[I'm so, so sorry for the delay. Here's the next, short, chapter. ;)]

Olivia smiled as she looked over at her sleeping wife. Alex looked relaxed, and happy. She had tried so hard to hide her anxiety over the weekend they had spent at her mother's house, but Olivia knew her well enough to know about the bad memories it had brought up.

"You're staring," Alex mumbled into her pillow, her eyes still shut.

Olivia smiled. "How do you do that? How do you always know?"

Alex rolled on to her back, and cranked one eye open. She gave a small smile. "Tell me I was wrong," she taunted.

Olivia laughed. "You were right. I was staring."

Alex reached for her glasses to see the time, looking pissed when she couldn't see them.

"It's 6.20am," Olivia guessed what she wanted.

"So why are you awake? Desk duty doesn't start until 8.30am," Alex said.

"I just am. I woke a little while ago, so I was just thinking … and staring," she grinned, reaching out to touch Alex's warm, soft cheek.

"You feeling okay?" Alex looked closely at her wife.

"I'm fine, Alexandra," Olivia reassured her. She both loved and hated that Alex worried about her so much. She hated to be the cause of any anxiety to her, but at the same time, she had to admit, there was something beautiful about the way Alex noticed everything, and wanted to take care of her. "I feel great, baby," Olivia said softly. "Come to think of it," she snaked a hand under Alex's pajama top and cupped the underside of a soft breast, "you're feeling pretty great too."

Alex smiled. Olivia was now eight months' pregnant, and neither of them was ever sure how she would feel when she woke up in the morning. Some days, she was exhausted and irritable, having been kept awake all night by an active baby; other days she felt sick; some days she was fine and cheerful. And on Alex's favorite days, her eyes were alight with desire and mischief, and she only needed to look at Alex in a certain way to make her wet. Today, Alex realized, as Olivia's fingers teased her turgid nipple, was one of those days. "Liv," she hated to put a dampener on things, "I gotta get to the office by 8am. Liz is going to … oh Jesus," Alex gasped as Olivia shoved the fabric of her pajama top to one side and claimed her breast firmly in her hot, sweet mouth. "Liv, I've … oh baby," desire surged through her.

"Something you need, Counselor?" Olivia teased, and reached down with her left hand, sliding it under the fabric of Alex's pajama pants. Her lips and teeth continued to tease her wife's erect nipple.

"Liv," Alex knew that her self-control was at breaking point. "Baby … you're … oh God," unconsciously, she started to rock her hips gently. "Ten minutes," she bit out.

"That's all I need," Olivia's voice was low.

"Wanna see you," Alex reached out and tried to grab Olivia's t-shirt.

Olivia grinned and sat back on her heels. She grabbed the edge of her t-shirt, and was about to rip it off, when they both heard it at the same time – the telltale sound of the door being pushed open.

"Mama," Maisie said sleepily, as she trailed into the room, dragging her favorite blanket along the floor.

Olivia laughed at the look of clear frustration on Alex's face. She turned to face their youngest daughter. "Morning, baby," Olivia said, and reached down for the toddler as Alex rebuttoned her pajama top.

Olivia hauled Maisie onto the bed, and passed her over to Alex to snuggle, since her pregnant belly made it difficult. She shuffled back in bed, so that she sat next to Alex and Maisie, and caressed Maisie's back. "You okay, baby girl?"

Maisie nodded into Alex's front, and wrapped her arms around her.

Alex kissed the top of her head, and rocked her gently. "Did you get scared, doodlebug? Maybe just a little bit?"

Maisie nodded again. "Not scared now," she said.

Olivia smiled. She had been so determined to make love to Alex, and she knew that Alex had felt the same way, but the joy of seeing their daughter happy in her mother's arms more than made up for her frustration. "That's all I ever need too," Olivia told the little girl. "Whenever I get scared, I just get a hug from Mommy, and it makes everything better."

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"So?" Sarah said, excitedly, as Jay came through the door.

Jay strode across the room, and took Sarah in her arms, kissing her deeply. She looked around the room. "Tommy?"

"He's out with Casey and Lily, they've been swimming and I think Casey is planning to take them out for pizza after. It's just you and me, sweetheart."

Jay's face split into a wide grin. "You got any work you gotta do?" her eyes were already feasting on Sarah's t-shirt, which tented invitingly over her ample, firm breasts.

Sarah shook her head, smiling at the look of desire on Jay's face. She tried to ignore the tightening of her own nipples. "I wanna hear first," determinedly she brushed an invading hand aside.

"It was great," Jay said. "I loved it. It's going to be real interesting. And," she grinned, "I think I may have found a place where I can work as a kind of apprentice."

Sarah smiled. "Details," she demanded, pushing Jay gently onto the couch, settling on the seat next to her. "I want to know everything."

"We covered a lot of the basics today, water pressure, different types of piping. We even got to try a bit of soldering."

"And that was okay?" unconsciously Sarah lifted Jay's damaged hand, bringing it to her lips.

"It was fine," Jay said, flexing the digits. "I'm going to have to continue my strengthening exercises, but at least I've still got my thumb, without it, it would be real difficult. But it's going to be fine, I think," relief was evident in her voice.

Sarah's smile was huge; she knew it was the one thing that Jay was worried about – if she couldn't use her hand fully, the dream of changing her profession to plumbing would have been shattered. And Jay would have been devastated, and that in turn would have hurt Sarah badly. Sarah looked at her wife, and was so relieved to see the look of happiness on her face. Jay had been through so much over the past few years, and had suffered so badly, but now, at last, thing were coming together for her. They had custody of the four-year-old Tommy, and had firm plans to adopt him as soon as they were allowed. And now Jay had found a job that would occupy her fully, and stretch her keen intellect, without putting her in danger.

Sarah swallowed. She knew that Jay had left the fire service just to make her happy. If she had been less selfish, Jay could still be working there – or maybe not, now, she realized sadly, with her lost fingers and toes. No, Sarah realized. She would have had to leave anyway, and she felt a pang of guilt when that thought made her happy.

"Tell me what you're thinking," Jay said, softly, seeing the dark expression flit across Sarah's face.

Sarah looked at her. "I was thinking how very much I love you," she said quietly. "And how grateful I am that I am with you. And," she pressed her hand softly against the apex between Jay's legs, through her jeans, "that if you don't make love to me right now, I think I'm gonna burst."

Jay grinned. She kissed Sarah deeply, pushing her tongue into her mouth possessively, lovingly, feeling her own surge of moisture at the whimper she felt rather than heard. "You don't wanna hear about the apprenticeship, then, huh?" she teased, her fingers working the button on Sarah's work slacks.

"I do," Sarah tried to keep her voice steady. "But maybe … oh God, Jay … maybe … after?" she lifted her hips and let Jay slide her slacks down her slim legs.

"Not during?" Jay teased, as she tore off her own shirt, exposing hard, dark nipples on her small, beautiful breasts. Sarah thought she might come just at the sight of the piercings.

"Nu-uh," Sarah muttered.

"So," Jay brought Sarah's hand to her own bejeweled nipple, laughing as Sarah's fingers clamped clumsily over the stiff peak. "You're telling me that hearing about a 67-year-old man's plans for his future business doesn't make you wet?"

"S'exactly what I'm saying," Sarah fumbled at Jay's waistband, her fingers seemingly unable to work the buttons on her fly.

Gently Jay removed Sarah's hand, and slid elegantly out of her jeans. Sarah moaned as she took Jay's breast into her mouth.

"How long do we have?" Jay bit out, barely able to contain herself.

"At least two hours," Sarah said.

Jay smiled; she slid off the couch, laughing at the palpable look of disappointment on Sarah's face. "Bedroom," she said. She leant down and gathered Sarah in her arms.

Sarah stiffened almost imperceptibly. Before her illness, Jay had often picked her up and carried her around, seemingly without thinking about it. But meningitis had taken its toll, and Jay's balance had been affected by the loss of her toes on her right foot – worse, her confidence had been badly knocked too.

Jay saw the look of worry on Sarah's face. "It's fine, my darling," she told her, as she carried her precious cargo to the bedroom and lay her down gently on the bed. "See?" she grinned. "Everything's back in full working order."

"Everything?" Sarah teased, delightedly.

"Want me to prove it?"

"Oh God, yes," Sarah said.

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Wheels looked over the top of her glasses when Casey let herself back into the apartment that evening, shortly before 9pm. She loved that Casey looked carefree and happy. Casey still had bad days – some worse than others – as well as the occasional very bad night. But she was trying so hard to reclaim her life, and it seemed that there was little that made her happier than spending time with the children of her friends. Wheels mused that Casey would, one day, make a wonderful mother.

"Tired?" Wheels laughed.

"Exhausted," Casey flopped into the armchair that she habitually sat in.

"How were they?"

"Wonderful," Casey couldn't hide her smile. "Tommy's really gained in confidence since he got his prosthesis. He doesn't seem to mind not having it in the pool. There was a kid who asked about it today, and he was fine telling him it had been cut off because he was sick. Having Lily there helps too, I think."

"Especially after last week," Wheels smiled, remembering Casey telling her how Lily had stood up to a bully who had laughed at Tommy's leg.

"She has such a strong sense of what's right. Just like her Mama. And her Mommy," Casey said.

"So," Wheels poured Casey a small glass of single malt whisky.

Casey smiled as she took the glass; she had never been a whisky drinker before moving in to Wheels' apartment, but she had learnt to appreciate the warming spirit, and now preferred it over her previous tipple of vodka.

"So?" Casey smiled.

"So are you going tomorrow, or not?" Wheels wanted to know. Casey had been enjoying her art classes greatly, but the previous week had learned that the tutor was moving to Texas, and a new tutor would be taking over. Casey had been heartbroken, as she had really enjoyed his lessons.

"I don't know," Casey hedged. "I might be working."

"On a Saturday?"

"It was real busy today. And I know Alex has got too much to do with the Conlon case. And I don't want her to have to do too much over the weekend, with Olivia's baby due in just under a month. They're …," she trailed off.

"Are you making excuses?" Wheels asked, softly?

Casey deflated visibly. "I reckon I am," she admitted. "Suppose I don't like the new guy?"

"Well then you don't have to stay," Wheels said mildly. "It's as easy as that."

Casey nodded. "You're going to your class?" she asked. When she had started her art classes, Wheels had originally gone with her, but had been lured away when she realized that motorcycle maintenance classes were taking place in the same building at the same time.

"Sure," Wheels said. "Brake pads," she grinned. She no longer drove a motorcycle, but loved to tinker, and had recently bought an old bike that needed a lot of work. She was determined to rebuild it, and restore it to its former glory.

"I might as well give the new guy a go then," Casey said nonchalantly. "I have nothing to lose."

Wheels smiled.

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"He's been running a plumbing business in the city for 37 years," Jay explained to Sarah, as they lay in bed late that night, after putting an exhausted but happy Tommy to bed. Absent-mindedly, she traced her hand over Sarah's flat stomach. "He has no kids, and he's been training up apprentices for the past 10 years. Says he wants to give back. His last two have just moved to work with a bigger company, so he has two spaces. It's a perfect opportunity. He says I can have a three-month trial."

"Starting when?"

"As soon as. Monday, most likely. I told him I wanted to talk to you first, and that made him laugh. He said he had never done anything without his wife's approval, when she was still alive."

"So who's the other apprentice?" Sarah asked. "Do I need to be jealous?"

Jay laughed, and held her close. "Nobody yet," she said. "He's still looking around."

Sarah thought for a moment. "What about Robyn?" she asked. "She said Amy's doing so much better, and I know she hates not working. Do you think she might be interested?"

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"It's too good an opportunity to pass up," Amy was beginning to get impatient.

"I know," Robyn hesitated. "I mean … it sounds great," she said, wistfully. "Really great. But … it's so soon. I just," she tried to phrase her words tactfully. "I mean … suppose you needed ..."

Amy took her face between her hands. "I'm okay," she said, softly. She kissed her very gently on the lips.

"But things still aren't … it's ..."

"I know," Amy admitted. "I still have a way to go. But I'm good, now, Rob. Most of the time. And I don't get so scared any more, not even on a bad day. And we have friends. I have places I can go. And we have these," she waved her cellphone. "We can talk. All of the time. And I'm writing more."

"The blog," Robyn said. She admired Amy so much; she had recently restarted work on her blog, which she had started as a carefree depiction of a young lesbian's life in the big city. The entries she had made in the last month had startled Robyn with their honesty, the searing description of the abuse she had suffered as a child, even chronicling their problems in regaining the physical intimacy of their relationship.

Amy nodded. "It's good for me," she admitted, in a quiet voice. "I hate that … I hate what … and," tears formed in her eyes.

Robyn took her hand gently. "I know, baby. I know," she spoke quietly.

Amy smiled, sadly. "I love you Rob. I've never loved anyone like I love you."

"I want to be here for you," Robyn said. "That's my most important job right now."

"And I know that you are. I've never felt so secure with somebody. Even if … if … our lovemaking ..."

"Our lovemaking is great," Robyn said, with such tenderness that Amy's heart nearly burst.

"But we … we don't …," she struggled to find the words.

"And we don't need to. And, one day, we probably will, again. Until then, it's perfect. You're perfect," she kissed her softly.

Amy nodded. "I want you to take the apprenticeship," she said. "You'd be so good at it. And it'll make me so happy. Please, Rob?"

"You really want me to?" hope bloomed in Robyn's heart.

"I really do."