Orphans Beloved… "Valentina…"

Summary: Like my Immortal Beloved bits in my Buffyverse stories, these are fragments and short bits, some longer…Just to fiddle with ideas, possibly forming longer tales later.

Disclaimer: No copywrite infringement intended.

A sudden creaking crash as the little man, balding, fell back…Almost literally tossed onto the bed…Hastily followed up by his groan as his lithe partner crashed on top of his small, slender form…

"Now…Tell…" giggle…

"Tell what?..." mock sour frown up at her shining, slightly sweating face…Black curls framing the smooth, lovely face…Eyes sparkling down at him. A toothy grin…

His own ever-sad brown eyes staring up at her, an irrepressible smile playing on his lips…

"What I want to know…" she teased, breathing heavily…Lips to his forehead, down to brush his mouth…One hand supporting her on the bed, the other touching his chest. Her legs on either side of his slight body.

"Leekie's pressing the three working together to sign contracts. Red herrings…They mean nothing…He just wants to separate them and keep them from going public."

"Nice…But not what I wanted…"

"Tomas doesn't tell me everything…" he sighed. "And Leekie doesn't tell him everything…"

He paused as she halted above him, staring down…

"If I knew whether he'd mentioned you to Helena, I'd say." He noted quietly. "And if she were coming…Or Leekie…Or Tomas…"

"I know…Not what I wanted…" renewed grin…She brushed her free hand over his balding pate.

"Surely you don't want me to tell you I love you." He looked at her beaming face. "You know that as well."

"I know, but I want to hear…Tell…" she mock-growled.

"I love you, Valentina…But since when is that news?" he smiled up wanly. "Now…If you loved me, that would be news."

"Hey!" she frowned… Sincerely. "That's a lousy way to treat me…" she pulled back, rising with legs, standing.

"Sorry…" he put up hands, pleading gesture.

"I don't need your help so much I'd sleep with you to get it. I can get what I need at Dyad." Glare… "I've always said I loved you and I don't lie about things like that. Maybe I should go…" she pouted at him.

" You look like Helena right now, you know that?" he grinned, sitting up. "Oh, don't be angry…I'm just being an old man, which is what I am. An old, little man who can't believe you could care for me." He sighed.

She shook her head. "Now you'll go and make me cry." Sigh. But slight unbuttoning of partly opened blouse. "You're not old and I'm pretty little myself. Why can't you just be glad I care?"

"What about…?"

"I love him too…So? I'm not married to him…He has a wife he cares for, even if there's room for me." She noted. "Can't you just be very glad a pretty young thing finds you irresistible?" grin…She moved back to the bed, as he lay back…

"Me?" he rolled eyes.

"My own little Ben Kingsley with the haunting eyes…Who saved my life at risk of his own. And who so loves being loved by me. I like making you happy. I like seeing you happy." She beamed. "As for him, well…" shrug. "He makes me happy. Can't you just take that and be happy with it?"

"It's not that I'm jealous…Well, a little…" he sighed…Smiling up at her.

"You're a little jealous…A little, jealous, Ben Kingsley…" she moved up on him. "A sexy beast…" she finished unbuttoning, pulling off her dark red blouse.

"I think they're moving into higher gear…The little girl and all this with the three becoming self-aware." He noted, turning serious.

"Later…" she breathed, touching his face with a forefinger gently. "Later…I appreciate it but I'm here to be happy with you. Lets talk shop later."

"It's your life, Val…"

"Life ends no matter what…Lets live it a little."

"Perched on the volcano at Dyad…" he eyed her.

"Right where it gets exciting…" grin.

"Leekie's going to catch on to you one day. I can't keep you a secret forever…"

"'Clone D42D24 deceased at nineteen years, six months due to pulmonary failure as a complication of genetic manipulation.' End of monitoring report, close of story." She noted.

"End of head if Dyad ever finds out…" he sighed.

"What? They have a spare, they should be pleased as punch." She grinned.

"A spare jumping from life to life…Taking the life of each of her sisters I'm assigned for a few months post natural croak…" he eyed her, mock sternly.

"Keepin' one step ahead of the game…I always fool the idiot brigade…Sorry, your elite team of monitors, with your help." Smile.

"And we can't be sure you won't be sick one day…Alissa was very close to you in the line-up."

"We know some of us are lucky…I choose to believe I'm one of us." She smiled. "Enough shop!" she put finger to his mouth. "Happy time, Field Supervisor." She kissed him.

"The little girl…Kira Manning…" he looked up at her, seriously. "She could be the key to everything, the key that saves you and the others."

"If I needed to be saved. Ok, talk done…Sex or I go all Helena." She pouted.

"I'll never forget the time you played Helena with Leekie…" he grinned. "Man was never scared so shitless in his miserable life."

"I have message from Tomas…" she intoned, in Helena accent. Making finger move as if cutting with a knife on his chest. "Well, it got me safely out that time." She grinned.

"I am happy, Val." He smiled. "And even if Dyad kills me one day…Worth it."

"See…I only love good and worthy men." She grinned. Staring quietly into his eyes. "The day they kill you because of me is the day I kill them or die trying." Unblinking stare.