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

A/N Did I mention how much I love you guys who review? 'Cause I do:)

Helena ran her fingers through her hair again in contemplation.

Now that she finally knew why Vic had left her she felt so...free. Like a giant weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

Except, now she had a different problem; to forgive him or not to forgive him. A part of her really wanted to, even though it would be hard to just swallow her pride and do it. After all, it wasn't like he hated her for not telling him about Bella, or that he hated her daughter which she'd always been slightly afraid of. If anything, he'd taken it completely in stride as if to say, Alright, I've got a kid. Better make up for lost time.

She was grateful for that; that if he had any anger he wasn't taking it out on Bella. Or her, even.

But the other part of her wanted to just keep on being bitter and hating him. It would just be so much easier to hold on to seven years worth of hate and never forgive him. But that would be the easy thing to do and she hated taking the east way out. So she was stuck.

She remembered when Vic told her he wanted to end things in the first place. It seemed like so long ago...

Seven Years Earlier

She felt absolutely terrified. That was the best way she could explain it. More scared then she had been in a long, long time. Right now all she wanted to do was go home and crawl into bed and never come out.

Honestly, pregnant, how the hell did this even happen? Well, she knew how, but still! Oh, God, what the hell was she going to do...? She put her hands onto her flat stomach and fought back the urge to scream. Oh God, oh God, oh God, how was she supposed to take care of a baby when she already had two jobs?

She bit her lip, what was Vic going to say when she told him? She knew he wouldn't leave, but he still never really struck her as the father type. She knew what she wanted him to do, she wanted him to hold her tight in his arms and whisper that it was going to be okay and tell her that he loved her and their baby.

Their. Baby. Jesus, that sounded strange, and scary. Infants were so small and fragile, so easy to break.

She wobbled up the stairs to their apartment as she bit her lip so hard she was afraid it would start to bleed. She wondered if it was going to be a girl or a boy, what its name would be, which one of them it would take after more.

"Q?" She called as she wandered into their apartment.

"Uh, in here." He mumbled sounding strange.

She walked into their tiny living room and absently realized they were going to need a bigger apartment soon. Or a house, or at least a condo. She looked at Vic semi-surprised after she realized he was still wearing his coat and hat, an odd expression on his face. She rubbed her arm. "Um, hey."

"Hello." He muttered with an odd expression. It almost looked sad, regretful, and a little guilty.

She was a little to distracted to notice though. "Vic, baby, we need to talk."

"Yes." He nodded his head slowly. "We do."

She decided to stall for a moment. "Oh, well what did you want to talk about?"

An oddly long silence. "Helena...I think, I think we should see other people." Vic stuttered.

She felt her heart slam up her throat, her stomach feeling like someone had drove a knife through it. "Wh-What?" She choked in disbelief. He-he couldn't be serious. Not now, not when she just found out she was carrying their child.

"I-I think we shouldn't be together anymore." Vic explained not looking her in the eyes. "You know...for the better of things."

"Y-You're kidding, right? Ollie wanted to play a trick on me or something." She tried still not believing what she was hearing. No no no! God no, please! She needed him now, she needed him more than ever, he had to be lying! He couldn't be hurting her like this on purpose.

"No, I just...think we need some time apart."

"W-Why?" She whispered feeling her eyes beginning to swell up with tears. "What did I do?"

"Nothing, believe me." Vic said quickly.

"Than why the hell are you doing this?" She shrieked as tears began to fall down her cheeks. No, no, no! She couldn't do this by herself, how can you raise a child without a Daddy? She felt like she was going to throw-up.

"I just think-"

"DON'T ANSWER!" Helena screamed as tears slid down. "Dammit Vic, how could you do this to me!"

"Oh, no Helena, please don't cry!" Vic begged walking up to her to hold her tight.

"Get the hell away from me!" She screamed smacking away his arm as she sobbed lightly. It was to much, she couldn't even look at him without feeling sick to her stomach. Oh, her poor baby...It didn't deserve to not have two parents.

"God just leave me alone, you bastard!" She cried. Then it hit her; her baby, her baby, was going to be a bastard. Helena started crying harder. She took a deep breath before choking out, "Are you sure you don't want me anymore?"

Vic looked at her guiltily before slowly nodding his head. "Yes, I-I think it would be for your best interest."

Her best interest, what the hell did he know about what was best for her? Nothing, he knew nothing! "Fine, think whatever the hell you think, I don't care anymore!"

"Helena, please don't hate me, I just-"

"Shut up! Shut the hell up! Dammit Vic, how-why-are you doing this?"

"Helen, it's for the best-"

"You don't know that! What a load of shit! Come on, Vic, you-you can't be serious!"

It took one look at Vics' face to realize he was.

"I just-"

"God, no Vic, come on you can't, dammit, you can't!" She begged trying not to cry. Her poor, poor baby.

"You can have our apartment." He tried hoping to make her calm down.

"I don't want it, I want you!" She cried.

"But-but I don't think we should-"

"God I HATE you, you asshole! I hope you burn in hell!" She shrieked grabbing her coat and slamming the door as she stormed out of the apartment. She managed to get all the way into her car before reality hit her.

She didn't have Vic. She didn't have a family. She didn't have anyone.

She had to have this baby alone.

Helena closed her eyes, leaned her forehead against the steering wheel, and cried her eyes out for three hours straight.

Present

At least now she understood what made him do it.

That was comforting, even though it still hurt a little. But only a little, she had finally gotten closure and the world suddenly seemed a lot nicer of a place. She didn't know if that stupid kiss had really stirred up some old feelings or if she just wanted to finally be a complete family for the sake of her precious baby girl.

She wished she could tell the difference.

Vic closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair.

Even though it had been hours, he could still feel the tingle of Helena on his lips. She tasted so good, so sweet and warm, God did he want to do it again.

He just didn't think he was going to get the chance to. Helena had made it abundantly clear that she didn't want to get back together, no matter how much he wanted to.

He really wanted to.

Of course, it was his fault they were in this mess. He was the one who said goodbye, even though it was because he only wanted the best for her. He had really thought he had been doing the right thing.

Except, now he realized he hadn't been, and that he had chose the worst possible time to say goodbye. He could very easily remember when he decided he needed to say goodbye. . .

Seven years ago

Vic woke up with a small groan. Why did the day have to start so early anyways?

He felt Helena lying next to him, curled up in a ball on his chest. An odd mix of happiness and guilt flooded through him. Happiness at the realization he had a beautiful women lying next to him who he loved more than anything, and guilty because he had been thinking lately that he might not be good enough for her.

He wished he was. Helena was his whole heart, and he only wanted the best for her. He ignored his daily guilt trip and tiredly blinked open his eyes to look at his lover.

He felt his breath catch when he looked at her sleeping so peacefully next him in their bed. There was a beam of light coming in through the window, casting over her. He could see her long raven hair sprawled out on a pillow so dark it was almost blue, a light smile on her lips, still slightly flushed cheeks from their earlier activities with only a thin cotton sheet barely covering her.

She was an angel.

He was a sinner.

He suddenly felt guilt and realization crash down on him. Helena was so perfect, and he was...so flawed. Every bad thing he had ever done shot through his mind. The time he tried to assassinate the president, all those drugs he did in college, all the whispers about him in the hallways, those men he killed in South America, he was a bad person. How could he hold Helena back? How could he be so selfish?

He couldn't drag her down anymore.

He felt Helena stir next to him and put a hand on his chest. He realized he must have been trembling. "Mm, baby, what's wrong?"

"N-Nothing." He choked out.

She blinked her eyes open tiredly. "Q, you're a terrible liar."

"Oh, s-sorry." He stammered.

She rolled her eyes. "That's a good thing." She smiled giving his cheek a kiss.

"Uh, I have to go." He exclaimed jumping out of their bed.

"Jeez, already? It's not even noon yet. You don't have to record for the news 'til three." Helena frowned.

"League business. Monitor duty." He lied. He felt as though he was going to throw-up, how could he have been holding her back for so long?

"Vic, baby, are you sure you're okay?" Helen asked worriedly.

He ignored the stabbing pain in his heart. "Fine. I-I'll see you later." He muttered feeling as though he could barely breathe.

Helen looked at him skeptically but got out of the bed and covered herself with the sheet to give him a kiss. He gave her a quick peck and quickly left the room trying to hold it together when he realized he was never going to be able to do that again.

"Bye!" Helena called from upstairs as he left.

"...Goodbye, Helena." He whispered quietly.

He just wished it didn't have to be forever.

Present

Now he felt like an ass.

Helena had probably been scared out of her mind and when she needed him most, he wasn't there. He knew he would feel guilty about that until he died.

But she couldn't hate him as much as she pretended to, after all, he was getting to see Bella. He smiled lightly, he really loved his little girl. She was definitely Helena's daughter, same determined look and fighting skills, same raven hair. But he could see little bits of himself in her, same curiosity about everything and the need to get answers, same blue eyes.

Except the need to feel every moment of the day with talking. He didn't know where that came from.

And now he really wanted to get back with Helen more than ever, that way Bella had two parents. Something neither him or Helena ever really ever had.

Wasn't giving your child a better life than yours what you were supposed to do?

Oh, and it also meant he got to have Helena again.

That was something else he really wanted too.

Bella was simply bubbly.

That was the best way to explain it. Absolutely ecstatic. Mama and Daddy were back together! She was finally getting a sibling! They were going to live happily ever after!

She waited patiently for Mama and Daddy to tuck her in. She heard the door open and fully expected both of them there to say goodnight and tell her they were going to be together like they should be.

Except, only Mama came in the door.

Bella frowned, this wasn't right.

"What's wrong, babygirl?" Helena asked.

"Where's Daddy?"

Helena frowned slightly. "At his apartment, where else?"

"Why isn't he here?"

"Because he has his own home, pumpkin."

"Well, shouldn't he move in?"

"No, why would you say that?"

"Well, how are you two supposed to be together if you don't live with each other?"

Helena looked at her in bewilderment. "Why do you think we're back together?"

"Because you two were making-out, duh." Bella rolled her eyes.

Helena fought back a groan. Ugh, she was regretting that kiss already. Why did she have to be so stupid sometimes? "Bella, sweetie, Mama and Daddy aren't getting back together, okay?"

"What do you mean?" Bella whimpered.

Helena ignored the stabbing pain in her chest. "Honey, your Daddy and I aren't a couple anymore."

"But you were kissing!"

Helena flinched. "It wasn't really that much of a kiss, just a little one."

"Nu-uh!"

"Yes, it was."

"But...why?"

"Why what?"

"Why aren't you together again?"

"Because we don't have feelings for each other anymore, babygirl."

"Yes, you do."

"No, we don't."

"Well you might not but Daddy does. He loves you."

"How do you know that?"

"He told me."

"...He did?"

"Yep."

"Oh. Well, I guess I have to have a talk with him."

"So you can get back together?"

"No, so he'll learn to stop getting your hopes up."

"But...why? Did he say he was sorry?"

". . .Yes."

"Then why don't you forgive him?"

"I did."

"Then why won't you date him?"

"Because he hurt my feelings, hon. He made me really, really sad, I don't know if I want to try again."

Bella was quiet. "I think you should."

Helen smiled at her tiredly. "You do, huh?"

"Yes."

Helena laughed lightly and kissed her forehead. "It's not that simple."

"Yes it is! You adults just make everything so hard!"

"We do, huh?"

"Duh! Think about it; war, hunger, the economy, politics-"

"Ugh, you need to spend less time with Uncle Ollie. He's rubbing off you." Helen groaned.

"Well you should spend more time with Daddy."

"Where'd this smart mouth come from?"

"You."

"Probably." Helena laughed. "Good night, babygirl."

"Good night, Mama." Isabella called as her mother left the room.

She hoped Mama and Daddy would both be there to tuck her in soon.

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