Sapphic Voices Fan Fiction

The Challenge

Part One

This is a sequel to my first Story, The Homecoming. It is not necessary to read that one first, however, I would recommend it, as some events and situations that take place in this Story will be better understood if you have read TH first.

Disclaimer: Xena, Gabrielle, and Eve are owned by Pacific Renaissance/MCA Universal/USA Studios. I have only borrowed some of their identifying characteristics for this work of original Fiction.

Sexual Content Warning: This is a Story of two Women who are very much in love - with each other. There are many love scenes, and some are explicit. If you are under the age of consent where you live or have homophobic tendencies, please give this Story a miss. Thanks!

Language/Violence: Imagine Xena in the 1990's - yep, she swears. And she's a cop, so there's some violence too. This Story contains hurt/comfort elements as well.

"New Age"/Religious Content warning: I'm a "new age" kind of girl, so my characters are too. All new age/metaphysical and healing occurrences presented here are actual phenomena that I have personally experienced. By presenting my characters' religious views, I by no means wish to diminish the views of others. IMHO, each person's religious view is the "right" one (smile).

Author's note: Feedback is very much welcomed. However, flames and homophobic mail will be joyously burned in a ceremonial cleansing ritual :-) Thanks for reading! - JL, 2001

-1-

Late March, 1995

The SUV rolled along Interstate 40, heading east into the early morning sun. Janna Norden-Zamora leaned back into the seat and closed her eyes while her wife, Ryan, drove. An enchanting tape of Native American flute and drum music played softly as she let the sun's warmth bathe her skin through the Explorer's windows. The music was an appropriate accompaniment to the desert landscape they were traveling across, and she tapped her fingers in time to the drum beats, feeling at one with the music and with her ancestral surroundings.

As she rode, Janna mused about the incredible journey she had embarked upon. Not quite one year previously, at thirty-two years of age, she had felt strongly drawn to return to her hometown in the arid San Joaquin Valley of Northern California. She had been a successful rock musician in San Francisco, as well as a political activist, so her decision to return to her roots in the conservative agricultural region was a seemingly strange one. However, the true reason for her homecoming was made abundantly clear a few weeks later when, as the victim of a gay-bashing incident, she had met her soulmate...the cop who had saved her life and was now her beloved wife. She was now a happily married freelance photographer who felt utterly complete and satisfied with the direction that her life had taken.

The tall, dark-haired, part Comanche woman behind the wheel mused silently as well, about the immense changes that her adorable wife had brought to her life. She had been a solitary figure for most of her thirty-three years before the small, blonde whirlwind had made her appearance. They had gone to school together but had never connected, though each had been attracted to the other. Now, she was involved in a beautiful relationship and was experiencing a spiritual bond the likes of which she had never imagined could exist. Through the incredible link that she shared with Janna, she could feel her wife's emotions, and she smiled, as at the moment her partner was extremely happy.

Ryan glanced over at her mate, noted her happy, relaxed composure, and sighed. "You're very happy, love...I can feel it." She grinned as her mate lazily turned her head and graced her with a gorgeous smile.

"Mm, and so are you. I can feel your excitement, too, Ryan." She turned partially toward her mate. "And why shouldn't we be happy? We just celebrated our six-month wedding anniversary, we're more happy now than we were even then, we're traveling to one of our favorite parts of the country: a highly spiritual region and the home of our ancestors, and last, but most definitely not least, we're about to try to conceive our first child." She grinned widely at her wife. "Darn right I'm happy, love!"

Ryan returned the wide grin and remarked, "I'm glad you clarified all that for me, baby." She reached for Janna's hand and linked their fingers as she drove on, feeling their incredibly strong love pass between them through the special bond that linked their heart centers. As was its habit, their love became manifest and spread beyond the confines of their bodies and auras, filling the vehicle with its warm glow.

Janna sighed with delight and then a thought struck and she said, "Honey, you never told me what Sharon said when you told her we would be missing our first two games."

Ryan chuckled. "Are you sure you want to hear it?"

Janna grimaced, "Ooh, that bad, huh?"

"Oh, yeah, babe...you think I use bad language. Jesus, I think I heard several different forms of 'motherfucker'."

"Oh, God..."

"But I told her that it was very important to us and we were going, no matter what...that it was my birthday present to you. And then, I'm afraid that she pissed me off so badly that I let it slip that you were, in all likelihood, coming back pregnant."

"Oh, my God, honey, you didn't!"

"Sorry love, but she was being such an asshole. I assured her that you intend to play a full season anyway."

"Did that help?"

"No. I finally just ended the conversation by telling her it was too fucking bad, we're going, and assuring her that Elaine is up to taking my place. I'll bet when we get back we find that they did fine."

"I think so too, love." Janna shook her head. Their softball coach, an ex-soldier, often brought a military-level intensity to her coaching.

The mesas and arroyos flew by as Ryan drove, and she remarked, "Janna, I keep thinking about that sunset last night...God! It reminded me of why I always loved the desert."

Janna smiled and closed her eyes as she recalled the brilliant sunset that they had viewed from their motel room in Needles, on the California-Arizona border. The sky had been painted with brilliant bands of seemingly every color of the spectrum.

"Mm, yes. I don't think I even need photos to remember that one." She glanced at her wife, vibrant green eyes sparkling, and grinned as she added, "However, I'm glad I got some."

Ryan returned the happy grin. "I am too, Janna. I'm expecting a nice photo collage after we get back home."

"Oh, you are? Is this a commissioned work?" Janna smiled coyly.

Ryan beat the coy smile with a rakish grin. "It is."

"Awesome...those are my favorite kind...and I love your method of payment."

Ryan's black eyebrows rose above her mirrored sunglasses, lifting her dark bangs as the rakish grin grew wider. "And I love making the payments, baby."

Janna cleared her throat and fanned her face with her hand. "It sure gets hot early here, doesn't it?"

"I think it's only hot inside the car right now, sweetheart." Ryan brought their linked hands to her lips and softly kissed her wife's fingers as she looked at her expectantly. "Do we need to make a rest stop?"

"If we stop now, Ryan, we won't be getting any rest. Drive on, Tiger." At Ryan's look of disappointment, Janna added, "There will be plenty of time for that sort of fun after we reach Sedona. Come on, love...we've got a long way to go yet."

Janna nearly laughed aloud at the sight of Ryan's pout, but maintained her composure and only smiled. I shouldn't be too self-righteous: I'm pretty hot for her right now, too. What is it that we do to each other?

As Janna marveled silently at the almost otherworldly attraction between herself and her mate, said mate sighed deeply and refocused her attention on the road, but not before thinking, Jesus...we had a nice cuddle time this morning...I shouldn't need sex again already. Shouldn't, but do...shit, what she does to me. I'm like a fuckin' guy, for Christ's sake, as horny as I get for her.

"Pass me an ice water, will ya' babe?"

Janna reached into the ice chest behind their seats and grabbed an ice-cold bottle of spring water, uncapped it, took a sip and handed it to her wife.

"Thanks, love." Ryan grinned around the mouth of the bottle. "This ought to cool me down."

It should, but probably won't for long. Must be the energy around here. I'm definitely feeling it too. Janna reached for her copy of, "Guide to Sedona's Energy Vortices" and tried to refocus her attention as well.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Oh, yeah...again, baby...please..." Ryan gasped as she grasped Janna's hand and held it in place, lest she remove it prematurely, and remembered to try to control her breath. "Oh, yes! Janna, baby...oh, God, here I come again..."

Janna dutifully did as her wife requested and left her fingers buried within the warm, moist nest that she loved so much. As she felt her mate's body contract powerfully around her digits, her own body responded in kind, and she wriggled in Ryan's lap. Ryan pulled their bodies more tightly together and hungrily captured Janna's mouth with hers. Janna moaned at the renewed contact and communicated her need to Ryan with her tongue. Ryan responded by reinserting her hand in Janna's own warm, special place and stroked her until she was moaning in unison with her wife. Their bodies gyrated rhythmically together and then arched simultaneously as the lovers called out their partner's names in unison.

As their breathing slowed and steadied, Ryan embraced her smaller mate, holding her close, and rocked them slowly, back and forth. "Janna, honey...that was so good." Ryan kissed her wife's brow before finding her lips again and savoring them.

"Mm, Ryan...yes." Janna sighed and reveled in her wife's touch. She felt completely safe and at home in that position, and had no desire to move from Ryan's lap. She wrapped her legs more tightly around Ryan's waist as she murmured, "Can we sleep this way, d'ya think?"

"I'll bet if anyone can, it's us, baby." She kissed Janna again as she ran her hands lovingly down the soft skin of her back. A pleasant, cool breeze blew in the open window, cooling hot, sweat-slicked skin. The late-night half moon, in her third quarter phase, smiled down on them through the open curtains of the quaint, homey room, which sat in a corner of the second story of a cute Bed and Breakfast.

"I hope there's no one in the next room...we were a little on the vocal side." Janna remarked as she nuzzled Ryan's neck.

"Well, I guess we'll find out at breakfast, won't we? If anyone gives us strange looks, we'll have our answer." Ryan's response was as matter-of-fact as her attitude.

"Oh, God, honey...I'd rather die." Janna giggled.

"What? My naughty little ex-punk...who once put on a special floor show with a girlfriend after a concert?"

Janna groaned. "I knew that story would come back to haunt me one day."

"Only if our kids hear about it, baby."

"I want a promise, right now, Ryan, that they won't." Serious green eyes were accompanied by raised blonde eyebrows.

"I promise." Ryan sealed her promise with a tender kiss and after they parted, gently disengaged herself from under her wife. She reclined on the bed and pulled Janna down next to her. "Kids, Janna. We're gonna have kids." She shivered with excitement. "This is so great, baby."

"I know, Ryan. I could not be happier about it. Let's just hope everything goes smoothly." She turned slightly and rested her cheek on a soft breast, cradling her mate's waist with an arm.

"There's no reason why it shouldn't, Janna. You and Zac both checked out A-okay in the fertility department. Plus, your cycles are very regular, so timing ovulation isn't a problem. You're optimistic about the delivery method...it should be fine."

"I know...I just want this so much that I worry something will go wrong." She glanced at her dark-haired mate. "Um, honey, you sound like you're not too sure about the method...I thought we'd worked it all out...if you're not comfortable..."

"Janna, it's all right. I'm okay with it, believe me. I know I originally wanted to have it done in a clinical setting, but after talking with your friends and their doctors, and finding out that fresh sperm is more viable than frozen, I really am pretty comfortable with how we'll be doing it. After all, we're coming a thousand miles to do it...we need to maximize our chances of it taking on the first shot." She raised her eyebrows and grinned before adding, "Um, so to speak! Plus, Zac's testing show's he's healthy."

She smiled at Janna, and then the smile became a gentle leer and Janna knew what she was thinking before Ryan even voiced it. "Besides, I'm looking forward to my part of it."

Ryan's leer sent a jolt of desire through Janna's body, beginning at her toes and traveling upward from there, and she took a deep breath and let it out before replying, "Ryan, love, I have no doubt that it will be among one of the sexiest lesbian impregnations in the history of, er...lesbian impregnations."

"Thanks, baby...that's the plan." Ryan replied silkily as she slowly stroked Janna's arm.

They both took deep breaths in tandem and tried to still hearts that were beginning to pound, sending hot blood to regions that were still throbbing gently in the afterglow of their love. Ryan cleared her throat gently. "Should I blow the candles out, baby?"

"No." Janna rose to her hands and knees and, straddling her wife, leaned down and kissed her passionately. Coral nipples lightly, erotically grazed brown before she was pulled down fully atop her mate.

Luna, the moon spirit, smiled perceptively as she saw her friends once again engage in their special dance of love, knowing that their extraordinary love was being enhanced by the strong energy of the region. She sent a communication to her sister spirit, Gaia, informing her of her history with the pair and asking her to hold them gently within her loving energy. Gaia nodded, figuratively of course, and wrapped the Norden-Zamoras within her energetic embrace.

-2-

"Janna, this is the strongest one yet...I feel like I'm receiving Reiki!" Ryan stood atop a red rock ledge, the brilliant blue sky above mirroring her beautiful, wide-eyed gaze.

"I know...it's incredible!" Laughter bubbled from Janna's chest as she held Ryan's hand, feeling giddy. "This vortex seems special, somehow."

Suddenly, she and Ryan looked at each other as a thought occurred to them simultaneously and they spoke in unison. "We've been here together before!"

"Whoa, shit, Janna! What was that?"

"I think we both just had a little past-life recall at the same time." She gazed seriously at Ryan. "Honey, I know from my many channelings and regressions that I've had lots of previous lives here in the southwest, and now we know that you and I have had many, many lives together...I think it makes sense that we had some together here."

"Yeah, Janna...this place seems very familiar, but I've never been to Sedona before."

"It felt familiar to me the first time I was here, too." She looked around her at the gorgeous red mountains and mesas that surrounded the canyon they were in. "But this time, it feels extra special. The energy is hitting me hard, like it has before, but I feel more in tune with the place now, with you here."

"What do you mean by the energy is hitting you hard, honey?"

"I feel very spacey here. It starts in Flagstaff and gets stronger the nearer I get to Sedona. Always has. I think it's because I'm a low-frequency person and all this high frequency energy has a physical impact on me." She looked up at Ryan. "Your frequency is more mid-range, so I think you don't feel it as strongly. I've never been able to spend more than two days in this area."

"Could your body, or your spirit, or whatever, get used to it?"

"I don't know. I should probably try to find out while we're here. I'd love to spend a relaxing week or two here some time."

"So would I, love." She pulled her blonde mate into her arms and they enjoyed the powerful earth-energy together. After a few minutes, Ryan suggested, "Can you try to ground yourself, Janna?"

Janna kissed Ryan's shoulder before grinning up at her. "That's amazing, honey...that's exactly what I've been doing while we stand here. I'm sending a grounding cord into the planet...and I do feel a little more comfortable." Ryan kissed her head as she smiled at her mate. "Great pick up, love!"

"Thanks, baby. My intuition seems to really flow here." Ryan smiled, genuinely pleased with her increased perception.

"Awesome...the ability doesn't have to stay here, either, Ryan. Now that you know what it's like, you can incorporate it into your everyday life...even after we return home."

"That is so cool, Janna. And you know what, babe? Whenever I'm with you, I am home."

A little later, they decided to escape the intense, mid-day sun by doing some (more) shopping. Janna pulled a grinning Ryan by the hand as she eagerly approached yet another metaphysical shop. They felt comfortable enough in the old-soul community, despite the existence of a few somewhat touristy areas, to act naturally, displaying their obvious affection openly. As Janna led her wife into the cool, comfortable space, they were bombarded with the scent of incense and the not so subtle energetic pull of thousands of crystals.

"Whoa, Ryan...feel the energy from the crystals!" Janna stood, dumbfounded, just inside the doorway.

"I do, love...that's really different." Ryan stopped beside Janna and settled an arm around her shoulder as her mate took a deep, calming breath. She could feel the tingly, buzzing energy of the rocks, gems, minerals and especially, quartz crystals, that surrounded them. Wow, if they're making me feel buzzy, what are they doing to Janna? She took a deep, cleansing breath herself, and whispered, "Ground yourself, baby."

"I am...thanks, love."

They were greeted by a pleasant female voice which said, "Takes some getting used to, doesn't it?" The proprietor, an attractive middle-aged woman with long, wavy blonde hair pointed to a water cooler and added, "Have some water...it will help."

"Thanks." Ryan replied as she led her mate to the water. She poured a stream from the spigot into a small paper cone and handed it to Janna, who drank it thirstily and offered the cup back to Ryan for more.

After downing another, Janna said, "Thanks, honey...that should help." Janna took another deep breath and slowly let it out, then turned and looked around. The small shop was packed to overflowing with all things metaphysical, but most especially with crystals of every size, shape, color, and variety.

"Jesus, I didn't know there were so many different kinds." Ryan mumbled as she looked around as well.

"Yes, and each one has different properties for healing, balancing, and helping humans."

"My Grandfather used to talk about our rock friends and the Rock People...now I know that he was completely serious."

"Yes, they are truly our friends." Janna sent a quiet welcome to the rock friends in the room and thanked them for their presence. She would have been overjoyed had she realized that Ryan did the same thing at the same moment.

"Ladies, may I help you find something?" The proprietress approached, bearing a friendly smile.

Janna replied, grinning, "We're mainly just browsing, but I think I can hear some of these friends calling out to me!"

The woman grinned. "They have a way of doing that. They're more perceptive than we are, I think. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask...and feel free to handle any stones that you feel particularly drawn to...it's how you will know for certain that it's what you need."

"Thanks." Ryan replied as she was drawn to a nearby shelf of long, pointed quartz crystals.

"Are you healers?"

Ryan turned to look at the woman, surprised. "Yes, we are...we do Reiki."

"Ah, then those would be very helpful. Have you ever used crystals with Reiki?"

Janna answered, "No, but I know people who do and I've been wanting to learn more about it." She reached toward a lovely wand of about four inches in length and caressed it lovingly. "Oh, honey, this is nice."

The woman added helpfully, "If you're interested, I can recommend a wonderful book, too." She pointed to a corner of the shop, which contained bookshelves.

"Great...thanks!" Janna turned to Ryan. "I'd like to give it a try, honey...what do you think?"

"I'm interested too, love. Let's get what we need." She turned to the shopkeeper and said, "We appreciate your help." She offered her hand and added, "I'm Ryan Norden-Zamora, and this is my wife, Janna."

"I'm very pleased to meet you. Are you vacationing here?"

"Briefly, yes...we're going to visit my brother in Las Cruces. We're from Northern California."

"Oh, how nice. I moved here from the Bay Area twelve years ago."

Janna added, "Oh, wow, what a small world! We're from the San Joaquin Valley and don't have access to places like this unless we visit the Bay Area or Sacramento." Looking around happily, she added, "It's so nice to find a place like this...you have no idea!"

"I'm very glad that you were drawn to stop in here, then." She smiled warmly and proceeded to share information on the crystals that Ryan and Janna were feeling drawn to, and spent nearly an hour answering all of their questions. The ladies left the pleasant shop feeling pleased with their purchases and were anxious to put their newfound knowledge to work.

Later, as Janna passed the last of their new rock friends through the sage smoke, she remarked, "When we get home, we'll have to charge these in the light of the full moon, too. That's what Terry does."

"I like that idea, love. So, Terry uses crystals when she does Reiki?" Ryan was stretched out on the large bed, waiting while her partner cleansed the new acquisitions.

"Sometimes, yeah, when she feels it's necessary. I've never experienced it, myself." She stood and approached the bed where her mate reclined. Looking animatedly at her, she remarked, "Hm, are you sure it's Reiki you want right now, my love? Because it's an entirely different vibe that you're putting out."

"Shit, baby, am I that transparent?"

"No...our bond is that strong. I'm afraid you can't hide anything from me, honey."

"Well, Janna, I may be putting out that vibe, and for good reason, but I know you want to try out your new crystal, so let's do that first, huh?" Her sparkling blue eyes met Janna's in the dim light of the room.

"Sure, baby, maybe we can, um, combine the disciplines." Janna remarked coyly as she crawled onto the bed and sat beside her mate.

"Oh, my God, Janna...you are so perfect, baby. Come 'ere." Ryan sat up and pulled her wife gently against her and then deftly stripped off her own t-shirt, under which she wore nothing. She did the same with Janna's, and was excited beyond words at the vision before her. "Shit, baby...you turn me on so much that there aren't words for it." She pulled her mate into her arms and relished the contact.

Janna sighed and mumbled against Ryan's neck, "Let's, um, save the healing for a little later...okay?"

"Absolutely."

~~~~~~~~~~

Arizona's Painted Desert was breathtaking in the early-morning light. The color of the sands, already intrinsically imbued with lovely pastel shades, was even more intense in the orange-pink light. Ryan scanned the surrounding landscape as Janna drove, enjoying immensely the beauty that spread out around her. She smiled widely as they passed a road sign stating that they were ten miles from Winslow, and began humming one of her favorite songs, The Eagles', "Take it Easy".

"Do you see that, love?" She turned and grinned at Janna. "Ten miles to Winslow."

"Well, you'd better cue up the tape then, so we can sing our favorite verse as we drive through." Janna returned the grin, her face lighting up in the orange light.

"Done, babe!"

Several minutes later, they sang along with the Eagles as they vocalized joyously about the girl in the flatbed Ford who had slowed down to have a look.

"That's you, my baby." Ryan's low voice drawled.

"And you, Ryan." Janna grinned happily at her wife. The previous year, while dating, they had realized that when they were young, they had each envisioned the other as the girl in the Ford...twenty years before they fell in love.

"I love this magical Universe that we live in, Janna."

"Mm, hmm. I'm so glad we have some esoteric knowledge and can truly appreciate it." She looked at Ryan. "I feel blessed."

"Yep, and I'm hoping to pick up more wisdom while we're here. Hell, we already have, thanks to Amara yesterday."

"Yes, we're off to a good start. Ryan, honey, if you want to reconsider Zac's offer of taking you into the sweat lodge, I won't mind."

"No, Janna. I want to experience that with you, and you can't do that this trip. We'll save that for a future visit, okay?"

"If you're sure, Ryan. I know how much you want to do it."

"I'm positively sure, because I know how much you want to do it, too." Ryan grasped Janna's hand and communicated her love to her silently as the beautiful landscape sped by.

After a few minutes of contemplative silence, Ryan remarked, "Yesterday was fantastic, Janna. The Power Spots were awesome. I thought they would be cool, but I really had no idea." She gazed at her wife. "I'm so glad that I have you to help me to understand these concepts, Janna. You've really, single-handedly, put me back in touch with my roots, and I can't thank you enough." As she gazed fondly at her wife through long, black lashes, she kissed her knuckles.

Janna thought her heart would melt and had to fight to keep her composure and stay focused on the highway. She swallowed hard as tears sprang to her eyes. "Ryan, love of my life, nothing gives me greater pleasure." She grinned, then added, "Well, almost nothing."

"Indeed!" Ryan bestowed a dazzling, wide, white grin on her.

They both sighed and reveled in their love and in the bond that they shared as they continued the day-long drive to Zac's home, across the arid beauty of the deserts of Arizona and New Mexico.

~~~~~~~~~~

The late afternoon sun burned intensely above the white sands as Ryan negotiated the winding road, following orders from her navigator. "I think it should be just ahead on the right, Ryan."

"I hope to hell it is, Janna, because we're almost to the Missile Range and Zac specifically told me that his place is not on the base. It's 'outside of Las Cruces, between the town and the base'."

"Oh, look, that has to be it." Janna excitedly pointed to a hacienda style home sitting on what looked to be several acres.

Ryan peered at the mailbox. "Yep, that's it. 'Bout fuckin' time I found it. Jesus...I'm gonna have to get clarification from my brother on what his definition of 'easy to find' is. Shit." Ryan shook her head, but then smiled as she glanced at her mate, who smiled warmly at her partner, her eyes communicating understanding.

"Thanks, baby." Ryan was absolute putty in the hands of her sympathetic mate and quickly forgot her exasperation. "Let's go see Zac." She pulled the truck to a stop on the circular drive in front of the adobe house and eagerly hopped out.

As she and Janna exited the truck, the front door opened and Zac bounded out. "Hey, there you are...I was about to call out my buddies in the Guard to go looking for you!" His wide smile was met by his sister's raised eyebrows.

"Great fuckin' directions, Zachary Red Hawk...Christ. What do you consider 'a little ways outside of town', anyway?"
"New Mexico parameters, Sis...different scale!" He scooped his tough sister into his arms and stole a hug and a kiss before turning to her wife. "Janna, great to see you again!" He hugged Janna and kissed her cheek.

"Hi Zac...it's great to be here...finally. That was a long drive from Sedona!"

"Yeah, shit...what is it...four, five hundred miles?" He looked expectantly from Janna to Ryan.

"Four hundred something, I think, bro. And yeah, it's good to be here...I've gotta pee." Ryan looked at her brother jauntily and he motioned for them to enter his home.

"A lady, as always, I see, Ryan." He grinned, belying his enjoyment of his sister's frankness. "And hey...there's a nice lady in the kitchen...don't scare her too badly when you go in."

Ryan's eyes brightened as she asked, "Ah, would this be the infamous Marty?"

"It might be...and she just might be living here now...so watch yourself, Puma." Zac's rare use of her tribal name surprised Ryan and she grinned at her brother.

She replied sincerely, "Okay, Zac...you got it. Starting now, I'm on my best behavior." She reached a long arm out toward Janna, who stepped into her embrace, and they followed Zac into his home.

As they entered the pleasant, southwestern-styled home, they were greeted with the delicious aroma of Mexican cooking. Ryan's and Janna's stomaches, both quite empty, gurgled in response and they glanced at each other and smiled as they stood in a whitewashed adobe entrance hall.

"Supper will be ready soon...come on in and meet Marty." Zac led them into a large country-styled kitchen, not unlike their own, with the exception of the addition of a large corner hearth. An attractive, thirtyish, black-haired woman stood at one of the counters. When Zac entered the kitchen, followed by his sister and sister-in-law, she wiped her flour-covered hands on her apron and smiled at the visitors.

"Marty, hon, I want you to meet my sister, Ryan, and her wife, Janna. Ryan, Janna, meet my uh...my...well, my fiancé, Marty. Martha Greyeagle." Zac blushed as he stammered out the introductions.

"Fiancé?" Ryan grinned as she looked at her brother with surprise. At his nod, she grinned at Marty and offered her hand warmly. "Marty, it's great to meet you. I've heard good things about you."

"And I you, Ryan, thank you." The attractive woman grasped Ryan's hand as she smiled, meeting her eyes seriously.

"Marty, this is my wife, Janna." Ryan stepped back and motioned Janna forward.

"Hi, Janna. I'm happy to meet you." Marty extended her hand and Janna grasped it warmly.

"I'm glad to meet you too, Marty. Thank you for having us in your home."

"It's our pleasure, Janna. Welcome." She smiled warmly at the cute, green-eyed blonde.

Zac smiled as he threw his long arms around Ryan and Janna's shoulders. "Hey, supper will be ready soon, why don't you two get settled while we finish up in here."

Ryan clasped her hand to her heart as if in pain. "No...no way...you cook now, Zac?" She grinned. "And you call me domesticated!"

"Funny, asshole...come on...I'll show you where the guest room is." He left his grinning girlfriend and led his two laughing sisters out of the kitchen and down a whitewashed hallway.

"Nice place, Zac. I'm impressed." Ryan remarked as she looked around the comfortable home.

"Thanks, Sis. It needed a lot of work, but it is coming along. Marty has been a great help."

"That's great...we're happy for you, Zac." Ryan remarked sincerely before grinning and adding, "It's about fuckin' time you settled down, old man."

"Me! What about you, older sister? You're just barely settled yourself."

"Big sister."

"Whatever!"

The friendly argument stopped when they reached the guest room. It was a nice-sized room with a large, four-poster bed as its focal point. Doorways within led to a private bath and to a walk-in closet.

"This is lovely, Zac!" Janna exclaimed as she entered the room and looked about.

"Yeah, I guess I'll have to give you credit for having a little class, after all." His sister remarked with a grin.

"That's big of you, Sis. See you guys in a while." Zac left, closing the door behind him and Ryan immediately reached for her mate, who buried herself in her wife's embrace.

"Janna, this is gonna be so nice." She glanced at the bed. "I hope that bed is as comfortable, and strong, as it looks, 'cause it's gonna get a lot of heavy-duty use."

"Oh, is it?"

"You know it is, baby."

"I can't wait, love."

"Four days, Janna. Four days until we make our baby. Friday night is gonna be something special." She pulled Janna close and nuzzled her hair before leaning down for a sweet kiss.

When they parted, Janna added, "And don't forget Saturday and Sunday...this is a three-day event, you know."

"Oh, I know, babe. But I also know that I'm gonna do it right the first time. The other two nights are just for insurance."

"Oh, and you're positive about this, are you?"

"Absolutely goddamn right I am, baby." With that statement, Ryan displayed a rakish grin that melted Janna's heart just that much more...something she would not have thought possible.

"Come on, Ryan. Let's lie down and cuddle until dinner's ready."

-3-

Laughter filled the dining room as its occupants enjoyed the delicious southwestern spread. Marty, an excellent cook, had spared no effort in presenting a wonderful traditional New Mexican meal of layered enchiladas, corn, rice, salsa, and Native frybread. As it turned out, and to his sister's great surprise, Zac was also no slouch in the kitchen, and the resulting meal anchored the family celebration.

Ryan sat back against the antique high-backed, wooden chair, happily savoring foods she had not eaten in years. "Marty, this frybread is awesome. Would you mind showing Janna how to make it?"

"Jesus, Sis, don't you have two working hands? Why don't you learn?"

"Because, smart ass, I don't cook. The last time I tried to boil water, I burned it."

Janna set her margarita glass back on the table and giggled. "She's telling the truth, Zac. She tried to boil water for me and left it on the burner too long...she burned up the pan!"

"Well, baby, if memory serves, I was a little distracted at the time." Ryan's jaunty grin left no question as to what she was referring and Janna quickly nodded and waved her hand at Ryan.

"Yes, right, okay...no need to share that information. You're right, honey."

Zac burst out laughing and slapped the table. "Jesus Christ...you two are unbelievable!"

"Hey, I'm a stud, what can I say?" Ryan's brilliant blue eyes sparkled as she grinned, clearly very proud of her sexual prowess. Marty shook her head, unused to such frank discussions at the dinner table, but was enjoying herself nonetheless.

"Okay, you guys...and I do mean 'guys'...cool it!" Janna playfully slapped at her mate's arm.

"What? Can I help it if I'm a bigger stud than my brother is?" Ryan eyed her brother, grinning, as she took a swig from her bottle of Corona beer.

"What! Oh, no...no fu...uh, friggin way, Sis! Right, Marty?" He winked at his girlfriend.

As Martha blushed, Ryan continued, "Oh yeah? Tell me, buddy, how many times have you gotten laid in the last week?"

"Ryan!" Janna gasped, blushing brightly.

"Oh, come on, baby...we're all family here." She grasped her wife's hand tenderly and looked pointedly back at her brother. "Well?"

Zac glanced at his girlfriend, who smiled and shrugged. "Okay...I'll bite. Let me see...in the last week?" At Ryan's affirmative nod, he continued, "Four times."

"Ha! Sorry, bro. Nine!" Ryan all but puffed out her chest, while her mate groaned and laid her head on the table in embarrassment.

"Nine? No freaking way, Ryan!"

"Yes, way, Zac. Janna, am I lying?"

Janna's face remained hidden as she replied meekly, "No, you're telling the truth. And before anyone asks, yes, that is a typical week for us."

Ryan pointed at her brother and grinned. "See!"

"Jesus Christ..." Zac muttered, shaking his head. "And it's...um...you know...good? Every time?"

"Every single, goddamned time, Zac...for both of us." She smiled proudly and looked at her mate, who could only groan.

"Fuck..." Zac muttered.

Janna took a deep breath and chanced a look up, to meet Marty's amused expression. "Sorry, Marty...I don't know how the conversation managed to degenerate so drastically. Um, can I help you clean up?"

Marty chuckled as she replied, "Don't worry about it, Janna...it's been an interesting conversation, to say the least! And no, Zac will help me clean up. You sit...relax. You two had a very long drive today."

"Are you sure? I don't mind..."

"I'm positive, and anyway...I think he owes me." She looked pointedly at her fiancé, who tried to hide behind his beer bottle.

"No less than my wife owes me." Janna shot a friendly glare toward her mate, who mimicked her brother's cowardly action.

Zac cleared his throat. "Um, what do you ladies say to Ryan and I fixing breakfast in the morning?"

His idea was met by two wide grins and a sharp groan, after which his beautiful sister stated matter-of-factly, "Zachary, you are truly ready to become a husband."

Zac's features softened as he turned his gaze to his future wife. "I'm not going to argue with that, Ryan."

Ryan groaned again. "Oh, God, please tell me that we aren't that sappy, Janna."

"Sorry, love...I think you and I have cornered the market on sap." Janna smiled warmly at her mate and linked their hands.

"Yep, you two have...no question." Zac glanced at his sister. "But it's kind of nice."

Marty smiled as she agreed. "Yes, it is."

Zac glanced around the table. "More Margaritas, anyone? Beer...wine?"

"I think I'll have a Marg now, bro...thanks."

As Zac poured the frothy drink into a salt-rimmed glass for his sister, he asked, "So, um, what's the plan...for later this week, I mean?"

"Do you want the technical details or are you talking in general terms?" Ryan took a sip of her drink and smiled at its pleasant, sweet tang.

"Honey, I just think he needs to know what will be expected of him...and when."

"Yes, Janna, that is what I was getting at, thanks." Zac raised his eyebrows at his pain-in-the-ass big sister.

"Okay...Janna's been tracking her ovulation and is due to ovulate again on Friday. She'll monitor her temperature until then, and when it rises, we'll need a donation from you Zac, which we should use within one hour. Then we would like to repeat the process the next two days. Think you can handle that, my bro?"

"No problem, Sis. And uh, didn't you say something before about me abstaining for a few days before?"

"Yeah, uh...that's what's usually recommended...sorry." Ryan gazed apologetically at her brother and then at his girlfriend.

"Don't worry about it, Ryan. It's the least I can do...really." Zac stated sincerely and Marty nodded her agreement.

Janna's eyes misted as she replied, "Thanks guys...this is so special of you...of both of you." Ryan nodded her agreement as she grasped Janna's hand.

The jovial mood continued until late into the evening, with the four family members bonding over happy conversation and more good food and drink. Ryan and Janna retired some time later, exhausted after their long day, but both feeling very happy.

As she readied herself for bed, Janna remarked from the bathroom, "Honey, I think I'll start checking my temperature again in the morning, just in case...where's the basal thermometer?"

"It's in the kit with the rest of the stuff, in the Adidas bag."

"Okay, thanks." Janna lifted the bag onto the counter and removed the contents. She placed the large plastic bag containing three medicine syringes and three sterile specimen jars on the countertop. She also pulled out a package of surgical gloves and a thermometer case. Leaving the rest of the kit on the sink counter, she brought the thermometer to the bed and set it on the bedside table, smiling as she did so.

Her mate, reclining lazily on the large bed, remarked, "I'm happy too, Janna."

Janna gazed at her partner, both filled with love for her and awed by the strength of that love. She switched off the small lamp, plunging the room into darkness, and climbed into bed next to Ryan. "I can feel your happiness, love...it matches mine." She settled into her wife's warm embrace and kissed the nearby breast.

At the contact, Ryan sighed deeply and pulled Janna even more tightly against her body before covering them with the sheet. "Good night, love. Sweet dreams."

"Good night, my destiny." They shared a short, sweet kiss and nodded off together into dreamland.

The warrior lay in the soft, warm bed, with her mate nestled against her as always, and relished the feeling of contentment that filled her being. As she rubbed her slightly swollen belly, her mate covered her hand with hers and sighed. A warm fire burned in the nearby hearth, filling the room with a pleasant glow.

The small blonde woman turned slightly to look into her dark warrior's eyes. Softly, she said, "I'm very happy about this Xena, but I'm also confused." Her dark blonde brows knit together as she gazed back down at their hands where they rested on her mate's abdomen.

"Not half as confused as I am, Gabrielle. I honestly have no idea how this could have happened." She gazed seriously back at her mate and shrugged.

"Are you sure, Xena...I mean, maybe..."

"Gabrielle...I haven't been with a man...any man...since I've known you. And certainly not since we've...you know...been together."

"I know...then do you think it was one of the gods?" She shook her head in confusion. "What else could it possibly have been?"

"I don't know. I wish I did. What I do know is that this is good. I can feel it, Gabrielle. This baby is a good thing." She lifted a hand to her mate's face and softly caressed her cheek. "I want this to be our baby, Gabrielle. I want for us to be a family." Her voice cracked slightly as she added, "I'm very happy about this."

The bard turned her face and kissed the hand that had been caressing her cheek. "I am too, Xena. More than I can say."

"Write about it then, Gabrielle. Put your feelings down on a scroll...for me...please?" The warrior's beautiful light blue eyes, which contrasted so dramatically with her dark hair and tanned skin, implored her mate with their intensity.

"I will. I love you Xena."

"I love you, Gabrielle." The warrior gently grasped her bard's face and pulled her in for a loving kiss. They slowly savored each other's tastes and basked in their love, which spread from their heart centers and embraced them, and included, for the first time, the tiny essence growing within the warrior's strong body.

Ryan sighed deeply as the pleasure that she felt at being gently sexually connected with her wife threatened to overcome her. They lay quietly together, bodies entwined, but unmoving. Neither partner felt the need for more ardent lovemaking. On this morning, they needed simply to lie connected; sharing loving energy in the ancient, sacred fashion that had become a daily ritual for them.

Ryan muttered into Janna's mouth, not breaking their connection, "I love you, baby."

Janna returned the sentiment, also not breaking the connection. She breathed deeply, filling her body and soul with her wife's essence and with her breath, and sharing her own in kind.

Several minutes later, they slowly, gently parted; however, only insofar as to disengage connecting fingers and mouths. They snuggled together happily, neither having the least desire to part completely.

Finally, Ryan murmured, "Sweetheart, I had another warrior dream. But I can only remember bits of it. All I actually can remember clearly was that I was pregnant, and we were very happy."

"That sounds nice, honey. And, since our warrior dreams usually contain messages for us regarding our current life, that makes me very positive about our near future." She squeezed Ryan's waist tightly and sighed.

"Mm, that's true, love." As she held her beloved soulmate, Ryan tried to remember the fragments of the dream that were eluding her. "It seems that the pregnancy was a great surprise. I really pick up on that feeling...as if she had no idea how it could have happened. How strange is that, Janna?"

"It's very strange, Ryan. How could an adult woman, apparently intelligent and very capable, not know how she had become pregnant?"

"It's a mystery to me...unless I'm not picking up on all of the facts...it was just a dream, after all."

"Yes, but honey, we know from experience that our warrior dreams are more than just dreams. They are past-life memories, stored in our first chakras, and that they usually appear for a reason."

"True...but most of the details are eluding me for some reason this time."

"Maybe you're remembering simply what you need to remember."

"Possibly." Ryan remained pensive as she absentmindedly stroked her mate's arm where it had wrapped itself around her waist. She glanced at the bedside clock radio and sighed. "Well, my love, it's almost oh-seven hundred, as Zac would say. I'd better get up so I can help him with breakfast. They need to be at the base by 8:00."

"Okay, baby, but only because you promised." Janna squeezed her mate possessively to punctuate her point.

"Hey, there's nothing that says we can't return to bed after they leave, is there?" Ryan nuzzled Janna's hair and stroked her arm more seductively to punctuate her own point.

"Nope...except that Zac wants to show us around the base a little later."

"But that's later, love...my baby." Ryan's low voice drawled sexily as she turned so that she covered Janna's body with hers and leaned down for a kiss. After savoring Janna's soft, sweet lips and tongue for a long few minutes, Ryan parted reluctantly and leaned back slightly, still straddling her wife. "He doesn't expect us until mid-morning, because he has a meeting before then."

"Well, it's settled then. Go fix breakfast for Marty and Zac and then get your beautiful, shapely butt back in here."

Ryan grinned and raised her expressive eyebrows at her mate. "Shapely? How about firm?"

Janna grinned and shook her head.

"Trim?"

Another negative shake.

"Athletic?"

Again, a negative shake of the head, accompanied by a cute grin. "Shapely."

"Hmm..." Ryan stole another quick kiss and then another, before asking, "You're not planning on skipping breakfast are you?"

"In favor of waiting here for some red hot sex with you? I absofuckinlutley am, to quote you, love." Janna grinned widely at her mate's surprised expression.

"God dammit, Janna, I love it when you talk like that..." She leaned back down for another kiss, and lingered there. "Shit, Janna...now I want you, baby, but I have to get up."

"You know where I'll be, love."

"Ugh...Ryan groaned as she rolled off of her wife. She continued the roll and settled her feet on the floor, then stood and reached a hand down toward Janna. "Come on, Janna. If I'm getting up, so are you. I don't want to come back in here all hot and ready for love just to find you asleep."

"Good point." Janna grinned as she sat up and grasped her mate's hand.

"Hey, I know what we'll do...we'll come back after breakfast and shower together." A trademark jaunty grin accompanied equally trademark raised black eyebrows.

"I have a better idea...we'll come back and play in bed, and then we'll play in the shower."

Ryan closed her eyes and swallowed hard before answering. "Oh, God, Janna, you're gonna wear me out before I have the chance to get you pregnant."

"No possible way, love." Janna stretched up and kissed her mate's cheek, then walked away toward the bathroom, leaving a slightly discombobulated former warrior looking after her.

-4-

The rest of the week sped by, and enjoyably so, as the Norden-Zamoras made the most of their visit to New Mexico. In addition to interesting and informative tours of various parts of the missile range, led by Zac and Martha, they had enjoyed daily sightseeing trips in and around the Las Cruces area, and had made a day-long pilgrimage to Janna's mother's birthplace, the nearby small city of Deming.

On Friday morning, they found themselves making the pleasant drive up to Silver City to visit a favorite great-aunt of Janna's.

As Ryan drove north on highway 180, venturing out of the high desert plateau and into mountainous terrain, she remarked, "What a fuckin' small world, Janna, that we both have family in this region."

"Small Universe, Ryan, remember? It's a very small, synchronistic Universe that we live in."

"That it is, baby. That it is." She glanced warmly at her adorable mate. "So tell me about this special aunt of yours, love." She looked back to the highway before her and mused, Jesus...I cannot believe how fucking much I love this woman. She is my Universe. She alone.

"Well, love, she's my Grandpa's baby sister...my Aunt May. She's precious...absolutely precious to me. For as long as I can remember, she has made a trip out to California to visit us every few years...despite the fact that she does not drive. She has a daughter who lives in Albuquerque who usually comes out with her." Janna stopped speaking and smiled as she pictured the favorite aunt.

She smiled fondly as she stated, "Grandpa loved pinon nuts...pine nuts...but they used to be hard to find at home, and very expensive, so she would always bring him a big bag of them when she visited...even though they're sort of expensive even here, and not harvested often." She sighed as special memories were awakened. "And Grandpa would always share them with Dan and I, as treasured as they were. I understood even then, as a child, how unselfish that act was." She swallowed as a tear rolled down her cheek. "God, I miss him."

Ryan reached out and grasped her hand, trying to comfort her mate. "I wish I'd known him, Janna."

"I feel him here, Ryan. This is where he grew up...where he was struck by lightening as a child on the cattle ranch. I swear that I feel his presence here with us."

"I'm sure he was with us yesterday in Deming, my love."

"He was, Ryan. And so was Grandma. She was a Michigan native, but she loved it here, and grasped his Native ideals of environmentalism and respect for nature as much as he did."

"Baby, I can see...I can feel...how much they meant to you."

"They were both very close to Aunt May. I'm glad you'll have the chance to meet her." Janna chuckled as she added, "You know, she is the close friend of an Apollo astronaut and always said that if I came out here, that she would introduce me to him." She grinned at her wife. "I wonder if I can still take her up on the offer...at this late notice."

Ryan laughed gently. "I don't know, babe. Which astronaut?"

"Harrison Schmidt, of Apollo 17...the only civilian ever to go to the moon. He was a geologist and later became a New Mexico Congressman." She grinned as she added, "Republican."

Ryan grimaced, but then smiled. "And you still want to meet him?"

"Sure! The astronaut factor overrides the conservative factor."

"Sweetheart?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

"Love you too, Ryan."

~~~~~~~~~~

"God, Janna, it was a great day. I love your aunt. She's incredible." As she recalled the small, warm, feisty, white-haired lady, Ryan gazed at Janna with a look full of longing, love and respect, and added sincerely, "Now I can see very clearly what you will be like at eighty...and baby...I am so looking forward to being there with you. So much." She brought Janna's small hand to her lips and kissed it before pressing it to her cheek.

"Ryan...you're making me cry," Janna sniffled. She grasped the hand that still rested on her cheek and brought it to her own lips, kissing it gently.

Ryan lifted herself onto an elbow and gazed seriously at her wife. "Janna, let's make this baby."

Vibrant green eyes met brilliant blue as Janna kissed Ryan's hand again before reaching out to gently guide her face closer. When the beautiful, perfectly shaped Cupid's bow lips were within inches of her own lovely lips, Janna leaned forward, capturing them lovingly. She savored Ryan's soft lips, reveling in their sweet taste and velvety texture until she was breathless. She pulled back and met blue eyes darkened by desire, which matched her own desire-darkened green orbs.

"Make love to me, Ryan. Make me pregnant."

Ryan grinned down at her wife and drawled a favorite catch phrase of theirs. "Your wish is my command, baby."

She rose to her elbow again and seductively ran long fingers down Janna's naked form, raising gooseflesh as she went. As her fingers traveled southward along Janna's body, Ryan bent her head and raked a hot tongue against a willing nipple.

"Oh, God, Ryan..."

Slowly, Janna's sexy mate turned toward the nightstand beside the bed and grasped the specimen cup that sat waiting. A 5cc needleless medicine syringe rested in the cup, and Ryan manipulated it, bringing Zac's generous donation up into the tube. She lifted the tube out of the cup and inspected the milky substance before tapping the syringe with a fingernail, forcing any air bubbles to the top, then gently depressed the plunger a fraction to further force out any trapped air bubbles. Now prepared, the syringe full of life-giving seed was replaced in the cup, to await the proper moment for insertion.

As Ryan refocused her attention on her mate with eyes full of anticipation and lust, Janna shivered. She reached up and wrapped her arms around her wife's neck, pulling her down atop her as she kissed Ryan deeply. Their tongues intertwined and danced ardently as their bodies were pressed together, desire overwhelming them.

Ryan reached a long arm down and ran her fingers down Janna's torso, ending softly entangled in the golden curls at the apex of her legs. As Ryan's loving fingers gently caressed her outer folds, Janna gasped. Ryan kissed her deeply, reaffirming her love, and then bent her head, kissing her way down to Janna's soft breasts.

She brought her left hand up to gently knead and caress Janna's left breast while her tongue ran skillfully over her mate's right nipple. When her lover gasped with pleasure, Ryan sucked the hard nub gently into her mouth, enjoying its velvety texture.

"Ryan, yes..."

As she continued to suckle erotically at Janna's breast, Ryan caressed her gently with her right hand, bringing the small bundle of nerves just inside her inner folds to full arousal. As the tiny erection announced her wife's readiness, Ryan inserted a finger and gently stroked her lover. At the contact, Janna's hips bucked, and Ryan gently inserted a second finger. All the while, her mouth and talented tongue never lost contact with Janna's breast. The doubled sensations sent Janna hurtling quickly toward oblivion, and she moaned loudly.

At the moaned permission to enter her more fully, Ryan did so, inserting another finger and stroking her lover deeply. With her thumb, she continued to pay devoted attention to the small, hard nub, and Janna began to writhe uncontrollably. "Oh, God, Ryan...I'm close..." she panted.

Ryan's deep voice responded, "Here I come baby..." As she continued to lavish attention on her mate's sensitive breast and nether regions, she lifted slightly and reached for a latex glove with her left hand. After deftly slipping it on her hand, she reached for the syringe that sat in the sterile cup. Ryan grasped the syringe and brought it down to join her fingers.

As she held the syringe which contained the precious substance that would create their child in her gloved hand, Ryan brought her mouth down to join her fingers in their devoted stroking of her mate.

"Yes, Ryan...oh God..." Janna brought her knees up and tangled her fingers in Ryan's thick, dark hair.

The deep, sensuous strokes of her beloved's tongue sent Janna over the edge, and as her inner muscles began to contract rhythmically, Ryan pulled her mouth back and inserted the syringe as far into her mate as it would go. As she stroked her mate with the thick syringe, Janna loudly moaned her release, and Ryan depressed the plunger, shooting the semen deeply into her mate. Janna's orgasmic contractions aided the tiny swimmers in their journey up through her birth canal.

As her partner was swept by the waves of pleasure, Ryan continued to stroke her with the syringe, prolonging the orgasm and maximizing the sperms' chances of reaching their intended target. As soon as Janna's body became limp, Ryan grabbed a pillow and gently pushed it under her lover's thighs, raising them slightly off the bed, and removed the syringe. Then she stripped off the glove and deposited it in the empty specimen cup before grabbing the thin bed sheet and pulling it up above Janna's waist. She then crawled up and captured Janna's lips hotly.

Janna responded to the kiss fervently before needing to break for a breath. "Ryan," she breathed. "My God, that was good..."
"For me too, lover." She kissed Janna again, then pulled back to gaze at her. Noting tears slowly tracking down Janna's cheeks, she gently wiped them away. "I love you so much, Janna. Rest now and keep your legs up...give those little guys a good shot at hitting their target."

"I love you, too, Ryan, but I'm not quite ready to rest yet, love." She stroked Ryan's cheek tenderly. "Our lovemaking has never been a one-sided affair and we're not gonna go there now. Crawl up here and straddle my face so I can love you."

"Janna, no...I don't..."

"Ryan...right now. I can feel your desire and I will not deny you. Get up here."

Ryan grinned. "Yes, ma'am!" She dutifully made her way up Janna's body and positioned herself above her mate's face. When a loving, talented tongue immediately snaked out and stroked her anatomy, Ryan gasped and grabbed the bed's headboard.

"Oh, shit, Janna...oh my God..."

"Mmm...you're already close, love." Janna enjoyed Ryan's flavor immensely and vocalized the fact. Her voice rumbled oh so pleasantly through Ryan's sensitive cleft, hastening her climax, and she wriggled uncontrollably, hips rocking and gyrating until she screamed her release a few minutes later.

Still holding onto the headboard, Ryan hung her head limply as she regained control of her breath. "Jesus, Janna...fuck, baby. That was soooo good."

"For me too, Ryan." She sighed and a small sob escaped. "I think we made a baby, love."

Ryan swallowed hard as the emotion stuck in her throat. A sob escaped from her as well, as she said, "I believe we did, Janna." She wiped the embarrassing tears away before lifting her hips away from Janna's head and making her way to Janna's side, where she leaned down for a sweet kiss, each of them tasting her wife's essence on the other's lips. They parted and Ryan lay down in Janna's arms. Their usual positions were switched as Janna cradled her.

"Be careful, love...you're fertile right now, too and I know you don't want to get pregnant."

"I'm leaving the sheet right where it is, baby." Ryan nuzzled Janna's throat, enjoying being held by her wife for a change. "This is nice, Janna. God, you feel good." She hugged her smaller mate tightly as Janna kissed her hair.

"Mm...I kind of like this change of position. You feel great there."

"Mm." The dark woman's eyes closed involuntarily as the emotion of the moment, coupled with the strenuous activity after a long day, took its toll on her body.

At the same moment, her small mate yawned and they settled more deeply into each others arms as sleep, and very happy dreams, overtook them.

A short time later, Zac and Marty walked silently hand-in-hand down the hallway after returning from their date, and both smiled as they noted the quiet darkness of the guest room, hoping in unison that their sisters' very special evening had been productive.

In her hiding place behind the Earth's shadow, Grandmother Moon began her new phase, and sensing her friends' act of love and creation, smiled in response. She wrapped them in her invisible, loving energy and protected them throughout the night.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Ohhh..." The warrior groaned in agony as her mate helped her along the wooded path near a temple. The sounds of nearby fighting floated on the air, and the smaller warrior quickly led her mate to a safe clearing.

"Here, Xena...this looks like a good place." The blonde warrior-bard helped her mate to sit on the ground under a tree with a large canopy of leaves.

The dark warrior sat where her mate had indicated and grimaced as another pain hit, moaning, "Uhhh...get it off. Get it off me."

Her smaller mate helped her out of her large coat, but then the warrior shivered. "I'm cold."

The bard held her coat out to her, but the tall woman batted it away and held out her arms. "These...take these off." She impatiently indicated the armored leather bracers that covered her forearms and her mate unlaced and removed them. She settled her partner back against the tree and encouraged her to squat. The warrior did so as another pain hit, and she leaned forward into her smaller partner's arms.

"Ahh...Gabrielle!" The dark woman screamed.

The bard grimaced in empathy as she embraced her mate, gently rubbing her back. "Xena, remember Ephiny...remember what you did when she was having her baby..."

"Please be quiet...just be quiet. Ahh!" As the strong warrior was hit by another intense labor pain, her mate squatted in front of her, holding her within her embrace. The dark woman laid her head on her mate's shoulder and screamed again.

Her bard urged, "Push! Come on, Xena, push!"

Her partner bore down and screamed again as the pain cut through her like a hot sword.

"That's it, Xena...push again." The bard squatted in front of her mate and supported her. The warrior did so, accompanied by another ear-splitting scream, and felt the baby begin to crown.

"That's good, Xena, here it comes...I can see it!" The small blonde held her hands below her partner's body, where the baby was exiting.

"Get it out...get it out, now, Gabrielle! Ahh!"

"It's coming, Xena...keep pushing!" The baby's head emerged and the bard gently supported the tiny body as its mother continued the agonizing chore of pushing it out of her body. The baby's shoulders emerged and then the rest of the tiny body quickly slipped out, and the bard held the tiny infant in her hands. As she gazed in wonder at the tiny new life, she was consumed with love for the child, and looked up into the tired but wide-eyed gaze of her mate.

The strong warrior looked down at the baby in her mate's hands and smiled as tears tracked down her cheeks. They were no longer tears of pain, however- they were tears of joy. Her bard held her baby out to her and she tenderly took it into her arms. The dark woman, exhausted and sweating, gazed at the baby and gasped, "It's a little girl!"

"Yes!" The bard gazed lovingly from the newborn to her mother and then cut the umbilical cord. The tough warrior gazed softly at her infant and held her close while her partner finished with the birth necessities.

As she lovingly cleaned her partner and their baby, the warrior-bard was nearly overcome by the overwhelming love that she felt for them both, and silent tears steadily tracked down her cheeks.

Janna turned in Ryan's embrace and settled more fully atop the firm, but soft in all the right places, body, and sighed in her sleep. Ryan, already awake, as usual, smiled warmly and hugged her wife, feeling the desire for her begin to build. God, I hope we made a baby last night. I want this so much. I want to experience pregnancy and parenthood with her. She sent a silent prayer to the spiritual Grandfathers and Grandmothers, asking for their blessings as the soft yellow early morning light of the desert gently illuminated them.

Ryan nuzzled the blonde head under her chin and let her love for Janna fill her being. She took a deep breath, filling her body and soul with Janna's essence. Slowly, she exhaled and then drew in another deep breath, feeling the calming influence as the ki entered her body along with the air. She visualized the energy traveling to each part of her body and felt its invigorating effect. She continued the mindful breathing for another few minutes and then lay contentedly, waiting for her wife to awaken.

Her mind drifted to the previous day, when she and Janna had visited her mate's great-aunt in the mountains. The three of them had taken a long walk down the lovely lane that Aunt May lived on. Their aunt led them to a break in the pines, to an overlook, and they were stunned at the view of the mountains and of the desert beyond. They perched on a rock and enjoyed the view, alternately sharing warm conversation and silence, all of them appreciating the beauty that surrounded them.

At one point, Janna's elderly but exceptionally spry aunt had left them briefly to pick wildflowers in the adjacent meadow. As they sat together shoulder to shoulder on the large, sunny rock, Janna tilted her head back and looked up at the brilliant sky.

"Ryan, there's so much ki here!"

"Do you feel it, love?" Ryan asked as she lazily threw her arm around Janna's shoulders.

"Yes, but I see it, too. Look up!"

As Ryan did so, Janna continued. "Do you see the tiny silvery squiggles all over the place?"

Ryan squinted and then after a moment, exclaimed, "Yes!" She looked back down at Janna's cute face. "That's ki?"

"Yes! You can see it anywhere, but it's easiest to see against a bright blue sky. And I think there's more of it where the air is clean and pure."

Ryan looked back up, amazed at what she was seeing. The tiny squiggles of energy were everywhere, dancing on the air and around everything that exists, writhing and moving so quickly that single strings could not be focused upon. She could only see them against the backdrop of the blue sky, however. Unless she concentrated her newfound gift of second sight and gazed at the auras of nearby trees and plants, then she could see the ki within as golden sparks.

"Janna, that is so fuckin' amazing!"

Janna grinned at her wide-eyed mate and then whispered, "Here comes Aunt May, watch the language, love." As she made the request, Janna's sparkling eyes communicated the love she felt for Ryan.

"Oh, yeah...sorry, babe." Ryan grinned. "I forget. Um, you know that's it's gonna be a hard habit for me to break, don't you?" The sparkle in Ryan's eyes matched that of Janna's.

"Yep, but I have faith in you, love. You can handle anything."

"Well, Janna, that may be the hardest thing about parenthood, for me."

Janna chuckled. "Oh, you think so, huh?"

Ryan nuzzled her wife's cheek and whispered, "Yep, I do. Why don't we get back to Las Cruces so we can work on that parenthood thing?"

Ryan smiled again at the fond memory and then Janna began to awaken. A soft moan escaped Janna's lips as she stretched and opened her eyes. The incredibly lovely sight of her mate's left breast greeted her and Ryan could feel her mate's grin against her skin.

"Morning, baby."

"Morning, Ryan." She glanced up at her mate and smiled again. "You look as good as you feel this morning." She looked back down and softly kissed the nearby breast.

"Mm, that's nice, Janna...and I don't have to get up to help cook this morning." She craned her neck to kiss her mate's forehead.

Janna sighed and then lifted slightly to reach Ryan's lips. She muttered against them, "I'm very glad of that," and then captured them softly.

They savored each other's lips softly for a while before the kiss and the tasting became more fervent, and Ryan rolled them over so that she was above Janna. She gazed down at her wife and murmured, "I love you, baby."

"Love you too, Ryan." She reached up to push a strand of hair behind Ryan's ear as she added, "So much."

Ryan answered her by leaning down and kissing her sweetly, then rolled them onto their sides so that they could make their gentle morning connection. Fingers and mouths connected gently, softly, for the daily energy exchange, which usually lasted from five to ten minutes, except when the touching became more ardent and turned into lovemaking.

Some time later, the bathroom had filled with steam while the two lovers played in the shower. "God, Janna, you are so good..." Ryan murmured when the ability to speak returned.

"I'm so glad you think so, love." Janna murmured against the soft skin of Ryan's taut abdomen. "But I don't think I'm nearly as good as you are."

"Oh, fuck, Janna...baby, don't even think about going there. You're the best I've ever had, by far." She reached down and pulled her wife up by the shoulders. As she gazed lovingly into Janna's eyes, she leaned down and kissed her hotly, communicating all she needed to with simply a kiss.

Janna enjoyed the kiss and murmured, "Mm, thanks Ryan. But you're in love with me, honey...you're not exactly objective."

"Shit, Janna...you're starting to make me mad, honey. I can be objective about this. I'm a very honest person, you know that." She gazed seriously at her wife. "Where is this coming from, love?"

"I don't know...it's never worried me before...could I be pregnant already?" She grinned up at her mate.

Ryan chuckled. "I don't think so, baby...I think it takes a day or two doesn't it?"

"I think so, yeah." She kissed the luscious throat in front of her.

"Janna, you should know, without a shadow of a doubt, that you are all I need. All I will ever need...all I will ever want. You are perfect for me." She smoothed wet strands of hair from her love's face. "You are my soulmate, my Universe...please don't ever, ever doubt that. And," she added to punctuate her point, "you are, without a doubt, the best, the hottest, the most exciting lover I've ever had. Ever." She kissed her wife again before adding, "I love you more than life itself, Janna. I always will."

Janna wrapped her arms around her mate and hugged her tightly. "Thank you, my love...you're my everything too, Ryan. Always." She looked back up at her wife and grinned. "I think we used up all the hot water again."

Ryan returned the grin. "Looks like it. We're rude house guests, aren't we? Zac and Marty may not invite us back again." She took a deep breath and let it out. "Well, come on, love...let's go get some breakfast."

"I'm there." As Ryan turned the water off and turned back around to help her out of the shower stall, Janna commented, "Honey, I think I am."

"You think you're what, Janna?"

"Pregnant."

Ryan stopped and turned Janna to face her. "Why do you think that?"

"I had a really intense warrior dream last night. You were giving birth to our daughter."

Ryan pulled Janna tightly against her and swallowed hard. "Jesus, Janna, I want that." She kissed her mate's wet head and then leaned down and captured a kiss.

"So do I, Ryan. So do I."

-5-

The room was lit by half a dozen candles, and in the warm illumination, Ryan's naked form looked glorious to Janna. She relaxed on the bed, enjoying what was, in effect, a wonderful floor show. Her mate was oblivious, busily preparing for their second impregnation attempt. As she strode toward the bed, Janna admired the strong, lean lines of her body, and the way her sculpted muscles shifted under her bronzed skin.

As she gazed at her wife's gorgeous body, she shuddered with pleasure and anticipation. Her gaze rested below Ryan's strong, muscled shoulders, on her luscious, full breasts, which were topped by dark nipples. She sighed as her gaze lingered there and then moved downward, along her tight, six-pack abs. My God, how many women have abs like that? Her workouts certainly have paid off in a beautiful way. Then, her gaze moved downward again and lingered at the dark patch nestled at the apex of her legs and she licked her lips unconsciously. Ohh, Jesus...Slim hips above strong thighs and long, lean legs completed the stunning package and her gaze swept upward again.

As she gazed at the beautiful, classically chiseled planes of her mate's face, marked by high cheekbones, a long, straight nose, and those piercing blue eyes, all framed by thick, wavy, shoulder-length black hair, Ryan returned her gaze and smiled, taking Janna's breath away.

"Puma," Janna breathed.

Ryan was startled by the use of her tribal name and then was surprised further when she noticed Janna's leer. She felt her wife's desire then, through their bond, and it almost overwhelmed her with its intensity. Her own blood began to boil as her heart pounded, matching the rhythm of its twin in her soulmate's body, and the effect of feeling both her own and her wife's desire nearly overpowered her. She continued toward the bed and leaned over to place the items she held onto the nightstand, her eyes locked with Janna's.

She straightened and stood next to the bed, gazing intently down at her wife, her lust and desire written all over her face as well. And her love. Slowly, she knelt on the bed and reached out to her mate, who rose to her knees to meet her. They embraced as their lips met passionately and Ryan pulled Janna's body tightly against hers, settling her hands under her firm, round behind. Janna's hands went up around Ryan's neck and locked the two of them into the passionate kiss for long moments. Eventually, Ryan broke the kiss and bent her head to nip at the pulse point which was pounding at Janna's throat. Janna threw her head back and moaned, as Ryan's touch ignited her desire.

"Mate with me, Puma." She whispered.

Ryan captured her lips again, kissing her deeply, from her very essence, and then wordlessly, gently laid her wife on her back and covered her body with hers. As Ryan lay fully atop her shorter mate, Janna's soft patch of golden curls tickled her abdomen, while her creamy, coral-tipped breasts fit just above Ryan's.

As their legs intertwined and tongues danced erotically, lovingly, Janna murmured, "Sixty-nine first, love."

Silently, Ryan broke the kiss and turned above her mate, straddling Janna's face. As she buried her face in Janna's curls, she settled her own soft mound onto Janna's face, and they gently, slowly began making love to each other. Ryan nuzzled Janna with her nose, breathing deeply of her wife's scent, allowing it to fan her desire and feed her need and she gently kissed Janna's outer folds. They both started with loving kisses, but the touching quickly became more fervent and stroking tongues darted and danced on inflamed anatomy, setting bodies and souls afire.

When her desire began to cascade and she felt herself beginning to plummet, Janna murmured against Ryan's warm cleft, "Slow down, baby." Ryan immediately complied and moved her touches back outside of Janna's body, laying gentle kisses on her curls and inner thighs. At the same time, Janna increased her devoted stroking, and Ryan felt herself losing control. She rested her cheek against Janna's thigh and moaned loudly, signaling her imminent release. As Janna's loving mouth and tongue alternately stroked her deeply and sucked on her erect nub, her hips began rocking involuntarily and she sat up, forcing deeper contact. Janna then began stroking her deeply, and faster, and Ryan's moans gained in intensity and volume. She arched and threw her head back as she moaned her wife's name.

"Janna...yes...Jaaannnaaaa." As her name reverberated off the bedroom walls, Janna felt her partner's powerful release as strong inner muscles gripped her tongue, and she tasted the release of Ryan's sweet fluids. She continued the stroking and Ryan continued to wriggle above her as the powerful climax rocked her body and satiated her soul. After what seemed like many minutes the delightful spasms slowed and Ryan fell against Janna's warm body, sated and spent.

After taking a few moments to catch her breath, she felt, both spiritually and physically, Janna's desire, and turned to face her lover. She leaned down, kissing her wife ardently, then bent her head to lavish wet, warm kisses on her breasts.

"Oh, God...I'm very close, love..."

Ryan trailed the kisses back up to Janna's mouth and lingered, before pulling back, revealing tear-filled eyes. As a tear escaped, she sobbed, "I love you, Janna," then kissed her wife hotly again and sat up. She pulled a latex glove onto her right hand and grabbed the loaded syringe, then crawled down to Janna's golden curls and kissed her tenderly there before snaking her tongue out and stroking her deeply. Janna moaned loudly and pulled her knees up, spreading her legs widely at the same time, and almost immediately, Ryan felt Janna's muscles begin to clench. She gave Janna's cleft one more loving stroke and then pulled back and inserted the syringe. She slowly stroked Janna deeply with the instrument and as she cried out, plunged the sperm into her lover. She continued stroking until Janna's body stopped its motion and then, after disposing of the glove and syringe, crawled up to share tender kisses with her wife.

"God, I love you Janna," Ryan muttered breathlessly into her mate's mouth.

"Mmm," was all Janna could manage at that moment, but Ryan understood the sentiment. She reached a long arm down and pulled the sheet up above Janna's waist, to protect herself against pregnancy. She cradled Janna's head next to hers and their tears intermingled for long minutes as they simply held each other.

The silence was broken a short time later when Janna quietly uttered, "I feel completely at one with you, Ryan. As if, right now, we share the same soul."

"I do too, Janna. And the Spirit friends are here with us." She clasped hands with her soulmate and brought their hands to her heart. She spoke aloud, quietly, asking, "Great Spirit, Grandmothers, Grandfathers, we respectfully ask for your blessing as we attempt to create life and we thank you for your guidance. Aho." She kissed their linked hands and then shared a sweet kiss with her wife before they curled up together and sleep swiftly claimed them.

The Grandfathers and Grandmothers and the Great Spirit and the other Spirits heard Swift Puma's prayer and they all smiled, as it had already been answered.

~~~~~~~~~~

Janna awoke to a room filled with a soft, yellow light and found her head pillowed in her sitting wife's lap. Long fingers played gently with her short blonde hair as she turned and gazed up at her mate. Ryan bestowed a smile on her that reached into the deepest recesses of her soul and took Janna's breath away.

"Ryan," she breathed.

"Janna, my love." A tear dropped from her wife's eye and Janna gingerly reached up to catch it.

"Why are you crying, love?"

"Because we're pregnant, baby."

Janna sat up and faced her wife, grasping her hands. "How do you know, Ryan?"

"My Grandfather visited me in a dream. He told me."

Janna swallowed as her tears began. "Ryan...really?"

Her wife nodded. "He told me many things. One thing, he asked me to share with you." She gazed solemnly at Janna. "He said that we will face challenges in the future and that we must always remember our love. That I must remember that my heart beats not only in my chest, but in my twin soul's chest as well. He told me to tell you to remember the same thing." She swallowed hard and looked down at their linked hands before gazing back up at Janna. "We must always remember the love, Janna. Keep it foremost...no matter what is happening in our life."

"Ryan...do you know what the challenges will be?" Janna gazed worriedly at her mate.

"No, Janna. I only got the sense that they would be serious." She grasped Janna's cheek tenderly and pulled her forward for a kiss. Through sweet kisses, she communicated her love for her wife and her belief in the strength of their bond. When they parted, she stated, "We'll be alright, Janna. I have no doubt. My love for you is too strong to be overcome by anything. He showed me that too. He showed me a vision of us as old women together and said that we are strong enough to make that reality happen...as long as we..."

"Remember the love." Janna finished her statement.

"Yes." Ryan smiled warmly at her mate. "I don't see that as a problem. I'm reminded of how very much I love you every minute of every day. Every time I look at you, or think of you. Hell, Janna, I thank God, the Universe, the Grandfathers, the Spirits, many times every day for you."

Janna laughed as more tears escaped her eyes. "I do that too, Ryan."

Ryan pulled her close and kissed her hair. "Don't worry, baby. I promise...I promise you, Janna, that we will be fine. We'll face the challenges together and become stronger." She pulled back and her brilliant blue eyes gazed pointedly into Janna's vibrant green. "I know it, love."

"And so do I, Ryan." She gazed warmly into Ryan's eyes. "Love conquers all, right?"

"Yes, baby, we know it does. It did in our warrior life, remember?"

"I'm reminded almost nightly, in my dreams, love." Janna curled into Ryan's embrace and they sat quietly, contemplating the both happy and unsettling news.

A few minutes later, Ryan chuckled. Janna looked up at her with twinkling eyes. "What?"

"The picture of us as old married ladies, Janna. It was incredible! You looked like your Aunt May, sweet-faced and kindly and I looked like a wise, stoic old Grandmother, with a weathered face and a white braid!" She hugged Janna tightly. "We were sitting together on a porch swing, holding hands...and I could see the love, Janna...I could see it between us. It was almost like a glow that surrounded us."

"What an incredible gift that was, Ryan. How can we thank your Grandfather?"

"Let's have our cuddle time, then go outside and make an offering of tobacco."

Janna nodded eagerly and Ryan pulled them down to lay side-by-side on the bed. As they kissed and began their gentle morning connection, Grandfather Sun illuminated their entwined bodies and smiled his pleasure upon them, including their unborn child.

~~~~~~~~~~

As Grandfather Sun climbed into the dazzling New Mexico sky above the breathtaking desert and mountain vista, the family sat on the patio, enjoying Sunday brunch.

Earlier, Zac and Marty had observed their sisters' loving, respectful offering of the sacred tobacco, so Ryan and Janna had shared their news with them, including the unsettling portion. In response, Marty had silently approached and quietly embraced each of them.

"You have been given a very special gift. Please use it wisely." She had said seriously, but had let her eyes communicate the love and respect she felt for her new sisters.

"We will, Martha, believe me." Ryan had responded, equally seriously, as she pulled Janna close to her.

Ryan leaned back in the comfortable chair, took a sip of orange juice, and eyed her brother. "Well, Zac, I guess your duty is done. We won't need another donation from you."

"Are you sure, Sis? Because it is no problem for me...are you sure you want to trust the dream vision?"

Ryan eyed him seriously and then smiled. "You know I do, Zac. I have no doubts."

"Neither do I, Zac. We've been bringing spiritual practices into our lives in a big way recently and we're both sure about this. I can feel that it's true...I'm sure I'm pregnant." Janna glanced at Ryan and grinned. "I've even had an overly emotional, hormonally charged episode already."

Ryan laughed and picked up her mate's hand. "Yep, baby, I think you're right. You probably were pregnant already."

She looked at her brother and remarked, "Those are some mighty fine swimmers you've got there, bro."

Zac nearly spit his coffee across the table, and as it dribbled down his chin, his girlfriend burst into laughter. "Shit, Ryan...look at what you made me do."

"Just paying you the compliment you're due, Zac." Ryan grinned at her wife, who was scowling playfully at her.

Janna remarked, "I think my wife is bored. I need to find something to keep her busy."

Ryan's leer was automatic and her three companions scowled in unison.

"What?"

"Honey, I was thinking something along the lines of a run, or something athletic like that." She patted her mate's hand sympathetically.

"Christ, Ryan, haven't you had enough of that anyway?" Zac asked as he shook his head in amazement.

"Fuck no! Oh, uh...sorry, Marty." She threw an apologetic look toward the Native woman, who smiled gracefully. "I mean, no friggin' way, Red Hawk."

"Okay, Puma. I get you." Her brother smiled warmly.

Ryan turned to her mate. "Hey, Janna, I have been feeling a little restless. How about some aikido-mai?"

"Great idea, honey!"

Ryan addressed her brother, "Zac, do have any Native music that we can work out to?"

Zac glanced at Marty and grinned widely. "Do we have any Native music? I think my love here has every Native CD ever produced!"

"Cool!" Janna replied excitedly. "Where should we do it, honey?"

"I think out here would be best, where we have lots of space...Zac, can we hear the stereo out here?"

"Sure can, since my Communications Expert rigged up some remote speakers out here."

Ryan turned sparkling eyes on Marty. "I see she has many skills, bro...I think you lucked out, buddy. Are you sure you're good enough for her?" As she took a large gulp of her juice, she was unprepared for the roll that sailed across the table and hit her in the face.

Ryan looked at her brother, eyes wide with shock, and boomed, "Whoa! War, buddy! You are so dead!" She leapt out of her chair, but Zac was just as quick and was already running away. He leapt over the low, stone patio wall and took off down the path of the partially completed, xeriscaped garden.

Ryan followed, hot on his trail and steadily gained on him. Her profession as a bicycle patrol cop kept her strong legs in maximum condition, more so than his Military Policeman career did for his. As the chase in the large yard continued noisily, Marty and Janna laughed, shaking their heads.

"Will they always be children, Marty?" Janna asked as she wiped her eyes.

"I'm afraid so, Janna. But it does make life more interesting, doesn't it?"

"Oh, yes. Absolutely! And to tell you the truth, I love her all the more for it. I wouldn't have her any other way."

"Nor I Zac, Janna." Marty's lovely brown eyes twinkled her mirth.

The shouting suddenly intensified and their mates reappeared just as Ryan made a flying leap and took her brother down into the relative softness of the drought-tolerant sage species that grew along the border of the property. She playfully pummeled her brother as she sat atop him, shouting obscenities all the while. Zac skillfully threw her off, only to be caught again by the aikido black belt and held within her grasp.

"Apologize, asshole...I'm not letting you up until you do."

"No fucking way, Ryan, you started it."

"Then we'll sit here all day...I don't mind, you're rather comfortable...all soft and fat."

"Fuck you, Ryan!" He squirmed under his sister but she held him fast. "God damn it, you're strong for a woman. Alright, I'm sorry...now get the hell off of me."

Ryan grinned down at him. "Thanks, Zac...that wasn't so hard, was it?" She gracefully leapt to her feet and held a hand out to him.

As he grasped his sister's hand, he mumbled, "Yeah, right." But he threw his arm around her shoulder as they walked back to the patio where their mates sat, still laughing.

As they approached, Janna asked, "Do you two feel better?"

"Oh, yeah!" Ryan grabbed a glass of water and downed it. "Baby, I do feel better...I think I can skip the aikido now."

"Oh, no you don't, Ryan. I still need it and you can keep me company." She stood up, holding her hand out to her mate. "Come on." Ryan, ever putty in Janna's hands, smiled her agreement and grabbed her wife's hand.

Marty stood as well and asked, "What kind of music would you like? I'll put something on."

"Anything peaceful with a good beat is fine." Ryan replied.

"Ryan, Native music is all beat, for God's sake." Zac scowled at his sister.

"You don't want another ass kicking, do you Zac?" Ryan asked, eyebrows raised.

"Shut up and go do your ki thing." He grinned before adding, "I'll deal with you later."

"Oh, just keep thinking that, bro, if it makes you feel good." She threw her arm jauntily around her wife's shoulder and pulled her close. Janna wrapped her arms around Ryan and accepted the offered kiss. After parting and gazing for a long moment into each other's eyes, they realized that the music had started and they separated, somewhat embarrassed. Zac and Marty, however, had given them space and gone back into the house.

"Jesus, Janna... we do get lost in each other, don't we?"

"Mm."

"Come on, baby...let's move together." She pulled her mate along behind her as she moved to a cleared part of the patio.

"Anytime, my love. Anytime, anywhere, anyhow."

"Ooh, baby, I'm gonna remember you said that." Ryan replied, leering gently.

"You do that, my love."

Just then, Marty reappeared, smiled at them and walked around the patio, using an Eagle feather fan to smudge the area with sage and cedar.

"Thank you, Marty...I was just going to ask you if I could do that!" Janna exclaimed.

"You're welcome, Janna. I'm glad you don't mind."

"Oh, God, Marty, she probably uses the stuff more than you do." Ryan smirked.

"Well, Ryan, it's wonderful that she understands the importance of it."

"Yeah, Sis...it's about time you woke up to the traditional way." Zac said as he reappeared on the patio.

"Yes, I know...and I have Janna to thank for that. I'll never be able to thank her enough." She sent a loving smile to her wife.

Janna hugged her and said, "I'm sure you would have found your way back to it eventually, sweetheart."

"I'm not so sure, Janna. Come on, baby, let's move." Janna eagerly grasped her hand and stood beside her as they calmed and centered themselves.

Zac and Marty sat nearby, watching curiously as their sisters began the enchanting movements. They moved separately, but seemingly as one, to the beat of the music, feeling the energy within their bodies and moving with it freely. They each danced around the patio, using flowing movements, letting the energy of the space move them.

The calming movements bestowed looks of peace and contentment on the soulmates' faces and the love that bound them was obvious to their family. Ryan wore black biking shorts and a tight black tank top and looked every bit her spiritual namesake as she moved gracefully around the patio. Even more so, she looked the part of the Puma's dark counterpart, Panther.

Her mate was a vision as well, in her blue running shorts and white tank. Although still a relative beginner at aikido - she had only begun studying with Ryan six months previously - she moved with a grace and beauty that nearly matched her partner's. Indeed, she had already achieved the rank of blue belt and had become the most advanced student in Ryan's beginning class.

The two students of the peaceful art came together then and danced closely together, gracefully performing modified defensive moves for several minutes, all the while keeping with the beat of the Native flute and drum music. They ended by leaving the aikido and slow dancing together for several more minutes, finishing with a loving kiss and an embrace.

Marty sighed and Zac applauded the lovely scene, and Ryan and Janna came back to Earth and looked over at them, grinning. Ryan bowed to her audience as Janna blushed and they made their way over to their family.

"That was very beautiful, Ryan, Janna."

"Yeah, Sis...I had no idea you could be so graceful...and so peaceful."

"You should've recognized it, Zac, it's what I used to take you down a while ago." Ryan grinned crookedly.

Janna pulled her naughty little girl by the hand and sat her in one of the large cushioned deck chairs, then settled into her lap and wrapped her arms around her. Ryan immediately pulled her close, forgetting her bratty brother for the time being, and kissed her deeply.

Zac grinned, looked to his mate, held out his hand, and laughed as she settled herself in his lap. They commenced the same activity that was taking place across the table from them and the atmosphere around the patio remained quiet and loving for quite some time.

-6-

White gypsum sands stretched out along either side of the highway. Janna gazed out the passenger window and sighed, "Ryan, this desert is breathtaking. I had never seen the white sands before."

"Mm. I had never been this close either." She turned her head to glance at her wife and another breathtaking site caught her eye. "Janna, would you look at that?"

Janna returned her gaze to the side window and gasped. The desert floor, where it met a large outcrop of rock, was a brilliant yellow-orange carpet of flowers. "Oh, my God, honey...that's gorgeous!"

"Mm, I think those are Mexican poppies, babe." She reached a hand up to run through her wife's short, blonde hair. "They're almost as gorgeous as you are."

Janna turned a breathtaking smile on her wife and exclaimed, "Thank you, honey. Take a glance into the rearview mirror though, if you really want to see gorgeous." She brought her wife's long-fingered hand to her lips and gently kissed each finger.

She couldn't see Ryan's eyes behind her dark glasses, but she could see the tightening of the muscles in her jaw and her intake of breath, and she could feel the jolt of desire through the link they shared. Ryan returned her gaze to the highway in front of her and swallowed convulsively as she thought, I knew we should have made love this morning, dammit.

Janna, still holding Ryan's right hand, smiled as she continued to gaze at her wife. "Sweetheart," she began. "What do you say to a lazy afternoon in the hot tub? Zac mentioned that he and Marty wouldn't be home until about 7:00 tonight. We can make a salad, you can have some wine..."

Ryan returned her gaze to Janna and grinned widely. "I'm there, Janna...so there...you have no idea, baby."

"Um, I think I do, love. We should have made love this morning, shouldn't we have?"

Ryan looked abashed, even behind the sunglasses. "Yes, love, I guess we should have. Why don't we, Janna, whenever we have time in the mornings? We're halfway there every morning anyway, during our cuddle time. We both want it...we both love it...hell, we both seem to need it. Why don't we try to make it a priority, as long as you feel up to it?"

"Let's do that honey. I know that sex isn't everything, and it shouldn't necessarily be the focal point of a relationship, but with us it's so...so..."

"Perfect...natural...astounding." Ryan's wide grin set Janna's heart aflutter.

"All of the above!" Janna linked her fingers with Ryan's. "And, it's possible that before too long, I won't feel up to it in the mornings...though, when Kris was pregnant, with both kids, she felt sick all the time...for two months."

Ryan grimaced and moved her hand to Janna's thigh, rubbing it lightly. "I hope you don't have it rough, honey. God, I hope you don't."

"Hey, whatever happens, I'll deal with. The reward at the end is more than worth it."

Ryan grinned. "You say that now, baby. Can I remind you of that when you're puking into the toilet at dawn? Or when you're in labor?"

"Please do." She smiled coyly as she added, "Especially if you want to be bitched at and reminded that you weren't brave enough to take this on."

Ryan's face fell into the cutest pout that Janna had ever seen. "Oh, baby, but you wanted to...you know how I am with hospitals and all that painful sh..."

Janna giggled. "I know, honey...I'm just picking on you. I have no problem with this...any of it...and you should know that."

"I know, Janna, I just...I'm so happy about this, but feel a little guilty about not being willing to take it on myself...big, tough cop...shit..." She shook her head.

Janna felt the small measure of dejection that her mate was feeling and moved to soothe it. "Ryan, honey...I wanted to do this so much that had you wanted to as well, you would have had to fight me for the right!" She linked their hands again. "Ryan, this is the right way for us...I want to be pregnant, you don't...it's no big deal. Anyway, I know that you will be fully present every step of the way...from my first ob/gyn appointment, to doing Lamaze classes, all the way through the birth."

"Through the birth? Hell, Janna, I'm there through the college admission, babe. And beyond."

"Yes, love, that's true, isn't it?" She smiled warmly at her tough cop. God, she's soft-hearted...where only I can see it.

As they neared the Missile Range, and their lunch date with Zac and Marty, both women sighed contentedly, simply enjoying each other's presence and the life that they were sharing.

After checking in at the main gate, Ryan followed Janna's directions to the base's Italian Café. As they drove past the Missile Range museum, with it's display of immense rockets and missiles in the park beside it, Ryan exclaimed, "God, those missiles are impressive. Makes you glad you've never been on the receiving end of one."

"For sure, babe. I must admit that Zac and Marty have challenged some of my pacifist views while we've been here. For the first time, I'm aware of how safe I am as an American...and realize that it's due to the sweat and blood of soldiers...good people...like them. I'm afraid I may have taken my safety for granted in the past. I feel bad about that."

"Mm, good point, love. I've never been hawkish myself, though as a cop, I'm aware of the need for a strong defense...and not just on a local level."

As they drove slowly by, they gazed with interest at the fifty-plus weapons, which sat impressively, aimed toward the brilliant sky.

A short time later, they sat with their family in a booth in the comfortable café. Ryan and Janna sat on one side of the table, across from Zac and Marty, and surreptitiously held hands under the table.

"Um, you guys are aware, aren't you, that the 'don't ask, don't tell' policy doesn't apply to civilians?" Zac asked with a twinkle in his eye.

"Right, Zac, but soldiers aren't exactly known for their open minds when it comes to gays in general, are they?"

"Oh, you might be surprised, Sis."

Ryan raised her eyebrows but made no comment.

Janna smiled and tightened her grip of her wife's hand, then turned to her mate and asked, "You're not having wine, love? You always have wine with pasta."

"We're pregnant now, baby. I'm not drinking."

Ryan's matter-of-fact response surprised and amused Janna, who looked at her mate comically. "Um, sweetheart, I'm the one who needs to abstain from alcohol and caffeine, not you."

"Wrong, babe. We're doing this together. If you have to do without, so do I."

She could see that Janna was about to disagree and stopped her short. "Baby, let me do this...please? I know how much you love your beer, and your tea, and I'm not about to sit around drinking those things in front of you when you can't." She looked at Janna and then at her brother and Marty and smiled, adding, "End of discussion. What d'ya feel like eating, babe?"

Janna sat, stunned. "Ryan, that is so not necessary, babe..."

"Sweetheart, my mind is made up. Let's eat, huh?" She buried her nose in the menu she held, effectively ending the conversation.

Zac and Marty raised eyebrows in unison and shrugged, as Janna remained motionless in her seat. Finally, she turned toward her wife and bestowed a glowing smile upon her. "Ryan, I think that is the single most unselfish act that I've ever heard of in my life. Thank you, my love."

Ryan put the menu down, as she answered, "It's nothing, Janna. We share everything, love...hell, baby, half the time I think we share the same soul. It's no big deal." She shrugged.

"Sis, Jesus...it is a big deal, so take the compliment, okay?"

His sister blushed before burying her nose in the menu again, and her mate rubbed her thigh warmly and let her love for her wife flow strongly to her through their bond. Ryan felt the love and was moved nearly to tears. Nearly...there was no way that she would let that happen in public, much less in front of her brother. She simply took a very long time deciding what she wanted to order.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ryan bent over the side of the hot tub and checked the temperature of the water. Too hot is not good for pregnant ladies and their babies...better settle for lukewarm. It's warm out anyway. She adjusted the temperature setting and straightened, then turned to gaze out at the lovely view from Zac's patio. Breathing deeply of the clean, dry air, she thought, I could live here.

Her reverie was broken, but pleasantly so, when two arms found their way around her waist from behind. She leaned back into her wife's smaller body and smiled.

As Janna rested her cheek against Ryan's back and joined her in her quiet reverie, she remarked, "I love it here, Ryan. The desert, the energy, the vistas, the slower pace, the people, are all wonderful. I could live here."

Ryan closed her eyes and swallowed hard, thinking, Jesus, before she replied, "I could too, baby. Easily. Maybe we should consider retiring here." She turned in Janna's embrace and kissed her wife's forehead before leaning back and gazing into her eyes. "I think we should stay where we are, at least until the kids are older, because we have so much family support there. Your parents, your brother and his family, all our friends are there. What do you think?"

"I agree, love. I want the kids to be as close to as much of their family as possible. Of course, that leaves Zac and Marty out."

"Well, you know what? Why don't we come out here for a week or two every spring? We can come for your birthday." She looked around at the beauty surrounding them as she remarked, "It's beautiful here in the spring."

"It sure is. It's a plan then, love. Thank you!" Janna's lively green eyes twinkled up at her mate in the bright sunshine.

"Thank you, Janna. I love you so much, baby." She pulled Janna close and sighed deeply. "I turned the spa down so it's not too hot for my two babies...let's go on in, love."

"Okay, um...are you wearing that?" Janna gazed at Ryan's cargo shorts and tank.

"Nope, I'm going in this..." Ryan deftly stripped off her shirt and stood before her wife, topless and grinning.

"Ryan!" Janna quickly glanced around. "What if someone sees?"

"Janna, who's gonna see? You can't see the neighbors' houses from here and they can't see us." She waved her arm at the desert view before them. "There's only white sand, sage and lizards out there."

Janna, clearly considering the possibilities, slowly grinned before reaching for Ryan's shorts. "You won't need these for what I have in mind." Meeting Ryan's gaze, she slowly unzipped the fly and pulled the shorts down. She was hampered somewhat when her wife pulled her close and stole a kiss, but managed to strip her of her clothing eventually.

"Mm, Janna...I've been needing you all day, baby." As she nipped at her mate's neck, Ryan slipped her hands under the band of Janna's shorts and pushed them, along with her panties, off her hips and to the ground. She pulled Janna tightly against her body, kissed her deeply, and reveled in the tingling sensations their skin-on-skin contact always caused.

"God, Janna..." Already breathless, Ryan stepped back slightly and pulled Janna's t-shirt off over her head, happy beyond words that there was no bra to hinder the glorious view as Janna stood before her with her arms raised. She scooped her mate into her arms and resumed the passionate kiss.

They lost themselves in the sweet softness of each other as desire and passion built and Ryan picked Janna up off the ground and held her in her arms as she explored her mouth ardently for several minutes more.

Janna mumbled against hot, sweet lips, "My strong warrior. Love me again, Swift Puma."

"Always, Janna, my Little White Owl. I will love you always and forever."

She carefully settled Janna into the comfortable water of the spa and sat in a corner. Janna sat in her lap and rested her head on Ryan's shoulder.

Janna spoke quietly, "Am I your Little White Owl, Ryan? I love the sound of that."

"Yes, Janna. That's what my Grandfather called you in my dream vision. You have a tribal name now, my love."

"God, Ryan, that's so special...thank you." Tears of joy streaked down Janna's cheeks as she lay against her wife. Ryan bent her head and kissed the tears dry before turning Janna to face her.

Janna straddled Ryan and threw her arms around her, gazing deeply into her blue depths. "I love you, Ryan Swift Puma Norden-Zamora...with all that I am."

"And you, Janna Beth White Owl Norden-Zamora, are everything to me." She lifted Janna gently and very softly kissed her still-flat belly. "You and our baby." When she looked back up into Janna's eyes, tears were coursing down her own cheeks.

Janna clasped Ryan's face to her chest and held her tightly before sinking back onto her lap and kissing her deeply. As tongues met and danced sensuously, hands began to blaze trails of fire down the skin of backs and arms. Ryan pulled away slightly and bent her head to Janna's breasts, generating a chorus of soft sighs and moans as she stroked and sucked lovingly.

"How do you want me to love you, baby?" Ryan's sultry voice asked around a sweet nipple.

"Tantra, love. Together..."

Ryan's mouth came back up to join with Janna's again as she sat forward slightly and allowed her mate to wrap her legs tightly around her waist. As they kissed, communicating their love from the depths of their souls, two hearts began to beat wildly in unison and heat spread from nether regions to every part of their bodies, setting every nerve ending within two bodies on fire.

"God, Ryan, love me before I pass out, baby..."

"Janna...breathe," Ryan coached, becoming the teacher for a change.

"Yes...I forgot," Janna panted. "Besides, you took all of my breath away..."

They slowed their breathing in tandem and each gently inserted loving, stroking fingers into her mate's body, beginning their slow, sacred sexual dance, allowing the fire within to grow slowly, steadily, until it shot up their spines and exploded, carrying them to higher planes of existence. Before the enlightened ecstasy, they would enjoy valley orgasms that would peak and wane, growing stronger with each crest, creating a cycle of pleasure that would be prolonged for many, many minutes.

Above, Grandfather Sun smiled as the two beings with whom he was well acquainted made beautiful love together. Loving hands stroked inner depths as their bodies gyrated in unison. Voices called out tribal names on several occasions, to be lost on the wind and carried to the mountaintops, along with the loving energy they created.

Later, as the sun spirit sank below the mountains in the west, Ryan brought Janna to orgasm again as she stroked her mate's delicious anatomy with a hot tongue.

"Oh, God, Ryan...that is so good, baby..." Janna's head rested against the house wall as she sat on the edge of the spa with her mate's face buried between her legs. As she called her wife's name for what seemed like the hundredth time that afternoon, they heard a car door slam in the front of the house. Janna let the delightful spasms fade however, before she allowed the threat of being caught startle her.

"Ryan," she panted, "They're home."

"Mm," said the happy mouth that rested against her belly.

A moment later, the patio door slid open and they heard Zac's voice. "Ry, you guys out here?"

In a strained voice, she replied, "Yeah, Zac. Could you give us a few minutes, please?"

"Oh...sure Sis, sorry."

"No prob, bro. See ya in a few."

The door slid shut and Janna slid down into Ryan's embrace. "God, love, that was close." She giggled. "I'm glad we both had another turn."

"God, Janna, so am I. That was incredible." She took a deep breath. "Whew. Jesus fucking Christ, Janna...I'm completely worn out, but I've never felt so good in my life. In my whole fuckin' life, baby." She nuzzled Janna's hair.

"I know. God, Ryan. Earlier, with the Tantra...we went forty-five minutes. A forty-five minute orgasm cycle, Ryan!"

"Shit...no wonder I'm spent. Baby, I'm not sure I can lift myself out of this spa." She grinned at her mate.

"Why don't we stay here for a while then. They'll understand."

"I'm not sure they will, love. Zac told me he's not familiar with Tantra."

"Ah, but Marty told me that she knows Native techniques. Recommended some books." Janna's grin and raised eyebrows matched Ryan's.

"Oh, my God...more sacred techniques? First Tantra, then Taoist, now Native? Baby, maybe we should become sex therapists."

Janna laughed. "Oh, no, love. This is private. You and me."

"You and me, Janna. Kiss me, baby."

-7-

The dawn light began to shift from gray to pinkish-yellow as Marty rose and pulled open the blinds, casting her sleeping partner in a soft light. As she looked out onto their property, her gaze fell upon her two sisters, who were sitting huddled quietly together under their wedding blanket, facing the east.

"Zac," she called quietly.

Her mate stirred and mumbled, "Hm?"

"Come see this."

He rose from the bed and stood sleepily by his partner's side. As they watched the serene scene, the sun rose above the Organ Mountains, and Ryan reached out solemnly, offering up a handful of tobacco. She turned her hand and let the sacred herb fall to the earth, scattered by the light wind. Then she turned to face her mate, letting their blanket fall to the ground, which revealed that they were both dressed only in their under clothes and their wedding necklaces. Wordlessly, Janna climbed into Ryan's lap, facing her, and they embraced.

Marty respectfully pulled the blinds and she and Zac turned away from the window and hugged.

Janna pulled back slightly from Ryan's embrace and leaned back in for a tender, loving kiss. They shared their love that way, quietly and respectfully, for several minutes before slowly rising. Ryan wrapped them in their wedding blanket and they walked back to the house.

When they entered the family room, they smelled the delicious aroma of coffee brewing and could hear quiet conversation coming from the kitchen, so they made their way in there.

Two dark heads looked up as they entered and smiled their greeting.

"Morning, Zac, Marty."

"How is Grandfather Sun, this morning, Puma?"

"He's glorious, Red Hawk...just glorious." Ryan smiled and looked down at her smaller mate as she answered.

"It was a beautiful sunrise." Marty supplied, quietly.

Janna answered, "Yes, it was."

"Join us for breakfast before you take off?" Zac held up his coffee cup.

"Yes...we need to put a little more clothing on and we'll be right back." Ryan grinned as she turned her mate and they headed down the hallway toward their room.

As they slipped t-shirts on over their sports bras, and pulled on running shorts, Janna quietly remarked, "Ryan, this past week has been one of the happiest of my life...one of the top two. I'm sorry we're leaving here."

"I know, baby, I agree. It's been incredibly wonderful. Special beyond words." She gazed deeply into Janna's eyes. "We created our baby here, Janna!" She pulled her wife close as tears threatened to spill and Janna wrapped her arms tightly around her tall mate, filling both their beings with the love she felt for her.

A few minutes later, as they sat at the sunny kitchen table with Zac and Marty, Ryan shared a bite of pancake with Janna, then leaned forward and gently licked the syrup from her wife's lower lip.

"Mm, good." She leered gently at her wife, who sighed.

"Geez, I watched you two do that at your wedding...you're still eating that way?" Zac shook his head incredulously, though with a small smile.

"Why the hell wouldn't we be, Zac? You think because we've been married a whole six months that we're not in love anymore? Hell, we're more in love now."

"Right...we only knew each other for two months before getting married...we've had six months to get to know each other better, to..."

"Fall more deeply in love." Ryan finished Janna's sentence and Janna nodded, grinning.

"Christ, now they're finishing each other's sentences." Zac could only shake his head, while his fiancé smiled warmly.

Shortly, as Janna helped Marty clear the dishes from the table, Ryan leaned closer to her brother and said softly, "Hey, yesterday, while you were at work, when we were in the hot tub..."

Zac raised his eyebrows and grinned.

Ryan smirked and continued, "We came for forty-five minutes, bro."

Zac's mouth dropped open. "You're shittin' me, Ryan."

Ryan grinned. "Nope. Ask Janna."

Zac glanced at Ryan's mate, who was talking to Marty over by the sink, and whispered coarsely, "I can't ask Janna about that!"

"Well, it's true...it's called Tantra Yoga, dude. Check it out." She smiled widely and called over to her mate, "Hey, Janna...did you bring any Tantra books that we can leave with Zac?"

Janna turned around and grinned at her playful wife, then elbowed Marty. "Um, in fact, we were just discussing something of that nature. Marty has some books for us to take home."

"Cool! Thanks Marty."

"You're welcome, Ryan, though I'm not sure you two need them." Marty's brown eyes sparkled with amusement.

Janna fixed them each another cup of decaffeinated coffee and rejoined her mate at the table as Zac got up.

"You just had to tell Zac about that, didn't you?" She met her mate's eyes with a mock glare.

"Well, yeah, baby, I mean...I was proud of us."

"And of course, it doesn't hurt to increase your stud rating, does it?"

"Of course not, baby!" Ryan used her big, warm blue eyes to tug at Janna's heart, and successfully so, as she got a hug and a kiss.

Marty and Zac returned to the table to share one last cup of coffee with their sisters. "So, you're not driving straight home, are you?" Zac asked.

"No, we don't actually have to be home until Friday...we have a game that night. We thought we'd go up through Santa Fe and Taos, then by the Grand Canyon, and across Nevada home. My little New Age girl here wants to check out Area 51."

"And don't forget Roswell, love. That's our first stop today." Janna's eyes sparkled at the thought of visiting the United States' UFO Central.

Marty looked curiously at Janna as she asked, "Janna, are you interested in the Star People?"

"Oh, yes. Very much so!"

"You might be interested in talking to a good friend of mine, then. She's Lakota, and her tribe members are the keepers of the ancient Star Knowledge. I should give you her address...or, do you have a computer?"

"Yes! We just got one."

"Then I will give you her email address."

Ryan groaned. "Oh, God, now she'll be on the damn thing even longer every night."

"What's the matter, Sis, is the machine cutting into your private time?"

"Goddamn right it is, Zac. Shit." Ryan half smiled at Janna to let her know that she was joking. Mostly.

"Oh, honey, I'm not that bad! I try to get all my correspondence and work done while you're working."

"I know, baby. Actually, I kind of enjoy the thing myself."

"Discovered Internet porn, huh, Sis?" Zac grinned.

"Zac, what the hell do I need with porn?" She looked at Janna as she added, "Honestly? I get laid twice a day most days...um, I mean, I make love with my beautiful wife every day." She ducked to avoid Janna's playful slap.

"I don't guess you do need Internet porn, then, Ryan!"

Marty handed Janna a slip of paper. "Janna, here's my friend's email, and ours too."

"Oh, good. Let me give you ours."

She wrote their shared address for Marty.

Zac grabbed the paper as she handed it over. "Oh, how cute...'rjnz'." He grinned at his sisters. "You two share an email address!"

"So what's yours, Zac? 'asshole@army.wsmr.mil'?"

"So funny, Ryan!"

"No, honey, I think that would be, 'ltcolasshole@army.wsmr.mil'!" Janna laughed, and Marty joined her.

"Oh, ha ha, so very funny, ladies." Zac drained the coffee from his cup and looked at Marty. "Honey, we need to get on the road."

They all stood, and as Ryan gazed at her brother and his mate, both looking very sharp and spotless in their military uniforms, a lump formed in her throat. Zac experienced the same sensation and stepped forward, scooping his sister into his arms.

"Ryan, it was great having you here. You're welcome any time. Any time, Sis."

Ryan kissed her brother's cheek as she felt the tears leave her eyes. "We'd like to come out every year, if you'll have us."

Marty stepped up and joined in the embrace. "We would love that. And next year you will have your little one with you."

"Oh, shit, that's right. God..." Ryan suddenly became too choked up to continue and was grateful when she felt her soulmate's hand on her shoulder.

"And don't forget a certain wedding sometime in October." Zac added with a smile.

"Definitely not!" Janna smiled warmly at their hosts. "Zac, Marty, we had a wonderful time. Thank you so much for making us feel so welcome, not to mention..."

Zac grinned and lifted his hands, "Don't mention it, Janna. It was my very great honor. Really."

"Thank you, Zac." Janna replied sincerely.

They shared a family hug and then, regretfully, Zac and Marty had to leave for the base.

"You two drive safely, now. No speeding." The MP said seriously, concern marking his voice.

"Are you kidding? I'm married to a former traffic cop...she watches me like a hawk."

"Hey, in my work I've had many the unfortunate occasion to see just how horribly speed can kill. You're goddamn right I don't let you speed, baby." She grinned at her wife as she added, "Little Leadfoot."

"Hey!"

"Yeah, Janna, I thought your tribal name was White Owl!" Zac laughed.

"It is, thank you very much!" She poked her mate and then was scooped into her warm embrace as she added, "We will drive carefully. We're taking our time getting home...don't worry. You two be safe as well."

"We will."

They shared another family hug and then the Norden-Zamoras walked the soon-to-be Zamoras to their Jeep and saw them off.

Ryan threw her arm around Janna's shoulder as they walked back into the house. Somewhat hesitantly, she asked, "Um, sweetheart, I know you're anxious to get on the road, but, um..."

"Yes, my love, I would love to play a little first...we missed that this morning. Um...why don't we combine it with our shower?" Janna's eyes sparkled as she looked up at her mate.

"Janna, sweetheart, you know me better than I know myself, don't you?" Ryan's adoring gaze nearly turned Janna's heart to butter...the small portion that her wife had not already melted previously, that is.

"I know us, love. With the added benefit of feeling what you're feeling through our link." She winked at her mate and they both began tugging their shirts off as they made their way to the guest bathroom.

Janna stood in the large, tiled stall, letting the warm water stream down her back. As she enjoyed the soothing warmth, she felt her wife enter the shower behind her. She stepped forward so that Ryan could wrap her arms around her, and she did so, pulling Janna against her chest.

As she leaned back into Ryan's warm embrace, Janna felt something hard, but pliable, poke against her backside. She smiled when she realized what it was and said, "I didn't realize our friend had made the trip with us."

Ryan smiled against Janna's hair. "Mm, hm. I thought I'd surprise you. Do you mind, love?"

"Mm, no...I love our toys, Ryan. You know that." She linked her fingers with Ryan's, which rested on her waist."

"Good, babe. Um, it's safe, isn't it? For the baby?"

"It's fine. The baby is way up inside my uterus...tucked away safe and sound."

"Good, baby, 'cause I wanna love you good...okay?" Ryan nuzzled Janna's neck and nipped at her soft skin.

"Oh, God, yes...anything you want...anything, my love." Janna panted breathlessly as Ryan's hands began to roam and moved up to caress soft, full breasts.

"Thank you, love. I love you so much, Janna." Ryan used her touch to communicate her love as well, kissing her neck while tenderly caressing Janna's breasts, before moving one hand down to tangle gently in her curls.

"Ryan..."

"Hmm? Bend over, baby."

Janna complied, resting her hands on the tile seat in front of her and leaning over, trembling with anticipation as she did so. When her partner was ready, Ryan gently thrust her strap-on appendage between Janna's legs and began to slowly, gently rub her outer folds with it.

Janna quickly became weak from the clitoral stimulation and murmured, "God, Ryan, do you know how much I love that?"

"I do, baby." Ryan drawled silkily as she gently grasped Janna's waist and continued the slow thrusts, feeling her pleasure build along with her mate's.

After a few minutes, Janna muttered, "God, Ryan...now, please."

"Okay, baby, here I come." Ryan pulled back somewhat so that she could enter her wife with the blue silicone plaything. As she did so, slowly, a deep moan was coaxed from Janna.

The tall, dark cop began to thrust into her partner rhythmically, feeling the desire within both of their bodies build quickly. She skillfully managed to stimulate both of her partner's most sensitive spots and soon had Janna moaning incoherently.

"Ryan, yes...oh, God..." Janna threw her head back and Ryan leaned forward, laying against her partner's back, caressing her with her breasts.

"Yes! Oh, God, baby, here I come..."

Ryan brought her hands up to caress Janna's breasts again as she increased her tempo and Janna quickly succumbed, plunging deeply into the pleasurable void, and bringing Ryan with her.

They moaned each other's names loudly in unison and rode the waves of pleasure together. Ryan held Janna tightly against her body until they were both able to breathe normally.

"Fuck, baby..." Ryan finally panted.

"Ditto. God, Ryan...that was so good. Jesus...shit..."

"Christ, baby, it must have been good...you're swearing for me." Ryan smiled as she lovingly ran her hands along Janna's torso, then stood up and withdrew the appendage slowly from her mate.

"Oh, God...."

Ryan deftly removed the toy from its harness and said, "Come 'ere." She coaxed her mate to stand and turned her to face her, then wrapped her arms lovingly around her.

They embraced tightly and alternately kissed and mumbled sweet nothings to each other until the hot water ran out. Again. They washed each other gently, tenderly, under cold water, which was very cooling on superheated skin and kept hands from roaming anew. One hour later, they were on the road, journeying toward home.

-8-

"And, honey, how about that gift shop...I got so many cute things!" Janna babbled on happily about their visit to Roswell's UFO Museum as they readied for bed.

"Mm, hmm...I'm looking forward to seeing you in that tight little shirt you got." Ryan smiled through her leer as she pulled her bra off over her head.

"I'll bet you are...maybe I'll wear it to bed..." Janna grinned with a raised blonde eyebrow.

"Oh, no...this is what I want you to wear to bed..." She deftly stripped off her mate's matching sports bra and pulled her close.

"Honey, this is what I nearly always wear to bed anymore."

"Mm, yep, and I'm very glad for that." Ryan said as she buried her face against Janna's neck.

"You're the reason for that."

Ryan mumbled against the soft skin of Janna's throat, "Did we make love this morning?"

"Um, yeah, love...in the shower...with the toy."

"Mmm...yes, we did, didn't we? God, that was nice, Janna." Ryan pulled away from Janna to gaze into her eyes, and dropped her hands to her wife's waist.

Janna linked her hands around her tall partner's neck as she replied, "Yes, love, it was. I'm glad you get as much out of it that way as I do."

"Oh God, baby...I really do. I'm as sensitive down there in front as you are." She leaned down for a kiss and savored Janna's lips. The kiss continued, even as Janna led Ryan to the bed and pushed her down onto it.

Ryan fell onto her back and happily pulled Janna down on top of her, wrapping her legs tightly around her smaller mate. Between kisses, Janna mumbled, "I wanna love you with it now."

At the suggestion, Ryan's blood to began to boil in earnest and she nearly threw Janna off herself in her eagerness. "Sure, baby, let me get it."

"I'll get it...you stay right here." Janna lightly kissed the tip of Ryan's nose and then seductively licked her bottom lip.

"Ohh, Jesus..." Ryan waited eagerly while her mate unpacked the device. Being made love to in that fashion was a gesture that she had never extended to anyone except for Janna, and she had quickly learned to enjoy it immensely.

Very shortly, her small, sexy mate, having quickly seduced her in fine fashion, had Ryan moaning her wife's name so loudly that she had to muffle Ryan's mouth with hers. The neighbors in the rooms to either side of theirs on the upper floor of the quaint inn in Santa Fe would have been most appreciative, at the late hour, had they been aware of the effort, as Ryan tended to be spectacularly vocal.

~~~~~~~~~~

The warmth of the sun felt good through the chilled morning air. Ryan stood behind Janna with her hands on her shoulders as they stood gazing respectfully at the ancient dwelling before them.

"Janna, this feels..."

"Familiar."

"Yes. Do you think..."

"I do." Janna nodded before adding, "I know I've lived in a pueblo before. I have conscious memories of living in a cliff dwelling, but this feels very familiar too." She looked back at her wife. "And I've never been to Taos before."

"Neither have I. I've visited some of the Four Corners Area cliff dwellings, and felt very at home there...like I do here."

Janna glanced around them, noting that there was no one else nearby. "Let's try something, Ryan. Let's center ourselves and see if we can pick up on anything about that life."

"You mean, try to experience a regression, right here...like this?"

"Yes...I've done it before. Give it a try. Just breathe deeply, ground yourself, and quiet your mind. Then visualize your first and third-eye chakras expanding. Hold the intention of experiencing any past life that took place here."

Always ready to try new experiences, Ryan replied, "Okay, love...let's give a shot. Should we not touch?"

"Actually, I think it's okay if we touch like we are...as long as you don't find it distracting."

Ryan leaned forward and whispered into her mate's ear, "I'll have to hold my self in check, then." She kissed Janna's hair before pulling back.

"Now that is distracting, Ryan." Janna calmed her pounding heart with a series of deep breaths and then sent a grounding cord down into the planet, connecting with Gaia, the Earth Spirit.

Ryan did likewise and soon felt a deep sense of serenity. She felt both anchored to the planet and deeply connected to her mate at the same time. As she consciously visualized her sixth chakra expanding, her subconscious, or rather, truly conscious, self took over.

Janna felt peaceful as well, and though she was aware of her partner's strong, connecting presence, was able to expand her awareness, to open herself to her past life experience.

Slowly, a vision of a Native man, dressed in leather shirt and pants, and holding a tiny boy, coalesced in her mind's eye. It was Ryan. She knew it was Ryan, could sense it...his eyes were the same, though not blue.

Janna looked down at her own body and noted that she wore a dress of soft leather and beaded leather shoes. A small girl was wrapped around her leg, holding tightly. Janna was filled with the love that she felt for her family, so much so that she thought that her heart might burst.

As Ryan stood with her eyes closed, breathing slowly and deeply, she received a vision of a beautiful Native woman with black hair hanging down her back in a single braid. A girl of perhaps three years clung to her as she gazed at her mate. Her soft brown eyes were filled with love and Ryan felt the warmth of the woman's love for her fill her soul. Suddenly, she realized that she held a small child, and turned her head to meet the serious gaze of a baby boy.

The Navajo woman pulled her car to a stop in the small lot next to her shop. As she got out, she noticed a couple standing some distance away, opposite the pueblo site. She called to her daughter, "Amanda, will you open up, please? I will be right in."

"Sure, Mom." The girl left her mother standing by the car and left to open their small shop.

As the woman gazed at the other two women, her vision shifted and she saw a Native man and woman, both dressed in old-fashioned beaded leather clothes, with two small children, gazing peacefully at their home. She slowly made her way toward them and as she did so, her vision shifted again, back to the two women. The tall part-Native woman rested her hands protectively on her blonde mate's shoulders as they both stood serenely with eyes closed. She stopped a respectful distance away and waited quietly for them to return from their journey.

Ryan and Janna each, simultaneously, took a deep breath and slowly let it out as they opened their eyes. When they did so, they saw a Native woman standing a short distance away, looking at them. She met their gaze and smiled warmly before saying, "Welcome home." Then she smiled again and turned away, making her way over to the small cluster of nearby shops and entering one.

"My God, Janna...this is truly the Land of Enchantment!" Ryan gasped as she pulled Janna against her chest.

"Yes, love...it definitely is." Janna blew out another breath before turning to Ryan. "What did you see, Ryan?"

"I saw you, love...as a beautiful Native woman with big brown eyes. And I saw a little girl and a baby boy."

Janna swallowed hard as tears filled her eyes. "Ryan! I saw you...as a strong man, holding a baby boy. We had a little girl, who was holding onto my leg. I loved you all so much...I can still feel it."

"I can feel it, too, Janna. Jesus Christ, baby...that was unreal. Absolutely fuckin' unreal." Ryan shook her head in disbelief as a huge grin appeared on her face.

"No, baby, the miracle of it is that it was real. My God, that was special." She wrapped her arms around her wife and hugged her tightly.

Ryan returned the loving squeeze and nuzzled Janna's hair, not caring that other people were now in the vicinity. "And who was that woman, Janna?"

"Obviously a very perceptive person. Let's go into her shop, honey."

Janna followed Ryan into the small Navajo jewelry and gift shop. The woman who had spoken to them was behind the counter and nodded as they entered, smiling at them. Ryan met her gaze and smiled as she and Janna browsed amongst the offerings of pottery.

The woman watched them as they shopped, interested in the enigmatic couple, because she sensed the deep bond that they shared, and knew what a rare gift it was. As well, she sensed that they were knowledgeable in the spiritual arts, if not shamen themselves. When they came to the counter to look at the jewelry, she noted their matching wedding bands of silver and turquoise, admiring the artisanship.

As she continued to gaze at the close couple, she received several brief, psychic flashes of images. In the first, she saw Ryan and Janna entwined in love. In the second, she saw Ryan lying crumpled on the ground, bleeding from the head and leg, and in the third, she saw the two women lying blissfully in a bed with their sleeping children. She sensed that the images represented the past, present, and future, and gathered that the couple would be traversing a difficult road in the very near future.

When she saw Janna leave briefly to look at smudging supplies, the woman approached Ryan, who continued to look at necklaces. The dark cop looked up into the Navajo woman's serious gaze and noted her concern.

The woman began, "Forgive me for interfering, but I can see how strongly bonded you and your partner are, and I want you to know that it is strong enough to withstand any challenge...if you believe in it." She emphasized the last several words as she continued to gaze seriously into Ryan's eyes, and Ryan nodded.

"Yes, I believe it is. Thank you." She held out her hand and the shopkeeper grasped it, nodding in return. Ryan cleared her throat then, before saying, "I'd like to get this necklace for my wife." She pointed to a turquoise Kokopelli figure on a sterling silver chain.

The storeowner smiled as she put the item into a small bag. "Kokopelli...the little minstrel and trickster." She looked up into Ryan's eyes. "Many believe he brings good luck."

Ryan returned her serious gaze as she replied, "Then I'll definitely take it."

At that moment, Janna returned with several smudge sticks and bags of resin incense. She smiled at the shopkeeper and then said to Ryan, "Honey, I found some wonderful copal incense." She looked at the storeowner and smiled as she said, "This is not easy to find at home. I'm so glad we came in here."

Ryan added sincerely, "I am too."

Janna looked expectantly at her mate and asked, "Are we ready, honey, or do you want to look at anything else?"

"We're ready, love."

Janna glanced at the owner and said, "I guess we'll take these then."

The woman smiled and said, "Your wife has already paid for these...enjoy them and use them in good faith."

Janna looked at Ryan questioningly and Ryan looked at the woman. "Thank you, but..."

"I insist...please. Paid in full. Good luck to you."

Ryan nodded and said sincerely, "Thank you. We'll stop in later this year when we visit this area again."

The woman understood the sentiment behind Ryan's statement and smiled warmly as she said, "I will look forward to that."
Ryan took Janna's arm and as she guided her out of the store, Janna said, "You will tell me what all of that was about, won't you, Ryan?"

"Yes, I will, love. After we visit the pueblo."

They spent the rest of the day exploring the ancient dwelling and the rest of the beautiful Taos area, with Janna catching Ryan in a pensive mood several times. As they drove back to Santa Fe, into the setting sun, Ryan told her all that had transpired between herself and the Native woman, and Janna, too, became pensive.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Janna, I will not let something a stranger said to me ruin the last day of our vacation. Now please, stop dwelling on it." Ryan spoke calmly but with a note of firmness marking her voice.

Janna's brows were set into a deep furrow as she turned in the passenger seat and looked at Ryan.

"How can you not take this seriously? She is the second person that warned you...first, your Grandfather, and now, yesterday, her. Ryan, I'm scared, and I think you should be too."

"Janna, I'm not scared, because I believe in the strength of our love...and I know that you do too. Now, come on...lighten up. We're almost there." Ryan refocused her attention on the mountainous terrain that she was driving through and noted the sign announcing that the Grand Canyon was only five miles distant.

Janna sighed deeply. "I do, love...I believe in us. But the fact remains that something very serious apparently looms on the horizon for us. I'm afraid of what that might be...not of it's consequences." She caressed the hand that lay on the gearshift knob. "I know we'll be okay in the long run, Ryan, but what about the near term? I'm afraid that one, or both of us, may be hurt." She swallowed a sob as she continued, "Ryan, if something happens to you, I will not be able to handle it. I don't ever want to see you hurt...in any way."

"Janna, honey, please. I will be fine. No matter what. No matter what happens in the near future, I know that eventually, we will be fine. I've seen it, Janna. I saw the love between us as old ladies. That's the future that I believe in...with all of my heart." She lifted Janna's hand to her lips and softly kissed it, sending her love to her mate at the same time through their bond. "Janna, I firmly believe that I can handle anything that may happen to me, and that you can as well."

Janna felt the gift that Ryan sent through their link and sighed again before saying, "I feel your love, Ryan, thank you. That means so much to me. I promise, I'll try not to worry."

"Thank you, love...just remember, we've been given the very special gift of knowledge. That in itself will help us when we need it."

Janna only nodded her agreement, and turned her head as a solitary tear trailed down her cheek. She gazed out the car window, not really seeing the glorious landscape that greeted her, while her soulmate felt her pain.

A half hour later, Ryan and Janna stood side-by-side on an overlook at the south rim of the magnificent Grand Canyon, awestruck at its beauty and grandeur, despite the fact that both of them had visited it before. In the bright, mid-day sun, the colors of the distant canyon walls appeared washed out, in light, varying hues of pink and purple, while the nearby walls, spires and peaks of layered, striated rock were colored in shades of yellow and brown.

Ryan wrapped an arm around her mate's shoulder, oblivious to the presence of other tourists, as she remarked, "It's awesome, isn't it, baby? Its immensity blows me away every time I see it."

"Yes, it's gorgeous...awe-inspiring. I wish we had the time to hike down into it today." I need to do something to take my mind off this worry.

Ryan detected a note of sadness in her mate's voice, and felt her worry as well. I shouldn't have told her about what the Navajo woman said. I wish I could do something to take her mind off of this. "Honey, we can stay, if you'd like. The only reason we're not spending more time here is so we can get home for our game tomorrow night...but I can call Sharon and tell her we were held up and won't make it." She looked down into her wife's beautiful green eyes and asked, expectantly, "What do you say?"

Janna grinned, warming Ryan's heart, and rested her head against Ryan's shoulder as she replied, "And risk her wrath? Ryan, you wouldn't need a telephone to hear her scream!" She lightly kissed Ryan's warm shoulder, then added, "And I would fear for your safety when we did eventually return." She reveled in her mate's loving warmth for a few moments before finally adding, "It wouldn't be very responsible of us, honey, and I really don't want to let the team down. I appreciate the offer, Ryan...I really do, but let's get home."

"Okay, baby...whatever you want." Ryan kissed her mate's head and sighed deeply. "Let's find a quiet place to sit for a while, huh?"

"Sure, love."

They walked the trail that hugged the south rim until they found a barely-used trail down and followed it carefully down to a quiet ledge. There, they sat quietly, spooned into their favorite position, Ryan behind Janna, and gazed quietly at the majesty that surrounded them.

As the peace and the quiet energy of the area settled onto them, both their souls were soothed and they were soon overcome by the strength of their love. It blanketed them protectively and filled their beings.

Ryan took a deep breath and let it out slowly, releasing fear that she hadn't realized she was holding onto, and Janna did the same. She relaxed back more deeply into her wife's embrace and felt her mate's incredible love for her envelope her body as it caressed her soul.

They sat enjoying the blissful serenity for long minutes before Ryan murmured, "Have you ever hiked down to the bottom, love?"

"No, I haven't. I was here first as a kid...Mom's a hiker, but Dad isn't. We only stayed a few hours, and we only visited because my grandparents insisted that we had to see it." She smiled. "Dad is just not into the beauties of nature." She sighed happily before adding, "Then I was here again when one of my bands toured the South. None of them were hikers either...I don't think we stayed for more than an hour." She turned slightly in Ryan's embrace as she asked, "Have you, love?"

"Mm, hmm. When I was a teenager, a group of us hiked down and camped for a week. It was an awesome experience. Janna, I could spend a lifetime exploring this canyon. I want to come back often...bring our kids...camp, hike, fish."

"We will, Ryan. Let's plan on it." A pair of ravens flew gracefully by and Janna remarked, "I wonder if Raven has the same medicine as Crow?"

"I don't know, love...they're in the same family, aren't they?"

"Mm, hm...yes."

"What's crow's medicine, Janna...his message?"

"Crow is the shape-changer, so his message is to shapeshift your reality. Create your life to be exactly as you want it to be."

"Mm, a good message for us, I'd say." She hugged Janna tightly to her and nuzzled her hair. "Let's not let fear rule us, Janna. To live in fear is to be ruled by it. Let's not give it that power over us. Let's take this one day at a time and handle whatever comes our way...go with the ebb and flow of the Universe."

"Mm, yes. I'm there with you, love. One hundred percent." She grasped Ryan's hands where they rested around her waist and brought one to her lips. "I love you, Ryan."

"Love you, baby."

Ryan kissed the soft, exposed neck in front of her, and worked her way around to Janna's throat. Janna threw her head back, giving her wife ready access, and then turned slightly so that their lips could meet. Tongues met and danced sensuously and Janna turned fully around to straddle Ryan's lap. Ryan removed the ever-present camera from her mate's neck and set it carefully aside. Then, there on their private ledge, in view of only the ravens and hawks, they kissed passionately for many minutes, until Ryan felt she could no longer contain either her roaming hands or her ardor.

She mumbled against Janna's mouth, "I want you baby...can we get outta here?"

"I need you too, Ryan, so yes, let's go."

They stood and embraced as they took one last long gaze at the incredible miracle of nature that spread out below them and for many miles in three directions. Before turning to hike back up the short trail, Ryan reached into her pocket and pulled out a handful of tobacco. She held her palm out over the canyon and silently thanked it and its companion spirits for their beauty and energy and then turned her hand over, letting the dried green bits of leaf be carried away on the wind.

Janna grasped Ryan's hand and led her up the canyon wall to the rim trail, and the hordes of tourists, and they made their way quickly to the Explorer.

Ten minutes and several miles later, Ryan pulled the Explorer off the highway and onto a dirt road that led into a quiet patch of forest. She drove in perhaps a mile and pulled the truck as far off the dirt road as she could. She looked around carefully, noted that they seemed to be quite alone in the dark, quiet pine forest, and turned to her wife.

She was met by a wide grin that matched her own as Janna said, "In the back seat...now, Puma."

"You first, baby."

Janna got up and quickly scrambled over the console, and Ryan followed. Sitting next to her wife, she pulled her into her arms, saying, "I love you so much, Janna. Let me show you...let me show you that nothing can ever hurt us."

"Show me, Ryan."

Ryan gently captured Janna's lips with hers and savored them as if for the first time. As she kissed her wife tenderly, she gently ran her hands under Janna's polo shirt and caressed the skin of her back. Janna did likewise and soon the kisses became more fervent. Ryan sat back and pulled Janna's shirt off over her head, then reached around and unhooked her bra as their lips met again. As they kissed deeply, Janna pulled Ryan's shirt off and was about to attend to her sports bra when she was deterred by a hot hand trying to gain access to her shorts. She giggled and leaned back so that her sexy mate could unzip her cargo shorts. Ryan unzipped the fly successfully and pushed her mate down onto her back.

Ryan wedged herself in between Janna's legs, eagerly eyeing the prize that awaited her, but was frustrated by the tight space.

"God damn, there's not enough room in here...knew I should've bought the Expedition." Ryan muttered as she tried to position herself between her wife's legs.

"It's okay, babe, just take your time." She gasped as a hot mouth kissed her underwear and then an even hotter tongue stroked her through the cotton. "Oh, God, baby..."

"Mmm. Do you like that, love?" Ryan's voice rumbled sexily through her anatomy, waking up every nerve and nerve ending in the vicinity.

"Oh, my God...you know I do. Do it again...please."

Ryan complied and Janna moaned loudly, which encouraged Ryan to slowly, sexily, draw her underwear down off Janna's hips.

Ryan eyed her wife lasciviously and muttered, "God, Janna, I want you."

"I'm yours, baby, help yourself."

Ryan did so, burying her face into her wife's golden curls and quickly coaxing serious moans from her.

Janna ran her fingers through Ryan's hair, pulling her closer as she enjoyed the intimate contact.

"Ryan...baby...God..."

Ryan continued the loving strokes, bringing her wife very close to climax as Janna began to moan unintelligibly.

The Ranger spotted the SUV parked to the side of the access road and stopped her truck a few yards behind it. She exited and cautiously made her way up to the dark green vehicle. Probably more horny teenagers...they're as bad as the animals hereabouts in the springtime, she thought, and grinned as she noticed that the truck was rocking slightly. Then she heard two distinct voices and she thought, Two women? All right! But I'm afraid I'm still gonna have to rain on their parade.

When she reached the truck, she tapped the side lightly a few times before stepping up to the open front driver's side window. She heard a muttered curse and bit back a smile before clearing her voice and saying, "Excuse me. Park Ranger, here. I'm sorry, but you're parked on a fire access road and I need for you to move on."

She was answered by a deep, somewhat strained, "Hold on." And then was surprised when an extremely attractive dark-haired woman stuck her head out from the back seat, looking very sheepish.

"Sorry, Ranger...we didn't know." She glanced back at her hidden partner. "My, uh...my spouse and I were just enjoying your beautiful forest here."

She bestowed a brilliant, rakish grin on the Ranger, who smiled and replied, "I gathered that."

Ryan lowered her head to the front seat back and laughed. "We'll move. Sorry."

"That's alright. I'll, uh, be back around in a half hour or so. You'll want to be gone by then."

Ryan smiled warmly at the short brunette and said sincerely, "Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Enjoy your stay." She grinned as she turned away and started back toward her truck.

"Oh, we will."

As she passed the rear of the SUV, she heard a sweet voice say, "Thank you!" And then heard a chorus of giggles, in two different timbres of voice. She shook her head and laughed aloud as she climbed into her truck and thought, I sure hope Emily doesn't have to work late tonight.

Ryan lay atop Janna and laughed uncontrollably. "Oh, shit, baby. Jesus, did she bust us!"

"I know. I feel like a teenager!" She threw her arms around her mate and exclaimed, "I haven't had sex in a car since I was a teenager. What about you, love?"

"Twenty-three, twenty-four, I think." Ryan shook her head and tried to contain her amusement. She gazed down into her wife's merry eyes and sighed. "Should we finish this?"

"I would like that, yeah."

"Okay, baby, but we only have a half hour."

"That's alright...I'm nearly there and you won't take long." Janna grinned up at her wife before stealing a kiss.
As it turned out, Janna was right.

-9-

Janna yawned and stretched, feeling stiff and sore, and...something else. Her stomach felt upset. She grimaced and settled more firmly against her mate's strong body. Long arms wrapped themselves around her and hugged her close and she sighed, very happy to be home in her own bed.

"You awake, baby?"

"No."

Ryan chuckled, and it vibrated pleasantly through her mate. "Sorry...go back to sleep."

"Can't."

Suddenly, Ryan felt a twinge of nausea and sensed that it wasn't from her own body. "Are you sick, Janna?"

"Yeah."

"The baby?"

"I guess." The nausea became more pronounced and Janna groaned and wriggled against Ryan.

Ryan gently rolled Janna onto her back and kissed her, then moved her lips down to her belly. In a gentle, loving voice, she murmured against Janna's belly, "Baby, now you be good...stop making your mommy sick, please." She tenderly kissed Janna's stomach, then lay her cheek against it as she looked up into Janna's eyes. She looked adorable and Janna grinned warmly.

"I think she heard you...it's a little better." Janna said, then frowned as she added, "Why did I say, 'she'?"

Still gazing up at her wife, Ryan said, "Do you want to know the sex, Janna?"

"Do you know, Ryan?"

She nodded.

"Okay, sure, love. Then you won't have to be careful to not let it slip."

Ryan nodded again and smiled. "It's a girl, Janna."

"A girl! Ryan, I hope she looks just like you." Janna's eyes sparkled happily as she gazed at her mate.

Ryan grinned at Janna's statement and replied, "Be careful what you ask for, baby...you'll probably get it."

"And what would the problem be with having a daughter as beautiful as my wife is?"

"She might be just like me in other ways."

Janna grinned. "I see your point!" Another wave of nausea hit then and she frowned and groaned. Ryan felt it as well and crawled back up to take her wife in her arms.

"Let's have our cuddle time, Janna...maybe that will help."

"Okay, love."

They turned onto their sides and kissed while gently connecting with fingers below.

After sharing their love gently for about five minutes, Ryan mumbled into Janna's mouth, "You wanna love, baby?"

"Yes...but I feel like I need to throw up." Janna broke their connection and pulled away, looking quite green, then hopped out of bed and ran for the toilet. Ryan jumped up and nearly beat her into the bathroom, and as she knelt on the cold tile, Janna was comforted by Ryan's presence.

With her stomach emptied, Janna sat back and looked up at her mate. "God, how pleasant." She drawled dourly, then grimaced before adding, "There wasn't much there except bile." She wrinkled her nose and added, "I need to brush my teeth."

As Janna cleansed her mouth, Ryan stood behind her, concerned, before stepping up and brushing her teeth as well. Teeth clean, Janna turned and embraced her naked wife. "My stomach seems to be settled, for now...why don't we go back to bed?"

Ryan's eyebrows shot up happily as she grinned. "Sure, babe...come on."

"Ryan, do you think pregnancy hormones affect libido?"

"I believe I've read that they do...in the second trimester."

"Well, this must just be your natural animal magnetism at work, then." Janna smiled sexily as she ran her hands down Ryan's backside.

"Mm, and yours is just as strong, Janna, believe me."

Ryan led her to the bed and proceeded to make gentle love to her wife. Afterward, unwilling to get up, they lay together, still entwined and Janna murmured, "I'm sore from the game last night."

"I am too, a little. I guess we lazed too much on our vacation. Do you realize that we didn't work out once, except for the aikido? That's bad, Janna." She grinned, despite the declaration.

"I know, but at least we both played well, even if we were sort of lethargic."

"Yep, I'm glad we didn't give Sharon something else to bitch at. Jesus, she acted like one loss was enough to kill the season."

"Well, love, you know Sharon. And she does sincerely believe that had you and I been there, we would have won."

"That's absurd, Janna. But yeah, I know Sharon." She smiled as she ran a long finger over the curve of a soft breast.

"Janna, honey...your nipples are dark."

"Are they? They're tender, too." Janna glanced down at her normally coral pink areolas and noted that they were, indeed, much darker.

"That's one of the first signs, isn't it?"

"Mm, hm. I guess your vision was accurate, love."

"I know it was, Janna. Know what else I saw?" Ryan asked as she gently brushed a strand of hair away from her wife's eye.

"What, Ryan?"

"A comet. It streaked by behind my Grandfather as he was speaking to me."

"How cool! I wonder what the significance was...did you pick up on anything?"

"No...but don't comets usually portend great changes? It seems to me that a baby coming into our lives would certainly bring great change."

"True. But I think I'll look up comet's meaning in Native lore, too. Can't hurt." Janna became thoughtful and then added, "Do you remember when Halley's comet came by nine or ten years ago? I was fascinated by it. I even came home to use my big, old telescope to see it."

"Yes! I was fascinated by it, too. I was working graveyard then, so I saw it a lot...especially when I was outside the city limits. It was very cool."

Janna added thoughtfully, "I thought at the time that if I were pregnant, I would name the baby 'Halley'."

"I like that name, Janna. Maybe that is the significance of the comet."

"Maybe." She gazed into Ryan's eyes. "I like it, too."

The lovers became lost in their thoughts before Janna's unsettled stomach made itself known again.

"Ugh...I think maybe I should put some food in my stomach. Maybe that will help." Janna sat up, resting her hand on Ryan's thigh. "I think I remember Sara saying that it helped to keep food in her stomach."

"How long was she sick again, sweetheart?"

"Three months...through the first trimester."

Ryan groaned. "That's right, I remember now. I hope you have it better, baby, and not just because I feel what you feel." She grinned up at her mate.

"I do too, but she also told me that some women are sick through the whole pregnancy, while others aren't at all."

"Maybe Reiki would help?"

"Yeah, I think I'll give Terry a call...see if she knows."

"It would be safe, wouldn't it?"

"Oh, of course...Reiki can do no harm...that's how it was set up." As she stood up, she glanced at the clock and noted that it was 10:00. "Geez, honey, we really lazed today."

"But in the best possible way, love."

~~~~~~~~~~

Continue on to Part Two

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