Their breakfast picnic was a huge success, extending quite effortlessly into brunch. Marissa and Bianca simply sat and talked, about the past, about memories and about their future together. The house was still waiting for them; it was still going to be their home, hopefully very soon.

After feeding the leftovers to the ducks Marissa wheeled Bianca back to the car; helping her into the passenger seat and packing up the wheelchair once more.

"Where are we going now." asked Bianca curious.

"Not far." said Marissa as she started the engine. True to her words they pulled out of the park and after about two hundred yards they turn into the drive of their home on Crescent and Park.

"We're here." said Marissa, pulling to a stop in front of the house porch.

"Is this going to be a recap of my welcome home from L.A.?" Bianca asked grinning, "Because sadly David was very strict about strenuous activity.

Marissa shook her head with a laugh.

"You just have a one track mind these days." she said teasingly before hopping out to grab Bianca's wheelchair from the trunk.

…

Bianca found herself wheeled around the side of the main house to the pool house. Marissa pushed her into the longue and put on the brake.

"I won't be a moment." said Marissa, before disappearing around the corner to the kitchen.

Bianca peered after her, not entirely sure what was going on. She could hear cupboard doors opening and there was a distinct rustle of cloth.

"Marissa?" Bianca called out, frustrated about being trapped in the chair.

"Just a minute." Marissa called. There was a definite clink of glasses.

Bianca looked down at her lap; her hip was starting to ache again. As annoying as the drip had been, the painkiller had been very affective at dulling the muscle deep pain that she was now experiencing thanks to the side effects of the Orpheus treatment.

"Here we go!" said Marissa. She appeared from the kitchen, posing slightly with a tray balanced on one hand holding a large jug of a fruity cocktail and two glasses. Bianca's focus however was on the skimpy red bikini she was wearing.

"Did you not specify, cocktail's by the pool and me in a bikini?" said Marissa seductively.

"Uhur." gasped Bianca, as all her pain seemed to evaporate. Her jaw had dropped and she wasn't quite ready to close her mouth yet, Marissa looked ravishing. It was a very nice bikini.

Marissa smiled provocatively, putting the tray down on the coffee table.

"I have a bathing suit for you too." said Marissa with a grin. "Just so you don't feel left out." She held up a black swimming costume. "I'll be happy to help you dress."

Bianca snorted.

"And you say I have a one track mind."

…

The two women lay out on the sun loungers beside the pool; Marissa was flipping through a trashy magazine and sipping her cocktail. Bianca was lying on her stomach enjoying the heat of the sun on her back. It was almost perfect, just one thing was missing.

"I wish the kids could be here." sighed Bianca.

"Kendal is dropping them here after school." said Marissa, rolling into her side to look at Bianca, "In fact all your family will be here this evening for a family meal. A celebration of your day of escape."

"You've thought of everything." said Bianca smiling at her girlfriend happily. "I'm so lucky to have you."

"No, I'm lucky to have you." said Marissa, "No contest! And I am quite prepared to spend the rest of my life making you happy."

Bianca could only smile back, her heart overflowing with love.

"Is this alright?" Marissa asked a sudden serious expression on her face. "Being here? Did you want to go out somewhere else today?"

"Here is just perfect." said Bianca, "In fact anywhere with you would be perfect." She moved to roll onto her side so she could gaze at Marissa properly but then she winced as a spasm shot down her spine.

"Are you okay?" said Marissa immediately scooting from her lounger to be by Bianca's side.

"Backache." said Bianca with a grunt of pain as she uncomfortably settled back onto her front.

Marissa stared at Bianca's bare back and reached out to run a finger down the length of her spine, she suddenly knew exactly what to do.

"Don't move." said Marissa, "I know the perfect cure for backache."

Bianca obediently lay still, choosing to ignore the painful twinges that shot down her spine and along her left side.

Marissa drew Bianca's brown hair to one side and unfastened the tie of her bathing suit; bestowing the exposed neck with a gentle kiss. Marissa slid across to settle astride Bianca's hips and rubbed sun tan lotion into her palms before reaching out to massage Bianca's soft skin; first smoothing the lotion up her back, across her shoulders and back down to her waist in a gentle motion.

Bianca rested her cheek on a towel for a pillow, a contented smile on her lips; more than happy to surrender to Marissa's ministration. She sighed happily as sure hands worked at easing the muscles from her shoulders down the length of her back. Marissa was working some areas pretty hard, almost uncomfortably so, but it was also tantalizing and wonderful, sending tingles right down to her toes. Bianca closed her eyes dreamily as Marissa's fingertips seemed to banish all her pain away.

"Mmm," she sighed. "I forget you used to be a professional."

Marissa laughed.

"Yeah, I seem to know what I'm doing." said Marissa. Bianca released a rather pleasant moan as fingers worked the pressure point just below her shoulder blades. "I guess it's what Dr Stanhope described as a muscle memory, something you've done so often you know it by heart. Either that or it's a real memory, from my time at that dodgy massage parlour. I'll let you know if I get a sudden flash back of a sweaty hairy back."

"Hey!" cried Bianca reaching back to playfully swat Marissa's leg, "JR was bad enough."

Marissa smiled.

"I'm just teasing." said Marissa, leaning down to kiss Bianca's cheek. Bianca rolled over slightly to turn it into a proper kiss, but she winced as she stretched her neck.

"Lie back down." commanded Marissa, moving to work on Bianca's neck and shoulders

Bianca surrendered once more.

"Mmm, I don't want you to stop." said Bianca groaning happily.

Marissa smiled and licked her lips as her fingers worked their magic. She tried to stay focused on the massage but the sounds Bianca were making and the warm velvet softness of the skin under her finger tips was really starting to turn her on.

"What do you say you roll over and we work on you front." Marissa suggested, leaning down to plant another kiss on Bianca's neck.

Bianca opened one eye and turned to look at Marissa, a rakish grin on her lips.

"Wouldn't we be moving precariously close to the strenuous activity zone?"

"I don't know what you mean." said Marissa, all faux-innocent.

Despite the half-hearted protest, Bianca rolled over and Marissa settled back to straddle Bianca's hips. Marissa noticed the expression of discomfort on Bianca's face as she lay back down. She also noticed the slight tremor in Bianca's left hand as she clutched her black bathing suit modestly to her chest. Marissa cursed herself for making Bianca move.

Bianca noticed Marissa's concern; she however was cursing her own body for its increasing shortcomings.

"Maybe if I could sit up again it would help." said Bianca apologetically.

"Sure." said Marissa, sliding off of her girlfriend's lap and helping adjust the lounger back into an upright position.

As Bianca settled back, her right hand caught Marissa's wrist as the red head moved to return to her own lounger.

"Whoa, where do you think you are going." said Bianca. "I'm waiting for the rest of my massage."

Marissa smiled as Bianca guided her back into her lap. Marissa set to work on Bianca's neck and shoulders. Bianca had her eyes closed and her head tipped back, her face a mask of tranquillity, but Marissa was very aware of the way her girlfriend's her right hand was gently massaging her thigh.

Marissa, finally unable to hold back, leaned in to replace her fingers with her lips, kissing a path from Bianca's shoulder to her mouth. Bianca smiled into the kiss and returned it with a tender nibble of Marissa's bottom lip. The kiss deepened and Marissa wrapped her arms around Bianca, pulling her close, not wanting a gap between their bodies.

Bianca groaned, but it was the sound of pain not pleasure.

The kiss ended abruptly.

"I'm sorry." sighed Bianca, falling despondently back onto the lounger. "This isn't fair."

"More pain?"

"Yeah."

"Is it time for your next pill?" Marissa asked glancing at her watch.

"Probably." said Bianca trying to hide a grimace.

"I'll get it." said Marissa. She kissed Bianca gently once more, but the kiss continued, threatening to return to its original passion before Marissa remembered she had something important to do.

"I'll be quick." she said, sliding from Bianca's lap and hurrying inside the house to grab Bianca's medicine and a bite to eat.

Bianca watched her go. She looked down at her left hand still clutching the front of her swimming costume. It was no longer trembling, but the familiar numbness was returning to her hand and her grip was weakening; the bathing suit threatening to slip down. She grabbed the ties to try and refasten it but was surprised at how difficult it was to even raise her left arm up to her shoulder; the muscle pain was so intense. She gave up in the end, the pain and numbness in her fingers making it impossible to fasten any kind of knot.

She was beginning to question her reluctance over David's new treatment. Now all she wanted more than anything was to return to normal; to get her body back.

But if David was right, this would all be over soon.

…