Disclaimer: All characters are owned by someone else (i.e not me, unfortunately). Hopefully, no copyrights were breached in my making of this fic (I didn't mean to!) and I made no money doing this whatsoever. This is purely for my entertainment, instead of studying!









Not two minutes after she had entered the Clocktower, Helena Kyle was collapsed on the couch, her previously discarded boots kicked to one side, a box of Pop-Tarts on her leather-clad lap, and a pair of tired feet propped up on the coffee table.



"Rough night?" asked Barbara Gordon, distracted from her work by Helena's entrance, and trying to stifle a smirk at her young protege, unsuccessfully.



"Nothing Pop-Tarts can't make better," replied Helena, ruffling through her tousled hair with one hand, the other holding a half eaten gooey pastry.



"How can you eat those things?" Barbara asked, half joking, half wondering how the younger woman could find Pop-Tarts palatable. The subject was an ongoing joke between the two, and Barbara had long given up trying to figure out the reason of Helenas love for the sickeningly sweet monstrosities.



When Helena didn't rise to the bait, Barbara grew slightly worried.

"Everything okay?" she asked, realising how tired and worn out Helena really seemed.



"Yeah," replied Helena, rather nonchalantly for Barbara's liking. Usually Helena was ready to tell all about her close calls and evening's escapades. But not tonight. Almost instinctively, Barbara reached out to feel Helena's forehead. Although her eyes seemed brighter than usual, there was no temperature, and Barbara put this down to Helena's weariness. Helena reveled in the comfort of the unexpected hand against her forehead, disappointed when it drew back.



"You're not sick, are you?" Barbara asked, concern still clouding her jade eyes. Helena shook her head. Concerned by the lack of verbosity that usually accompanied Helena's presence, Barbara came to the conclusion that the problem was of the emotional kind, rather than the physical. Despite her glib nature, Barbara knew of the turmoil Helena suffered every day. The younger woman often tried to ignore it, but Barbara knew it was still there. Especially after the nightmare-ridden nights she and Helena had shared after the shooting and the murder of Selena Kyle, Helena's mother. Barbara also knew not to prod too much; that Helena would open up to her when she was ready. Still, there was the niggling worry that she might not, and it stayed in her subconscious, becoming more apparent at times like these. She brushed a soothing hand over Helena's brow, spotting the amount of comfort it seemed to give the other woman, and continued in that way until Helena had become slightly less distant. She was bridging the gap that sometimes occurred between them, and was sensing that Helena was ready to open up, when the Delphi alert rang loudly and shattered the noiseless blanket that had enshrouded the Clocktower. Barbara noticed Helena jump slightly at the noise, something she was not prone to do, and noticed her slightly increased breathing.



"It's okay," she murmured, brushing her hand across Helena's forehead one last time. "Ill just go check, okay?"

She knew Helena could survive sitting on the settee for a few moments, but for some reason, she wanted to reassure the other woman and make sure she was okay for that short time.



"Looks like a bank heist," Barbara said. Knowing that Helena was exhausted, she decided to let Dinah handle it.



"I'm gonna send Dinah in," she half-shouted to Helena, who was still sitting on the couch some feet away. Now that she noticed it, Barbara realised that Helena hadn't followed her to the computer bank. Even if she had just come in from sweeps, like this evening, Helena still usually had the energy to make sure everything was alright in New Gotham. Either lack of concern or lack of energy ensured her continued seating. After a quick message to Dinah, Barbara decided to leave Dinah to it.



Thanks to Helena's training, Dinah had turned into an incredibly able fighter, and was more than capable of handling herself. Barbara allowed herself a moment of pride in her family, before returning to more pressing matters. As she moved back to Helena, she also realised that Helena had not lodged any objection to Dinah taking from her an opportune ass-kicking, and Barbara definitely knew something was wrong.

On to part 2...