Merry Christmas everyone! Hope you enjoy and all have a great holiday and New Year. I apologize for the shortness of this chapter, I've been busy with work and holiday stuff, but I will make it up to you with a nice long one once the holiday is over. Eat lots of cookies, and make snowmen:)

Helena swung her fencing sword up just in time as Christina made a swipe at her face. "You are getting much better at this." She said proudly.

"I'm gonna beat you one day." She promised. Her voice muffled through her fencing mask.

"Oh darling, I doubt that very much." Helena swung Christina off her feet, making sure her daughter landed softly on the couch before pulling her mask up and grinning. "At least not anytime soon."

"You know, some parents would let their children win." Christina pouted.

Helena pulled her mask off. "Would victory really be as sweet if you knew it was false?" She asked.

"YES!" Christina yelled with a defiant look on her face. Helena laughed lightly and kissed Christina's forehead. "Mom?" She asked looking down at her fidgety fingers.

"What is it darling?" Helena asked as she sat down next to Christina.

"How do you know if someone likes you?"

Helena smiled and wrapped her arm around Christina. "Someone in particular?" She asked. Christina nodded. "Well, does that someone have a name?"

"Owen." Christina whispered.

"Ah, and what is this Owen like?"

"He's funny, he makes jokes and stuff and everyone likes him." Christina answered, keeping her gaze down at her hands. Helena brushed her fingers through her hair softly.

"Well, are you two friends?"

"I dunno, not really but we sit near each other in class."

"Well, talk to him." Helena offered with a shrug.

Christina turned her head sharply and looked up at Helena. "About what?"

"Anything you like, just strike up a conversation and see where it goes. You're a lovely girl Christina and anyone would be lucky to be your friend."

"What if he doesn't like me back? Not like I like him."

Helena sighed and placed a light kiss to Christina's temple. "Well darling, that is always hard and it never quite gets easier. It's hard to know for sure, but sometimes you can just feel it in the way they smile at you or something. The important thing to know is that if he – or anyone else – doesn't like you for everything you are, then they are not worth wasting your time over." Helena turned Christina's face up towards hers. "Also darling, you're only eleven and despite your wonderful maturity, please be eleven for a while longer."

Christina grinned. "Relax Mom."

Helena laughed and hauled her up off the couch. "Homework then bed." She ordered. Her phone rang and she answered it with a smile as she saw the name pop up on the small screen. "Detective, has someone been murdered?"

"Get over to the address I just texted you Wells." Myka answered. Helena grinned and grabbed her coat.

"Christina! Make sure to finish your homework; Mother, I'm heading out."

Martha walked into the hallway with her face covered in a green facial mask. Her hands were held up in the air while her nail polish dried. Helena stifled a small laugh once she noticed that her toes were also drying, Martha shuffled over with a smile. "Darling, murder or do you have a date?"

Helena put her arms through her coat and flipped her hair out, placing the beanie Myka had given her on top of her head. "With any luck, both." She answered with a grin.

"I don't believe I raised you properly." Martha said with a raised eyebrow.

"No, I don't believe you did, somehow I turned out wonderfully anyway."

Martha glared and shuffled forward, placing a kiss on Helena's cheek. "Goodnight sweetheart."

Helena arrived at the crime scene a few minutes later. The apartment was in the upper west side and as Helena dipped under the crime scene tape she scanned the room for Myka. She saw neither the detective nor a dead body anywhere in sight. Curious, she caught Pete's eye and walked over to him. "You're gonna love this one HG." He said with a whistle. "What's that gunk on your face?"

Confused Helena held up her hand, and groaned when her fingers came back with green avocado facial mask. "My mother." She explained.

Pete frowned at her. "Your mom puts green gunk on your face?"

"It's a facial mask Pete, she kissed me goodbye with it on her face."

"Why would she put all that..."

"It's for your skin Pete, it's not that miraculous, we've got a dead body remember?" Myka said as she walked up behind the two of them. She nodded towards the living room and Helena and Pete followed her along. Myka turned around and caught her eye. Helena thought she saw a hint of a smile before she turned her gaze forward and went over with Claudia, Captain Neilsen and other local cops in front of a large safe built into the wall. Awkwardly, Helena fumbled a little with the beanie on her head, then moved along with Pete to get a closer look at the body.

A woman had been stuffed into the safe, her upper torso and arm hanging out. "Good lord." Helena exclaimed as she took in the sight in front of her. "How...she has to have broken bones right?" She asked as she and Pete studied the body.

"Most definitely." He said as he pushed her limp arm out of the way of her face.

"Are you two done?" Myka asked from behind them. Helena and Pete both turned around, wearing matching guilty faces. Myka gave them an amused look and lightly grabbed the crook of Helena's elbow and pulled her along. "Pete, take Claud and get the family's statements, we'll meet you back at the station in a bit." Myka released Helena's arm as soon as they stood up and the two of them headed out of the apartment.

"Who found her?" Helena asked.

"Her daughter, Anne." Myka answered. Helena watched as she gritted her teeth and refused to look over at Helena.

"And the wedding ring cut off her finger? Was anything else stolen?"

"Everything in the safe, it was mostly expensive jewelry. Worth a lot. There have been a string of robberies in that area, but this is the first murder."

"Escalation." Helena stated as they climbed into Myka's car. The other woman nodded and pulled out of the parking garage. "How old were you when you had your first crush?" Helena asked after a few minutes of silence. Myka looked over at her for a second, shock all over her face.

"What?"

"Christina has a crush on some boy named Owen. My baby. I feel old and nauseous."Helena said with a pout. Myka broke out into laughter as she pulled her car into the police station lot. It felt like several minutes before she finally spoke and Helena sat there glaring at her the whole time. "Are you done?" She asked with her arms crossed.

"I'm sorry, your face..." Myka broke out into laughter again and climbed out of the car. An angry Helena raced after her.

"My face what?" She spat.

Myka turned around and placed her hands on Helena's shoulders, holding her in place. "Helena, eleven year old girls get crushes, its the most normal thing in the world. Stop freaking out, you're far from old."

"You called me Helena."

Myka yanked her hands back and frowned. "Well, don't get used to it. Relax about your kid, come on, we've got a case to solve."

Helena grinned and skipped after Myka. "You called me Helena." She sang out happily. Myka shook her head and didn't turn around. Helena bent down and quickly packed some snow into a ball, then chucked it at Myka's back. The taller woman spun around in shock and glared at Helena. Before she had a chance to say anything, Helena shoved her freezing hands into her pockets and skipped past Myka. "Come along darling, we've a murder to solve."