Hey all! Sorry for the slight delay, ff dot net didn't want to let me log in yesterday. There was much grumbling!

Thank you Aeternus for another lovely review, and thanks to all who keep favouring and following. Your support does keep me going on those dark days when I start pulling my hair out. This week has had a few of those days.

Originally, this chapter was written as the first chapter for The Bond, and then was pushed into fourth place by other bits that kept wandering into my thoughts. I feel like continuity might be suffering a bit through this story, but I've done my best with what time I have to tweek it. I'd be happy to hear anyone's thoughts as I continue to upload new chapters though.

I've changed the rating to M, just to be safe. So be warned.


Chapter Four

"It's a boy!"

Head rising from its place of intense study, HG Wells found her eyebrows pulling together in a deep frown. Next to her, another pair of eyes unfocussed from their task and peered across the room to where the American Warehouse agent lay in a state of barely contained excitement. Dark gazes met one another in confusion and two sets of shoulders shrugged.

"Love, we may need some context over here," Helena called to her fiancé.

Myka rolled her eyes and jumped up from the chaise longue, phone in her hand as she gently pulled the enormous book from Christina and Helena's laps and squeezed in between them. "Tracy's baby," she told them with enthusiasm. "Kevin just sent me this photo." She turned her phone on its side and the three of them moved closer to see. "I'm an aunt," Myka whispered reverently as she gazed at the picture. "I have a nephew."

HG glanced at the digital photo long enough to see that the newest addition to their extended family appeared to be healthy and whole, before her eyes drifted automatically to gaze at her lover's awed expression. She watched as her favourite shade of green glassed over with emotion and then those eyes were on her, no words spoken as they communicated their excitement and nervous anticipation for their own little bundle of joy.

Myka captured Helena's lips with her own and whispered an 'I love you' as she placed her head on a supplicating shoulder, softly sighing her contentment.

"Where do babies come from?" Christina's inquisitive mind enquired, startling both of her parents out of their moment of reflection. "I mean, I know they're carried in the mother's womb, unless you're a sea-horse, and that they have to be pushed out of the birth canal, which can be distressing for the mother, but..."

"How does a baby get into the womb in the first place?" Myka finished what she imagined the young girl was trying to ask. She sat up again, though reached for her lover's hand to retain that physical connection, a familiar tingle running along her arm where her ring met the raven-haired inventor's skin.

"Yes," the eight-year-old confirmed. "How, Mama?" Christina watched her mothers share one of their looks and waited patiently for them to come to a decision. This look said something along the lines of, 'Is now a good time?'

With a subtle smile and inclination of her head, the brunette agreed that it was finally time to discuss the expected new addition to their household. With Christmas well and truly over now, Myka knew she was running out of excuses and that it was unfair on their daughter to keep the news from her for much longer. Here was the perfect opportunity; the conversation they needed to have of a silver platter. She pushed any trepidation away and stole herself for Christina's reaction.

The adults shared another look, with Helena inclining her head to say that she would begin to explain this age-old question.

"Christina, you remember the schooling we worked through recently, learning about plant reproduction?" the Victorian began in her 'teaching tone' of voice.

"Of course, Mummy," the child responded, barely resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

"Then you will recall that the male and female parts of the plant must... exchange information in order to fertilise the seeds that will form a new plant," she phrased this as a statement rather than a question and smiled when her daughter nodded confidently. "Well, love; there are some similarities with animal reproduction; a male and a female are required to make a baby."

Frowning, the young girl turned to face her parents face-on. "So aunt Tracy and uncle Kevin had to exchange information to fertilise a seed?" Her disbelieving tone made Myka smile and she looked to her lover to see where she was going to go with this.

"After a fashion," HG replied. "Half of the... blueprint for a baby comes from the male and half from the female. This fertilised egg then grows inside the female. In the case of mammals anyhow." She was finding this discussion more difficult than she'd expected. As a scientist, she detested explanations such as the stork and the cabbage patch, but it wasn't easy to be informative and vague at the same time.

"Mummy," Christina began with forced patience. "You still have not told me how it gets inside the female's womb." She sat back on her haunches and seemed to despair for a moment over the adults' reticence. "Addy said that grown-ups kiss and take their clothes off when they make a baby, but I don't see how that would help. Does the fertilised egg have to go in your belly-button? I hardly think you could swallow it."

Covering a sudden bout of giggles with a cough, Myka glanced away from HG's death glare. Her fiancé was making every effort not to belittle their daughter's intelligence and it was as adorable as it was painful to watch.

Hating the feeling that she was failing at this very important and delicate task, the inventor straightened and took a breath. She reached out for her daughter and pulled the young girl onto her lap. "Christina, you are a very intelligent young lady and all of this will make sense to you some day. You are much too young to know all the details though. For now, it's enough for you to know that, without scientific interference, babies are made from one part female and one part male."

Almost identical chocolate eyes fixed on one another until the younger of the two relented and decided that her mother was being entirely honest with her. With this limited understanding, her posture deflated a little. "Does that mean you and Mama can't make a baby together?"

Exchanging surprised glances, the two women found themselves smiling automatically. Myka could barely contain her increasing hope that this conversation would have a positive outcome.

"Would you like that, my love?" Helena stroked a lock of wavy hair behind an ear and studied her daughter's expression. "Would you like a brother or sister?"

Appearing to think about it, the child eventually nodded. "I'd like a sister. Even if she wouldn't be old enough to play with for a long time." She snuggled into her mother and tilted her head back to look up at her. "Are there other ways to have a baby then?"

"Doctors can help with the use of modern medicine and technology, and there is the option of adopting. Ordinary couples who can't or don't want to become pregnant could choose to do these things." Her smile became a smirk. "We are not entirely ordinary though."

"What I think your mother is trying to say, in her usual roundabout way is that, we have more options at our disposal. The Warehouse is a place of endless wonder and doesn't always abide by the rules of nature." Myka kept her tone serious as she continued. "While we must never use artefacts for personal gain and as much as possible we try to be careful with them, sometimes accidents happen." Tilting her head to one side, she thought carefully about her words. "Do you remember that day I came home early and Mummy sent you to Leena's? You made cookies with her?"

Christina inclined her head slowly, her thoughts drifting back to that day and the concern she'd felt for her Mama. "I remember. You were feeling unwell."

"Not unwell really," Myka clarified. "But I was under the influence of a powerful artefact and needed your mother's help to stop it."

"Is this about babies?" the eight year old enquired with slight exasperation in her tone, needing to get to the point. Why did adults insist on complicating everything?

Chuckling, Helena kissed the side of the girl's head and squeezed her lover's hand as she watched a blush creep along the other agent's neck. "My love, your Mama and I made a baby that day."

"Really!?" Christina cried, excitement mounting. "Where is it?" She looked between the two adults, her head twisting a little as she searched for signs of this miniature person.

Myka laughed at the enthusiasm in the girl's tone, her amusement heightened by the relief she felt. She placed a hand over her belly and nodded towards it. "In here," she said gently.

Head cocking to one side again, the boisterous youngster frowned in thought. "How did it get in there?"

"And now I believe we've come full circle." Helena exclaimed as both adults began to laugh in earnest.

Even as she continued to consider the mystery of making a baby, Christina smiled at the utter joy radiating from her parents. At some point, it would begin to dawn on her that, if babies were made between a woman and a man, then somewhere there was a man, who had helped Mummy make her, but that moment in time was far from now and there were more exciting things to consider. Like...

"Do you think it will be a boy or a girl? What shall we name it? When will it arrive?"

Placing her arms around the eight year old, who had wriggled between her and HG, the American relaxed. "We have an appointment at the antenatal clinic next week. We should be able to bring a picture home for you." At the girl's frown, Myka went on to elaborate about how modern technology would allow them to 'see' the baby using sonar, like a dolphin uses echo-location. Then she had to explain echo-location, and from that, the use of similar communication between submarines, which somehow led them on to whales, mating calls and eventually, back to babies. The girl's thirst for knowledge was unquenchable at times.

Helena was returning from having made herself and Myka a cup of tea when Christina began to pursue another line of questioning. It had been a long afternoon and the inventor was feeling the strain of the last two hours, so she knew that Myka had to be in need of a rest. "Christina, I think that's enough questions for today. We're happy to answer any queries you have, but even we have our limits, love. Save some for tomorrow and the next day; you have plenty of time to figure everything out before she or he gets here."

Pouting slightly, the young Brit swallowed her next inquiry and slipped off the sofa. "Well, may I bring the laptop in to read about babies on the Internet?"

Helena frowned and immediately sought out Myka's opinion. "Would it be safe?"

"Claudia programmed in some of the best filters, but I don't know. One of us should really sit with her if she's online." The brunette shot her daughter an apologetic look, but on this point, she wasn't about to relent. "Sweetheart, the Internet is an amazing tool, but we really can't let you play about on it on your own. Why don't we all take a trip out to the city tomorrow and we'll find a few books on the subject?"

The moment Myka posed this question, the child's pout shrank and a smile took its place. "I like driving to the city. May we stop at the Children's Museum on the way home?"

Helena nodded slowly, "So long as we don't spend too long shopping for books, we will. It might be a good idea to eat out tomorrow," she added to her fiancé. "I doubt either of us will want to cook by the time we return home."

"Aces!" Christina flitted over to hug her mother exuberantly, and then turned to treat her Mama to the same affection. With that, she flew out of the room, shouting behind her that she 'couldn't wait until tomorrow'.

Flopping beside her partner, Helena blew out a relieved gust of air and smiled lovingly at the American. "You know, my mother would despair at her running around the house like that, shouting at the top of her lungs. Not proper lady-like behaviour at all. We should be ashamed of ourselves for raising such a hooligan."

"And asking so many questions? Why would a girl need to know so much about the world?" Myka added in a similarly astonished tone, a smile playing at the corner of her mouth as she leant into the hand that stroked along her hairline.

"Precisely. A woman should know her place," HG added with a roll of her eyes.

"So, what is my place?" Green eyes shone with tired mischief, regarding the inventor expectantly.

Kissing her fiancée softly, Helena brought her knees up onto the sofa and snuggled closer to the brunette. "As my wife to be, I expect you to bare my children and allow me to love you and take care of you."

"I suppose I could do that. It doesn't sound too bad." Even through her fatigue, Myka felt her desire for her lover's touch kindling; the soft, teasing exploration of HG's fingers on her arm igniting the passion that forever lay just beneath the surface. "And what would your place be?"

Adopting an innocent expression, the Victorian responded, "I am your willing slave, my darling. Your desires and wishes are mine to fulfil."

Though appreciating the sentiment, there was slightly too much truth behind the playful comments for Myka's liking. "That seems a little one-sided. What of your desires and wishes?"

"You have already given me all I could ever hope for." The inventor informed her lover in earnest.

Tutting at the expression of martyrdom in the Brit's tone, Myka caught her partner's gaze and kept it with a firm but gentle hand on her chin. "You have done the same for me, Helena. Don't belittle your contribution to my happiness. You've given me as much as I've given you, and while I know that the mildly chauvinistic comments were said as a joke, sometimes I think you really do believe that I'm better than you."

"Darling, you can't tell me that you haven't had similar thoughts in reverse," HG rebuked the attempt to make her see her lover as an equal. Myka belonged on that pedestal; she was a goddess in human form and the inventor was damned if she would see her any other way.

"Perhaps I do... sometimes. You help me feel more confident though. I have doubts, but I'm a better person because you're with me." She paused to let this thought sink in to that stubborn and oh so sharp mind. Seeing the thoughts slipping across those dark eyes, she continued. "You did that. Just by loving me, you did that. Now allow me to do the same for you."

"Very well," she relented in mock exasperation. "I give you leave to experiment with my self-worth, though I'm afraid that you'll be fighting a losing battle if you think I'll ever see you as anything less than a deity in human form and me as your most devout worshiper."

"It's not your ego I intend to nurture, Helena." Myka added in warning. "Just the part of you that believes that you are not worthy of being with me; of living this life with me. The part that doesn't believe you deserve my love." A hand caressing gently the features she so adored, the brunette gazed over her partner with her own expression of devotion. "We are endless, Helena. For eternity. You are my soul's counterpoint and I need you to believe that you deserve to be here with me."

HG leant into the hand that continued its idle exploration of her face and closed her eyes. It was still a mystery sometimes, how one person could know her better than she knew herself. She thought she'd kept those doubts so well hidden, yet now it seemed that Myka had known all along. Much as she would never voluntarily give up this life, she considered herself extraordinarily lucky to have landed this incredible woman and occasionally wondered when the other shoe was going to drop. Could Myka convince her that she deserved this life? She doubted it, but she would do her best to let the beautiful American try.

In answer to her lover's romantic words, the inventor drew her into a series of long, tender kisses that left them both breathless when they eventually parted. Foreheads resting together, Helena breathed in Myka's subtle scent. "Would you like me to run you a bath, darling?"

Myka's eyes searched her finance's for any sign of deflection but found none. There were simply no more words to say on the subject. Only time could heal the fractures in the Brit's soul. "My back would really like that," she responded with a wry smile. "Were you thinking of joining me for a soak?"

"That sounds like heaven, but I promised Artie that I would have answers for him on this latest artefact trouble by morning. I was thinking I might have to burn the midnight oil for this one; it's proving to be rather elusive." Watching a steely glint form behind forest green eyes, HG knew that her lover was about to fight to get her own way. She smiled internally; Myka was doubly alluring when she decided that she was taking control.

"Artie and the Warehouse will have to wait," the temporarily off-assignment agent declared. She knew that her partner had been tasked with finding out more about the history of artefacts coming out of Hollywood to try to narrow down their search, but was certain that her own plans would erase the need for all of Helena's digging. "You have to rest too; this afternoon was hard on both of us and you need some downtime." Rising from her comfy seat, Myka stretched, smirking at the way Helena's eyes automatically caressed her body, and then reached out to pull the Victorian up with her. "We will share a bath, put Christina to bed and then the two of us will tackle the research. If it's not done by morning, Artie will just have to suck-it-up and get his new agents working harder to figure it out. We have a date to go shopping."

"Do you think he'll accept that excuse?" HG followed as her lover moved backward towards the stairs, pulling her along. She really didn't care much what Artie thought; his blustering could be quite amusing sometimes, which was why she took so much care over provoking him. Myka usually did care though and Helena decided to enjoy this more carefree attitude while it lasted.

They reached the bathroom and the taller agent slowly backed her partner into the frame of the door as she moved in for another protracted meeting of lips. "Probably not," she whispered, her steely gaze morphing into something more predatory. "But he's been working you far too hard lately and it's time he realised who's in charge here."

One eyebrow rising sharply, HG leaned back to study her partner's face with more clarity. "Oh? And who might that be?"

Still grinning, Myka pulled away and wandered toward the en-suite. "Christina, of course."

Helena followed, chuckling at the American's playfulness. Having their daughter's approval and acceptance of their growing family had brought the brunette out of the shallow funk she'd been in the past few weeks. Most had attributed the increased irritability to her pregnancy hormones, but Helena knew better. Her wife-to-be was tough when it came to most people's opinions and attitudes towards her. When she mentioned her parents, it was with pity rather than anger or sadness that she talked about them. The person who's opinion Myka valued most, even above her lover's, was the small, raven-haired girl, who'd stolen her heart.

With interest, the inventor observed as Myka put the plug in the bath and turned the hot tap on. She let her gaze travel over her lover's form, feeling familiar stirrings at the sight of that pert behind raised aloft. "I thought it was understood that I would be pampering you," she commented, her voice rising above the gush of water into the spacious tub.

Glancing over her shoulder, the brunette looked her lover up and down. A smug smile tugged at her mouth as she noticed the appreciation in those dark eyes. As she rose from her bowed position, Myka made a show of stretching, a hand on the small of her back and one settled over where her bump had yet to show. "You're going to indulge me," she corrected, her expression daring Helena to protest.

The inventor licked her lips and glanced briefly out towards the landing, checking for curious eyes and ears. "You're trying to seduce me, Miss. Bering."

Since pretending to be Santa for Helena on Christmas Eve, and another incident in the study a few weeks later, the once vanilla agent had developed a lot more confidence in their sexual exploits.

"I'm not trying," Myka put her fiancé right again while she lifted a hand to begin unbuttoning her shirt, smirking as HG swallowed hard. "I'm succeeding."

Helena didn't even bother searching for the words to argue, she knew her state of arousal must be obvious to her partner. Reaching out, she located the brunette's bottom button and began to assist, their hands meeting half way, fingers touching and exploring as if there was all the time in the world.

Myka's hands eventually captured her lover's and placed them on her waist, looking deep into chocolate orbs as she then moved them slowly along her skin until they were cradling her ribs. She allowed herself to be studied, watching Helena's lazy gaze caress her bra-clad breasts and felt a corresponding ache begin deep inside. Gasping, as conveniently situated thumbs brushed gently across her over-sensitive swellings, she gave in to the urge to feel the inventor's mouth on her own and pushed her partner up against the doorframe once more.

Feeling the brunette's exigency, HG allowed her left leg to canter forward and encouraged Myka to move against it. With one hand resting against the small of her lover's back and the other testing the responsiveness of a pert nipple, she plundered that mouth, tasting and retreating, teasing and dancing well known steps, drawing gasps and small whimpers with every movement of hands or tongue.

Neither woman noticed the sound of a door opening across the landing, and from their position between bedroom and en-suite, neither could see the head that poked out from a bedroom. Thankfully, the long afternoon had taken its toll on the young minor too and instead of wandering to her parents' door and knocking, Christina simply opened her mouth and yelled.

"Mummy!?"

Groaning, HG's movements stilled, her hands returning to a slim waist to halt the distracting rocking motion. She opened her eyes to find an out-of-focus gaze observing her with confusion. As gently as she could, she pushed Myka away and inclined her head towards the door. As anticipated, an impatient voice called again, only closer this time, and the taller agent nodded her understanding, stepping away seconds before their daughter was upon them.

"Mummy?" Christina's curious tone preceded her head round the bedroom door. She was oblivious to the heightened energy in the room and trotted in without a care. Hearing the water running, her naturally curious mind took her into the en-suite where her Mama was perched on the edge of the tub, testing the heat of the water. She glanced between the adults for a moment, trying to place their odd behaviour; they weren't looking at each other.

Helena approached her daughter as if nothing out of the ordinary was afoot. "Yes dear?"

Christina hesitated, and then shrugged her shoulders. "May I show you something?" She took her mother's hand without waiting for an answer and led her across the landing to her own room. Scattered on the floor lay an assortment of photographs, ordered by date, of the six months they'd been in Univille.

"What's all this?" HG asked, chuckling at the organised chaos that reminded her so much of herself.

Kneeling amongst the selected snapshots, the girl smoothed down her skirt and smiled to herself. "I want to make something for the baby."

Overwhelmed by the sudden bubble that filled her chest, Helena momentarily forgot about the sexy temptress running them a bath and lowered herself next to her daughter. "That's a capital idea, love. What exactly did you have in mind with all of this?"

"Claudia said she could print more of these if I wished, so it won't really do any harm if I cut them up, will it?"

The sincerity and concern on the mini time-traveller's face pulled at her mother's heartstrings and she hastened to reassure her. "You can cut them up if it's necessary. We will print more for the album or if you make an egregious error and need extra copies." She nuzzled her nose against dark, wavy hair and smiled at the girl's giggle.

"Good. I want to make a mobile to hang above the crib. I thought it would help her to get to know us quicker if she could see us even while we're not there." Looked up at the elder Wells, she cocked her head to one side the way she did when she was studying someone's expression. "What do you think, Mummy?"

Forcing back unexpected tears, Helena pulled the eight year old to her again and kissed her over and over, until Christina squealed her amusement and tried to get away. Chuckling at the indignant expression, that reminded her a lot of her fiancé, the inventor finally relented and released the squirming child. "I think your sister, or brother," she gently reminded the girl. "Will be very fortunate to have a big sister who thinks so much of their wellbeing."

This time, Christina was the one to initiate the physical affection as she crawled into her mother's lap and laid her head against HG's chest. "I love you, Mummy."

The tear that escaped then met with no resistance and fell silently into a mass of silken locks. "And I love you, my darling girl." A dozen such moments flashed through the inventor's mind, but no memory could come close to how she felt right then, and no words could adequately describe that feeling either. Closing her eyes, she simply absorbed the rare moment of heightened clarity, when life slowed and she could appreciate this reality.

A soft shuffle of feet on deep-pile carpet caught HG's attention and she turned to catch a wistful expression fall into place on Myka's features. "Here you are." The lanky agent declared softly. "What's all this then?" She enquired, unknowingly parroting her lover and making the Wells pair laugh.

Christina jumped up to explain her idea and Helena gently rose from the rug, turning slightly to dab surreptitiously at her eyes. Myka stepped into the room to distract the enthusiastic youngster, giving the inventor a moment of privacy. She gushed and hummed in all the right places until the child ran out of steam again.

"Sweetheart, Mummy and I are going to take a bath. Will you be happy starting this project by yourself, or do you want one of us to stay with you?" Myka glanced briefly at Helena to see if she still approved of the original plan and felt relieved when a gentle nod passed her way.

"I'm fine, Mama." Christina was already sorting through the photos again, her attention fixed on her task.

"We'll leave the door unlocked, just remember to knock if you want to come in," HG made sure she had eye contact before accepting the 'I will, Mummy' from the distracted girl.

Making their way out of the room, hand in hand, the two agents retreated to their en-suite again and closed the door behind them. Myka had set the scene with candles and a thick layer of bubbles, but Helena couldn't help hesitating slightly as her lover began to undress.

Anticipating this, the brunette smiled and kicked her underwear into a far corner, next to the laundry basket. "I don't think either of us is 'in the mood' anymore Helena. Let's just enjoy a relaxing soak and see where it takes us, hmm?" She kissed her fiancé's cheek and then lowered herself into the bath, sighing as the heat and buoyancy began to soothe her tired muscles.

She needn't have worried; Myka knew her every expression and knew when not to push. Peeling off her own clothing, she stood by the edge of the bath, looking down on the reclined woman. She noted internally that the younger agent had made a good job of the bubbles; she could see nothing beyond the beginning swell of her breasts and the occasional knee that broke the surface of the water.

One green eye opened to peer at her, and then another joined its twin. "Well? Are you getting in or is this a spectator's sport?"

"Am I supposed to sit on you?" HG responded, hands on hips and appearing authoritative even whilst naked.

"You're indulging me, remember?" At Helena's raised eyebrow, Myka elaborated, "My trousers are just beginning to get tight, I'm going to have to relent and buy some new clothes tomorrow. This may be the last time, for a long time, that I get to spoon you in the bath. I know what you're like; the moment I begin to really show, you'll treat me with kid-gloves. I want to get my time's worth. Now, get in before I drag you in." The tone of her voice was playful but hard enough that HG knew she was serious.

Moments later, Helena's hips were safely ensconced between Myka's legs and slippery hands were winding possessively around her waist. She leant her head back and breathed in the scent of lavender. "Better?" She asked with an indulgent smirk.

Myka's mouth hovered over her partner's ear as she returned the expression. "Heaven," she replied and closed her eyes once more.

It made a nice change to be content and relaxed. Thinking about the baby was a fearful double-edged sword, on one side, nervous excitement, and on the other, a fluctuating anxiety over her ability to be a fulltime mother. With the scent of the bath oils and Helena's hair filling her senses though, it was easier to let her thoughts drift off on more pleasant ventures. She whispered sweet nothings into the closest ear and stole an occasional kiss while hands explored slick expanses of skin with tender exploration, her touch affirming their bond and calming rather than igniting any residual desire.

Anything she knew she should probably discuss with her partner was pushed aside for another day.