It's only in editing these last few chapters over the last few weeks that I've begun to wonder if the argument/make up stuff has dragged on for too long. They've prompted some critical responses from readers and I think the slow delivery has detracted somewhat from my vision. I hope this next chapter redeems the story a little for some of you; I tweaked some things in line with thoughts from some readers who raised concerns over the development of the characters.

As always, thank you to those who took the time to review. I appreciate it. I welcome suggestions for how and where improvements could be made, though I make no promises of being able to please everyone. If I stop writing what I like, I'll lose motivation, but I stop writing what you like, it would be pointless posting on FFdotnet. I'll try to find balance somewhere.

Chapter Ten

Vast swathes of countryside stretched out on each side of the road as Helena steered the car towards home. It was fairly effortless, driving along these large straight roads. Much of her attention was divisible between the journey, her thoughts and the companionable conversation into which, she and Myka had fallen. The tedium though, made her long for the winding country lanes of her homeland; the rich greens and deep, earthy browns; the higgledy-piggledy patchwork of fields behind unkempt hedgerows; the ray of hope backed by brilliant blue, casting its light through brief gaps between majestic castles in the sky.

True, this way was faster, and within a country where a single state could equal the entire length and breadth of England, she admitted that it certainly was more efficient.

Since her initial resistance to the idea of taking Christina back to London for a while and the discussions she and Myka had had at Christmas, Helena had begun to find some pleasure in the thought of 'going home'. While America had Myka and wherever Myka was, her home would be, she hadn't completely lost her patriotism. She might no longer be arrogant about the empire (not that it was an empire any longer), but she nurtured a certain about of nostalgia for the place. She missed the sounds of a busy market day, or the smells of the harbour; the quaint buildings that still spoke of a time long passed, or the subtle sense of pride she felt in being part of something old and slightly quirky. She missed the history belonging to her ancestors and the lure of a time when anything had seemed possible.

Still, long, straight roads are good for other things too, she smiled to herself as she stroked her thumb over the back of her lover's hand. With eyes mostly on the road, she missed the glow from her grandmother's ring.

Myka Bering. How on Earth had she managed to find such a person? Almost half a year after their adventures in Paris, the young ex-bookshop dweller had turned her life around; brought peace, contentment and happiness back to her, and helped her find her confidence once more. She was an angel, surely?

"Thank you," Helena heard herself say unexpectedly.

Myka, who had been lost in her own thoughts for a while as she gazed at the side of her fiancée's head, frowned a little behind a smile. "What for?"

The shock of realisation, brought on by their visit to the obstetrician, had begun to wear off and in the aftermath of her mini-breakdown, a tiny weight had lifted from her shoulders. A piece of her life finally seemed to be fitting into place where previously, it had resisted. Assurance, that had deserted her after the fiasco with Inanna, was making a timid return, and it was good to feel some control return with it.

"I want to say 'for everything' but perhaps that's too clichéd," HG began, returning the smile. She considered her bursting gratitude for a moment before continuing. "Darling, six months ago, I thought I had found a way to exist alone in this world and was almost convinced that I could live my life that way." She pictured the small, two-bedroom house in Rapid City and knew that the only time she'd been happy there was during their turbulent weekend of the fairground incident. There, they had made love for the first time, renewing their physical relationship and solidifying the start of a lifelong commitment. Before that weekend though, she had lived there in a cycle of routine tasks that she performed with barely any emotion. "It's only now that I realise how empty my life was. I should have returned to you a long time ago. I considered it many times. I was afraid of what I'd do if things didn't turn out for the best."

Rather than thinking of the Warehouse 2 and Yellowstone incidents, Myka cast her mind back to the years after, where she had known so little of the inventor's day-to-day existence but knew enough to understand that it had been a struggle for the Brit. "I don't think you give yourself enough credit. You're much stronger than you think, Helena."

"Hmm, perhaps," she conceded grudgingly, sending a coy smile Myka's way. She revelled in the small chuckled that followed before her expression softened. "Not as strong as I am with you by my side though. I think you underestimate your influence; how much your simple presence makes every day easier."

"Dito," the lanky agent responded as she gave Helena's hand an extra squeeze.

A comfortable silence sat between them for several minutes after that, both women content to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere as the countryside continued to race by outside.

Feeling the fatigue of the last couple of days pull heavily against her eyelids, Myka leant her head back against the seat and closed her eyes. With the lessening turmoil of emotions she'd been experiencing recently, there was a budding clarity to her thoughts. It seemed absurd that she should have become so lost in her head while pursuing the routine of family life. Most days spent at home were filled with the simple tasks of keeping Christina entertained and the house relatively in order. There were a few hours in the middle of the day, where she would shut herself in the study and pour over reports from the Warehouse, using every resource available to help her colleagues in the field. Through most of the week, she took her work to the Warehouse and sat in the library there or else remained in the office, watching her fellow agents pass by on occasion to deliver something to the chasm of artefacts.

With this memory, she felt the bitter sting of resentment and a familiar but hereto unstudied swell of uselessness. When had these resentful thoughts begun and why hadn't she recognised them for what they were before now? It seemed so obvious in hindsight; of course she would feel jealous of her fellow agents when they were allowed to go where she wasn't. Since her initial scepticism, she had been proud that she, out of millions of others, had been singled out, trusted, to marshal the dangerous objects coming in and out of the Warehouse. She had finally felt special. She had finally found her worth. Now?

She wasn't happy with the way she'd handled things; not only for deliberately keeping her plans from her partner, but for allowing everyone to dictate what she could and couldn't do in the first place. Yes, she had agreed with their concerns, but in hindsight, she felt like she should have fought harder for responsibilities to replace those she was giving up. She made a mental note to discuss this with her colleagues and Helena when there was time.

Damn it, Myka! How could you let your frackin' pride come between you and HG? There was a brief moment when she felt like crying again, and then she heard that voice replay in her mind and couldn't help but smile. My conscience sounds just like Claudia.

Unsure when exactly she'd opened her eyes, Myka chuckled and heard a curious 'what?' from beside her. "It's nothing," she said soothingly. "Or at least, it's nothing important, just Claudia in my head."

"Ah, that explains a great deal," Helena responded with a raised eyebrow. "Should I be worried that Claudia is in your head?"

"You can worry when I start calling you HG dude or Super HG." She watched the wheels turning behind those dark eyes for a moment and chuckled again as Helena's expression turned sour.

"For the sake of my sanity, please do not refer to me in any manner that would make you sound like Claudia." Her serious expression flicked between Myka, who continued to smile warmly, and the road before them. "I enjoy hearing the sound of my name on your lips."

"You enjoy many things on my lips," the brunette retorted readily, smiling wider at the rare flush that crept suddenly along pale cheeks.

"That is very true," the inventor agreed slowly. She glanced at her lover long enough to see the mischief in those green eyes and appreciate the light-heartedness of her expression. It was always an enjoyable moment when she could make the woman of her dreams happy, but with Myka's moods in random flux lately, she was reluctant to take this playful demeanour at face value. The weight of recent events couldn't be so easily abandoned. However, you do have to admit that today was a revelation for her. It's entirely possible that she's resolved whatever conflict has haunted her, though doubtful that it'll be so easy.

Free to let her gaze linger over the Brit, Myka watched the battle of thoughts play out over her fiancée's face and felt the atmosphere in the car gradually change. She continued to smile slightly, but it was with a reluctant acceptance this time. It would be so easy to flirt and joke, avoiding the discussion, or perhaps, the beginning of many discussions they needed to have.

"I'm ok, Helena." Myka saw self-doubt cast a shadow over her lover's features and felt guilty again for her ill-considered actions. It wasn't just me though, an irritated voice piped up from somewhere deep inside. Let's not forget who took it upon herself to force you out, with Artie's help. She pushed the thought away unconsciously, not wanting to study it entirely. "It was never about not wanting to be with you or being unhappy," she began to explain as best she could; only just beginning to understand her own motivation. She was accustomed to owning her mistakes and knew she'd made one by letting her feelings fester. "Yes, I'm annoyed when you replace every snack I reach for with one of your sugar-free alternatives, but then I remember why it's necessary and I appreciate how I need that supplement to my own limited will-power. If the roles were reversed, I know damn well I'd be doing the same thing to you. I've fallen into some really bad habits after living with Pete for so long. I won't say that I like being told what I can and can't eat, but I want what's best for our little one..." she paused and they exchanged a knowing look. "Little ones, too. Whether I like it or not, I need you to be tough with me on occasion."

Frowning, Helena appeared uncomfortable with this idea. "Where do I draw the line? Myka, I understand that you miss being an active agent and that the majority of your dissatisfaction is associated with being 'benched'," she hesitated over the phrasing, pulling the word from her bank of modern slang. "I do not wish to compound the issue by continuing to restrict your choices at home. You cannot ask me to knowingly irritate you." She glanced to her right for a brief moment and caught the sardonically raised eyebrow. She shook her head ruefully. "You know very well why I tease you on other occasions. The two do not equate to the same thing. There needs to be balance and I do not believe we have that at the moment."

Myka thought for a few quiet minutes as the Victorian continued to steer them home. What more do I need from her? She wracked her brain, searching for the source of her discontent. She was so used to asking herself 'what can I give?' that she struggled to find her true desires amongst her simple need to please. It was difficult to separate her hormone-induced whims from her true feelings. She thought back to that brief period when they moved in together and there was no hint of considering more children in the future. What had she wanted then?

I was ready to give everything up for a normal life. Why should that have changed? What could be more normal than having a baby and planning a wedding? Searching her feelings, she began to recall the life she had imagined and finally concluded that it had been very similar to the one she currently lived. If she was already on track, why did it not feel right? "I'm not normal though," she muttered to herself.

"Is that what you want? To be normal?" HG frowned, overhearing the quiet declaration. "I was rather under the impression that you were beginning to resent the normal aspects of your life."

"I don't resent you," Myka countered, sounding hurt. "Helena... Do I make it seem like I resent our life together?"

HG hesitated just long enough to erase all sign of happiness from Myka's expression. "No, love," she answered eventually. "But I worry that, if things continue as they are, you will begin to. I realise you've tolerated a lot from me and..."

"Pull over." Myka interrupted abruptly, fierceness behind her tone.

Concerned eyes turned on the American. "Pardon?"

"Pull over, Helena. Now."

Hesitantly, the inventor did as she was told, manoeuvring off the quiet highway, onto the rough verge. She hesitated a moment and then turned the engine off. Twisting to her left, Myka was already gazing intently at her. For a moment she feared that she had undone the afternoon's progress, bringing them back to where they'd been the night before. Her confidence dipped as she considered what her lover could possibly have to say to her that required her full attention, but then hands were holding firmly to each side of her face and warm lips were meeting her own for a brief but intense kiss.

"I love you," Myka whispered ardently. As she gazed into the depths of Helena's soul, she found the words she'd been searching for come tumbling out. "I don't know what I'm feeling half the time. I'm being pulled in so many directions. I'm a mother, but not quite; a wife in all but name; a daughter without parental support; a sister to a sibling I barely know and an agent under restriction. You... and Christina are a constant amidst all that. At the risk of also sounding clichéd, you're my rock." Feeling another small weight tumble off her shoulders, she let her grip relax and her hands slide down to meet the Victorian's. "I don't tolerate you and I hope you never tolerate me. We've adapted... Are still adapting, that's all."

Staring silently at their joined hands, HG listened to those words repeated in her head. "I want to believe that, darling. I do believe that you mean what you're saying."

"But?"

"Perhaps 'tolerate' wasn't the right word. You have put an extraordinary amount of effort into helping me to overcome my fears and I will be eternally grateful for that. A few short months ago, I could not have left Christina with anyone for long. I could barely leave her asleep while still in the same building. I won't say that it's easy to let her go, but it's not the strain it was and that's mostly down to you." It was difficult to focus on the short period after they'd found Christina. She'd been so afraid of losing her daughter again that most of it was a blur. "I can't help but think that you must have sacrificed a lot to get me here and perhaps I missed the signs when you really needed support."

The American agent tried to soften her tone; it was becoming clear that there were many things they needed to discuss. "How can you think that you haven't supported me? Even when you were feeling the strain, you recognised my need to return to work. When we found out about the baby, you talked me through our options, though I know the only thing you wanted to do was to keep it."

"Your decision wasn't coloured by knowing that?" Helena worried, not for the first time.

Myka shook her head, smiling a little. "You would have supported me no matter what I chose. I knew that. Knowing what you wanted gave me the confidence to choose this path." Pausing for a moment, she sighed into her seat and felt some of that fierce energy drain away. "I'm scared. Sometimes I long for a time when I didn't have this huge responsibility hovering over me, but that doesn't mean I would change my decision to continue with the pregnancy," she confessed. Her thoughts turned to the sonogram and the horror she'd felt at knowing she'd almost endangered her children. "You were right; I didn't appreciate what I would be risking by going back into the field. I thought it would be simple and I thought it would help me to feel more like me again." She shrugged and whispered, "Whoever I am."

HG let her lover simmer in her thoughts for a few minutes as she mulled over those last words. It had been such a long time since her pregnancy with Christina so it took a while for her to recall what she'd felt at the time. Fear had been a significant part; her symptoms had appeared almost out of nowhere. One day she'd been happily pursuing science and literature with some new acquaintances and hunting down artefacts for the Warehouse, the next it seemed, she was being told that her changing body rhythms were a sign that she was expecting.

"Who do you want to be?"Helena probed at last. She wanted to help, to draw conclusions from her partner's thoughts but without leading her.

Now leaning firmly against her seat, the brunette shook her head. "I don't know."

"Perhaps that is what's really bothering you," the inventor hypothesised, an eyebrow raised in thought.

Silence stretched around them as thoughts swirled behind forest-green. "Maybe..." She mumbled at last. "Sometimes I feel like I'm in one of those dreams that keep going round in circles and I can't wake up." Her mouth pursed and eyebrows drew together with distaste. "God, that sounds awful. Why can't I just be content with the life I have? I'm happy with you; I love our life together, so why do I keep feeling this urge to... jump ship?"

Trying not to be overly hurt by these words; Myka was clearly struggling to articulate her feelings and it would be easy to misinterpret them; HG tried another angle. "I don't know, darling. Perhaps domestic life doesn't appeal to you after all."

"It did a couple of months ago," Myka responded stubbornly.

The Victorian heard a slight edge of petulance that reminded her of their daughter and decided to pursue this train of thought. "Before you had really experienced it. You are allowed to change your mind." She lifted her left hand to smooth out lines of worry and confusion, and then stroked her digits down a long arm before reuniting their hands.

"Being domestic is part of the package." The lanky agent explained with a margin of calm back in her tone. "Christina needs it and I think you do too, now that you have her back."

"What do you need?" Helena probed further.

The response was instant and adamant. "I need you. Both of you."

"Besides that?" the inventor continued to push.

"I don't know."

"Myka..."

"I don't know!" Suddenly, Myka pushed herself into a rigid sitting position, one of her hands falling consequently from her partner's grip. "I need to not feel fat and useless!" She cried in frustration, and then immediately looked to her companion to gage her response. "Don't you dare laugh," she warned, seeing the incredulous humour behind dark mahogany.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Helena bit her tongue for a brief moment of further control before adding, "You are beautiful and far from useless. I don't mean to find you amusing, but the idea that anyone, least of all you, could think of you as either... Well, it's farcical. I have said it many times before and I will keep saying it; you are radiant and brilliant." Making a mental note to return to the issue of body image later, HG steered them in a different direction; toward a topic that she had thought about before when contemplating the mystery that was sometimes Myka Bering. "Darling, what made you pursue life with the Secret Service? Why didn't you continue with law or medicine?"

Still reabsorbing the phenomenon, that an exotic creature like Helena could possibly find her attractive, Myka responded haltingly, digging into long forgotten thoughts. "Honestly? I wanted my dad to be proud of me but worry about me at the same time. He was always pushing me to do more, be better. Protecting the President gave him something to brag about, but he still never gave the impression that he really cared or approved," she added bitterly.

"Would you have been happy, do you think, being a doctor or a lawyer?" Helena wondered aloud.

"I think so." Myka shrugged, and then smiled ruefully, "I like protecting people."

"And you do it so well," HG added, thinking back to the many times she'd seen her fiancée in action. "You also enjoyed the danger and adventure with the Secret Service."

Awkwardly, the brunette shifted in her seat. She had found her niche with combat and logistics, feeling proud to climb the ranks above her peers, especially above the men she worked with daily. If she regretted anything about becoming involved with Sam, it was knowing deep down that others might think she was sleeping her way to the top. "Yes. I'd never thought of myself as a thrill seeker before; I was just a geeky, awkward kid."

"Do you think it's possible that you also liked the power attached to the position?"

"..."

Myka instinctively wanted to say no, but couldn't get the words out. They were dipping into her darkest thoughts now, a place that she didn't like to visit, where she kept all the pain of her youth, her guilt for Sam's death... the sting of Helena's betrayal and the bitter-sweet memories of their first few passionate encounters. That place was for issues she had already dealt with and put away to forget. Had she enjoyed the power of her position? The answer was of course, yes. It was the reasons behind that emphatic answer that she was reluctant to study too closely.

Helena allowed the quiet contemplation for a few moments before continuing aloud with her thought process. "I don't want to lead your thoughts in any particular direction; I don't profess to be a psychiatrist, but forgive me love, it seems fairly obvious that for much of your life, you've been struggling to hold onto control and independence, yet at the same time, trying to impress your father and a few significant others."

"Are you saying that I'm conditioned to impress other people?"

"I'm not trying to say anything, love. I'm just trying to help you reach your own conclusions by offering you my opinion. I think you are a strong, vibrant, passionate and loving individual who could have her pick of the world, people and careers. I consider myself very fortunate to be the one you've chosen to spend your life with, and I've no doubt that you still want to be with me," she added firmly. "It's what you think that matters now. I don't want you to always feel lost on a rollercoaster of emotion, and I don't want you to feel restricted by our domestic life. I want to support your ambitions just as much as I want to keep you safe."

"You enjoy having me at home," Myka stated, mildly aware that she was illustrating her need to please again.

"Of course I do," Helena assured her lover, an edge of exasperation creeping into her tone. "I love having you around, but it's not worth toffee if you're not content to be there."

Probing gently, the lanky agent continued, "What about your ambitions? I know you'd love to start a bigger project."

"Eventually, yes," Helena admitted.

"So you'll need me around to help more with the kids," Myka voiced an assumption she'd been sitting on.

"Possibly, but darling, we'll discuss that when and if it becomes necessary." Remembering to keep her tone calm, the Brit took her time answering. "You seem to be labouring under the impression that I will refuse to let you do anything. I know I've been a tad overzealous with some things recently but I hope I've never given you the idea that I expect you to give up work entirely, or work solely from home because you're pregnant."

"Helena, you've indicated plenty that you'd prefer I didn't go to the Warehouse. Since we got engaged you've asked me eight times if I could work from home. How else am I supposed to interpret that?" Myka knew she was reaching into that dark corner of her mind again, pulling out thoughts that she'd previously dismissed, but though it was uncomfortable, she began to realise that it might be necessary to air out these thoughts.

Groaning, the inventor ran a free hand through her hair. Had it really been that often? That was at least twice a week. Is it a wonder that she's feeling so restrained? "Myka, I'm sorry. I didn't appreciate how it would seem from your perspective. I simply wished for you to spend less time near to the artefacts, not to stop working altogether. My objections are in direct correlation to the amount of danger you are in, not to how much time you spend away from home." She reached for her partner's other hand again as she gazed at the brunette in earnest. "If you want to take up a job where you spend eight hours a day out of the house or take the occasional business trip, I will do my best to support you, so long as you're happy and healthy."

Myka closed her eyes and absorbed those words. ...in direct correlation to the amount of danger you are in. Helena simply wanted her to be safe, how could that be a bad thing? She was hanging onto the Warehouse. Why? Was it the power, the adventure, the danger even? Many of the most significant events of her life had taken place there, including some of her first few meetings with Helena. It was a part of her, and yet... There was a world of opportunity around them. Did her future have to include being an agent? Was it possible to find satisfaction elsewhere?

"I don't like being so uncertain," she whispered at last. "What will I do if I'm not an agent? How am I supposed to carry on, knowing that there are artefacts everywhere?"

Returning a hand to her lover's face, HG smiled in sympathy. "It's not easy, and there are times when there isn't a choice; artefacts sometimes find me whether I like it or not. I don't think the Warehouse lets go of its agents very easily. At least, not before it moves location."

"If it moves, I'll have to find something else to do anyway," Myka thought aloud.

Helena shrugged. "Most likely. The Regents will choose agents from the new country, though I do not know if they will still accept freelance work."

"Somehow, I get the impression that they like to wipe the slate clean." She felt her eyelids become heavy and glanced at her watch. "Damn, we've been here ages." She sat up in a sudden panic and looked around to notice the sky darkening, the orange sun kissing the horizon in preparation for the embrace of nightfall. "Christina will start to worry if we don't get going soon."

"In a moment," the inventor stressed calmly. She kept her eyes on her partner, waiting for her favourite shade of green to focus on her. "I just want to be clear before we continue on our way. Darling, you are not powerful because you're a Warehouse agent. You're powerful because you refuse to surrender when the situation appears most dire. I will always be living proof of that, should you require a reminder." She smiled gently and was gratified to receive a small one in return. "I realise that the speed at which your life is changing is beginning to catch up to you and that you're unsure if you are able to meet the challenges ahead, but there is no need to rush into anything. I'm sorry if you feel like I'm holding you back," she added soberly.

Letting her head fall gently against her fiancée's, Myka held back a fresh wave of tears. "I don't, Helena. Honestly. It's just that, I think when I'm scared or frustrated," she began haltingly, the words seeping into her thoughts with hesitation as she tried to understand why she had behaved rashly over the past couple of weeks. "It's easier to fall back into old habits. I know I'm a good agent, Secret Service or Warehouse, but this," she placed a hand over her barely expanding belly and sighed. "I want so badly to be good at this but I just don't know if I can."

HG felt a hundred words of reassurance tingle on the tip of her tongue but held them back. She stroked her fingers through increasingly wild hair and looked into hope-filled depths. "Darling, I think this may be one of those things that you have to experience to believe. There is no doubt in my mind that you will be just as wonderful with these two as you are with Christina. There is a certain amount of guesswork involved in caring for an infant but then much becomes routine. I've no doubt that you will soon be as adept as any competent parent once you're having to do it daily. You are an amazingly rapid learner. In the meantime," she added, thinking of the months ahead, before the twins were born. "We will simply have to find more hobbies to keep you occupied, and perhaps consider what you might do if you were to decide on a career change."

Myka smiled against Helena's cheek as she leant back in to bask in her closeness and felt another pebble sized weight fall from her shoulders. "That sounds like a good start."

The confused brunette slept the rest of the way home, waking only when they pulled up outside the bed and breakfast and Helena finally tugged their hands apart.

Christina was waiting on the couch between Claudia and Leena, looking like she had been warned that her parents would be tired and that she needed to tone down the exuberance. The slight bounce in her posture brought identical smiles to Helena and Myka's faces and they welcomed the eight year old between them as they sat on the smaller couch opposite. Before the girl could open her mouth, HG produced the sonogram still with a flourish and handed it to her first-born.

As she studied the image, Christina's expression drew increasingly confused. She turned it 360 degrees in her hands to gaze at the monochrome shapes. "It doesn't look like the ones I've seen in my books," she bemoaned. "It almost looks like it has two heads."

Helena shared a look with Myka and grinned. They both glanced surreptitiously at the adults across the room and nodded at their expressions of happy surprise. They waited another minute, until Christina looked up at their expectant faces.

"Are there two heads?" She finally asked in confusion.

Deciding to put the girl out of her misery, Myka tangled her fingers in curly locks and placed a kiss on her crown. "Yes Sweetheart. How do you feel about having two siblings?"

Realisation dawned quickly behind dark brown eyes and the young girl turned sharply to stare at her parents. "Twins!?" She exclaimed at three times her normal volume.

Helena nodded stiffly; she could barely keep her bursting joy at bay. The emotion behind her daughter's eyes was enough to bring tears of happiness to her own and she reached for Myka's hand without thinking, the immediate warmth and comfort that shot through her from the brief touch of warm metal was no longer a point of confusion.

After reciting all the information from their obstetrician's appointment, Myka excused herself to go to the bathroom and on her way back, found herself wandering into the kitchen, alone. She fetched herself a glass of water and sat down at the island.

She smiled at the chatter that floated in from the still excited voices in the communal room and then sighed. It had been a long day, but a rewarding one. So many things to think about but her head still felt like a mess of thoughts and emotions. She wasn't used to having an untidy brain and it was frustrating having to wade through the quagmire of voices telling her what to think and how to feel.

A couple of new thoughts sat in prominent position though, letting her peruse them at her will. She was having, not one, but two babies, and Helena didn't expect her to want to be a stay at home mom. Certainly, the inventor had admitted that she liked that idea, but only if it was something Myka wanted, there was no pressure to make any solid decisions.

From this knowledge, she found a whole host of questions waiting for her. Was she permanently attached to being a Warehouse agent or, like she had a couple of months ago, would she consider the possibility of finding satisfaction in another job? Perhaps in another town, another country? For a moment she tried to picture her family moving through America, Europe, possibly Asia; exploring and adventuring in their own small way. The idea had appeal, even if it was just a fantasy.

Where did she picture herself living if she decided to settle in one place? In Colorado or Wyoming, close to her family? Would she follow her Warehouse family wherever they decided to settle? What about Helena's roots? There was a lot of history in Britain. Or should they choose somewhere altogether new to all of them, but perhaps still a little like home, Canada maybe?

What about schooling for the kids? Were they content to home school? Would Helena have enough time for three of them or would Myka need to be at home more for their education? Could she imagine herself doing that, now that it wasn't an idea she felt forced into? Would they consider hiring a tutor or find a good local school?

Helena had been the one to suggest that she let her imagination have its head a little, to listen to her deepest desires so she would have a clearer understanding of what she wanted out of life. Already she was beginning to picture the many different scenarios and discarding those she knew to be unsuitable, but this was a task that could not be complete in one afternoon; she would have to make a record of these musings somehow, so she could read over them at a later date, before talking to her fiancée again.

Quiet footsteps approached from just beyond her peripheral vision and Myka turned to watch her beautiful partner approach. She saw familiar concern darkening those classic features and smiled, reaching out a hand to welcome and comfort. Pulling the inventor to her, she buried her face in the pleasant warmth of a supplicant shoulder and neck, breathing in one of her favourite scents.

"You look tired, love," HG observed cautiously. After their long car conversation, she was very aware of not being overly protective or smothering, but as Myka tightened her hold, she relaxed.

"I am. I don't think I'll be ravishing you as I wanted to a few hours ago," the American mumbled apologetically.

Helena chuckled and pulled away so she could look down into weary eyes. "You can write me an I.O.U. I'll collect payment some other time, perhaps with interest," she pressed her lips lovingly to Myka's, swallowing her response. "Come along, darling." She took the brunette's hands and pulled her gently to her feet. "I'm taking you to bed, even if it is only to sleep."

Wrapping a grateful arm around HG's middle, Myka let herself be led from the bed and breakfast. This time, in full appreciation for her lover's caring nature, without the irritated voice in the back of her mind demanding shrilly that she was a grown woman capable of walking a few hundred yards down the road. She made no comment about leaving the car at Leena's, and simply leant into her partner's embrace, content to be safe in her arms.

The action should begin to pick up from this point on.