A/N: Well everyone I am so sorry for the lengthy hiatus of this story. Life decided to throw me curve balls, the most painful one of our puppy going missing. A new role that has me working harder now to work smarter in the long run has also taken up time. But with determination I have now finished my next offering and with pride I present it to you all. I own none of the characters only putting my own interpretation of their stories. I thank you all for reading and the reviews as always. I dedicate this chapter to dmangual516 for reminding me that people are eager to see the story's progress. The next chapter will be in the next few days. Thank you all for your patience as I tell each couple's story. God bless you all xo

Chapter 8

Vic and Helena

"Oh mio dio, Idiota!", she screamed as she hurled a picture frame at his head.

"Now baby-", he began.

"Don't baby me, you insane maniac!", she yelled.

"But if you think about it honey-", he tried once again.

"You and your stupid conspiracy theories have gone too far now, Vic Sage"

He was in for it now, so he waited for her next response with bated breath.

"How dare you think that living together means you release all control and I would brainwash you into doing unspeakable things you would never normally do"

He reached out to touch her.

"Non mi toccare!"

"Sweetheart listen to me…"

"I don't have to do shit, you….you….buffoon!", and picked up a nearby plate and threw it at him.

He ducked just in time and heard it smash on the wall behind him.

"You know what? If you don't want to be with me there's the door", she stabbed her finger at the door behind him, "and good riddance", she whirled around and stomped towards his bedroom.

"Uh Helena honey, this is my place"

"Fine then, I'll leave", she spun on her heel and stomped towards the front door.

He knew he had done it now, she had never thrown him out before. Ever. Yes they would have loud arguments that would tend to become very heated depending on what topic they were disagreeing about. But she had never thrown him out before. Maybe it had to do with him always silently slipping away whilst she continued to rant and rave, he did so in order to let her italian temper calm down. Most of their verbal disputes though ended up with them making mad passionate love as she would get so riled that she would just grab him and smash her mouth against his and that was end of discussion, or he would quietly walk over and begin to kiss her neck which would effectively cease her yelling with a loud passionate sigh of defeat.

But tonight was different, he had sensed it in her mannerisms over the last few months. She had started to withdraw from him or quietly listen to him describe his latest theory about some new regime he had found. His Helena in his eyes seemed to be losing her fire and spirit. This he did not like.

He loved her more than life and could not believe that the stunning, spirited and generous woman that she was would have fallen in love with a paranoid, scarred and flawed man like him. But he did not dwell on his doubts, he simply lived every moment as best he could with her. But he was too scared to take their relationship to the next level. He desperately wanted to marry her and spend the rest of his life watching that beautiful smile light his days and heat up his nights. But he was absolutely terrified to commit because in his mind she would wake up one day knowing she had made the biggest mistake of her life and leave him. He pictured that she would finally realise what a freak he really was, inside and out.

Helena was sick and tired of trying to convince Vic that they belonged together and she loved him with all her heart. Nothing would make her happier than being Mrs Helena Sage and spending the rest of her days with her crazy wonderful man. He knew everything there was to know about her, from her day time persona to the vigilante lifestyle she led at night against crime. He knew of her family history and how she had become the Huntress. He had accepted her with all the emotional baggage, anger and mistrust issues she had grown up with. He loved her unconditionally, accepting her checkered past and shortcomings without a second thought or judgement.

They fought with equal intensity and passion when they made love. They couldn't get enough of each other and some of their PDAs tended to embarrass those around them. Vic used to shy away from her in public in the beginning preferring to preserve their privacy.

Until the day she had been shot and he went ballistic.

Helena had made no secret of her quest to seek out and exact revenge on those who had killed her family who were heavily tied to the Mafia. Having lost her mother to a hit and run accident when she was sixteen to the execution style murder of her father by Steven Mandragora. Both events had changed her life forever. She had begun training to become Huntress after burying her mother, deciding to help stop crime under a guise to protect her day to day identity. She had been recruited by the Birds of Prey by Barbara Gordon who had seen her save a mother and her baby from a knife wielding thief who wanted to take the baby. Watching her in action Barbara knew she would be a valuable addition to the all women crime fighting team. This is where Helena had met Dinah, they had become instant friends and had become best friends and sisters over time. They trusted each other implicitly.

After her father's death her need to help had been overshadowed by her thirst for revenge. After her discreet queries had resulted into names of those involved in the attack her thirst had tipped the scales completely to destroying those who had taken her family away from her. Overnight she had gone from a heroine interested in joining the Justice League to a one woman wrecking ball who would not rest until she had buried each and every person involved.

Vic and herself had just become exclusive a week before the devastating information had found it's way to her. She had seen red since and had told no one, knowing that if Vic found out he would do everything he could to stop her and if he failed he would join her. There was no way she would allow either scenario. She would not rest until her mission was accomplished and there was no way in hell she would let him help her. She did not want him to get hurt or be killed in her quest, she had fallen in love with him and wanted to keep him safe.

So she had secretly organised a meeting with all responsible parties to meet in an abandoned warehouse. Telling Vic she could not see him that night as she had mid terms to mark and needed to concentrate. Vic took a raincheck and said the moment she could see him to let him know and he would be by her side instantly. With a catch in her voice knowing she may never see him again she agreed and hung up.

She had made her way to the rendezvous site and confronted the hitmen, she had managed to knock out two of the seven men their when they had overwhelmed her. One of the men, Steven Mandragora and the man who had ordered the hit on her father had smiled wickedly at her and walked over bending slightly at the waist had slowly lifted her right hand towards his lips as if to kiss it. Halfway there he had suddenly stopped and then casually snapped her right wrist. She had screamed in pain and then passed out from its intensity.

She had woken to find herself bound hands and feet to a chair. Groggily she had slowly looked around to find Steven in conversation with two of the seven men towards the entry. The two men she had knocked out earlier had now joined the other two to play cards on a makeshift table using an old barrel nearby. She slowly narrowed her eyes to slits to look around for potential avenues of escape, she did not want any of the men knowing she was awake until she had set an action plan.

Suddenly she saw a flash of red pass one of the windows and then a black cape follow a few seconds later. She knew who was here and was ever so grateful for once that Vic actually went against her wishes for once. Suddenly she saw his signature fedora hat and beloved face or more to the point his faceless mask appear in the window looking straight at her. With relief flooding her heart she knew that he was smiling at her. No one could understand how she seemed to know his facial expressions or what he was thinking behind the perpetual "blank" expression on his face. But she knew.

Smirking at him she winked and was thrilled to see his head jerk in surprise. She then coughed to garner the attention of the men in the warehouse.

"If you let me go now no one will get hurt", she looked at each one until she got to Steven who was again smiling evilly at her, "except you", his smile faded.

"You signed your death warrant the moment my father took his last breath. I will put a bullet through your head in the same manner he was killed. Only difference is you will see it coming, unlike dad who was killed by a coward from behind"

"You are very delusional little girl"

She raised an eyebrow at him, "Uh huh"

"You won't leave this warehouse alive"

"Now who's delusional?", she smiled knowingly at him.

Something in her voice raised alarm bells in his head and he swung towards the entrance to find Superman, Batman, Flash and Green Arrow with her beloved Vic in the middle. All hell broke loose and she was rocking her chair from side to side in an attempt to avoid the shower of bullets that had begun to pepper the air from Mandragora's men. Suddenly a blue blur appeared and stood in front of her and the bullets bounced off him as he steadied her gently and used his laser vision to sever her binds.

Once free she jumped up throwing her arms around his neck and kissing his cheek soundly in gratitude, causing the Man of Steel to blush furiously.

"Thank you Superman, you rock"

Rubbing the back of his head in his usual nervous response, "Uh….you're welcome Huntress…anytime"

She then ran to join the fray picking up her bow and arrow from a nearby table. She had only one man in her sights and nothing was going to stand in her way. It took all of two minutes for the Justice League to apprehend the other men. They all knew that Helena needed to take care of Steven Mandragora herself, they respected her enough to stay back. But they would step in to stop her killing him, she did not need to live with that even if in her heart it was the only answer to avenge the death of her father.

Helena had walked up to Steven who stood waiting for her with a snicker on his face, and promptly slugged him in the face with all the built up hatred in her heart. She felt a weight lift off her shoulders as she thought of her beloved parents. She lifted her bow and aimed the arrow at his heart.

"Huntress!", Superman exclaimed.

"Baby don't do it"

"He deserves everything that's coming to him"

"I know sweetheart…"

"Huntress, we will ensure that he spends the rest of his miserable life behind bars"

"That's not nearly enough for this lowlife killer…"

"We do not kill people Huntress, no matter how evil they may be"

"He will get what is coming to him, baby"

"But he will still be alive and my parents still dead", she whispered.

"Yes, but he will live with that and all the countless lives he has taken for the rest of his godforsaken life. Believe me honey we all will make sure of it"

She looked up at them all and they nodded their agreement. She slowly lowered her bow.

Sick laughter filled her ears and she turned to see Mandragora with blood trickling down the side of his mouth, laughing hysterically.

"You should kill me little girl while you have the chance. Because I will be back to complete the circle of annihilating the Bertinelli's with the killing of the last surviving member"

Helena's eyes widened with dawning realisation and a sick dread entering her heart.

"Aaaaahhh she remembers…."

"My mother…."

"Yes, your beautiful mother Grace, who loved you more than life. She had found out about your father's double life and all that he had done. Disgusted with him she had planned to take you away from it all and give you a fresh new start with the money she had set aside for you. She hocked all the jewellery and gifts your father had given her during the course of their marriage and had enough to set you both up for life. She had secretly had new identities created for you both so your father could never find either of you."

"Oh my God", Helena's shattered gasp filled the air, Vic was by her side instantly wrapping his arms around her slender trembling frame. Offering the comfort she needed to hear the final piece of the puzzle, she leaned heavily on him and turned to the man who knew everything about her parent's deaths.

Everyone present felt her pain and wished that she did not have to find this out now. But they could not stop what Mandragora had started as she needed to hear the whole story. So they watched in sorrowful resignation as the rest of the gruesome history was revealed.

"She came to me for help which I freely gave, you see Helena I was in love with her. Still was as a matter of fact. We were young lovers and she was going to marry me, until your father came along. He wanted her and what Franco Bertinelli wanted…Franco Bertinelli got. Our being in love and being engaged meant nothing to him. I could not leave her though the urge to protect her stronger than ever, we could not be together but I could still watch over her and keep her safe. Swallowing my disgust and pride I asked Franco for a job. Knowing how much it would hurt both of us he agreed, and rubbed it in our faces every day of our lives. Taking sadistic satisfaction in kissing, stroking and grabbing Grace every time we were all in the same room. It was so painful to watch but what really stabbed me in the heart was the pained look of regret on her face when she looked at me. Grace cornered me one day when Franco was on a business trip begging me to leave and we could disappear so that Franco Bertinelli could never find us, we could be free. Grace and I had made our secret plans to escape when she found out she was pregnant with you and that changed everything….", he paused and looked at her painfully.

Helena had tears flowing down her face, silently nodding at him to continue.

"Grace still wanted to leave and we could raise you together claiming that you never know. I convinced her otherwise knowing we would never live to see you as Franco would ensure we were hunted down and assassinated. I managed to change her mind and we made a pact we would put up with everything Franco dished out to us. Whatever the pain, humiliation and ridicule we would bear it to protect you."

"Oh God…my Mom…"

"Over time things settled and we accepted the roles we had decided to play. Grace and I had become great friends again, knowing that any feelings of love and affection would put your life in danger. So we both buried them to ensure Franco could not use it as ammunition to blackmail either of us, using you as the bait."

"But you killed her, my father told me you were behind the wheel of the car that mowed her down"

"No, Helena the day your mother died was the day she had come to me begging for me to come with you both as she still loved me. The day she wanted us all to start a new life together full of love , life and laughter. The day we would be free. But we never got the chance. We were leaving my apartment to return to the mansion to pick you up and leave with no one the wiser. Unfortunately for us Franco had suspected something was up with Grace and had her followed by a private investigator that had discovered her plan, but not my part in it. Just my name being involved gave his jealously even more fuel for it's out of control fire."

"Franco took matters into his own hands and followed Grace to my apartment that day. When he saw us leaving together he thought we were running away. Grace was crossing the road to my car in our car park and I was locking my door when I heard the squeal of tires. I looked up and saw Franco gunning his motor and his focus was Grace. She was oblivious because she was talking excitedly on the phone to you telling you of the holiday we were about to leave on. I screamed her name and she turned to see Franco driving straight for her. She turned to run towards me arms outstretched as I was running for my life to save her. The collision of the vehicle and her body was the worst sound I have ever heard, but the sound of her body hitting the ground with bone crushing finality still haunts me every single day….", he sobbed painfully raising his hands to cover his face.

Helena was now openly sobbing on Vic's shoulder for the pain and suffering her mother and this man she had hated for all the wrong reasons had endured. The evil person he had been painted out to be was actually the person who had taken delight in using the brush to mar Steven's reputation. Her very own father.

Knowing that Helena and he needed closure on this, Steven took a deep breath to steady his nerves and continued, "Franco never stopped just kept going. I ran to Grace and her body was at a sickening angle and she was bleeding heavily. Knowing she did not have much time she called my name. I gently lifted her upper body to rest against me and laid her head on my chest. She looked up with tears in her eyes and told me she was sorry for everything she had put me through. I told her to save her strength that help was on the way. She laughed gently calling me a liar, she lifted a hand to stroke my face telling me she loved me and never stopped. Tears rolling down my face I kissed her fingers telling her I loved her too. She smiled gently and told me it seems we were never meant to be. I nodded and watched painfully as she coughed up blood unable to help her. She said that her only regret was not standing up to Franco all those years ago. But I silenced her and told her that it was all worth it because we had you. She closed her eyes in pain and then opened them with determination to make her final request of me…"

"Steven take care of our daughter, she may not be your blood but you have been more of a father than Franco Bertinelli ever was or will be. When you feel she is ready give her what we have and she can make her own mind up about that evil man. Promise me!"

"I promise my love", I whispered.

"I love you. Please tell my Helena I will always love her and will watch over her as best I can…", she coughed violently again. Then lying back in my arms with a final sigh, died in my arms.

Steven Mandragora the Mafia gangster whose reputation of cold hearted and calculated killer was openly sobbing before their very eyes. His wrenching sobs confirming the love he had for Grace Bertinelli. The tragic circumstances of the unrequited love between Helena's mother and him laid out before them all.

Helena pulled out of Vic's arms to slowly walk up to him and gently laid her hand on his shoulder.

"I am so sorry"

This made him cry even louder. Helena laid both hands on his shoulders in an effort to calm him.

"I forgive you"

He stopped crying and looked up at her, "Why?"

"Because I know now why you killed my fat….Franco Bertinelli and I forgive you"

"But I still killed him and the others, for that I must atone"

"I know but I will do my best to help you in any way I can"

"How?"

"He left me everything remember? His sole heir?"

His eyes widened, he knew exactly how much that was.

"You will have the best defence money can buy. Your time will be spent in the best correction facility they have and I will personally make sure you have every comfort they allow you."

"But why would you do that for me?"

"For Mom"

He closed his eyes in reverent acceptance, "For Grace", opening his eyes he silently thanked her.

"On one condition…."

He raised his eyebrow quizzically.

"I am allowed to visit you whenever I can?"

His answering smile was so happy, Helena could see why her mother had fallen for him.

"There is an envelope in my private safe for your eyes only Helena, from your mother and I"

Helena nodded gratefully she would obtain it when she was ready. As they took Steven and his men away she turned to face Vic and the Justice League members.

"Thank you all so very much", she said with grateful tears shining in her eyes.

"You are very welcome Helena", Superman told her.

"Yeah Hels, same goes for me too", Wally told her giving her a thumbs up.

"Dinah will be so happy to hear of this", Ollie said smiling at her.

"When you have taken care of things and you are ready we would like you to join the Justice League", Batman told her.

Her eyes widened, "Me?, but I thought I was too trigger happy and violent to join your motley crew"

"That was then and this is now, people can change", he said as all present nodded their approval.

She nodded, " I will consider it, thank you"

She turned to Vic who just grabbed her and kissed her over and over again mumbling words of love and promises to never leave her. From that moment on he made the most of every second when she would give him that look.

Steven Mandragora was sentenced to life imprisonment but Helena with the help of the Justice League had ensured that his days were spent in relative comfort and she visited him often. Relishing in hearing his stories about her mother when they were young and when she was young. It made Helena wish for the same connection and love she had for Vic to be reciprocated in the same way. Hence why she had set out on a campaign to make him see they belonged together. For life.

Tonight's disagreement though had started when Helena had casually asked him over dinner when he would grow some balls and allow them to move in together.

"Helena…."

"Come on babydoll, I will not wait forever you know"

"But we are happy with how we are now"

"No Vic, you are happy with how we are now. I'm definitely not!"

He had to think quickly knowing if he told her the real reason for his commitment issues she would kill him.

"Baby you would wield a power over me that means total domination and you would exert control over my free will. Imagine what you could do to me?"

Excellent reasoning, Vic!

"What?!", she yelled.

Uh oh

From that point on it got out of control, to where they now found themselves. He quickly caught up to her as she was reaching for the doorknob. Stopping her with a gentle hand on her arm, he turned her towards him to see the unshed tears in her eyes.

"You know what Vic, I am tired of beating my head against this brick wall. I am now giving you an ultimatum. You either commit to me heart and soul and we move in together, or we call it quits. I deserve to be happy and so do you. But I want us to be happy together and until you want the same thing I think we should not see each other. This will give you the time and space to make the right decision for you"

"Helena honey that's not what I want…"

"Then what do you want?"

"I….I….uh….", he sighed deeply and whispered, "don't know"

"Vic Sage you are a wonderful man and I only want to be with you. But if you decide we are not meant to be, then so be it. It will be very hard to get over you, but time heals all wounds so I'm told", she said with tears in her eyes.

Walking over to him she kissed his cheek and smiling sadly at him said, "I love you Babydoll and will respect your decision, whatever it may be"

Then Helena Bertinelli walked out of Vic Sage's life.

Vic wanted to run and drag her back, kissing her senseless and saying he was an idiot. But he knew that they would come to regret his decision. Helena deserved better than a spur of the moment decision to commit to her, so did he. So he had let her go.

That had been two weeks ago. Two weeks of pure hell. His paranoia had hit an all time high even to him. He had nightmares every night since, of watching her move on with someone else and having to endure her walking down the aisle and marrying the faceless person in his vision, with him silently screaming. He would wake up tangled in his sweat drenched sheets, heart racing and constricting with remembered pain.

Helena had gone to Dinah's as her apartment held too many reminders of Vic and their love. Her heart refused to give up on him though and she would pour all the love she had for him into Operation Sucker Punch in the hopes that the paranoid twit would finally accept their future together.

He had decided enough was enough. He would get his Helena back at the party tonight and give her his undivided attention for all the days of their lives. He realised that he may be paranoid when he was with her, but he was utterly miserable without her.

She was his and he was hers. Til death do them part…