Fantasy Whatever Gets You through the Night by TMaskedWriter

[Ramesh_Rocky]

Helen smirked at that. One of the things she loved about Susan was that she fearlessly called Helen on her shit when no one else would dare stand up to La Contessa like that. Susan was as much her family as Troy & Julie; therefore, like them, could say whatever she wanted to Helen. She tried to come up with a joke anyway before deciding it was also too much effort after everything today, so she just told Suzy-Q the truth.

"Not good," she exhaled. "In the past few days, I've lost someone I cared about personally, almost lost Maria, and ended up losing someone I didn't know personally but was still one of My People. And all of these things can be pinned on one man whom we now know has an arsenal and bombs. LeGrasse is having La Policia go over the CCTV cameras and get a trace on the guy we caught on video. Nothing I can really do until then besides be sad for the two of the seven dead people who did nothing to deserve it. The others were all Nazis. Fuck them."

"And now you know that Dietz has all the stuff he needs to make a lot more people dead." Suzy-Q said knowingly. Because she was existing in Helen's mind, she had some access to her thoughts. It was how Susan was able to learn Italian instantly. Suzy-Q hadn't meant to do it and didn't know how it happened to repeat the process. Since information in La Contessa's mind could find its way to Susan whether either woman wanted it to or not, Susan, like the rest of her family, had Top Secret clearance with San Finzione's government.

"There are days where I feel totally up to this job." Helen told her, sliding her hand to stroke her breast because the sex idea was still something she could also use about now. "Then there are days like this. Where I DO want to hand it all over to Maria and either go live with everyone there or across the street with the Greens! But I can't, because it'd be a really shitty thing to do to her, Vincenzo, and the country."

"I'm sure Vincenzo didn't wake up knowing what he was doing each and every day either." She advised Helen. "I mean, he was The Count, so he had to act like he always knew what to do; especially when he didn't. You know all about that part of the job, though. He can't have faced everything he did with complete confidence."

"There's also the fact that, for Troy and the Boys' sakes, I'm doing my best to not get TOO involved. Because he's fucking right a-fucking-gain; they DO need a Mommy to come home to after this. And I need them, too. So, Ramirez, LeGrasse, and Luc are all handling the Law & Order side of things. Mander and I are taking it from the perspective of those for whom The Law is a natural enemy."

"That's one of the things that Troy and Susan have in common." Suzy-Q replied, not at all objecting to Helen's plan. "Not the hunters vs wabbits thing. Both their parents went out for a drive one day and never came home. And Julie experienced that loss right alongside you two. You spent most of that time with Propappou, though. And he needed his Petalouda Mikro, too. It has to have eased his loss that he had you and Troy there to think about and keep going for." Helen nodded agreement. "They wouldn't be them if they weren't over-protective of the twins. You too, but they know you can handle some stuff; they're more concerned about Vincenzo and Byroni."

"I'm still baffled by how two perfect little beings managed to come out of me!" She answered. "I could call up the Ministry of Science and have Dr. Rocco give me a 2-hour presentation with charts, graphs, and other visual aids on the physical details if I wanted to really embarrass my Minister but that's all it would accomplish and I like Miguel." Helen remembered something just then. "Oh yeah, he sent over something I asked for." She thought another moment and wrapped her arm around Suzy-Q's waist. "It'll wait until morning."

Suzy-Q put her hand on Helen's arm. She didn't move it; she simply placed her hand there.

"Helen, the thing that the world tries to make you think and that you try to forget is really your biggest strength. Troy knows it, but he can't say it. Ramirez and everyone else know it but WON'T say it. Susan would want me to. Because she gets it better than anyone."

Suzy-Q kissed her deeply before continuing.

"You are Contessa Helena de San Finzione." She punctuated it with a smooch. "You are ALSO Helena Medina." Another smooch. "And Helen Parker." One more. "Three very special women, each of whom has loved and been loved by three more great men than most of us except maybe Julie can say. You are in literal command of most situations. And when you aren't; what do you do? When running's not an option, I mean."

Helen returned the passionate kiss and they replied together.

"Cheat."

"That's right." Suzy-Q continued. "You cheat. And that's how you win, Helen. What you call yourself out of deflected shame, Susan calls you with all admiration." She pulled Helen closer for emphasis.