Wow, think this might be the longest chapter yet. Took long enough to edit anyway!

Thanks as usual for the faves and follows, and thanks to Aeternus Eternus for the kind words and support!

Chapter Ten

Tears that she'd tried to keep at bay inside the house, fell with abandon the moment the door closed softly behind Myka. She walked with no particular destination in mind, one foot in front of the other as her chest tightened with shame and guilt.

Why had she not told Helena the truth? Of course she would understand her dilemma, and even if she hadn't she would have done her best to support her regardless.

The conversation she'd had with her sister played on her mind more than she wanted to admit. She had always felt under pressure from her younger sister to be 'normal'. It was ridiculous that she still felt that way in her early thirties, but old habits were hard to break. The moment Tracy's sceptical tone reached her through the receiver, she'd panicked and suddenly the last thing she had wanted to do was expose Helena to the world of hurt and rejection she herself had felt as a child. Her intention had been to protect her girlfriend from her demons, but in hindsight she realised that the older woman was right; all she'd done was deny them a chance to grow closer as a couple.

Bottling up her feelings was a serial offence of Myka's. She was naturally a very private person and even Pete didn't get to hear most of her woes. That needed to change. When she considered the situation in reverse, she knew she would feel lonely and useless if Helena chose to suffer in silence.

Thinking back over the last hour, Myka's eidetic memory replayed every word tossed between her and Helena, feeling the sting of each verbal parry hit her afresh.

Early in the afternoon, Helena had found her girlfriend's phone sitting forlornly on the kitchen counter, the sound of Holtz's Mars demanding her attention. Reading the caller ID, she had hesitated just long enough for Tracy Bering to give up, but an hour later the ominous tune was back and HG shrugged to herself, thinking that introductions may as well be made sooner than later.

Less than a minute into the call, Helena realised that the woman on the other end of the phone had no idea who she was or what connection, if any, the Brit had to her sister. She explained away her reason for answering the agent's phone, making it seem like she was merely the nanny, and hung up with a slight feeling of vertigo and the taste of bile in the back of her throat.

Hours later, Myka returned home; her cautious expression telling Helena all she needed to know about her girlfriend's culpability. She paced the living room floor, throwing conflicted glances at the agent sitting on the couch with her head held in her hands.

"I don't like this feeling, Myka. I didn't think I would ever have to question my trust in you."

From the couch, Myka lifted her head and felt her anger at the situation begin to boil over. "I'm well aware of what that's like!"

HG stopped and stared at her partner, feeling the statement like a bullet. "So you're telling me that I deserve to be lied to? Why not? I lied to you, didn't I? An eye for an eye. Is that what this is?"

The younger woman heard the hurt in her lover's tone and instantly regretted her outburst. "No, Helena. I'm sorry. I didn't really lie to you..."

"A lie of omission is no better and you know that." Helena wasn't about to listen to excuses or qualifications for why Myka hadn't been honest with her. The very fact that her girlfriend felt the need to keep things from her tore at her insides. "I hate that you still don't trust me. I know that's my fault, but this hurts Myka. I should have been able to support you, but you didn't give me that chance."

"I just... I wasn't sure you'd understand. I felt like I should just be able to do it alone..." She trailed off, knowing that the words escaping her mouth held no real weight.

"You didn't think I would comprehend people's prejudices towards alternate lifestyles? That's bloody ridiculous." The inventor wanted to scream, to yell some sense into her normally intelligent partner, but she was aware that Christina was only a short distance away and the last thing she wanted was to start a shouting match. "Need I remind you of the social attitudes towards women during the late nineteenth century?"

"I wasn't thinking."

"Truly?" Helena's comment came thinly veiled in sarcasm, though she quickly swallowed the urge to follow up with further insult. She sighed instead. "I'm not even sure I have a right to be angry with you."

Myka had never wanted to hold her girlfriend's past actions over her head and knew that their relationship would only work if they were on equal terms. "Of course you do, Helena. I'll talk to my sister. Tell her the truth."

"That's not the issue though, is it Myka?" The Victorian paced another length of the room before sinking into a chair and lowering her head into her own hands. When she eventually caught the American's eye again, there was a weary despondency in the inventor's gaze. "What impression will your sister have of our relationship if she thinks we're not honest with each other?" She pondered aloud. "How valid will our love seem if we don't present ourselves as partners who are willing and able to support each other? I don't much care what people think of me, but I do care what they think of you and Christina, particularly your family, which means we have to present a united front."

Myka let the words sink into her psyche; absorbing the wisdom and knowing with each statement that her actions had damaged something precious. She tried to swallow past the lump in her throat but couldn't. She gazed alternately at the floor and ceiling, knowing that the second she made eye contact with HG, she would start to cry.

Helena continued, her voice becoming softer the longer she spoke. "I felt out of my depth today. Perhaps I shouldn't have answered your phone. I thought I would be able to provide a good impression to help smooth things along. I didn't expect to be denying my feelings for you or pretending that my world doesn't revolve around you and Christina."

Myka shook her head. "I didn't mean to put you in that position."

"But you did," the inventor all but whispered.

There was a long silence between them where the tick of the hall clock became unbearably loud. Eventually, HG stood and, running her fingers through her hair, moved to the open door.

"I'm going to take a shower," she announced dejectedly. "You're dinner's in the oven if you want it."

The ex-Secret Service agent had waited for the sound of running water before finding her feet and stepping out of the front door. She hadn't intended to go far, having simply needed the fresh air, but her legs had moved of their own volition and she was powerless to stop them.

Unconscious of the time, Myka wandered until her feet hurt and her tears had dried up. A full moon cast a romantic glow across her path, mocking in complete juxtaposition to how she felt.

It was much later than she realised by the time she'd come full circle and stood in the porch removing her shoes. The weather had turned colder and the cloudless sky had only helped to make the underdressed agent shiver beneath her shirt.

As it was passed ten o'clock, she assumed that Christina at least must already be in asleep, and decided to use the downstairs bathroom to ready herself for bed. She took her time, considering how likely it was that she would end up sleeping on the couch. She was close to making the decision herself, feeling as if she deserved some form of purgatory before being allowed to bask in her lover's embrace again, but when she considered for a moment how she would feel in Helena's place, she knew that it wouldn't be a solitary punishment.

Creeping up the stairs in the dark, Myka couldn't resist looking in on Christina. Only, when she carefully cracked open the door, she found the young girl's room empty. The soft swish of wood against carpet, from across the landing, caught her attention and Myka turned to come face to face with her very irate and distressed girlfriend.

"Helena..." she began, and then stopped as a hand rose to silence her.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" HG demanded to know through clenched teeth and angry tears.

The tension in her voice and redness around her eyes caused Myka's stomach to drop with sudden horrified realisation. Forgetting words and explanations, the lanky agent moved swiftly forward and wrapped her arms securely around the shorter figure. The inventor's arms clung to her as if they would never let go. She let her own guilt-ridden tears gather and fall as she cradled her lover through silent sobs of fear and relief.

"I'm sorry, Helena. I know it's no consolation now but I just lost track of the time, and I left my stupid cell phone in the kitchen... again." Myka felt desperate fingers cling tighter to the back of her shirt and turned her head slightly to bury her nose in the shorter woman's hair. "I'm so sorry," she whispered again into ebony locks. "I don't know what's going on with me at the moment, but I know we need to talk and try to figure this out. I hate hurting you like this."

HG held onto her girlfriend until the tears and anger subsided and she was left with a sense of relief and a seed of confidence that all would be well eventually. Muscles relaxed as her surge of adrenaline wore off. She felt her lover's lips in her hair and pulled back just far enough to tilt her head towards that loving caress. Myka's mouth captured her own in a grateful embrace, the American pouring every last drop of love into the kiss, while fingers wove their way into her hair. Knees buckling under the assault, Helena tightened her grip on Myka's shirt and teased her girlfriend's top lip with her tongue.

A strangled moan found its way up from Myka's throat. "Helena," she gasped. "Is Christina in our bed?"

"Mmhm." HG's hands found Myka's and she began pulling her lover towards the stairs. "Neither of us wanted to sleep alone."

The tall brunette felt another pang of guilt but shook it off. Now was not a time to be feeling sorry for herself. "Where are we going?"

"To take a shower," the inventor declared before leading them downstairs to the guest bathroom.

In seconds, Helena had locked the door behind them and wasted no time in pushing Myka against the countertop while tugging at her various fastenings. Her wild gaze drank in each newly exposed plane of skin and revelled in the aroused deer-in-the-headlights look that stared back at her.

The curly-haired agent moved to reciprocate but found her hands being slapped away. Within a few short minutes, Myka was naked, her left leg held against Helena's hip, and her breath hitching as deft fingers teased through her pubic hair and slid effortlessly along slick folds. Hungry lips and teeth feasted on the long length of her neck, sucking and biting possessively.

Whimpers punctuated each thrust as hips moved in rhythm to plunging digits and Myka found her climax taking hold of her in record time. She was putty in Helena's hands and she welcomed the freeing sensation of being dominated by this incredible woman. This woman she loved and trusted with every fibre of her being. Ignoring the cold, hard surface pressing into her back, she pulled her girlfriend's mouth up to meet her own, stifling the sound of her drawn out cry as the tension in her body crested and crashed down around her.

Holding onto the edge of the countertop, Myka buried her face in her lover's neck and struggled to breathe evenly. "Bathrooms seem to be our theme recently," she commented after a quiet moment. Feeling HG chuckle, she smiled to herself, eventually pulling back to look the other woman up and down. "You're overdressed," she said simply.

Helena cocked her hip out and shot Myka a smug look; her girlfriend's dishevelled appearance drawing out her natural arrogance. "What do you propose we do to rectify that?"

Reaching for HG's hips, Myka walked backwards into the shower stall, guiding the writer with her and pulling her into another lengthy kiss. Her back pressed firmly into cold tile and a sharp gasp left her mouth. With knowing hands, she searched for the dial to turn the water on, soon drenching the pair of them and eliciting another delightful chuckle from her partner.

"There's no need for that, darling. I'm already wet." Helena's voice rose above the spray of water and eyes wandered to appreciate the vision in front of her. "What exactly was your plan?"

"I just thought your outfit would benefit from a soaking." The inventor's previously loose fitting t-shirt and shorts were now plastered to her skin, showing off every curve and bump on her lithe body. "I was right."

Myka found herself losing track of time again, though on this occasion for a much more pleasant reason. The image of Helena with her head thrown back, arms tense with the effort to keep herself standing; the feel of hands gripping her hair and shoulders, and the sounds, smell and taste of her lover's release, continued to play through her thoughts even as they turned off the water and began to dry off.

Taking turns with the hairdryer, they exchanged shy smiles and frequent reassuring caresses. Sometime past midnight, they climbed the stairs hand-in-hand and crept into their bedroom.

Christina had rolled into the middle of the bed and was doing a wonderful impression of a starfish. HG found herself a dry set of sleep clothes and threw Myka's favourite oversized t-shirt to her before they both slipped under the covers, careful not to disturb their daughter.

Myka knew that their impromptu make-up session was just the beginning of their efforts to fix this tear in their relationship. They would have to make time in the coming days to really talk about lingering issues, but she knew that the worst was over for now and felt a sense of peace at the realisation that overcoming this bump could only bring them closer.

Christina's gaze opened the following morning on her favourite sight - her mother's warm brown eyes watching her lovingly. She grinned automatically and reached out to pull HG into a hug. Her mind returned to worried thoughts of the previous evening but before she could open her mouth to enquire after events, her mother placed a finger over her lips and pointed behind her.

Turning carefully, the girl's eyes fell on Myka, whose tall figure was stretched out on her front, with one arm resting by her head and the other trapped under her body.

Christina rolled over and shuffled back against her mother's body, feeling strong arms wrap themselves around her torso. "Mummy," she whispered. "Mama's going to stay with us, isn't she? She won't ever go back to live at Leena's will she?"

"Myka will stay with us, Love." Helena told her daughter with absolute assurance. Even when she'd begun to worry about her girlfriend's whereabouts the previous evening, she had never considered the possibility that Myka wouldn't want to come home to them. "This is her home and we are her family."

"Good," the young girl murmured a little louder. "I'd be awfully vexed if she went away."

HG ran her fingers through her daughter's hair as they continued to watch Myka sleep. "As would I, darling. Adults sometimes have disagreements and need time to work through their feelings. Myka and I love each other very much, so even when we do argue, and it is likely to happen from time to time, we will always try to talk through our problems."

Christina was now looking up at her mother and missed Myka's eyes opening. Helena was aware though and continued talking for all their benefit.

"No matter what happens though, my darling, we will never stop loving you. You are the most important thing in our lives."

Myka couldn't resist the lure of joining the family snuggle session. She tried to push herself up discretely, failing miserably as her dead arm collapsed beneath her and she face planted into her pillow with a groan.

Helena laughed at the adorable clumsiness and Myka stuck her tongue out. Christina giggled as her curly-haired mother tried again and purposely threw her body over, causing her numb limb to flip uselessly over the Wells duo.

They spent the morning curled up on the sofa, surrounded by blankets, taking it in turns to read through the rest of Charlotte's Web and move on to Roald Dahl's Matilda.

Myka called Artie as Helena and Christina began making breakfast, telling him that she was taking a personal day and didn't want to be contacted unless it was an emergency. He grumbled, like she knew he would, but had been understanding enough not to outright argue with her.

After lunch they dressed and wrapped up in hats and scarves to walk to the park. Christina kicked through piles of leaves while Myka strolled arm in arm with Helena. A few hundred metres into their walk and HG finally decided to bite the bullet and ask after the reason for their disagreement.

"So, love... What did your sister say?"

Squeezing Helena's hand in comfort, Myka thought back to her conversation with Tracy. After talking to Artie and making sure that the Wells duo were happily ensconced in their task, she had planted a chaste kiss on her lover's cheek and retreated into the study to return her sister's call.

:Hello?:

"Trace? It's Myka."

:Myka? Jesus, it's like trying to get hold of royalty calling you.:

"I'm sorry. I was working late yesterday and I had to deal with some things at home."

:Like your maid answering your phone? What's up with that?:

"Trace, Helena's not my maid."

:Your nanny then. Or do you call her an au pair? Whatever.:

"Trace..."

:I'd sort that out quickly, Myka. You can't leave the woman alone in your home if she thinks it's ok to answer your phone.:

"Trace..."

:She's probably going through your stuff as we speak.:

"Trace!"

:What?:

"She's my girlfriend."

:... What do you mean...? Are you having an affair with your maid?:

"No, Tracy. I mean, I live with her. She's my girlfriend."

:So HG...? You made him up? Why would you do that?:

"She is HG. Helena G Wells."

:Myka, tell me you're not dating a woman just because you have a crush on a book. That would be so like you.:

"Seriously Tracy? When have I ever been with someone I wasn't in love with? I'm not you."

:Some of us can get a date without needing an entire history of the person we're with!:

"This is stupid, I've got better things to do than argue with you. I'm sorry I let you believe HG was my boyfriend. I wasn't sure how you'd react and I chickened out. I don't know how mom and dad are going to take my news either so I don't know if I'm going to see you at Thanksgiving or Christmas."

:Myka, don't be so dramatic. You don't really think they'll disown you, do you?:

"Are you saying that you're ok with this?"

:Of course. You're my sister. You annoy the crap out of me and I never really understand you, but I love you anyway.:

"... That's... Thanks Trace. I love you too... Most of the time."

:Haha. So you must be in the dog-house right about now. How pissed was HG when you got home? I should probably feel bad for being so mean to her, but as it was kinda your fault, I'm going to let you do the grovelling.:

"Why do I detect a hint of derision in your tone? Now I feel quite smug for already finding my way out of the dog-house."

:Sis. Either your girlfriend is ridiculously easy going, or you've got serious skills in the bedroom.:

"Trace!"

:It's always the quiet ones.:

"Are we going to talk about Thanksgiving or not?"

:Fine. When do you plan on telling the folks?:

Myka was quiet for a spell before a wry smile crept onto her face. "She says you're far too forgiving and that you should make me spend more time in the dog-house."

Helena frowned as she continued to watch her daughter. "Dog-house? I assume that is a colloquialism for some form of punishment?" She glanced at Myka with a quirk to the corner of her mouth. "Is putting your significant other in the dog-house something to be strived for in a modern relationship?"

The taller woman laughed nervously. "I suppose for some people it might be. Dog-houses are traditionally kept outside."

"Ah. So I must continue to disapprove and 'shut you out' until a suitable level of contrition on your behalf has been reached?" Enjoying the hint of concern on her girlfriend's face, Helena chuckled. She took pity on her lover after a minute and hugged her closer. "Darling, I think I know you well enough to conclude that you are already punishing yourself more harshly than I ever could. You are somewhat masochistic in that respect."

"Helena... This is serious. I've never been very good at sharing my concerns with anyone; I don't want to keep letting you down."

HG stared at her girlfriend for a long moment. "Love, do you not see the irony in that statement?" She let Myka consider her question before continuing. "I understand that you want to protect me and Christina from the many upsets that might befall us in this modern world, but you have to know that we want the same for you. It is rather counter-productive when you choose to burden yourself and keep us in the dark."

Myka sighed, frustration beginning to sink in. "I know. Sometimes, I want to talk to you, to tell you things, but you're so content in that moment that I don't want to ruin your mood. You've had so little happiness since... Since..."

"Since Christina died. You can say it, love. I haven't forgotten. And while I appreciate the sentiment of your allowing me time to bask in the feeling of having her back, I am capable of being a mother and a partner." HG looked across at her girlfriend's drawn features, taking in the struggle the other agent was experiencing. "Happiness is a fine balance, Myka. It's also subjective. Right at this moment, regardless of the difficulties involved in baring our souls, I am deliriously happy. Sharing your burdens provides me with a sense of achievement that couldn't come from any other source." She smiled at the raised eyebrow that came her way. "It's quite a macabre realisation, is it not? As a part of providing well being in the other, we must each feel some form of disquiet and share accordingly. What strange creatures we are."

"Getting off track?" Myka queried, feeling a little bit of hero worship as she witnessed HG Wells pontificate on life.

Helena bumped her hip against her fellow agent's and smirked flirtatiously. "Not at all. I believe I may be having an epiphany."

"I think your theory only has merit if both parties are able to contribute to resolving the issues arisen from said conversation. Leaving the issue unresolved may only serve to dampen the spirits of those involved." Myka loved this part of their relationship and as they continued their meeting of minds, she began to realise that they had not had much time for this sort of thing lately. This was yet another reason for her to spend less time at the Warehouse.

HG watched the play of thoughts cross her lover's gaze and could almost hear her mind whirring madly. "Hmm, you have a point there. It would seem that the only method of testing this hypothesis would be to continue our session of confession. You have the floor, Love."

"Don't think I won't be turning this round on you at some point," Myka warned the inventor playfully. Today was about her concerns and her secrets, but she would make time to discuss Helena's issues too.

The Victorian nodded, easily reading Myka's thoughts. "I will endeavour to come up with adequate problems for you to solve. All in good time, Darling. Now, spill."

Their stroll eventually brought them upon the children's play park and Christina asked to go explore around the jungle-gym, as Myka called it. The adults placed themselves on a nearby bench with the best lines of sight to cover all the juvenile equipment and continued to talk.

Myka confessed her fears of being found inadequate by her family, particularly her parents and especially her father. She relayed the incident she and Pete had dealt with regarding Poe's diary and admitted that, even after reconciling their differences, she was still very much a slave to her early experiences of failing to live up to his expectations.

She explained in broken sentences how she didn't want her father to taint the sense of pride she felt in herself and their small family, and how she was afraid to expose Helena and Christina to his potential disapproval. She also admitted that, until she spoke to them, she would constantly wonder about her parents' opinion of her relationship.

Her tendency to keep her thoughts to herself was so chronic that even by the time Christina was long in bed and Helena was curled up beside her in their own safe-haven; Myka still had a pressing matter to get off her chest.

Their discussion while curled up on the sofa, had come to an end as they agreed to talk to Artie and Mrs. Fredrick about the other roles Myka could fulfil for the Warehouse. Helena had tried not to be too excited by the prospect of having Myka at home with her more often.

Lying with the inventor ensconced in her arms, Myka debated whether to leave her last confession til tomorrow or add yet another thing to the long list of topics already discussed. She had sworn Pete to secrecy on the matter, but he was notoriously bad at keeping his thoughts to himself and was likely to blurt it out whether he meant to or not. Then there was the fact that she had promised not to keep secrets about important issues.

"Helena?" She whispered at long last, keeping her voice low in case the petite woman was asleep already.

"Yes, Darling?" Something in Myka's voice caught the inventor's attention and she turned over to get a better view of her expression.

"We didn't really get chance to talk about exactly what happened with me and Pete that day I came home early." Myka had practised many ways to phrase what she wanted to say and she still wasn't happy with how it sounded as the words left her mouth. She could tell by Helena's expression that her careful phrasing wasn't having the desired effect either.

"As I well recall the events of that day, I'm afraid to ask for clarification... What exactly happened with you and Pete?" She was wide-awake now and propped up on one elbow, looking down on her lover with a hint of trepidation in her eyes.

Myka rolled onto her back and took a slow breath. She decided to retell the events in the most factual way rather than to jump right into how boundaries had been crossed or to vocalise her denials. It hadn't meant anything to her and that's how she wanted the facts to come across. "Artie asked us to goo and crate up an artefact for further study as it had been the cause of several disturbances. We had gloves, glasses and the goo-hose. It should have been easy." She paused and looked to her girlfriend who was following the narration easily. "So of course, Pete being Pete, he tripped himself up with the hose, dragged me with him and collapsed on top of me." Myka chanced another look at Helena and noticed the unmistakable edge of jealousy behind her gaze. She clearly had ideas for where this story was going. "He managed to knock both of our glasses off so when we heard a noise we both turned and the artefact hit us... We kissed."

HG waited for the worst to come but her girlfriend appeared to have finished. "And?"

"And I only realised it wasn't you when he began touching me." She cringed at the way that sounded. It had probably been just a few seconds, but it felt like a lifetime in hindsight. "Then I kneed him in the groin."

The Victorian's eyes closed and she sighed with what appeared to be relief. Myka held her breath and then wished she hadn't as her girlfriend's mouth covered hers. Helena poured herself into the kiss, breaking off occasionally to give them both a chance to breathe and then capturing Myka's mouth again in another assault. When she finally released her lover, her smug smile was back.

Catching her breath, the brunette stared up at her girlfriend in surprise. "So, I guess you're not too upset then?"

"Well... I kissed Pete once, so I'm fairly confident that there's no competition between us." Her cocky grin was back and she traced Myka's kiss-swollen lips for good measure.

Myka narrowed her eyes at the memory of Pete's bragging. "That was before our first time. It's not like I had any claim on you."

"Oh, Darling," Helena chuckled at her own memories from the first time she'd ever laid eyes on Agent Bering. "You had me from the moment I saw you ordering Agent Lattimer around, taking complete control of the situation. I rather thought I'd have liked to have had you alone, but alas, Pete was the one to open the door and let me back in."

The brunette thought back to the dazed look on her partner's face when she'd found him in HG's clutches. "Poor Pete."

"Poor Pete?" Helena's voice rose with indignation. "Need I remind you that I had to endure flirting shamelessly with him and then actually kissed him, sans artefact inhibition?"

"No, I'd rather you didn't remind me. And you can hardly blame Pete for that; it's not like he forced you to be the villain!" Myka remarked, now feeling more than sorry for her best friend.

"Come now, Darling. Admit it; you like it when I'm naughty." Myka's shifting gaze and slack-jawed expression betrayed her opinion on the subject. She watched as the inventor's gaze drifted over her face and those shapely eyes darkened impossibly. "Have I ever told you how much I love this top lip?" HG murmured as her thumb stroked slowly over the American's mouth. "Of course, I adore every inch of your delicious body, but this lip... This is my favourite part. So very expressive and... yummy."

Myka gasped at the open want in her girlfriend's gaze and the hypnotic sensation of fingers exploring her like a work of art. "Helena," she whispered. How was it that this woman could tear her apart and put her back together so easily? The trepidation she'd harboured early in their relationship was gone now and Myka found herself responding without hesitation. Rather than the rough hurriedness of the night before, she brought her hands up to cup pale cheeks and guided Helena's mouth back to her own.

HG settled gently on top of her lover, raining short, soft kisses down on the mouth she professed to love so much. Having forgone her usual shorts for sleep in favour of something easier to remove, Helena grinned into her girlfriend's mouth as she felt hands pushing the fabric high up her back and shifted slightly to allow it to pass over her head. Feeling slightly drunk on the emotions of the past twenty-four hours or so, she merely whimpered when Myka's hands grasped her hips and reversed their positions. Legs opened of their own accord, welcoming the brunette to settle between them. She drew in a long breath of air the moment kisses began to travel along her jaw-line and down her neck, teeth gnawing at her own lip as her lover paid particular attention to sensitive areas.

Myka sucked an earlobe into her mouth and felt the inventor's groan reverberate through her. Helena's hands swam over her skin in long strokes, sinking under her shirt for long seconds before returning to her hair to find purchase on something. A desperate itch hummed along the taller woman's nerve endings, reminding her that there were still barriers between them. She sat back on her knees, the covers falling behind her to reveal HG in all her glory, bathed in the pale moonlight that drifted in from the gaps in the curtain. Myka suddenly wished she had lit several candles, wanting to absorb her lover's image for an eternity, but then deft hands were tugging at her t-shirt and sliding into her shorts, prompting her to tear desperately until the fabric was removed.

Skin on skin, bodies began to dance to their favourite rhythm. The cool air of the room only seemed to spur hands on to find those warm, dark places that sent hearts pounding and muscles twitching.

More than once, Myka began a southward journey with her mouth only to be pulled back to the taste of Helena's tongue tangling with her own. Eventually staying put, she straddled one of her lover's thighs, using it to rock against as her touch sank into soft folds and stroked their length.

"Myka," HG's voice escaped on a hitched breath of air, more sounds tumbling off her tongue in a jumble of phonemes, the occasional expletive reaching the brunette's ears amongst the babble.

Causing the normally verbose woman to lose the ability to speak was a source of pride for Myka. She let her fingers dip into a well of desire as her lips found the outer curve of a breast and painted it with open-mouthed kisses. Her own intimate nerves twitched in sympathy as she slid inside her lover and savoured the sensation of Helena's warmth enveloping her.

HG was so close to the edge by this point that all she could do was hold on for dear life. Myka was everywhere; surrounding, filling... loving her so completely. The release that had been insidious in its build-up now surged within her, hitting her with successive waves until eventually, she laid panting and grasping anything that could help her find the ground again.

They continued to make love well into the night, exhaustion forgotten in the wake of their reaffirmed connection.

Myka didn't know how many times her girlfriend had bitten and sucked blood to the surface of her skin and though she knew Pete would tease her if he saw her with a hickey, she suspected that there would be mostly pride beneath any embarrassment she suffered. Each love-bite was a brand that screamed 'HG Wells owns me' and Myka couldn't help feeling smug about the fact.

They settled into their often-preferred position with Myka as the big spoon, her long arms encapsulating the more compact figure of the time-traveller. Thinking back to earlier, the field agent recalled the revelation she'd had and knew that her lover needed to know how she felt. "I trust you," she whispered into raven hair and tightened her arms around the body curled into her.

Helena swallowed the sob of joy and relief that bubbled up in her throat. She allowed a lone tear to fall onto the pillow and smiled as her eyes drifted shut.

:-D I do love a happy ending. Not that this fic is anywhere near finished!

Before you lovely people wander off to rejoin reality, does anyone have any idea what terms of endearment, if any, Myka would have for Helena? I appreciate any thoughts you have. Any other comments are, of course, welcome too.