|
Main | Fanfic | Whole New World Index | New Stories A Whole New WorldFEEDBACK - Oh Yes Please -You can email us docwho2000@hotmail.com authors: docwho2100 and ellie no name (docwho2000@hotmail.com) Authors' notes Character thoughts appear between ~ ~ symbols Consensual relationship depicted between adult women in this
story. If you have a problem with that or are under 18 please do not read. Chapter 33b – Who Can It Be Now (Men At Work) Leather and Lace Diner, Monday night ------------- As the silence between the women grew, Dana shook her self slightly and tapped on the files, her professional approach winning and taking over her mood once again. "I have been looking at the limited information I have regarding the case. There are some," she paused searching for the right word but could not catch what she wanted. "I guess inconsistencies in some of the mutilations as well as the profiles of the victims. I was hoping perhaps you could fill in some of the holes." "Lay it out for me, we'll see how well I know this part," Helena said, taking a drink of her coffee. Having poked at her food and taken a tentative bite, Dana laid her fork down and reached over to the satchel she had brought with her. She rested her hands on the satchel just looking at Helena a moment still uncertain if she should be doing this. If this woman and her associates could, or would help her. She had trusted many in the past, and been burned so many times. Taking a deep breath and a huge leap away from her normal reserve, she pulled out a few folders. "I have collected basic profiles of each of the known victims. I am not even sure how many deaths to attribute to these killers. The FBI technically was not called in until one of the victims happened to be a visiting foreign official. There are gaps in many of the basic information fields for what I do have." "This is the start of a psychological profile of the killer, well based on the alleyway meeting this should be adjusted to killers. Also I am curious just how much you know about the killers. For instance, I wonder if your friend recorded anything from the lab altercation." Dana gave Helena a sharp glance as her mistrust reared its head once again as she pushed over another folder. She flipped open a third folder spreading out a few crime scene and autopsy photos. "This is a combination of photos I have sorted that show the various mutilations, which I have a number of questions about. I have begun regarding the possible dissection or medical aspect of this case." She hesitated biting her lip again not sure she should have shown this leap of faith by providing her own reports and observations. Picking up the folders, Helena flipped through the pages, "I'm going to need a little more time to go through these," she said, looking back up at Dana. It was becoming more and more apparent to the brunette that the time to introduce the redheads was long overdue. Scully nodded, "I understand. And it probably is over kill to make any remarks along the lines of working against a clock or time being something we do not have in unlimited quantities." She remarked as she picked her fork back up ceasing any other comments as she sampled a little more of her food. "That would be preaching to the choir," Helena agreed. "Anything I can help you sort out now?" She added, finally picking up a French fry and playing with it a moment before dropping it into her mouth. "Excuse me?" Scully replied, her attention having been drawn to the brunette's action. "I didn't quite catch what you said." She looked down then busying herself with her food as she berated herself for having been distracted by such a simple action. It was just someone eating a French fry. Someone toying with a French fry between her slender fingers before easing the golden fry past lush lips. Her tongue sliding out to meet the French fry and help work it into her mouth, the pink tip darting out to lick the full lips catching an errant drop of salt before disappearing back into the woman's mouth that curved upwards in a sensual way at the corners as she chewed. Just a simple action. "Any other questions that I might have answers for now?" Helena asked, downing a couple more French fries. Working hard to listen to Helena as she spoke, Dana tried to recall the questions she had wanted to ask. The answers she hoped to find. Her eyes followed the journey of a number of fries from the plate before she remembered she was the one supposed to be speaking. "Yes." she finally replied. "Such as..." Helena prodded, finally looking up from her food. "Are you alright? Sure you shouldn't be resting?" "Actually it has been a very long few days." The agent replied rubbing at her forehead as she put her fork down. "I have other questions, but I think the focus needs to be on the questions regarding the case." ~Professional Dana, keep it professional and focused.~ "Other questions?" Helena asked, a smile flickering at the corner of her lips. "Now you've got my attention..." "If I am just now receiving your full attention I am not sure I can handle…" Dana muttered somewhat as she shifted in the booth. She let her eyes drift from her half eaten meal to the intense blue eyes staring at her. "Those questions, questions about what really goes on in New Gotham to need someone like you to watch or maybe prowl the city. Questions about what you represent; that would help me understand who you are. And why I…" She drew in a breath although her eyes never wavered from the other's gaze. "But perhaps those are questions for another time. You do enjoy putting off answering questions until another time." "Well, sometimes they need a little thought, not just whatever is on the tip of my tongue," Helena admitted, finally picking up the sandwich in front of her. "Yes well, sometimes the most honest and true answers are those found on the tip of your tongue." Dana paused having tripped over the word tongue. She picked up her glass and took a drink trying to hide her face sure her coloring might give away her thoughts. "Then ask me something," Helena said, swallowing her first bite. "I think maybe I shouldn't." Dana said putting her glass back down a little more firmly than she had anticipated. She looked around watching the other patrons. She looked back at Helena, "You have an incredible sense of self Helena." Helena frowned, "What does that mean?" Dana found the corner of her mouth quirking upwards slightly. "It means you wouldn't know what I meant by that." She shook her head. "It was a compliment. You seem to always know where you are, what you want and the pathway to go from here to there. You also..." Dana sighed and nervously wet her lower lip some. "You also tend to have such a presence that those around you can easily fall..." she hesitated changing her wording, "Can be caught up and enjoy that presence." "I must just be a good actress. I make up things as I go along," Helena admitted. "Besides, you're the one who's successful and all that." "I'm successful?" She felt her eyebrows rise at the unexpected statement. "I'm not sure of that assessment and I really am having a hard time making the connection between that and your ability to draw attention just by walking across the room." "You're a doctor, an FBI director, and like, 29?" Helena asked. "And what about my ability to draw attention?" "29? We will now add either a keen sense of flattery to the list of your traits or the lighting in here is really working in my favor." Dana picked up her fork but just pushed some of her food around on her plate. "I only meant Helena that you take an activity that is mundane or average, such as walking across the room, and elevate it to something that demands or at least deserves attention." Helena nodded, but didn't say anything, instead swallowing another drink of coffee. Dana sighed, her eyes having moved to glance over at the metahuman only to find her mind still drawn to personal not professional thoughts. She moved to bring out her wallet taking out a few bills. Trying to keep her face and thoughts neutral she looked at the brunette. "When you have those answers, please let me know." "You're already leaving?" Helena asked, looking up from the plate in front of her. "I came here looking for answers and truth Helena. I want to stop these killings. Instead all I seem to be focused on right now is," she drew her words up short. "Is nothing at all to do with the case or investigation. There is nothing more I think I will find out in this diner, so yes, I'm leaving." "So now you can't take breaks either? God, you're just like..." Helena said, then she sighed and shook her head. "I... can you hang on for just a minute? Give me a moment to... call someone?" "Helena," she reached out placing a hand on the brunette's hand that had moved. "It is not about taking a break. It is about being in this diner, thinking things I don't understand and knowing that being in this diner is the last place I want to be right now, especially if you eat any more of your food." She shook her head pulling her hand away. "That is why I need to go. I don't have that sense of self. I realize I am in a crowded place full of people and that I can't control how I'm feeling... I need to go." Dana began collecting her items. "Just a minute. If this is about the case…" "Five minutes. Tops," Helena added, as she got to her feet, stepping away before the redhead could protest. Moving to a pay phone near the door Helena flicked on her comms, picking up the phone in case Dana glanced her way. "Oracle. Oracle, are you there?" "Huntress, where are you? I've been wanting to talk to you and was one step away from sending Alfred out to find you." came the immediate reply. "I've been talking to Dana. About the case, and I think it's time the two of you put things together without me as the middle man," Helena said seriously. "What?" Barbara replied, her eyes flitting over yet another set of search results. "All this go between shit. It's not getting us anywhere. Not to mention the fact that if I get you two geniuses together you'll probably have it figured out in under an hour. I'm going to bring her to the clock tower," Helena finally said. "Sh...??" the young woman's use of the word had pulled Barbara's complete attention to the voice coming over the comms. "Wait Huntress, please repeat. You are bringing who, where? I hope you said you are coming here, now. I finished cataloguing the audio and video from your encounters. Using that set of cues, I sent out some trace-bots and hit a number of positive returns. In addition, Canary came up with some information to add to what I have been piecing together." She paused slightly, "And she says hello and that she misses your wardrobe." "I'm coming, but I'm bringing Dana with me," Helena said, slowly and clearly. "That way the two of you can solve this case. And I'll send Dinah a gift package soon." Barbara stared at her displays her mind torn roughly from the information filling her monitors. Even though the agent had been to the tower, it had been in the form of a convenient place to administer medical aid. An apartment nearby provided by an unseen host. Helena's words meant showing Dana what she and the clock tower really were. Something that she had tried very hard to stay away from since the incident with Harley. "What happened to the keeping your partner silent and unseen?" Barbara questioned trying to pull herself back from memories of that disastrous night and the resulting distance that had torn at her and Helena ever since. "We let Dinah in," Helena protested. "If I put you and Dana together this will be over so much faster. And you and I both know that we can't keep this up much longer." "No, we can not." Her eyes traveled to a small window that contained am image of Jem and the information on the blonde that one of her trace bots had returned. "And we, no I, also let Wade in." she said softly. "Dana is not like you or Dinah. I can't handle another Wade." She admitted softly, her eyes stuck on Jem's image. "We're letting her in to solve the case. That's what makes it okay," Helena argued. "Why the change Huntress?" "Is now really the time?" Helena asked, not sure she could say the right words anyway. "Is this one of your patented 'gut feelings'? Or do you have something more substantial on which you are basing your trust? Something more personal?" She had closed her eyes to better focus on Helena's words and not the other memories assaulting her thoughts. "Gut. She hasn't arrested me, and she just gave me more case information to look over. She trusts us, we should trust her," Helena said. "I'll be by soon, okay?" "Soon? Tonight?" Barbara replied reduced to one word responses as she tried to catch the same assured feeling her partner seemed to have regarding the federal agent. "Yes, we'll be leaving the diner by my place soon. You'll be there," Helena said, waiting for confirmation, though it definitely wasn't a question. "Do I have a choice?" She snapped moving her chair back away from the monitors as a way of expressing her frustration. "What do you think?" Helena asked, hanging up the phone and speaking those words as she walked back to the booth. Dana had placed the bills on the table intending to slip out; it had been a very long day. As she stood by the table, she watched Helena as she spoke on the phone and noted the changes in her facial expression indicating the conversation was not going as expected. Leaning over to grab her satchel, the agent began moving toward the door, her path intersected Helena's. Stopping in front of the redhead Helena paused, taking in a breath. "It's time you met someone. Let me grab those files." "Excuse me," She furrowed her brow. "I thought the idea was to have you find some of those answers to my questions while I headed back to my place for the night." "I'm going to introduce you to the answers," Helena said a bit somberly. "Your car's nearby?" "Out front," she confirmed. "Is this your partner, the one I spoke to, in a sense, the other evening?" Helena nodded. "Just... tread lightly. It's a pretty exclusive little club." Not sure how to take that comment, Dana nodded and headed toward her car. Following, Helena was quiet, not sure what to say. "You remember where we got fixed up?" she asked, settling into the car. Dana buckled her belt and started the car. "Yes, a nearby friend's place and a doctor who does not mind house calls." She said recalling the previous evening. "That's where we're going," Helena said, buckling her seatbelt and trying to get comfortable. Having thought originally the friend providing the care might be tied more closely to things then Helena had indicated, Scully nodded. After confirming the directions she pulled the car out and headed towards the clock tower. "I take it not many know exactly what you and your friend do." she said a moment later breaking the silence. "Probably less than 10," Helena agreed, after counting off a few in her head. Dana glanced over at the woman, "Why? I mean, why work so hard to hide what you are doing?" She pulled at the belt feeling an edginess developing. Her experience with people who hid things had always come with death or pain. "We've had bad luck in the past," Helena said simply. Now was definitely not the time for details. "So have I." Dana replied as she continued to question if this was the right thing to be doing. "Then it's safe to say that all of the caution is mutual," Helena said softly. Keeping her eyes on the road, the agent did not reply immediately. "The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown." She said after a few moments using a quote Mulder had written on a piece of paper and kept taped up in their office. "Can't argue that," Helena agreed, her eyes staring straight ahead, suddenly questioning her decision. contact: docwho2000@hotmail.com page last modified - September 9, 2006 graphics from www.eosdev.com |