… Liberteen asks for help…

“Do you mind if you just take me home and forget Ahmed exists? You can take me shopping tomorrow, & I can never have to consider facing him again?”

“You expect he will try something even with you being super powered? You could literally wipe the floor with his head.”

That caused Liberteen to giggle again but with mirth at the idea. “Yeah no… I expect he will try to manipulate me into getting back together with him… to answer your question from earlier, no I do not want to go back to him. Simply giving him all my old belongings simply makes it easy to cut him out of my life.”

You realize abruptly that your now fiancée… which was simply nuts to consider but for some strange reason you trusted Liberteen more than you had any right too, but you also knew that Lady Owl was listening still, if she thought something shady was going on then she would have acted.

… you had realized that your fiancée was asking you for help. The natural response was to grant her that help. However, the idea of spending an entire day watching her spend an ungodly amount of money was like asking for a root canal from a dentist.

Fortunately for you Lady Owl walked into the room. She was now in her civilian cloths though she still wore arm bands that would activate her suit if she was in danger.

Victoria giggled with that uncharacteristic mirth again, and it put you on edge. Yet that seemed only amuse her further.

“Is it really so hard to believe that I might want some of what you were giving her today?”

You blink at Ms. Burke, “Actually given your history? Yes it is a little weird… Not that I am against the idea of… Helen and I dating you, it is just a lot of changes to assimilate.”

“Be nice John! Ms. Victoria has helped us more than she ever needed to. She could have just expelled us from the entire building in the beginning.”

Victoria smiled warmly at Helen. “Yes dear, I could have done a lot of things. Yet I actually have been working up the nerve to approach John for a while now.”

This was like an episode of the Twilight Zone to you. “Why? You’re amazing and I am just a knight, what could I possibly have that any other male in the city does’t already have?”

Victoria smiled warmly at you for once and it was strangely comforting to see the twinkle of desire in her eyes. Helen just watched the silent exchange.

“OK, John I see how much she means to you. I will learn to accept her into our bed.”

That caused Victoria to hit her face with the palm of her hand. “No… girl, I’ve been listening to you two all day and you still don’t get it despite John explicitly saying it.

“We don’t want to **** you into anything you don’t want. If you want him all to yourself… In will adjust.” The negative reaction Victoria had at that idea was quiet obvious and far more reassuring that this was really her and she really wanted you. She was known as a stern task mistress to the entire league and the villains. Thinking of her in a loving way was… new.

“See, that right there is why I work to keep the image that I do. You have no idea how many men I still have had to shut down despite my obvious lack of interest. Yet turning that around with someone I respect? Well, it is like pulling teeth.”

“But respect me? Before today I’ve been a rich playboy that treats women like I do cars. Why would any woman like you respect me?”

“Because I know it is an act. Today was the biggest proof of that. When faced with a young woman who is obviously smitten with you. What was your response? Throw her away like yesterday’s news? No you are letting yourself develop real feelings for someone for once. You are allowing yourself to be open even if it risks being hurt.

“What woman wouldn’t respect that kind of inner fortitude? And those women you claim to throw away have two habits. One is they know who you are and what they are getting themselves into. Two is that some of them also have repeat performances.”

You winced; the thought had been no one was paying attention to a womanizer like you. So, you developed a couple more valuable flings that were more than one night stands. Not that you were going to continue them going forward now but you thought you were being stealthy.

“Oh relax, Friday already scrubs the feeds of your escapades simply as a matter of security. If anyone else was watching my prize I would have known.”

“So, I am a prize now?”

Helen giggled and it was nice to hear her happiness.

“Yes, you are… is that a problem?” Victoria arched an eyebrow.