a wicked grin.
Dinah laughed. "That man doesn't even know what he's in for now that he messed with someone in your family." Helena arched an eyebrow. "You are so over-protective."
"Am not."
"Are too.
"Am not."
"Hel if there's an open package of pop tarts on the counter and I come into the room, you rush over and guard them like I was about to eat one of your children or something," Dinah giggled. "And if some punk got a shot in on me when we were on sweeps, you'd go postal and beat the scumbag to an inch of his life. You are so territorial."
"So, I've got issues about losing things I really like," Helena remarked flippantly. "But at least I'm not the one begging to do chores," she threw back at the blonde, grinning
"I'm going to regret telling you that aren't I," Dinah asked with a dramatic sigh.
"Every time I hear Barbara gripe about the house being a mess, I'll just remind her that you've been schooled in the finer arts of housekeeping by the master himself. Now, why don't you do something useful like go cook me a five course dinner?"
"Would you like that scorched or merely singed Miss Helena?" Dinah asked with a completely straight face in a surprisingly good imitation of Alfred.
Helena burst out laughing, the tension from the day leaving her completely. She lay on the bed, laughing with Dinah for several more moments before wiping her eyes and looking over at the teen. "Hey D?" she asked holding her hand out.
"Yeah?" Dinah said as she threaded her hand in Helena's.
"It's good to be back."
The brunette couldn't help but mirror the younger woman's brilliant smile. "I'm glad we're all back Hel."
Elsewhere in the Manor…"So?"
Bruce Wayne looked up and gave Barbara what she could only describe as a proud smile. "She knocked 'em dead on her first day." The smile grew a little wistful. "Just like her mother," he added fondly.
Barbara moved closer. "And her father, from Alfred and daddy have told me," she reminded. "So everything went well then?"
He chuckled. "Extremely. I have to admit I was a bit nervous the whole day. Helena is very much like her mother and I was…concerned as to what mischief she might try to stir up if she got too bored."
Barbara laughed knowingly. "I took her to one Gordon family gathering, and vowed never to make that mistake again. God, between her and daddy, I'm surprised I wasn't banned permanently from all family functions thereafter. I swear the two of them feed off each other, which makes their relationship all the more ironic," she muttered.
"So, she didn't make waves then?"
Bruce leaned back. "She was surprisingly mature and adult the whole time. Well, most of the time. I caught her and Lucius trading some eye rolling a couple of times when a few of the meetings began to drag out. I think she likes him," he informed Barbara with a pleased smile.
"I figured she would. Have you told her about how much he's in the loop?"
"Lucius pulled me aside to read me the riot act, but not far enough that Helena couldn't pick up what he said. She knows now. Oh, and you should have seen her when some cocky young pup tried to question my authority in front of the other department heads."
Barbara grinned. "Oh dear."
Bruce leaned back, his lips quirked in a familiar smirk. "That girl can glare almost as good as I can. Then she went practically went feral on him."
"There wasn't any bloodshed I hope," Barbara winced.
Bruce waved a reassuring hand. "She can use her words almost as good as she can use her fists. Gave quite the impressive little speech, which was superbly timed given she hadn't said much most of the day. I seriously doubt anyone will be questioning either of us any time in the near future. I could tell she was a little overwhelmed by it all by the end of the day though," he said sympathetically.
Barbara grinned. "I bet she had more than a few of her preconceived ideas about the life of a socialite drastically altered today."
"Given how quiet she was on the way home and how quickly she escaped to her room, I would have to agree," he chuckled. "So how are you feeling? You look better today."
Barbara gave him a single shouldered shrug. "I slept in late, had a delicious breakfast in bed from Alfred and was pampered all day by either him, Dinah, or daddy. I think I could get used to this. Now if only I can train Dick to feed me grapes…."
Bruce tipped his head back and laughed. It was one of the first genuine laughs he'd had in over a decade. The startling reality of that cut his laugh short and his eyes widened.
"Feels good, doesn't it?" Barbara asked quietly.
In all honesty, it did. Over the past week, after finally beginning to smooth things over with Helena and the rest, he had felt this steel band begin to loosen around his chest. The laugh had seemed to finally break it. All tension had drained from his body, and for the first time in years, he finally felt a sense of peace wash over him. "It's been so long since I've had anything that I could laugh about," he whispered.
"It's been awhile for all of us," Barbara admitted sadly. "Thank you for coming back Bruce…and for staying."
"Dinner is served Master Bruce," Alfred called out from the doorway.
The moment between them passed, and Barbara grinned once more. "I had better go let Helena know. I saw Dinah attack her on my way past her room. You know how teens are…wanting to know every little detail. Besides, with her appetite, I'm sure Helena is ready to eat a horse by now."
"Meta-metabolism," Bruce said thoughtfully. "Wonder if there's some way to bottle that. We could make a fortune."
Barbara's own hearty laugh followed her out of the room as she went to find her former and current wards.
January 20Aerie Building
Manhattan
They heard the voice before they saw it's owner, and Bruce drew up short as he looked at his daughter and then to his host. "I thought you said we were having a meeting with Ms. Destine," he said even as the voice thanked someone for a cup of coffee.
"We are," Xanatos grinned.
Helena's eyes widened. "You didn't know?" Then she smacked herself on the forehead. "Of course you didn't know. Elisa told us while she was staying with us, but I thought you already knew and had never brought it up."
Bruce shook his head confused, but as the door opened, a redheaded businesswoman rose to her feet and greeted him. "Good Morning Mr. Wayne. It's a pleasure to meet you finally," she purred.
His eyes widened in recognition as he took her hand. "At least in this form," he stated, trying to keep any irritation out of his voice as he caught everyone else – his own daughter included- smirking.
Then he looked at his daughter, who held her hands up in innocence. "I swear I thought you knew," she said honestly. "I figured that was why you kept telling me to be careful around her and stuff."
"Sage advice," the immortal chuckled.
"How is it you are human right now?"
"A long story that I'm sure Helena can fill you in on some time. Sufficed to say, I am human by day and gargoyle by night. There are very few humans that know of this fact however, and I would appreciate it, if that didn't change." There was an almost dangerous undercurrent of warning and malice in her tone that let everyone know she would do what it would take to protect her dual identity.
"As you wish Ms. Destine."
"Well shall we get started?" Xanatos asked as he gestured them all towards several couches and chairs arranged around a coffee table filled with delicious looking pastries.
"I thought your wife would be joining us," Helena remarked as she settled herself onto the plush couch.
"She'll be down in a moment. There was a small emergency with our son."
"Is everything ok?" Helena asked worried. She was kind of fond of the kid.
Xanatos laughed. "Oh, he's fine. It's just that when he decides to be stubborn, his fits aren't like other children. Fox is sometimes the only one who can handle him when he gets like that."
"Most of the time," Fox said in a frustrated voice as she came in with Alex in her arms. "But I think the only thing that's going to save him from a month of grounding is if he can say hi to the 'cat-lady' as he likes to call you."
Helena chuckled, taking pity on the distressed looking mother and held her arms out to the troublesome toddler. The child giggled happily and scrambled out of his mother's arms and onto Helena's lap.
"Hey munchkin," Helena greeted as she ruffled his red hair. Her eyes caught his, and she narrowed them slightly.
You reading me kid?
He grinned. Uh huh.
Good. So how's it going?
Ok. Everyone's still sad about 'Liath, and 'Lisa hasn't come by since she left. Everyone is worried. They try to pretend that they're not but they are. Even 'Mona is worried.
Well she's been through a lot kiddo. But you can help by listening to your parents and not causing them too much trouble though ok?
He caught her drift and nodded. Ok.
I'm glad I got to see you though. Maybe later, if this doesn't take all day, you could show me some other cool tricks you can do ok?
He perked up at that. I'd like that!
Good. Now be a good boy and go with Owen so we can get all this boring grownup stuff out of the way.
Ok he said as he scrambled out of her lap and obediently went over to Owen's side, who was waiting patiently to take Alex back up to the castle.
The child waved goodbye, and Helena went back to nibbling on a pastry. "You certainly have a way with children Ms. Kyle-Wayne," Dominique remarked.
"I'll say," Fox remarked a little surprised herself. "There are very few people that can bond with him on that level."
Helena shrugged. "I guess it comes from having similar genes. Besides, living with Dinah has probably rubbed off on me. I've gotten used to projecting what I'm thinking, if I'm trying to get her attention. And Kyle-Wayne is a mouthful, so all of you here can call me Helena," she added with a grin.
"Well now that we are all here shall we get started?" Xanatos asked, and everyone nodded.
"Bruce, I have already spoken with Ms. Destine-," the businesswoman cleared her throat loudly.
"I think we can dispense with the formalities David."
"Dominique and I," he continued with a chuckle, "have had a couple of meetings over the last couple of weeks to draw up the plans of a business venture that we'd like to propose to you."
"So I take it you're not in the market to take over my company any more?" Bruce asked Dominique pointedly.
"Not with a Wayne back at the helm. Your company was beginning to flounder when some of you're executives decided to play in fields they weren't experienced in. A company with your reputation didn't deserve to be bought out by some low-level fledgling corporation. It would have been a complete waste of talent and resources."
"So what kind of deal are you bringing to the table David?"
"Well as I mentioned before, our four companies have made considerable progress over the last decade in the various field of science. If we could combine our forces in a joint effort, I believe we could not only corner the market, but perhaps reshape the entire medical field."
"You don't think that's a little overly dramatic?" Helena asked interested.
"While I would be the first person to be skeptical about such grand statements, I am inclined to agree with David and Fox. Each of our companies specializes in one particular field or another. Together, the possibilities are quite amazing."
"So how do you propose we go about this?"
David slid a small report across the coffee table tot each of them. "Here's a brief outline of what we've come up with so far."
They picked up the report and began flipping through it. "We set up a corporation, in which the five of us will each retain equal control of. No major decisions will ever be made without the consent of the others, and majority vote wins. None of us will run this company directly however, we will choose someone that we all trust to be CEO of the company, and then we will have one member from each of our companies as that individual's VP's."
"Do you have anyone in particular already in mind?"
"One of my assistant VP's has been showing some very promising traits. She's really been making a name for herself wherever she's worked and I have come to trust her a great deal over the past few years."
Fox chuckled. "And coming from Demona, that's very high praise. Actually David and I both know her, and we are inclined to strongly recommend her as well."
"For several reasons actually," David added. "She's very devoted to her work, and has come a long way in a relatively short period of time. She's got excellent business ethics, a keen eye for turning profit, and killer sense of judgment."
"Do I know her?"
"Her name is Silver St Cloud."
"St Cloud….I've heard that name before. And if memory serves me right, it was in a most positive manner. I would be interested in meeting her sometime in the near future."
"Perhaps later this afternoon, of your schedule permits, you can stop by Nightstone for a brief tour and introduction. It will of course have to be early afternoon, as I can't work past 4:30."
Everyone chuckled. "What made you pick New Gotham as a favorable site for setting up the offices?" Helena asked as she looked up from the paperwork.
"A few reasons actually. The first being cost, of course. Real-estate is considerable much less in New Gotham."
"Yeah, I wonder why," Helena muttered. "Gotham's never been the same after the quake."
"Never-the-less, the are still many promising things about the city, and the quieter upscale suburbs are just outside town. If we can bring in more higher class citizens, the city will upscale as well over time," David reasoned.
"So what else made you choose?"
"I live with Fox, and have almost daily contact in person with Dominique. It seemed reasonable that by having the company in New Gotham, it would make it easier for you to keep tabs of what is going on since the three of us are already in close contact with one another. Besides, we all felt it would look better to the public if Bruce Wayne were keeping a close eye on this rather than one of us three. Decade-long sabbatical aside- the public admires and respects you a great deal more than they do us."
"What, you worried your rap sheet might attract too much unwanted legal attention?" Helena snickered.
David scowled slightly, but Fox and Dominique both chuckled at her audacity. "Dominique doesn't have a rap sheet-,"
"Yeah, but she's also known as a cutthroat and devious businesswoman. I bet you get audited and inspected all the time don't you?"
Dominique sighed. "Sadly, I do. I'm starting to run out of places to stash the bodies."
The immortal had to struggle to suppress the smirk that was lifting her lips. "What?" she asked innocently as she watched all of them shift a bit uneasily. "Not funny?"
"Not from you," Bruce answered flatly.
"Soooooo anyway," Helena cut in. "It says here you guys would like to start by each company bringing one design to the table. Something that hasn't been patented yet, and that we are willing to develop with each other as equal partners. So do we each think of something separate? Or come up with a common cause and each dig into our vaults to see what we could come up with the reach that goal."
Everyone looked at her impressed. "What?"
"Well, actually we hadn't thought about it in that light," Fox said and she looked at her husband and then Dominique. "But really, that would be the most logical approach to this. Granted we wouldn't want to put all our eggs in one basket, so our first objectives would be things we know for sure that we could accomplish."
"How about improve upon?" Helena suggested. Now even her father was looking at her interested. Damn, she was getting pretty good at this. Young minds, fresh minds and all that.
"Such as?"
"Well, you guys have already tinkered with altering someone's DNA- enough so that they take on completely different characteristics. You also did very well in cloning, even if it was a rough go at the beginning. Now I know that's a sore spot, but it could also be a good thing in the long run. You've come a long way in cybernetics and cybergenics, while my father's company has been recently working on several new drugs to produce cell and nerve regeneration. What if we combined all of our technology and science to tackle the various issues in spinal cord injuries and degeneration?"
David smirked. "Now how did I know that would be one of the first things you'd like to address?"
Helena shrugged, though her eyes gave away the gravity of the matter to her. "Everyone knows I have a personal interest in this area. The sooner we could do something about it, the happier I'll be knowing that Barbara won't be risking her life again by experimenting further with that damn coupler."
"Finding the lowest cost means to allow someone to walk again. That seems like a suitable, and achievable goal," Dominique agreed.
"So, given everyone's interest in the matter, I take it the proposition seems agreeable to everyone?"
"I'd like to look over some of the other details a little further, but from what I've seen and heard, I think you can count us onboard," Bruce answered after he looked over at Helena who nodded her consent.
"Excellent!" David grinned. Fox stood and walked over to the bar where she pulled out a chilling bottle of champagne from the small refrigerator there.
"A toast to new friends and partners then?"
"Hell yeah!" Helena grinned. She looked over at her father. "I wish every meeting could be this casual and cool."
"Enjoy it while it lasts Hel."
Later that day……
Elisa opened her door and blinked in surprise. "Helena? God do they have you on their little list now too?" she groaned.
"Excuse me?"
Elisa opened her door further to allow the brunette in, and walked back towards her couch. "I get at least two visitors every day. It doesn't take my detective status to know everyone is checking up on me, and I wouldn't have put it past any of them to have signed up on some list I know my mom put together."
"Oh, well I can honestly say that I have no such knowledge of suspected list and my visit to you was actually unplanned."
"Is everything ok?" Elisa asked, sensing that Helena was telling the truth.
"Yeah, everything's good. Dad and I were out here for a meeting with Destine and Xanatos. I skipped out on a tour over at Nightstone to come by and say hi. So this is your crib huh? Way better than mine," Helena said with an approving nod.
"How can a cop's apartment compare with a billionaire's mansion?" Elisa asked in disbelief as she began to relax.
"I was talking about my own apartment. As much as the pampered life is nice, I'm feeling a little… constricted living under the same roof as everyone else. Oh, and I'm not a billionaire yet, just the rich brat of Bruce Wayne with a padded trust fund. But I'm trying my best to work my way out of that category."
Elisa chuckled. "I've had nothing to do but watch tv all day for the last week, so I've been following the news on you guys. I think you're going to be out of that category in no time at all. So you and your dad mended the fence?"
Helena gave her an almost shy smile. "Yeah. I mean I did it in typical Helena fashion, but once I got to have my say on things, we sat down and actually had some long talks…and well, things are good with us now. I mean we still have our moments, but it's like we get each other even. Which I really weird sometimes because I've only really known him for like a month."
Elisa shrugged. "He's your father. I've seen a lot of similarities in the two of you just from what I've seen on the news. How's Dinah?"
Helena rolled her eyes. "Making up for lost time. So I know she missed out on like a year of being the annoying little sister, but does she have to bring it on full force all at once?" Elisa laughed. "She's back to her normal self for the most part. I guess she has headaches every now and then, and she's admitted to feeling a little more drained than usual, but Barbara let her return to school this week. Thank God," the brunette said dramatically.
"Now she can focus on making up schoolwork, instead of bugging me every day about how my day at the office went."
"What about everyone else?"
"Reese weathered the oh so minor inquisition he had about why Quinn showed up at our place and she ended up dead. Then they promoted him, and he's been working his butt off ever since," she sighed, slightly disappointed. It was true that ever since his promotion, he hadn't had much free time as of late, and with their conflicting schedules, they hadn't seen each other hardly at all over the last couple of weeks.
"Once he gets settled in, I'm sure things will smooth out quickly enough. My first couple of months as Detective were hell, but then everything began to click and I started having free time again," Elisa assured her.
"Yeah, well Dick's transferred down to NGPD now and they're working together on the same team now, so at least Babs and I know that they'll watch each other's backs out there."
"Dick's in New Gotham?"
Helena grinned happily. "Yeah, he proposed to Barbara and she said yes. Don't know when they'll actually tie the knot yet, knowing Barbara it'll be awhile."
Elisa forced herself to smile. She was truly happy for Barbara and Dick, but the reminder stabbed her deep in her own heart. "How's her recovery going?"
"Her arm is healing nicely. We all keep yelling at her not to overdue it though. Bruises have almost completely faded, so she's thinking about returning to school herself in another week. By then she should be able to transfer herself out of her chair once or twice during the day if need be."
Elisa nodded. "I'm glad everyone's doing good."
"So what about you? You look like you're moving around a lot better."
"Yeah, Demona tried out some magic mud on me or something. Helped speed heal some of the worst injuries. Except my eye," she added bitterly. "Same old other than that. I've been resting like a good girl…not that I couldn't try and do much else with the parade of people that keep tabs on me every day."
"Hey don't knock it too much Elisa. It just means they care enough to drag their butts over here and face your oh so charming demeanor," Helena told her with a smirk.
"My demeanor would probably improve greatly if I could be left alone for at least one day."
"I'll see what I can do to drop a hint to the conspirators. So when do you think you'll be back to work?"
"Not until I re-pass a slew of tests. I even lost my driver's license," Elisa grumbled. "I'm hoping to start hitting the Range at the Academy later this week though. One step at a time you know?"
Helena chuckled. "Yeah I do. Well look I gotta head back pretty soon, Barbara and I are gonna take the kid out tonight for a little heart to heart on the changes in our little family. I think she's been so clingy lately because she's feeling a little out of place. It was good to see you."
"Yeah…thanks for dropping by. You're probably the first person who's come over that I haven't wanted to boot off my balcony."
"Wow, I got a laugh and a compliment out of you. Will wonders never cease," Helena teased as she stood. "And now before I wear out that welcome I shall make a hasty exit. Take care of yourself Elisa. I'm looking forward to hanging out with you the next time I'm down here."
"Say hi to everyone up there for me, and kick a few asses for me ok?"
Helena chuckled. "I'd be happy to."
Later That Evening…
New Gotham
"So Dinah have you thought about any of the scholarships you've gotten the last few months?"
Helena gave Barbara a look, and the redhead realized the mistake in her question, when she saw the blonde duck her head and play with her food. "Not yet, but don't worry I'll make sure to choose something soon."
Barbara wanted to bang her head on the table. "Sweetie…I'm sorry," Barbara sighed. "That's not what I meant."
Helena was shaking her head now. "Smooth Red…real smooth. I think that opening question just totally went against the plan."
"Plan?" Dinah asked, a worried look crossing her face. "What plan?"
"The 'let's just the three of us go to dinner and reassure Dinah she's still very much a part of our family' plan," Helena answered.
"Huh?"
"Dinah," Barbara began as she set her fork down. "Things have changed pretty dramatically for all of us these last few weeks. But Hel and I don't want you to feel like you aren't a part of our family, just because we have a few new people in our lives."
Dinah looked back at her plate. "It's okay Barbara. I'm cool with that and I'm happy for you guys. I mean I'm seventeen and I'll be graduating this summer, so it's time I started…you know…be an adult and learn some independence."
"The hell with that!" Helena said adamantly.
"Hel," Barbara said calmly. "She's right though Dinah. My job being your Guardian doesn't end with you graduating or turning eighteen. I mean look at Helena. I'm still having to look after her all the time," Barbara said with a teasing glint in her eyes.
"As if," Helena muttered.
Dinah giggled though. "Dinah, just because Dick and I are engaged doesn't mean that we're going to run off and get married and leave you to fend for yourself. I love you Dinah, and I don't tell you that enough. I don't want you to feel like you have to go off on your own."
Tears started to shimmer in Dinah's eyes. "You really mean that?" she whispered.
"That I love you?" Barbara asked, her own eyes shining. "Yes sweetheart, I do."
A thought occurred to her. "What about Dick?"
Barbara shrugged. "What about Dick? He's well aware of the fact that I would be just as happy to have you stay with me for another few years like Helena, and he's got no problems with it."
"D, if you can worm your way into my heart, then no one else stands a chance. Trust me when I tell you Dick loves having you as part of the family."
"And that would be Helena's way of telling you she love's you too," Barbara chuckled, as she resumed eating.
"So I really don't have to leave?"
Both older women knew this hesitation stemmed from her abandonment issues she still dealt with. "No Dinah. You can stay for as long as you need."
"Oh….well…then I don't know if I want to go to college."
Barbara's fork dropped to her plate as she glared at Helena. "Hey don't look at me, I never said nothing."
"I don't mean never go to college…just not right away," Dinah amended before an argument ensued.
Barbara looked immensely relieved. "What did you have in mind then?"
"So, I know this sounds very clichéd and all…but I'd really like to travel. I mean, my biggest adventure was traveling to New Gotham by myself. My childhood was a scary thing, and I never got a chance to do a lot of the things other normal kids did because I spent most of it locked in a closet," she admitted quietly.
It was one of the rare times she'd actually spoken openly about her childhood, and both older woman listened intently as she revealed a few details even they didn't know about. "I….I know I'm almost an adult now, but once I go to college, that'll be it. I want to do those things that other kids did. I want to know what it was like to be a normal kid…or at least a kid that was loved by her parents. I guess it all sounds pretty selfish, but this will be my last chance to have some of those things."
Barbara released her breath carefully. The anger that had raged up inside her- and Helena judging from the way she was trying to hide her suddenly augmented eyes- at the things this beautiful young girl had stolen from her, had been nearly overwhelming. It only strengthened her convictions, that the little phone call she had made to the Opal social services had been justified.
"Dinah, that is not selfish by any means. In fact…it sounds like a good idea actually," she added with a grin. "Think you wouldn't mind some company every now and then?"
"Are you kidding? Do you know how long I've wanted to go to Disneyworld with you guys?"
"Ahhhh…some place warm and sunny. I could definitely go for that," Helena agreed happily.
"Tell you what. You write down all the places you want to see , things you'd like to do, and which places you'd like for us to go with you to. No limits."
"No limits?" Dinah asked in disbelief.
"Uh oh Red, you just handed her the keys to the kingdom there," Helena chuckled seeing the wheels turning in Dinah's head already.
Barbara just grinned. "It's been years since I went on vacation, and I've got someone else's millions to spend now anyway."
"Wait till I tell Dick you said that."
"In which case I'll just have to give him a little more loving to make up for it, which isn't a bad thing really…so please by all means, go ahead."
"Ewwwww…gross! Eating here," Dinah whined.
"That was just so wrong," Helena agreed, though she couldn't suppress her grin entirely.
"Well with that settle….are you leaning towards any colleges yet?"
"Well, to be honest, NGU has a great Psychology program…"