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Renee is contemplating going home.

She is doing this contemplation by being at the lakeside, where the larger boulders are, standing on one hand and bending her legs back towards her occiput.

Hey, it helps her think.

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Her face turns serius. This isn't a part of her life she particularly likes thinking about.

"I got fired. I was being framed for murdering some mafia guys, one of whom was my cousin. I had the cops and Batman after me so I went on the run.

"Turns out schools don't like it when teachers turn up on a regular basis covered in bruises and then disappear for months at a time without letting them know. Go figure," she adds with a shrug that tries to say 'it's no big deal' and doesn't quite manage it.

Renee offers the most rueful of smirks.

"Well, the new job is obviously good for you. You look great."

"... Thanks," she says quietly, as a faint red blush spreads across her cheeks.

"You look pretty great too."

She avoids Looking at Renee as the blush becomes deeper.

That response is kind of confusing. But there's no way to question it without sounding weird.

"...thanks?"

Damn it! She never had this much trouble talking to guys! Why the hell is the so difficult?! It isn't that different!

"I didn't mean..." She begins, becoming flustered. "I just meant... you look like you're doing okay too."

Maybe this is just difficult because she's never liked a guy as much as she likes Renee...

"I'm not doing badly," Renee admits. "Haven't run into the zombie versions of my dead best friends for a while, so that's probably enough."

Helena frowns.

"Zombies? Here?"

"No, at home."

Renee hesitates.

"I didn't tell you about zombie Charlie?"

"No, you didn't."

She would have remembered that.

"What happened?"

"Charlie's body got possessed by some Lantern thing," Renee explains. "Tried to kill me, and Tot and Lady Shiva. We stopped it."

"How did Shiva get involved?" she asks, frowning.

"She was in the middle of beating the crap out of me when he turned up."

It's the most casually given explanation ever.

That sound of silence? Is the sound of Helena's heart skipping a beat.

"... That woman's dangerous," she says quietly. "She could have killed you.

What the hell did you do to get on her bad side?"

"Yeah," Renee says, in a tone that says she already knows that.

"I didn't do anything. She just turned up and wanted to beat me up. I didn't exactly opt in."

"Look, don't take this the wrong way, I know you can handle yourself but... you know if you need help you can call me, right?"

She pauses briefly before continuing: "I mean it'll be future me but she'll help. I'll help. If I can."

"I know," Renee says quickly. "And I do - I will, I mean. But when crazy ladies turn up on my doorstep saying they'll kill me if I don't spar with them right now, I don't get a lot of time to break open my rolodex."

"Right, I get that. But if a case comes up. If you can. Call me."

"OK." She smiles. "I will. Thank you."

It matters, that reassurance. They can be friends again, and Helena doesn't hate her. It's important.

Except that maybe in this 'not hating her' thing, Helena's started acting weird.

"You're sure you're okay?"

"Anytime," she says softly.

Is she alright? How to answer that question?

She thinks for a moment before she replies, "I'm better than I've been in a long time."

"Good," Renee says lightly, as if the question was no big thing.

"You know that goes both ways. You can call me up, if your other girls aren't enough for you."

Helena is amazed by Renee. What the hell did she do to deserve having this woman - this amazing, beautiful, dangerous woman - in her corner?

"Why?" she asks, perplexed. "After the way I've been... you don't even owe me the time of day. Why would you bother doing anything for me?"

Renee blinks.

"Wait, what?" she says, honestly surprised. "Why would I...?

"Because we're friends, dummy."

"I haven't exactly been the greatest friend to you though, have I?

Renee lifts half a shoulder in an attempt at a shrug.

It's not like her friends are thick on the ground.

"What, by being straight? I'll get over it."

"No, I don't mean... I'm not..."

Breathe, Helena.

"I'm not saying this right.

I'm sorry. I know i'm not the easiest person to be around and I've screwed up a lot. But I don't wanna do that anymore."