Part 9
*****
Once she was alone Barbara finally let the tears that she had held back as Dinah looked at her spill. At first, the surprise had almost caused her to lose control, however, as she listened to Dinah tell her story; she slowly recovered enough to be able to listen objectively to what she was saying. It was painful; it was all so overwhelming and disconcerting. She wasn't sure what to feel or think.
The image that Dinah gave of Helena was nothing like anything she could picture of Helena, the Helena she knew and loved. At the same time, a part of her recognized that Helena. In the bottom of her soul, something echoed in its depths, a memory, a question that had chased her for years. She wasn't sure, but she felt that the answer was before her eyes and she wasn't at all convinced if it was something she wanted to know or something that she never forethought.
Helena it's living in San Francisco, a renowned artist, content, a normal young woman. She hadn't asked Dinah if Helena continued to be a vigilante in some form, but from everything the blonde said, she never, not once mention it if Helena still did it or not. However, her intuition said no. She knew the bots she had placed at the different news agencies and databases for the FBI, CIA and police had not found out anything suspicious or anything resembling Huntress MO indicating that she might be active, two years and nothing. Now, she knew the truth, Helena had left everything behind, not only New Gotham but also everything that had ever identified her as a person and a vigilante.
"Oh God, Hel" she covered her face with her hands, feeling her heart breaking into a million pieces. Part desperation, part sadness, and part knowing that whatever it was that had led Helena to make the decision to leave everything behind without looking back, was more than just the fact that she resented that Barbara had questioned her ability and dedication as a vigilante of New Gotham. Not only did she have a new life, but also she did a complete turnaround, who was the real Helena Kyle now, without her, without Huntress, far away for New Gotham?
The answer was what she most feared. Helena Kyle was the Helena that should have been ten years ago, the one that if Selina had lived, would have taken her daughter to Paris. The one who would now just be a memory, perhaps even a distant friend, or a loved one that was seen or talked to occasionally and would visit at times. A happy young woman, successful and without rage that once Barbara had expected she would become, before Clayface, before Joker, before even Barbara.
An alarm when off and Oracle needed to concentrate on her work, there would be enough time to wonder and think later. Nightwing and Lotus needed her as the NG cyber-guardian now.
It was an ordinary robbery at a jewelry store, an hour later Nightwing and Lotus returned to the tower, Aiko said goodnight as soon as they got back to the tower, leaving Dick to give the report. If he noticed her eyes red from crying he didn't say anything, Dick knew it wouldn't be smart to try to get Barbara to talk about whatever was making her look so sad, lost...hurt. He knew that the answer would probably be the same one for the last two years, Helena. He had assumed she had been thinking of Helena since forgetting her was impossible, One he had said goodnight and giving Barbara a kiss on the cheek, for a moment he hesitated, but the look that the redhead gave him made him keep quite, tighten his jaw and with a slight wave disappeared into the elevator.
For over fifteen years Hel had been a constant in her life, since she had known her as a little precocious twelve year old girl for whom she had babysat and played games with, confident in her teens, her guardian, her mentor, her friend her comfort. She had know her for seventeen years, two of which were pure agony when she didn't know her whereabouts, and now, knowing where she was, was as painful as not knowing.
She put Delphi on standby and checked that everything was in order before going out to the balcony, Helena's favorite place in the tower and hers as well, a place to think, to remember. She didn't know what to do, what to feel or what to think. She removed her glasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose, she had a horrible headache. The wine during dinner and then later the whisky hadn't helped at all to her already frayed emotions. Her brain firing different scenarios, questions but more than anything else, her feelings were like a puzzle of found emotions. She felt as if she were riding a rollercoaster, with sharp ascents and descents and feeling as if it would never stop, only gaining in speed at each curve, and the question wasn't if she would crash but when.
Barbara headed for the balcony, looking out over the city, the same one she had dedicated her young life to take care of and protect, the one for which she had lost the use of her legs because of joker. Yes, she could walk now and even feel, but in reality, she would never be able to stop using the chair completely. When she was tired, it was easier to use it and not strain her extremities. It was a blessing to be able to take a shower standing upright, walk when she needed to and defend herself if necessary. Nevertheless, for everything else she used the chair, besides people in general didn't know she could walk again even if it was only for short periods.
Now that it looked like she had everything, she didn't have anything; it didn't matter that her legs could support her and obey her commands. Now, that her protégé's were capable vigilantes, able to take care and protect one of the most dangerous cities in the world, now that everything seemed to be in its proper place, even knowing where Helena was and that she was fine and happy, now was when she felt the loneliest and emptiest.
Not even when her paralysis was recent had she felt so alone, so empty, hopeless. Yes, full of rage and anger, inundated by pain, by loss, knowing that what had been normal before was in the past, that she would never be able to walk again, but not even during those dark moments full of desperation had made her feel this emptiness, of not having nothing or being nothing.
Helena, she murmured to herself, just mentioning her name felt like a deep stab wound. They say there is none so blind than the one that won't see. And for God's sake she had been so blind, so obstinate and stupid not to have seen the truth, not to see what was in front of her very eyes.
When you are so used to having something in your life on a daily basis, you don't take notice of its importance until it's too late. Too late to regret it, too late to fix it and repair burned bridges, to hold out your hand and hang on to what you want the most and had only moments before had been within your reach just for the asking. That's what Helena had been in her life for 15 years, a perfect constant, a trustworthy friend, a warm companion, and full of life, a woman of character and volatile temperament, a wild house cat.
Two years without her constant presence had taken its toll in gold, from the first hours from her departure when she felt her heart had been torn from her chest. From the moment, that Barbara saw the boxes with the few things that Helena had and were now sitting on the coffee table. In that precise instant Barbara felt that, her life no longer had any purpose. When the proof of Helena's departure stood in front of her eyes had taken away her breath and her reason by the deafening pain that kept screaming in her mind like a mantra Helena's name over and over. Almost as if by some magic wand, she would be able to make her appear in front of her. She even was so damn stupid to believe that she only cared for her as a friend, like a surrogate sister. Too stubbornly blind to not realize that what she really wanted from Helena was not only friendship, her mere presence or her unconditional support, that in reality the person that Barbara really wanted was the woman with all the defects and virtues that made up Helena, the sweet, adorable, devilishly sexy, arrogant, volatile, tempestuous, and brooding person. Everything stopped making sense as she asked herself repeatedly why she had been so stubborn, so blind, so damn rational, and analytic to not be able to see that she couldn't live without her.
The very idea back then had been horrifying. Moreover, when the days turned into weeks and these into months until two years of ignorance and pain had been so unbearable that she had learned to live with it just as she had learned to live with her handicap, ignoring the reason, living from day to day without realizing what she was doing.
Poor Wade, never knew what really happened and he never accepted her explanations because they never really made sense to him. However, the more he tried to make sense of it all she knew that if it didn't make sense it was because there was never any real way to explain it to Wade. How could she tell him that their relationship had been Barbara's unconscious way of running away from her true feelings? How do you explain to the man that loves you and who never saw you as a handicapped woman but as a beautiful and interesting woman that you are absolutely in love of someone that was your protégé and best friend, that since she had left life was pure agony. Only a few hours had passed when the truth had hit her right between the eyes.
It was a question of days without Helena and it was enough to accept the truth of her feelings for her even though she did not dare give it voice but deep inside she knew it was much more, something so powerful that it frightened her. Now that she knew where she was, she didn't know what to do. Everything she had told Dinah seemed to indicate that she was happy where she was but not only that she was also successful, she had made a good life for herself, far from what had made her who she had been, a vigilante, Huntress.
Barbara was not aware of how much time she had spent out on the balcony of the tower trying to understand her feelings, trying to analyze from every angle the consequences of knowing with certainty where Helena was. Her first reaction had been to head for the airport, take the first available plane to San Francisco, and beg Helena to come back, to kneel at her feet and beg her forgiveness, and to return with her. However, after thinking, thinking, and turning the situation over in her mind in many directions, she concluded that she should do the right thing but Barbara wasn't so sure, what the right thing was.
Helena after all had left after a horrible fight between them because she had questioned her judgment and abilities as a vigilante. Nevertheless, was there perhaps another reason for her decision to leave everything behind? The young woman's new life was a clear indication of that. Had she been tired of that life? In addition, the fight was just an excuse; a way to get out of something that she considered a duty rather than a vocation and she hadn't known how to tell Barbara that she didn't want to continue doing it?
"Oh God, Helena" she felt the tears run down her face silently, unrelentingly, torn between her desire to have Helena back in her life and at the same time her common sense demanding that she let her live the life she had chosen for herself with great success.
She didn't know what to do; she didn't know if she had the strength to call her without begging her to return. She wished, no, she needed desperately to have Helena in her life, but she knew that a sporadic telephone call or emails would not be enough and she had no right to ask her to return if it's not what she wanted.
She had to accept it, accept that Helena would not return, that the woman that she loved desperately would never be her lover, her love. Her Helena had left two years ago and just because now she knew where she was, it didn't change anything. She had left her and she had done it in permanently.
"Hel, I love you, I love you so much that I have to let you go." She thought her eyes filled with tears. The decision was the simplest and at the same time the hardest, that she had ever taken in her life. Since Helena had left, she had never stopped missing her, needing her, realizing that Hel was everything to her, the air she breathed. When she was at her side, she had always known that eventually would be fine. The pain was too great she felt as if she were slowly dying and the worst part was that it didn't matter anymore.
At some point, the cold early morning air made her go back to her room. She felt torn and empty, she had made the right decision she kept repeating to herself. Why was it that something so logically right felt so damn wrong?
The next day Barbara left her room much later than usual, not at 9 a.m. as was her norm on Saturdays. She had slept little and badly and despite having taken the decision to let Helena continue with the new life she had made for herself and having convinced herself that it was the proper decision she couldn't help but feel desolate. When Dinah saw her, she knew that something was wrong but she wasn't sure if she should ask what was happening or leave Barbara alone until she felt it was the right time. Of one thing, she was certain; it had to do with Helena.
"Babs, I'm going out with Gabby." She told her smiling. "I've left the coffee ready.'
"Oh, thank you Di, have a good day and say hello to Gabby." She answered a bit distracted as she checked the newspaper.
"I'm sure Aiko left early she had soccer practice."
"Ok", she answered without looking up from the paper. She didn't notice Dinah's worried look, something was wrong she could feel it. Supposedly, Barbara should be ecstatic to know Hel's whereabouts and the possibility of getting in touch with her. For God's sake, they had to talk as right now! However, of course, that wasn't the case, she didn't know what was happening, but whatever it was that was going through Barbara's head was not what she was expecting. Not for a second, after a very long and exasperated stare that Barbara completely ignored, Dinah left muttering to herself, saying that she had never known anyone so stubborn and dumb as those two.
Barbara wasn't really hungry but she managed to eat a bagel with cream cheese and have some coffee even though usually she had tea most of the time, but in the mornings she had a cup of coffee to energize herself. She spent most of the morning working on an encryption program and checking that Delphi was up to date.
Nervously from time to time, she would glance at the sheet with Helena's information written in Dinah's distinctive hand. She tried not to think what those few lines meant. Finally after thinking it over for awhile, Barbara opened her email program then after entering Helena's email address she wrote a short and concise email, but full of meaning. Her hand shook for a moment over the discard icon; she took a deep breath and let it out slowly, closed her eyes and hit the send icon.
When she opened her eyes, the monitor indicated 'message sent.' She continued staring at the monitor for what seemed like forever, until finally with a tormented sigh she closed the program. It was done. The only thing she could do...the right thing.
Part 10
***
Helena opened her email program two days after she had checked it last, what she least expected to find was a message from Barbara Gordon. It was to say the least a big surprise to find it there just waiting to be opened, however, what left her very stunned was what it said. She had prepared herself for an irate message and a demand that she return to New Gotham, however, what it said was anything but.
"What the hell?" Helena exclaimed getting up suddenly without taking her eyes off the monitor.
Dear Helena,
I'm sure you're surprised to hear from me, but I just recently found out where you were and that you chose to follow your own way and that your new life is as fitting and equally successful. I am really pleased by your achievements and I am very proud of you and what you have accomplished as a woman. I want you to know you will always have a friend in me and that you can count on me always. We are your family Helena and will always be received with open arms if you should one day decide to visit. I won't deny that your presence is has not been missed and I hope that from now on you won't be a stranger to us any longer. I am grateful for the painting, it is truly beautiful, your talent is impressive. Thank you for sharing it with me.
With all my love,
Barbara
Helena actually had to read the message several times before believing what it said. Not only had she not complained or had harsh words to say, on the contrary, Barbara congratulated her for doing so well and was happy that her new life was successful. Helena stared at the words in front of her. To say she had been surprised was not the word, she was stunned, and that woman that wrote her couldn't be her Barbara. Where was the woman that always put responsibilities first?
Unable to understand and assimilate the message, Helena stood and headed for the roof to try to put her thoughts in order. She sat on the edge of the building and looked at the moon that shone incandescent in the night sky.
Dinah's letter had been very brief, just a few lines asking Helena to reconsider her attitude towards Barbara, telling her not to let her pride ruin what they had shared for so long.
She hasn't been herself since you left Hel. Barbara misses you, she needs to know that you are fine, to hear from you, you have to call her Helena, please, I beg of you. Barbara needs you.
The letter from Dinah had caused her to send the portrait to Barbara as a peace offering to mend old wounds. The email from the redhead now made her think that perhaps after all, if not return to New Gotham, at least is able to maintain a friendly and civilized relationship with Barbara. However, Helena wasn't sure that she would be able to maintain her distance if she allowed herself to renew the connection. Helena had managed to survive far from her at the cost of remaining ignorant of anything having to do with Barbara, even if it meant cutting all ties with Dinah. Although now, that was no longer possible not without hurting the girl and Barbara again. Helena knew that eventually she would have to see her again, that at some point she would need the courage to speak with her. She knew it was something she had to do; she had no doubt about it. What she didn't know was when she would have the nerve to do it.
Her mind was in total chaos, another part of her was happy over Barbara's words and another part was completely confused by them. Barbara had always been very jealous of her work as a vigilante for New Gotham, the responsibility was above all else, before even your own personal life, before any emotional turmoil's. Had her life with Wade changed her so much that now she was able to accept that there was more to life than being a vigilante? Just the idea caused her a profound sadness, just thinking that it had been Wade and not she that had helped her to understand that there was a balance between their daily lives and life as a vigilante that could be reached to be happy. That to focus all your energies on being a vigilante was not healthy for the emotional and physical state of mind.
She had loved Barbara Gordon all her life, Oracle, Batgirl, everything she was even her dry sense of humor, her odd habits and eccentricities, there was nothing about Barbara that she didn't love, her defects her virtues. Always waiting, wishing that she would open her eyes and see what was in front of her. Nevertheless, not only had she never seen it, but also that she found it with someone other than her. That hurt so much, it was crucifying to love her the way she did, in a way that was so total and absolute that didn't permit anyone else into her heart. She would be lying to herself that she hadn't looked elsewhere, she had, and her last attempt had ended in a friendly manner. Neither one of them had been able to go beyond physical satisfaction, something temporary because at the end of it all, the heart and the soul wanted someone else. In addition, deep inside you knew that you would always feel incomplete without the other half of your soul. However, to know who the love of our life is, the only love possible didn't necessarily mean it was meant for you.
Perhaps that's how her own mother had felt when she fell in love with Bruce Wayne, alias Batman, to know that he was the only man that she would ever love but at the same time one that she knew, she could not have completely. The irony was that her mother knew Bruce felt the same way about her and she knew that he would never look for anyone else. However, she was not only totally in love of an impossible, but also that person didn't know that she loved her, but that she had married someone else and from what she understood was very happy with that person.
So much so that the woman you thought you knew like the palm of your hand felt in just a few words like a total stranger.
Between the two of us who had changed the most Red? She asked herself and she wasn't sure she knew the answer, perhaps because inside herself she knew there wasn't one. She didn't realize that in the time they were apart, she had matured and Barbara had decided to stop hiding from her feelings even if only for herself and was that knowledge that dictated her words. Regrettably thousands of miles separated them and neither one of them looked as if they had the courage to find out the truth behind her actions.
Much calmer, Helena went down to her studio to paint, in the frame of mind she was in, surely something would come out on the canvas. She wasn't sure if she would respond to Barbara's email she still felt a bit disconcerted and would prefer to let a few days go by to think; perhaps in painting she would find the words to do so.
****
A couple of days later Dinah called, she had been watching TV tranquilly when the phone rang.
"Kyle." She answered tersely, not even bothering to look at the ID, there were very few people that called her.
"Hey Hel, how are you?" Dinah greeted her cheerfully.
"Hey D," Helena greeted her with a smile in her voice "I'm good, just relaxing a bit with a little TV. What's up? She asked with ease, as she got comfortable once again.
"Oh, you know the same as always, lot's of studying, essays and stuff, but otherwise great. Soon we'll be doing mid-terms so I've been trying to keep up so I don't get all hysterical. In addition, Babs has even given me time off from sweeps until I pass them. Of course the weekends are an exception." She told her.
"Wow, that's great kid, but it's not surprise, right?" Helena felt her heart jumping when she heard Dinah mentioning the object of her thoughts. "After all, if someone understands the academic world it's her. Her students must be crazy right now, her exams are legendary." She said lightly.
"Hmm..." Dinah paused "Hel, Barbara isn't teaching anymore at New Gotham High". She made clear.
"What do you mean?" She sat up rapidly and stood, not able to sit still. This certainly was a surprise. "But Barbara loves teaching. Is Wade the one that doesn't want her working?" She asked incredulously, So much of an influence had Wade on her that she had ceased to teach. She felt a blind fury growing inside,
how could she...!
Dinah blew out a breath and looked out the window, wondering what she could and could not say about Barbara. Finally she figured that Helena was the one talking about Barbara as if nothing, so things appeared to be fine, in some way, and if neither Babs or Helena were capable of taking the first step, someone had to do push them in the right direction, and that someone was her. She wanted to see her family happy and together again, she was fed up with their stubbornness, they behaved like two small children throwing tantrums.
"Well Hel, hmm, Barbara never married Wade." She said hurriedly and held her breath waiting for Helena's reaction. However, it never happened. "Hel? Helena?" The only thing she heard was a small thud...and the crash of the phone, which made her, pull the handset away from her ear.
"What? What did you say?" Helena babbled shakily when she finally managed to get back on the phone. "Dinah?" She begged in a shaky voice. "What did you just say?"
"Barbara never married Wade, Hel." She finally confessed the truth. "Actually she broke off the engagement the week after you left." Dinah explained slowly, almost as if sensing that Helena's brain was short-circuiting at the news, one that from all appearances she hadn't expected.
"But, but how? Barbara was in love with him, why did she do it?" Hel exclaimed in dismay. It couldn't be!
"Hel, I don't know what her reasons were." Dinah lied, it wasn't up to her to tell her the real reason why Barbara had done what she had done after Helena had left, that she had found out the truth in her heart. "She never talked about them, the only thing that I know for sure because I was there, is that Barbara was never the same person after you left Hel." And she added with a sigh. "God if you had only seen her, she was torn apart, she spent nights without sleeping, looking for any sign of you, she was desperate. I had never seen her so sad Hel." She said trying to make Helena read between the lines for what she was not saying. "Something had died in her when you left. When the weeks turned into months Barbara lost hope that you would return. She waited until the end of the year before she finally resigned, and she went to work in Wayne Corp, in the experimental technology labs. That's where she's been since Hel." She finished.
Helena was having a hard time assimilating what Dinah was saying, Barbara had not married Wade. Barbara had been sad because of her departure. Barbara wasn't teaching English anymore...it just didn't make sense. "How did she react to my gift and the news that you knew where I was?" She wanted to know.
"Oh, I'm glad you brought that up." Dinah leaned against the window. "At first when she saw the portrait and found out it was yours and that I knew where you were she broke down. She started to cry, a mix of relief and happiness at finally knowing." Her tone became sad. "Then she accused me of lying, I tried to clear that up, because truthfully I didn't know where you were. I don't know if she believed me or not, I want to believe that she did, but what I didn't understand is why I waited two months to tell her."
"What did you tell her?" She asked curiously and a bit worried as she played with the auricular.
"Well I used the excuse that you thought she was upset at you." Dinah explained easily. "And well that you weren't sure what to do. I couldn't tell her that you forbade me to talk about her and she doesn't know the reason for why you asked me not to. But Hel, I needed you to know, however, I didn't know how to tell you, so I just told you what you needed to know for you to make that decision."
"You didn't tell me the important part Dinah." She grumbled. "And knowing that Barbara had not married Wade was vital! That was the main reason why I left and you know it!" She exclaimed angrily.
"Hel, if I didn't tell you it was because you didn't want to accept Barbara into your life even before anything else, before forgiving her for whatever it was that you fought over." She tried to reason with her "she never told me, I knew the reason why you decided to leave, but not what triggered it." She added.
"But you haven't told me how she reacted." She didn't mention the email from Barbara, it wasn't important just then.
"Like I said," she rushed to clarify things, "Once I made it clear that I hadn't known where you were, she seemed to calm down, surprised yes, very much, and especially after I told her that you got a degree and everything that you do. She listened to me without saying much; I think she was dumbfounded over it all. When I was done, she only stared at me, I don't exactly recall what she said, but she seemed to be calm, so calm it scared me a bit. I thought that she would jump on the first plane to San Francisco to go and see you or something, or call I don't know, but she didn't do anything. I gave her your information. I don't know if she's tried to contact you." She added.
"She wrote me an email; she congratulated me on my new life and thanked me for the portrait. She said that I was always welcome in New Gotham if I ever wanted to visit, but that was it." She recounted sounding flabbergasted. "I couldn't believe it; I thought she was going to demand that I come back and not what she actually said."
Dinah smiled to herself, how typical of Barbara, putting everyone else's happiness ahead of her own, without realizing that happiness for Helena was Barbara herself.
"I told you she had changed a lot after you left Hel." Dinah defended her. "Oh she's still addicted to work, but she's changed so much Hel, she's more serious and somber that she already was. I know it must seem strange, she doesn't say, but I know I see it in her gaze; she spends a lot of time on the balcony, as if she was expecting you at any moment. Many times I've surprised her staring at that gargoyle you loved so much." She mentioned carelessly but wanting to make sure that Helena understands, how much Barbara needed her in her life.
"Oh, I see." She said suspiciously, still unsure about what Barbara had written, it felt bizarre some how.
"Hel, really, you both need to talk." Dinah pointed out trying to pressure her. "Barbara deserves to know the truth of why you left. I know the idea scares you, that you might lose her if you confess the truth, but Helena..." She explained vehement. "What have you got to lose? Barbara? For God's sake, Hel you live on the other side of the country, you have a good life that you made for yourself. What else do you have to lose? These last two years you've lived with the idea that she married Wade and you made the effort to try to forget her, but let me ask you, did you?"
The silence was her response; she knew Helena was still at the other end because she could tell her breathing was slightly agitated. It was obvious that she was shocked by the news that Barbara had never married.
"Helena," she begged, "Talk to her. In one way or another both of you will feel better. I think you need to close that door in your heart, for good or bad and that will never happen if you don't tell Barbara your true feelings. In addition, she will never understand why you left and she'll always believe that it was all her fault, that she forced you into a life you didn't want and that makes her feel bad.
"She never forced me to do anything I didn't want to do, fuck, no one can do that, not even Barbara, and I worship the ground she walks on!" She exclaimed indignantly.
"You know that Hel, but not Barbara. Just knowing that your life is totally opposite from what you had in New Gotham. It's been a total shock for her. What do you expect her to think? She thinks that you are happy because she's not in your life. I know in a way you are happy, but deep down you know the truth. Am I right Hel?" She asked compassionately.
"I don't know what to do D, I love her, yes, I'll never stop loving her, its useless trying to forget her, but I'm scared. I'm scared of seeing her again, at least living here, I could pretend that she was happy and now that she knows I'm fine and she doesn't hate me, I can still pretend. However, I wouldn't be able to stand to lose her definitely, if she knew how I felt. Oh, I know she wouldn't reject me or anything like that, she's very sweet and compassionate, but I don't think I could stand for her to see me with a that mix of pity and compassion because she didn't feel the same way as I do. That would definitely kill me D; in this way I...I can dream." She stated dejectedly
"Oh, Hel, I don't know what to tell you, but I never thought of you as a coward. I knew you left because the idea of hurting Barbara was too much for you and your love for her was too much for you to be able to handle the idea of hurting her with indifference, which would only be a form of protecting yourself from the pain. However Hel, there is a saying, it is better to die standing than living on your knees. Barbara needs to know the truth and you need to tell her."
"I don't know D, I just don't know." She blew out impatiently.
"Think about it Hel, that's all I ask." She begged in understanding.
"I will." She sighed.
"Are you planning on traveling soon?" She changed to topic to calm Helena. She knew it wouldn't be wise to keep pushing Helena on the matter.
"Nah, I've been out a lot lately, I'm going to spend some time around here, paint, you know." She discarded the idea.
"Great Hel, maybe I can go up to see you at the end of the semester." Dinah said enthusiastically.
"I would love that D, this is your home." She offered gladly.
"Thanks Hel, take care of yourself please and think about what I said." Dinah insisted.
"Yes, D, I will. Take care of yourself too, say hi to Gabby." She said without making any promises.
"Of course, I love you Hel." She said goodbye.
"Me too Blondie, until next time." She responded with a small sigh.
Dinah had just finished hanging up the phone when someone knocked on her slightly open door, and walked in before Dinah even had a chance to say come-in.
"Oh, hi Barbara, I didn't hear you!" Dinah felt herself redden; looking at the phone, she had in her hand nervously.
"Dinah, am I interrupting something?" Barbara asked with an apologetic smile.
"No, no, nothing. I was studying." She waved at her desk covered in books." She blushed all the way to her roots and hoped Barbara would not notice.
Yeah Right.
"Oh fine, I came to tell you that I'm going out of town for a few days, there's a nano technology conference in Washington and Ashley and I are planning to attend. It would only be for three days and I've already spoken with Dick, he'll come to help and cover during my absence.
"There's no problem, with everything I have to study, I'll take over Delphi, you've taught me so much Babs." She smiled timidly.
"Perfect, I'll take my cell for whatever reason and as soon as I'm settled in Washington I'll let you know where I am. Ashley has all the details.
"Of course, Babs."
"Fine, I'll let you get back to your studies, I'm going to go pack." She smiled neutrally and left. Dinah was left wondering if Barbara had perhaps heard her speaking to Helena.
Well if she did, she didn't show any signs of it, but then again its Barbara, so who knows. She shrugged her shoulders, after all if she had heard it would give her something to think.
Barbara had been rather weird over the past three days, she had attributed the cause to finding out where Helena was, but she wasn't at all sure.
C'est la vie, she thought with an enigmatic smile on her face.
Continued...