Prompt: Sarah and Felix take Helena to a buffet, and Helena thinks she has entered paradise.

(Thanks to tumblr user enchantecosima for the prompt.)

Let's Have Lunch

"Alright, Helena, you remember what we talked about, yeah?"

They stood outside the clear glass doors of the local Chinese buffet restaurant. Sarah was anxious about taking Helena to a public eatery, where there would be other people around, but after much assurance from her daughter that they'd been practicing their table manners and a shrug from her brother, she'd decided it was worth a shot.

A head full of wild, blonde ringlets bowed in a nod. Helena played with her fingers as she looked up at her twin with puppy dog eyes that she could only have learned from Kira. "Yes, sestra."

Sarah planted her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrows. " it back to me one more time before we go in."

Helena seemed to shrink into her oversized coat. "We are going into a nice restaurant. I have to put the food on the plate and take it back to the table before I can eat it."

Sarah nodded. "Right. What else?"

"Um, be... polite... to the people?"

Sarah sighed. "Yeah. Just remember-"

"Oh for christ's sake. Can we just go in now? I think my stomach is trying to eat itself." Felix bounced on the balls of his feet impatiently.

With a sigh, Sarah nodded, and they pushed through the double doors and entered the establishment.

The moment they were inside, Helena's face lit up with something that could have been called awe. Her eyes found the expanse that was the buffet itself, and her gazed was locked onto it. Her mouth hung slightly open. The excitement in her expression was undeniable.

Without having to look at her, Sarah grabbed Helena's arm to stop her from scampering to the food before they'd been seated.

She stepped up to the hostess stand. "Hi. Yeah, three of us."

"Sarah," Helena turned to her with a plate overloaded with a mountain of noodles and chicken, "this plate is not big enough. What do I do?"

Sarah couldn't contain the chuckle that burst from her mouth. "It's a buffet, Helena, you can come back for more, okay? Just eat what you've got now, and if you're still hungry after that you can come back to the food and load up again."

Helena's eyes widened at Sarah almost reverentially. She leaned close to Sarah and whispered, "Is this heaven?"

She smiled in disbelief and a loud, uncontrollable bark of laughter rumbled from her chest before she could stop it. She apologized quickly to the patrons around her who'd glanced in her direction at the auditory commotion. She imitated Helena's secretive posture and tone. In a hushed voice, she said, "Yes, Helena. Welcome to the promised land."

A smile unlike anything she'd ever seen worked it's way onto Helena's lips. It was genuine, but awkward, as if it was unused to having a place on Helena's features. It reminded Sarah that Helena hadn't had much reason to smile before they'd met. Her heart seized momentarily, and she cast her glance downward as she worked her face back into her usual annoyed amusement.

"Come on, let's go eat our ambrosia."

Helena cast her a questioning glance. "Ambrosia?"

"Nevermind."

"Helena! Utensils, we've been over this."

Felix rolled his eyes as he stabbed at his orange beef. "Oh, lighten up, Sarah. At least she's not getting it all over her face like she did with the spaghetti last night."

"Fe, she can't eat with her hands. We're at a bloody restaurant."

Helena picked up the fork that sat next to her plate, grasping it like a child who was just learning to use one - which, essentially, she was - and attempted to spoon a bit of rice into her mouth. A little pout appeared on her face as the majority of the forkful spilled over down her front.

Sarah sighed. "It's alright, Helena. Maybe try the spoon for your rice. Less of it will fall through the little spears."

Helena bobbed her head with another little grin and picked up her spoon. "Thank you, sestra."

Sarah rolled her eyes at herself as her lips quirked upwards, outside of her control. "Yeah, you're welcome, meathead."