A/N I don't own these characters, wish I did though...

A/N A billion thanks to everyone who's reviewed!

The walk back to the car was awkward beyond belief.

A cheerful little girl with a smug smirk, trophy, and a motor mouth between them wasn't exactly helping. That knowing look she kept using when she looked at them didn't do much for the situation either.

Vic could still taste Helen on his lips. She tasted familiar, but different too. Sweet, but with a kick, and very, very good. He really missed kissing her. Of course, he was still trying to figure out why it had happened in the first place. Not that he didn't like it or want to do it again, but he was a detective after all.

He also had a bad feeling that Bella had found out something she shouldn't have judging by the way she kept staring at the two of them back and forth mischievously. He wondered what it was.

Helena, on the other hand, was furious and mortified. What had she been thinking! Honestly, kissing him? What, did he drug her cereal this morning? God, what the hell had been going through her head? What if someone had saw? What if Bella had saw? She gave a silent prayer of thanks she didn't, how was she supposed to explain that?

She shook her head, had Vic been surprised when she kissed him? Yes. Had he resisted even a tiny bit? Nope, not even a squeak. Jerk.

She shot a quick look at her Ex. He looked confused, but happy, much to her disappointment. She wanted him to look angry or lustful or something, not happy and dopey.

Bella was confused. At first she'd been completely ecstatic, she beat a guy twice her size in a tournament, won a trophy, and Mama and Daddy had gotten back together so everything would be normal now and she'd finally get a little sister.

Except, other than telling her how proud they were of her, Mama and Daddy hadn't really said anything. At least, not to each other. That wasn't right, Mama and Daddy should be looking at each other funny and grinning and kissing or at least holding hands or something! But they weren't doing anything! Jeez, what had happened in the two minutes it took to get over to them?

Suddenly, a terrible thought struck her. They were fine when she wasn't around, so it must have been something she had done. Panicking slightly, she did a quick mental review of everything that had happened from the gym to the parking lot.

She couldn't think of anything she'd done to make them act so weird. Bella bit her lip for a moment, So... Mama's mad at Daddy. Daddy loves Mama. Mama hates Daddy. Mama and Daddy were just kissing. Why aren't they telling me how much they love each other? They look weird, maybe I shouldn't say anything...

"So..." Vic started awkwardly. "That was interesting."

"Did I do a good job, Daddy?"

"You did an excellent job, sweetheart."

"Mama, what do you think?"

"I think you kicked serious butt babygirl. Good job."

Bella gave up trying to talk to them. Ugh, why did adults have to be so weird? Obviously they weren't going tell her about what she really wanted to hear. Meanies.

Helena and Vic were silent. Completely quiet, and happy with it being that way. The kiss was the elephant in the room, a big, fat elephant that seemed content to stay in each others heads no matter what they had to say about it.

So let me see if I get this straight. Santa's good even though he sneaks into your house and watches you sleep, and so's the Easter bunny. Why does Easter have a rabbit, bunnies don't lay eggs. How do bunnies have babies? Well, I mean they come from the Mama, but how do they get in there? Actually, how does any type of baby get inside it's Mama?

"Mama, where do babies come from?" Bella asked now extremely curious.

Vic almost started choking. Where the hell did that come from?

Helena almost passed out. What went on in that little head of hers that would make her ask that? She must have gotten it form Vic. "Bella... sweetie, why would you ask that?" Helena asked carefully.

"I was thinking about the Easter bunny." Bella explained like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Of course she was. How the hell you make the leap from bunnies to babies was lost to Helen, but jeez, could she have picked a worse time?

Vic coughed awkwardly. "Well...after being released, the sperm-"

"VIC!" Helena exclaimed.

"What! She asked!" Vic cried defensively.

"And you told her!" Helen shrieked smacking him on the arm.

"No! You didn't let me fini-" He was cut off by another smack to his arm. "Ow!"

"Wait, I'm confused, what's a sperm?" Bella asked.

Helen groaned and glared at Vic. "I hate you."

"That's not a nice word." Bella sang from the back.

"I know." Helena growled.

"You didn't answer my question." Bella sulked.

"Magic." Vic lied.

"Oh. Is it good magic?"

"Very good." Helena assured her.

"Oh, okay." Bella shrugged still confused.

Helena looked over at Vic and glared.

"What?"

She smacked him on the arm harder.

"Bella, honey, go upstairs. Daddy and I need some alone time."

Bella smirked. "Oh, have all the time you two need." She giggled running upstairs.

"Do you think she. . ?"

"No, how could she." Helena reasoned before turning back to Vic.

"It does seem unlikely."

"Yeah."

An awkward silence ensured.

"So. . . how's the conspiracy?"

"Still corrupted. How's Gotham's school systems?"

"Corrupt. But the kids are good, so it's fine."

"Hurm." Vic paused, deciding how to ask this. "Ahem." He coughed. "I was wondering, if you're not too busy this weekend, if you would be so kind to come with me to dinner maybe one night this-"

"No, Vic, just, no, okay?" Helena sighed shaking her head. "No. It's not happening."

Vic fought back a cry of confusion. He'd never been the smartest man in the world when it came to understanding woman, but he was fairly sure when they grabbed your face and almost choked you with their tongues that it meant they were attracted to you. "But, why?"

"Because I'm still mad at you, and we won't work out. Again." She added.

"Why won't we? We were so good together the first time."

"Oh yeah 'cause that ended so well." Helena spat sarcastically. "Bella was the only good thing that came out of that."

"You don't really mean that." Vic said quietly staring at the ground.

"Believe me, I do." Helena assured him.

"Than why did you kiss me earlier?"

Helena felt her cheeks redden slightly. "That wasn't anything. It was like kissing my cousin."

"Your family must have been even closer than I realized." Vic said unamused.

"Shut up."

"Is that what you were making me do earlier?"

Helena pulled a knife out of her kitchen drawer. "If I wanted to shut you up I would have used something different."

"Okay, I was just kidding you know. I have a hard time understanding women."

"It shows." She muttered putting the knife back.

"Look, Helena, I made a mistake, and as much as I'd like to change it, I can't. I'm sorry, alright? For the hundredth time I'm so, so sorry. But you can't blame me for everything, you could have easily told me about Bella."

"Easily?" Helena repeated. "Easily? You'd just dumped me and said not to look for you and left me with a fucking kid to take care of! Do you know what it's like getting stares in church and knowing people think you're a whore, praying to God your baby's not going to Hell every night, trying to think of a good reason to say why Daddy isn't there to tuck her in at night?"

"Yes! No! I don't know, you never gave me the chance too!"

"You brought it on yourself!"

"Not all of it! A lot, but God you could have sent me a photo or something! You don't seriously think I'm never going to stay up at night hating myself for putting you both through this?"

"I don't know! I thought I knew, but then you just left!"

"Look, let's just calm down, alright? Bella may hear us." Vic sighed rubbing his temples. "We never used to fight like this. Actually, we barely fought at all unless we wanted make-up sex later."

"Things were different then."

"I know. I am sorry, you know."

Helena was quiet.

Vic sighed and stood up, grabbing his fedora as he headed out the door. "Good night, Helen."

Before he could leave, he heard Helen call out, "Wait, just, one second." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her one nervous tick. "...Can I just ask you one question?"

"Anything."

"Just, well." She looked at him with the saddest eyes he'd ever seen. It broke his heart a little more. "Just. . . what was Her name?"

"Whose?"

"Hers. You know, the women you left me for." Helen whispered. That, was in all honesty, what was hurting her the most. The fact that he had found someone else and dumped her like trash. She didn't even know the bitch's name, but she hated her.

"Helena. . ." Vic whispered looking at her in disbelief. "Wait, you thought I. . . No, just, no. There never was anyone else, just you, always has been, always will be."

He stared at her, shaking his head. "Helen, I would never... Don't you know that's not the type of man I am?"

"There-There wasn't another women?" Helena stuttered in disbelief. He hadn't traded her in for a new model? When Vic left she had tried to figure out where they went wrong. She knew it wasn't communication since they could talk nonstop for hours, it couldn't be the sex since it was the best either of them had ever had, and it they hadn't had any fights lately. So, she realized that, since everything was fine, Vic probably found some beautiful woman who wanted to vanquish the Illuminate and fell for her instead.

It hurt beyond belief.

"Helena, how-why would you think that?"

"What was I supposed to think?" She asked fighting back tears. Now she was more confused than ever, why had he left if there wasn't another woman?

"I-I don't know." Vic admitted. "But not that, God, never that. I-I would never do that to you, you-you have to know that."

Helena gulped back a sob of frustration. "Than why did you leave me?"

"Helena, you were-are, so... perfect. You're beautiful beyond belief, intelligent, funny, incredibly sexy, a hell of a fighter, just so. . . perfect. You-You were perfect, Helen, and I was just...me."

Helena fought back a cry. She knew Vic had never exactly been the most confident guy around, and she knew he had loved her like crazy when they were together, but she never knew he was that insecure. If any other guy had said that she wouldn't have believed him, but Vic just said it so. . . seriously. Like it was a simple fact, like the sky was blue or the grass was green. The saddest part was when she looked into his eyes, she knew he was telling the truth. Her poor babydoll had been feeling down on himself and did the only natural thing and let the thing he valued most go so he wouldn't have to ruin her too.

"I-I wasn't good enough." He continued. "You-You were like an angel to me, and I was just some crackpot who couldn't even show you his face until a month after we started dating. I mean, look at you. Men are always tripping over their feet to get a glimpse of you, you could have almost anyone you wanted."

"Oh, Vic." Helen murmured. "I could have had anyone, but I wanted you, dummy."

"But I wasn't-"

"I didn't care."

"Oh."

Helena paused before asking, "If you weren't good enough then then why do you think you're good enough now?"

"I don't. But, Helen, we have a daughter together. I finally have a reason on why I'm okay to be with you."

"You always did." Helen whispered. "I loved you, idiot. I didn't care about the other guys then."

"Look, I-I know what I did was wrong now, but I think we should give 'us' another-"

"No, Vic. I'm sorry, but I can't do that." Helena closed her eyes. "If we don't work out now, we won't be the only ones effected. Vic, we have a child together, okay? For all I know you could have another self-esteem crisis and leave again. I don't want Bella getting her hopes up."

"But, Helen..."

"I didn't say you couldn't see her anymore, just that we can't date again. Come on Vic, you honestly think we could go back to the way we were?"

"Well, almost."

Helena smiled at him sadly. "You really believe that, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Sorry, but, no. . . I can't do that to Bella."

Vic slowly nodded. "Okay, I understand. It's going to be a while until you're healed, I can wait."

"But there's nothing worth waiting for." Helena protested.

Vic looked at her oddly. "...Yes, there is. I threw us away last time, I'm not going to do that again."

"Vic, come on. . ."

He smiled bitterly. "You asked." He reminded her as he stepped out the door.

Helena sighed and sat down at her table, rubbing her temples. Damn it, she did ask, she just didn't think the idiot would be so persistent. She bit her lip, so Vic hadn't left her for someone else after all, he just had some confidence issues.

She sighed, not that she would tell anyone this, but that had been bugging her for years, the reason why Vic left. Idiot. Why, why, why did she have to find the one gut on Earth that didn't think he was God's gift to woman and that he wasn't actually good enough for her?

But. . .it did give her an odd feeling of closure. Finally, after almost seven years, she knew why her man left her.

She didn't know how that was supposed to make her feel.

A/N So. . .now Helen knows why Q left.

A/N Read and Review