Sapphic Voices Fan Fiction

The Homecoming

Part Three

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.

Content Warning: This is a Story of two Women who are very much in love and there are many descriptions of lovemaking, some of which are explicit. If you are under the age of consent where you live, please reconsider reading this Story. Thanks!

Language: Imagine Xena in the 1990's - yep, she swears. And she's a cop, so there's some violence too.

"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: This is my first Story. Since I really have no idea just how good or bad this may be, I would welcome comments and constructive criticism. Thanks for reading! - JL, 2001

-23-

Ryan stood on the deck, arms leaning on the redwood railing, cradling a warm mug of coffee in her hands. She closed her eyes briefly and breathed deeply of the cold dawn air. As she released the breath, it vaporized in front of her face. Don't see that this time of year at home. The early-morning chill cut through her unzipped leather jacket and she pulled it more tightly closed. She sighed, very much enjoying both the warmth of the coffee and the beautiful setting that she found herself in.

She gazed up at the cliff that loomed over the river valley. In the gray dawn light it appeared dark and ominous, much different than it had looked yesterday in the bright sunlight. She shivered when she remembered Janna's story about how it got its name. Wonder if it's true? She found herself understanding the depth of a love that would make two people think suicide their only recourse against a life spent apart.

As she took another sip from her mug, she saw a small group of deer tentatively step into the meadow from the surrounding forest and proceed warily a few yards into the meadow. As she enjoyed the lovely scene, she wondered if she should awaken Janna. I'll bet she'd want to photograph this. She decided to wake Janna, at least giving her the opportunity if she desired it. Quietly, she slid the door open and went inside, relishing the warmth from the fire she had set earlier.

She approached her sleeping mate on the bed and gently sat beside her. Tenderly, she reached down and caressed Janna's brow. "Sweetheart" she whispered.

"Mm?" Janna didn't open her eyes and snuggled farther down under the downy covers.

"I'm sorry to wake you, sweetheart, but I think you might want to see this. There's a group of deer in the meadow." She continued to caress Janna's brow. "I thought you might want to get some pictures."

At that, Janna's eyes flew open. "A group of deer?"

Ryan smiled and gently pulled the covers down as Janna quickly sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Thanks honey." She gave Ryan a quick kiss and jumped out of bed. She quickly found the camera bag she needed and removed the equipment she wanted, deftly removing the standard lens from the camera body and replacing it with a long telephoto.

As she made her way to the deck door, Ryan grabbed her arm saying, "Whoa baby...it's freezing out there." Noting that Janna was dressed only in a t-shirt, she added, "Here" and removed her jacket, placing it around her mate's shoulders.

"Thanks love." Janna graced her with a smile before hurrying out the door. As she spied the deer she gasped and murmured, "Beautiful! And the light is gorgeous." She quickly began snapping away, exclaiming all the while at the beautiful scene.

Ryan stood against the wall; arms crossed in front of her, and enjoyed Janna's display. Not only was her enthusiasm very entertaining, but also the fact that she looked adorable clad in not much more than Ryan's large jacket. It hung nearly halfway down the backs of her thighs.

She was pulled from her musing several minutes later by Janna's exclamation at the animals' departure.

"Oh Ryan, thank you. They were gorgeous! I think I got some great shots."

Her smile warmed Ryan so much that she no longer noticed the cold. She opened her arms for her mate and welcomed her into her embrace.

"I'm glad you were able to catch them." She nuzzled Janna's head lovingly.

"Mm, this jacket smells like you. I think I might borrow it more often." Janna peered up at her mate coyly.

"Anytime, baby. Come on. We haven't had our cuddle time." She wrapped an arm around Janna's shoulders and guided her back into the room, shutting the door and closing the drapes this time.

As they hiked through the dense pine forest several hours later, Ryan had a sense of being very much at home. Coming to the mountains always made her feel that way, but now, with Janna, she felt it much more acutely. Have I lived here before? As she followed her mate up the narrow trail, she looked around, trying to grasp at what made her feel so comfortable. It's peaceful here. Quiet. Calm. Relaxing.

Seemingly picking up on her mate's musings, Janna stopped and quietly said, "Do you feel the energy here Ryan? How calm it is?" She swept her gaze around the surrounding forest, adding, "So different from the city. There are very few devas left in the cities."

"Devas?"

"Devic energies...nature spirits. They assist the natural world, the animals and plants. You can learn to become aware of them. Beyond simply feeling their calming influence I mean."

"That's so cool, babe. You know what? I'm starting to think that everything my Grandfather ever told me about the natural world was true after all. When I was a kid I thought they were just stories."

Janna smiled and nodded knowingly. "Try reaching out with your senses. See what you can pick up." Janna waited quietly while Ryan closed her eyes and her bemused expression was replaced by a calm one.

Eyes still closed, Ryan said, "I feel some sort of presence right here, to my right." She raised her hand, as if touching something.
Janna gazed in that direction with her second sight and replied, "It's the cedar tree next to you. It has a wonderful energy. Open your eyes and try to see its aura."

Ryan did so, focusing her vision somewhat beyond the tree, and exclaimed, "Oh cool, babe, I see it. It's like...well it's sort of gray with some gold sparks, or something."

Janna smiled. "Very good! You're not only seeing its aura but also some of the ki running through it. Come here and feel it."

She approached the tree and held her hands out, palms forward. Ryan did likewise.

"Tell me what you feel, Ryan."

"It's sort of like a resistance, and kind of tingly. It tickles my palms." Ryan looked at her and grinned.

"Yes, I feel the same thing." She dropped her hands and looked seriously at Ryan before saying, "There's something you should know about me right now Ryan. Before we become any closer." She held Ryan's gaze with serious green eyes.

Ryan swallowed a jolt of fear that arose from her belly. "What is it Janna?"

Janna's face softened into a radiant grin as she stepped toward the tree and wrapped her arms as far around it as they would go. "I'm a treehugger. I thought you should know."

Ryan exhaled and doubled over in laughter. "Jesus Christ baby, you scared me!" Still laughing, she came up behind her partner and wrapped her arms around both her and the tree. She kissed her mate's cheek and added, "I wouldn't have you any other way. In fact, you're converting me as we speak."

Janna leaned slightly back into her partner's body and sighed. "Feel this tree's energy Ryan. Isn't it awesome?"

"It is." She actually did feel the tree's strong, warm energy, getting a sense that it was, if not sentient, then surely conscious in some form.

They stood together, sharing energy with the majestic being for a few minutes before Janna stepped away and softly said, "Thank you tree-friend." She sighed and smiled. "I'm so glad you can share this with me Ryan, if only so you don't think I'm a nut." She giggled as Ryan stood behind her and put her hands on her shoulders.

"If you're a nut, baby, then it's contagious. Why have I never noticed these things before? Is it the Reiki that makes it possible?"

"Partly, yes. Partly because you just weren't aware of the possibility. This sort of thing isn't exactly common knowledge in our society. Now, in other places, it is. But in the west, scientific thought basically overrides everything else."

Ryan gazed up at the beautiful cedar. "Janna, do think it's sentient?"

"Sentient...as in having a soul and a series of lives, like the other sentients on the planet? No. But I think that this particular tree, and many others around here, does have a sort of consciousness...an awareness on some level. It's sort of like that devic energy I was telling you about. You know where else the energy is awesome? Hawaii. God, it's calming there. Even for a group of hyper punk rockers." She laughed and grabbed Ryan's hand, pulling her back to the trail.

Ryan turned and said a silent goodbye to the tree, thanking it for it's beauty, and then followed her mate up the trail.

Two hours and about 1500 feet later and hot, tired and dusty, they reached the summit of Lover's Leap. Immediately upon reaching the top, Janna shed her packs, removed Ryan's and grabbed Ryan's hand, pulling her over to a large rock at the edge of the precipice. They stood hand-in-hand, being buffeted by the wind, enjoying the cool breeze and the magnificent view. They could see the valley far below, including the lodge where they were staying, the river, and the highway. Cars crawled along it, appearing like ants from their great height. All around them, the Sierra range stretched, seemingly forever, in varying hues of greens and purples, with a few of the highest peaks still capped by snow.

"Janna, my God...it's beautiful!" Ryan yelled into the wind. She pulled her mate around in front of her and wrapped her in an embrace as they stood gazing at the peaks and valleys that surrounded them.

"Worth the hike, isn't it?" Janna smiled as she half turned to look at her mate.

"It sure is. Let's sit here for while, okay?" She sat on the large, warm rock and pulled Janna against her. For a long while they sat in silence, both contemplating many things as they reveled in nature's majesty, not the least of which was how connected they felt to one another, especially there.

After a long while, Ryan stood and helped Janna to her feet. They walked back from the edge about twenty yards, to the scraggly pine where they had left their packs. Ryan pulled Janna closely to her and declared, "I love it here, baby, thank you." She ducked her head and kissed her mate, affirming her love for her. They held each other for another long while, lips returning to each other repeatedly for more kisses. Finally, Ryan held Janna, chin resting on the blonde head, and just sighed, feeling more content than she ever had in her life and realizing there was no possible way to put the feeling into words.

As they sat a short time later, eating their lunches under the tree, Ryan looked thoughtfully at Janna and asked, "Janna, what did you mean earlier when you mentioned the other sentients on the planet?"

Janna swallowed her mouthful of sandwich and replied, "I meant that there are several other sentient species, besides humans. The cetaceans, meaning dolphins and whales, are sentient and so are gorillas." She looked at Ryan and shrugged, adding, "That's my belief anyway. My guides told me that once and I since have checked with lots of other psychics and channels and they have all verified it."

Ryan looked at her wide-eyed. "Shit!" She then swallowed her food and added, "If that's true Janna, humans are committing mass murder on a grand scale, aren't they?"

Janna responded seriously, "Yes, we are. Why do you think I tithe to Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Fund? Twenty percent of my earnings, right off the top, every year." She shook her head. "Money can only do so much though. Things won't really change until people are made aware...but how do you do that? Since it's channeled information, for the most part, most people would dismiss it out of hand."

Ryan shook her head glumly. "Still, something has to be done. Janna, we kill those beings. We cage them!"

"Yes, love, we do. Unfortunately, the Bible teaches that man has dominion over the land and the animals and people take that to heart."

"It's bullshit Janna. Absolute bullshit!" Now seething with anger, she continued, "The Native peoples knew thousands of years ago how to coexist with nature, why can't so called 'modern man' do the same?"

"It will happen, honey, in time." Janna's calm countenance soothed Ryan's anger some. "The world is changing quickly now. We're about to enter the Aquarian Age. People's awareness and intuition will begin opening up and in time, everyone will have this knowledge. Everyone in their own time and at their own pace. Not all souls progress at the same rate, baby."

"Still, Janna, this makes me absolutely fuckin' sick." She looked at Janna, her face full of pain.

Janna caressed her cheek. "It makes me sick too, Ryan. We'll do what we can, okay? Try to get the information out...teach by example...support the groups that are trying to help those species. That includes protecting their environments and habitats. Don't worry, love, I know for a fact that all turns out well for them in the future. And as ensouled species they know what they're entering into when they come to the planet."

"How in the hell do you know all that?" Ryan shook her head, looking extremely perplexed.

"Deep conversations with my spirit guides, for one. Sessions with gifted - authentic - psychics and channels, including my two closest friends. Knowledge handed down through many ancient cultures. Books. Many sources, Ryan. This is a way of life for me. I've made a study of these subjects. I absorb a lot and what feels right, I keep. What I can't personally validate, through intuition, visions or whatever, I discard. But a lot, I mean a ton, of people are bringing this information to the planet right now and most of it gels. Most of it agrees." She sighed. "This is a very complicated topic, Ryan, probably best discussed in a comfortable setting over wine and dinner, rather than on a windy, precipitous mountaintop." She looked apologetically at her mate.

"You're right Janna." She grinned crookedly and added, "Remember when I told you I look forward to having my mind opened by you? Well, babe, I'm there. Enlighten me. Over dinner and a bottle of wine. Or two." She picked up her mate's hand and kissed it, then sighed and pulled her close. She shook her head and sighed again. "This just fuckin' blows my mind Janna..."

Janna got up and sat on the ground, pulling her partner down next to her. They snuggled together against the fallen tree they had been sitting on and comforted each other silently.

The wind whistled through the nearby trees and the sun beat down on them through the scraggly branches of the Ponderosa Pine they sheltered under. As they held each other they silently pondered life's mysteries and injustices, humanity's selfishness, and Universal truths, or more correctly, the interpretation of them. Ryan found herself wanting to lay her mate down on that mountaintop and lose herself in the pleasures of her body. To bury her anger in pleasure. But she deferred to her partner's wish not to disturb the benevolent spirits that oversaw the earth. So she held her desire in check and simply held and caressed her beloved mate. They sat there on the mountaintop for what seemed like hours and communicated only silently, through their link. It was all they needed.

-24-

The Jeep climbed along the sunny ridge, nearly above the tree line. The dusty road, in reality not much more than a wide trail, was deeply rutted and dotted with rocks. The mountainside fell away on both sides of the trail, providing a thrilling, if not hairy, ride. Janna skillfully flung the steering wheel from side to side, dodging the largest rocks. In the passenger seat, Ryan held on for dear life, trusting completely in her partner, yet unused to not being in control of the situation. As Janna skillfully dodged another series of rocks and kept the Jeep safely on the road, she turned to her partner and grinned widely, receiving a matching grin in return.

"Jesus, baby...you are good!" Ryan laughed and let go of the dashboard long enough to pat Janna's thigh.

"Now do you see why we needed to bring the Jeep? Superior clearance!" Janna worked the gearshift again and returned her eyes to the pseudo road.

"I do, baby, I do. My Explorer is good, but not this good!"

Ryan spared a glance away from the road to the gorgeous vistas that surrounded them. They were still heading uphill, seemingly into the sky. They were apparently very near the summit of the mountain, as no trees could be seen ahead. Only the limitless blue of the sky was visible. However, if she looked down, to either side of the Jeep, she could see the valley slope away, with this mountain's sister ridges and peaks spreading out beyond. God, this mountain range is gorgeous. I will never get tired of seeing it.

Finally, the road began to flatten and the tops of trees appeared again, and then gradually lengthened into the stories-tall majestic giants that they were. Ryan glanced to the left of the Jeep and was awestruck at the sudden appearance of a small alpine lake. Her partner had slowed the Jeep and was watching her, gauging her reaction to the tranquil scene.

Ryan's mouth dropped open and her eyebrows lifted into her bangs, above her sunglasses. "Oh my God, Janna. It's breathtaking!"

The lake sparkled and shone in the mid-afternoon sun. It was a brilliant blue, reflecting the sky like a mirror. Janna silently likened the color to the blue of her partner's eyes.

"Shit, baby. It's like a jewel sitting there. Like a sapphire." Ryan grinned, unable to tear her eyes from the beautiful scene.

"Mm, I like sapphires. They remind me of someone special's eyes." She removed her hand from the shift knob and linked her fingers with Ryan's.

"Thanks baby. I kinda like emeralds for the same reason." She grinned widely at her mate and lifted their linked hands to her lips. Janna stopped the Jeep and they sat on the ridge above the lake for a few minutes. Its pristine beauty was almost otherworldly. The lake's beauty was so far removed from their everyday existence in the city that they were both enormously grateful for the opportunity to view it. And to share it with each other.

"Are you ready to go down there and see it up close, Ryan?"

"Absolutely, love. It's not a long hike is it?"

"No, only about a mile. The last time I was here there wasn't much of a trail left though. We may have to do some trailblazing." Janna grinned, knowing her partner would enjoy the task.

"Cool! Lets go, babe." Ryan's enthusiasm showed clearly on her face and in her stunning smile and it rubbed off on her mate.

Janna restarted the Jeep and drove the short distance to where the trail/road ended at a trailhead. They exited and pulled their backpacks from the rear of the Jeep and Janna led the way to the trail, or rather to where it used to be. Fortunately, she had been there many times before and didn't really need a trail.

She led Ryan overland through the dense forest, their hiking boots crunching on the pine needle-strewn ground. The tall, densely packed trees provided a welcome shady respite from the sun, which blazed through the thin atmosphere. They crossed over two small, fern shrouded, crystal clear streams that fed into the lake. The water was nearly pure enough, at this high elevation, to safely drink. Ryan chanced a few sips of the incredibly fresh water, but Janna ran her portion through a filter before transferring it into their canteens.

"Oh, that's good. There is nothing like fresh mountain water." Ryan relished the pure water and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

They gradually made their way down the mountainside to the lake. Boy Scouts who used to make their summer camp there had carved the last, steep stretch of the trail into steps many years before. As they descended the steps, some of which had worn away with time, they were treated to an up-close view of the majestic little lake. This close, they could hear the gentle lapping of wind blown waves. The lake was bordered on one end by huge boulders, which had lodged there, possibly in the last ice age, and blocked the flow of the several streams trying to run down the mountain. The other sides were bordered by trees running right down to its edge, except for one small patch of sandy beach.

It was on the beach that they stopped first, to dip their hot, tired feet into the ice-cold water. They had done many hours of hiking that day and were both extremely grateful for the chance to soak their feet.

Ryan sat on the damp granite sand and began to remove her boots and socks as Janna plopped down beside her. Rather than remove her shoes, she leaned back on her hands and threw her head back, breathing deeply of the clean air. She reached out with all of her senses and exulted in the beauty around her.

She could hear the water gently lapping at the beach, Blue jays squawking nearby, and the wind in the trees. With her psychic sense she could feel the energy of the living things surrounding her. She felt a part of the natural continuum and yet separate from it at the same time. Separate in the sense that she could discern the distinct energies of her natural counterparts, yet a part of the whole, in the sense that all things are connected and part of the same oneness. Like a drop of water in the ocean: separate yet part of a whole.

She was drawn from her musing by the gentle touch of her partner's hand on her calf. Ryan softly caressed her leg with one hand as she untied a boot with the other. She bestowed the same treatment on the other leg before gently, slowly removing Janna's socks. When her partner's feet were free of their garments she spun Janna slightly and rested her legs in her lap. Janna sighed as Ryan began to gently massage her calves and feet.

"Oh, yes. God, thank you love" Janna whispered.

Ryan continued her loving ministrations and ended the massage by lightly kissing each foot. She followed up by kissing her mate, just as gently.

"Ryan, sweetheart. You will never cease to surprise me, will you?"

"I hope not, baby. I need to keep you on your toes." She giggled, adding, "So to speak."

"Mmm, yes. Well, it's your turn now. Let me do you."

Ryan's leer was automatic and Janna shook her head in dismay at setting herself up for that one. "You know what I meant. Now put your legs in my lap."

Ryan complied willingly and Janna took her massage even farther, venturing up past Ryan's knees. When it became obvious that her partner was beginning to lose her composure, Janna stopped, but not before running a line of kisses down her mate's legs, stopping at her toes.

"Jesus, baby. Please tell me we'll continue this later." Ryan's face was seriously imploring.

Janna leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "Of course we will love. And more...I promise." She smiled coyly and added, "We still haven't used that chocolate sauce I brought."

Ryan groaned, "Oh Christ" and quickly jumped up and ran into the lake, splashing water back onto her partner as she did so.

Janna watched in amazement and tried to stifle a grin as her lover stood in thigh-high water and splashed water onto her face. Whoa...I guess I'd better be careful with how far I take my teasing. She does get incredibly turned on. Janna rose and joined her mate in the shallow water.

Reaching her, she placed a hand on her mate's back. "Ryan, I'm sorry. I took that too far. I didn't mean to tease. I'm afraid I lose control where you're concerned."

Ryan took a deep breath and smiled wryly at her. "It's okay Janna. I need to learn to handle this better. I lose control with you too, and I'm not used to that. You just do something to me baby. I don't know what it is." She shook her head and pulled Janna close.

"It's this link, I guess. It's a double-edged sword. What we feel for each other seems to be magnified...doubled. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah. You feel what you feel for me in addition to picking up on what I feel for you. The feelings would be incredibly strong just going one way, but this two-way thing we have going here makes it way intense."

"Way, way intense." Janna smiled.

"Mega intense." Ryan smiled and kissed her partner's head, "We're very blessed."

"Mm. Lets take advantage of that mega intensity when we get back to the lodge, okay?"

"Oh, yeah. I see a Janna sundae in my very near future. I think I'll stop in at the little store and pick up some cherries and whipped cream." Her face broke out into another leer and Janna suddenly felt the need to splash water on her own face.

They hiked the short distance around to the other side of the lake and stretched out on a flat rock, which sat a few yards out in the lake, soaking up the sun. Janna sat with Ryan's head in her lap, gently playing with the short strands of hair as she leaned back on one hand. They were completely relaxed, simply enjoying each other's company, as was becoming habitual for them.

"Janna, I've never relaxed like this in my life. I've always gotten off on action. Keeping moving...keeping busy...working my body. But now I'm perfectly content to just laze. I could get used to this honey." She grinned up at her mate.

"I could too. Though, to be honest, it comes pretty naturally for me." She returned Ryan's grin.

"I don't know, baby. You're far from lazy."

"Lets just say that I'm more low key. Spiritually speaking, I'm probably a lower frequency than you are."

"Mm."

Janna tilted her head back and let the sun warm her face. As she enjoyed the warmth of the sun, Ryan turned in her lap and softly kissed her stomach. When Janna mumbled her pleasure at the touch, Ryan lifted her shirt slightly and kissed her bare skin. At the more intimate touch, Janna's muscles clenched slightly, both above and below the waist, and she wrapped an arm around Ryan's head, encouraging the contact.

With the encouragement, Ryan's tongue snaked out and licked gently at the soft skin around Janna's navel. This caused an outright moan, which encouraged her even more, so she wrapped an arm around Janna's waist and pulled her mate's stomach firmly against her mouth. She began kissing and sucking the skin of Janna's abdomen and started working her way upwards, towards her two very favorite peaks.

Janna, becoming aware of where the activity was leading, leaned down and hijacked Ryan's lips with her own. She kissed her lover passionately before mumbling into her mouth, "Why don't we get back to the lodge?"

Ryan continued the kiss before replying, "Absofuckinlutley baby. Lets go." They stopped to catch their breath before jumping from the rock to the shore and making their way rather quickly back up toward the trail. On the way back to the trailhead they only stopped briefly once, so that Janna could catch some photos of the lake. To add to the hundreds that she already had.

~~~~~~~~~~

Janna wriggled uncontrollably as Ryan sprayed whipped cream onto several very sensitive spots.

"Hold still, baby, you're gonna knock it off before I can lick it off."

"Ooh, but honey, it's cold and it tickles."

"Baby, you haven't even begun to feel tickling." She leaned down and proved her point, running her tongue slowly across a white-tipped breast.

"Ohh, but it's a much more pleasant tickle. Velvety. Do it some more."

"Okay, baby, but wait just a minute. My sundae needs chocolate and cherries." Ryan reached for the small container of warm chocolate and then slowly dribbled it on and around the dabs of whipped cream.

"Ohh...Ryan..."

"Just a minute babe. I'm almost done." She grabbed a few cherries and added them to the mix.

"You'd better not be almost done", Janna growled.

Ryan drawled as she brought her mouth close to her mate's body, "Baby, I mean done in the sense that you're almost ready to eat."

"Go for it, Ryan. Please."

"Here I come, baby, and I'm hungry." Ryan brought her mouth close to Janna's chest and her mate's breath caught in anticipation.

"You're always hun...oh, God..." Ryan's tongue snaked out and circled a sweet breast, snagging a cherry in the process. She moved up slightly and shared the cherry with her mate, smoothly transferring it into her mouth.

"Mm, I love maraschino cherries."

"And I love Janna sundaes."

"I hope you realize that you're gonna be a sundae next."

"Sure, you need to eat too."

She bent her head again to the task of devouring her dessert. Her talented tongue blazed a trail over her lover's skin, eliciting various moans, groans and pants. By the time she reached the nexus between Janna's legs, her partner was already teetering on the edge of climax. One single, devoted swipe of her tongue along her mate's cleft sent her over the edge and the continued stroking and kissing there prolonged the sensation for long minutes, Janna's body consumed by wracking, ecstatic tremors.

"Ohh, Ryan...I can hardly breathe...God, that was nice...mmm." Janna lay on her back, rolling her head from side to side, absolutely content.

"I'm glad you liked it baby. I enjoyed it too." Ryan leaned down and kissed her mate tenderly.

The kiss turned passionate as Janna rose, pushing Ryan down on her back and straddling her. As she continued kissing Ryan, she reached over and grabbed the still warm chocolate. She pulled back and then dribbled the sweet, syrupy liquid all over Ryan's body, concentrating on her many erogenous zones.

"Oh, shit, baby. I'll never last long enough for you to lick all that up."

As Janna began licking, starting with her mate's breastbone, she mumbled, "Use the Tantric breathing I showed you, love."
As Janna's tongue found a nipple, Ryan closed her eyes and tried to remember the breath control lesson. Janna's tongue was severely hampering her thought processes, however, and she could only groan, grabbing Janna's head and running her fingers through her hair.

"Ohh, baby...Janna...yesss..."

Janna mumbled around the other nipple, "Don't you want to breath right, love...make it last?"

"Fuck breathing right...eat me Janna. Please", came the growled reply.

Despite the gruff request, Janna took her time, using their link to settle her mate down, allowing her to enjoy the process, rather than rushing to the goal.

As she reached Ryan's silky curls, she could tell that her mate was spiraling toward a long, powerful climax, so she thrust her tongue deeply into her lover, allowing her sweet release. Ryan's sweet nectar blended with the chocolate, creating a powerful aphrodisiac that quickly sent Janna back over the edge and she enjoyed simultaneous convulsions with her mate.

They rode out the powerful climaxes together; bodies entwined, and created more of the same long into the night. Their kissing, tasting, suckling, stroking, with mouths, hands and bodies, declaring and reaffirming their deep love and connection. All the while, their friend, Luna, bathed them in her loving glow. They felt her energy as well as the sacred energy of their shared bodies and of the sacred space they had created in which to share their love. It was a honeymoon to remember, unofficial though it was.

~~~~~~~~~~

Janna awoke the next morning to feel a large hand on her breast and a demanding tongue in her mouth. She returned the kiss enthusiastically and murmured a question into her mate's mouth.

"Mm, baby, what's up?"

As garbled as the question was, Ryan understood it. She broke the kiss, but not her hold on Janna's anatomy and sheepishly replied, "Um, I was just remembering last night and sorta lost control again. Do you mind?" She looked down through her lashes at Janna, who answered by pulling Ryan's mouth back down to hers.

Ryan rolled onto her back and pulled Janna on top of her, giving her mate permission to take control. It was a gesture that Ryan had never shared with anyone else, but that she felt completely at ease giving to Janna. It was not just a matter of trust, but also of respect and worship. Janna returned the gesture by pulling Ryan up and settling in her lap, bringing them together face to face, as equals.

They wrapped their arms around each other and embraced warmly as their mouths met ardently, yet lovingly. Slowly, caressing soft skin as she did so, Janna brought her right hand around and gently connected with Ryan's center. Ryan followed her lead and they completed the circuit. Warm hands gently, slowly caressed and stroked hot nether regions.

As the passion built, Janna reminded Ryan, by example, how to control her breath, timing it with the synchronous strokes of both their hands. The self-control allowed for intensely pleasurable climaxes, which alternately crested and plateaued repeatedly, each crescendo and plateau becoming more intense than the previous. In this manner, the rapture lasted for many minutes, rather than just seconds. With practice, they could learn to draw it out for hours.

As another surge of pleasure hit her, Ryan moaned loudly into her lover's mouth, feeling so high that she thought she might pass out. Janna, feeling her mate's sensations through their link, wrapped her left arm more tightly around her lover, letting her know that she was secure, safe and loved. She gently ended the kiss and burrowed her face into her mate's neck. She kissed her lover's throbbing pulse and tightened her grip around her as another surge hit them. This time, at the crest, they both arched away from each other, crying out in unison. They rode the final, intense crest for several minutes, letting their stroking and breathing slow and finally, rest. As they held their embrace, slowly rocking back and forth, Ryan shed tears of joy. Janna joined her in empathy, realizing that the intensity takes some getting used to.

"Janna, baby...oh, Janna..." Ryan couldn't form any other words at the moment, but she didn't need to.

Janna understood her fully. Understood that she simply needed to be held as she fell back to Earth. Janna sat in her lap and rocked her gently, stroking her back and her hair. Whispering words of love and encouragement.

Finally, Ryan released a deep, shuddering breath and nuzzled Janna's hair. She regained her composure and parted slightly from her mate. Looking at Janna with an adorable, crooked grin she said, "The next time you suggest to me that I control my breath during sex, I'm gonna do it...no questions asked." Her grin widened and she added, "Baby that was too incredible for words." She shook her head, as if disbelieving what she had just experienced.

"The word is Tantra, love." She added with a grin, "We'll be covering Taoist sacred sexuality in our next lesson." She smiled warmly as her mate threw her head back and laughed deeply.

"Oh, Janna, what did I do to deserve you? God, baby, I love you so, so much." Ryan bestowed a look upon her that was so full of love that Janna's breath caught in her throat.

"You were born." Was the soft, matter of fact reply. "Or should I say reborn?" Her twinkling green eyes shone straight through to Ryan's heart.

"Reborn. For you and only you. Janna, I want to know about our other lives together. Lets look into that, okay? Soon?"

"Sure, honey. I'd like that too."

"I'm safe in assuming, aren't I, that you know someone who can help us do that?" Now sapphire eyes were twinkling.

"Oh, of course! I just spent the last fifteen years of my life in the San Francisco Bay Area, didn't I? The metaphysical Mecca of the West!"

"I knew I could count on you babe." Ryan grinned and pulled her mate close again. They held each other for a while longer before heading for the shower and breakfast.

They decided to spend their last full day in the mountains at Lake Tahoe. That morning's connecting time had lasted longer than usual, unregrettably so, leaving them with less than a full day there. Thundershowers were forecast for the late afternoon, so they decided to hit the beach first and play the rest of the day by ear. They could check out Ryan's buddy's cabin in the rain if need be. Possibly after that they could visit some of the big casinos at Stateline.

Ryan drove the Jeep, negotiating the curving mountain road smoothly. Even though it was the busy season, being mid-week, the highway was relatively uncrowded for most of the twenty-mile trip. As they passed many more favorite places that Janna had known most of her life she was warmed by the idea of sharing them all with Ryan in their long future together. As she scooted a little closer to her mate and grabbed her hand, Ryan intertwined their fingers and grinned widely at her, her bright white teeth contrasting with dark sunglasses and tanned skin. Janna thought, she wonders what she did right to earn me, but I wonder which goddess I pleased enough to be rewarded with the most beautiful woman on the planet. She shook her head in wonder as her incredible mate drove on.

As they descended from the summit and came around a turn, the gorgeous lake came into view for the first time. Ryan was the first to exclaim her delight. "I will never get tired of that particular site."

"Neither will I. Even if I didn't have so much history here, it's a breathtakingly beautiful lake."

"That it is, baby. And what about in the winter?"

"Oh, God, I know! Gives the term 'winter wonderland' a whole special meaning. Do you ski honey?"

"Yep. You, babe?"

"Yeah! Oh, Ryan, I can see what we'll be doing to keep busy in the winters!"

"Number one will be the same thing we're doing now, baby."

"Yes, of course, love. I mean besides that!" Janna gave her a mock exasperated look.

"Oh right! Ever snowboard, babe?" She raised an eyebrow in question as she glanced back at the twisting highway.

"No, but it looks cool. I used to skateboard...it looks pretty similar."

"It is, I think. I'll have to give you some lessons. They'll cost you though."

"Yeah, the same thing my Reiki is costing you, right?"

"Absolutely."

"Well, we're all set then." Janna smiled at her before returning her gaze out of the window at her favorite mountain range.

"That we are, my love. That we are."

-25-

Ryan stretched out on the large towel and luxuriated both in the warmth of the sun and in the feel of her lover's gentle hands as they spread lotion on her back. "Oh, baby. That feels nice."

Janna, sitting beside her, grinned. "My hands are very happy right now too." She squirted another dab of coconut-scented lotion into her hand and rubbed her palms together, then attended to the backs of Ryan's thighs and legs. She thoroughly enjoyed running her hands along the long, muscular legs, and grinned widely as she did so.

"Mm." Ryan turned her head to look at Janna and added, "You know who else is enjoying this?"

"No, who?"

"Those two guys over there." She turned her head back toward the expanse of beach to the south of them. "I'm starting to feel like a piece of meat."

"Honey, they're just guys. I don't think they mean any harm. They probably think that because we aren't wearing wedding bands that we're available." She brought her hands back up to Ryan's shoulders, not because they needed more lotion, but because she wanted to continue her mate's massage.

"Well, baby, we're gonna have to do something about the lack of wedding bands then. Shit, I like to look at women too, but I don't stare like that. It's rude, and I'm just about ready to get up and kick some ass."

Janna laughed. "I'm sure you don't need to go that far. Lets just give them a little hint, shall we?" She glanced around and noted that the beach was relatively uncrowded around them.

"A hint?"

"Yeah, turn over."

Ryan did so and Janna proceeded to lotion her chest and shoulders. As she did so, she leaned down and gently kissed Ryan, lingering just a bit.

Ryan opened her eyes, looked up at Janna and smiled. "Mmm. Did they take the hint?"

"I would say so. One of them grimaced like he'd been shot and the other's laughing. They're walking away."

Ryan laughed deeply. "Great job, babe." She turned back over and laid an arm along Janna's thighs. "I didn't really feel like getting up and kicking ass anyway."

Janna joined in her laughter and lay down beside her mate, linking their hands. She sighed deeply and said, "This is so nice. The sun feels great."

"The whole thing feels great."

"Mm, hmm." As they lay together on the granite beach, a slight breeze picked up, whispering its song through the pine trees that edged the sand and separated the shore from the parking area.

"I love that song." Janna sighed again.

"Yep. Someone ought to record it."

"Someone probably has."

Janna turned her head and rested her chin on her left arm, looking straight out over the brilliant lake. It was a deep, clear blue, many miles wide and bordered by majestic peaks, the highest of which were still capped with snow. She could feel her partner's warmth as she lay to her right and Janna breathed deeply of her essence. She reveled in another of her life's most perfect moments and gave another silent prayer of thanks to the Universe.

Ryan unlinked their fingers and turned onto her side, facing Janna. She reached over and pushed a strand of blonde hair behind Janna's ear. "I love your hair, baby. It's such a pretty blonde. Does the sun lighten it in the summertime?"

"Mm, it does, yeah. It's more golden in the winter." She turned to face Ryan. "I love your hair too." She reached out to stroke it. "So thick and silky...I love to run my fingers through it. Have you ever worn it long?"

"No, not since I was a kid. Long is just too much trouble...too hard to manage, especially when I spend the majority of my day sweating. This is actually the longest it's been in years."

Janna caressed Ryan's locks where they fell behind her neck, nearly to her shoulders. "Really? I like this length on you."

"I like it too...and since it pleases the only two people on the planet who have a say in the matter, I think I'll keep it status quo." She graced her mate with a lopsided grin.

Janna smiled in return. "Good. You're so beautiful, and the way it frames your face accentuates your beauty."

Ryan gave a slight smirk and said, "Beautiful? I wouldn't go that far. You, on the other hand, are."

"Ryan, you've got to be kidding. I've never, in all my life, encountered a more beautiful woman than you are." Her sincere look warmed her mate. She added, "And as for me...I might say 'cute' but definitely not beautiful."

Ryan smiled warmly, but said, "That is bullshit my love...no offense. Do you ever look in the mirror?"

Janna looked down, embarrassed, then shyly back at her mate. "Thank you Ryan."

"Anytime. You know, in those warrior dreams...your hair was shorter. In most of them anyway."

"Yeah, I've seen that too. I've been thinking about cutting it...I'm used to it being shorter. Would you mind?"

"Not a bit, love. I've had the opportunity to see how cute it is short. Do whatever you'd like."

"Thanks, love. Your hair is long in all of the dreams. You were stunning...you looked almost exactly like you do now."

"So did you. Is that typical, do you know?"

"Looking the same in other lives? Well, sometimes. But usually, no. The body type stays generally the same, but looks and gender usually vary. Anything's possible though. Maybe we work the best together in this configuration." Janna grinned and rested her arm on Ryan's back.

"Probably so, baby." They both turned back onto their stomaches and linked hands again.

A half hour later, her body beaded with sweat, Ryan announced, "I need to take a dip, babe. You coming?"

"Sure!"

They hopped up and walked across the coarse granite sand, gingerly stepping into the cold water and stopping when it reached their stomaches. Janna shivered and remarked, "Geez, this water never warms up. Once...only once...as a kid, did we come here and find it almost comfortable."

"Oh, but it feels good. That sun is intense. Come on baby, plunge right in...you'll get used to it faster." She held her hand out to her mate, who looked very unsure of the idea. "Come on Janna. Lets swim." Ryan grinned at her encouragingly.

"Okay." Janna gave in and grabbed her mate's hand and they lunged forward into an incoming wave.

"Whoo!" Ryan exclaimed as Janna shrieked.

"Come on baby, keep moving", Ryan said as she swam away a little distance. Janna plunged forward again and followed her. She forgot the cold very quickly as she watched her lover's graceful strokes. Nope, there's not a single thing that she does not do well.

Ryan stopped some distance away, treading water, and waited for Janna to catch up. As her mate approached, Ryan held out her arms and Janna entered them, wrapping her body around her mate. They only held the position for a few moments, as they were aware of the lack of privacy, and they both had to struggle to put down the intense desire to kiss.

"Janna, one day, I'm taking you away to a very private island somewhere." Ryan put what they both were feeling into words, the sincere statement matching the intention written on her face.

"I get you, love. I'm right there with you." They separated and swam a little more, and then played some, before exiting the pristine water and returning to their towels for more sun worship.

A few hours later, the appearance of stormy clouds and an accompanying strong breeze forced them from the beach. As Ryan drove them north on the narrow highway that ran along the western shore of the lake, they admired the beauty of the area with the quaint shops, and bicycle and snow and water equipment rental places that sat interspersed with campgrounds and expensive homes. All set in and amongst thick evergreen forestland.

Spying a cute little gift shop housed in a log cabin, Janna proclaimed, "Lets stop here Ryan. I need to update my t-shirt collection."

Her mate dutifully pulled to a stop at the mock hitching post in front and they entered the little store. Offered for sale inside were items running the gamut from 'Tahoe' inscribed glassware, to clothing, to camping supplies, to framed art prints. Janna made her way to the clothing section while Ryan checked out the glassware. She picked up a shot glass with the charming inscription, "I got laid at Tahoe" and after briefly considering the item (it was an appropriate sentiment after all), shook her head with a small smirk and moved on to the various other offerings.

As she perused the selections and grabbed a tasteful set of antique-styled beer steins she heard, "Ryan, look here."

As she made her way over to her partner, Ryan saw that Janna held up an attractive navy blue tank top with a tasteful "Lake Tahoe" emblem and said, "This looks like you...may I get it?"

Ryan did indeed like it and nodded her acceptance, grinning. She joined her partner at the shirt rack and picked up a tiny tube top.

Grinning jauntily she drawled, "And this looks like you, baby...may I?"

Janna rolled her eyes and held up another, less scanty shirt. "How about this one instead?" Ryan mock pouted but then laughed and smiled her approval. Janna then found several others, as well as matching blue baseball caps and a hiking guide and they made their purchases.

On the road again, and wearing their new caps, they only drove a few more miles before they found Carl's vacation home. On the western shore of the lake are many year-round homes: some are permanent residences while others are rented out full time to both summer and winter guests. Carl, a captain in the department, used his as both a personal vacation home and as a rental for friends and coworkers to use. It had been in his family for more than half a century and was now considered absolutely prime real estate. Had he wished to sell it, he could probably ask upwards of a million dollars for it.

As Ryan drove, Janna watched for the address on the lake side of the highway.

"Here it is." Janna pointed to a home up ahead on their right and they approached a beautiful home of log construction, which sat behind a stand of pine trees and a wrought iron gate, which paralleled the highway. A circular drive divided the home from the front gate and, along with the trees, provided both a measure of security and a natural sound barrier.

The gate was closed, so Ryan pulled the Jeep to a stop on the shoulder of the road. As they exited the Jeep and peered through the fence, both women were astounded at the understated grandeur of the home.

Janna's jaw fell as she gasped, "My God...Ryan...it's beautiful!"

"Shit, Janna...if this is what Carl considers a cabin, I'd like to see his home." Ryan grinned as she shook her head in bewilderment. "He's always talking about his 'retirement home'...now I see what all the fuss is about. Jesus...would you look at this place?"

It was an extremely attractive two-story constructed of golden pine with an attached garage and was quite large compared to the neighboring homes. It sat on a wider than average lot as well, hinting at its construction in an earlier era.

Janna walked to the far edge of the property and craned her neck to see past the trees, around the side of the house to the beach.

"Ryan, it has a private dock and beach too! Oh, my God, it's just gorgeous!" Janna couldn't contain her excitement at the prospect of staying there, much less at being married there.

"Well, babe, I guess I know what to tell Carl then. It just won't do. Way too big." Ryan shook her head seriously as Janna turned and looked at her in shock.

"Ryan, you're not ser..."

Before Janna could finish, Ryan was betrayed by an involuntary smile, unable to pull off the joke.

"Oh, you! You had me going for a second." She approached her naughty mate and swatted her on the behind. "Ryan Zamora, you'd better watch yourself."

Ryan grinned and grabbed her arm. "Oh, yeah...and what are you gonna do about it, huh?"

"You just watch it. I might surprise you sometime." Janna's serious green eyes took on a twinkle, as she couldn't seriously threaten her mate any more than her mate could successfully tease her.

They linked hands as they turned to take one more look at the home.

"Janna, I can't wait, baby." Ryan turned to face her partner. "I absolutely cannot wait to come back here to this beautiful home and marry you."

Janna matched Ryan's sincere look and opened her mouth to speak just as the electric gate they were standing next to lurched open. As they turned in surprise, a car approached from the highway and turned into the drive. As the minivan drove past them, the front passenger waved.

Janna gave a short wave back, though she couldn't see the person's face. They turned to walk back to their Jeep and heard, "Ryan, Janna...hi!"

As they both turned in surprise at hearing their names, they were shocked to see Ryan's coworker, Sam and his wife Georgie, followed by two boys.

"Zamora, what the hell brings you up this way?" Sam laughed as he approached and grasped Ryan's outstretched arm.

Ryan grinned widely as she shook his hand. "I guess we're doing the same thing you are, Cap. We're up here on vacation. We were thinking about renting this place sometime in the next month or so and Carl suggested that we stop by and take a look at it. He didn't tell me you were up here though."

"My what a small world!" Exclaimed Georgie. "Ryan, you know our boys. Janna, these are our sons, Nate and Sammy."

Janna smiled warmly at each boy and said, "Hi guys. Are you enjoying your vacation?"

The older boy, thirteen-year old Nate, answered, "Oh, yeah. It's totally rad here. Dad's taking us parasailing tomorrow."

"Wow, that sounds so cool!" replied Janna, genuinely interested.

"It sure does," piped in Ryan. "You gonna get your Dad up there too?" She smiled crookedly at Sam, mildly challenging him.

"Zamora, do you think I'd let these kids do something that I haven't' already tried out myself?" their father asked, his gruff statement softened by smiling eyes. Sam had married somewhat later in life than most of his friends, and at nearly fifty, his wife and kids were his entire world.

"No, Cap, I don't." Ryan grinned, conceding the point.

"Ryan, Janna, come on in and see the place." Georgie grabbed a bag of groceries from the rear of the van as she beckoned with her head toward the house. Her husband and sons also each grabbed a bag and headed inside.

"Oh, no Georgie...we don't want to intrude. We've seen enough."

"Don't be silly! You have to see the rest...it's just gorgeous inside. Come on!" She smiled her invitation and Ryan glanced at Janna, whose eyes were alight with curiosity.

"Okay. Thanks Georgie...but we'll only stay a few minutes." Janna followed Georgie in to the house while Ryan grabbed a grocery bag.

As Sam reappeared to retrieve the last bag from the car he said, "Actually, we were just going to barbecue up some steaks and burgers...why don't you join us?"

"Cap, thanks...but we can't do that." Ryan smiled apologetically.

"Why the hell not, Zamora. You got other plans?"

"Well, no...Cap, this is your family vacation...we just don't want..."

"To intrude...yes, I know." He looked her in the eye and added, "If it were an intrusion, I wouldn't be inviting you." Then he glanced up at the house to make sure that their mates weren't within earshot and added, "Besides...Georgie's dying to know more about the little lady who's got you so wrapped up. Says she seems real nice. I'm kind of curious myself."

Ryan smiled warmly at the compliment paid to her love and nodded her acceptance of the invitation.

"Alright, Sam. Thanks very much."

"No problem. You can give me a hand with the grill."

Ryan followed the Captain into the house and tracked down her mate, who was gushing over the view out of the picture window that overlooked the rear deck and the lake just beyond.

"Ryan, honey, can you believe this view?" Janna's look of utter joy convinced Ryan on the spot that her idea to hold their ceremony there had been a good one.

"Yes, love, it's incredible. I think this will be perfect." Her eyes spoke the volumes of love that she felt for her mate. Two sets of eyes communicated the love and devotion that they felt at that moment, allowing them to refrain from a more public display in front of the family.

The moment was broken when Sam announced that the ladies would be staying for dinner and they separated: Ryan going with Sam to help with the barbecue, and Janna to help Georgie in the kitchen.

Forty-five minutes later they were all seated at a large table on the deck, enjoying a simple, but delicious meal. The view was one that could be matched by few five-star restaurants in the entire world.

Later, they sat visiting over cold beers as the kids chased around the yard with their large Irish Setter. The threatened thunderstorm never materialized, the earlier clouds having been chased into Nevada by the prevailing winds.

Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted when they heard a shriek from one of the boys and Nate ran up to his parents yelling, "Mom, Dad, Sammy got stung! It was a huge yellow bee...I saw it."

The adults quickly jumped up and ran to aid the ten-year old who was crying and writhing in pain a short distance away. As his parents reached him and tried to comfort him, Ryan knelt next to him and grasped the already swollen arm. Gently, she flicked the large stinger from the wound with a fingernail and then pressed her lips to the stung skin and sucked the poison from the boy's arm.

As he continued to cry in agony, a look passed between Ryan and Janna, and Ryan nodded, saying with a serious gaze, "Sam, Georgie, Janna knows a technique that can soothe the pain almost instantly. May she use it?" She looked from husband to wife expectantly.

The parents, both looking somewhat confused, but anxious to relieve their child's suffering, nodded their assent and backed away. Janna sat beside Sammy and motioned for his mother to sit behind him, holding him. Janna quickly visualized the symbols and called up the Reiki. She held her hands just above the boy's arm, realizing that direct pressure may not be comfortable at first. Ryan crouched next to her partner and placed one hand on the boy's back, one hand on his mother's shoulder, and also called up the energy.

The Reiki from Janna quickly soothed the acute pain and initiated healing while the Reiki from Ryan comforted both patient and parent. Little Sam's tears slowed and his sobs became less frequent as the soothing energy acted like a balm to his injury.

He looked back at his mother, wonder replacing the pain in his eyes, and said, "Mom, her hands are hot and it stopped hurting." He looked back at Janna's hands, which hovered just above his arm, then he glanced at Ryan and said, "Your hand is hot too."

"Yes, Ryan, it is." Georgie looked pointedly at her friend and smiled, adding, "I'd like to hear more about this healing 'technique', if you don't mind." She looked over at Janna. "It seems like something every mother should know about."

Janna smiled her agreement and nodded before removing her hands from Sammy's arm.

"There, Sam. How does it feel now?" She looked kindly at the young boy and rested a hand on his head.

"It feels a lot better. It's just tingling now. It doesn't hurt." He looked back at his mother. "Can I go back and play, Mom?"

Ryan answered before Georgia could, "Hold on there sport. Why don't you let your Dad put some ice on that first? It's still a little swollen and you don't want the pain coming back later, do you?"

"No, I guess not."

"Come on buddy. Lets get you some ice." His father helped him to his feet, directing raised eyebrows at his coworker.

As Ryan got up and reached for Janna's hand she smiled and said, "Well, I guess we're out of the closet, huh?"

Janna laughed. "Out of the healer's closet? I guess so, yeah!"

Georgia stood up, brushing the mountain dirt from her pants and said, "Would you two care to enlighten me about what you just did to help my son? A yellowjacket sting is very, very painful, yet he's ready to run off and play already."

Ryan linked her arms through those of her mate and her friend and headed them back toward the deck. "Yes, we'll tell you all about it. Lets get comfortable."

-26-

Before returning to their lodge, Janna convinced Ryan to make one more stop. There was a favorite little tie-dye shop that she tried to visit every time she went to the Lake. Over the years, Janna had become friendly with the owner, a friendly, sixtyish ex-hippie who did all of her own work. She colored everything from a full line of clothing, for infants to adults, to rugs, tapestries and flags. The free spirit in Janna had always loved tie-dye and she couldn't seem to ever get enough of it.

Ryan glanced over at her passenger, now clad in her new "Tahoe" cap and matching blue-hued tie-dyed "Lake Tahoe" t-shirt and grinned. "You look great, babe."

Janna looked at Ryan and thought that she looked great in her new cap as well, with her hair tucked behind her ears. Smiling, she said, "So do you, love...of course. That hat is you."

Ryan smiled warmly at her mate and returned her attention to the highway. "Georgia seems really excited about getting an attunement." She shook her head. "You just never know about people, I guess. I would have thought she was a little too conservative to be interested in an alternative practice like that."

"Honey, remember about not judging a book by its cover?" Janna raised her eyebrows at her mate and grinned. "And never underestimate the lengths a mother will go to for her children." She turned toward Ryan and added, "Besides...how conservative could she be, really? She's your friend, after all, and has been very accepting of us."

"That's true. Actually, politically, they're pretty liberal, but they do seem to epitomize American family values."

"Well, we know, possibly as well as anyone can, that the definition of the American family is changing. Quickly. Or we will know in the near future anyway." She caressed her mate's hand where it rested on the gearshift knob, and was filled with love and joy at the prospect of beginning a family with Ryan.

Ryan lifted their hands to her lips and kissed Janna's fingers. "Right, baby. Before too long." Her blue eyes mirrored the love that shone in her mate's green ones. "Um, you know...Georgie cornered me about why we were coming back up to the Lake again so soon. I told her about our ceremony, but said that I thought it would only include immediate family."

She looked back to the road and continued, "I know we hadn't talked about that aspect of it yet, honey, but my feeling is that if we have all of our friends too, it will be just a big drunken party. Or, it would be with my friends at least. I don't want that, Janna. I just want something very small and very special. Is that alright?"

"Yes, honey. It's fine. I understand completely. It would be the same way with my friends too, believe me. I can't tell you how many commitment ceremonies I've been to that were so big they had to be held in Golden Gate Park." She quickly added, "Don't get me wrong...they were all beautiful weddings. But I don't feel the need to ask every lesbian and gay man that I've ever met to share our joy with us. I've been thinking that I'd like it to be just us, John and Sara, my best friends Anna and Terry, my family and your brother. How does that sound?"

Ryan bestowed a radiant smile upon her and said, "Sounds perfect, baby. Just perfect." She sighed happily and added, "Georgie told me that the house sleeps between twelve and fifteen, depending on how people want to double up. So, I was thinking..." She paused and looked at Janna with sparkling eyes.

"Oh no...should I be afraid?" Janna laughed.

"You might, yeah! I'm thinking...we exchange vows just as the sun is rising over the lake."

Janna was speechless for a moment. "Oh, Ryan...that's a beautiful thought."

"Um, I thought it might be significant...you know, symbolic of our love for each other?" She looked almost sheepish at having suggested something so romantic.

"Honey, it's a beautiful idea. I love it."

"Thanks baby. So, um, that would mean, to make it easiest on the guests, everyone should be staying nearby, preferably in the house there."

Janna continued the thought. "Right...it has four bedrooms and the loft. Lets see...there's the master bedroom for us, another bedroom for John and Sara, one for my parents, one for Anna and Terry and then the loft for Dan and his family. Your brother...do you think he could use the loft or maybe one of the sofa sleepers?"

"He probably wouldn't mind either...if he even comes. I can't be sure he will, Janna. Though, um, I did write to him recently and tell him about you...that we're living together and planning our commitment ceremony."

"I hope he does come, Ryan...I look forward to meeting him. If John is your best man, you'll need someone to give you away."

"Do I? Even though I'm basically standing in as the groom?" Ryan laughed, her eyes mirroring her mirth.

"Well, you're the one who mentioned a best man, you know." Janna reminded her.

"Yeah, baby, I know. Actually, that works for me. He's my very best friend, after you. I can't really get behind the idea of having a maid of honor." Ryan shook her head to dislodge the image of herself in a bridal gown which had just entered her mind. "How about you, love? Have you thought about it?"

Janna looked at her as if she'd lost her mind. "Have I thought about it? You're kidding, right?" She laughed. "It's about all I think about lately, sweetheart." She caressed Ryan's hand again. "Yeah, I want my Daddy to give me away and Terry to be my bridesmaid. I'd ask Anna too, but I don't think she'd enjoy it. She's very similar to you in the butch quotient department. I don't think she owns a dress."

"Butch quotient? Janna, I thought you didn't like labels."

"I don't Ryan, but there is a very definite level of butchness in your identity. It's just an identifier Ryan, not a stereotype."

"Would you care to enlighten me on what my 'butch quotient' is?"

"On a scale of one to ten? Fifteen," Janna giggled.

"So you like butch women?"

"I don't like labels."

"Answer the question."

"I tend to be attracted to strong, nice women who lean in that direction, yeah."

"So you consider me a bulldyke."

"No, I don't. You're more androgynous than that."

"So what would a bulldyke rate?"

"Well, ten or so, but Ry..."

"Janna! What?"

"Ryan, you are one of a kind. Very strong, very independent...so you rate a ten plus, but you also have an incredibly loving soul. And you're gorgeous. Off the scale gorgeous."

"So, bulldykes aren't gorgeous?"

"Jesus Christ, Ryan..."

"Just trying to see where you're coming from babe."

"Yes, bulldykes can be gorgeous. My ex, Joanie, is gorgeous. As far as I'm concerned, every woman is beautiful. It's more than that. There's a softness there too...in you."

"I am not soft."

"You are incredibly soft...but I promise, I'll never tell a soul."

"You fuckin' well better not, baby."

"Ooh, you talk big, don't you?"

"I talk big and I have the power to back it up." She narrowed her eyes playfully at Janna but then grinned, softening her words. "I have complete control over you, my little love."

Janna's voice became very soft. "Ryan, you'll get no argument from me over that particular point." Her eyes filled with tears as she added, "The bottom line, Ryan, is that you are the perfect woman for me. No label does you justice and you can't be pigeonholed...no one really can be...not fairly anyway. That's why I don't like labels."

"And you are the perfect woman for me...my little soft-butch, semi-femme baby."

"Ryan!"

"Hey, it's just an identifier, baby, not a stereotype!"

"I love you Ryan."

"Love you too Janna."

~~~~~~~~~~

"Mmm" Janna giggled. "I think you're trying to get me drunk, Ryan."

"Janna, I'm not trying, I have succeeded." She added with a jaunty grin, "More champagne, baby?"

"Absolutely!"

Ryan reached for the bottle, which sat in the ice bucket at the edge of the spa. She poured the last bit into Janna's glass and then tilted the bottle into her mouth, capturing the last few drops for herself.

Luna shone brilliantly down upon her two faithful worshippers, whom, at the moment were so enormously wrapped up in each other that she might as well have not even existed. She didn't mind, however, as their adoration for each other was obvious. Deliriously obvious, actually, at the moment, and she was nothing if not all about love.

"Baby, how are we gonna top this with our real honeymoon?" Ryan whispered in Janna's ear as she drew her love more tightly against herself. She had managed to coax the swimsuit off of her modest mate and was exceptionally pleased with the situation at the moment.

"I'm gonna make love with you on the beach in the moonlight." The matter of fact response surprised and delighted Ryan.

"But, Janna, what about the 'no sex out in nature' rule?"

"We'll ask permission of the spirits present. We'll do a ceremony. And we'll ask Luna to bless our union."

In her slightly foggy state, Ryan wasn't sure, but she thought that Janna might possibly be completely serious. "Um, sure, baby...okay."

"I'll figure out the best way to do it. And I have a shaman friend I can call...she'll give me..."

"You're serious?" Ryan was incredulous.

"Of course I am...I'm not that drunk, Ryan!" She continued, not the least bit deterred by the interruption, "I'll also find out how to do a protection ritual, to protect us from prying eyes. Oh, lets get married at the Full moon, Ryan! Oh, God...it'll be near the equinox...cool! And right after your birthday too, baby." She threw her arms around her lover gleefully and kissed her.

As Janna's pert breasts caressed her own, Ryan realized that she had already received the perfect birthday present. It sat right there in her arms, in the hot tub, overlooking a meadow, in their favorite mountains, bathed in the light of their favorite goddess.

The mid-morning sun shone brilliantly through the thin atmosphere, illuminating the honeymoon suite of the Strawberry Lodge and the two entwined occupants of the king-sized bed. Even avowed early-morning riser Ryan was loath to leave the warm comfort of the bed, and especially that of her mate's arms. She was wide-awake but had absolutely no desire to get up, thus ending their wonderful vacation.

Suddenly, an idea struck her and she became so excited by the prospect that she sat up in bed, pulling her sleeping mate up with her. The blankets fell away from them, exposing their bare skin to the early morning chill, and Janna mumbled a complaint. Ryan nuzzled her partner's hair and whispered, "Sweetheart, wake up...I have an idea. She kissed Janna's temple to try to speed the pace along.

"Don't wanna..." Strong arms wrapped themselves more tightly around Ryan's muscled torso.

"Baby, listen. I want to do something special before we go home."

"Don't wanna hear the 'h' word, Ryan...please?"

"Sweetheart, come on...wake up. It has to do with our wedding."

Janna's eyes flew open right on cue. "Our wedding? What?" She brought one hand up to rub the sleep from her eyes but kept the other arm wrapped around her mate.

"There are Indian Reservations around here, right?"

"Yeah, all over...um, not too far across the state line, and in the foothills on the way home. Also down south towards Yosemite. Why?" Her interest piqued, Janna was fully awake.

"Did you have anything in particular in mind for our wedding rings?"

"Um, no, actually. But perhaps you do?" Sleepy green eyes gained a sparkle.

"Yeah, it just occurred to me. We share a Native American heritage, Janna. Why don't we celebrate that with Native American styled rings?"

Janna thought briefly, then asked, "You mean with something like silver and turquoise?"

Ryan beamed. "Baby that is exactly what I pictured in my mind, yes!"

"Ryan, I adore silver and turquoise!" She threw her arms around Ryan again and kissed her happily.

Ryan returned the kiss and fell back onto the bed, pulling Janna fully atop her. Strong, talented hands started a sensual exploration of her mate's curves as the kiss continued and deepened, only to be stopped abruptly when Janna sat up and exclaimed, "Ryan! There's a beautiful Native jewelry and art shop in South Lake Tahoe. I think the owner is a member of the Paiute Tribe. He does beautiful silver work." She gazed at Ryan with excited, twinkling eyes.

Ryan's eyes held a sparkle of another sort as she replied, "Lets check it out before we leave, baby. It sounds perfect." Then she pulled her mate back into her arms. "But not for a little while yet."

-27-

The morning after their return home from the mountains, Janna stood in front of the dresser that she shared with Ryan and gazed with wonder at the small, velvet-lined box that sat open, exposing the two lovely silver rings sitting side-by-side within. They were inlaid with beautiful turquoise in a stylish zigzag pattern. A lump formed in her throat as she thought about what the rings signified.

They were a physical representation of a love that defied description. As Janna stood there and tried to come up with words to describe what she felt for Ryan, tears began to flow. That was how Ryan found her several minutes later when her workout partner failed to appear when expected.

Warm, strong hands grasped Janna's shoulders as soft lips kissed her hair. The hands then slid down her arms and her mate enveloped her from behind. They stood together then, gazing at their rings, neither of them able to find words for what they were feeling. Fortunately, their link made verbal communication unnecessary. Their emotions were communicated precisely through the energetic bond.

Eventually, Janna broke the silence. "They're beautiful, aren't they, Ryan?" she asked quietly, as if in awe.

"Yes, baby, they are. I feel so lucky that we found them. They're exactly what I'd had in mind."

"Those rings were waiting for us Ryan. That's the way the Universe works. Didn't you get the impression that the craftsman had been expecting us?"

"Yes, I did, actually. The whole thing had a really special feel about it...magical, almost." She was quiet for a moment before adding, "God, Janna, he reminded me of my grandfather. With his intelligent, quiet manner, his way of speaking, his looks. He felt like an old friend, and I felt...I don't know...comfortable there." She turned her face into Janna's temple and kissed her softly. "And being there with my soon-to-be wife made it even more special...extraordinarily special. Beyond words special."

"Fortunately for us, we don't always need words, do we?" Janna wrapped her arms around Ryan's, which were wrapped around her waist and leaned back into her embrace.

"No, we don't, my destiny." She reached out and picked up the ring box. "I can't wait to wear mine, Janna. I've never been into jewelry, but I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to putting this on. It's a declaration of my love for you...one that I'm so proud and happy to make."

The sweet declaration tore a small sob from Janna's throat. "Ryan...that would make a beautiful vow."

Ryan nodded against Janna's head and removed her other arm from her waist and, reaching around Janna, gently picked up the smaller of the two rings. She held it up so that she could read its inscription aloud.

"Janna, my destiny. Love, Ryan."

Janna did likewise with Ryan's ring.

"Ryan, my destiny. Love, Janna."

They both replaced the rings in the box and Ryan set it back on the dresser. Then Janna turned in Ryan's embrace and held her tightly, burying her face in her mate's chest.

"God, Janna...this love between us is unreal. I never, never would have thought it possible to love someone so much."

Janna shook her head, mirroring Ryan's sense of disbelief. "I know, Ryan. But it was destined. Just like the rings say. There was no fighting it. We made the agreement to be mates again before this life began." She pulled back slightly and looked up at her mate with a twinkle in her eye. "Not that we'd try to fight it, as amazingly good as it is."

"We'd be absolute fucking idiots if we did, baby." Ryan grinned and kissed Janna's head again. "I've been called hard-headed in my day, but even I'm not that stubborn."

"Thank the Gods!"

"Come on, my destiny, we were gonna work out before throwing the softball around."

"Let's go. I'll show you how good I am."

"Oh, baby, I know full well how good you are!"

"At softball, honey."

"Oh, right!"

Their cheerful, now routine, banter continued all the way down the stairs and into the exercise room.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Alright, Janna, nice pick up!" Ryan stood at home plate with the bat resting on her shoulder, pleased beyond words at Janna's skill and proficiency at softball. It meant that they would most likely be able to play together on Ryan's team for the remaining few months of the long season.

The hot August sun beat down on them, but Ryan didn't notice it. She was entirely too enraptured by her mate's grace, agility, and beauty. Also, she found her looking completely adorable in her form-fitting biking shorts, t-shirt and new "Tahoe" cap.

Janna was feeling much the same thing. Ryan displayed an absolute mastery of her sport and a natural leadership ability. I'll bet she ends of coaching one day...she'd better! And Janna knew she would never get enough of seeing Ryan in uniform, be it softball, cop, or otherwise.

As her mate trotted back to her position at second base, Ryan's thoughts drifted briefly back to the first time she and Janna had thrown the ball around together a few weeks before. She grinned as she remembered her relief at seeing Janna throw the ball for the first time. She repeated the thought again that she had back then, as it pleased her immensely: "She doesn't throw like a girl...thank God!" Her grin widened further as she remembered how their practice session had morphed into a playful wrestling match on the lawn and then into more sensual wrestling and had to be moved quickly into the house.

She was startled out of her delightful reverie when her teammate, Carrie, who was catching for her, snickered and said, "Earth to Ryan!"

Ryan simply turned to her friend and grinned widely, then nodded toward Janna and said, "Can you blame me?"

"Absolutely not, buddy!"

Ryan re focused on the task at hand. She and Janna had arrived for the game an hour early and were working out with some of the other players. It allowed a more extended workout opportunity for Janna than just the two of them working together did. Janna was exhibiting a definite proficiency at the position and a strong grasp of the basics. She looked to be a definite asset to the team, and Ryan was eager for the team manger to arrive and give Janna her informal tryout before the game started.

The ball came back in to the catcher, who tossed it to Ryan. Ryan tossed it up and brought the bat under it gracefully, placing a high fly out to short center. Janna quickly trotted backwards, calling the ball and waving off the advancing center fielder. She deftly made the catch and immediately set herself, making a bull's-eye throw to the catcher at home.

"Jesus...what an arm!" gasped Carrie, at home plate.

"I guess fifteen years of playing rock guitar builds muscle," Ryan offered proudly.

"Well, Ryan, I see she can catch flies and throw line drives, lets see how she handles grounders."

Ryan turned to see the manager, Sharon, leaning against the fence behind her.

"Hi, coach. You want to do the hitting?" Ryan offered her the bat.

Sharon's arms remained crossed in front of her chest and she waved Ryan on. "Nope. You go ahead."

Ryan called the play, "Okay, play's at first" and hit a blistering ground ball to Janna's right, near second base.

Her nimble mate was ready, and dove to her right, stretching out across her body and stopping the ball with her glove, quickly transferring the ball to her throwing hand, then setting herself and making a long throw to first, right on target. Ryan's teammates clapped and yelled encouragement.

The next shot was to Janna's far left and she had to literally dive to make the stop, ending on her stomach in the dirt and completing a shovel toss the remaining few feet to the first baseman. The play was accompanied by whoops and hollers and Ryan grinned unabashedly.

"Beautiful, Janna!" She shook her head in wonder. Her partner was much better than she had dared hope. "Okay, double play!"
She hit a hard, bouncing grounder to the shortstop, who stopped it and made a quick toss to Janna at second, who in turn pivoted gracefully on the bag and made a blistering throw to first.

"Jesus" muttered Sharon. "Okay, I've seen enough defense. Lets see some offense, Janna."

As Janna dutifully trotted in to home plate, kicking up yellow dust as she ran, she smiled and said, "You got it coach."

Sharon walked her star pitcher to the mound. "Okay, Ryan, I want to see some hot stuff. Give her your best. If she can hit you, she can hit anyone in the league." Looking Ryan pointedly in the eye, she added, "I don't want you taking it easy on her because she's your lover."

"No problem, Sharon. She's good." Ryan stared pointedly right back at her.

Ryan took the mound and waited for Janna to step to the plate. As she did, pitcher grinned at batter encouragingly and winked. The batter grinned and waggled her bat, setting herself in her stance. The pitcher hesitated momentarily, distracted by the batter's cute body, but then pulled herself together with a shake of her head, wound up, and made the pitch. Janna swung and missed, unused to the sheer velocity of Ryan's pitching. Undiscouraged, she took a deep breath and set herself again. The pitch was delivered, right down the middle of the strike zone, and when she swung, she caught a piece of it, fouling it down the third base line.

"Okay, babe, you got a piece of it. Just wait on it a bit more," Ryan yelled with encouragement.

"Zamora...are you supposed to talk to the opposing batters?" Her coach yelled out gruffly.

"Chill out, Sharon, for Christ's sake. She hasn't played in fifteen years. Give her a little time to get her swing back." Ryan eyed her coach pointedly with raised eyebrows until Sharon conceded the point by nodding and waving her hand.

Ryan set herself and gazed at Janna, eyebrows raised in encouragement. Janna smiled and nodded, then set herself. The pitch came in, again, in the strike zone and she stretched out and connected with it solidly, sending a line drive just over the shortstop's head.

"Yes!" Ryan jumped up and pumped her fist in the air triumphantly as her mate stood at the plate grinning widely, the bat resting on her shoulder.

The coach yelled from the sideline, "Okay, Norden, show me that wasn't a fluke."

Janna proceeded to do just that, having regained her rhythm and become used to Ryan's pitching, spreading balls all over the field, including one that landed just inside the left field fence.

"Okay, okay, that's enough." Sharon approached Janna with an outstretched hand and added, "Welcome to the team, Norden."

"Thanks, Sharon! I'm glad to be here." Janna smiled warmly at her new coach.

Ryan jogged in from the pitcher's mound and threw her arms around her mate, lifting her triumphantly off the ground. "Great job, baby. I knew you'd do fine!" She refrained from kissing Janna, though she wanted to very badly. The rest of the team approached and congratulated Janna, welcoming her to the team.

Sharon, her manner less brusque now that Janna had proven herself said, "Okay, Janna, we'll need you to start the next game. Come on over to the dugout and fill some forms out for me and you'll be all set."

Ryan walked Janna to the dugout with an arm draped around her shoulders, pride written all over her face. They sat down together and gulped cold water while Janna filled out the player's registration forms.

Ryan felt so happy that she was nearly floating and the feeling continued throughout the entire game, aided by the fact that her mate now sat in the dugout, much closer to her.

Two pairs of watchful eyes kept up a vigil on the two women throughout the game, and the slimy owners tracked them from a distance after the game ended.

As the team sat together in the bleachers after the game, Ryan kept getting an uneasy feeling, accompanied by the prickling sensation at the back of her neck that she associated with danger. Listening to her inner voice and becoming wary, she pulled Janna closer to her side and looked around. She didn't see anything or anyone out of the ordinary, but didn't let her guard down.

She was intelligent enough to realize that as out gay women, she and most of her teammates were targets. Problems in the past with harassment and outright physical abuse were behind the reason that she always carried her service revolver with her to games, securely fastened into it's holster in her locked athletic bag.

The attack on her precious mate further ground the need for safety into her consciousness, so she was not about to dismiss any seemingly out of place feelings she experienced, thereby letting down her guard. She pulled the athletic bag more firmly between her feet and looked around again.

Janna sensed her disquiet and asked with concern, "What is it Ryan?"

"Oh, probably nothing Janna, just an uneasy feeling." She didn't want to alarm Janna, but she didn't want to hide anything from her either, especially if she was in danger. She firmly believed that the better-informed one was about situations and environments, the safer one was. She looked seriously at her mate. "I feel like I'm being watched."

Janna returned the serious gaze. "Listen to your gut, Ryan. It usually speaks the truth."

"Yes, I'm realizing that, babe." She gave Janna a reassuring squeeze and looked around again. She kept her awareness on alert but didn't feel the uneasiness again.

As Billy and Adam, the slimy owners of the watchful eyes, climbed into Billy's beat up car in the complex's parking lot, he said, "Shit, Adam. I swear to God, every time we follow that fuckin' woman she can tell, and she looks around for us. This might not be so easy."

"Come on Billy, they're just a couple of stupid dykes. We won't have any problem with them."

"What are you, a moron? The big one's a cop! I think we're gonna have to maybe get a couple more guys to help."

"Yeah, that might be a good idea. I know a bunch of guys that wouldn't mind helping out."

Billy pulled his rolling piece of shit out of the lot and continued to think aloud. "Okay, yeah, we'll line up some help and do it after a late game here. They usually hang out and bullshit for a while and by the time they leave, there's hardly anyone left around here. That park over there next to the lot is nice and dark too. Yeah, that's the plan." He smiled cruelly as he silently contemplated the beating he would give the uppity women.

Unfortunately, or fortunately for Ryan and Janna, the idiot hadn't a clue as to whom he was dealing with, and would find his task far from easy when it went down.

-28-

Warning: This chapter contains a brief description of violence against children and explicit sex.

As Janna finished a set of leg curls she heard the kitchen door bang open. Surprised, she glanced at her watch and noted that it was only 5:00. Strange...she's rarely home before 6:30 on Mondays. She let the bar slowly come to rest and got up from the seat, grabbing a towel from an overhead bar as she stood up. She dried her face as she walked down the hallway to the kitchen and could hear her mate banging around noisily in there. When she entered the cheery room she was shocked to see Ryan sitting at the kitchen table, an uncapped fifth of Jack Daniels and a shot glass sitting in front of her.

Ryan looked at her coldly, filling Janna's heart with pain, and downed another shot. I knew she was having a bad day. I didn't do enough to try and help her. I was too wrapped up in shopping with my mom and planning the friggin' ceremony. At Janna's pained, crestfallen expression, Ryan's turned from one of ice, to one of pain, and Janna felt a glimpse of the pain and horror in her heart.

Ryan looked down at the shot glass wrapped in her large hand and said apologetically, "I'm not upset with you Janna. I had the fucking shittiest day that I think I've ever had." She poured another shot and downed it, and then another, then leaned back in the chair and threw her head back, blowing out a breath before exploding, "God damn it! God damn those mother fucking, child abusing assholes!" She slammed her fist down onto the table, making the shot glass jump six inches in the air and land on its side. She rubbed a hand through her hair, obviously in agony.

Janna slowly approached her and laid gentle hands on her shoulders. "Tell me about it, Ryan...please." As she reached out and began to soothe her partner's shattered nerves with her physical touch, she also reached out through their bond and sent love and reassurance cascading into her partner's soul.

The ice in Ryan's heart began to melt quickly under the loving barrage and she reached one hand up to link it with Janna's on her shoulder. She shook her head as tears began to track down her cheeks. "Jesus, Janna. Two babies. Two little kids...beaten to death by their so-called mother's methed out boyfriend." She took a deep breath. "John and I got the call...we were the first ones there...we knew right away it was too late. Fucking shit, Janna, they were..." She shuddered and brought her fist down hard on the table again. "Fuck!" she screamed. "I want to kill 'em...both of 'em. The mother never even tried to help. Drugged out, white trash, piece of shit." She glanced back at Janna, her eyes dark and bleak. "I nearly beat the shit out of the fucking prick. The paramedics had to pull me off him."

Janna continued her gentle touch from behind Ryan and leaned down, wrapping her in her arms. "I'm so sorry Ryan...for them and for you. Tell me what I can do." She spoke softly and gently kissed her mate's temple. Ryan closed her eyes and took a breath, exhaling pain and anger and sorrow.

The alcohol coursed through her veins, aided by her anger, and her pounding pulse intensified the effects of Janna's touch. She half turned and pulled Janna down into her arms, crushing her to her chest. Her throbbing pulse seemed to pool in her groin and she sought out Janna's lips, taking them forcefully. Janna gave herself up to her partner willingly, letting her take what she needed, and Ryan's kiss immediately became less demanding.

Ryan stood suddenly, pulling Janna with her and stormed out of the room, pulling her mate by the hand. She led Janna quickly through the house and up the stairs to their bedroom. When they reached the room, she shut the door behind her and wordlessly turned Janna and backed her up against it. She captured Janna's lips again hungrily and thrust a hand up the front of her shirt, roughly fondling a breast. When Janna moaned her consent, Ryan thrust a thigh between her legs, lifting her slightly off the floor, and wrapped her other arm around her waist. They stood there for several minutes, Ryan thrusting against Janna's center with her thigh, kissing her deeply. As Janna began to cry out her pleasure, Ryan stopped suddenly and guided her to the bed, pushing her down on her back.

She looked intensely at Janna and said, "I need you Janna. Right now."

Janna simply nodded her assent and opened her arms to her mate. Ryan fell into them and reached down, removing Janna's shorts and panties, then stepped back from the bed and struggled out of her own clothes, kicking her shoes off against the wall. She leaned down and kissed Janna, much more gently than before, and reached a long arm over to the bedside table, opened the drawer and snagged a leather harness, along with its accompanying hard latex cylinder.

"Is this okay Janna?"

"Yes. Always." Janna quickly shrugged out of her shirt and bra while Ryan prepared herself.

Ryan deftly secured the harness into place around her waist and hips and secured the appendage, her breath catching as it lodged against her anatomy. She leaned down over her mate and with one hand, guided the phallic object into her partner. Janna sucked in a breath and moaned, pulling Ryan firmly against herself and wrapping her legs tightly around her mate as she began to thrust.

With each thrust received by her loving and willing partner, the pent up pain, anger and horror in Ryan's body was slowly released. Janna held her securely and kissed her tenderly. The violence of what Ryan had seen that day was not mirrored in their lovemaking. The anger she wished to impart on the perpetrators of the horrendous crime was not inflicted on her mate. Their mutual love altered the emotion from one of negativity and fear to that of devotion and tenderness. They lost themselves and their pain and horror in the giving of pleasure. In life.

After Ryan had brought about Janna's release, she still needed more. She lay atop her mate, waiting for Janna's breathing to return to normal, then slowly pulled out and lie on her back. Janna sensed Ryan's need and gently reached down and undid the harness, removing it from her partner's body.

"May I use it now, Ryan? I haven't had a lot of practice, but I want to try." Janna's voice was soft and gentle.

Ryan's blood began boiling at the prospect and without a word, she sat up and helped to adjust the harness to her mate's smaller body. With the appliance in place, Janna rose to her knees above Ryan's reclining body. The off-white of the vibrator, which hung below Janna's hips, matched the creamy white color of her abdomen and breasts and at the erotic sight, Ryan was nearly consumed with lust.

She reached up and pulled her mate down on top of her, reaching down at the same time with one hand and guiding the vibrator into her body. Her breath caught as the instrument glided in: she had never ever allowed anyone to enter her in that way before. But at that moment she needed to be taken, gently, by her mate.

As Janna started a slow, rhythmic thrusting, Ryan moaned loudly and arched, wrapping her legs tightly up around Janna's back, the strong muscles in her legs aiding her partner's thrusts. Janna pressed her body firmly against her lover and kissed her deeply, then bent her head to her breasts and tended to them with her lips and tongue.

As the pleasurable sensations built within her own body, Janna found that she had to focus intently on not losing the rhythm that her partner so desperately needed. She remembered her Tantric breathing principles, which served to calm and balance her, also allowing her to enjoy the sensations more fully. Ryan opened her eyes when she felt the change within her mate, and mimicked Janna's actions, synchronizing their breathing.

"Oh, God, baby...yes!" She gasped. Ryan closed her eyes again as a long moan was torn from her throat, the pleasure escalating out of control. She felt too far gone to try the Tantric technique any further and just let the spasms carry her away, the horror of her day dissolving as she left her body, carried on the waves of love delivered by her beloved mate. Janna felt the climax rock her partner's body violently and slowed her strokes, holding her mate tightly and speaking soothing words of love into her ear as the spasms slowed and faded.

Afterward, Janna held Ryan for hours and they talked about everything she had witnessed. Janna soothed her mate with her touch, her words of devotion, her support, and her love. Ryan's tears shifted from those of pain, sorrow and anger to tears of love and gratitude. During the night, when nightmarish images interrupted her dreams, Janna was there to help soothe them away. There was one image, however, that would continue to haunt Ryan for the rest of her life.

The warrior sat astride her horse, surveying the scene before her. With bloodlust coursing through her veins, she raised her sword triumphantly and, filled with a primal joy, she gave her battle cry. Her men, spurred on by her excitement, redoubled their efforts. Their maiming, killing and looting took on a new intensity under the proud gaze of their leader. The warrior watched the carnage, pleased at the control she wielded over her men and at her good fortune at finding the small, but wealthy village.

Suddenly, from the corner of her eye, she spied a young man rushing toward her with an ax in his upraised hand, a look of sheer hatred haunting his eyes. She smiled with a pure evil intent, knowing she could dispatch him easily and that it would bring her great pleasure to do so. Just before entering within range of her sword, however, he stopped and flung his ax at her. She reacted instantly, so fast were her reflexes that she even had the time to feel a thrill at his surprise maneuver. She vaulted from her horse's back, sword in hand, flipping through the air, and landed in front of the shocked man. The shock barely had the time to reach his brain however, for as she landed, she fixed him with an icy smile and brought her sword to bear, running him through. As he fell to the ground, dead, she laughed with glee and wiped her sword on his pants.

She gazed around at the carnage that surrounded her and breathed deeply of the essence of war, letting it fill her dark soul and plunge her heart further into an icy darkness. As the thrill of the battle captivated her soul, she threw her head back and shrieked her battle cry once again. Her men responded in answer, their war whoops momentarily drowning out the screams and cries of the villagers.

Ryan sat bolt upright, flinging her mate off of herself and nearly off of the bed in the process. She looked around the room in confusion as her heart pounded wildly and sweat dripped from her face.

"Ryan! What's wrong?" Janna's terrified voice broke through her haze and Ryan found her mate's face in the moonlit room.

"A dream" she croaked. "A nightmare." She rubbed her hands through her damp hair. "But it was real."

Ryan hung her head in her hands as the horrible memories battered at her psyche. She shuddered and shivered involuntarily as she tried to comprehend the meaning of the horrendous images. Finally, it came to her with a startling, shattering clarity: she had been a monster. A cruel, bloodthirsty, inhuman monster. She swallowed hard and grimaced as a jolt of pain shot from her belly to her heart.

"Ryan, what is it? What's wrong?" Janna moved closer to her and tried to put an arm around her mate's shoulder, but Ryan winced and shied away from her.

With pain breaking her rough voice, she exclaimed, "No...don't touch me Janna."

Shrinking back as if she'd been hit, Janna sat, shocked by the statement. She swallowed the jolt of pain that had just hit her heart and implored, "Ryan...tell me what's going on...please."

Ryan felt the shocked hurt that her mate was feeling and let it jolt her back to her senses somewhat. She gingerly picked up Janna's hand and said, "I'm sorry, Janna. You didn't do anything wrong. It's me." She closed her eyes and swallowed before continuing. "I had another warrior dream...but it was different this time...I was different." She looked at her mate with dark, pain-filled eyes. "I was evil, Janna. I was murdering people...leading an army that was killing innocent villagers." She swallowed again and shook her head, dislodging tears from her eyes, and Janna felt the horror that filled Ryan's heart for the second time that day.

"Janna...my God...I...I got off on it. The killing gave me pleasure. I killed a man with my sword and felt ecstatic." She buried her face in her hands, momentarily unable to handle what the dream was implying.

Janna wrapped her arms around her partner and pulled her close as the tough cop began to sob. "It's okay, Ryan. We'll figure this out. We'll talk it out. It will be alright." She rocked her mate slowly in her arms, wondering how she could possibly help ease that particular pain. During her own dream journeys into that past life, she had glimpsed some of her warrior's darkness. Though she had never seen any images of brutality on the woman's part, she had sensed that there was an underlying mystery to her.

"Janna, what kind of monster was I?" Ryan whispered.

"You weren't a monster, Ryan. The woman that I loved was warm and loving and protective."

"How could I have been both, Janna?" Ryan raised her head and looked at Janna, confusion coloring her eyes and knitting her brows. "The woman that I was in that dream wasn't capable of loving anything...I know it...I could feel it, Janna. She was filled with hatred and darkness. Consumed by them." Ryan shivered, remembering the uncomfortable, icy cold that had filled her being. Janna wrinkled her brow and shrugged slightly, not having an answer for her mate. She gently brought Ryan's face back to her chest.

As Janna held her and caressed her back gently, Ryan could feel her mate's warmth soothing her soul and realization slowly dawned. "It was you, Janna...you came into her life," she breathed. She looked at her mate, blue eyes wide with wonder. "That has to be it. I know we ended our lives together, I mean, I'm pretty sure...I must have been that way before we met." She sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know...God, I can't shake the image of killing that man...of the feeling it gave me. I'm not sure there was any humanity in me."

Janna pulled her face around and gazed at her warmly. "There had to have been a glimmer of humanity, Ryan, for me to think that you were worth loving."

"So, you think that's a possible explanation...that I started out evil and you redeemed me?"

"I think it's possible, yes. I believe that love can conquer anything."

A small smile curved Ryan's lips. "You showed me that earlier tonight, didn't you?"

"I tried to baby, yeah." She pulled Ryan into a tight embrace. "God, I love you Ryan. Try not to let the dream bother you too much. I have no doubt that you became a wonderful human being at some point in that life...I've felt that. I know it without a doubt."

"Yeah, but Janna, what does it mean for me now? Is that darkness still in me?" She took a deep breath and let it out. "I've known, at times, that I'm capable of great violence, but I've always kept myself in check. I think the aikido has helped a lot with that. But, lately... earlier today with that scumbag and a few weeks ago when that jerk taunted you at the ballpark, I barely controlled myself. Actually, I think that I might have killed that guy today...he's lucky the paramedics and John were there."

She pulled back from her mate and faced her. "That's not good, Janna. I can't be that way and still be a good cop. I can't be having violent outbursts or impulses like that."

"Ryan, maybe that's why you had the dream: to remind you that you can control it. Dreams happen for a reason, even if they're not symbolic. I think the message of that dream is that you can overcome whatever darkness may exist in your soul. Ryan, we're all a combination of light and dark. You know that...we've discussed it."

She leaned forward and kissed her mate, then gazed at her seriously. "I have no doubts whatsoever about the composition of your soul, Ryan. You are an incredibly good, warm human being. It's natural to have anger at times; to lash out...it's human. I have no doubt that you can control your impulses. And, frankly, I don't blame you one bit for hauling off on the guy. Lets face it baby; any animal that kills kids deserves whatever punishment you can level on him, as far as I'm concerned."

Ryan reached forward and brought Janna's head to her chest, then lay back down. As they wrapped themselves around each other, Ryan said, "Help me get through the rest of the night Janna."

"With pleasure, my destiny."

The full moon looked upon her friends with empathy and sent an extra measure of healing energy to them within her silvery light.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ryan entered the kitchen and set her bag on the countertop. A delicious aroma was wafting from the oven and she tiptoed over and had a peek. Oh, yeah...chilies rellenos. My wife is a goddess! As the thought of her mate brought a smile to her lips, she realized that she could hear a pounding beat emanating from the back of the house. Smiling widely, she walked down the hallway towards the darkroom. The music was pulsating so loudly there that the framed photos on the wall were dancing to the beat.

She stopped at the closed door and shook her head, grinning, as she knocked. She had quickly learned never to enter the room unannounced after doing so the first time and flooding the room with white light, ruining several photos in the process. Her knock went unanswered, so she banged harder, at which the decibel level of the music instantly dropped ten or twenty points and the door opened.

Her mate's face greeted her, smiling somewhat sheepishly. "Hi, sweetheart. I'm sorry, I lost track of time." Her brows suddenly contorted in worry and she exclaimed, "Oh, crap...dinner!" and started to race from the room.

Ryan gently caught her by the arm and laughed. "It's okay, baby. I checked it. There's still ten minutes on the timer." She pulled her mate into a hug and relished the contact, running her hands along Janna's back. "Mm...I've needed this all day."

Janna responded to the touch by wrapping herself tightly around her mate. "Me too. I felt your tension today. Did you get my care package?"

"I did...thank you very much. I think you sent me two of them, didn't you?"

"Yep! Glad they helped, love. I felt the energy come right back from you too...along with that great jolt of Ryan-love. I will never get tired of that feeling."

"You'd better not."

"Count on it." She stretched up and kissed Ryan's lips, lingering there until they both had to part for air. She stepped back and looked at her lover coyly. "There'll be more of that later. Come here...I want to show you something."

Ryan, still stunned from the kiss, dumbly followed her, a silly grin plastered on her face. Janna switched on the room light and led her to the worktable in the center of the room. On it sat a very large, 18x20 print that consisted of a collage of images from their mountain trip.

"See what I've been working on? I'm thinking of doing it in a nice matte and frame and putting it over the couch in the living room. What do you think?"

Ryan stared at the image, dumbfounded. "Janna...how...how did you do this?"

"It's a composite image. I exposed each image separately on the same sheet of photo paper." She looked at Ryan expectantly. "Do you like it honey...if not..."

"My God, Janna...it's stunning! I love it, baby." She looked at Janna with eyes full of pride. "It's incredible...you are so talented, Janna."

Janna beamed at her mate. "Thanks!" She leaned over the photo and pointed to an image. "This is my favorite." It was a picture of the two of them standing in front of the American River. They stood arm-in-arm, both grinning widely. Their love for each other was obvious: it lit their faces and practically glowed in a halo around them.

In the upper right corner of the photo was an image of the full moon, on the left was a shot of Lover's Leap, and there were various other shots from locations they had visited, all combined artistically to flow together as one, with the image of the two of them and the river in the center. The resulting image was breathtakingly beautiful and conveyed, somehow, the true meaning of the trip for them.

"Janna, honey, this is so incredibly good...I can't believe it. I've never seen anything like it." She turned proud eyes on her partner again and added, "You are truly an artist, Janna." Another thought struck her and she added, "Will you do something like this from our commitment ceremony? That would be so special."

"I'd love to Ryan. That's a wonderful idea." Her cute, coy look returned and she said, "I'm working on another one too. Wanna see?"

"Sure!"

Janna led her around to the other side of the table, where she had laid out a handful of 4x6 prints. They were all shots of Ryan in vastly different poses and states of dress. The cop's jaw dropped open as she stared at them. "So this is why you've been following me around with a camera lately?" She looked at Janna expectantly.

"Yep! I hope you don't mind, Ryan...you just make such a gorgeous subject. You really could have been a model, you know."

Ryan burst into laughter. "Oh, yeah, right...I can just see that...me, prancing around and looking pretty."

"I didn't say you should be one, only that you could be. You're easily beautiful enough."

"Give me a break, baby, I am not." She threw an arm around her mate's shoulders.

"Ryan Zamora, you most certainly are. Do you ever look in the mirror?" She placed an indignant hand on her waist.

"Jesus, you look cute when you do that!"

"Don't change the subject! Here, this is one of my favorites." It was a shot of her beautiful partner in her swimsuit, lounging seductively on the beach at Lake Tahoe. "And here...I think this is my very favorite." She pointed to a picture of Ryan sitting relaxed against a fence at the softball field. Her usually ever-present sunglasses were missing, so her brilliant blue eyes were the focal point of the image. They seemed to glow from within, radiating the love she felt for the photographer.

"I remember when you took that last week. You looked so god damned cute in those biking shorts. That's lust you see there in my eyes." She grinned at her mate and pulled her closer.

"Yes, I recognize the emotion honey...I see it quite often, you know." Janna returned the grin. "Ooh, lets go...dinner's about ready."

They walked arm-in-arm to the kitchen, both hungry and ready to consume a delicious Mexican meal.

Janna set her fork down and sipped from her bottle of Foster's. "So, honey, was it really rough today...after yesterday? You felt very upset several times." She grasped Ryan's hand with her free one and rubbed it gently.

Ryan sighed. "It was, yeah. We got called into the big guy's office...because of the condition of the prick when we brought him in. Apparently, the paramedics couldn't say how he'd been injured and neither could the booking Sergeant or any of the other cops on the case, so it fell on us. He knew, of course, that it had to have been us...or one of us...and he said he didn't blame us...but it's his job, you know? To make sure we stay in line. John tried to claim responsibility, but it was all my doing, and I said as much. I guess the perp isn't saying anything at all."

"So, that means, what?"

"Possible disciplinary action of some sort. The Lt. said he'd keep it under wraps as much as he can, but it may come down on me. It's possible that nothing will come of it, because of the nature of the guy's crime...he said the department's behind me 1000%, and that a bunch of people have actually recommended me for a commendation." She took another bite of chili and shrugged. "I know I was wrong, so I'm ready to take whatever punishment they think I deserve." She looked pointedly at Janna and added, "I can't go around making my own rules just because I get pissed off at a perp. That'd make me a lousy cop." She picked up her Corona and took a large swig.

Janna continued caressing her hand. "Is that all?" She knew it wasn't, but wanted to give her partner the opportunity to offer the information.

"No...um...we had to go back to the scene for a while. That was tough." Her eyes misted and she cleared her throat. "That's when the energy you sent really helped me, Janna. It got me through it in one piece. You're a Godsend, my love." She leaned over and stole a kiss. "Mmm, love those rellenos."

"Lets share some more then."

-29-

A slight breeze blew Janna's hair into her eyes as she stood beside Ryan, enjoying the 70's cover band, and she absentmindedly brushed it aside. Ryan, who had her bike resting between her thighs and one arm casually resting on her partner's shoulder, turned and grinned at her. John Stewart stood nearby, talking with some Street Market patrons.

"These guys are tight" Janna remarked with appreciation, head nodding to the music as the band played the familiar tunes.

"They are. The singer's good, too." Ryan's fingers tapped out the beat against her lover's shoulder as her head bobbed along in time, matching her mate's movements. "I used to love this song."

"Me too. I love the Eagles." She and her mate grinned at each other as they both sang along quietly, in unison with the female singer.

**Well, I'm running down the road
Tryin' to loosen my load
I've got seven women on my mind,
Four that wanna own me,
Two that wanna stone me,
One says she's a friend of mine
Take it easy, take it easy
Don't let the sound of your own wheels
Drive you crazy.

They sang happily together, laughing and grinning, and then, as the band reached their favorite part of the song, they looked each other in the eye and sang more loudly:

Well, I'm a standing on a corner
In Winslow, Arizona
And such a fine sight to see
It's a girl, my Lord, in a flatbed Ford
Slowin' down to take a look at me
Come on, baby, don't say maybe
I gotta know if your sweet love is
Gonna save me...

Ryan laughed and pulled Janna against her side. "Oh, God, Janna, I used to love that part." Then she looked at her mate quizzically and added, "You know what? I always pictured that girl in the Ford with blonde hair blowing in the wind." She smiled warmly at her partner.

"Really? I always pictured a girl with dark hair. That's amazing!" Janna returned her mate's adoring gaze and reached out to tuck a strand of hair back under her helmet. "Ryan, you have a beautiful voice."

"Oh, baby, I don't know...I'm completely untrained."

"Then it's all the more impressive. We should sing together more often. That was fun."

"Yeah, we should." Ryan gazed at Janna with love written expressively on her features. "I'm afraid we're making a spectacle of ourselves." She raised her dark eyebrows to punctuate her point, but still grinned.

"Screw 'em." Janna grinned right back at her. "I love you, baby."

"Love you too, my destiny."

"Ah, Jesus..." They turned to see Ryan's other partner standing behind them, grimacing. He frowned as he added, "Janna, what the hell have you done to her?" He was betrayed by a small grin, softening his grumble.

Ryan returned the grin and grumbled back at him, "Tough shit, Stewart. Get used to it." She pulled Janna close again and added, "Because I'm marrying this lady in a few weeks."

"Shit, Ry...how could I forget that?" He grinned again. "Oh, Janna, I forgot...Sara wants to know how we can help out...you know, with the food, or anything else."

"Thanks John. I'll give her a call. Between us and my parents, we pretty much have everything covered, but I'll think about it."

"Sounds good. Well, partner...lets get a move on. We're supposed to be patrolling, you know."

Just then, Ryan felt a peculiar hunger pang and realized that it didn't belong to her. She looked at Janna and grinned then turned to John and said, "Why don't we take our dinner break now, John? I'm kinda hungry."

"Sure thing...good idea. I think I'll go up to the Café...you want something from there?"

She looked at Janna, who shrugged indifferently. "I think maybe we'll hit the taco booth back down the street."

"Okay, bud...see you in a few." He threw a leg over his bike and took off slowly down the street, returning waves to friendly kids who greeted him.

"Good call on eating now, honey...I'm starving!" Janna patted her mate's back.

Ryan grinned, knowing very well just how hungry Janna was. "I know, baby...I can feel it!"

"You're feeling my hunger?" Janna's face lit up as Ryan nodded. "Cool!" She shook her head in wonder, adding with a smile, "You feel it when I'm hungry, and I feel it when you're horny!"

Ryan grinned. "I guess that says something about the nature of our respective appetites, doesn't it?"

"It sure does. And yes, baby, we'll do something about your hunger a little later."

"I know we will...thank you baby." Ryan gave Janna a squeeze around the waist before removing her arm and grasping the handlebars of her bike. She started slowly pedaling as Janna walked beside her. They headed happily in search of tacos, both heads with wheels turning, planning their late-night recreational pursuits.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ryan leaned back against the wall of the booth and took another draught from her mug of ice-cold Corona. She felt completely relaxed as she enjoyed the evening with Janna. At the moment, her mate was up near the stage, speaking with the manager of the young band she had played with the previous month, on that infamous night when both their lives had been changed forever.

The young musicians were tuning up their instruments and the slightly cacophonous sounds were clashing with the Smiths tune that was blasting forth from the jukebox. The Rainbow Lounge was packed: apparently the young band, Attack of the Pansies, had been enjoying good word-of-mouth. Ryan wondered if word had leaked of Janna's intention to play with the group again. She suspected that it had, as she had noticed more than a few interested looks in her mate's direction, and not just from women.

There was an air of excitement and expectancy in the room, and Ryan nearly shivered in anticipation. She had never seen her lover play live and was looking forward to it very much. She had heard Janna practicing quite a lot over the previous few days and knew that the crowd was in for a treat. It had sounded to her as if the group and their guest artist planned to tone down some of the songs a bit: decreasing the punk edginess, perhaps to appeal to a wider range of listeners. Janna had mentioned that the band had asked her advice regarding some of their arrangements and knew that her mate had been busily faxing sheet music back and forth with the band's manager.

As the musicians warmed up, Ryan's mind drifted, slowly going back over the last five weeks. They had been the happiest, most fulfilling five weeks of her life. Mind-bendingly so. Her life had changed so enormously in that time that she almost couldn't comprehend the changes. She couldn't even attempt to rationalize them. She could only re-experience them through her emotions, which in itself was rather shocking for her, as she had a rational, logical mind. More so than an emotional one. She grinned and shook her head as her disbelief at her great fortune made itself felt once again. I've fallen deeply in love and am getting married...in three weeks. Jesus Christ! And I'm not the least bit uncertain or hesitant. I'm looking forward to it so much that I'm practically counting the minutes until we're joined. Incredible!

She glanced over at her mate again. No, she's incredible. Absolutely incredible. At that moment, Janna grinned at the manager, Jeff, and patted his arm before turning and making her way back to the booth where Ryan sat, legs outstretched on the seat. Ryan withdrew her legs so that Janna could sit next her and her mate slid into the booth beside her. Ryan lazily threw an arm around her shoulders and drew her in for a long, slow kiss.

They parted slightly and Janna gazed into Ryan's sparkling blue eyes, saying, "Mmm, Ryan, maybe I won't play with the band tonight after all. Maybe we'll just leave now and I'll play with you at home."

"Later, baby...definitely later. I want to see you play first." Ryan pulled her in for another long kiss. "Mm, though I do see the advantages to your idea."

"I thought you would." Green eyes sparkled, mirroring hers. As they sat gazing into each other's eyes, lost in the depths as only lovers can be, they were both startled when they heard someone speak.

"Oh, my goodness Ray, do you see this?" An effeminate voice spoke, rich with merriment.

"I do, baby, and I never would have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. The toughest cop in town, Ryan Zamora, star struck by love. Will wonders never cease?" Ray's deep voice was also filled with merriment.

"Alright you fairy asses, cut the crap, huh?" Ryan fairly grumbled the request. Janna was amused to note that her stoic mate was blushing slightly.

"Hush, you!" Jose cajoled. "You just let us have our fun. This is a once in a lifetime moment and we are going to enjoy it." He and his mate seated themselves in the booth across from the women and Jose grabbed Janna's hand.

"Janna, we're so happy for you two. We've been in love with this terrific lady for years and are so glad to see her finally happy...and with someone so nice too."

Janna's face lit up with sincerity and she replied, "Thank you Jose. That's very nice of you to say." She looked at Ryan and clasped their hands together on top of the table.

Ryan cleared her throat. "Um, Ray, Jose...we want to share something with you." She shifted her gaze back to Janna and became lost again in her eyes momentarily. "Um...Janna and I are getting married...in a few weeks." She smiled at her mate and brought their linked hands to her lips. She continued, "We're having the ceremony up at Lake Tahoe, with just family, but a week or so later we'd like to have a party here for the rest of our friends. Would you guys take that on for us? We're probably talking a few hundred people."

"Oh, my God!" gasped Jose. "I knew it!" He clasped his hands together with joy. "Ray, honey, didn't I tell you? Oh, this is wonderful! Yes, yes, yes we'll do your party!"

Ray smiled. "Yes, that is wonderful. Congratulations. I think a toast and a round on the house is in order. Do you mind?" He looked from Ryan to Janna expectantly.

"Thanks Ray, but don't make a fuss, huh?" Ryan looked as uncomfortable as she suddenly felt.

"Oh, honey, I don't mind. I'd love to share a little bit of our happiness with everyone here." Janna squeezed Ryan's hand and implored her with serious, yet twinkling, green eyes.

Ryan gave in under the assault and smiled weakly, nodding her assent.

"Wonderful!" Jose exclaimed.

Ray stood up and went over to the bar, where he asked the bartender for a mug of beer. Receiving it, he tapped on it with a spoon to get the attention of the room's occupants. When a hundred or so pairs of eyes were trained on him he began, "Ladies and...ladies! I want to offer a toast. My good friends, Ryan Zamora and Janna Norden have just informed me that they are to be married very soon." He raised his glass and looked to his two friends. "To Ryan and Janna...here's to a very long and happy life together. May you always be blessed with the love of each other and of good friends!"

A chorus of, "Here, here!" went up as everyone in the room raised their glasses and mugs and drank to Ryan and Janna's happiness.

Ray then added, "The next round is on the house" and an even louder cheer went up.

Under the intense attention, Ryan turned mildly red, but raised her glass to the room in thanks while Janna grinned widely beside her and then lay her head happily on Ryan's shoulder.

With that, the room lights went down, and the already relatively dim room became even darker. The murmur of voices rose somewhat in anticipation and then the band took the small stage.

Ray joined them and announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming one of our most popular young bands, Attack of the Pansies, along with former Tribe member, session artist and producer, Janna Norden!"

The crowd applauded enthusiastically and Janna arose, leaned down, kissed her mate deeply and made her way through the tables to the stage. She picked up a guitar, slung it low from her shoulders and waited for the drummer to sound the opening beats.

"One, two, one, two, three, four!"

As one, Janna and the other two guitarists jumped up and pounded out the opening chord as they hit the ground, launching into a powerful, lightspeed rendition of a Pansy Division song.

Janna quickly fell into the groove, as she had the month before, and let the joy of playing overtake her. She looked luminous: completely at one with her instrument and the music, with a transfixed expression of pure joy on her face. Ryan's breath caught in her chest and she sat enraptured. Janna's playing was flawlessly good, but it was her beauty that took Ryan's breath away.

Uncharacteristically, Janna's attention became separated from the music as she saw her lover's gorgeous countenance, seemingly mesmerized. A huge smile lit her face as she felt Ryan's love and admiration for her through their link. She sent the love right back to her mate, accompanied by a wave of ecstasy borne of her musical high. Ryan felt the hit of energy like a jolt and her eyes closed involuntarily. She rode the ecstatic wave and experienced a natural high the likes of which she had never felt, except during sex with Janna. When she opened eyes still glazed with delight, Janna was still watching her and smiled her love. Ryan pressed her hand to her heart and swallowed hard as tears sprang to her eyes. She silently mouthed, "I love you" and Janna did likewise, never missing a beat of the song.

The exchange was noted by more than a few of the patrons and deeply touched them all. Ray and Jose stood near the bar, arm in arm, swaying to the beat, as Jose witnessed the loving exchange between his two friends, and felt tears begin a path down his cheeks.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Ryan" Janna gasped. "You take my breath away every time." She sat on the edge of the whirlpool, surrounded by candles, whose light glinted warmly off of her skin. Her mate's head still rested against her lower abdomen and Janna ran her fingers through her thick, silky hair, gently coaxing Ryan up and then slipping down into her lap.

They embraced tightly and kissed. Janna tasted her body's essence on her partner's lips and moaned deeply. Ryan's arms rose out of the warm, bubbly water, and gently pressed her mate's head more firmly against her mouth. Their tongues danced and teased, tearing a deep moan from Ryan's throat.

"God, baby, what you do to me" she mumbled into Janna's mouth.

"What would you like me to do to you, love? Right now?" Janna bent her head and her words tumbled out against the sensitive skin of Ryan's throat.

Ryan's only answer was an incoherent moan, but Janna was able to translate. She bent her head to her mate's breasts, the tips of which sat enticingly just above the water line. After paying them some devoted attention with her lips and tongue and filling her mate's body with a swirling desire, she gently coaxed Ryan up onto the side of the tub where she had been moments before and paid Ryan the same loving devotion that she had so recently bestowed on Janna.

Ryan gently wrapped her legs around Janna's head, which encouraged her mate to kiss and lick her inner thighs in addition to her more sensitive anatomy. Ryan quickly lost all control under the loving barrage and plummeted into her favorite pleasurable chasm.

A few hours later, they were again entwined in love, this time in their bed, in their favorite Tantric position. As they rode a wave of ecstasy together that had lasted long minutes, Ryan felt that she might pass out from the pleasure, so Janna slowed the pace, bringing her mate a little closer to Earth.

"Are you okay, love?"

"Yes, baby, perfect. Thanks for...ohhh...yesss...thanks...for slowing it down some." Ryan's lips left Janna's and she suckled at the soft skin of her mate's neck, feeling her pulse pounding beneath them.

"Mmm...yes...your welc...welcome." She turned her head and captured Ryan's lips again, renewing the surge of passion between them. They rode out the remaining cascading waves of passion and finally rested, still entwined, bodies coated with a sweet sheen of sweat mixed with aromatic bath oil.

Sometime later, Ryan murmured, "Janna, I had the best time watching you play tonight." She gently played with a strand of yellow hair as her mate lay in her arms.

"And I had a great time too. It meant so much having you there." She softly caressed her mate's firm stomach with gentle fingers. "I haven't felt such a love of playing in years and years. Your presence there made it so special for me." She softly kissed the delicious breast beneath her lips. Ryan swallowed the jolt of desire the action caused, knowing that she no longer had the strength to act on it.

"Um...uh...why don't you consider playing more often?"

"I might, but only occasionally and only as long as it remains a lot of fun. Actually, the band asked me tonight if I would produce their CD and I agreed. It's something I can do in my spare time, here in town, and I really do enjoy working with them."

"That's great, honey. I'm sure you'll do a great job for them. So there's a studio here in town?"

"Yeah, believe it or not! It's right over on the Avenue, next to the music store. We'll probably start sometime next week, maybe even this weekend if they can get the studio time."

"Cool, baby." Ryan nuzzled Janna's hair and yawned. "G'night my destiny."

"'Night, love. Sweet dreams."

"Mm, I hope so. You too."

The bard sat in a small cleared area within a forest, on a log that sat before a cozy fire. The fire warmed her body, but the events of the day had warmed her soul. Her incredible soul mate, who had physically died several days prior, had had her life restored by the food of the gods, ambrosia. Her best friend and soul mate now stood nearby in a larger clearing, bidding their Amazon friends and their friend Autolycus goodbye.

As she stared into the fire, the bard felt the tremendous joy that having her friend back brought to her. She was overjoyed beyond words. Beyond all reason. And there was more. Her friend had kissed her. Her right hand unconsciously rose to her mouth and caressed her lips where they had kissed. Yes, her friend's spirit had been in Auto's body at the time, and technically it had been he who had kissed her, but she knew without a doubt that her soul mate had been behind the loving kiss. She found herself wanting to kiss her friend again. She ached to do so. She loved her more than life itself and was ready to take their friendship to a higher level. And apparently so was her friend.

The friends now gone, her warrior approached and tentatively sat beside her on the log, holding her hands out to the fire, trying to warm them. She glanced shyly at her bard friend from the corner of her eye. "I can't seem to shake the cold tonight."
"I'm not surprised, Xena, since your body was lifeless for three days. Come here." The bard held her arms open to her friend. The warrior hesitated, but only briefly, and then moved closer to her friend, who then wrapped her arms around her. The bard rubbed her hands along her friend's chilled skin, trying to increase the circulation. The warrior stiffened at the touch and started to pull away.

"No, Xena. Let me...please." She implored her friend with love-filled green eyes. "You're always taking care of me. Let me take care of you for a change."

The warrior's eyes, violet in the glow of the campfire, softened as she smiled. "Okay, Gabrielle. Thanks." She sank back into her best friend's embrace and shivered, more from the closeness than from the cold. "That feels nice."

"Mm, hmm. It does." The bard turned her head slightly and kissed the black hair under her lips. "Xena...you kissed me."

The warrior cleared her throat. "Yes...yes I did." She turned her head slightly to look at her friend. In a quiet voice she muttered, "I'm sorry, Gabrielle...I just...I..."

The bard quietly interrupted her. "I'm not sorry, Xena. I've wanted you to do that for a long time now." She locked a serious gaze on her friend, adding, "And I've wanted to tell you..."

This time the warrior interrupted. "I know, Gabrielle." The warrior gazed at her almost shyly. "When I was...gone...I could hear your thoughts."

"You heard my thoughts? Then you know how I feel?" Her bard returned the shy gaze.

The warrior reached up to caress her cheek. "Yes...and I love you too, Gabrielle. I've been wanting to do that for a long time, too." She continued the tender caress and slowly leaned forward and captured the bard's lips. As soft lips met and the kiss deepened, an energetic bond between two heart centers took root and a warm fire began that filled the two souls, beginning a lifelong and beyond, deep, all-encompassing love.

Ryan and Janna both smiled in their sleep and tightened their grips on each other at the culmination of their happy, shared dream.

** Song lyrics are copyright J. Browne and G. Frey, 1972.

-30-

"Girls, here's to our new second baseman!" Sharon's deep-pitched voice rose above the din of the Rainbow as her players raised their glasses, saluting the new player whose skilled play had helped them to another victory. The new second baseman's mate grinned even more widely than she did, clinking her mug against her partner's and happily downing the rest of her brew. She refilled her glass, stood suddenly and held up her mug, preparing to offer another toast. Janna looked up at her quizzically, wondering what she was up to. She's drunk!

Janna was right. Her mate was slightly drunk. However, she held herself very well in spite of the fact.

"Ladies, one more toast." Ryan gazed down at Janna beside her, not trying to hide the adoration in her eyes. "To the special lady who has agreed to become my wife in..." She glanced at her watch, "Twenty-two days." She grinned widely as her mate blushed and hid her face.

The pronouncement was met with a chorus of hoots and cheers, accompanied by hugs and backslapping.

"Way to go, Ry! Where's the honeymoon?" Carrie asked with a glint in her eye.

"Wouldn't you like to know, Carrie?" Ryan smiled as she shook her friend's hand.

"Okay, Ry...when and where's the bachelor party?" Jackie looked at her expectantly from behind her beer mug.

This time it was Ryan who blushed and hid her face. She recovered and waved her hands as she proclaimed, "Oh, no! There will be no bachelor party...just like I told my partner John."

"Oh, come on Ry...you can never have too many double-ended dildos or pairs of edible panties!" The group laughed and Janna blushed even redder as someone else chimed in, "Not to mention strippers!"

"If you guys even so much as think about doing something like that to us, I'll kill you all." Ryan's voice was so menacing, despite the slight grin, that her friends immediately dropped any ideas that had begun to form in their warped minds.

Janna reached up and grabbed her mate's hand, pulling her back down into her chair. Leaning over, she kissed her soundly and gave her a thankful smile. Ryan leaned her forehead against Janna's temple and closed her eyes, reveling both in the jovial atmosphere and in her mate's closeness. She whispered so that only Janna could hear, "I love you, Janna."

Janna breathed deeply of her mate's essence and sighed as she felt Ryan's devotion carried through their bond. She could also feel something else and let the alcohol she had imbibed speak for her as she leaned into her mate and whispered hotly into her ear, "I wanna fuck you silly later, Ryan."

Janna's uncharacteristic use of the harsh word set her blood aflame and Ryan swallowed hard as her breath caught in her throat. She let the desire she was feeling for her mate escalate nearly out of control and she leered at her as she drawled, "Why wait until later, baby?" Her eyes sparkled with more than love as she gazed at her partner.

Janna reflected the leer with one of her own and drawled as well, "What do you have in mind?"

"Follow me and I'll show you." Ryan stood up and held out her hand. Janna grasped it, stood and was pulled by Ryan away from the table and toward the restroom. They entered the surprisingly tidy room and Ryan led her into a stall, closing the door behind them.

She immediately turned Janna and pushed her gently against the door, capturing her lips hungrily as she did so. Janna returned the hungry kiss, growing more ravenous for her mate by the second. As they kissed, a large hand found its way up Janna's shirt and caressed a breast. Janna wrapped a leg around her partner, pulling her closer.

"Jesus, baby, I want you." Ryan's voice was rough with desire and only served to excite her partner more. Janna pushed Ryan's shirt up above her bra and attacked her breasts with her mouth through the sports bra. Ryan threw her head back and moaned, at which Janna found her exposed throat and began nibbling while her hands roamed under the waist band of her shorts.

"No, baby, me first...please?" Ryan's lips muttered the request against Janna's hair. Janna complied by bringing her hands up to Ryan's face and pulling it down, kissing her deeply. Ryan responded in turn by pushing Janna's shorts down off of her hips and beginning sensual caresses, one hand in back, one in front.

"Oh, Jesus, Ryan..." Janna's breath became ragged as her partner started a rhythmic stroking and her lips traveled down her chest. Their surroundings lent an illicit air to the encounter, which seemed to escalate the excitement for both women, their passion skyrocketing. "Oh, God..." Janna surrendered completely to the intense pleasure and rapidly moaned her release into Ryan's mouth. Ryan supported her partner in strong arms as her body was racked by the climax, their mouths never losing contact.

Before Ryan could react, Janna had turned her and switched their positions. She lifted the tight sports bra up, pushed it above her lover's breasts and consumed them hungrily. Ryan threw her head back hard against the stall door and grasped Janna's head in her hands. "Oh, baby...yesss..."

When Janna had her fill momentarily she turned Ryan so that she faced the stall door. She pulled her tall partner against her body, kissing and gently biting her back while reaching her arms around in front of Ryan. One hand found its way to an excited breast while the other dipped down below her shorts into soft, wet curls. Ryan moaned loudly and arched back into her mate. The two strong, talented hands began a synchronous double massage that very quickly had the strong cop writhing uncontrollably and calling her mate's name over and over. Janna reached up and gently covered Ryan's mouth with her hand to muffle her screams of pleasure. She held her mate as the spasms subsided and then turned her around, embracing her tightly.

They held each other without speaking and then kissed again, this time slowly and gently, communicating their devotion. As they helped each other to straighten their clothes, Ryan said with a warm smile, "We're gonna talk about this later, okay?"

Janna returned the warm smile and nodded. As they exited the restroom, Janna leading Ryan by the hand, more than a few knowing looks and smiles met them as they made their way back to the table. Neither woman could fight the sappy, contented grin that lit her face, so neither even tried.

~~~~~~~~~~

Janna lay back in the cooled spa water, hands behind her head, eyes closed, completely relaxed. She enjoyed the twittering of birds in the many trees surrounding her property. The slight breeze also carried on it a lovely fragrance from the multitude of flowers that inhabited the yard. She and Ryan had gone nuts on a recent weekend and added even more in pots, surrounding the gazebo on three sides with them.

As she enjoyed the quiet late afternoon, she felt the spa water stir and smiled as she felt her partner quietly creep up between her legs. I must have fallen asleep, because I didn't feel her coming home. She smiled and kept her eyes closed as the thought wound itself lazily through her relaxed brain and she felt her partner's tongue gently stroke her lips. She opened her mouth with a grin and let her partner's tongue wrap itself around hers. Their tongues danced lovingly before Ryan dipped her head and stroked a happy nipple with the same playful tongue.

"You forget your suit baby?" she mumbled against Janna's breast.

"Nope, just too lazy to...uh...ahh...put it on." She opened her eyes, finally, to see two sparkling blue eyes looking up at her through black lashes. "Where's yours?" she asked playfully.

"You know I'd much rather be in this suit." She bent her head and tended to her loving strokes with renewed vigor.

"Oh, my God, Ryan..."

Some time later, they reclined together lazily. "Lets get Chinese take out tonight baby."

At her mate's silent nod, Ryan reached a long arm out of the water and grabbed the cordless phone, quickly placing their usual order with their favorite Chinese restaurant. "That was easy!" She grinned and wrapped her arms around her mate's waist again. "It'll be here in about a half hour."

"Mmm." Janna rolled her head against Ryan's chest, enjoying the feeling of her mate's supportive body under her tired back.

"You seem tired tonight, Janna. You okay?" She kissed her mate's head as concern colored her voice.

"A bit, yeah. My back got really tired leaning over the control console at the studio all day. I forgot how tiring that could be."

She smiled as hot hands placed themselves against her back, the energy already flowing strongly. "Oh, yes...thank you Ryan. That feels so good."

"Anytime, love. You should have asked."

"Too lazy. And you feel too good...I didn't want you to move."

As she shared Reiki with her partner, Ryan's mind drifted back a few days. On Saturday Janna and her young musical charges had begun work on the group's first CD at the small recording studio in town.

Ryan smiled as the recalled walking in on the proceedings with bags of burgers for everyone. She had called around lunchtime to see if her mate had had lunch, and hearing that they planned to work through lunch, had offered to make an In and Out Burger run. Her offer was accepted gratefully by her always-hungry mate and she had been more than pleased to help out.

Ryan entered the cool, dark lobby, which provided a welcome respite from the glaring, burning sun, and knocked her glasses from her eyes, letting them hang from the cord around her neck. She approached the young, heavily pierced and tattooed girl who sat at the front desk.

"Hi, I'm looking for Janna Norden...she's producing Attack..."

The young thing interrupted her with a wide smile. "Oh, Janna, yeah...they're in studio one. It's the first door on the right." She pointed vaguely in the direction of a hallway beyond the desk.

"Thanks."

As Ryan made her way towards the appointed doorway, she could hear the thump, thump, thump of bass and drums reverberating against the walls. She pushed open a heavy wooden door with her foot and entered the small control room. The music was blasting, so the room's occupants were unaware of her entrance. She quietly set the many white bags of food on a couch that sat against the wall next to the door, and stood and watched the proceedings.

The wall in front of the control board was mostly glass, with a door set to one side that led to a room beyond. The small room beyond was packed with equipment and musicians. Good thing they aren't a large group. Ryan thought as she surveyed the scene. Her attention didn't stay on the recording room long, as her mate's frenetic activity at the soundboard drew her attention away.

As Janna sat working controls on the enormous board, her whole body was in motion, bopping along to the music, head nodding boisterously in time to the pounding beat. My little headbanger...God, I love that woman! Ryan smiled as she watched her mate and her own foot began tapping in time to the beat. She watched as Janna's hands flew skillfully over the masses of controls and was struck by pride at her mate's obvious skill.

Suddenly, Janna's head stilled and she straightened, then turned around and spotted her mate. She returned Ryan's wide, warm smile and mouthed, "Hi babe."

Ryan returned the silent greeting and pointed to the food bags on the worn sofa. Janna nodded and raised a finger, indicating she would be finished shortly. Jeff, the band's manager then turned and waved at Ryan before getting up and checking out the food bags. He leaned toward Ryan and said, "I'll hit the soda machine...what would you and Janna like?"

"Cokes, if they have 'em. Thanks!"

A minute or so later, the last power chord faded into feedback and then into silence and Janna said enthusiastically, "Great take guys...lets stop and eat!"

The idea was met with enthusiasm and the young men poured into the control room, each of them greeting Ryan with friendly waves.

"Hi guys...you sound great." Ryan returned the friendly greetings and then Jeff returned, arms laden with cans of soda.

"Thirty minutes, guys. We only have the studio until 2:00" Janna directed and motioned Ryan to the sofa as the band mates spread out around the room, using up the available chairs and the rest of the short sofa. Ryan sat and pulled a grinning Janna onto her lap. Janna handed her a wrapped cheeseburger and grabbed the solitary grilled cheese for herself.

After lunch Ryan asked if she could hang out and watch for a while and was told it would be fine. She stretched out on the sofa, one arm lying along the back and one leg stretched along the cushioned seat. She watched with interest as Janna guided the musicians and their young manager (who doubled as the drummer's older brother) through the recording process. She was able to offer the expertise that her own experience provided, as both musician and producer. More than once, she entered the recording room and picked up an instrument to better get an idea across. The young men eagerly accepted her input, very obviously respecting her ability.

As she watched, Ryan wondered if perhaps the young men's respect of Janna had less to do with her musicianship and more to do with their shared queerness. She wondered how well most young male musicians would accept a female producer, regardless of how talented she was. Janna shared a unique bond with the young band in that they all played in all-gay bands. Bands whose repertoire consisted almost entirely of queer-based songs.

Janna demonstrated the chord change one more time and then grinned and launched into several loud measures of the song. "Sorry, couldn't resist!"

Jeff's laughing voice floated in over the speaker from the control room, "Hey Janna, why don't you just join the band?"

Janna threw her head back and laughed as the band members voiced their agreement. "Sorry guys, I have so been there and done that!" She set the guitar back on its stand and returned to the control room, smiling at her mate who was grinning like the Cheshire Cat. "Don't you start now, Ryan!"

Still grinning, Ryan replied, "I wouldn't dream of it babe!"

The next few hours had flown by as the band accomplished quite a lot. Ryan stayed the whole time, enjoying immensely watching her mate work, as well as the friendly camaraderie between everyone involved.

Ryan returned to the present when she felt her mate settle more fully against her and realized that the energy flow had slowed, signaling its completion.

"You still here baby?" Janna asked lazily.

"Yeah. I was thinking about Saturday. I had a great time at the recording session."

"Good. I'm glad you didn't find it boring." She added with a grin, "Or the music too loud."

"Nah, I'm getting into it, actually. And the recording process itself is fascinating. Your knowledge really impressed me too, love." She kissed her mate's head and leaned a cheek against the yellow hair.

"Thanks Ryan. You're welcome to hang out down there as much as you'd like. The guys all really like you and of course, I enjoy your company."

"I'll do that baby. How many more sessions will you need, do you think?"

"Not many, I think. It's going very smoothly. I'm not doing a lot of complicated producing...they have such a great live sound...they're so accomplished...that I'm really doing minimal production. It's one of their strongest points, along with the strong songwriting."

"They played a couple of your songs didn't they?"

"Yeah, they did. They asked if they could and I don't mind. I'm flattered, really."

"You should be baby. They're great songs."

"And you're not the least bit biased are you?" Janna asked, grinning as she turned slightly in her mate's arms to see her face.

"No, I'm not. I'm being honest with you, Janna" came the honest reply.

"Thank you Ryan." She lifted a long-fingered hand to her lips and kissed it.

"No problem Janna." She stretched under her mate. "You've got me prunin' again, baby. Lets get out, huh? The food should be here any minute anyway."

-31-

Ryan stopped the mower and leaned against it as she attempted to mop up the sweat that was pouring off of her brow. She had thought that by mowing the lawn at 9:00am she would bypass the worst of the day's heat. However, the heat wave that was currently tormenting the valley was cruel. It was only 10:00 and the thermometer had already nearly hit the century mark. Jesus, it's gonna hit 115 today. Glad I have the day off. She replaced the old baseball cap on her head and trudged on, pushing the roaring machine around the flowerbed that she had weeded the previous weekend.

Janna, likewise, stopped to mop up her own rivulets of sweat as she stood on the hot brick walkway. She was sweeping up grass clippings behind her mate. When she saw that Ryan was nearly finished, she rested the broom handle against a nearby tree trunk, enjoying the momentary shady respite from the hot sun, and went into the kitchen. She returned minutes later with two large glasses of iced tea and walked to where her mate was dumping clippings into the compost pile.

"Oh, baby, thanks" Ryan grinned as she took the offered refreshment and quickly downed it.

Janna shook her head and grinned at her, asking, "Would you like another one?"

Ryan put on her best, "Yes, please" face and grinned widely, offering her mate the empty glass. Janna grabbed it and returned to the house for more.

Ryan called after her, "Thank you baby!" and then pushed the mower into the small shed and secured the door.
As she walked back along the walkway and finished her partner's sweeping she heard a cheery, "Morning!" and turned to see the mail carrier.

She waved a friendly hello and approached him. "Hot one today, huh?"

"You better believe it. I'm glad I have the weekend off." He handed Ryan a handful of mail. "Here you go Ms. Zamora. Have a good one."

"Thanks Eric. Hey, drink lots of water today!"

He waved and nodded as he turned and headed back down the driveway.

Ryan set the broom back against the tree and went around to the back deck, taking a seat on the redwood steps. Janna returned to find her mate reading a letter, the rest of the mail sitting beside her on the deck. She handed the glass to Ryan, who grabbed it absentmindedly as she continued to read. "Thanks, Janna." She took a sip and then added, "I got a letter from my brother, Zac." She looked up at Janna with surprise and continued, "He wants to come to the commitment ceremony!"

"Oh, Ryan, that's wonderful!" Janna picked up the rest of the mail and sat beside her. "I can't wait to meet him."

"Hm, that's what he says about you." Ryan stared at the letter in her hand with amazement. "Um, he says he's been wanting to stay closer in touch with me and was thinking about coming up for a visit anyway." She looked at Janna with sparkling eyes. "He says he won't believe that someone has tamed me until he sees it with his own eyes."

Janna laughed and threw an arm around her mate's shoulders. "It sounds like he has your sense of humor."

"Yeah, he does, sort of."

"He's in New Mexico, right?"

"Yes, Los Alamos. He's an MP."

"Another cop? Oh, God!"

"What?"

"Nothing! I happen to love cops. And it looks like I'll be surrounded by them at the wedding." She leaned over and kissed her mate's temple. "I need to take a dip, how about you?"

"You betcha!" Ryan hopped up and reached down to her mate, helping her to her feet.

"You are so chivalrous Ryan!"

Ryan grinned rakishly and Janna suddenly felt even hotter. "Thank you, baby!"

Janna grabbed her mate's arm and pulled her toward the spa. "Come on, hot stuff, I'm scorched."

"Baby, if you get in that spa with me you're gonna be on fire."

"I'll take my chances."

They entered the gazebo and Ryan started stripping off her clothes.

"Honey, wait until I close the screen." Janna scrambled to protect her mate's modesty.

Ryan pulled the tank top over her head, revealing the fact that she hadn't bothered with a bra that day, as if Janna hadn't already noticed. "Janna, forget that, I don't care. I just wanna get out of these sweaty clothes." She pushed her shorts and underwear down and stepped out of them, then approached Janna to help rid her of her clothes.

Janna giggled and playfully slapped her hand away. "Stop that!" Ryan continued her playful advance and pulled at Janna's tank. She managed to remove it with one smooth motion and was pleased to note that Janna had felt like going braless as well. She eyed her lover appreciatively and ran her hands along her mate's sides.

"Honey, it's too hot to fool around." Janna didn't sound at all convinced herself.

"Baby, it is never too hot...besides, the water's cold." She pulled Janna close and nuzzled her neck, as she skillfully pushed her mate's lower garments off.

Janna enjoyed the feel of her mate's body against hers and wrapped her arms around Ryan. "Mm, it is isn't it?"

She nibbled a nearby earlobe as her hands dropped to Ryan's waist. She noted the familiar, pleasant tingling sensation that occurred wherever skin touched skin and breathed deeply, letting the gentle electricity begin to course throughout her body. She could feel Ryan doing the same thing and knew her mate's desire was beginning to build and swirl like hers was.

Ryan dipped her head and captured Janna's lips passionately. They kissed for several minutes, tongues dancing and hands roaming sensuously. Warm hands and loving fingers blazed trails of fire along warm skin, igniting, once again, a passion that could not be ignored. Ryan bent down and scooped Janna into her arms, never losing contact with her lips, and Janna laughed into her lover's mouth and threw her arms about her neck as Ryan skillfully stepped into the spa and sat them down together in one corner. The cooled water of the spa chilled hot skin but was powerless against their passion. They sat together and necked ardently for long minutes before Ryan lifted Janna and turned her so that she straddled her mate.

In that, their favorite position, they were able to mutually pleasure each other and engage in their special sacred sexuality rituals: loving, honoring, respecting, and worshiping each other. The intense heat of the day went unnoticed for more than an hour.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ryan sat behind the wheel of her Explorer, fingers tapping to the beat from the radio. She smiled as she watched her mate flit down the walk towards the car. God, she looks great in that uniform...green is definitely her color. Janna hopped into the truck and Ryan patted her thigh. "Ready babe?"

Janna threw her a happy smile and covered the larger hand with hers. "Yep!"

"Good!" Ryan glanced at her mate and added warmly, "It's gonna be great playing with you again."

"But, honey, we play together all the t..."

"Softball!"

"Oh right!" Janna laughed, enjoying the fact that she had turned the verbal tables on her mate.

Ryan glanced at her sideways, and then grinned. They drove into the sunset, toward the softball complex.

Since they were in Ryan's vehicle, the musical choice was classic rock. Recently, feeling that she couldn't tolerate the five billionth replay of "Bohemian Rhapsody", Janna had tried to find another radio station but found to her dismay that all of the preset buttons were tuned to the same station. Her practical partner had explained that she didn't like to take her eyes off the road while driving and, until recently, had really only cared to listen to classic rock anyway, so she had made all the buttons the same.

However, both women smiled in unison as a familiar tune started playing. "Oh, Ryan, it's our song!"

"'Take It Easy' is our song huh?" Ryan smiled widely before adding, "I kinda thought maybe 'Teenaged Queer' was."
Janna mock glared at her. "Are you making fun of my music?"

Ryan dropped her smile. "No, Janna...absolutely not. I'm serious. Honey, it's the first song of yours that I really related to...that helped me to understand who you were." Her serious gaze warmed her mate's heart and Janna softened her serious expression.

"Thanks, Ryan. It's just that it's not my most serious song."

"It is serious, Janna. It's clever and witty, but very serious." She picked up her partner's hand. "Janna, I sincerely hope that teenaged kids are still listening to that song...and others of yours."

"They may be soon. I have a good feeling about this Attack of the Pansies CD I'm producing. These kids are really, really good. And that type of music is big right now...plus, I've been in touch with some distribution people I know in the City who are very interested."

"Very cool, babe. So, are the kids looking to sign with a big company?"

"Actually, no. One of their main goals for the time being is to remain indy, and I think that with my connections I can get them heard without their having to sell out."

Ryan nodded and they sang along with the Eagles once more, each envisioning her own version of the girl in the flatbed Ford.
Janna giggled. "Honey, you know what?" She looked at Ryan, who inclined her head and smiled. "My very first ever lesbian fantasy was about that girl." She squeezed Ryan's hand.

"Oh? Care to share?" Ryan threw her a lopsided grin.

"Well...I'll give you the details later, when you're not driving." She leered gently at her mate. "I will say that she was a Native American girl, though."

"Jesus!"

"Yep. And I must also say, Ryan Zamora, that you have more than fulfilled all of my fantasies."

Ryan smiled widely. "She looked like me huh?"

"Oh, she more than looked like you. She was you." Janna looked seriously at her partner and added, "I must have been channeling the future or something because the similarity is uncanny."

"Shit..."

"Again, yep." Janna brought her mate's hand to her lips and kissed it tenderly. "You've made all my dreams come true Ryan." She sighed contentedly.

"And so have you for me, my destiny."

As she drove on, Ryan noted that the sky above was the color of the turquoise in their wedding bands. She sighed contentedly as well, gazing at the bare finger that would soon hold the ring.

Janna threw warm up with Ryan, then sat on the grass beside her mate and stretched taut leg muscles. As she leaned over and touched fingers to toes she remarked, "I never did like playing these late games."

"I know...me either. I usually feel washed out by game time. This thing won't end until after ten and I'd rather be curled up with you by then." Ryan's features perked up then, as she added, "But tonight I'll have my lady out there with me, and I know that will keep my blood pumping."

"I aim to please, love!"

"And you certainly do, Janna." Ryan stopped stretching and smiled warmly at her lover.

"Ahem."

Ryan and Janna both looked up, startled out of their mutual reverie.

Their manager, Sharon, stood looking stonily down at them, arms crossed in front of her chest as she grumbled, "If the mutual lovefest is over, I'd like to talk to my new recruit." She looked and sounded every bit the retired soldier that she was.

"She's all yours, Sharon...for now." Ryan leered at her mate, mainly for Sharon's benefit.

"Shit, Ryan, you're so sappy I could tap ya for syrup. Get over there and throw some heat to Carrie, will ya?"

"Aye, aye ma'am." Ryan drew the line at saluting, but just barely, and grinned at Janna as she headed for the bullpen area.

"Okay, Janna. This team is tough...they're right behind us in the standings and gunning for our asses. Keep your head up out there. A couple of their girls are dirty players." She looked Janna squarely in the eye, getting her point across.

"Will do, coach. Thanks for the heads up."

"Janna, you played well last week...looked real sharp...just keep your focus and you'll do fine again."

"Thanks Sharon. I feel good, and ready, and I know the team will back me up." Janna patted the coach's back and turned and headed toward the dugout.

She sat on the warm concrete bench and uncapped her water bottle as she watched Ryan warm up with her catcher. She looked to be throwing extreme heat. Looks like someone is pretty hyper tonight. Maybe I should have kept her in the spa longer this morning. She smiled at the fond memory and her body did as well, shivering in all of Ryan's favorite intimate spots. She tilted her head and took a large swallow of the cold water. It felt good on her parched throat but she remembered to drink slowly and sparingly.

She was joined on the bench a few minutes later by her thoroughly warmed up and sweating profusely mate. "Sharon give you the old pep talk?" Ryan took a large swallow of water as well and waited for Janna's reply.

"Yep."

Ryan could feel some of her nervousness through their link and she rubbed her mate's thigh. "You'll do fine again, you know, Janna."

"Yeah, babe, I feel ready. I can't wait to get out there."

"Great. Well, it's about time." They were joined in the dugout by their teammates and they all took the field as home team a few minutes later.

Janna jogged onto the field beside Ryan, who gave her a slight pat on the rear with her glove as they reached the pitcher's mound, and she continued on, settling into position between the first and second bags. She looked around the ground briefly, making sure there were no rocks or debris that would cause a ball to take a nasty hop.

Janna felt some anxiety and jumped up and down a few times to try to dispel the nervousness. She took a deep breath and let it out as the umpire yelled, "Play ball!" and the first batter took the plate quickly. Ryan held the ball chest high in both hands, then wound up and made her first, powerful pitch, beginning the game.

Ryan, definitely throwing major heat, retired the first two batters on strikeouts. The third batter, the opposing shortstop, came up to bat. She was a compactly built young woman with shoulder-length blonde hair who sneered at Ryan, then gazed over the pitcher's left shoulder and fixed a menacing glare in the direction of the second baseman. Ryan glanced over her shoulder at Janna and saw her bend over slightly and hit her glove with her hand, winking at her mate and nodding to indicate that she was ready. Ryan turned back toward the batter and narrowed her eyes, fixing her own menacing glare on the batter, who responded with a snarl.

Ryan put her first pitch high and inside, intending to send a message to the batter. The woman jumped back to avoid being hit in the face and started to raise her bat at Ryan in challenge, but apparently thought better of it and simply glared at her before stepping back into the batter's box.

Ryan set herself and smiled menacingly before delivering the next pitch. The batter jumped on the strike pitch and sent a powerful line drive directly at Janna. Janna reacted as the ball was hit and jumped a good three feet off the ground, reaching with her arm fully outstretched and snaring the ball in the webbing of her glove. As she landed with the ball in her glove, she threw her right hand up in the air victoriously as a cheer went up from her teammates.

Ryan yelled, "Yes!" and pumped her fist in the air, grinning like an idiot. "Beautiful, Janna!"

Her teammates patted her on the back and on the behind as they all made their way back to the bench. Before they sat, Ryan grabbed her mate and picked her up bodily in a tight hug. They both laughed and enjoyed the contact, lingering as long as they felt was prudent.

Ryan whispered in her mate's ear, "Love you, baby."

"Love you too, Ryan." She grinned as her mate set her back on the ground. "Nice pitching out there, honey!"

"Thanks, baby." Ryan smiled warmly and sat beside her mate.

Carrie approached and sat next to her pitcher. "Ry, I think you really pissed off that shortstop. She's giving you the eye." She looked back at the irate player. "Either you or Janna...I can't tell who she's glaring at."

"Well, if she knows what's good for her, she'll give it a rest."

"Yeah, I don't know what her problem is tonight." Carrie remarked.

"Jealous, maybe?" Liz piped in. "Maybe she has a thing for Ryan." She glanced at Janna and grinned, adding, "Apparently that's not an impossibility."

Ryan shot her a glare while Janna laughed.

Carrie continued. "I don't know...could be, I guess. She's generally a bitch, but not this bad."

Sharon yelled from the other end of the bench, "Alright ladies, give it a rest and lets get some runs."

The team complied, but only insofar as quieting down. The first two batters flied out and the third struck out, and the ladies returned to the field. They retired the other team handily again and returned to the bench, the game scoreless in the bottom of the second inning. Ryan sat next to Janna again, pleased to be able to be near her, and uncharacteristically losing some of her intense focus on the game. It's great having Janna here.

From her spot at the other end of the bench, the coach shook her head and looked confused as she looked down toward Ryan. "Zamora, did you forget you're cleanup hitter? You've only been batting in that spot for five years."

Ryan grinned, somewhat embarrassed, and replied, "Sorry coach!"

As she made her way to the plate, bat on her shoulder, Ryan eyed the shortstop, rather than the pitcher. The woman glared at her and frowned. Ryan shook her head slightly but didn't let the woman's attitude bother her. She stepped to the plate and swung the bat out towards the pitcher, then brought it up above her shoulder and awaited the pitch. The pitch arrived, right down the middle of the zone and Ryan stepped forward and confidently swung in a graceful arc, sending the ball over the heads of the opposing team and over the center field fence.

Her bench erupted in raucous cheers as Ryan rounded the bases and scored the team's first run. Her teammates surrounded her as she neared the dugout, offering congratulations and providing enough privacy that her mate was able to give her a quick congratulatory kiss.

"Beautiful hit, honey!"

"Thanks, baby!" They sat together on the bench and clasped hands.

Carrie approached and said, "Hey, Ry, what'd the shortstop say to you when you ran by her?"

"Lucky shot."

"Yeah? And what did you say?"

"Bullshit."

Carrie laughed. "Goddamn right!"

The next two batters singled and flied out respectively and then Janna was up.

As Janna stood at the plate and took a few practice swings she heard the unfriendly shortstop say to her pitcher, "Okay, Bobby, this little twerp can't hit...put her away."

Janna just grinned at the pitcher and took her stance. After taking one ball and one strike, Janna swung at the third pitch and connected, sending a hard grounder between third and short. The shortstop had to dive to her right to make the stop and after picking herself up out of the dirt was only able to get the leading runner at second. Janna was safe at first with two outs.

Ryan yelled from the bench, "Alright Janna...nice! Two outs babe."

Janna nodded and eyed the batter, pointedly ignoring the offensive woman playing shortstop.

The next batter, Sarah, jumped on the first pitch, as was her habit, and grounded to the shortstop, who made a quick throw to second to get a sliding Janna out, ending the inning. As Janna stood up and brushed the dirt from her legs the shortstop said derisively, just loudly enough for Janna to hear, "You're out, bitch."

Janna looked at her incredulously and replied, "Right. Nice play" and calmly walked to the dugout.

In the top of the next inning, the unfriendly woman came up to bat with one out and a runner on first. After taking Ryan to a full count, she hit a fly to short center field, which dropped for a hit, advancing the runner to second. She stood on first and graced a nearby Janna with quiet taunts and disparaging remarks, some having to do with her sexual orientation. So that's her problem...what a loser. Janna shook her head disgustedly but didn't respond, not wanting to stoop to the woman's level.

The next batter took two strikes from a sharp-eared and increasingly agitated Ryan and then hit the next, sending it to Jackie at shortstop, who, thinking double play, got it very quickly to Janna at second base. Janna smoothly caught the toss and as she pivoted to make the throw to first for the next out, saw the runner sliding into the bag with her leg upraised, aiming deliberately for Janna's legs. Janna reacted by jumping as high as she could as she made the throw, but it wasn't high enough and the runner's rubber cleats caught her on the ankle, throwing her off balance and causing her to land on the edge of the bag, turning her ankle and tumbling to the ground.

As Janna writhed in pain on the ground, grasping her ankle, the dirty runner snorted down at her derisively, "Now you're really out, bitch" and laughed.

Her laughter was short-lived however, as Janna's mate ran up, screamed, "What the fuck was that?" and pushed her hard, sending her flying backward into the dirt and landing on her butt.

Just then the infield umpire pointed at the blonde woman on the ground and screamed, "You are out. Ejected. Get off the field now!" He then turned to a seething Ryan and yelled, "Back off, Zamora, or you'll be joining her."

"But Blue...that was blatant! Shit!"

"Yes, it was...that's why she's out of the game. Now you calm down or you'll be out too." He looked back at the offending player. "One more incident like that Jones, and you'll be out of the league. For good."

Ryan's teammates surrounded her, preventing her from causing any more trouble for herself as the other woman slowly picked herself up and limped into the dugout.

Ryan then went immediately to Janna on the ground, who was already being tended to by Sharon, who had removed the shoe, sock, and leg guard. She reached out and laid a gentle hand on Janna's leg, above where a nasty bruise had already formed above her ankle. The ankle itself was also showing signs of nasty bruising and swelling. "Janna, baby, are you okay?" With her other hand she caressed her mate's cheek.

Janna grimaced and tried to smile but wasn't very successful, and her eyes filled with tears. "It feels like it's sprained, honey."

"Jesus fucking Christ...I'm gonna kill that bitch" Ryan muttered angrily.

Janna covered her hand and quietly said, "No, you're not Ryan. I mean it. This is part of the game. I should have been quicker."

"Fuck, Janna, she was gunning for you! There's no way you could have avoided her. That is not part of the game." She looked furiously over toward the opponents' dugout.

"Still, Ryan, it stops here." She looked seriously at her mate. "I mean it Ryan. We'll repay them by beating them fairly." She looked around at her teammates. "That goes for all of you...promise me." Her teammates, and finally Ryan, nodded dejectedly, and Ryan and Sharon helped her to her feet. When she tried to put her weight on the injured left foot, it would hardly bear any weight at all and streaks of pain shot up her leg. "Yep, it's sprained."

Ryan grimaced and bit off another choice swear word. Then she looked at her mate and grinned lopsidedly. "But you made the double play Janna. Beautiful play, baby...beautiful." Her eyes shone with love and admiration, in addition to the concern.

"Thanks love, but I'm not sure it was worth it."

Three pairs of slimy eyes watched the scene with interest from the bleachers on the opposing side of the diamond. "Look at that Billy, she's hurt. This should be easy now."

The owner of the beadiest set of eyes nodded. "Should be." He looked at each of his two partners in slime. "We'll just have to wait and see what happens. They might leave early or the dyke might have help getting her to the car."

The umpires approached and one of them gently patted Janna's back. "Sorry guys, I hate to see this. Coach, do you have a replacement?"

Sharon nodded and let Jackie take her place in helping Janna to the bench. "Okay, Sarah, you'll move to second, Liz, you'll take third." She turned to Elaine, who was on the bench. "Elaine, I know you're not feeling great, but you're all I've got...I need you in the outfield."

Elaine nodded, "No problem Sharon."

Sharon made her way across the field to speak with the score keeper.

Ryan helped Janna to settle on the bench and retrieved ice packs from the cooler, wrapping one around her ankle with an elastic bandage and placing another above it on the contact bruise. She rubbed Janna's leg and said, "I'm so sorry, baby. Can I give you some Reiki?"

"Yes, please."

Ryan put the cooler on the bench and then gently placed Janna's foot on the cooler, elevating the injured ankle. She then sat beside the cooler and placed her hands on her mate's injured ankle joint. The energy started to flow immediately, and quite strongly, relieving the pain enormously almost instantly.

The other players were interested in what was going on but gave the two women their space, and then the game resumed.

Spurred on by their teammate's injury, the girls played with renewed vigor, hitting well and scoring two runs before Ryan came to bat with no outs. As she approached the plate, she spotted the dirty player sitting in the stands and glared at her with a look full of hatred and malice. The woman looked away, uncomfortable under the scrutiny.

The pitcher delivered the ball and Ryan teed off on it, just like in her previous at bat, sending it flying over the fence. She made it look effortless. It was almost as if she controlled the elements and could do as she pleased, at will. The members of the other team sat on their bench, dumbfounded, while Ryan's teammates whooped and hollered across the field. Ryan adopted a look of calm reserve as she trotted around the bases and didn't stop long enough after crossing home plate to accept her friends' accolades. She went immediately to her mate's side and resumed the healing treatment.

"Ryan, honey, at this rate, you'll have me walking by tomorrow." Janna grinned at her serious mate.
"That's the idea Janna." Ryan spoke quietly, obviously trying to control her emotions. Besides the torment of seeing her mate hurt, she was also feeling the uncomfortable prickling sensation that acted as her internal warning sensor. She looked up briefly, quickly scanning the surroundings. The darkness of the areas beyond the field prevented her from seeing a lot of the peripheral activity.

"What is it, Ryan? There's something else." Janna rested her hand on her mate's shoulder and gazed into serious blue eyes.

She returned Janna's direct gaze and sighed, knowing that she couldn't hide anything from her mate, not that she wanted to. "I feel like we're being watched again. My gut is telling me to be on alert." She shrugged her shoulders. "It's probably just the tense atmosphere around here right now."

Concern knit Janna's brow. "I don't know, Ryan, you've felt it the last few times we've played here. Something may be going on. Remember what the Reiki Guides told you. I trust your instincts, Ryan, and you should too."

The Reiki finished, so Ryan clasped the hand that rested on her shoulder. "Okay, love. I will." She turned and leaned against the fence, closed her eyes, and stretched out with her senses. She felt a very definite sense of danger, of malice directed at her. She sighed deeply. "I feel something, Janna. A sense of malice, almost. Maybe it's the bit...woman who hurt you. She's still sitting over there." Ryan indicated the stands on the other side of the field.

"It could be, honey, but she hasn't been at our other games, has she? I doubt we can consider her as a threat. Anyway, I think you got through to her pretty clearly with that shove. She won't even look in your direction now."

"Not if she knows what's good for her she won't," Ryan mumbled. Janna pretended not to hear the statement and leaned back against the fence, letting the buzzing energy in her body sooth her nerves. The adrenaline having worn off now that she was no longer playing, she noticed the intense, uncomfortable heat again. The evening air was heavy and hot, especially so near the water. The softball complex sat next to the channel leading into the port, and there was a small lake in the park that bordered the other side of the complex.

The inning ended shortly and Ryan and the other ladies returned to the field. The rest of the game passed quickly, with the opposing team having had the wind sucked from their proverbial sails by the strange situation, and Janna's team having been invigorated by their anger. The Bob's Shell ladies won handily, increasing their lead in the league standings.

Carrie and Ryan helped Janna out of the dugout and over to the stands. Though the throbbing had subsided greatly thanks to the Reiki, she still didn't want to stress the injury by putting any weight on the foot. She also didn't want to rush home. She wanted the team to know that she was okay and that the injury wasn't serious. So she asked Ryan if they could hang around and visit, like they usually did. Her overprotective mate had grumbled about it, but had given in.

They sat in the bleachers with their friends, Janna's left foot resting on Ryan's gym bag on the seat in front of her. Ryan sat behind her, supporting her and gently massaging her shoulders. They had a little while before the remaining games finished and the lights would be turned off, so someone passed around some beers, and they all relaxed somewhat.

The three pairs of watchful eyes remained riveted on their quarry, now from a discrete distance in the bleachers at the adjacent diamond.

As the friends sat joking and visiting, several players from the opposing team approached and one of them said, "Um, we want you to know that we don't all condone what our shortstop did. We hope you'll be okay."

Janna smiled and thanked them. Then Carrie piped up with, "What's her problem, anyway?"

The same woman shrugged and replied, "She's a bitter person. I'm not sure why. She's also, well, um..."

Ryan interrupted, "Homophobic?"

"Yeah."

Ryan shrugged and shook her head. "Takes all kinds, I guess." She gazed at the other players. "Thanks for coming over here.
We appreciate it." She gave her mate's shoulders a squeeze as Janna nodded in agreement.

"It's the least we could do. Good luck." They turned and left.

Movement across the field at the opposing bleachers caught Ryan's sharp eye and she gently rubbed Janna's shoulders and said, "I'll be right back, honey" and extricated herself from behind her mate.

Seeing where her mate was headed, Janna said, "Ryan, please..."

"Don't worry, Janna...I'll keep my promise. I just want to talk to her."

Ryan quickly caught up with the blonde woman, Jones, and her two friends as they left the complex. She cleared her throat as she approached their backs and said, "Excuse me."

When she turned and saw who was trying to get her attention, the blonde became defensive, a look of fear entering her eyes.

She raised her hands and backed away a step as she said, "Stay the hell away from me Zamora, or I'll call the cops."

"Didn't you know, Jones, that I am a cop?" She grinned wickedly, thoroughly enjoying the acute look of discomfort that arose in the woman's features. She continued, "And technically, I could arrest you on assault charges." She raised her expressive eyebrows smugly.

The woman started to sputter a protest when Ryan interrupted. "Oh, I'm sure the charges wouldn't stick, but it'd be a hell of an inconvenience for you." Ryan took a step forward and entered the woman's space, letting angry energy spill from her being as she stated quietly, "All I want, Jones, is to know why you did it. Why did you deliberately hurt my girlfriend?" Her questioning look was sincere as she awaited the woman's reply.

The woman looked about to make a malicious comment, because her lip began to curl into a snarl, but the anger rolling off of the tall woman in front of her apparently convinced her to hold her tongue. "I don't know," she said weakly as she shrugged her shoulders. She looked up at Ryan somewhat defiantly, but plainly not wanting to challenge her.

Ryan, clearly not happy with the answer, but determined to keep her promise to her partner, shook her head. "Well maybe you oughta think about it so it doesn't happen again, huh?" She bestowed a penetrating gaze on the woman before turning and walking away. She walked a few yards and then stopped, turned, and called out to the woman, "Oh, and if it does happen again, you will be very, very sorry." Ryan's tone left no doubt as to the sincerity of her words and the three women hurried on their way.

Ryan stood and watched the women exit the complex, letting the anger drain from her body before returning to her mate. As she turned to return to the bleachers where Janna sat with Sharon, Carrie, Jackie and their partners, the bright field lights all shut off; leaving the complex bathed only in the orange glow of the security lights. Time to get my baby home.

Just then she heard the loud sound of shattering glass, followed by a blaring car alarm, coming from the parking area. Her first instinct was to look for Janna, and as she ran toward her mate, she saw that she was fine, surrounded by her friends. Ryan quickly ran to the bleachers and grabbed her athletic bag as her cop's instincts kicked into gear. As Janna and their friends stared in disbelief, she rapidly keyed the combination lock on the bag and grabbed her police ID and her holstered weapon, removing it from the leather holster and stuffing it into the waistband of her shorts, and shoving the ID badge into a pocket. She looked pointedly at Janna and said, "Stay here."

Janna nodded as her teammates gathered more closely around their injured friend and they watched Ryan race away and head out of the complex.

As she made her way toward the blaring alarm, Ryan's senses were on full alert and her inner alarm was screaming danger. She scanned her surroundings, noting the locations of the few remaining bystanders, possible ambush locations, and routes of escape for the perpetrators of the apparent break in that was in progress. As she passed a handful of people exiting the complex gates she said, "I'm a cop...stay back here for a few minutes folks, while I check this out." They eagerly complied.

As she entered the nearly deserted, dark parking lot, Ryan noted with vague interest that the car alarm sounded like hers. She looked toward her truck and noted that the front driver's side window was broken. Glass littered the pavement, as well as the grass strip in front of the truck. The many trees in the parking area drastically cut the illumination from the few lights but she could see the shards shining dully.

Suddenly, her hackles rose and her instincts sent her into full defensive mode, and she crouched, grabbing her weapon as she heard a shout and saw several bodies jump from the shadows, surrounding her.

Over in the bleachers, Janna felt an acute jolt of fear through their link and looked over toward the parking lot. She stood up; wobbling on her injured foot, and murmured, with fear tingeing her voice, "Ryan's in trouble."

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