Bat, Cat, and Coin

Selina V

She nodded. "We first met when I was nine. I don't think he knew where I was before then, but he's been watching over me ever since."

"He keeps tabs on you?" Sam looked around nervously.

"He's never intervened in my personal life. He just helps when I need it."

"And he won't take issue with you dating a cop?"

Selina looked away. There was that word again. "A lot of the GCPD is on his payroll."

"Yeah, but I'm not."

She pursed her lips.

"You're not going to try to convince me to join the dark side, are you?"

"No, of course not."

"Good." His watch beeped, signaling his next shift. "I've got to get back." He stood, but paused, studying her. "Look, I don't want you to think that I'm uncomfortable with this. As long as you're not working for him, I'm okay with it."

"Well, you can rest assured that I'm not doing that." The question of her own comfort was a different matter, but she wasn't going to bring it up.

* * *

"What's got your whiskers twisted?"

"Huh?" Selina looked up as Holly plopped down beside her on the couch.

"What's wrong?"

Selina looked away from her. "Sam."

"Oh? What did Officer Hunk do?" That was Holly's new nickname for him.

"He's started using the d-word."

"Really? I didn't think he was crude like that. Maybe he's got a kinky side after all. Unless... He wasn't using it to insult somebody, was he?"

"Not that d-word. The other one." At Holly's confusion, she elaborated. "Dating."

"That's a bad thing?"

"I'm not fond of labels."

"There are far worse labels than that one."

Selina grimaced. "Years ago, there was a guy. We were together for years, but we never put labels on it."

"Yeah, but you're older now. Older people use labels, don't they?"

"Older people don't like the label 'older.'"

"I'm just telling it like it is." Holly shrugged. "Like Officer Hunk is, apparently."

"That doesn't make me feel better."

Holly shifted, her face growing more serious. "This other guy... If you're bringing him up now, years later, I take it that means the wound hasn't fully healed yet?"

Selina sighed. "I don't know if it ever will. He left rather suddenly."

"Well that's an asshole thing to do."

"Yeah."

"So maybe agreeing to a label with Officer Hunk will help you get over him."

Selina let her doubt show.

Holly leaned forwards, looking down. "I used to dream that a knight in shining armor would come and get me out, but the only guys who ever showed up were creeps and assholes. There aren't that many good ones out there. So if you've found one and he's clearly very into you, why not give him a shot?"

Selina studied her. Leslie had advised her to see a therapist, just as she'd done with Selina all those years ago. But unlike Selina, Holly had agreed, and it seemed to be doing her good.