Chapter 10

The Next Day…..

Helen slept in. She was never one to sleep in. She was always an early riser, but this time she slept soundly. Elise was up, and had peeked in on Helen, and saw she was fast asleep so she let her rest. She sat out on the Miranda, and looked out in the garden. She was missing her little one, so she tried to contact her. She sat quietly hoping to hear her little one's thoughts, when suddenly she let out a chuckle. Seems Lena was keeping Big guy quite busy. She could sense that Lena was being mischievous, much like when she was child. She quickly called her name, and she could tell it caught her attention.

"Mama" she heard Lena's voice.

"Are you being a good girl?" Elise asked, already knowing the answer.

There was a pause, and Lena knew that she already had sensed her actions, "I sorry Mama" Lena said. It made Elise's heart smile. The child could have lied, but she didn't.

"I miss you Mama..come home" Lena said. Oh how that she missed her too, but she knew that she had to stay with Helen.

"I miss you to Lena..very much…but Aunty Helen needs me right now…."

"And Ashley too, right Mama" Lena responded.

Elise forgot how Lena sensed Ashley as well. She smiled within herself knowing what a special little girl she had.

"Yes my love…so you behave and be good for Biggy o.k.?" Lena needed to change the subject since she could feel the tears swelling up in her eyes.

"OK Mama…tell Auntie I said, hi"

"I will my love"

And with that Elise broke the connection for she knew if she stayed any longer, she'd be on the first plane back. She had to focus on the task at hand, which was making sure Helen was ok, and finding Ashley.

Elise walked back in the room to find an awake Helen. She could tell she was getting better. She looked rested and less stressed, if you could be any less stressed in her situation.

Helen looked at her and gave that smile. She knew Elise was sacrificing a lot, and for that she was forever grateful to her.

"Looks like someone is getting homesick" she said.

"Oh no..i'm fine, Helen" Elise said, knowing she was lying and was pretty transparent at that.

"Right….as fine as I am this great spring day"

They both chuckled, easing some of the stress of it all.

"Well I think we've stayed here long enough. I think it's time we head back." Helen said. Although she wouldn't lie, getting a way for a little while was nice; but she had responsibilities at home that she had to take care of. She may be pregnant but the Sanctuary work never ended, no matter what state she was is in.

"Are you sure Helen" Elise wanted to make sure was ready. Because what faced her was probably going to be the hardest thing she's faced yet. She needed to know that Helen was up for it.

But just as Elise thought, Helen interrupted her thoughts…"Elise…I know the rode ahead of me is going to be long. If Ashley is truly out there, then we have a lot of work ahead of us." Helen said…but she paused, trying to fight back her tears….she grabbed Elise's hand and said, "Let's go find my daughter".

Elise smiled. Something in Helen had changed. She could tell that she was ready for whatever was ahead of them. She knew together, her and her team (which Elise was now a part of) would be able to fight this to the end.

That Afternoon….

Helen said her goodbyes and thank you to Dr. Ean. They hugged and held on to each other like if they'd never see each other again. Oh yeah..Elise was going to file this in the back of her mind, and ask about these two later. There was a definite history to them, and Elise was going to find out, just, not yet.

They finally release there embrace and boarded the plane. They knew they had several hours ahead of them. So they settled in. They wouldn't arrive the Sanctuary till early morning, so Helen made herself comfortable and before you knew it she had dozed off. Pregnancy did do that kind of thing. Elise sat in deep thought. It had been awhile since she heard from Ashley so she tried, shut out the world and see if she could connect with her.

"Ashley" she said telepathically.

"Can you hear me" "Are you still out there"

But nothing. Pure silence. Elise continued to concentrate, hoping to hear something, just a small yes, or no, but something. But nothing. Dead silence. She began to worry. She was so deep in thought she didn't realize that Helen was staring at her.

"Elise…are you ok?" Helen asked. She could see that she was struggling, mentally.

"HELEN…I'm sorry…" she apologized, hoping Helen wouldn't figure out what she was doing and ask the question, she didn't want to answer.

"I'm fine….just trying to contact the little one. Making sure she is ok"

Helen looked at her. A part of her thought she could be lying but she left well enough alone.

"We should be home soon….." she said. She knew what it was to miss a child. She missed hers every day since she disappeared. But at least Elise had one to go back too.

With that Helen sat down, and tears began to flow from her face.

Elise went to her. "Helen….hey, hey"

"I miss her so much Elise, at time I can't breathe"

"I know you do, I know you….we're going to find her Helen we will"

"and if we can't, and if we are too late." Helen was becoming hysterical. Her hormones were hay wire, and Elise knew that. She tried to calm her as best she could.

"We won't be, we won't be. And not another word. We are going to find Ashley. We have too.." Elise just looked at her. She held her hand tight. Helen looked at her, "Thank you" were the only two words she can muster to say, between the tears.

As they stood Helen suddenly grabbed her stomach.

"Oh Dear"

"Helen..what is it?" Elise had a face of panic.

"I believe it just moved, better yet, kicked…but that can't be? it's too soon for that" Helen stated, but just as she said it, the unborn child moved again. So much that Elise could see it protruding from Helens belly. She didn't know why it shocked her. Nothing about this pregnancy was normal, and yet it did.

Just then Elise heard it "Mom…mom are you there…please don't go"

"Ashley" she didn't mean to say the name out loud for she knew it would worry Helen. But it jus slipped.

"Ashley…you can hear her, you can hear her" Helen said frantically. As Helen held Elise's hand tighter the unborn child moved again.

Elise looked at Helen. She knew she had to respond to Ashley, but where she would do it telepathically she did it verbally so that Helen could her what she was saying to her.

"Ashley…it's Elise….your mom is here with me. I can hear you, you have to hang on. We are going to find you. Hang on Ashley" Elise said, hoping she hadn't lost the connection.

"So tired,,,,, so scared. It's so cold here." Ashley was weak, very weak.

"It's ok Ashley. You rest. rest. We will be there soon. Just hang on Ashley" is all Elise could say.

The child moved again. If Elise didn't know any better, she'd think somehow this child was connected to Ashley in more ways than one. It's movement and Ashley's contact was too coincidental.

"Elise..you heard her…is she ok..please..I…" Helen started to become desperate.

"Helen…yes, yes, I heard her…she's weak, but she's there…we're going to find her…we will" Elise's heart just broke.

At that moment all she could do was think of Lena. And the thought of not knowing where she was, and if she could find her, tore at her heart. She sat next to Helen, and laid her head on her shoulder. Helen sobbed, and she let her. She held her like that till she practically cried herself to sleep.

Suddenly a though came to Elise. Something she's never done before.

"What if I tried to make contact with the unborn child?" she thought to herself. She had to try. If there was somehow a connection, this child could help more than she knew.

She made sure Helen was asleep. She found herself a stool, and set right in front of Helen. Close enough to where she could place her hands on her belly. She concentrated hard. The child was barely formed. She didn't even know what kind of mental capacity it had, but she had to try.

Elise concentrated. She knew this was going to be difficulty but if somehow gave a clue to where Ashley was it was worth the try. Elise didn't realize it, but her nose started to bleed. The energy she was putting out was taking a tool on not only her mind, but now her body. But she wasn't going to let a little nose bleed affect here. Just when she thought she couldn't withstand the pain, a small voice came through.

"Hello, I'm here"

Elise eyes flew open. Dear God she just made contact with an unborn child.

"To hard…to hard…to hear you"

"to much in mind…to much…" it said. With that the connection was lost.

"To young? TO much in mind" what did that mean? Elise didn't have time to ponder it any further for the pain in her head was debilitating She tried to stand but could barely move. She didn't want to wake Helen but the pain was excruciating.

"Elise" Helen said as she sat up. "You're bleeding" Helen immediately went into Dr. mode.

"I'm ok…" Elise didn't want her to worry or ask what she was doing. But of course she had to.

"what happened?" Helen said as she examined her more closely. Elise knew she couldn't tell her what she was doing.

"I was trying to see if I could somehow link were Ashley was" Elise said lying through her teeth.

"Well that's enough for today" Helen said falling into her motherly role. Although Elise had been doing a lot of the comforting lately, Helen fell right back into her role. She cleaned up her nose and helped her to her seat. Elise complied and held the tissue to her nose, her headache was subsiding an she didn't want to admit it, but she was exhausted. She leaned against the window and found herself falling asleep.

"Rest Elise…You'll need it You'll have your hands full when Lena sees you" Helen said with a smile. Elise knew she was right. Lena was a handful. And since they weren't together she new Lena had a lot to tell her.

The next thing Elise knew that plane had landed. She felt the bump of the tires hitting the ground and sat herself up.

"Where home" Helen said. She was to be home She looked out the window only to see big guy ready with the car. He never skipped a beat when it came to Helen. He knew her very well. She smiled. Although an odd family, it was just that, her family. She forgot with how she would tell them what her and Lese were up to but she knew that they would have her back no matter what. The plane door opened and they both made there way to the front of the plane hand in hand. Knowing whatever was ahead of them they would get through together.