A/N: Sorry this one took forever. I will be posting the next chapter tomorrow or if you all want me to... tonight. :) This is kind of where the drama starts to trickle in. We need this story to move along right? We have to have the conflict so we can see the relationship build and we also need to wrap this story up because I've been told that there's something else I have to write. lol. My goodness... I can't keep up but believe me I am trying. Thanks for sticking with me. Please enjoy. :)

No Beta so forgive my mistakes. eek... :x

Myka woke up in Helena's arms as she did most mornings; this time she didn't pull away and shuffle to her side of the bed or in this case, blanketed cave floor. She looked toward the waterfall, the only thing showing through were green shapes that she knew were trees; but the fact that it was all she could see made her feel safe behind the falls and in Helena's firm hold. She looked at the woman wrapped around her; studied her face. She loved the gentleness of her eyebrows as she slept; as though there were nothing weighing them down. Myka couldn't help but let her gaze happen upon the soft lips that she had dreamt about so vividly that night.

Helena shifted slightly, stretching out her legs but keeping them tangled up with Myka's. She squeezed the taller woman's torso, nuzzling against her neck with a sleepy smile on her face. Myka laughed softly, wiggling into the embrace; her desire to be as close to Helena as possible forcing her face to face with the sleeping beauty.

"Good morning." Helena sighed, her breath tickling Myka's lips.

"I'm not a morning person, but if I could wake up like this all the days of my life; every morning would be a good one." Myka leaned forward tentatively and placed a chaste kiss on the lips presented to her. She pulled away and chuckled at the disappointed look on the other woman's face. "Is there a problem?"

Helena opened her eyes slowly and shook her head. "No problem, I just really enjoyed your kisses and your touch last night. This kiss was too quick for my liking, but any kiss is wonderful with you darling." The older woman was surprised when Myka moved to hover over her. "You are very bold aren't you?"

"I seem to be. Only with you." Myka then lowered herself and kissed Helena as she had the night before, gaining entrance into Helena's mouth with a simple swipe of her tongue across a bottom lip. She tugged possessively, aching to claim Helena and everything she had to offer. This was where she belonged, she was sure of it.

"Over here!" The two separated when they heard a man yelling outside the cave.

"Who the bloody...?" Helena stood and walked to the waterfall slowly; Myka followed close behind her, taking her hand and squeezing tight. They shimmied on the small ledge just enough to see past the water. "A search party?"

"Myka?" A young man yelled into the woods. "There are foot prints here." He pointed by the waters edge and Myka's eyes widened in horror. She didn't want to be found.

"It's not a search party." Myka whispered, pulling Helena back into the cave.

"What do you mean?"

"They're hunting..." Myka moved until she was flush against a wall and sunk down, pulling her knees against her chest. "My father isn't looking for me; he found men who would look for me and whoever finds me... gets to keep me." She hid her face against her legs, hiding her tears and pain.

"How do you know that?" Helena sat next to Myka, placing her hand around the woman's shoulders.

"They've been looking for a few weeks now. I saw them a couple of times..."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I... I didn't want to be found. I don't want them to find me Helena because I want to stay with you." Myka turned, burrowing herself into Helena's chest; searching for the warmth and safety that she needed and yearned for.

Helena held onto Myka so tight, but couldn't stop herself from thinking of the life Myka would be robbed of if she stayed with her. She was in the same place as the woman clinging to her; she wanted her to stay forever, but Myka was right before when she said that forever was an impossibility. Helena wasn't going to be responsible for ending Myka's natural life and forcing her into this... state of being. "Myka?"

"Yes?" Myka looked up at Helena, her hazel eyes watering as she clawed into the Brit's clothes.

"You should go." Before Myka could argue, Helena continued. "You can go and I'll just tell everyone that they found you and I will tell them that you can be trusted now. Although I think they all know that already."

"You... you want me to leave? I thought..."

"Myka, this is for the best. You can't stay here forever, you have to go and live your life with someone who can live it with you."

There was instantly a foot of space between them when Myka violently pulled away. "You can live it with me if you let me drink the water. We'll both live forever and we'll be together." Myka whispered, not wanting anyone to hear them and come running.

Helena followed Myka's lead and whispered as well. "Darling." She tried to brush her fingers against the flushed cheek but bit her own when Myka turned around. "This isn't a life I would have chosen for myself. I can't make friends or fall in love." A lump formed in her throat. "I end up hurting, having to watch them die. And what about your family and friends? You'll have to live and watch them grow old and wither away until you're all alone."

"But I won't be alone. I'll have you, and you're all I need Helena. I love you. I'm not going with them."

"Fine." Helena walked over to the falls and heard Myka gasp behind her. "Don't worry, I won't force you to go." She sat down by the entrance and waited for the search party to leave. "But I will do everything in my power to make sure you don't drink that water Myka... because I love you too." Helena hugged her knees tight, resting her chin on them and staring through the waterfall and listening intently to the voices beyond it.

"We'll have to wait for a while. Christopher is a hunter. I'm surprised he didn't track us by now."

"Christopher?"

"He wanted to 'court' me. I wasn't interested, but I guess my parents and sister were." Myka wanted so badly to go out there and tell those men that she didn't want to go back, but if she did they would just force her; throwing her over their shoulders like the Neanderthals they are.

"And the one with the broad shoulders?"

"Michael... Mike. He was a childhood friend, but I never saw him as a husband. My father must have forced him into this."

"Mike and Myka. Sort of a perfect fit don't you think?" Helena scoffed, hiding her face from the woman who had come to know her so well.

"You just said you love me too, and now you're hinting that I should what? Marry one of them? I don't want them Helena, I want you." Myka was now kneeling in front of Helena, drawing those deep brown eyes to look right at her. "I know you want me too, so why are you doing this?"

"I won't be able to get through to you while you're being this way. We should take a break and talk about it tomorrow."

"Fine." Myka turned and looked her own way, arms across her chest. She could feel her heart racing. Her brain shot off thought after thought. She watched the search party, looked at the men her father promised her to. Neanderthals. She recognized most of them, but a few were new. Then there was a tall man there as well, but she couldn't place him. Odd, she thought. She recognized him but couldn't remember who he was. Her amazing memory was failing her in this moment and she hated it.

...

The sun was ready to set when the women silently arrived back at the warehouse. Helena walked Myka up to the bedroom and as they passed Leena, she just shook her head because Helena knew what the woman could see. Their energy was different, it was darker and troubled. There was something so sad about it; so sad that as they passed, Leena turned into her own bedroom and cried.

"What now?" Myka asked when they got to the bedroom door.

"Now we go to sleep and talk more tomorrow."

"Okay." Myka walked into the room and stopped when she realized that Helena wasn't following her. "Helena?"

"I think... I think it would be best for tonight if we didn't stay together. I just..."

"Yeah. You're right." Myka interrupted her, biting the inside of her cheek as she just stepped back.

Before Helena knew it a door was closed in her face. Both women stood on either side quietly looking upon the heavy oak. They each found that breath was getting more and more difficult to draw. Myka was already mourning the loss of Helena's presence, even though she could still tell by the shadow under the door that she hadn't left yet.

Helena had spent years and years alive without really living. Then Myka burst into her life and she felt her heart truly beat for the first time in a long time. She didn't realize how hard this was going to be until that door shut her off from the woman she had come to know and love. She wished that she had never met Myka in that instant. So she wouldn't have to feel another loss so great as the one of her daughter.

Life isn't fair, she thought. She re thought that. Her life isn't fair. Myka will go home and she will meet someone wonderful and grow old and be happy and have children of her own. She'll forget all about this place, about her and the rest of her family. Myka would see that this isn't all there is. She had her mind set, even though her heart waged a respectable battle; and as much as it was killing her, she would have to let Myka go.

Thank you for reading this chapter. Sorry about it being so short but the next one is just about ready to be posted. Please comment and review. I really do love hearing from you guys. Don't feel bad if it's a bad review... I'm not a fan of those, but I take into account everything everyone has to say. I'm always looking to better my writing. :) Thank you again. Love you all. XOXO