DISCLAIMER: The characters herein are used without permission. No infringement intended.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
FEEDBACK: To ariadni.mou[at]gmail.com
SERIES: Follows Spring is in the Air.
Summer Fun
By Athena
Part 1: Picnic Baskets & Pitter Patter of Little Feet
Myka was surprised at how much she had enjoyed horseback riding. As a teenager she had enjoyed it, but she had never really been passionate about it. She smiled at Helena when she turned and looked at her.
"You're very quiet darling," she said and smiled at Myka.
"Just thinking and enjoying nature."
Helena reared Majeed in until she was next to Myka. She held out her hand to her. Myka took it and squeezed it gently.
"Thank you for suggesting this," Myka said softly. "I thought I was too tired, but this is exactly what I needed today."
"I'm glad darling. This last mission was very hard on you. I thought that the simplicity of spending time with the horses might sooth your mind."
"Helena, look!"
Helena chuckled and looked ahead at Mina. The girl was half turned around in the saddle looking at them. She was pointing at something up ahead.
"What is it darling?" Helena asked as she stopped next to her.
"Over there," she said and pointed. "See the babies?"
Helena looked in the direction the girl was pointing. Finally she spotted what Mina had seen. Two fox cubs were playing in the grass. Chasing each other and rolling around. She chuckled and steered her horse in the opposite direction.
"Well spotted sweetie. Let's not disturb them."
They had stopped for lunch in a small clearing by a stream. Myka put out the blanket and started to unpack the food while Helena tended to the horses. Mina was on her stomach looking down into the creek, now and then tossing something into the water watching it float downstream. Myka kept an eye on the girl to make sure she would not fall in.
Sandwiches and drinks were devoured over easy conversations filled with a lot of laughter. Mina was chatting nonstop, delighted to have Helena back. It was clear to both of them that the girl had missed them, but especially Helena. Finally getting restless the girl skipped off to check on her pony. She petted him and he playfully pushed her in the chest before continuing grazing. Mina picked a flower before he ate it. To her surprise a butterfly landed on it. She tried to catch it but it fluttered away. Helena watched Mina chasing after the butterfly while absentmindedly caressing Myka's hair. She sipped her tea and smiled down at Myka who was stretched out on the blanket with her head in Helena's lap.
"I wish we could stay here forever," Myka mumbled and caressed Helena's cheek. She nuzzled Helena's stomach and kissed her bare skin where the shirt had ridden up. Helena sighed and her hand stilled in Myka's hair.
"I know darling."
"I kind of wish that we were alone," Myka whispered and bit her lip.
Helena laughed and smiled at her. She put the tea down and stretched out next to Myka. She wrapped her arm around her. She kissed her softly. She brushed her lips over Myka's in a soft delicious dance, teasing Myka. A soft noise behind her made her made her turn her head. Myka made a protesting sound and opened her eyes. Mina was kneeling on the blanket behind Helena. She grinned at them.
"You were kissing," she said and giggled.
"We were sweetie," Helena said and laughed.
"Does that mean that you're going to make a baby?"
Myka stared at her. Helena just laughed and shook her head.
"No sweetie."
"Mommy says that you kiss each other when you're making a baby," the girl pushed on.
"That's true," Helena said and sat up. She pulled Mina onto her lap. "But you don't make a baby just from kissing, and not even every time you make love to your partner."
"Okay," the girl said a little hesitantly. She clearly did not quite understand the concept. "But you love Myka, don't you?"
"With all my heart," Helena said seriously and smiled at Myka.
"Don't you want to have a baby with her then?"
Helena chuckled and cupped Mina's chin.
"What's this sudden interest in babies sweetie?"
"Sarah's mommy had a baby and now she has a little brother," Mina explained.
"I see," Helena said and tried not to laugh. Sarah was Mina's best friend at school.
"I think it would be a really good idea," Mina said quickly.
"Babies take some planning sweetie," Helena tried to explain. "You need to be sure that you are ready to have a child before you decide to have one."
Mina sighed and looked at her.
"You are going to have a baby, so why not now?" Mina asked and made a face.
"We're what?" Myka mumbled.
Mina jumped up and looked down at them.
"Myka's going to have a baby," she sang and skipped away.
Myka stared at Helena. She looked slightly panicked. Helena took her hand and pulled her close.
"Do you think this is one of her 'things'?" Myka whispered.
"I don't know darling," she said and kissed her softly. She gently cupped Myka's face. "I would love to have a child with you some day Myka. I think you would be a wonderful mother."
"Thank you," Myka mumbled.
"You don't seem very enthusiastic about the idea," Helena said seriously.
"It scares me a bit," Myka said and sighed. "We have dangerous jobs. What if something would happen to either, or both of us?"
Helena held her against her and gently caressed her hair.
"That's true, but something could happen to us even if we didn't do the job we do."
"I guess. Still, the thought of raising a child is pretty scary."
"I know you would be a wonderful mother, Myka," Helena said softly and caressed her cheek. "You are great with Mina."
Myka smiled and kissed her.
"Thank you." She grinned at Helena. "I wouldn't mind having a little mini-me around that looked just like you."
"Like me?" Helena said surprised. "I'm too old to have a child."
"That's not true and you know it," Myka said and made a face at her. "I bet you would be a pain in the ass while pregnant, but it would be worth it," she teased.
Helena laughed out loud.
"I am sure I would test your patience, yes," she said with a smirk. "I meant it though, I don't know if I can have a child. I might not look older than early thirty-something, but my body has been around for over a century. It's hard to tell what effects the bronzing has had on me."
"We could have Dr. Calder check you out. I think we should, no matter what."
Helena made a face and shivered a little. Myka held her tighter.
"Dr. Calder has prodded and poked me more than any doctor I've ever known, and I even lived with one years ago," Helena muttered.
"Then we can ask her," Myka said cheerfully.
Helena caressed Myka's face and traced her jaw line with a finger.
"I wish that our child would look like you darling."
Myka's eyes misted at the love she saw in Helena's eyes.
"Oh Helena," she whispered. "Perhaps we will have more than one child? I don't know if I'd like our child to be an only child."
"True," Helena agreed. "As much as Charles annoyed me at times, I still treasured having a brother growing up."
"Well we don't have to make a decision right now," Myka mumbled.
"No we don't."
Myka looked at Helena and grinned. She turned her head and watched Mina for a moment.
"Mina, come here, sweetheart," she called out to the girl.
Mina skipped over and sat down on the blanket looking at Myka.
"So you think I'm going to have a baby?" she asked.
Mina nodded enthusiastically.
"Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?"
"Myka!" Helena exclaimed.
"A boy," Mina said and smiled. She looked at Helena and grinned. "But Helena's having a girl." She jumped up again and twirled around. "You're having a baby," she chanted.
Helena just stared at her. She grabbed Mina's arm and pulled her down on her lap again.
"Sweetheart, listen to me carefully," she said and cupped her cheek. "Are you playing right now? How do you know this?"
Mina shrugged.
"I don't know. I just do. It's like I can see them, but yet I can't. And it only happens when we talk about it. It's like when I look at your face, I see her face behind it," the girl struggled to explain.
Helena took a deep breath. She looked Mina in the eyes before asking the hard question.
"Are you sure it's not Christina you see?"
Mina shook her head.
"Uh uh, it's not Christina. Her face is different."
Helena looked at Myka. She smiled at her when she felt Myka taking her hand.
"Can I have a cookie?" Mina asked breaking the mood.
Helena laughed and hugged her to her.
"Of course you can sweetheart."
Myka looked at the beautiful clearing behind her one last time before nudging the horse forward.
"We'll come back again," Helena assured her.
"I'd really like that," Myka whispered. "Perhaps just the two of us," she said and winked at Helena.
"Myka Bering, I think that you are engaged in some very naughty thoughts," she said in pretend shock.
"Oh, come on, Helena don't tell me that you've never made love outside?" Myka teased her.
Helena chuckled and nodded.
"I might have been engaged in that lovely activity once or twice," she admitted.
"I thought so," Myka said smugly. She nudged Scheherazade forward, catching up with Mina.
"So," Helena said softly to Myka as she put Majeed's saddle away. Mina was outside chatting with Stephanie and they were alone for the first time since the morning. Helena wrapped her arms around Myka and pulled her close. "Do you want to go for a ride tomorrow? Just the two of us?" she mumbled against Myka's neck. She placed a hot trail of soft kisses down Myka's neck.
"God Helena," Myka moaned. "We can't do this here," she mumbled, but kept holding Helena tight against her.
"I know, that's what makes it so delicious," Helena said with a devilish grin.
Myka laughed and shook her head. She caressed Helena's cheek.
"I'd love too, honey."
"Wonderful," Helena said cheerfully. She took Myka's hand and together they left the barn.
Unfortunately for their plans, another case had forced them out of town in hunt of a pair of Ray-bans left over from the Vietnam War that forced the wearer to relive the last moments of the original owner's life. It had not taken them long to track down the current unfortunate owner, but managing to actually bag and tag the glasses had proven to be a bit harder since they needed to avoid local law enforcement until they could secure the artifact. Their joint efforts had finally made it possible to whisk the glasses away before questions could be asked or the glasses ended up in an evidence box somewhere until the next unsuspecting wearer would be forced to relive the horrors.
Helena sighed and leaned back in her seat. She listened to the safety announcement and filed away locations of oxygen masks and floating devices. Her fingers curled around Myka's as she felt the plane jolt as it pulled away from the gate.
"Are you awake?" Myka whispered.
"Yes darling," Helena mumbled. "But I won't be for long."
"How are you feeling?"
"Exhausted," Helena mumbled.
"My poor darling," Myka cooed. She caressed Helena's hair as Helena rested her head against her shoulder. "How's your leg?"
"Better, thank you," Helena mumbled sleepily.
The perp had managed to shove Helena and she had fallen and hit a rock. She now sported a blackish purple bruise on her right thigh. She was not looking forward to showing it to Myka when they got back. She knew that Myka would be upset.
"Perhaps you'd like to go in the hot tub when we get back?" Myka suggested.
"That sounds lovely darling," Helena mumbled. "As long as you plan on joining me."
"How about you and me and some champagne to celebrate?"
Helena chuckled and nodded.
"Great, now sleep sweetie," Myka mumbled. She tapped her iPad and pulled up the book she had started on the flight to New Orleans. "I'll wake you up before we land."
There was no answer. Helena was already asleep, her arm around Myka's waist and her head resting on Myka's shoulder. Myka sighed and focused on her book.
After a short layover in DC and a second flight to their final destination they finally landed on time. Helena looked surprisingly refreshed. She smiled at Myka as the two exited the airport.
"I am very pleased that they did not manage to lose my luggage this time," Helena said, chipper.
"You said it," Myka agreed and smiled at her. An insistent honking to their left made Helena wince and Myka roll her eyes.
"Hey, over here," Claudia shouted and waved at them.
"At least she's here," Helena mumbled. "I don't know what I would have done to her had she been late."
Myka laughed.
"And you will never tell her or she'll go back to being scared of you."
"She was never scared of me," Helena objected. "I'm not scary."
"You made her nervous, and yes you can be a bit intimidating at times sweetie," Myka teased.
Helena huffed and her eyes narrowed as she glared at Myka's back.
"Oh God, this is heaven," Helena mumbled as she sank down into the hot water. She turned her head and smiled at Myka when she heard her by the door. "Hurry darling, this is absolutely divine."
"I'm coming," Myka mumbled and balanced the bottle and plastic glasses as she closed the French doors behind her.
Myka poured Helena a glass and handed it to her. She poured a second glass and then put the bottle in the ice bucket Helena had conveniently placed right next to where she was sitting. Carefully entering the hot tub, Myka smiled at her.
"You are so beautiful," she whispered softly to Helena.
"Thank you," Helena said and held out her hand to Myka. "Come, sit with me."
Myka moved closer until she was right next to Helena. She gently tapped her glass to Helena's.
"A toast to my gorgeous girlfriend and her amazing talent," she said and grinned.
Helena made a face but raised her glass before sipping the bubbly beverage.
"Oh Myka, you're spoiling me," she purred when she recognized the taste.
"Only the best for my woman," Myka teased. "I know that you really like Veuve Clicquot."
"I do," Helena said and grinned at her.
Myka put her glass down and moved so she could straddle Helena's lap. She sat down and kissed her softly. As the kiss got more intense she squeezed her thighs closer around Helena.
"Ouch," Helena hissed and flinched.
"Oh God, I'm so sorry baby," Myka said and slipped off her lap. "I forgot."
Myka ran her hand down Helena's leg feeling her flinch slightly at one point. She stilled her hand and gave Helena a look.
"You're hurt more than I thought," she said seriously.
"Pish tosh," Helena said and laughed. She took Myka's hand and kissed her palm. "I'll be as good as new in a couple of days."
"Stand up please," Myka said softly.
Helena rolled her eyes, but put down her glass and slowly got up. She angled her body so her thigh was facing away from the light. Myka took her hand.
"Turn around sweetie."
Helena sighed and slowly turned. She put her foot up on the seat showing her hurting thigh to Myka.
"Good Lord Helena!" Myka exclaimed shocked when she saw the nasty black and purple bruise. She reached out to touch it, but then pulled her hand back. "That must really hurt," she said and looked at Helena with tears in her eyes. "I'm so sorry. I should have realized. You should see a doctor."
Helena shook her head. She sat down and pulled Myka close. Holding Myka's head against her shoulder she gently caressed her hair.
"I'll be fine darling. It's just a nasty bruise. I'm not really hurt. I promise."
"You're sure?" Myka said in a small voice.
"Yes," Helena said and kissed her. "I don't really like to take too many chances with this old body, so I would consult Dr. Calder should there be a need."
Myka let out a sigh in relief. She sat up and grabbed their glasses.
"Here you go," she said and handed Helena hers. "Let's enjoy this quiet time while we have it."
"I'll drink to that," Helena said and raised her glass.
She put her glass down and moved so she could lean against Myka. She smiled up at her.
"Can you reach the buttons for the jets?"
Myka stretched and just made it. The jets came on and the water bubbled and swirled around them.
"Ah, marvelous," Helena sighed happily. "Definitely a great invention."
"You said it."
"Hey guys," Pete called over from the door. "Claudia and I are going into town. Do you want to come?"
Myka looked at Helena. She shook her head.
"We're good thanks. Have fun."
"See ya tomorrow." He closed the door behind him. A moment later they heard the car start on the other side and the crunching sound of tires on the gravel.
"I bet Leena is happy to have the TV to herself tonight."
Helena nodded. She caressed Myka's thigh under the water.
"I know that I promised to take you back to the place where we went with the horses last week, but I don't think I'll be up for riding for a few days darling," she said softly.
"Oh honey, that's fine. Perhaps we can sleep in instead?" she whispered.
"That sounds divine darling, as long as a certain four-year-old young lady will not tear down the door," Helena joked.
"Ah, forgot about that," Myka said and laughed.
Mina had been in bed by the time they got back. Once she figured out that they were back she would come looking for Helena.
"Are you tired darling?" Helena said huskily.
"No, not really. Why?"
Helena turned and grinned at her. She straddled Myka's lap and gathered Myka's hair in her hands. She brushed her lips against Myka's neck making her squirm as she found the sensitive spots on Myka's slender neck.
"God, that feels so good," Myka whispered.
"Let's go upstairs," Helena whispered against Myka's lips.
She gave her a searing kiss that made Myka's toes curl. Myka grabbed Helena's waist and pulled her against her. Her hands slid down and she rubbed Helena's toned behind, squeezing gently as she pulled her closer.
"Now," Helena growled and slipped off Myka's lap. "Be a sweetheart and grab the champagne will you?" she said sweetly as she wrapped her robe around her.
Myka stared at the sight of Helena in her skimpy little bikini getting out of the hot tub with water cascading down over her gorgeous body. She shook her head as if clearing her mind and quickly followed Helena. She dried herself and wrapped the towel around her. She grabbed the ice bucket and her glass and turned off the jets.
"Myka," Helena purred from over by the door.
"Coming," Myka said and crossed the deck. She kissed Helena as she passed her. "Thanks."
"Any time darling," Helena said and gently smacked her bottom as she passed. Myka yelped and then laughed.
Myka rolled over on her back when she heard Helena come out of the bathroom. She grinned at her. Helena was completely naked. Her beautiful hair fell in soft waves over her shoulders, barely touching the top of her breasts.
"You are gorgeous," Myka whispered. She kneeled on the bed and held out her hand to Helena.
"Thank you darling. You are quite alluring yourself," she said and smiled as she eased down on the bed.
Myka ran her hand up Helena's arm and then down her chest. She cupped her breast and rubbed her thumb over the nipple. Helena sighed and smiled. Myka leaned down and kissed the other one, gently teasing it with her tongue.