A few minutes later, Barbara arrived from her work. It was really cold outside. She removed her hat and put it on a chair in the living room. She heard noises coming from the kitchen and she walked toward them, removing her coat.
"Hi, Alfred. How is everything?"
"Pretty good," the butler said.
The redhead checked her watch, almost two o'clock. She stood next to him, leaning over the stove. "Fish, mmmm this smells very good."
"Glad you approve. How is the weather?"
"Freezing! It's snowing now." The redhead gazed to her right. "Is that a hamburger?"
"Yes, Miss Helena loves them and she is not a fan of fish."
The redhead removed her coat and put her briefcase on the table. "How is she?"
"Well, she told me thirty minutes ago that she was going to escape, but I haven't heard her leave your room, so I suppose she is still there."
"Escape? That's funny, why escape?" Barbara took a glass and poured some water into it from a pitcher.
"Well, I think she still refuses to feel anything for anyone," Alfred explained. "She told me you are being nice such that the two of you can be friends again, but she is not going to fall for it. In other words, she is being annoyed and childish."
Barbara took a sip of water and remained silent, thinking a few seconds.
"Did she say I was being nice?"
"Well, her exact words were 'nastily nice'."
"Nastily nice?" Barbara laughed. "That's a good one."
"Yes. Granted, she was throwing a bit of a tantrum and it was sarcastic, but indeed she did state that you are being very nice to her and that she hates it."
"Hates that I am being nice?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"Yes." He smiled.
"That's the first time anyone has been angry because I'm nice."
"Well, it makes it rather difficult for her to hate you."
"And it pisses her off."
"Right."
The older woman shook her head. "I'm really sorry she is determined to hate me because she thinks I abandoned her."
"You were dealing with your own demons. It was hard to keep an eye on her then."
"I know, but she doesn't understand that." Barbara put her glass of water on the table and went toward her room, picking up her coat. "I'll check and see how my Tasmanian devil is doing."
"Excellent idea. I'm afraid she might be stuck in the window. She always uses windows to escape."
Barbara chuckled. She admired Alfred. She still didn't understand how he won the stubborn girl's trust.
She stood at her door and took the handle in her hands. She took a deep breath and opened the door.
She found Helena standing in the middle of the room between the bed and the window. Alfred was right, it seemed she liked to use windows to escape. It was really difficult not to laugh at the brunette. She was frozen in place and practically stiff as a statue with her arm and legs still bandaged. Maybe she should have warned the younger woman that when skin was regenerating, it became painful to move or have flexibility.
She lifted her eyebrow and walked inside the room. "Well, that looks like a well thought out and flawlessly executed plan of escape."
"I hate you," the brunette growled, glaring at the redhead.
Barbara walked toward her closet and hung her coat inside. "Should I come back in a few days when it's completed?"
"Shut up." Helena tried to move her leg but hurt as hell. "Help me here," she whined.
Barbara turned and rested her back on the closet, crossing her arms. "I should just leave you there."
"You are not funny."
"I'm not trying to be."
"I have been here for almost an hour! Help me, dammit!" If she could move, she'd have stomped her foot.
"Why are you standing? I told you to stay in bed."
"When the fuck have I ever listened to you?"
"Good point." Barbara sat on her bench to remove her high heels.
Helena observed her and became increasingly annoyed. "Aren't you going help me?"
"Oh," the redhead feigned surprise, "do you really want me to help you?"
"Don't be mean."
"You don't like to be touched."
"Help me!" Helena glared at her, before sighing, "Please."
Barbara stood at her side and moved her arm around the brunette's waist. She put Helena's good arm around her neck. "I hope you listen to me next time."
"Damn… it hurts…"
"I'll sit you at the sofa," Barbara moved her carefully to the couch, "and you can eat and rest your back, okay?"
"Did you cook?" Helena asked, not hiding her fear.
"You always are so nice to me." Barbara helped her to sit.
"Well, you don't know how to cook."
"And you don't know how to behave. Now, tell me why you were trying to run away?"
"I don't want help," she growled. "I don't need help."
Barbara cocked her head. "Really? Okay, but if I had left you there, anyone could have stumbled over you."
"Very funny." Helena flinched. Damn, she had an itch on her foot. Crap. Could the itch possibly find a worse moment??
"Something hurts?"
"No, I'm fine."
Barbara put her hand on her chin and looked at small dining table at the other side of the room. "So, do you want move the table in front of you or do you prefer that I help you do it?"
Helena sighed and glared at her, trying to scratch her foot on the floor. "No, I prefer that you do it."
Barbara shrugged her shoulders. "Okay, since you asked so nicely…. Alfred made a hamburger for you."
"Thanks." The young woman tried to bend her arm, but she couldn't reach her foot. Crap.
"What are you doing?"
Why was this happening this to her? Helena growled to herself. "My foot is itchy."
The redhead looked down at her feet. "Yes, itching is terrible. It usually happens when your burns heal."
Helena squeezed her eyes shut. Crap, she needed to scratch!!!
The redhead moved the table in front of the brunette, "Did I told you about the time when…?".
"Dammit, Barbara! Scratch my foot!" she said, angry with herself.
"You have really bad moods."
Helena let her head fall back. God had completely abandoned her. Why?
"Please, Barbara," she whined.
"All right," the redhead kneeled. "Which foot?"
"Left. I hate you."
"Happens," Barbara responded, amused. Helena was like a big child. "Why were you trying to escape?"
The brunette didn't answer, she just growled. Seemed she was really pissed off.
"All right." The redhead stood up. "I'll tell Alfred to bring your lunch here." She passed next to the brunette and rubbed her head. "Next time, ask for help when you try to run away."
Helena growled again. She turned her head away from her, glaring. Why the fuck did she touch her?
Barbara turned to see her and winked at her. "Don't be so grouchy."
---------
"Aren't you hungry?" Barbara asked, taking a piece of bread. "You haven't touched your hamburger."
Helena stared at her. She hadn't stopped talking the entire lunch time. She was really pissed. She'd tried to escape and she had just looked ridiculous in front of the redhead. She had told her she wanted leave. Worse, Barbara had caught her in the middle of "running away" and she still kept being nice.
"I thought you liked to eat," Barbara said. "What happened with you today?"
"I'm not hungry," Helena said, annoyed. Why did she talk so much? Did the woman never shut up?
"Okay." Barbara took her plate.
"What are you doing?" Helena asked, frowning.
"I'm starving." The redhead put the burger plate on her empty plate.
"That's my burger."
Barbara ignored her and bit into it. She licked her fingers.
"It's good." She put the burger on the plate and gave it back to her. "Tell me something, why were you trying to leave?"
The brunette didn't answer. She took her plate back and bit her burger. No way Barbara was going to get her burger again.
Barbara wiped her fingers with a napkin. "I mean, this place is not bad and you can't handle yourself alone for at least another week. Not because you are incompetent, but your injuries were really serious. How is your head?"
"Fine."
The redhead crossed her arms on the table. "I was worried about you."
Helena looked at her, not saying a word.
"When Batgirl brought you here, I was really worried, but, at the same time, I was so proud of you when I knew what you had done for those kids." Barbara smiled at her "It was marvelous, Helena, thanks so much."
The young woman didn't answer. She kept eating her burger.
"If you hadn't been there, I don't want to imagine what would have happened to those kids." Barbara moved back in her chair "Batgirl has been trying to find out who the man was that attacked you. She has a clue and is now following it. The kids are doing fine, if you are interested."
That caught the brunette's attention and the redhead noticed it.
"I was there today. Justin is doing well, he asked for you. He said he was scared, that he saw when the man hit you and, later, when a part of the ceiling fell on you. He thought you were dead." Barbara looked inside her pants pocket. She took out a note and extended it to her. "He sent this to you."
Helena looked at the note.
"Come on, it's yours." Barbara smiled at her.
The young woman took it and opened it. It was a drawing of a heart and an "I love you Helena" in really bad handwriting.
The redhead noticed her reaction. Helena flinched almost imperceptibly, but she noticed it.
"He asked me to tell him how to write that for you," she said. "He also asked me when you will be better because he wants visit you."
Helena fixed her eyes on her. "He is hurt."
"Yes, but he is healing."
Helena lowered her eyes to the note. "He is hurt and thinks of me."
"I guess it's because you annoy him and he loves to do the same to you.
The brunette didn't answer, she just looked at the note in silence.
"It will take to him longer than you to heal, he is not meta. But he is doing fine, Helena," Barbara explained.
The younger woman turned her head to the window to her right. It was snowing. She remembered how much she liked this season of the year. She used to have snowball fights and build snowmen.
"I told him you would come see him when you feel better and you can move," Barbara said softly.
Helena nodded, not looking her.
"It will make him very happy." The redhead knew her mind was in another time. She noticed it in the sadness she could see reflected in her eyes.
She put her napkin to the side and stood next to the brunette, lifting her hand to touch her.
The brunette glared at her and jerked her head away.
"Would you relax?" Barbara said.
"What are you doing?"
"Let me see how this is healing." She pointed at the wound on her temple.
Helena moved her head back a bit when Barbara leaned over her and probed the wound on her temple with her fingers. It was amazing. It had closed and was just a bit bruised around the injury.
Helena remained still. Barbara's fingers felt good as they gently touched her head.
"And the other kids are fine?"
"Yes," Barbara said softly, "maybe when you feel better, you can help me with the project of building them a new home."
The redhead's fingers were so nice. They were soft and every time she moved them, it was like a caress. She closed her eyes and let the older woman work on her.
"Yeah," Helena agreed.
"I already bought some land close to the hills. They could have a big garden." Barbara felt the brunette relax under her touch. She smiled. "This looks great, Hel," Barbara whispered. "You are doing great."
The redhead's fingers moved so smoothly on her head. Helena closed her eyes, listening to her voice. It was almost hypnotic. Her voice made Helena remember when they were close, when Barbara comforted her.
"Does it hurt?" the redhead asked, putting gentle pressure on her head near the wound.
The girl shook her head, opening her eyes.
"Look," Barbara looked at her. "I need to take an x-ray of your head, it won't hurt. I already did one when you were unconscious, but I want do another one just to be sure you are okay." She patted her shoulder, "Be right back in a moment."
Helena watched her go, silently.
She felt numb.
She wished she could feel Barbara caressing her head a bit more.
Helena tried to sleep, but she couldn't. She turned her head to the other side of the bed, Barbara wasn't there. Alfred said she was working at the Foundation. She really worked hard, she had seen her in afternoon checking papers there, making phone calls… She had many things to do, but Barbara always made sure not to leave her alone too long, knowing she couldn't do many things alone.
It was nice having someone take care of her. The last person that had taken care of her was her mother. Barbara took care of her of her burns and dressed them with a tenderness that she hadn't felt in years.
She realized how much she missed being loved.
But love was pain.
And she didn't want to feel that pain again.
She looked again to Barbara's side of her bed.
Barbara was gentle every time she was with her.
And she liked it.
She was becoming pissed with herself, she was being very stupid. This was not what she had planned. She was beginning to feel affection for the older woman and that was exactly what she had been avoiding for long years, rather successfully.
Until now.
Barbara made her feel loved.
She hadn't felt loved in a long time. And the truth was that thinking about it scared her. She didn't want to be hurt, she didn't want feel the pain of being left alone again.
But she wanted feel loved again, she wanted to be close to someone again.
She was so stupid.
The door opened slowly, she closed her eyes, pretending to sleep. The redhead stopped at her side of the bed and checked her. Thinking she was asleep, she gently covered her with the blankets and went toward her closet. Helena opened her eyes, she could see perfectly well at darkness and noticed she was changing her clothes.
She removed her blouse and rubbed the back of her head. She looked so tired and the truth was that she was always on the move. Barbara then went toward her shower.
Helena could see her reflection in the mirror. Her silhouette was blurred behind the shower glass, but her eyes were glued to her.
Barbara was sophisticated, elegant, refined and, at the same time, she was strong and determined. She liked her style. She remembered the times she had seen her at the office. Barbara was very feminine, but it didn't stop her from riding a bike or helping with hard work. She had seen her cleaning and painting when they had been doing community service. She didn't hid from work, she looked for it.
She was different from any person she had ever known.
In some way, she admired her dedication and devotion for helping others.
Barbara walked outside the bathroom. She held her breath. She was nude, just holding a towel in front of her. She felt butterflies in her stomach. Barbara was breathtaking, she had really strong muscles and a wonderful body. Barbara always ate healthy food and she followed her routine in the gym every day. She never changed it. Maybe she could move her schedule around so she could be in the redhead's gym at the same time. The redhead turned her back to her and sat on her bench, drying her hair with the towel. Crap, she was beautiful.
What did she see in that moron, Wade? He was too dumb for her. She needed someone more handsome, stronger, with a better personality, almost as strong as hers. She was definitely wasting her time with him, when would she realize it?
Barbara changed to a thin t-shirt and just her underwear and turned to the bed. Helena closed her eyes, immediately. She didn't want be caught looking her.
She felt the other woman's weight on the bed and, a second later, Barbara was moving close to her.
The redhead's soft lips brushed her temple. It was so tender that it made her shiver involuntarily and gasp. She kept her eyes closed, hoping the redhead wouldn't notice she was awake.
"I love you, Helena," Barbara said softly. She had felt the girl trembling lightly under her touch and was surprised. She didn't reject her this time.
Helena knew she had been caught. Crap. She opened her eyes and found Barbara resting on her side, looking at her from the pillow next to her.
Why was she doing this to her?
"I hope you can forgive me one day," the redhead whispered, looking at her. "I never wanted to hurt you."
The brunette exhaled. "Why do you care so much?" she whispered. Barbara never had stopped trying to be close to her since she came back from her recovery. She had been pushing and pushing, anyone else would have quit after her first tantrum. Helena had been avoiding her, and yet Barbara always found a way to locate her.
"Because you are family. You and your mom were family to me."
The brunette could see her eyes clearly. She looked at her so openly.
"And you never quit on your family," the redhead said. "You know?"
"You quit before," Helena complained.
"I never did."
"You did, you left me." Helena said painfully, turning her head to the ceiling.
"It was not because I wanted to do it," the woman whispered sadly. "I hope you understand some day that it was not the best moment of my life."
The brunette suddenly felt guilty, maybe she had been too hard on her. She was so confused.
"I wish I could turn back time," Barbara said, "but I can't. Maybe you will never forgive me, but anytime you need me, I'll be here."
She took a deep breath and turned to her other side. A deep silence filled the place.
"When you feel better, you can leave any time you want," Barbara said after long seconds. "And if you want to quit the job at the foundation, I understand."
The brunette didn't answer. She was letting her go, she was telling her she could leave. Barbara was quitting on her. After so many long years, she was quitting and it made the brunette sad. She couldn't understand it.
She could still feel her lips brushing her skin. She wanted to hate her, but she couldn't. The brunette closed her eyes, she could feel her warm body, smell her, hear her soft breathing.
A relaxed breathing. The rhythm was soft and steady.
Being so close to the other woman made her feel nervous. She couldn't understand why, but she felt so nervous. Maybe it was her strong personality; it frequently made her feel like a stupid kid.
It pissed her off. Many things about Barbara pissed her off, but, at the same time, Helena found that she didn't want to go. She liked being close to the redhead. It was a weird feeling…
The next day Helena's mood had changed significantly. It seemed something made her forget her resentment. They had breakfast together. Barbara had laughed a lot, Helena was a funny girl. When she was in good mood, she was really nice to be around. She was smart and could talk for hours. She had just finished high school a couple years prior, but her mother's influence was strong, she had read quite a bit and knew a lot about many different topics.
Barbara went to work and returned to have lunch with the brunette. The next two days were very nice days, as both enjoyed their time together, sharing ideas and projects.
Helena was enthusiastic about the new orphanage.
Barbara was thrilled that she'd managed to win the brunette's trust.
Helena felt like she had a home, a family, and she had wanted that for years. Barbara was as like a mentor, she taught her many things during their talks, she always listened to her, and paid attention to her ideas.
She was the first person that listened to her ideas and gave them a value. Her father never had done it. Barbara spoiled her, too. She liked it when she checked her bandages, Barbara talked to her with such tenderness and love that she forgot all the bad years, all her tears and bad moments.
When she massaged her skin, the rest of the world didn't exist.
Her hands were so soft.
"I'm glad you are healing well," Barbara said patting her leg. She turned, her bright green eyes fixed on the brunette. "I see you can walk now."
"Yes, it doesn't hurt and my skin is not so stiff."
"Yes, your cells are regenerating very quickly." She moved her fingers over Helena's shin, observing her reaction under her touch.
"It doesn't hurt and doesn't itch."
"Yes," Barbara stood up, "You will be perfectly well tomorrow."
Helena stood up from the couch in the living room.
"How does it feel to be independent again?" Barbara crossed her arms and smiled at her.
"Terrific." Helena stretched and bent her arm.
"I'm glad for you."
The brunette looked at her in silence. She really had been so nice with her. "Thanks, Barbara."
"It's a pleasure, Hel, anytime."
"I mean it, Barbara. Thanks." The brunette moved toward her and hugged her.
The redhead returned the embrace, happy that they had moved past their differences, finally. Helena closed her eyes and buried her nose in the redhead's neck. It felt so good to be in her arms, she felt so good. She loved her so much.
"Hello, love."
The brunette snapped her eyes open. Barbara moved back lightly and smiled at Wade.
"Wade… Hey," she greeted.
Helena moved to the side and glared at him. What was he doing here?
Damn. Stupid question. He was Barbara's boyfriend.
"I'm sorry I'm late, but I was working with some kids." He walked toward her and she wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him.
The brunette turned her head to the other side and chewed her lip.
"Hey Helena , how do you feel?" Wade asked, smiling at her.
"Better," she responded, waving her hands toward the bedroom. "I was… I was going… to rest a bit."
"I'm glad you are doing well. I was feeling jealous, Barbara been paying a lot of attention to you and forgot me."
The redhead hit his arm playfully.
Helena forced a small smile and walked toward the bedroom. What a moron.
She sat on the couch and surfed the channels. All the programs were boring or stupid. Crap television. She often gazed toward the closed door and checked her watch. Barbara had spent more then two hours with him.
Now it was almost nine and she was hungry and he still was there. Why didn't he go away? Did he not notice that Barbara was busy?
She grumbled and snuggled deep into the couch.
After a few seconds, she heard the door opening, her heart jumped and she sat up straight.
"Evening, Miss Helena."
Alfred. Shit. She buried herself into the couch again.
He walked inside the room with a tray in his hands, "I thought you might like some dinner."
"I'm not hungry," she grumbled.
"No? Now, that is serious."
She gazed at him in an unfriendly way.
"Well," he put the tray on the table and walked toward the door, "that is a shame. Miss Barbara said she wanted to have dinner with you."
She straightened. "She said that?"
"Yes, she is saying goodbye to Master Wade, now." He walked toward the door.
"Master?" she smirked "He is a moron."
"Miss Barbara loves him."
"I don't think so."
"No?" he asked curiously. "Why not?"
"You can see it in her eyes. She is not in love. He is nothing next to her."
"Don't you think that is a rude description of him? He has been very nice to her."
"I also know because she never says his name when she is sleeping."
"Oh." He smiled. "People in love must do that?"
"Yep."
"I see…"
"He is a loser, Alfred." She pointed her finger at him.
He lifted his eyebrow.
"That is a fair description. Loser."
"I don't think so," he chuckled, walking outside the room. "He got her."
Helena felt her anger growing. He never pissed her off, but this time he had managed to do it.
TBC
