Barbara finally returned to New Gotham. It had been two years since the shooting. Bruce had invited her to dinner that same day. Helena was both excited and angry; angry because she had lost contact with Barbara six months ago. Helena had stopped calling her often, and when she did call her, she wasn't at home and didn't answer the phone.
Resting on a single couch with her feet on the window sill, she stared at the back yard as she took a long draw of her cigarette. She exhaled the smoke, making small circles on the air.
On one hand, she wanted to jump out and wait for her at the main door, but, on the other hand, she was deeply hurt. Barbara had forgotten her. She had forgotten her.
Knocks on her door distracted her from her inner thoughts. She quickly put out the cigarette on an astray under the couch and waved the air with her hand.
"Come in," she said.
The door opened and Alfred appeared. "Miss Barbara is just arriving."
"I'll be there in a few. Thanks," she said, still staring at the garden.
"I suggest you brush your teeth, use some mouthwash, and apply some lotion. Cigarette smoke is easily perceptible," he offered, closing the door behind him.
She glared at him, but he was right. She made a stop in the bathroom before going downstairs.
She stopped at the top of the big stair case and checked her clothes. She began to descend the stairs and could easily see the main room. She first noticed Barbara's feet. Slowly, her whole figure appeared; Barbara looked amazing in a tight dark green dress. Her laugh was like sunshine. She was more stunning than she remembered her. Helena smiled, remembering how sweet she was with her, how much time they shared with her mom.
Her smile faded away when she noticed Barbara was with Dick and, worse, her hand was holding Dick's.
She was going turn around and return to her room when Barbara noticed her.
"Helena!" Barbara said, with a wonderful smile; she left Dick alone and walked toward her.
Helena froze in place, not knowing what to do, Barbara was stunning, she really looked great. She had wanted her see her for so long and now she was there. It was so odd.
The redhead stood at the bottom of the stairway and extended her hands to her.
"Come here! Oh my God! You are so beautiful!"
Helena hesitated, feeling many emotions flowing inside her. She felt betrayed, she had not being calling her often, but Helena had missed her so much and wanted to hug her. She didn't want show her feelings to the redhead, she didn't want to be hurt again. She couldn't step back, so she returned the smile and walked down the stairs, trying to be casual.
Barbara hugged her before she get to her level. The woman practically she lifted her of the stairs.
"I'm so happy to see you!" The redhead gave her a kiss on her cheek. She moved back grabbing her arms with her hands "Look at you! You are a gorgeous young lady now! You are so much like your mom."
The girl blushed. "Thanks… You look great too." Helena fixed her blue eyes on the redhead. She was more beautiful than she remembered. She had missed her smile and her spontaneous reactions, like now. When she was a child, Barbara used to hug her and lift her off the floor spinning her around. She looked her up and down.
"You are walking again," Helena mumbled. She knew she had a hard time walking again, it took her a lot rehabilitation. Alfred had told her. The times she talked with her, Barbara avoided talking about her rehab with her. It seemed she didn't want share that with her.
Barbara moved back and spun around once. "Yes, look at me! I can stand on one foot, too."
Helena couldn't help herself. She extended her hand and touched the woman's hair. She was there, she was not dreaming. "You are just like I remembered you."
"I'm getting old," Barbara laughed, "but you, you are turning into a beautiful woman. Your mom would be proud of you." Barbara fixed her green pupils on her.
Helena was melting, she wanted to wrap her arms around the redhead and cry, tell her she had missed her so much all those long months, that Barbara had hurt her so much, that she had needed her. She wanted to ask her why she had abandoned her, why she had stopped her frequent calls.
"Hey, Helena." Dick's voice interrupted them. He hugged Barbara by the waist and smiled at the brunette. "How are you?"
Blue eyes were glued on his hands around the redhead. "Fine, I'm fine… and I can see you two are doing great."
"Fantastic." He grinned and gave Barbara a fast kiss on her lips. "We have been together almost a year and I can tell you she is the most fantastic woman in the world."
Another secret Barbara hid from her. She stared at the redhead with a cold gaze. "I see."
"I didn't think it would work." Barbara smiled touching his chin. "But he has been marvelous and supportive."
"Come on," Dick said, "we will have dinner in a few, but we can talk. Barbara's dad is here, too." He turned, holding Barbara's hand, and moved toward the dining room.
Helena really wanted to kick his ass… and Barbara's too. Suddenly, she noticed Barbara released his hand and walked back to her. She came closer, so damn close. She could feel the fine hairs of her cheek touching her own and could smell her perfume. The brunette felt a chill, feeling her so close.
"Next time, wash your hair after you smoke," Barbara whispered in her ear, "the cigarette smell will piss off Bruce."
She turned, winking at her. Helena watched her go, hating Dick and not knowing what she was feeling for Barbara. Blame because she hadn't gave her more time or happiness because she was back and she was walking again.
The evening was pleasant, Barbara had just arrived in New Gotham after two long years and there she was with her dad- Commissioner Gordon- Bruce, and the moron - Dick.
Dick seemed to be plastered to her, he didn't leave her alone for an instant. She wondered what Barbara saw in him. He was handsome, fun, but he seemed to be a kid compared to the redhead. She looked smarter and her comments were more mature. Probably from the experience she had just lived through.
Watching her laugh, she understood why Barbara had stopped calling her often. She had started to live again and she…she still was in her grief, was still filled with pain, anger, looking for the revenge on the unknown man that had killed her mother.
Barbara had moved on. She was living a new life and Helena was not in her plans.
She was on her own now. It was good.
She would never move on. She would find him, kill him, and make the murderer pay. It was just a matter of time.
After the dinner, they sat in the living room, talking. Helena excused herself, saying that she had a party with friends and that she would be back late. She gave Barbara a quick look, she was sitting with the moron, smiling. Helena was living her own life now. As she walked toward the stairs, she could feel the weight of Barbara's gaze on her. She didn't say another word and walked upstairs.
As soon as she was in her room, she closed the door resting her back on it. She'd always had hope that Barbara would join her life again, rescue her from the nightmare, but it had all been a dream. Barbara was living her own life now, and was so happy. She couldn't hide the happiness in her life.
And her, all she felt was darkness. She didn't have any reason to smile, to have hope. She was totally alone now.
She felt that damn pressure in her chest, but she was not going to cry. She was not going to cry for anyone anymore. She was tired of that.
No one had cried for her, no one had cared for her.
She changed her clothes and jumped outside the window. It was time to visit her only friend. The night.
Helena seemed to be so distant, so closed off. She was not the same bright girl that Barbara had left two years ago. She didn't expect her to be this way. She knew it had not being easy, but she had hoped that living with her father would help her to feel like she still had a family.
"Helena has grown up so much," she said to Bruce, drinking a glass of tonic next to the bar.
"Yes, she has, and she is so much like her mom….in all senses."
Barbara rested her elbows on the table bar. "Will she attend university?"
"I don't think so, she says she doesn't want go to school. She loves parties, she spends almost every nights partying, having fun… spending money."
Barbara frowned and looked at him. "And that is good?"
The tall man sighed and poured scotch in his glass. "I have been working so hard to get her to accept me and I spend a lot of time out of the house, I can't give her enough time."
"So you are giving her free rein in everything else? Spending money? Cars? Parties?"
"Yes."
The redhead shook her head, that didn't sound good. "And it has worked?"
"We don't fight as much as in the beginning."
"I think you are spoiling her and that's not good. Her mom wanted her to get an education."
"Her mother is not here, Barbara, and I'm doing the best I can. She was expelled from the last school and we talked. We chose to leave her free to think and decide what she wants to do."
"I'm not sure that is the best idea."
"Give her time, Barbara, at least she is living now," Bruce explained, looking at her sadly. "The first year was a hell for us."
"I hope you have made the right decision."
"Me too, me too…" he responded, walking to the living room.
"This pate is finished," Dick said. "I'll bring more."
"No," Barbara stopped him. "Let me."
"You sure?"
"Yes. Alfred is busy now," she answered, smiling.
The redhead went to the kitchen and stood at the counter, tapping her fingers on the border.
"I'm so glad you are back, Miss Barbara," Alfred greeted, walking inside the kitchen. "The bread is in front of you."
She crossed her arms over her chest. "You know I didn't come here looking for food."
"Yes, I know." He smiled at her.
"What's going on with Helena? She is so cold, so distant."
"Well, she is not doing well. She has become rebellious, angry – basically, a real troublemaker."
"Why? What happened?"
He sighed and looked at her, sadly. "She blames him for not taking revenge on her mother's killer. She spent almost the entire first year closed in her room, not talking to anyone. Just you. You were the only person to whom she'd open up."
"We haven't talked much in the last year. I was so focused on walking, I put all my attention on that."
"And Master Dick." He chuckled.
"Well, he supported me a lot, but we are talking about her."
"She abandoned school, she spend almost every night at parties, at bars, she was arrested a couple of times for her behavior and once for driving too fast."
Now she began to worry more. "Bruce didn't tell me any of that."
"It's hard for him to be a father; he doesn't know how to handle her. She is very difficult."
The young woman played with her tongue inside her cheek.
"Have you talked with her?"
"I know about her frustrations and anger because she has told me. She feels very alone. She needs a good friend. I'm glad you are back. You will help her a lot. I'm sure Master Bruce will explain everything when you two are alone."
"Barbara, come here!" They heard Dick's shout from the living room. "I miss you."
The redhead exhaled. "I'm worried about her, Alfred. I hope I can talk with her later."
"You will, you will."
She stared at the bars in front of her. This time, it definitely hadn't been her fault. She sighed and leaned back on the bench she was lying on and closed her eyes. Well, anything was good for rest, she was tired. She had been in another good fight. She felt the adrenaline running through her veins, it was so exciting. She could beat seven guys, easily. Now she understood why her father liked being a crime fighter so much.
The bad thing was that she miscalculated the police arriving and they caught her.
After a few seconds, she opened her eyes, feeling that someone was watching her. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. She used her elbows to lift herself.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, not hiding her disgust. What was she doing there?
"A little bird called me," Barbara Gordon said, standing in front of the bars with her arms crossed over her chest, glaring at the girl.
"My dad called you, no?" She rested her head on the bench again.
"That's her?" the officer asked Barbara.
"Yes, we are leaving." The redhead looked at the girl. "Let's go, Helena, it's late."
The police opened the cell. "All right," he said, "move, young lady."
"Just for the record," Helena said, standing up, "I didn't ask you come here and bail me out."
"Noted." Barbara signed some papers the officer gave her.
"I can smell you from here. What the hell did you drink?"
"Tequila, whisky, tequila and… ah! Whisky."
"That is not funny, Helena. If I were to light a match right now, you would explode. Not to mention the fact that you are under age."
"My dad called you, no?" The brunette walked out of the cell, feeling thoroughly pissed off.
"No one asked me to do it."
"I guess it was on the news that I was here, then." Helena grinned.
"No, but it will be." Barbara followed her. "In this city gossip travels fast. My dad called me. It seems you are a frequent client here. What did you do now?"
"I didn't do anything."
"Since I've known you, you always say that."
Helena put on her leather jacket. She was not in the mood for lectures. "I don't need a babysitter anymore, if you hadn't noticed."
"Doesn't looks like that from here." Barbara walked toward the exit.
Helena glared at her.
The redhead was blinded when a rain of flashes surrounded them, as soon as they stepped outside the police station.
"What the…?" she growled.
"Popularity thing," Helena explained, looking around. "Where is the limo?"
"No limo, a bike," Barbara responded, pointing to her left. "There."
A beautiful, incredible black bike was parked a few steps from them. "WOW. That is cool."
Barbara moved between the photographers and gave Helena a helmet that was on the bike. "Why are these people following you?"
"Newspaper editors say I am great news.. The daughter of the millionaire Bruce Wayne, again in jail." Helena adjusted the helmet on her head.
"Seems we can't keep this a secret, then." The redhead climbed on the bike.
"I didn't know you could drive a bike." Helena waved at the photographers with a smile.
"You didn't ask me. Let's go. This is really annoying."
Helena jumped on the back of the bike. They disappeared on the New Gotham streets. The redhead really was a crazy woman driving that thing. Helena had to wrap her hands hard around her waist. She still couldn't understand why Barbara had come to take her out of the police station. Maybe she wanted to be friendly. Sure, she had forgotten her for months and now she wanted to be friendly. She was not a toy.
As soon as they arrived at the manor, Helena jumped off the bike and removed her helmet.
"Well, this was a nice ride," she said, giving Barbara the helmet. "Thanks, but I didn't need your help."
"So I noticed," Barbara said. "You had everything under control. What mess were you involved in, now?"
"Interested?" Helena sighed and put her hands on her waist.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I don't think people get thrown be in jail for being nice." The redhead lifted her leg and rested it on the bike seat "So, I'm curious to know what you did. My dad said it's the third time you've visited the police station."
"I like the place."
"And trouble, too."
Helena sighed, annoyed "You don't know me, so you better keep your comments to yourself."
"I know you," Barbara said.
"You knew me, past tense. Now, good night. I'm tired and I have things to do tomorrow."
"I would like to talk with you." Barbara moved off the bike.
"But I don't want to talk to you."
"What happened?" Barbara was pissed with her answer. The girl didn't seem to care about what she was doing. "A guy accused you of breaking his nose."
The brunette lowered her head and looked at the redhead through her messy bangs. "Shame… I thought I broke his arm, too."
"What happened?" the redhead insisted.
"We were playing a card game, he cheated. I hit him, he tried to hit me; I broke his nose with my fist, he returned to try to hit me with a chair. I ducked, he hit another big man, he was annoyed, he joined our fight and later another guy and another and another. That's all."
"Helena!" Barbara waved her hand in exasperation, "You can't fight like a street guy. That is not right."
"I'm a street girl, if you didn't know." She cocked her head, thoughtfully. "You actually don't know. You don't know anything about me and I don't know anything about you."
Barbara exhaled loudly. "Helena, we are friends, what is going on with you?"
"We were friends," the brunette growled. "Now, who asked you to bail me out?"
"That's not the point. The point is that you are acting irresponsibly." Barbara kept to herself that it had been Alfred. The girl had become uncontrollable and he thought she might listen to Barbara, but it seemed things would not be so easy.
"And what do you think daughters of millionaires do?" Helena put her hands on her hips. "I'm just doing my job as Bruce Wayne's daughter."
"Your mother would be disappointed if she saw you now."
This made the young girl explode. She pointed at the woman with her index finger.
"Don't talk about her! You don't have any right!"
"Helena, what is going on with you?"
"Fuck you!!" The brunette turned and walked inside the manor furiously.
Barbara was disconcerted. She didn't recognize the Helena Kyle that she knew two years ago. This young woman was cynical, cold and aggressive. She shook her head and climbed on her bike. Maybe it was best was to talk with her when she was sober.
Now, that was a serious hangover. Crap. It may have been in over her head when she entered that tequila drinking tournament, "Iron Men."
Well, at least she showed all those people that she was the best at drinking tequila. It had been a great tournament. She had beat twenty five guys and ten girls. She had won.
Yes, she had won a thousand dollars and a great hangover.
Helena was lying on a poolside chair with her eyes covered with dark lenses, to avoid the brightness of the sun. She extended her hand and took the beer glass from the table next to her.
She drank it and felt her body returning to life. That was wonderful.
Maybe she could be drunk all day to avoid hangovers.
Luckily, she hadn't seen Bruce when she arrived at six in the morning that day. She was not in the mood to hear another of his lectures.
She loved to make him angry or disgusted with her all night parties and troubles. She didn't want anything from him or his money. She had been doing everything possible to piss him off to show him her disgust because he would kill her mother's murderer.
She was just waiting to be old enough to rent her own place and live her life as she wanted… and to look for her revenge.
But, maybe, she could moderate her parties a bit. It was not nice to have hangovers like this one. She sometimes crossed the line in testing her own limitations. Being meta helped her to not get drunk easily, but after three bottles, anyone would be.
She drank a bit more of her cool beer. It was heaven. God bless the man that had created the beer.
"Good party?" a voice distracted her from her thoughts.
She recognized it immediately.
Barbara.
She exhaled. What the hell was she doing here? She was not in the mood for whatever she was here for and she didn't want see to her. It still hurt to know that she had forgotten her so easily the last few months, knowing she was broken and alone.
"Excellent party," she said coldly.
"I'm glad you didn't hit anyone this time."
"How do you know I didn't?" the brunette asked, cynically.
"You weren't on the news today." Barbara grinned.
"Good point," Helena lowered her dark lenses a few inches and eyed the redhead. She was wearing a jacket and tight black pants with boots. It was a nice outfit. It seemed Barbara liked the rebel style. "Still riding that bike?"
"I like it." Barbara looked at the pool. It was a sunny day, only Helena could be in the sun after a night full of alcohol.
"You will break all your bones someday," she said, pushing her sunglasses up again and closing her eyes.
"I don't think so. May I sit?"
"I would say no, but you never listen."
"I'll take that as a yes." Barbara sat on a chair next to Helena's.
"How do you get into bars?"
"Weren't you once young?"
"Yes."
"Doesn't look like it. If you were, you would know about fake ID's. What do you want?" Helena asked, sipping her beer and knowing she was not here just to chat.
"You have been ignoring my calls for the last two weeks. Why?"
"I thought you would get the message."
"What message?"
"That I don't want to talk to you."
Barbara leaned on her chair, looking at her. "Why not?"
"Why would I?" Helena asked, lifting an eyebrow.
Seemed things would not be as easy as she thought. Helena was so hardheaded.
"Why don't you want to talk to me?" she asked.
"We haven't talked in a long time," the brunette put her beer on the table. "Why the interest now?"
"I don't want you to be hurt," Barbara said.
Helena looked at the pool. Sure, now she had interest in her, now she cared about her. She had probably talked to her father and he had begged her to help him. This trick was not going to work with her. She'd had enough of all this shit.
"You are seriously playing the role of the millionaire's daughter, right?" the redhead asked, crossing her leg.
"Public figure, it's called."
"All right, 'public figure'. You are a very intelligent girl. You know this is not right."
"Do you recall that I didn't want to pick up your calls?" Helena said, finishing her beer and taking another can from the cooler. "It's because I'm not interested in your advice."
"Helena," Barbara leaned toward her, "let me help."
"I didn't ask for your help."
"Why are you so closed off?"
"I'm fine, I'm having fun," Helena rolled her eyes. "I'm enjoying my life. What's the problem with that?"
"You are meta, you can hurt someone," Barbara said. "You need to learn to control your skills!"
"I handle my skills pretty well." The brunette winced, opening the can of beer. "Could you please not yell?"
"Helena, don't act like a child."
"If you'll excuse me, I would really love to be alone."
The redhead observed the girl. It would be hard, really hard, to make her stop her crazy way of living. She was frustrated. What happened to that sweet girl she knew? It seemed the last two years had been rough on her, much rougher that she imagined. If she hadn't been in recovery, maybe she could have helped her before. "Why Helena?" she asked, suddenly.
"Why what?"
"Why are you doing this to yourself? To Bruce?"
"Mind your own business." Helena growled. "Keep your nose out of mine."
"You were not like this."
"You said it. I wasn't like this. Start knowing the new me."
"All right. I hope you will think about this." She put her card on the table "Call me, if you need anything."
"Sure." The brunette closed her eyes.
Barbara stood up, taking the beer from Helena's hand. She was too young to be drinking like this. "I hope to see you soon."
"Hey!" The brunette sat up angrily and watched the redhead walk away, drinking her beer.
"I'll always be here for you, when you want talk," the redhead said, not turning her head and lifting the hand with the can. "Thanks for the beer."
Helena growled and looked inside the cooler. Crap. She had taken the last beer. She stared at the redhead, who disappeared behind the big doors.
The redhead closed the door behind her and walked inside the hall. Helena was really hardheaded. She picked up her helmet that was on a table.
"Bad luck?" Alfred asked, descending the stair way.
"She is really difficult and cynical," she said, giving him the can of beer.
"Do you drink?" he asked, surprised.
"I just started today. She is very difficult."
"I warned you." He walked toward her.
"Yes, I thought she would listen to me, but I was wrong." Barbara crossed her arms, thinking. She couldn't forget the image of Helena as sweet, loving child, "What happened to her?"
"Anger, pain…" he explained. "I think the loss her mother affected her too much. Master Bruce tried everything, but she closed all her doors to him. He gave her everything, he thought that she would understand that he loved her, but she… she is so lost in her own world. She is just living a crazy life to forget all her pain."
Barbara rubbed her temples. "I'm feeling guilty, Alfred, I should have been with her," she said biting her lower lip. "I could have helped her."
"You were recovering, Miss Barbara, you couldn't do very much."
"I know, but…" she turned to look to the pool where the brunette was swimming, "I feel I could have done something else. Dick told me she was difficult, that they argued a lot, but I thought he was exaggerating. She is so hurt."
"What are you going to do?"
"Keep trying, Alfred."
TBC
