Helena impatiently flipped through the pages of National Geographic. She had been sitting in the waiting room for almost an hour as Tina and Ronnie met inside Ronnie’s private office, and she had completely exhausted the supply of reading material in the magazine racks. Finally, Helena got up from the leather couch and walked to the window, looking down on the crowded parking lot eight stories below and thinking back over the past few days.
She had spent the weekend in New York with her children, returning to Los Angeles early Monday morning. The time with her son and daughter was restorative and easy, as always. But though Helena had a wonderful visit, she thought often about Tina, and wondered how she was. She’d asked Tina to accompany her to Manhattan, but Tina declined.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come with me. The children adore you, and they’d be thrilled to see you,” Helena said, as she called on her way to the airport on Friday afternoon.
“It’s sweet of you to ask, but I think I’ll stay here,” Tina replied.
“You could always rest at the house and keep clear of the lacrosse equipment frenzy,” Helena said.
“Thank you. Really. But I’d rather be at home.”
In the silence that followed, Helena considered canceling her trip and staying in California instead.
“Don’t worry. I’ll see you in a few days,” Tina said, interrupting the heavy pause between them.
“Yes. I suppose so,” Helena hesitated.
“Tell them I said hello.”
“I will. I hope you realize that they will make me promise to bring you along next time.”
“Next time,” Tina echoed.
As she settled into her seat on the plane, Helena realized that her children hadn’t seen Tina since Angelica was born. The last time they were all together, Tina was seven months pregnant, and the two young siblings had been full of questions and curiosity about the baby growing inside of Tina’s belly. Tina had been loving and patient with them, responding to their inquiries and guiding their small hands across her abdomen so they could feel the baby moving. She couldn’t even begin to imagine how she would explain to her babies that Tina’s baby had died.
Related
Login to add story to favorites
(24 votes, average: 4.88 out of 5)
Loading ...
Another great chapter FFC, its very nice to see this side of Helena, very caring..we don’t see it very often in fan fic land. Thank you.
Very well done chapter FFC.
ffc, you know you’re good when B&T fans are not simply tolerating, but also liking Helena as well. :) Thank you!
Another wonderfully written chapter, but I am like a lot of people want B&T to help each other through this
I can’t wait to see where this goes. Especially after the chapter with Bette not selling the house. Thanks for writing.
I have difficulty accepting that Helena doesn’t have a self serving agenda. More power to you for creating a kinder, gentler (ahem) even likable character. Thank you for leading Tina via Helena to the professional help she needed. The missing piece of the puzzle is Bette. I hope you are as generous with her in providing the friendship and help she truly needs. I would like to see more from her point of view. Thanks for an incredible story that touches so many.
i’m trying hard to accept that B&T aren’t together…but i think their friendws should try and make them talk…this is really hard and heartbreaking, but i see some hope, i just really want B&T get back together
I’ve enjoyed your stories. This story has been emotionally charged. I actually quite like this Helena. Bette needs a friend like that too, to help her move along, to heal. Perhaps Tina can be the one? Thanks for posting. Can’t wait to see how this unfolds.
loved the last two chapters!thanks for the glimpse of bette. the contrast of their grief gives the story a lot of depth. i have to say, i can relate a lot to bette’s way of dealing with it. especially when my grandfather was dying, there were moments when i was so close to positively collapsing emotionally… and then i’d remember i was in the middle of class. there’s an odd type of person who opts to put it off; the crying, the pain, the helplessness. it felt like i never quite had time to deal with it because i could foresee the magnitude of what actually dealing with my sadness would bring. i’ve allowed myself to grieve and i hope bette does too (with tina, of course. haha). love that tina’s finally getting help!
ooh its heart wrenching to say.. but GO HEL!! loving this story.. regardless of how sad it is .. :)
The relationship forming between Helena and Tina is lovely. I’m glad Tina’s getting some guidance and now has Ronnie as an outlet. -happy!-
Good chapter!
7pm and ffc back to back. sweet! thank you for posting this beautiful chapter today
I often don’t comment on others stories or read them because I am working on my own but I clicked on your first chapter and have been hooked ever since. I am a BIG Tina fan (although you can’t tell in my story) and love Bette just as much. It pains me to see them seperate but I have to say that you are exploring a delicate side to Helena that I think is extremely plausable. I could see her being this way with Tina and wanting to help.I was hoping that you would have Bette come to her senses and deal with it getting back together with Tina to heal but now I’m not so sure that Tina shouldn’t lean on Helena (I can’t believe I’m writing this) and move past Bette for good. If she can’t be there when Tina needs her the most…so be it but Helena can.
Great update. And Helena is really good and supportive, I like this Helena, at least so far. But I still think that talking about all this with Bette is the best thing for them, they need to work through this together. Well that’s what I believe. Great chapter, please post soon
Thank you for this story. I think I told you that my first baby died of SIDS at five weeks and though I’ve got two gorgeous kids now, the pain never really goes away. I wish I’d had your Helena in my life to help me through at the time. You are writing this so sensitively.
I must say that I rather enjoy this story. I am glad to read a piece of fanfic that does not demonize Helena, because I do like her in the show and think that there’s more to her than making Bette and Tina’s lives a living hell. Very refreshing and well written. Please continue!
I am trying with all my strength to accept what is being offered to me but I have one question and its a pretty important question. Is the loss of the bay boy we know from the show also relevant in this scenario? I never thought I would say this but Helena is really human in this story, even the fact that she is willingly lying to herself about her feelings for Tina, in order to be her guide through this difficult time is endearing. I can’t fathom what it must be like for Tina I wouldn’t be able to function. Yet I am more intrigued about what it is like for you to write this story. Yet I am fully aware that this is something I might never be privy to. Thanks.
Lovely as always. Thank you for posting…Despite this not having been the story on the L word, I find it very plausible – thus, i’m pained by the fact that I have found myself thinking that indeed Bette may have ‘abandoned’ (for the lack of a better word) Tina had this occurred. We don’t get to see them work through anything… But, you’re letting us see a more meaningful side to Helena, for which i am grateful.
Not many authors on our site could expertly tackle such a life alterning topic with the sensitivity and grace that you possess. Thank you for encouraging our hearts with the peak of light at the end of the tunnel.
it’s high time Tina needs some advice and help from professional. wonderful chapter,ffc! :)
Thanks for another great chapter, ffc. *And sorry for your loss, alb.
Listen your really trying my patiece I like that you make helen human but WFT where is bette !!!!!!! how is she handling this ! she needs tina like yesterday!!!!!!!! She nedds to show up like now!!!!!!!!!!!!
FFC always the best from you, I have been enjoying this story from the shadows.
eloquent. thought provoking. emotionally charged. just some words. i have tried to put into perspecitive my thoughts over me sons death and its almost a year now. i still cant except, be angry. grateful for your words and the simplicity of them to open my heart a little more for healing to begin. as much as i detest helena, i would appreciate one to help guide me. this is truly a awesome piece of work. thanks.
This is utterly amazing, that this site, this particular story can evoke so much of what is really out there, albeez, how hard this must be to read being that you are going thru this yourself. I commend you for how far you come and pray for how far you must still travel…Thank you for this story, for touching the lives and making things real for so many people. I would be a mess if I were to lose one of my girls, utterly lost, I don’t look down on Bette, everyone goes thru greiving on their own time and actions. I feel bad that she is out there alone w/out someone caring like Helena in this story…pls send her helppost soon….tks