Barbara walked out of the principal's office. Helena hadn't been in school since Monday. Four days without knowing anything about them. She didn't like it. Selina had disappeared. But she was still working in the underworld, two nights ago she had stolen from another museum. Batgirl had arrived too late to stop her and Batman was as cluelessas she was, with no idea as to where she could be.

The sound of her beeper called her attention. She read the message. Her father was inviting her to lunch. She smiled, he always was so nice and thinking of her. She put it back in her bag and walked outside the school. She saw a group of kids playing in the garden.

She recognized one of the children and an idea struck her. She walked toward the group of kids playing with a ball.

"Gibson." She waved her hand.

The boy waved back.

"May I talk with you?" she asked, putting her hands inside her jacket pockets.

Gibson nodded. He kicked the ball and went toward her. "Good afternoon, Miss Gordon."

"Afternoon. How are you?"

"Fine." The guy cleaned his hands on his pants.

She played with her tongue in her cheek before asking, "Have you seen Helena?"

"No, her mother doesn't want her to come to school."

Barbara frowned, "How do you know?"

"She called me…"

"She called you."

"Yes. She always calls me… She is scared. She won't say it, but she is."

The statement worried the young woman, she put her palm on Gibson's back and walked toward a bench. "How do you know she's scared?"

"Don't tell her." The boy looked at her.

"I promise, it's our secret. But how do you know she is scared?" She sat on the bench and Gibson stood up in font of her.

"She will kill me if she finds out I told you she is scared." The small boy at looked his feet.

"No, no. I promise you," Barbara insisted gently and took his hand trying to encourage him. She knew Selina was not herself; Helena was sensitive and she would be easily hurt if Selina was scornful with her; but she knew too, that the girl never would disobey an order from her. "Why is she scared?" she asked.

Gibson shrugged his shoulders, "She told me her mom just left and hadn't come back, that she's been alone since yesterday."

"Do you know where she is?" the redhead tried to contain her worry so as not to scare the boy.

The guy shook his head. "No, she told me her mom took her to the North Side. She has an apartment there, but I don't know where it is."

The redhead bit her lip. She remebered the place. Selina had talked about it some time ago. She had invested some of her money in apartments and houses to rent or sell. And she had mentioned an apartment in that part of the city. "When did you talk with her?"

"Last night. Why did her mom leave her alone?"

"Don't worry Gibson, she has been busy. But I promise Helena will be okay."

"Don't tell her that I told you."

Barbara raised her right hand, "Promise."

The school bell echoed in the garden. Gibson looked back and a second later to Barbara again. "I gotta go, see you, Miss Gordon."

"See you, thanks Gibson." The redhead stood up and walked toward her car.

Starved. That was the right word. She was starved. That was bad. She looked inside the drawer. Good, there was still some money inside. She could call the pizza guy. Helena turned her head. Jaçques was sitting on the mattress. "Don't look at me. I just have the phone number of the pizza guy. I'm bored too."

Helena sat next to him and sighed. She was terribly sad because her mother had left again, she hadn't called; she was never like this with her. "What dide I do, Jaçques? I miss Mom… What happened with her? She never acts this way with me." She hugged him and let herself fall on the bed, looking the ceiling.

She felt lost, she didn't have any one except her mother. What would she do? When would her mom come back?. She couldn't call Barbara, if she did, her mom would be angry with her, and when she was angry it was terrible. She felt lost and horribly alone... and scared, very scared.

She hated feeling scared, but she couldn't avoid it.

The door bell sounded. Her mother had a key. Who could it be? Lazily, she picked up Jaçques and went toward it holding her cat. She stopped in front of the door. "Who is it?"

"Barbara," a voice answered at the other side of the door.

As fast as she could, she unlocked the door. As soon as it opened she jumped on the redhead, hugging her. "Barbara."

"Helena!" The redhead put a knee on the floor, and hugged her back; the brunette had a strong grip on her and she felt the kid start to sob.

"Oh, Hel, don't cry." She rubbed her back with her left hand "Are you olay?"

The girl nodded her head.

"I missed you." Barbara smiled, she was so happy to see her again.

"I missed you too." The bunette sobbed.

"It's okay, it's okay… don't cry." She looked inside the house "Mommy is here?"

"No…"

"Easy, I'm here, don't cry." The redhead waited a few minutes, until she felt the kid calm down a bit. She moved back a bit and took out a handkerchief, she cleaned her face. "What happened, Helena? Why are you crying?"

"I dunno where Mommy is, what's happening to her?…" the girl rambled "She left two days ago. I don't know what to do. I'm alone, she hasn't call me. She told me not call you. Now she will be angry with me because I'm talking with you, but I'm alone, I don´t like being alone… I dunno if she is okay; she is going to be mad with me when she knows I'm with you. Why is she angry with you? I…"

"Hey, hey easy… easy…" Barbara put her finger over her mouth, "Everything will be okay. Don't worry."

"What happened to Mommy?"

"I don't know honey, but we will know soon."

"She is bad. She doesn't love me any more."

Barbara brushed her dark hair, looking at her little blue eyes covered in tears, "She loves you, I'm sure of it…"

"No, she doesn't love me, she doesn't love Jaçques either."

"Of course she loves Jaçques, who told you she doesn't?"

"She threw him against the wall."

"What?" Barbara blinked. Helena nodded and showed her the stuffed. One of its legs was bandaged with a handchief.

"She was angry," the girl said.

Barbara brushed the cat's hair, "Is he hurt?"

The brunette nodded.

"Let me see." The redhead took Jaçques between her hands and gently removed the handkerchief.

"Careful…." Helena sniffed.

"I'm…. uhmmm…" She examined the stuffed cat's leg. "I think his leg is okay, I can bandage it and he will feel much better tomorrow."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." She cleaned the tears off Helena's face with her thumb. "Do you feel better now?"

Helena nodded.

Barbara fixed her eyes on hers; the poor girl was innocent, she needed to end this crazinest. "Are you hungry?"

The brunette nodded again.

Barbara stood up. "Pick up your things. You're coming with me."

"I can't, she will come back and if she doesn't find me she will be angry with me."

"No, we will leave her a note. Don't worry."

"But…."

"Helena, look at me." Barbara took her chin between her fingers "You know I would never would do anything to hurt you, right? Something is happening to your mom. I'll find her and I'll talk with her. I prmise she is not going to be mad with you and she is not going to hurt Jaçques again. Do you trust me?"

"Yes, but…"

"I'm not going to leave you alone here. Understand? Everything is going to be okay. Don't worry, she is not going to be mad with you. I promise.""

"Okay."

"Now pick up your things. Not all of it, you have still have clothes at my apartment. I'll leave your mom a note and we will go to lunch and buy some tape to bandage Jaçques' leg."

"Okay." Helena nodded and cleaned her nose with her sleeve.

Barbara smiled and kissed her cheek. "Hurry up."

She sighed while the girl ran to a bedroom, she walked inside, she knew she would be in trouble when Selina found out that she had taken Helena with her, but the safety of the girl was more important. The redhead looked for a piece of paper and a pen to write a note. She found it inside a kitchen drawer. When she finished it, she put it on the fridge with a magnet. Something caught her attention. She turned her head and saw a small turtle walking toward the exit, the door was open. She smiled to herself and went to him. Carefully, she picked him up and put him on her palm.

"Hi Leroy, believe it or not, I'm very happy to see you again." She looked toward the corridor, "Helena, are you ready?"

"I can't find Leroy!" the girl shouted from a room.

"He is here, he beat you. Come on, let's go."

Helena walked outside the room dragging her bag, Barbara went to her and helped her with it. "You take Leroy, I'll take this."

"Is Leonard okay?"

"Wonderful. He eats lettuce everyday."

"And bananas?"

"Bananas?"

"He likes bananas."

"Oh.. I didn't know."

"Did you brush his shell?"

"Umhh… no?" The redhead closed the door behind them.

"Why not?"

"I was busy."

"He likes it when you brush his shell. He is a clean turtle. Do you like clean turtles?"

"All right, all right, I'll buy a brushtooth, when we go to the pharmacy."

"So be a good girl," Barbara instructed Helena as they walked down the sidewalk. It was Wednesday, the day she usually had lunch with her father. He had sent her a message on her beeper at mid day.

"Okay. Can I get a hamburguer?" the girl asked happily, now that her stuffed cat had his leg bandaged.

"It's lunch, Helena. Ask for food."

"It's food."

"No, that is junk food." Barbara opened the restaurant door and let Helena walk inside first.

"May I ask for pizza?"

"You ate pizza all week… Aren't you tired of it?" Barbara removed her coat in the lobby of the restaurant.

"May I ask for a hot dog?" Helena removed her coat too.

"Ask for a steak, or salad.."

"I prefer a burger."

"No burgers. Food." Barbara rolled her eyes. She picked up her coat, "Go wash your hands, I'll wait for you inside."

The girl nodded. Barbara wanted a bit of time to wanr her father about Helena. He was not a big fan of Helena and less of her mother. She walked inside the restaurant and saw him. He waved his hand. She waved back and walked toward him.

He sood up and kissed her cheeck. "Hi Babs."

"Hi Dad."

He moved a chair and she sat down.

"How have you been?" he asked, smiling.

"Fine, Daddy… ehmmm" she tried to find the correct words, "I'm sorry… but I didn't come alone."

He drink a sip of water, "No?"

"Uhmm no… I… Helena is with me."

"That child?" James Gordon couldn't hide his disgust. He leaned and whispered, "Barbara, are you crazy? The entire police force is chasing her mother? Do you know where she is?"

"No."

"No…and you have her daugher? Please! Catwoman is in the city, commiting crimes. You know it. Why do you insist on involving yourself with that woman?"

"You don't have a proof that Selina is Catwoman."

"But we know it." James Gordon fixed his eyes on her daughter. "Please. You are talking to me."

"Dad…" Barbara brushed her hair nervously behind her ear. "Selina doesn't know I have Helena."

"What?" grey lashes blinked.

"Selina has been acting weird these last couple of weeks. She abandoned Helena two weeks ago. I needed to take care of her; now she did it again. I… I picked her up."

The man shook his head, "Excuse me? What are you saying? You took Selina's daughter without her permission?"

The redhead nodded.

"Are you crazy?"

"Dad, Selina left her alone in a strange place. She is only nine!"

"You can't do this!" Gordon tried to control himself.

"I know, Dad, but I can't leave her alone!" Barbara waved her hand, trying desperately to shush him.

The old man rubbed his face trying to contain his anger, "This is illegal."

"Dad…"

"You took the girl from the woman without her permission," he said trying to shout in a low voice. "You kidnapped her!"

"Well…" the redhead took a deep breath, "technically yes, but… not."

"Yes, but not." He raised his hands, annoyed, and turned; he didn't like the friendship of his daughter with Selina Kyle. He'd known it would be trouble. And he was right. Now she took her daughter home. She had taken her without the famous criminal's permission "Kidnapping is a crime, 10 to 20 years plus $30,000 USD. What are you thinking? If she files charges against you, you are in a big trouble."

"I left her a note," Barbara explained to her dad, "she left her alone for more than two days, the girl hadn't gone to school; she called her best friend and told him she was scared because her mother wasn't at home; she hadn't called. Helena has been eating just pizza since three days ago. I'm sure something is wrong with her, she would never abandon her daughter in this way!"

"Yes, something is wrong with Selina Kyles, she is a burglar, do you remember that? And now, her daughter is here, without her permission. We don't know the girl, we don't know what things she's taught her, too!"

"Don't say that! Helena is not guilty of her mother crimes. Please be nice, she is sad and scared, she doesn't understand what is happening with her mother."

"Barbara…"

"Please, Dad." She took his hand between hers. "She is just an innocent kid."

"Good afternoon." A soft voice caught their attention.

Barbara smiled and took the girl's shoulder. "Dad, this is Helena, do you remember her?"

He just nodded without know what to say. Catwoman's daughter could only mean trouble.

"Afternoon, Mr. Gordon, this is Jaçques." Helena pointed at her cat.

"Hi, Jaçques." He waved his hand.

"Sit, Helena." Barbara pointed at the chair.

Helena obeyed and put her cat next to her. Gordon curiously looked at its leg. He didn't like the whole situation, but he didn't want to argue with Barbara or dissapoint her. He raised his brow.

"What happened to the cat?" he asked.

Barbara could see a flash of pain in the girls eyes. She moved her hand to brush some hairs behind Helena's ear. "He fell to the floor," she said softly, "but I fixed him a bit."

"Oh… I see."

"She also has two turtles, but I told her to leave them at home," the redhead added.

"Leroy looks good." Helena said looking at him, "He is fat, I thought he would be dead."

"Dead? Why dead? I took care of him!" Barbara protested.

"Who is Leroy?" the former Police Commissioner asked.

"Her turtle," the young woman answered quickly and looked at the girl. "Why dead, Helena?"

The brunette took a piece of bread and butter "You know."

"I know?"

"Good afternoon," the waitress interrupted "Are you ready to order?"

"Oh.. wait…" Barbara muttered, looking her menu.

Helena leaned to her left and whispered to the Commisioner "Her cooking is awful, but I don't want to hurt her feelings."

"I heard that." The red head glared at her. "Water for me and lemonade for her."

"Coke."

"No coke, lemonade."

"I can't eat a burger with lemonade. People eat hamburgers with coke."

"And who says that you are going to eat a burger?" the young woman turned toward the waitress "A steak for her and a chefs salad for me. Dad?"

"French fries for Jaçques," Helena said.

"Jaçques doesn't eat french fries," Barbara glared at her "That's you, no."

"May I change the steak for a hot dog?"

"Hot dogs are not food."

The Commissioner couldn't avoid smiling in amusement. Barbara was arguing with that girl as an equal.

"The hot dog is beef." The gril explained. "I don't want a steak. I want a hot dog. It's like a steak, but rolled."

"That logic is illogic."

"It' beef chopped and in the form of a biiiiig sausage." She looked at Barbara's father "Is that not true, sir?"

"Technically, she is right, Barbara." Gordon scratched his head.

"Dad!"

"Well, she is…"

"A hot dog, please." Helena said to the waitress.

"No, no. A steak." The redhead corrected.

"Noodle soup too."

"Noddles soup, too." The young woman nodded her head.

"Mister?" the waitress asked the old man.

"Roast beef please. Medium."

"I want a salad too," Helena said.

Barbara blinked, "You want a salad? Where are you going to put all that food? You only have one stomach. Remember?"

Helena buried her nose in the menu. "A green salad with croutons."

"All right," the redhead sighed, Helena was obstinate and she didn't want to argue. "A salad for her, but a small one."

"May I ask for dessert too?"

"After you finish your meal."

"Can I get a lot of ice cream?" Helena extended her hands. James Gordon leaned on his chair and rubbed his chin watching them both.

"If you finish your food, yes," Barbara answered.

Helena crossed her arms over the table and cocked her head. "If I finish my steak, can I ask for a burger later?"

"No," Barbara said with firm voice. "Thanks, that's all," she said to the waitres.

"Why not?" the little girl asked.

"Because you will be sick and I don't want to be awake all night."

"I won't."

"You will."

"I won't."

"You will and that's all." Barbara locked her eyes on her.

Helena looked around, ignoring her last comment and asked. "May I go to see the fish tank?" she pointed at a big tank on the other side of the room.

"Yes, yes, go… Just don't jump inside." Barbara waved her hand, "And don't run."

The girl stood up and ran to the fish thank. The redhead shook her head and looked at her father, who was smiling, amused. "What? She asked brushing back some hair that had fallen over her forehead.

"This always happens?" he asked, raising his brow.

"Well… no… yes… eh… why do you ask?"

"It's the first person I've seen that you can't intimidate with your logic and brilliant mind." He lit his cigarrte.

"She is stubborn."

"She is a real case. Your true foil." Gordon laughed. He never thought that he would like the girl.

"Yes. She is."