It was still pretty dark out and Helena leaned her head against the cold links of the swing she was sitting on. Her body tensed slightly as her meta-half sensed another presence and she relaxed when the footsteps hit the air. Reese.

She had come to learn that everyone walked a certain way, and Reese's footsteps had become permanently etched into her mind, just as Dinah's, Barbara's and Alfred's had.

          “Still here?” He was not quite in her line of vision yet, and she liked that; it gave her time to wipe the wetness from her cheeks.

          “Yeah.” She nodded, but didn't face him. “I went for a walk… and I guess my feet just carried me back here.”

Reese saw her shift in the swing and he took that as an invitation to sit next to her. “What happened?”

Helena sighed and closed her eyes wearily. “I just had a rough night.”

He chuckled. “I'll say. That's a nasty scratch there,” he touched her cheek with his knuckles and she fought the shivers that she felt at his touch.

          “It was worth it.” She thought it was ironic that the cut hadn't healed yet – by all accounts, it should have. “Reese…” He turned to her expectantly and she forced herself to go on. “Thanks. For helping me.”

Reese nodded slowly. “You are always so in control and on top of everything… it scared me to see you upset like that, Huntress.” He admitted.

Helena flinched at the sound of her ‘other' name, because for once, she just wanted to be Helena. She also wasn't too keen on the fact that he had seen her when she was vulnerable – twice this evening - but that couldn't be helped. Maybe a little vulnerability was good.

Inwardly, she shook her head. Vulnerability was never a good thing.

          “Listen,” Reese said, getting up, “what do you say we get a cup of coffee and take a walk. Seems to me like you've earned it after tonight.”

She closed her eyes once and then looked up to meet his. “I can do that.”

He gave her his hand and pulled her up, and they started walking out of the park.

          “You want to hear about my day?” He asked her challengingly.

She cracked a smile. “Spill.”

Reese opened his mouth to speak and she stopped suddenly.

          “Huntress? What is it? What's wrong?”

'You've earned it.'

          “It's Helena.”

He smiled – that wonderful smile that she felt clear to her toes – and started again.

          “Helena… I like it. It suits you.”

Her eyebrow rose in challenge. “What did you expect? Little Suzy?”

Reese threw his head back and laughed. “You are one of a kind.”

She smiled. “Thank you.”

THE END