North American Vampire Council & Past Calling (Hypernaturals 12 & 13)

Helen Found You

I thought about it. "I have never seen that expression. Not even when Rachel was born, because she looked happy and worried all at the same time. When we were doing the pictures with Bob, she was happy and laughing, but this is different. That is... joy. Pure and unadulterated joy."

"Helen is so very much in this moment. If you are going to wear a suit, that is a good reason to right there." Morgan has always been more accepting of a work uniform than I.

Morgan looked at the picture. "I have never seen that expression. When you all came home from the weekend? She was singing. Helen. Well, humming, but still. Helen! Not a modicum of her normal snarky self in her body. You and your purple suit loved it right out of her. I have known Helen longer than you, and I have never seen her like this."

"The suit is a costume, and we compromised on the tie. Helen found something to love about it not being there. I figured I can wear costumes to ComicCon, I can wear costumes to go dancing."

Morgan looked at me with a Mona Lisa flavor of a smile. She wears that better than anyone other than Mona Lisa herself. "I never really thought of my work clothes as a costume. I went from a short stint as a uniformed officer to a detective, and 'detective' had its own uniform. I largely kept the uniform as a private detective. It is a costume, now that I think upon it. It is not me. Me is naked. With a lover. Helen is good with naked, but this is her too. Like this." She tapped the picture which made it wiggle a little on the screen.

I paused for a thoughtful moment. "It's one little thing. Honestly, my Morgan, I had no idea Helen loved to dance like that. So many centuries to bridge. So much life she has experienced before our lives together that a baby like me cannot even comprehend it. Her life before us had to be more than palace intrigue and sneaking off the broom closet with scullery maids."

"She absolutely did that." Morgan said. "Broom closet. Attic. Wherever in the castle a bisexual woman needed to go to have her illicit-at-the-time love."

"I am sure she had many pre-laid-out locations for her sex before she was forced to leave for France. What I was thinking about is that she once said that, post-Vampire-turn, she loved two of the humans she married, even if the larger project was Helen doing a Mata Hari thing for the Vampire world and despite that being a part of her larger plan to get on Council."

"I remember her saying that. I was unsure of how to respond."

"My exact point. How does that work? How do you feel in the aftermath of a relationship with a human that lasted longer than I have been alive? To love and lose a human spouse? An ephemeral love?" I shook my head at that concept. "Whatever all that is, I have never felt so close to her. So married to her, as after the evening we lay there and talked about Laura and boats. As costumes go, that is a magical one. Even better than your Supergirl one, and that is saying something!"

Morgan took back the computer, looked down at the screen, still zoomed in on Helen's face. "For that effect, that look on her face, I would pay you to wear that costume. That is... Amazing. Such simple, happy, carefree joy."

"You can bring her the same joy." I pointed out.

"How?" Morgan asked, disbelieving.

"Same way I sort of accidentally hit on dancing. I never told you why I suggested Helen and I do this. I found her in the garage, touching motors. Listening to you and Jessica singing and dancing up in the house to one of Jessica's favorite songs. She looked really down. Excluded. She was out in the garage looking at your world. We do the week away per spousal pair thing, but that is once a year. We need something more. Helen and I decided we needed a thing that is just her and I. You and I have a ton of them. From the park to the PI business to the coding to the bar... Things that are just ours, or are you, me, and Angel. You and Jessica have the garage and the singing and ... Well, you are her love. You kicked her ass so hard, with love and sex, over Alexander she realized how she felt about you. It was unexpected, but it is what it is. Jessica and I have things she and I do. Nightwing. ComicCon. You name it. Things we include others in from time to time, but that is ours. The Ski Condo in New Mexico where I recovered after first turning. There is a little beer and burger place by it we eat at. It's our tradition. Our place. You do work for Helen at her retreat, and things like that, but you two have no special things that are just yours. Think about it. Helen has five centuries of life to mine, looking for things for her happiness. Find some way to make her look like that. Happy, with her wife."

Morgan looked thoughtful. "The three of us were jealous when we saw you leaving, dressed like that, Helen chattering away as if she was going to the prom." Morgan laughed derisively. "Now I feel like such a chump." Morgan looked at me seriously. "How did you arrive at the dancing and the costumes, out of all the options?"

"First thing that popped into my head. I thought about the English and French courts, which made me think about the breast-baring fashions of the day, which made me think about courtly manners, which ultimately led me to this idea. A thing she used to do and love she never gets to do anymore." I explained. "Helen never really said it was something she loved, but I thought it was something two people can do. Her joy was ... Unexpected. If you listen to Helen most days, you would think the happy phase of her life started once Jessica took her to bed. All their adventures."

"Of course there are bare breasts in your inspiration. It is you." Morgan teased.

"I celebrate women's bodies. Sue me." I said gruffly.

"Oh, no. I like to be celebrated. However, I think that perhaps the reason she said nothing about her love of dancing from the court days is that her love of it is new. Brand new. Last weekend new."

Morgan shrank the picture, showed it to me. "This is the first time she was dancing with the man she loves. Makes a difference. That joy is not merely dancing. It is who she is with. The same way Jessica and I found each other, Helen found you."