Night. The time where anything can happen. A time where there are no rules, everyone is free. The laws of day have no hold here, or at least, they shouldn't.

The wind blew gently around the two figures in the yard. The smell of the salty sea air clung to their bodies, chilling them to the bone.

It was a long time before either of the two women spoke, perhaps out of fear of shattering the illusion of peace.

"I could take you away from this. Away from this all." One said.

"Why would you want to do that? We don't even know each other…" the other said, with a smile that the former is all to familiar with. It was the smile she used when she had no intentions of playing fair. No intention of giving in, not right away that is.

"Every time we meet, I fall more and more in love with you. I can never get you out of my head! Come with me, please." There was a hint of desperation in her voice. That was new.

"Come with you… You're cute but you're no good for me. I'm not good for you. Why not keep this little cat and mouse game, isn't it fun?"

"Ada, please…"

The other gave a pleading look, like a child trying to bargain for a toy they couldn't have: sad and desperate, afraid they'll never have it again. Maybe that was true.

"I'll take care of you. I'll make your life comfortable, I promise. You'll never have to work with them again. You'll be free."

"Now we're making promises we can't keep? That's not nice." The smile stayed but it wasn't the same. It was empty and sad.

Free…no one is ever truly free. At least not me…

"Helena… you know our lives will never allow it." Ada's smile faded altogether.

Helena stepped forward and took Ada in her arms and held her close. The embrace was warm and comforting but foreign to Ada. She didn't fight it, but she didn't return the feelings.

It isn't that she didn't want to, it was that she couldn't. She couldn't allow herself to stay caught up in this web, but she still made no attempt to try and break free.

Ada had already compromised her mission by setting up this meeting. No, not meeting, that's too harsh. Rendezvous? Too cliché. Date? No, not quite but if only.

If only this was a date. If only they could be anywhere but here. The beaches of Hawaii. The shores of Lake Geneva. A penthouse in China. But instead, they were in a cold and old abandoned shipping yard on the outskirts of the city. This wasn't a date, it was a good bye. Or at least, it was supposed to be a good bye.

Ada slowly raised up her arms, desperately wanting to hold Helena. Her hands hovered over her back, shaking. She couldn't bring herself to complete the hug. Her arms dropped.

Pathetic.

"We can go now. I can have our passports ready in 20 minutes, money wired to a secret account, and any place in the world you want to go. Just say yes."

"Just say yes… why can't it be that easy?" Ada spoke half-heartedly.

She attempted to steady herself by taking in a deep breath and closing her. Her heart was raced, her face burned, her palms sweaty, her knees weak.

Just like me…

She could hear Helena's heartbeat. It was nice and steady, soft and low. Unlike Ada's own heart which was uneasy and depraved, hard and scared. Why?

Why does this woman make me so anxious? Why won't my heart calm down?

It's because you love her, idiot.

Love…

A word foreign in concept to Ada. When she thinks back on it, has she ever loved another being? She can never recall when she thinks on her past.

Do I love her?

Ada didn't bother answering, whether out of fear of knowing or not knowing, she didn't want to know. Not here. Not now.

Ada took another breath, this time to take in Helena's scent. Sweet candy and honey. Sunshine and soft dreams.

A summers dream…my dream…a dream…a nightmare…

"I can't leave with you, you know that."

Ada could feel Helena's arms tighten around her body; as if someone threatened to take her away…someone had.

"I'll never let you go, never."

Ada closed her eyes and for the first time that night, she allowed herself to relax, to melt away in Helena's arms.

Relax

Relax

Relax

How did I get myself caught up in this?

Ada could feel herself slipping. Her mind wondering to the first day. The first day she met Helena. The first day she truly felt alive. The first day she fell in love with Helena Harper.