Helena emerged from the bathroom, wrapping her hair into a towel and stepped hesitantly in the room. She stared for a brief moment at Alice who was lying on the bed reading a book. Helena smiled at the sight and then bit her lip, seeming to be frozen in place and swallowed hard.

"What's wrong?" Alice called out, without looking away from her book although she reached for her bookmark.

Helena's eyes widened slightly. "Nothing's wrong, darling," she said, feeling slightly flustered as she walked toward her bureau to get dressed.

Alice marked her place in the book, sat up and pushed herself off the bed. "Are you sure?" Alice asked as she walked toward Helena, her eyes clear and bright. "Because…" Alice trailed off as she leaned against the side of the bureau casually watching as Helena dressed into a tank top and boy-cut panties. "You've seemed kind of…off these past few days," Alice commented, her hand unconsciously reaching out to gently rub Helena's upper arm. 'Ever since Winnie,' Alice added silently, knowing she wouldn't have to say anything, that Helena would add that part herself.

Helena's lower lip trembled momentarily and she turned away from Alice under the guise of pulling up her underwear to bite down furiously on her lip. When she turned around she smiled at Alice. "I'm sorry, darling," she said ruefully.

"Are you still thinking about her?" Alice asked softly, flinching slightly as she did so because as much as she loathed Winnie, she couldn't help but be jealous of her, too. Because no matter how much Helena denied it, Winnie still had a hold over her. And as horrible as Winnie was as a person, Helena had loved her deeply at one point, had been in love with her and would have been perfectly willing to spend the rest of her life with Winnie if Winnie hadn't ended it so terribly. And despite all the ways Winnie has hurt and continues to hurt her, Helena still seemed to hold a certain amount of affection and love and even a little longing for her ex. And it wasn't that Alice didn't understand--because she did. Helena fell in love with Winnie when she was nineteen years old and it would have stayed that way if Helena would have had anything to say about it-- of course Helena would still have lingering feelings. So Alice understood but that didn't mean it didn't make her jealous. She couldn't be indifferent to Helena's feelings for Winnie. She just couldn't. But she wanted to make Helena understand that she understood, that of course she cared, that yes, it bothered her a little, but she understood. She loved Helena, supported her, and even though they'd discussed it, talked about what happened, Helena still seemed hesitant, cautious, like she expected Alice to bolt at any moment. And that perturbed her, because she didn't mind if Helena needed a little extra reassurance--she would give it willingly. Of course she was willing--for months now, she'd had this feeling that her dreams were safe and coming true, and she knew that was because of Helena. But it was the fact that she couldn't seem to reach Helena about this particular topic, seemed unable to convince Helena that it was okay, that bothered Alice.

Helena's gaze shifted to the ground and she again turned her back to Alice, although this time she passed Alice the bottle of lotion she held in her hand.

Alice took the bottle and rubbed lotion on Helena's back as the dark-haired woman rubbed in on her arms.

Helena turned slightly to take the bottle back from Alice to rub the lotion on her legs and then finally turned around to face Alice. "I wanted to apologize to you again about the way I handled…" Helena trailed off and bit her lip. "The way I treated you that day," Helena said finally, with a tiny sigh.

Alice pushed Helena's hair back and gently traced her index finger down Helena's collar bone. "We talked about this," Alice said gently, leaning forward to kiss Helena's collarbone and then craning her head slightly to lightly suck on the pressure point in Helena's neck.

Helena released a soft gasp, her arms coming up around Alice's shoulders, her fingers threading into Alice's hair. "I know," Helena moaned. "But--"

"No buts," Alice said. She kissed Helena's neck and then pulled away to stroke it with a feather-light touch. She peered up into Helena's eyes. "We're good, Helena," Alice whispered. She grinned at Helena and slowly reached up to touch Helena's lip. "Maybe I could be a little taller so you could stop pretending you're so much more butch than I am, and maybe my breasts could be bigger--" Alice grinned when Helena immediately opened her mouth to protest and gently pressed her index finger against Helena's mouth. "And it'd be really good if I won the lottery because can you still believe I'm paying off my student loans? I have like, one more year left. But the one thing I know I'm perfectly fine with is me and you," Alice said sincerely, grinning at Helena and pulling her finger away from Helena's mouth. "You and me, we're a really good thing, baby," Alice said quietly, gazing into Helena's eyes and hoping that Helena would always feel the same way. It was the same old song she'd been singing for the past few days, but she hoped she'd changed it just enough that this time, she could reach Helena.

Helena's eyes became teary and swallowed hard as she nodded slightly before she took one step forward and wrapped her arms around Alice in a tight huge, burying her face into Alice's neck. "We're a very good thing," Helena murmured in agreement, her voice thick with emotion.

Alice smiled, her eyes closing briefly in relief before nuzzling Helena's cheek with her nose. "I'll show you," Alice whispered, pressing her lips to Helena's forehead and then pulling away from Helena's embrace to take Helena by the hand to lead her to the bed.

Alice jumped backwards onto the bed, and then giggled as she pulled Helena down and the two women lay on their sides, facing each other. "Hi Helena," Alice said, smiling widely as she draped her leg over Helena's waist and pushing herself closer to Helena so there was barely any space between them.

"Hello Alice," Helena said quietly, though her eyes were bright and she flashed Alice a sunny smile.

Alice traced Helena's lower lip. "Sometimes when you smile, your lip goes up right here," Alice said, lightly tracing the right corner of Helena's lip, "a little higher than the other side, and I think it's really cute," Alice said, tracing over Helena's upper lip before pressing her lips against Helena's in a brief kiss. "It doesn't matter what happens, Helena, I'm always going to want you," Alice said, knowing that physical actions weren't always enough that sometimes Helena really did need to be assured more than just a few times because despite the fact Helena seemed supremely confident, Helena just wasn't.

"I will always want you," Helena whispered sincerely.

"Even when I'm 90 and wrinkly?" Alice teased.

"Older adults have sex!" Helena huffed. "It's a myth that senior citizens are not interested in sex. Many mental health professionals working with senior citizens tend to gloss over this topic and it is very detrimental and--"

Alice chuckled gently. "You're so serious," she commented, stroking Helena's face. She smiled. "But I like that you are. My little do-gooder."

Helena grinned. "Are you certain you will not be interested in trading me in for a younger model when you are 90?" Helena asked lightly, although there was just a tiny note of insecurity.

Alice looked amused. "Okay, first of all, I don't trade down and I've got my top-of-the-line model right here. Secondly, you're the hot, British heiress. And plus, I'm older than you are. The older person in the relationship really shouldn't be trading in for a younger model. I should be asking you that question," Alice teased.

"I wouldn't trade you in for a younger model," Helena said sincerely.

"Well, of course not, you don't trade down either," Alice joked, though it was clear to both of them that she was relieved to hear it. "You've got a top-of-the-line model, too, baby. Maybe the top-of-the-line Pinto, but still, top-of-the-line, baby."

Helena giggled and swatted at Alice's arm. "Alice," she chided.

The blonde giggled as well and she rested her forehead against Helena's shoulder. "I think I've always known this was it from the start," Alice murmured into Helena's shoulder. "I couldn't be more positive about anything in my life." She thought about it sometimes and thought about Dana and always felt stomach-clenching regret that she dragged Dana along for so long, forced Dana to endure those months when Alice found it impossible to choose between Helena and Dana. From their first kiss, that night in the entranceway of Helena's house, a part of Alice had always known that this was it. And she regretted dragging Dana along for so long because she knew it only hurt Dana more deeply. There were things that Alice was unsure of, like whether or not extraterrestrial beings really existed or if everyone who'd ever reported being probed by aliens was on crack, but she couldn't be more positive about anything than she was positive she wanted a life with Helena.

"I believe you," Helena said softly, cupping the sides of Alice's face and kissing her lips.

"Good," Alice whispered, before pressing her lips against Helena's neck and sucking gently. She felt Helena's hands curl into her hair, and sighed against Helena's neck. Alice's lips pressed against Helena's lips again and Alice's hands began to wander, trailing down Helena's sternum and stomach and then coming up again underneath the thin material of Helena's black tank top to trail up Helena's stomach to cup her breasts.

Alice moaned when Helena's teeth gently tugged at her lower lip, and Helena's hands reached down to yank down Alice's shorts and cup her pussy. Alice released a low moan as Helena shifted slightly and then plunged three fingers deep inside Alice's pussy. Alice's hips bucked as Helena's fingers moved inside her and moaned when Helena began to suck at one of Alice's nipples. Helena's hand began to piston between Alice's legs faster and harder and Alice's hips bucked as she moaned Helena's name, pleaded for release.

Helena chuckled softly, and stared into Alice's eyes for a moment, and smiled before kissing a trail down Alice's neck, across her breasts and down her torso, on Alice's stomach before reaching Alice's pussy, her tongue flicking against Alice's clit.

"Baby," Alice whispered, her back arching.

And then Helena began to kiss, lick and suck, as Alice whimpered, panted and moaned. Helena's tongue pushed inside and Alice's fingers gripped Helena's head, pulling hard at the dark strands of hair. Helena grinned and then licked Alice's clit before taking it into her mouth and sucking hard. Alice came with a strangled cry, her back arching off the bed before she lay back, panting and gasping.

Alice's hands fumbled blindly for Helena. "C'mere," she said hoarsely, finding Helena's hand and pulling for her.

Helena obliged and crawled up to bed to rest against Alice, her forehead pressing against Alice. "Hello," she greeted pleasantly, her mouth curling into a happy, amused smile.

"Hi," Alice murmured. She covered Helena's mouth with her own, kissing her languidly, her tongue exploring Helena's lips, her mouth. "I love you," Alice whispered. "I love you so much." Alice traced her thumb across Helena's lower lip and grinned when Helena smiled. "You're doing that thing with your mouth again," Alice said, "when it goes up a lithe higher right here," Alice said, kissing the right corner of Helena's mouth and feeling Helena smile.

Alice reached down and slipped her hand between Helena's legs, felt Helena tremble ever so slightly. Helena shifted to allow for Alice to take off her panties and then sat up to shuck off her tank top, tossing it at the side of the bed. Alice pulled Helena to lie back again onto the bed, her lips already reaching for Helena's as she pull Helena to her for a kiss. Her hand grazed lightly up and down Helena's side before slipping between Helena's legs again.

Helena moaned into Alice's mouth as Alice slipped in another finger and increased the speed and pressure of her fingers. Helena's nails scratched down Alice's back before her fingers clutched into Alice's back as Alice's thumb flicked across her clit and rubbed it. And finally, she came, her mouth biting into Alice's shoulder, her scream of Alice's name muffled into Alice's shoulder.

Alice wrapped her arms around Helena and the blonde buried her face into Helena's hair. "You get it don't you?" Alice murmured. "You're it for me, Helena."

Helena swallowed hard and blinked back tears. "Yes," she whispered. "I get it."

"Good," Alice said quietly. Then she grinned and propped herself up on her elbow and pointed at the bite mark on her shoulder. "No tank tops for me tomorrow," Alice said with a grin. "I wouldn't want to brag," Alice said cheekily, dragging out the vowel in 'brag.' Alice beamed at Helena. "You said it's 'uncouth,'" Alice said with a laugh and a poke to Helena's ribs.

Helena squealed and squirmed away. "Darling!"

"What? All the guys at KCRW are crazy jealous that I'm dating you. And you know, last week, I was wearing that fuchsia tank top you hate, you know, the one with the cow on it? And they happened to see…" Alice shrugged, "well, you know," Alice said suggestively.

Helena squealed again and rolled onto her stomach, burying her face into the pillow.

"What?" Alice laughed, sitting up to gently slap Helena's back. "Don't be embarrassed! I like it."

Helena raised her head to peek at Alice. "I know you do," Helena said, and it had been a relief to find that Alice liked it. During the first few months of their relationship, she'd held back, particularly because she did not find the memory of their first time together to be particularly pleasant and she didn't want Alice to get the idea she was somehow violent or overly rough. But there were times, like anyone else, when she was a little rougher than normal and it had been a relief to find that not only was Alice comfortable with it and welcomed it, but that the blonde also liked it and enjoyed it. Until very recently, her sexual experience had been very limited--to a high school girlfriend and Winnie. And after Winnie, she'd gone through a period where she'd been somewhat promiscuous in the sense she went through dalliances with four women in a very short period of time. And then she met Tina and Leigh. And although Helena enjoyed sex, she couldn't say she was entirely comfortable with any of her partners, Winnie included-- until she met Alice and it was that comfort with the blonde that made Helena begin to believe that this was the relationship that would stick because even when Alice teased her mercilessly, Helena knew that Alice accepted her completely.

"It's not like I'm going to show it off and tell everyone how hot my girlfriend is in bed," Alice said reasonably. "And since when are you embarrassed about this sort of thing?"

"I'm not," Helena said, still hiding her face into the pillow. "It's merely that…" Helena trailed off. "I don't know what it is," she admitted with chuckle.

Alice laughed and slapped Helena on the butt. "You're cute," Alice murmured, as she reached out to absently play with Helena's hair. "Hey, come here and look at me before I put your hair into dreadlocks again," Alice said.

Helena rolled immediately onto her back and looked at Alice. "I can't believe I slept through you doing that to me, darling," Helena said, swatting Alice's arm.

"It was the Nyquil," Alice laughed.

"I can't believe you did that to me when I was unwell!"

"Yeah, well. Do you remember how long it took me to get you to take anything or to eat dinner that night? God, you are the worst patient, ever. You better not ever get sick again because I might put your hair into cornrows next time and I'm not sure even you could pull that off." Alice gazed at Helena intently. "Well, actually. You probably could. But still." Alice curled a lock of Helena's hair around her finger.

"Darling?" Helena asked quietly.

"Yeah?"

"I wanted you to know that you…well, darling, you are 'it' for me as well," Helena said quietly, echoing Alice's earlier statement. She nuzzled Alice's neck.

Alice grinned. "Good, because you know, I bought that family size bag of potato chips at Costco and you know they only sell things in bulk. I wouldn't want to have to haul that thing back to my apartment or anything," Alice joked.

Helena laughed softly, her face pressed into Alice's neck. She gently slapped Alice's stomach and glared with mock disapproval. "You know I like to make my own potato chips, it's much healthier than purchasing them. Clearly we could never break up, darling, or else you would resume your terrible eating habits."

Alice chuckled and kissed Helena's forehead. "You do feed me," she agreed. "And obviously we could never break up because you would give yourself an aneurysm trying to kill a spider if Wilson happened to not be at home."

"This is true," Helena said amenably, though she shuddered slightly at the thought of spiders.

Alice's lips curled into a slight small. "You're such a baby," she teased. She walked her fingers up Helena's arm. "The itsy bitsy spider," she began to sing.

Helena simultaneously giggled at the sensation and tried to squirm away at the mere thought of spiders. "Darling!"

"Wimp," Alice teased, inching closer to Helena, and wrapping her leg over Helena's hip. "Got you," Alice murmured, kissing Helena's collarbone.

Helena stroked Alice's hair. "Yes, you do, darling," she murmured happily.

-------------------------------------

"Maybe it's a goose ringing my doorbell," Dana dead-panned before she giggled. "Maybe it's more than one goose, maybe it's a whole flock of geese coming to peck and honk at you."

Lucia rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "I confide one of my worst fears and this is how you treat it? By making fun of me?" Lucia demanded, though she laughed.

"Geese, Lucia. You're afraid of geese," Dana said matter-of-factly, as she moved to answer the door. "I mean, other people are afraid of, like, snakes and spiders. You're afraid of geese. They're so pretty! Are you afraid of swans, too? They're sort of like geese."

"Geese attack people all the time in the Midwest!" Lucia yelled out in defensive indignation at Dana's retreating back.

Dana burst into laughter, because she found it hilarious that tough, butch Lucia, her trainer, who just that very morning mocked her for not being able to run a mile under six minutes despite the fact Dana protested she was just tired from the night before and the reason she was tired was really all Lucia's fault, tough trainer Lucia was afraid of geese. And now Lucia was trying to defend that fear with the claim that geese attacked people all the time in the Midwest.

Dana didn't doubt it because she tended to believe things people she cared about told her, but she still had a hard time picturing it. All she could imagine was Lucia running in terror from the geese cage or pen or wherever the hell geese were kept in at the zoo. Not that Lucia had actually done that, but that was what Dana pictured and the image amused her and she wondered if Lucia actually would run from the geese at the zoo. If geese were even kept at the zoo anyway. Dana reminded herself not to take Lucia to the zoo on a date. Not any time soon anyway. Maybe when they got a little more serious and Dana felt more comfortable around her. Relentless teasing Lucia about her fear of geese was one thing, but actually taking her to a petting zoo to torment her was another thing entirely.

She was still laughing when she opened the door to see Helena Peabody standing at her doorstep, who looked initially hesitant but then smiled when she saw that Dana was laughing as she answered the door. Although Dana was genuinely finding herself to like Helena, she found that she still had an instinctual aggression toward Helena in the first few moments of any encounter with her. Dana knew this was because the loss of Alice still stung a little, but she was getting over it, she was even dating other people, Lucia included, and it wasn't completely joyless as it had initially been when she first started dating again.

She definitely liked Lucia best out of all the people she was seeing and she definitely liked Lucia a lot. She still wasn't completely over Alice, but she was getting over the blonde-- surely, but definitely slowly. Dana felt that was normal--she had many hopes and dreams attached to Alice and she'd never really imagined Alice could be taken away from her that way. But Alice was in love with Helena now and Dana found herself happy that Alice was happy and in love, even if Dana wasn't in love with anyone else yet.

The tennis player always thought it was petty when people were only happy for an ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend only if they were with someone new, too and Dana didn't want to be that way. So she was finding herself liking Helena more as time went on, but there was a definite lingering discomfort between them and neither woman could say they were friends yet. Their only connection was through Alice at this point.

"Hi Helena," Dana said, smiling at the heiress. Dana's eyes narrowed. "Did something happen to Alice?" she asked anxiously, suddenly thinking the only reason Helena would show up at her condo was if something had happened to Alice.

"Something happened to Alice?!" Lucia called out from inside the condo as she ran toward the door. "What happened to Alice?"

Helena looked at them, perplexed. "Nothing's happened to Alice…that I'm aware of," she said, trying to push away the incoming sense of anxiety she felt at the mere thought of something happening to Alice. She felt ridiculous because she'd spoken to Alice just a few hours before and Alice was cleaning her apartment which was covered in dust from a lack of habitation, so she knew Alice was all right. But it'd startled her that Dana would initially assume that something had happened to Alice. "Why would you think something has?"

Dana blushed and shrugged. "Well…you're here. Alone."

Helena ducked her head. "This is true," she said, nodding in agreement and peeking up at Dana and Lucia. After all, she and Dana could not call each other friends and they'd never spent time with one another when Alice was not present, so Helena could see it wasn't an entirely unreasonable assumption on the tennis player's part.

"Come in," Dana said, opening the door wider and stepping back to allow Helena to enter. "Are you okay?" she asked concerned, gazing closely at Helena's face as the British woman walked inside, wondering what could have brought Helena to her door. Alice had once told her that you could see everything Helena was feeling in her eyes, if you looked close enough. She didn't think Helena would come to her if the heiress had a fight or something with Alice, after all, Helena was becoming close with Kit, so if Helena had an argument with Alice, it was likely Helena would go to Kit. But Dana could not imagine Helena coming to her for something that wasn't Alice-related.

Helena laughed gently. "I'm fine," she said, following Dana into the room and sitting down in a chair when Dana gestured for her to sit. "The purpose of my visit is to discuss something with you-- it's Alice's birthday in two weeks," Helena said. "And I wondered…well, I heard that you've always planned all of Alice's birthdays for at least the last seven years."

Dana felt her stomach tighten slightly. True she'd always planned Alice's birthday parties for the last few years, and she had been wondering about it, but she also thought since Helena was Alice's girlfriend, Helena would want to do it. "Yeah," Dana nodded. "But uhm, I mean, you're her girlfriend, so I wouldn't, you know, uhm, try to go into your turf or anything."

"Go into your turf?" Lucia repeated, clearly amused. "Are you going to threaten to beat me up next, Ms. Capone? Put my feet in concrete and chuck me into the lake on the golf course at the country club?"

Dana turned to look at Lucia and tried to give the woman a harsh frown but could not quite manage it and broke into laughter. She swatted at Lucia's knee. "People have turfs," Dana said petulantly with a slight scowl. "You're the one who is afraid of geese."

"I told you!" Lucia exclaimed. "I'm from the Midwest, geese attack people all the time! I have a scar!" Lucia turned to Helena and pulled up the right leg of her workout pants and propped her foot on Dana's coffee table. "See! A goose attacked me!"

Dana sighed loudly and turned away. "You call that a scar?" she said with mock derision.

Helena peered closely at Lucia's leg. "Oh, yes. I see it," she said pleasantly. She smiled at Lucia reassuringly. "If a goose attacked you, I think it's perfectly reasonable to be afraid of them."

Lucia looked at Dana smugly. "See? Helena says it's a perfectly reasonable fear." She elbowed Dana gently in the ribs. "I bet if Helena and I were dating, she wouldn't make fun of me if I told her I'm afraid of geese," Lucia huffed.

"That's because Helena's too polite," Dana said, "but she'd secretly think that you were lame."

"Hey!" Lucia yelped.

Helena chuckled, a little amused and relieved to see that Dana was happy. She was overjoyed Alice had chosen her, but she felt sympathy for Dana who loved Alice just as much and just as sincerely as Helena loved the blonde. She knew it was difficult for Dana and appreciated the way Dana was always cordial and kind toward her, despite Dana's heartbroken longing for Alice which used to be clearly evident in the way Dana looked at Alice. Now that Dana seemed to be moving on and finding love with someone else, the guilt Helena felt toward the tennis player was beginning to fade.

"And you call that a scar?" Dana said. "Ha!" She pointed to her knee. "That's from when Howie shoved me down a ravine when we were hiking with our parents." She pointed to her shin on the same leg. "And that's where Howie stabbed me with a garden fork because he thought it was his turn on the swing we had in our backyard."

"Was it his turn?" Helena and Lucia asked at the same time.

"Yeah," Dana admitted. "But that's not the point, he was a little psycho!"

"Aren't you, like, thirteen years older than your brother?" Lucia asked.

Dana looked at her placidly. "Your point?"

"That's nothing," Lucia said, pulling up her sleeve. "I got this scar from where I slid down a cliff."

Helena made a slight "hmph" sound and both Lucia and Dana turned to look at her.

"You got one that trumps us?" Lucia asked, looking at Helena skeptically.

"Yeah, do you have one that trumps ours?" Dana asked looking at Helena dubiously.

Helena blushed and ducked her head. She stood up and turned around, pulling up her top and pulling down her pants slightly to show a long, thin scar across her lower back. She turned to face them again and grinned. "A friend and I got drunk in her apartment during my first year of university. I was singing that Siousxie and the Banshees song into my hairbrush--you know the one, 'Kiss Them For Me' and I crashed through the sliding glass door." She pulled up her pants leg and showed a fairly large but faint crescent moon shaped scar on her knee. "That's where Jun Ying accidentally hit me with one of my cast-iron skillet when the children were three."

Lucia and Dana visibly shuddered at the thought of a knee injury.

"What was your kid doing with a fry pan anyway?"

Helena shrugged. "Jun Ying liked to bang on the pots and pans," she explained. She grinned. "I think she wants to be a drummer, but Alice says over her dead body."

"Alice mentioned Jun Ying was good with that stuff," Dana commented. Then she tugged at the neck of her shirt to expose a scar on her shoulder. "That's where a girl at tennis camp got mad that I won the match and hit me with her tennis racket."

Lucia lifted up her shirt. "This scar is from when I had my navel pierced and I was in a Tae Kwan Do class and my sparring partner's toe got caught in the hoop. He hopped around for a while, but he lost his balance and it ripped the piercing out."

"Well maybe you shouldn't have worn that halter top," Dana said reasonably, lightly punching Lucia's knee.

Lucia scowled. "I told you, I was sixteen!"

"I can't believe you had your navel piercing ripped out but you're afraid of geese."

"They attack people! They're very evil!"

Helena chuckled, clearly amused by the interaction.

Dana snorted. "Yeah, sure. Geese are evil," she said placatingly. "And you're totally distracting us from the topic." She smiled at Helena. "So Alice's birthday, your turf and you," Dana said trying to bring the focus back to the conversation.

"I don't consider Alice or anything pertaining to Alice to be my 'turf,' per se," Helena said with a smile, bringing the conversation back into focus. "I…" Helena looked hesitant. "I know Alice would really enjoy a birthday with all of her friends present," she said. "But let's be frank. Bette and Tina don't particularly like me and perhaps they would be more comfortable at a party where I am not--"

"They'll be there," Dana interrupted firmly, thinking if Bette and Tina dismissed Alice's birthday party simply because they didn't like Helena, she was going to kick their asses. She was in better shape then they were, too. And besides, she got the impression that Bette and Tina were perfectly willing to spend time with Helena on Alice's behalf. "They will totally be there. And you have to be, too, Helena. Alice would be really upset if you weren't at her birthday party," Dana said, thinking that it was likely Alice would forego a big birthday party with her friends if Helena weren't there.

Helena smiled. "I wanted to inquire if you could help me plan Alice's birthday? If you wouldn't mind, that is," Helena said, suddenly panicked. She thought this was a gesture of friendship toward Dana but she suddenly realized that it may be too painful for Dana to do so. For all she knew, all of Dana's emotions regarding Alice were still raw. Helena cursed her stupidity for thinking it would be okay to ask just because Dana seemed to have found someone she really liked. "That is, if you are willing," Helena added hastily, trying to cover up her embarrassment over her possible faux pas. "You've planned her last birthday parties and Alice has told me she's enjoyed it quite a bit. I've never... well, I've planned my children's birthdays and my ex's birthday parties," Helena said, wincing slightly. "But Winnie…" Helena cleared her throat. "Never seemed particularly thrilled with my efforts," Helena said a little wistfully, "and obviously I've planned and thrown parties, but they were always so lavish and extreme and intended to impress people whom I needed to impress."

Dana smiled back at Helena, hoping to put the British woman at ease because she seemed rather uncomfortable again now that the conversation about scars was over. The more she spent time around Helena, the more she felt she got to know her, and the more Dana felt that the Helena Peabody she first met when Tina dated her was a façade. She never imagined that Helena Peabody, who seemed unfazed by anything and perpetually calm and collected could fluster so easily, but Dana was glad she was getting a glimpse of the real Helena and not who Helena pretended to be--even if Helena could pretend fairly well. "You really want me to help you plan Alice's birthday party? Seriously?" Dana asked, turning her head to the side to see if Helena genuinely wanted her to help or if this was just some weird peace offering Helena was doing because she felt bad that Alice had chosen her and not Dana. Dana thought maybe it was a mixture of both and she imagined Helena Peabody could throw a kick ass party on her own. After all, Helena had the pocketbook to throw a truly memorable party.

Helena shrugged. "Alice isn't impressed with ostentatious displays of wealth."

Dana nodded, knowing that it was true. And she knew Alice wouldn't want Helena spending a bunch of unnecessary money on her birthday party just because Helena thought it would make Alice happy or something. Alice would be perfectly fine with just going to the Planet and drinking obscene amounts of good alcohol and eating some birthday cake. But she could see Helena wanted to do something special.

Helena smiled fully at Dana. "But she is impressed with your party planning skills."

Dana grinned at her. "Let's do it," she said, nodding emphatically. She reached for her phone which was on her coffee table. "What's your phone number?" Dana asked, thinking it was time for her to have it and readying to punch the digits into her phone.

Helena beamed at her. "Thank-you," she said sincerely before she and Dana exchanged phone numbers.

Once Dana and Helena exchanged phone numbers, Helena rose to her feet. "I will leave you two alone now," she said, nodding in acknowledgement at Lucia and then waving before she turned to walk away.

"I'll walk you out," Dana said, rising to her feet.

"I think I'm perfectly capable of walking to the door and opening it," Helena called out lightly.

Dana and Lucia exchanged a grin. Lucia pulled Dana into her lap and the two women giggled as Helena left the condo.

"I can see what Alice sees in her," Lucia noted, kissing Dana's neck.

"Me too," Dana agreed as she threaded her fingers through Lucia's hair which was out of its usual pony tail. Not too long ago, that would have been very difficult to admit. She was happy that she was beginning to let things go. And despite the fact that at one time, she'd wanted to be the one to spend the rest of her life with Alice, she was happy that Alice had found someone who was good to her. Dana knew she was easy to win over-- if a person was good to her and her friends and they were sincere about it, or at least seemed sincere, because Dana knew she could be a little naïve, then Dana tended to like that person. And Helena was good to her and definitely good to Alice. And Dana herself had found someone who was good to her. And so Dana found herself at peace with everything that had happened.

When she was younger, she'd wanted to believe in that one special person, someone who was created just for her. It was an overly romantic notion and one she felt was foolish the older she got when she realized that although her parents loved one another deeply, they weren't particularly in love with one another, at least, not like other couples she'd seen were in love with each other. And so Dana had always felt that her parents would have been equally as happy and could have loved other people equally as much as they loved one another if they'd never ended up together. So Dana rejected the concept that there was only one person out there for every person in the world and that whole concept of first, last and forever and soul mates that Bette and Tina seemed to relish so much. Until she fell in love with Alice. And maybe it was her lack of experience with relationships and love in general, maybe it was because she'd always loved Alice best of all her friends, but for a while, she lost her head and felt Alice was the only person she was capable of loving because up to that point, Alice was the only person outside of her family that she'd ever really loved. But that was changing now.

She didn't think that diminished what she'd felt for Alice or how badly she'd wanted to hold onto the blonde and how much it hurt when the blonde chose someone else. And of course the knowledge that she'd broken up with Alice for someone else which is what basically facilitated Alice falling in love with someone else still stung a little because Dana knew she would have been happy with Alice and she was fairly confident they could have lasted.

But the intensity of emotion that she'd felt for Alice and the fact she still loved the blonde and knew she would always love the blonde a little didn't mean she would spend all her days for the rest of her life secretly pining for Alice. She still was, just a little, but that fact didn't diminish what she was feeling for the woman whose hair she was currently playing with.

"So, if I like, took you to a petting zoo with geese, would you totally freak out?" Dana asked, breaking the comfortable silence they'd settled into. Dana tried to keep a straight face but she couldn't help the slow grin that spread across her face.

Lucia turned her head up to she could look silently at Dana, trying to look stern and imposing, but her expression melted on seeing Dana grin at her. Her shoulders began to shake and then Lucia and Dana broke into a fit of giggles, their foreheads pressed comfortable together.

------------

Dana grinned as she observed Jun Ying and Wilson run out of the living room, each of them carrying pictures they'd drawn for Lulu who had settled into a slight funk after breaking up with her boyfriend. The children were drawing a series of pictures to illustrate a book they'd written for her entitled 'Jake Caldwell is a Mean Boy' in addition to the song they'd written with the same name. Dana heard Jun Ying and Wilson loudly calling for Lulu and then a few moments later heard Lulu break into exuberant laughter in another room.

"You have really great kids," Dana said, craning her head slightly to hear Jun Ying and Wilson sing the "Jake Caldwell is a Mean Boy" song.

Helena beamed at Dana, suddenly feeling much more at ease. Dana had a disarming quality to her, but Helena could not help but be a little uncomfortable around the tennis player, knowing that Dana had once had such a strong hold on Alice's heart and that Alice loved and adored Dana for nearly a decade. "Thank-you," she said simply. She didn't necessarily like that her children were drawing pictures of tiny Jake with an unusually large head being stepped upon by an unusually tall Lulu in freakishly large shoes, because she didn't condone any kind of violence, but she knew they were doing it to cheer up Lulu who tried to not show how upset she was, but could still be heard crying in her bedroom at all hours of the night.

Helena could remember the children drawing her pictures to cheer her up when Winnie ended their relationship, although none of their pictures involved Winnie being squashed like a bug under her foot. But they would constantly sing to her, draw her pictures, hug her, crawl into her lap in an effort to cheer her up. It was the only way they knew how and though she didn't necessarily approve of the children laughing hysterically as they drew a picture of Jake running away from a Mama bear who looked suspiciously like her with a baby cub who looked suspiciously like Lulu trailing behind, Helena knew her tender-hearted children only had the best of intentions and hearing Lulu laughing loudly and clapping her hands, Helena was glad for it.

"How old are they again?" Dana asked, deciding to take a break in planning Alice's birthday party to talk to Helena about a subject she clearly loved to talk about.

Helena grinned. "They're seven."

"Which one is older?" Dana asked.

"Jun Ying, by two months--well, nine weeks, actually."

Dana grinned. "Alice said you were able to bring home Jun Ying from China soon after Wilson was born so they must have bonded really fast," she commented.

Helena smiled dreamily, recalling those first few days when she was able to hold her newborn son and her new daughter in her arms. "Yes, they did," Helena said softly, recalling how wonderful it had been, and how excited she was that her son and daughter would have a sibling the same age to play with. "They're practically like twins," Helena said softly.

Dana chuckled. "I noticed," she said. "I think it's cool. My little brother--Howie, he's great and all. But he's a lot younger than I am, so we were never close growing up. He was always my annoying little brother, but we get along pretty well now."

Helena laughed softly. "Still, it must have been nice," she commented wistfully.

"It was. I used to dress him up in my old baby clothes--my mother kept all my baby clothes, you know, sentimental reasons and all, when he was a baby. But don't tell him that or else he'll tell me I made him gay. I mean, he knows that wouldn't be the reason, but he'd pretend like he totally thought it was just because he knows it would drive me crazy."

Helena laughed. "I always wanted siblings to torment," she commented.

Dana narrowed her eyes playfully. "You would have been that annoying little sister that followed me around and froze my bra, wouldn't you?" she asked accusingly.

"Probably," Helena admitted.

Dana laughed. "Alice said she used to try to be like that," Dana commented. "But you know, with her sister and brother…" Dana trailed off, wincing slightly.

"Ah, yes. Nelson and Jolene," Helena murmured, she'd never met Alice's siblings but from the stories Alice told her, she doubted she would like them. Helena did not doubt they loved Alice, but they had an atrocious way of showing it and Helena resented that.

"Yeah," Dana said.

"Have you met them?" Helena asked curiously.

"Twice," Dana said, making a slight face. Neither of them had made a particularly good impression on her. "They both live in Southern California, and not, like, that far away. It's not like they live in Baja or San Diego or anything. But they just don't spend much time with Alice."

Helena turned her head to the side. "Did you like them?" Helena asked, although she got the sense that Dana didn't, she didn't want to be presumptuous.

"Well, it's not that I didn't like them," Dana began diplomatically, "it's that…" Dana trailed off. "No," Dana admitted with an exasperated laugh. "I didn't like them at all." Dana looked at Helena and covered her face. "I feel bad," Dana said pulling her hands away from her face and clutching them to her chest. "I feel bad! I don't like them! They're Alice's brother and sister! But I just don't. They're so full of themselves and they're mean to Alice. So I don't like them that much but they're Alice's family so..." Dana trailed off into silence.

Helena patted Dana's shoulder. "It's all right, Dana," Helena said soothingly. "I highly doubt I would like them either," she said. She'd invited Alice's brother and sister to the party, but they'd each declined and according to Dana, there was no point in inviting Lenore, Alice's mother, because Lenore barely remembered Alice's birthday--let alone made an effort to attend a birthday party for her.

Dana grinned at her. "Okay," she said simply.

Jun Ying and Wilson ran into the room, carrying the telephone. "Mommy!" Wilson called. "Alice is on the phone and she wants to know if she should bring home ice cream!" he said as he and his sister climbed onto the couch. Jun Ying crawled into Helena's lap and nestled against her mother as Wilson lay across Dana to hand Helena the telephone.

Wilson and Jun Ying watched as Helena smiled and took the phone. "Hello, darling," Helena murmured. "That would be wonderful." Helena spoke for a few minutes and then hung up the telephone. "Alice is going to bring us ice cream, babies."

"Yay!" Wilson and Jun Ying cheered.

Wilson climbed across Dana to sit in between Dana and his mother and rested his head against Helena's shoulder as he and Jun Ying shoved at one another. Wilson tugged at Dana's sleeve. "Do you want to stay for ice cream?" he offered.

"Yeah! Stay for ice cream," Jun Ying said eagerly.

Dana grinned at them. "I'm sorry, kiddos. Next time for sure," Dana said, exchanging a smile with Helena. "I can't be here when Alice gets back, remember? Your mommy and I are planning a big surprise birthday party for Alice."

"Oh yeah," Jun Ying said, putting her finger to her lips. "It's a seeeecret," she said looking at her brother pointedly.

"I know it's a secret!" Wilson exclaimed defensively. "I can keep a secret!"

"No, you can't!"

"Yes, I can!"

"No, you can't! Wilson Loudmouth!"

"Yes, I can! Jun Ying Crybaby!"

"I'm not a crybaby! You are! And a loudmouth!"

"Children," Helena said warningly.

"Sorry Mommy," they said apologetically.

"It's all right, babies," Helena said ruffling their hair and gently tickling their ribs.

"Hey kids, come here for a minute!" Lulu called out.

Wilson and Jun Ying looked at one another and then hopped off the couch and ran out of the room together.

"They are really great kids," Dana said with a grin. "But I bet sometimes they make you glad you were an only child."

Helena chuckled. "Yes," she agreed. "Particularly when they argue over Mr. Lamb."

Dana grinned. "Mr. Lamb?"

Helena glanced around and then bent down to feel around under the couch before bringing out Mr. Lamb. "I had to hide him from them," Helena whispered, "because they were fighting."

Dana looked at Mr. Lamb blankly. "Mr. Lamb is a sock."

"He's more of a toy now," Helena said absently, as she made Mr. Lamb wave his arms around as though he were bidding Dana a fond farewell.

Dana bit down on her lip to keep from bursting into laughter. "But he's…a sock."

"It was a very good sock," Helena said. "It's wool," she said, using the same argument she always did when she and Alice talked about how her children's favorite toy was a stuffed sock.

Dana chuckled, thinking of how Alice told her how odd Helena and her children were sometimes. Now she was inclined to agree. "Yes, wool socks are great," Dana said agreeably. She stood and stretched her arms and legs. "Call me tomorrow we can work out the rest of the details," Dana said. "I should leave before Al gets home."

"All right," Helena said softly, standing up and walking Dana out of the living room.

"Are you leaving, Dana?" Jun Ying asked, staring up at Dana, her brown eyes wide.

"Aww, do you have to leave now?" Wilson asked. "We were going to draw you pictures!"

Dana grinned and crouched down, so she was eye-level with the children. "I'll come back soon for them. You know I'll want to see them when they're ready."

"Okay, Dana," Wilson said.

"You promise you'll come back soon?" Jun Ying asked hopefully.

Dana glanced at Helena and grinned. "Sure, kiddo," Dana said, lightly pinching Jun Ying's nose. "But I should go before Alice gets home so that she'll be surprised on her birthday."

"Oooh okay," Jun Ying and Wilson said together.

"Bye kiddos," Dana said, as she walked to the door. "Remember this is our secret, okay?"

"Bye Dana!" they chirped as they followed Dana toward the door. "We won't tell Alice anything!"

"Good night, Dana," Helena murmured as she opened the door for Dana.

"See you soon," Dana smiled and then walked out the door.

"Bye Dana!" the children called as they waved at her.

Dana turned around and waved before turning around, walking to her car, getting inside and driving away. Helena closed the door and grinned down at her children. "Let's go see what Lulu is doing, shall we?" she asked as started for the kitchen.

"Okay, Mommy," they said following her into the kitchen to join Lulu who had overtaken the kitchen table with a poster project for her class on Wordsworth which was due the next day. The children were helping her cut images from various magazines and pasting them into the spots she'd marked for them and before Dana's arrival, Helena had painted in the letters that Lulu had carefully stenciled in.

"How is it coming along, Lulu?" Helena asked, smiling kindly at her employee as she passed by Lulu en route to the refrigerator to get a glass of water.

"It's okay," Lulu said softly. "Thanks for all your help."

"Of course, Lulu," Helena said, gently squeezing Lulu's shoulder as she took a seat at the table to look at the progress Lulu made. She could sympathize with Lulu's position--breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend was especially difficult when you had numerous deadlines to meet. "It looks lovely."

"Thanks, Helena," Lulu grinned. "Hey, I think I hear your phone going off in the living room," she said, cocking her head to the side.

"Oh," Helena said, rising to her feet. "Thank-you, Lulu," Helena said, listening intently and realizing that her phone was indeed ringing and that it was the ring tone that was assigned to her mother. She scurried to the living room to find her phone and answer it.

"Hello, Mother," Helena greeted, her tone neutral.

"Helena," Peggy said. "I'm calling to inform you that your presence will be needed next Saturday at a function at Chateau Marmont. You may, of course, bring your little journalist, but--"

"I'm sorry, Mother," Helena interrupted. "But I will have to decline your invitation," she said, though she knew her mother hadn't so much invited her as she demanded her to be there. "It's Alice's birthday and I am, of course, celebrating it with her." Helena winced, readying herself for her mother's inevitable lashing out.

"I don't think you've heard me correctly, Helena. I am telling you--"

"No, Mother," Helena said firmly. "The Peabody Foundation will survive without my presence at one fundraiser and furthermore, I believe you retired to free yourself from the Foundation's concerns. It's Alice's birthday, Mother and I can not accommodate your ever so polite request."

"All right, Helena. I see that you're being inflexible about this, I will speak to you about this later. As it is, I'm running late for a couples massage with Giuseppe."

"Good night, Mother," Helena said, rolling her eyes.

"This isn't over yet, Helena."

"Yes, Mother, it is. I will not be attending that function next Saturday. But I'm sure we'll speak soon. Goodnight, Mother. "

There had been a time when Helena had been desperate for Peggy's attention and approval, and there had been a time when Helena would have been more than willing to sacrifice her existing plans if her mother asked her to do so. But that was no longer the case-- she still longed for a better relationship with her mother, but it was no longer the top priority it had once been. And it had rankled her that her mother still referred to Alice as "your little journalist." Still, she couldn't quite squash the guilt she felt for refusing something her mother asked her to do and she knew it wasn't the last she'd heard from her mother on the subject--Peggy Peabody wasn't accustomed to taking "no" for an answer.

----------------------------------

Alice followed Helena to the car and opened the backseat to allow the children to get inside. "Seatbelts," she reminded them with a grin, ruffling Wilson's hair, not so much because they needed to be reminded but because it had just become habitual. She sat down in the passenger seat next to Helena. "All in," she said with a grin.

Helena grinned at her. "Yes," she murmured, as she started the car and pulled out of the restaurant's parking lot.

Alice turned to look at the children. "Are you excited about seeing the movie?"

Wilson and Jun Ying exchanged a look and giggled before answering "yes."

Alice paused. 'Okay,' she thought, thinking that was a little weird even for Wilson and Jun Ying who constantly seemed to be in on a secret that the rest of the world was not.

"Hey," Alice said. "You missed our turn."

Helena grinned at her. "Since I don't have your daring driving skills I think I will refrain from making a U-turn and turn right at the next light, darling."

Alice rolled her eyes. "My driving skills are not daring, they're very safe. This is LA, you have to have some guts to drive here. Those road signs are just polite suggestions, you don't actually need to go at the posted speed limit and you know half the time it's totally safe to make a U-turn. Those signs are just part of a vast conspiracy to make you late for work and to waste gas."

"Darling, I merely meant that not everyone is gifted with your unique driving ability."

Alice narrowed her eyes playfully. "Are you making fun of me?" she asked in a mock whine. "Why are you making fun of me? It's my birthday!"

"Oh, darling. You know I could never make fun of you. Although technically, your birthday was a few days ago."

"You're totally making fun of me," Alice said wryly. "And it's totally my birthday because we're celebrating it today." She glanced around at her surroundings--they were so familiar to her, she really hadn't paid any attention. "Hey, what are we doing at The Planet?" she asked as Helena pulled into the parking lot.

"I thought you might like some coffee before the movie," Helena said, looking into Alice's eyes with a wide-eyed, guileless expression. She smiled widely.

Alice's expression melted and she smiled back. "That sounds good," Alice agreed. "Do you want a tea latte? I can go get it for you. It's kind of cold out tonight, you can just stay inside and I'll run in and get them and some hot cocoa for the kids."

Helena smiled. "We'll go with you."

Alice shrugged. "Okay."

They got out of the car and approached the main door. Alice reached for the handle and then stopped when she read the sign. "Closed for a Private Party?"

"Open the door, Alice," Helena said softly.

Alice looked at Helena wide-eyed. "What did you do?" she asked with a tiny laugh. "Did you get Kit to close down the Planet so the four of us could have our own private party?" she asked, pulling on the handle to open the door.

"SURPRISE!"

Alice stood in the doorway, staring as assorted friends, colleagues and acquaintances stepped out from behind the counter and from the kitchen and other places around the Planet not readily visible from the entrance or through The Planet's clear walled windows. Kit and Dana stepped toward her, grinning.

"Happy birthday, Baby Girl," Kit said with a smile as she hugged Alice. "Hey you," she greeted Helena, gently yanking on Helena's forearm to bring the British woman close. "Have you been losing weight?" Kit said disapprovingly. "What have I told you about using that low-fat, non-fat stuff when you cook!"

"Kit," Helena said, sounding very much like Wilson and Jun Ying when they thought she was being overly fussy and protective.

Kit slapped Helena's stomach lightly and then crouched down to greet the children who instantly leaped into her arms. "How are two of my favorite kids, ever?"

Jun Ying and Wilson giggled as Kit lavished attention on them.

"Hey," Dana said, hugging Alice and then hesitating a moment before she hugged Helena as well. "Happy birthday." Dana grinned and waved at the children who were jumping up and down and calling her name to get her attention. "Hey kiddos!"

"Hi Dana!" Jun Ying and Wilson called, with pleased grins. They looked at one another and giggled and resumed talking to Kit.

"Thanks," Alice said happily. She looked at Dana and then at Helena. "Did you two plan this together?"

"Yep," Dana said.

Alice looked at Helena. "And you said we were just going to have a small party, just you, me and the kids."

Helena shrugged. "I thought you would prefer this."

Alice smiled gently at Helena, and tucked a lock of Helena's hair behind her ear. "Okay, not true for the record. But this is really good. Thank-you," she said, standing on tip-toe to plant a brief kiss on Helena's lips. She turned to Dana again. "Thanks, Dana," she said softly, hugging the tennis player again and pecking her cheek. "You okay?" she breathed into Dana's ear.

Dana's eyes shut for a moment before she responded. "Yeah," she whispered back, hugging Alice tighter for a few seconds before letting the blonde go. "You would not believe how hard it was to plan this without you catching on," Dana said. "We totally thought you would."

"Yes," Helena agreed.

"Well, tell me all about it," Alice said, linking arms with Dana and Helena.

Helena and Alice glanced at the children who were still enraptured by Kit's attention. Kit waved them away and Alice and Helena began to make the rounds, greeting Alice's many varied friends.

Alice, Helena and Dana exchanged glances as they approached Bette and Tina who were standing near the bar with Carmen, Shane and Jenny.

"Hi guys!" Alice exclaimed, hugging each of her friends in turn as they each extended their well wishes and "happy birthdays" to her. "Thank you so much for coming."

"Hey guys," Dana greeted with a beaming smile.

"Hello," Helena said quietly, smiling at them to mask her discomfort.

"This is a great party, guys," Carmen said, looking around. "I love any party with an open bar," she said, which made Shane chuckle. The couple exchanged grins and a quick kiss as their friends groaned good naturedly.

"Shut up, guys," Shane said.

"Yeah, we're not ashamed that we're nerdy and in love."

"Yeah," Shane chimed in.

Carmen grinned at Helena, and placed her hand on Helena's arms which were crossed in front of her. "Thanks for the open bar, by the way."

Helena chuckled softly. "Oh, you're quite welcome," she murmured.

"Hey," Dana said with a frown, as she glanced at a corner of the room. "What's Gabby fucking Deveaux doing her?" she asked with a scowl.

"Ugh, I hate Gabby fucking Deveaux," Shane commented.

"You're cute when you're filled with hate," Carmen said with a wide grin, patting Shane on the shoulder.

"Thank-you," Shane grinned, leaning in for a kiss.

"What is she doing here?" Bette demanded.

Everyone looked at Alice expectantly.

Alice raised her hands up defensively. "Don't look at me!" she squeaked, looking at Helena. "I didn't invite her! I didn't even know about this party!" She glanced at her ex-girlfriend and cocked her head to the side. "Is she making out with two girls?"

Everyone turned to watch as Gabby, who was seated between two women, turn away from one woman to begin kissing the other as the first woman kissed Gabby's neck from behind.

"Isn't that the Barbies that always fight?" Dana asked, squinting to get a closer look.

"Hey!" Alice said with a pleased grin. She slapped Helena's stomach. "It's Melanie and Alex. You invited Melanie and Alex?"

"Well, you seem to be entertained by them, darling," Helena murmured.

"You guys know them?" Dana asked. "You know the Barbies?"

"Yeah," Alice said with a grin. She turned to Helena. "Hey, did you go to Sephora to ask them?"

Helena ducked her head. "Yes," she muttered, looking down at the ground and kicking the ground.

Alice chuckled. "Aw," she said, hugging Helena close. "Did you end up buying out most of the store again?" she asked. "You know, you can say no to them. They won't beat you up. They only do that to each other. And even if they did, you know I would not let that go unpunished." Alice flexed her muscles. "I would defend my woman!" she exclaimed, shaking her fist. "You're silly," Alice murmured, gently slapping Helena's stomach again.

"Yeah, when you aren't bruising her," Bette commented.

Alice scowled, though she grinned at Bette.

Helena and Dana glared fiercely in Gabby's direction, although the screenwriter didn't seem to notice because she was too preoccupied with making out with the Sephora Barbies.

Alice chuckled softly and cupped Helena's chin to pull the brunette's attention away from Gabby. "So you went to Sephora to ask them," she murmured. "That explains the new bath products and those new candles in the bathroom and in the bedroom. I thought you were just trying to tell me I smelled funny."

Helena laughed. "Alice!" she exclaimed, clearly delighted.

"What?" Alice asked innocently. "What else was I supposed to think? And I'm the one who thought her girlfriend thought she smelled funny."

"Darling," Helena murmured affectionately.

"Or maybe you're the one who smells funny."

Helena laughed long and hard, holding onto Alice's arm and burying her face into Alice's shoulder. "Darling!"

"What?" Alice asked, unable to contain her laughter. "Maybe you do smell funny but you haven't let me figure it out because you cover it up with your yummy smelling perfumes that make me want to eat you."

Helena raised an eyebrow and gazed at Alice with a wry expression as the others exploded into laughter.

"Not like that!" Alice said. "I didn't mean it like that." She blushed and then grinned. "Well, kinda like that, too," she said with a grin.

"Go, Al," Shane said drolly.

Alice noticed Dana and Helena still appeared preoccupied with Gabby's presence. "Hey, guys. She probably just came with Mel and Alex. Just forget about her." Something clicked in Alice's mind as she recalled all the times she heard Melanie and Alex argue over some screenwriter doing research and Alex's alleged infidelity with the slutty screenwriter. 'Of course it's Gabby,' Alice thought wryly, filled with good-humored affection for her ex-girlfriend. Of all her ex-girlfriends, it was Gabby that got the most under her skin. Dana was definitely the ex-girlfriend she loved and adored the most, but it was Gabby who really understood her and Gabby who she'd constantly wanted to go back to--other than Dana. Gabby was the ex-girlfriend Alice had been in love with and had been stuck on for quite a long time. Now that she was with Helena, all the residual anger and resentment she'd ever had toward Gabby was gone and now all she had was the affection. But then again, even though Gabby was a supremely bitchy person, somehow, a person's affection for her always outweighed the anger and resentment.

"Yeah," Carmen said. She grinned at Helena. "Besides, if she tried to hit up on your woman, you could always knock her down. I hear you're good at that."

Helena blushed. "I almost broke my bloody hand," she recalled, unconsciously rubbing her fist.

"You just need to learn how to throw a punch," Jenny declared.

"Well Kit and I--" Alice started to say.

"Like this," Jenny said, her fist suddenly flying out with alarming speed toward Shane's midsection.

Shane yelped and leaped away.

Jenny stared at her blankly. "I wasn't actually going to hit you."

The other women stared at them, shocked that Jenny had (sort of) tried to hit Shane and that Shane, cool, tough Shane, released a girly yelp and leaped away.

Alice lightly punched Shane on the shoulder. "You girly screamed."

"Shut up," Shane said, with an embarrassed grin.

"Jenny knows how to throw down," Carmen commented. "We've seen it. And Shane's a lover, not a fighter,"

"Yeah, I'm a lover, not a fighter," Shane grumbled in her defense, turning slightly red in embarrassment from her actions. But she couldn't help it, she'd seen Jenny fight before and she was still a little traumatized.

"And some of us are lucky enough to be both," Alice said with a grin. She was surprised that she was surprised to learn that Jenny knew how to fight. When she really thought about it Jenny was totally one of those hot, super skinny but totally weird chicks who could totally kick your ass. She didn't know why she was so surprised to have that confirmed.

Helena snorted in amusement.

Alice turned to her, with mock shock. "It's my birthday! You're being mean to me on my birthday!"

Carmen grinned at this and then wrapped an arm around Shane's waist in reassurance. "You gringos can't tell me you never noticed my girl has delicate bone structure. She's got the complexion of an albino at times! Give her a break," Carmen remarked playfully, laughing as Shane hid her face in the DJ's neck

The group laughed heartily at this and Alice beamed at them, happy that all the friends she loved were in the same room and getting along. The women chatted a little longer and then Alice and Helena went around to greet other guests. Alice and Helena spotted Alice's friends, Michael and Amy and walked to approach them when they heard Dana squeal happily.

"You came!" Dana exclaimed, running toward Lucia who was walking slowly through the crowd.

"Yeah," Lucia said with a smile.

"Let me get you a drink," Dana said, taking Lucia by the hand and leading her toward the bar. She caught sight of Alice and Helena who each smiled at her.

'I love you," Alice mouthed to Dana.

Dana grinned. 'I love you, too,' she mouthed back and then she continued to lead Lucia toward the bar.

Alice turned back to Helena and wrapped her arms around Helena's waist. "I like Lucia," she said with a happy sigh. "She's good to Dana."

"I rather like her myself," Helena said.

"Hey guys!" Alice greeted her friends happily as she began to chat with Michael and Amy.

Helena was content to stand next to Alice, to listen to the blonde speak and charm her guests.

Alice was definitely the more sociable one between the two of them. Granted Helena often had to entertain and socialize as part of her job function, but it was a chore, and not something that came easily to her. It was just that she could fairly easily mask how she was feeling from the majority of the world who didn't care to look deeper. Enough time had passed that Helena could look objectively at her relationship with Winnie and see that Winnie had always wanted to be more sociable, to socialize and network, even if it was mostly for more nefarious purpose. She couldn't provide that for Winnie, because it wasn't who she was.

Alice was similar in that respect-- Alice liked to be social, because she genuinely liked people. She was genuinely interested in their stories and their lives, their problems. It was what made her such a great friend and why people generally liked her even if they weren't particularly good friends to her. And Alice needed to be social more than Helena did, but that was perfectly fine with Alice who was oh so very patient with Helena, who didn't leave Helena alone to wander at these things unless she knew Helena was completely comfortable. She supported and nurtured Helena which was one of the reasons why Helena felt she and Alice belonged together. She felt safe and at ease, even if she didn't really know that many people and the few people she did know didn't particularly like her, because Alice made her feel like it was okay.

In her past relationship, Winnie would most certainly have left her side immediately so that Helena would have to wander the party, alone and uncomfortable and feeling as though everyone knew she was uncomfortable and felt inept. Not that she would express that outwardly, of course. But here, Alice would sense Helena was uncomfortable talking to certain people and Alice would find a way to graciously slip away, taking Helena with her. And even though it was Alice's birthday party, she still found a way to take care of Helena and Helena knew that she would always be grateful for that, that Alice would always be the woman who could make her weak, who could talk her into anything because she knew Alice would do anything for her.

"Hey," Alice murmured, as they walked away from one group of people toward another. "Lulu's here to get the kids. You okay? We can leave, you know. We can read to the kids, have some fun, just you and me and call it a night," Alice said as they changed directions to walk to Lulu.

Helena chuckled. "Darling, it's your party and I helped plan it. I think we're obliged to stay."

Alice nuzzled Helena's neck. "You don't like these things as much as I do,"

"But I like you, darling," Helena said with a smile.

"Hey guys," Lulu greeted. She smiled wanly at Alice. "Were you surprised?"

"I was," Alice said with a smile. She touched Lulu's shoulder. "You doing okay, kid?"

Lulu shrugged. "Yeah," she said. "Where are the kids?"

"They're hanging out with Kit in the kitchen," Alice said.

"Let's go," Lulu said.

The three women walked to kitchen to find Kit, Wilson and Jun Ying dancing and lip syncing to Billie Holliday. Helena and Alice watched them for a moment with fond smiles until Wilson turned around and caught sight of them.

"Mommy! Alice! Lulu!" he shrieked as he and his sister ran over to them.

"Hello ladies," Kit said as she followed after them.

"Kit, thank you for watching them," Helena said, touching Kit's arm. "You didn't have to, really. I could have arranged for something."

"Never you mind, Baby Girl," Kit said. "I told you to bring these little ones here." She looked at Lulu. "And you, what are you looking so skinny for?" she demanded. "No boy is worth that."

"Jake Caldwell is a mean boy!" Wilson and Jun Ying exclaimed.

Lulu burst into laughter and impetuously hugged both the children. "I guess you're right," she told Kit.

"Damn straight, I'm right."

"Okay, I'll take the kids home now," Lulu said, picking up both the children. "Man, you guys are almost too big for this now," she commented with a smile. She looked at Helena and Alice. "Call me if you guys need me to pick you up or anything."

Helena waved away her concern. "I've already spoken to Emmett," Helena said, referring to her driver who was used less frequently now that Alice stayed at the house more often than not and insisted on driving Helena to the airport herself when Helena had to go out of town rather than having Emmett drive her. "He can pick us up if Alice and I over-indulge tonight."

Lulu nodded and grinned. "Well, I hope you over-indulge, boss lady. You kind of need it."

"Totally," Alice remarked.

"Not many people are wound tighter than you, Baby Girl," Kit said.

Helena blushed. "Thank-you, Lulu, for picking up the children."

"Sure thing."

And then Lulu was out of the kitchen. Helena and Alice helped Kit clean up the tiny mess the children had made and then walked back to the party, Alice and Kit good-naturedly teasing Helena about her alleged lack of indulgence the entire way.

"Oh my God!" Alice exclaimed, freezing in her steps and grabbing onto Helena's arm. "It's our mothers!" Alice stared at Helena. "Did you invite them?" she hissed, as she stared in disbelief at Lenore and Peggy walking into The Planet arm-in-arm as though they had been chummy their entire lives.

Helena stared back. "Of course I didn't" she hissed. She bit back a groan. Her mother had known about Alice's party but that was all the detail she knew and now not only was her mother at Alice's surprise birthday party, but she'd arrived with Alice's mother, looking like they'd been friends their entire lives.

"They're your mothers?" Kit asked, looking at Peggy and Lenore with undisguised disdain. She'd heard the stories and she didn't think either of them were fit parents. It wasn't that Kit thought she had any right to be judgmental when it came to being a mother--she was well aware of the problems her alcoholism caused for her son, David. But she was trying to make up for that now by trying to be a better mother whereas Helena and Alice's mothers seemed completely oblivious to the way they treated their daughters. Kit looked at Lenore and Peggy and appeared to be barely restraining herself from approaching them and saying something blunt.

Alice saw Dana and Lucia standing together still at the bar, heads pressed close together, clearly enjoying each other's companies and grabbed Helena's hand as she walked to Dana.

"Dana," Alice hissed. "What are our mothers doing here?"

"My mom likes you, Al," Dana said, "She wanted to be here when I told her it was your birthday."

"Not your mother," Alice interrupted, somewhat confused until she spotted Sharon and Irwin for the first time that evening, talking to Shane, Carmen and Jenny. Sharon looked simultaneously amused and confused by Jenny who was clearly at the centre of conversation.

"Our mothers!" Helena whispered loudly, glancing furtively at Lenore and Peggy.

Dana's eyes widened. "I didn't invite them!" She bit her lip. "I mean, you always say not to bother inviting her, Al. And I don't even know how to get in touch with your mom," Dana said to Helena. Dana looked thoughtful, "but if I tried, would like, bodyguards and Secret Service agents tackle me or something?"

In spite of the situation, Helena could not help but grin at the tennis player. "No, she would likely be pleased a well-known athlete was attempting to get in touch with her." She paused. "Although she would certainly prefer it if you were six inches taller, more muscular and male."

Alice, Dana and Kit laughed in response.

Helena looked at them dryly. "I'm not joking." Helena looked thoughtful for a moment and then made a face. "Ah," she muttered to herself, realizing that she had been the one to tell her mother about Alice's birthday party the previous week when her mother called to demand her presence at a social function.

"What?" Alice asked, looking at her in concern. "You okay, baby?"

Helena pinched the bridge of her nose between her right thumb and index finger. "I told my mother about tonight, somehow, she must have heard more details. Last week she told me to attend a function at the Chateau Marmont tonight and I declined."

Alice grinned. "You said no to your mother for me?" she asked. "Aw, baby," Alice said, nuzzling Helena's nose. "We should go talk to our moms," Alice commented with a sigh.

"Yes," Helena agreed.

"Sorry, guys," Dana said softly. "It was probably my fault. I told your brother and sister about the party and they probably told Lenore where it was."

"Dana, don't be silly," Helena said. "Really, it's perfectly fine."

"Do you want me to go with you guys?" Dana asked.

"Nah, it's okay," Alice said.

"You want me to go with you, Baby Girl?" Kit asked Helena.

"It's fine, Kit, thank-you," Helena said with a smile.

"You sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure," Helena said with a fond grin. "Thank-you for your concern," she said softly. "I do appreciate it."

"All right, you two," Kit said. "But yell if you need me."

"We will," Alice said with a laugh because from the expression on everyone's faces, one would think that she and Helena were about to embark on a march across Russia in the middle of winter and though talking to Lenore and Peggy wasn't the most appealing prospect, it certainly wasn't as terrible as everyone was making it out to be. "Let's go, baby," Alice said, taking Helena by the hand and leading them to Lenore and Peggy.

"Hi Mom, Mrs. Peabody," Alice greeted as she exchanged a hug with her mother and received a nod of acknowledgment from Peggy.

"Hello Mother, hello Ms. Cullen," Helena said, shaking Lenore's hand.

"Alice!" Lenore exclaimed. "Happy birthday! Just think 31 years ago today, I was screaming in pain to bring you into the world!" she joked.

Alice and Helena exchanged a look. Although they were celebrating Alice's birthday on that particularly day because it was a Saturday, Alice's actual birthday was three days before. But Lenore never had a strong grasp on remembering dates.

Lenore fussed with Alice's hair. "You look tired, are you using enough anti-wrinkle and eye cream? Are you getting enough sleep? Do you want to look like Ernest Borgnine?"

"Mom, I--" Alice began to protest the Ernest Borgnine comparison but stopped as she didn't think there was the point.

"Ms. Cullen, with all due respect, I don't see how anyone could think Alice resembles Ernest Borgnine," Helena said softly, putting her arm around Alice's waist who instinctively rested her head on Helena's shoulder. "Nor do I think she needs any cosmetics--your daughter is beautiful."

Alice smiled against Helena's neck and gently rubbed Helena's back, trying to ease the tension she was beginning to feel rise in Helena's back and shoulders. "I don't really need to buy it anyway because I can always just steal Helena's," Alice joked. She gently ribbed Helena. "You're even younger than I am, so you don't need to use it either."

Helena laughed softly. "We've had this conversation," she said, rolling her eyes good-naturedly. She was too ingrained in the idea that she needed multiple cosmetic products--her mother had repeatedly emphasized that point while she grew up and she didn't think she could feel comfortable not using them, even when Alice told her she was too young to be that worried about wrinkles and aging, seeing as how she hadn't hit thirty yet.

"Your birthday is fairly soon, Helena," Peggy commented.

"Yes, it is," Helena said noncommittally.

Alice grinned and leaned into Helena and nuzzled Helena's neck. "I have fourteen weeks to plan," she murmured.

Helena blushed. "Alice," she protested, a little embarrassed to express any kind of emotion in front of her mother, but more than that, she didn't want to make Alice feel obliged to plan anything when her birthday arrived.

"Do keep me informed of the festivities for my daughter's birthday," Peggy said to Alice.

"I certainly will," Alice answered with a wide grin although she was feeling on edge from being around Peggy. She knew Peggy didn't particularly like her, but at least Peggy wasn't saying anything outright mean. The blonde grinned at her mother. "So, Mom, did you and Mrs. Peabody come together?" she asked. Alice always privately referred to Peggy as 'Peggy,' but she didn't want to do that in front of her, thinking that might create a negative impression and Peggy never asked her to call by her first name anyway.

"Of course we did, Alice," Lenore said. "Peggy told me Helena was throwing a birthday party for you, and I talked to your brother and he told me it was going to be here, and when Peggy suggested we go, well, here we are!"

"Oh," Alice said, feeling a little ill at the prospect of Peggy and Lenore hanging out together. They were an unlikely pair, but when a person really thought about it, they weren't that unlikely at all-- in fact, they were so alike, that it seemed natural they would get along. "Uhm, how did…I mean, when did you two…when did you start spending time together?"

Lenore laughed as though Alice were asking a trivial question. "Oh, you know, there was a dinner party a few weeks ago, they needed some celebrity endorsements, Peggy called me seeing as how our daughters are dating and the rest is history."

Helena bit the inside of her cheek in an effort to stifle the anger she felt at her mother calling Alice's mother for such a thing.

Peggy looked at Helena appraisingly. "If you are not going to capitalize on your assets and your contacts, Helena, I will."

"Mother, Alice and her mother are not 'assets' or 'contacts,' they're--"

"Bette Porter!" Peggy exclaimed, seeing Bette and Tina walk past holding hands.

"Bette! Tina!" Lenore cried, delighted.

Helena's shoulders slumped slightly as she watched her mother and Bette begin to converse eagerly. It was strange, really. She didn't particularly like Bette, even though they were civil to one another and they could spend time in the same room without it being completely uncomfortable. She didn't particularly respect Bette either, beyond respecting Bette as a human being and Bette didn't have anything Helena wanted or didn't already have. But Bette seemed to connect with Peggy on a level that Helena never did and for that thing alone, Helena did envy Bette. She didn't know why Peggy seemed to like Bette so much and she didn't want to waste any time in analyzing it because Helena genuinely could not understand Bette's appeal to anyone, really, at least beyond the shallow things like Bette was attractive and intelligent, which didn't necessarily make her a good person, sister, friend, wife or mother. But she wished she could talk to her mother the way Bette was talking to her right now.

Alice curled her finger around Helena's hair. "Seeing as how our mothers have lost interest in us," she joked with a tinge of sadness, "do you want to go make out with me in the bathroom?"

"Let's go, darling."

When Alice and Helena emerged from the bathroom, glancing around to see various people smirk back at them, they saw Kit had cornered Lenore and Peggy and appeared to be giving them an earful. Lenore and Peggy both appeared uncharacteristically chastened and defensive.

"Should we go save them?" Alice asked.

Helena bit her lip and contemplated the prospect. "Let's search for Dana and Lucia."

Alice grinned. "Why, Helena Peabody!" she exclaimed cheerfully. She chuckled and grabbed Helena's hand. "Let's go."

Alice and Helena searched for Dana and Lucia and saw the two athletes were engaged in conversation with Bette and Tina. Alice and Helena exchanged a look and then proceeded to join the two couples.

"Hey guys," Alice greeted.

"Alice!" Dana said excitedly. "Oh my God, you won't believe it--Tina is a freak, too! She and Lucia are both afraid of geese."

Alice raised an eyebrow. "You, I could believe," she said to Tina, "because even though some people think you're so normal, you're boring, I know you're a weirdo," Alice said, grinning as Tina laughed good-naturedly. "But you?" Alice asked Lucia. "How could you be afraid of geese? They're so pretty. I still don't get it."

"They're vicious animals!" Lucia exclaimed.

"I know!" Tina said, more animatedly than usual. "They attack people!"

"I KNOW!" Lucia cried. "One attacked me when I was a kid! They're horrible little fuckers," Lucia averred. "Once, in college, I had to get to class, but I was running late and I was really mad that I was late because the geese were crossing a back road shortcut I took because the traffic was so bad. Two of the babies got stuck so this woman gets out to help them and I knew it was coming, because I'd seen it sooo many times before--geese are evil, you know. But they totally attacked her! And it was vicious. It caused, like, this traffic jam on this back road, and the lady got knocked down. It was even on the news."

Tina's eyes, which had grown wide as Lucia related this story now seemed ready to pop out of their sockets. "THAT WAS MY MOM!" she shouted.

"Oh God, here we go," Bette muttered.

"Oh my God, really?" Lucia asked. "The woman who got attacked on Kester Road?"

"YES!" Tina shrieked, laughing at the coincidence.

"Oh dear God," Bette said.

Dana looked at her sympathetically. "Does Tina tell you about how evil geese are all the time, too?"

"You wouldn't believe it," Bette muttered. She grinned at Dana. "All these years, I had to keep it a secret because it was just…" Bette gestured wildly with her hands, "such a strange fear. I was sure no one would understand. Tina won't even go to a petting zoo and refuses to take Angelica."

"Because geese are evil!" Lucia and Tina exclaimed indignantly, momentarily pulled out of their conversation on how geese were evil, and the fact they'd both lived in the same area of the same state at one time and that Lucia had seen Tina's mother attacked by geese.

Dana grinned at Bette. "If you want to go to the petting zoo sometimes, Bette, I'll go with you!"

Alice chuckled. "TK, I had no idea you were afraid of geese, although I can't say I'm surprised."

"Thank-you!" Tina said, "because they're horrible and vicious, right?"

"No," Alice said slowly, "because you're really weird."

Everyone except for Tina and Lucia laughed at this.

"Geese are horrible and vicious," Lucia said, putting her arm around Tina in a show of camaraderie. "I'm with you, Tina."

"See? Lucia's with me."

"In having a ludicrous fear?" Bette teased. "That's nice, T. It's good you finally found company."

Alice laughed. "How did you even find out about this?" she asked Dana curiously.

Dana began laughing heartily, causing Lucia to look at her warningly.

"Dana--"

"A while back, Lucia and I were running," Dana started to say, in between fits of laughter, "she was on the inside and I was on the outside, right?" Dana said illustrating her point by moving her arms in a running gesture. "And we were passing this house that was on our right. So then she stops and moves so that she was running on the outside and I asked her why she did that and at first she told me it was because she didn't want me to get hit by a car because I was the one more out into the street," Dana said, breaking into a fit of laughter at the memory. She slapped the arm of the couch she was sitting on and doubled over as she laughed.

"Dana!" Lucia exclaimed, turning red from embarrassment.

"Anyway," Dana gasped out. "I got her to admit that one of the houses had these, like, lawn ornaments, you know, like flamingos or lawn gnomes? Except this house ceramic geese and Lucia was afraid of them," Dana said, barely managing to tell the story as her voice cracked before she managed to gasp out the words 'afraid of them,' and broke into uproarious laughter, laughing long and hard as all the others began to laugh as well, partly from the story itself and partly because of the way Dana related it.

"I wasn't afraid of them, I just didn't want to see them," Lucia said defensively, although she laughed as well. "They're ugly. Those ceramic geese are even more horrible than lawn gnomes."

"Yeah, and you know lawn gnomes are evil, too," Tina chimed in.

Dana stared at Tina. "Are you really this weird? Have you always been this weird?"

"I'm not weird!"

"She's not weird!" Lucia defended.

Bette put her arm around Dana. "Don't try, Dana. They've bonded in a mutual hate of geese and since their fear and hate is so bizarre to the rest of us, it's only natural they would defend each other to the death."

Dana laughed. "So, like, if Lucia ever freaks out because she sees a picture of a goose, I can come to you?"

"Of course," Bette said with a grin. "I'll be the one telling Tina the goose can't come out of the picture to peck and honk at her."

Dana and Alice burst into delighted laughter.

Helena, who'd remained silent through the entire exchange, looked at Tina and Lucia sympathetically. "I still think it's a perfectly reasonable fear," she said, smiling at Lucia.

"See! Helena is on our side," Lucia said.

"Yeah," Tina agreed, smiling at Helena.

"Yeah, well, Helena's a bleeding heart," Bette said. "So of course she'd be on your side."

"I mean, I know I could take them, but--" Lucia started to say.

Dana laughed at Lucia's word choice. "You know you could take them?" she repeated.

"Are you saying I couldn't?" Lucia asked, appearing mock offended.

"You won't even look at ceramic ones!"

"Ceramic what?" Shane asked, joining the group with Carmen and Jenny in tow. Dana and Lucia made room for Shane on the couch who sat down and pulled Carmen into her lap.

Jenny took a seat on the arm of the sofa chair Alice and Helena were sharing and grinned. "Ceramics is an undervalued craft."

"Yes, it is," Helena agreed, tilting her head to the side to rest it against Jenny's arm. She looked up at Jenny and smiled. "Jenny, you're looking well this evening."

"Thank-you," Jenny grinned. "You, too."

"Lucia's won't even look at those ceramic geese people have on their front yards."

"They are kind of ugly," Shane said.

"Yeah," Carmen agreed.

"She won't look at them because she's afraid of geese."

"You're afraid of geese?" Shane and Carmen asked Lucia simultaneously. They looked at one another and grinned at each other.

"Tina's afraid of geese, too!" Lucia said.

Shane looked at her friends. "Is anyone else afraid of geese, too?" she asked in confusion. She never considered geese to be one of those things people were afraid of, at least, not typically.

"Oh God, here we go," Bette groaned, knowing the spiel on the evilness of geese was going to start all over again.

"I think it's perfectly reasonable to be afraid of geese," Helena protested. "Particularly if one has been attacked by geese, or has a family member who has been."

"Thank-you!" Tina and Lucia chorused.

"I, myself, am rather afraid of spiders," Helena offered.

"Rather afraid?" Alice repeated. "You put on my heaviest boots and stomp around the house with an iPod anytime a spider is seen in the house just in case you accidentally step on it and you don't want to hear the spider squelch. You're not just "rather afraid," baby, you're terrified."

"And spiders are a reasonable fear anyway," Bette said. "It's some evolutionary thing. The geese thing is…" Bette grinned at Tina. "I'm sorry, T. The geese thing is just weird."

Tina grinned back at Bette and swatted at Bette's stomach. "It's perfectly reasonable! My mother was really hurt!"

The discussion once again turned to the evilness of geese and whether or not the fear was entirely unreasonable. Alice and Helena grinned at one another and exchanged a look with Jenny before slipping away, unnoticed, with Jenny moving into the chair they left free.

"I just want you to know that even if you were afraid of geese, I would still love you anyway, because that geese thing is just weird," Alice said to Helena with a poke to the brunette's ribs.

Helena squealed and slapped Alice's hands as she leaped away from the blonde. "I still don't think it's an unreasonable fear!"

Alice grinned. "I know you don't, baby, but that's because you're a freak."

Helena's head tilted back as she laughed, one hand hovering above her mouth. "Because we're the freaks of the industry?" she asked.

"That's right," Alice said with a grin. "We're the freaks of the industry, and when you see us backstage be prepared to 'G'," Alice said, barely able to keep a straight face.

"Aw, you's a freak, G," Helena deadpanned.

Alice snorted but managed to respond. "Yo, you worse, Money B."

Helena grinned. "Yes, yes, I am," she said in her normal tone of voice.

Alice laughed and stood behind Helena and wrapped her arms around Helena's waist. She kissed Helena's neck, just under the brunette's ear. "I can not believe you like that song as much as you do," Alice remarked, smiling into Helena's neck.

"It's a deliciously dirty song."

Alice's lips curved into a smile. "Yes, it is," she murmured. She sighed softly and kissed Helena's collarbone. "You're tall tonight."

"I'm tall every night," Helena said with a grin.

"You're only two inches taller than I am," Alice protested. "Why does everyone always think I'm so short? I'm not short." She poked Helena's stomach. "You're wearing your six inch heels tonight, so you're taller tonight than usual."

Helena chuckled, but she did not respond, instead choosing to lean back into Alice and sigh contentedly. "Are you enjoying your birthday party, darling?"

"I really am," Alice grinned. "I'm happy you and Dana are becoming friends."

"I am as well," Helena agreed, although she thought it was too soon to say that she and Dana were becoming friends, they were definitely closer than they had been several months before and she found herself feeling comfortable around Dana--and there were few people she genuinely felt comfortable around. She touched the palm of her right hand against Alice's cheek. "We should really socialize with more of the guests," Helena said almost regretfully. "I would not want your friends to feel I am monopolizing you."

"Maybe I'm monopolizing you," Alice said with a grin. "I have some really hot, really smart, rich friends, you know. I wouldn't want you to be getting any ideas."

Helena looked amused. "Oh, darling, you know I would never do that. My time is already filled with my secret other girlfriend."

Alice chuckled and poked Helena's ribs. "Hey young lady, I made her up for you and I can take her away!" Alice snapped her fingers. "Just like that."

Helena laughed and kissed Alice's cheek. "Would you like to speak to some more of your guests?"

"Let's go," Alice agreed.

By the time Helena and Alice made the rounds in chatting with more of Alice's friends, they circled back toward the couches and chairs were Bette, Tina, Dana, Lucia, Shane, Carmen and Jenny were still sitting. However, by this point in the evening, they'd been joined by Kit, Lenore and Peggy although Lenore and Peggy notably sat as far from Kit as they could manage.

Alice cringed when she saw that Lenore and Peggy were definitely at the centre of attention. "Oh God, what do you think they're saying?"

"I am certain I do not want to know," Helena said, looking and sounding simultaneously amused and exasperated.

"I am kind of curious," Alice said with a sigh. "Come on, baby."

Alice and Helena furtively made their way toward the group and overheard Lenore talking. "…and these two girls are beautiful--real knockouts, I'm telling you. We were in the bathroom at Studio 54, and well, one thing led to another and…" Lenore shrugged and took a sip of her drink to smile at Peggy. "You know how it goes."

Peggy smiled knowingly. "Yes, I do," she said, as she launched into a story of her own.

"Oh my God," Alice groaned. "My mother is telling her fake lesbians stories again."

"And my mother is telling ones that could be true," Helena groaned.

Bette laughed. "So are the hasbians really hasbians?" she joked.

The group broke into giggles.

"Hasbians!" Peggy exclaimed. "Oh, Bette Porter."

Helena and Alice looked at one another in horror.

"Let's not join them," Alice said.

"Let's not," Helena agreed.

The couple joined hands and briskly walked away in the other direction, hoping to make their escape unseen.

"Oh God," Alice groaned. "My mother can be so embarrassing."

"Oh, darling, my mother is equally, if not more, embarrassing than your mother. Have you seen the way she ogles the men in this room?" Helena shook her head. "And did you hear that joke she made to Michael about a chef and his hands?" Helena covered her eyes in remembered horror as she relived that moment again.

Alice shook her head. "My mother totally would have said the same thing, baby. They're both embarrassing."

"Dear God," Helena laughed, shaking her head.

"Yeah," Alice agreed, petting Helena's hair. "I think the kids have to be a little older before we start let them hanging out around my mother," Alice said lightly. "She's way too immature for them," she chuckled. "Maybe by then, she'll let them call her grandma, and won't make them call her 'Bunny' like she does with my brother and sister's kids."

Helena looked at Alice thoughtfully. "You want the children to call your mother 'grandma'?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Uhm, well…yeah, if that's okay," Alice said hastily, wondering if she over-stepped some boundary.

Helena grinned. "I would like that very much if your mother would ever allow it." She swallowed hard. "The children have a bit of a deficit when it comes to grandparents," she said softly, thinking of her father who was deceased, and Winnie's mother who was dying a slow death from Alzheimer's and Winnie's father who was dead before she'd ever met Winnie. And they'd never met Peggy until relatively recently because she could simply not be bothered. She took Alice's hand. "We're a family, are we not?" she asked lightly.

Alice squeezed Helena's hand. "Yeah, we are."

Helena glanced around to see how private their conversation could be. Seeing that everyone was preoccupied in their own conversations, dancing or drinking, Helena turned back to Alice and brought her face close to the blonde's. "Darling," she said softly. "I was thinking…since you stay at the house more often than not… why don't you move into the house officially?" she asked. "We have an extra room and I can turn that into your own private space for anything you want," Helena offered earnestly. "We can turn it into an office or just your own room…anything. And you wouldn't have to keep spending money on an apartment you don't stay at very much and--"

"Hey," Alice said with a laugh, pressing her index finger against Helena's lips. "You don't have to sell me on anything. Of course I want to move in--officially. In case you haven't noticed, we've been living together for months."

Helena threw her arms around Alice and grinned happily. "Of course I've noticed." She laughed. "We'll have to buy a new wardrobe for your clothing--oh, and a new bureau as well," she said eagerly. "You can't just be expected to--"

Alice grabbed the sides of Helena's head and pulled Helena toward her in an impetuous kiss, her fingers tangling into Helena's hair and sucking on Helena's lower lip. Helena's mouth opened, allowing Alice to slip her tongue inside. They kissed for a few minutes until they broke apart, panting softly. "We'll play it by ear, sweetheart," Alice drawled, with a grin. "We've been doing that all along and it's worked for us, right?" she asked, squeezing Helena's shoulder reassuringly.

Helena placed her hand over Alice's. "Yes," she said softly.

Alice smiled at Helena. "Thank-you for asking me," she murmured, dropping her gaze to the floor before looking up at Helena. "I'm really glad you asked me," she said softly.

"I've been wanting to," Helena confessed quietly. "But I didn't want to move things along too quickly. I've…I've been guilty of doing that before."

"Me too," Alice laughed softly. "But this feels right, so I'm really glad and--"

"Alice, you've been ignoring me all night, come here and give me a hug. It's your birthday after all. Don't I deserve a hug on your birthday? I mean, after all the ones I've forgotten, I think I deserve a little recognition for kind of remembering this one."

Helena and Alice turned at the new voice.

"Gabby," Alice sighed though she couldn't resist grinning at the other woman. Even when she was irritated with Gabby like she was now, for interrupting this moment with Helena, she couldn't help but be happy to see her, either, even if the last time they'd tried to date after she and Dana had broken up, Gabby had called her pathetic and desperate again. Something about Gabby just made Alice feel happy and no matter how terribly Gabby treated her, Alice knew she would always have a soft spot for the screenwriter.

"No hug?" Gabby asked lightly, grinning at Alice.

Alice looked at Helena who smiled at her. "So you came with Mel and Alex," Alice commented as she hugged Gabby briefly and then pulled away to stand next to Helena again, taking the brunette's hand.

"Yeah," Gabby said. "You look great, Alice. Really."

"You, too," Alice said with a grin.

Helena looked at Alice, saw the happy expression on the blonde's face and the way Alice looked at Gabby with a mixture of bemusement and affection and stepped away from Alice. "I'm sure you would like to…catch up," Helena said. "I'll leave you alone to chat privately."

"Helena, no, wait--"

Helena leaned in and kissed Alice on the cheek. "She's your friend," she whispered in Alice's ear. "Even if no one else likes her."

Alice giggled. "Helena."

"All friends should have the opportunity to speak privately with one another," Helena whispered. "I know you want to talk to her."

"You sure?" Alice asked softly.

"Of course, darling."

"Get me in ten minutes," Alice whispered.

"I will," Helena said, lightly biting Alice's earlobe. "See you soon, darling," she said, stepping away from Alice. She nodded in acknowledgement at Gabby and then stepped away to join Kit who was still sitting and talking with the others.

"So, does this mean she's gracefully stepping out of the picture so you and I can have our shot?" Gabby joked.

Alice grinned. "Yeah, like that would ever happen."

"Happy birthday, Alice," Gabby said sincerely. "I'm sorry for all those times I was an asshole and forgot your birthday."

Alice laughed. "No, you aren't," she said good-naturedly.

Gabby shrugged. "You're right, but I almost wish I were," she said with a charming grin. She beamed at Alice. "I still got you a kick ass present tonight though, you know, to make up for all the times I didn't buy you one."

"Well, thanks," Alice grinned.

"I hope you like it--I'm writing it off as a necessary business expense."

"The beauty of freelance," Alice noted dryly.

From across the room, Helena furtively glanced at Alice and Gabby as they spoke with obvious familiarity and ease. She didn't want to be jealous, but she was.

"Baby Girl, you should just go over there," Kit said, patting Helena's knee. Kit looked at Peggy and frowned, thinking it should be Peggy who was encouraging Helena.

"Alice has a right to speak to her friends," Helena demurred.

"Yeah, and Helena could totally take Gabby down," Carmen said with a grin.

"Could she now?" Peggy asked, raising an eyebrow.

Helena ducked her head and blushed as the others glanced around uncertainly.

"Baby Girl here decked Gabby Deveaux for getting lippy with Alice," Kit said, putting her arm around Helena. "She almost broke her hand doing it, but that woman went down."

Peggy raised an eyebrow. "That was very gallant of you, Helena," she said superciliously.

"She was offensive to Alice," Helena said stiffly. "I have no regrets about that."

"And if that little stunt convinced a judge you were the unfit parent and your children were taken away from you? Would you have no regrets then?"

Helena faltered.

"Now you wait a minute--" Kit started to say as the others looked on uncomfortably.

"This Alice must be quite a woman," Peggy continued imperiously. "How do you know her, Bette?"

"Alice and I dated for a while a long time ago," Bette said with a grin. "It was nothing--she was straight out of college, we dated for six weeks and we broke up."

Helena cringed, thinking of how she would have to hear her mother say she was taking all of Bette Porter's leftovers again. She desperately wished she'd never come to rejoin the group, feeling as though she should have just gone to the restroom to check her make-up.

"Ah, and the little reporter grew tired of her older woman after six weeks?" Peggy asked with a laugh. "Young people are so fickle, are they not? Although Helena was not," Peggy noted. "Helena was never fickle, even when she was a young child. She always knew what she wanted."

"Actually, Peggy, I broke up with Alice," Bette corrected.

"Did you?" Peggy asked, appearing surprised.

"Yes, I did." Bette said.

"What's the matter, Porter, narcissistic injury?" Gabby asked drolly, making a sudden appearance with Alice. Gabby smirked. "This one gets under your skin," Gabby said, pointing at Alice. "Why do you think we kept going back to each other?"

"I'm not a narcissist," Bette said defensively. "In fact, I think it can be argued that if anyone--"

Gabby looked at Helena. "Come with us, heiress, I told Alice I'd buy the two of you a drink."

"It's an open bar," Shane pointed out.

"Why do you think Gabby's buying?" Alice asked with a laugh. "Come on, baby," she held her hand out to Helena.

"Excuse me," Helena said with a relieved smile and rose to her feet.

Kit lightly patted Helena on the back, and the two exchanged a grin as Helena, Alice and Gabby walked toward the bar.

"We came to save you," Alice whispered into Helena's ear.

"Thank-you, darling."

Several hours later, with most of the guests gone or leaving, Helena sat at a table and watched with a grin as Alice said goodbye to several of her friends from KCRW.

"She suits you, Helena," Peggy said, taking a seat at the table next to Helena.

Helena turned to her mother, startled. "Mother?"

"She suits you," Peggy repeated. "Much more than that Tina Kennard." Peggy paused. "And clearly Bette was unsuited for Alice. Bette Porter and Tina Kennard deserve one another." Peggy looked at Alice appraisingly. "You and Alice deserve each other."

Helena looked at her mother, trying to determine if Peggy was being sarcastic or sincere. Since Peggy's tone when speaking to her was almost always either condescending or somewhat mocking, it was difficult to tell. "I love her, Mother," Helena said warningly.

"She reminds me a bit of your father," Peggy said wistfully.

"What?" Helena whispered, taken aback.

"You will, of course, remember your father was the parent with the sense of humor--at least in your eyes."

"Mother--"

"She reminds me a bit of him," Peggy continued. "He was so clever," Peggy said softly, her voice faltering for a moment. "He was very patient with me," Peggy said. "Is she patient?"

"Yes," Helena said softly.

Peggy turned and touched Helena's shoulder. Helena turned to peer into Peggy's eyes. "She's a standard bearer?"

"Alice is the standard," Helena said quietly.

"I believe your father would have enjoyed her," Peggy said. She rose to her feet. "I will be leaving now, Helena. You do know how to throw an enjoyable party." She gathered her things. "Do make sure I am invited to your birthday celebration."

"Yes, Mother."

At that moment, Alice saw Helena and Peggy talking alone, and frowned at the expression on Helena's face. She walked to the table briskly. "Hello," Alice said, looking at Peggy suspiciously. She stood behind Helena and rubbed the brunette's shoulders. "Are you all right, Helena?"

Peggy chuckled at the fierce expression on Alice's face. "Yes, he definitely would have enjoyed her, Helena."

Alice blinked in confusion. "Mrs. Peabody--"

"Do call me Peggy, Alice. I'm certain we'll be seeing more of each other over the years. Happy birthday. Helena, we'll be in touch."

And then Peggy Peabody walked away.

"What the hell was that?" Alice asked, taking a seat in Helena's lap.

Helena laughed happily as she watched Peggy and Lenore speak. Lenore turned to Alice and waved and then gathered her things and left the party with Peggy. "My mother approves of you."

"Seriously?" Alice asked. "When did this happen?"

Helena laughed again and kissed Alice's cheek. "She approves of you," she repeated happily.

Alice chuckled. "I'm still totally confused, but you're being cute. And I surrender to your cuteness."

Helena giggled. "She approves of you," she murmured.

An hour later, most of the guests had left the party, and only the core group of friends were left to help Kit and The Planet staff clean up.

"Girl, you put that thing down," Kit scolded Helena who was attempting to wash the enormous glass platter which previously held Alice's birthday cake.

"It's all right, Kit," Helena said "Alice is holding my rings."

Kit shook her head. "You rinse that thing off and you go home."

Helena chuckled. "I will."

After Kit left the kitchen to rejoin the cleaning efforts in the main area, Alice and Helena were left alone. Helena rinsed the platter to her satisfaction and then placed it in a rack and dried her hands on a paper towel. She turned to Alice and then paused when she saw that Alice was down on one knee, holding up one of Helena's rings to the light. "Darling, what are you doing?" Helena asked softly.

Alice took Helena's hands and replaced the rings onto her fingers. "I'm just practicing," she said quietly, tracing the ring on Helena's ring finger.

"Alice?" Helena asked quietly.

"I mean, this will be us one day, right?" Alice asked with a grin, looking up at Helena. "I just want to make sure I get it right. So…I'm practicing."

Helena crouched down next to Alice and threw her arms around the blonde's shoulders and covered Alice's mouth with hers. The two women kissed urgently, as their tongues explored, licking and sucking, teeth lightly raking across their lips. "It will be us," Helena assured breathlessly, as they broke apart. "It will, it will," she repeated joyfully. She beamed at Alice.

"You're doing that thing again," Alice said happily, touching the corner of Helena's mouth that went up slightly higher than the other one when Helena smiled a certain way. "I love that. I love you."

Helena nuzzled Alice's nose. "I love you, too, darling. You must know that by now."

"I do," Alice said, her eyes becoming teary. "I really do."

"Happy birthday, darling," Helena whispered.

"Thanks," Alice said softly, before pressing her lips to Helena's for another kiss.

And they remained that way until Kit walked back into the kitchen, ready to ask if Helena and Alice had fallen asleep in there or what. Catching sight of Helena and Alice still kissing, pressed up against the kitchen's island, Kit grinned and silently walked out of the kitchen. "They're still cleaning up in there," Kit told the others. "They'll be out soon."

Twenty minutes later, they did.

------------------

'Twenty years,' Alice mused. It had all passed by so quickly. And now here she was, one half of an old married couple in a mostly empty house--the children long-since moved out, although they still returned fairly regularly. Every once in a while, she wondered where the time went, feeling as though it had just slipped away from her. But she had a wall of family photographs--not the typical professional family portraits often on display in other homes, but candid pictures of happy and proud moments in their family and she could trace where the time went. And she once again thought of how lucky she was to have so little regret.

Through all her wandering years as she chased after dreams in doomed relationships, she always knew that things could be better. She'd always dreamt of how good things could be. And now she knew. It wasn't always easy--she could still be insecure and try to cover up hurt with humor and Helena could be withdrawn and still try to shoulder burdens alone. They were difficult habits to break, even after twenty years since it was an instinct that came naturally to them. But it was still so good between them. After all these years, Alice thought of their love as the kind that was meant to last, that went the distance.

Helena shuffled into the kitchen, bleary-eyed and groggy wearing the tattered robe the children bought her for Mother's Day nineteen years ago. The material was thin from numerous washings and children pulling on it, but Helena refused to give it up, despite the many robes the children and Alice have purchased for her since. Alice mocked her, saying she was like a man and his underwear--keeping it until it was in shreds, but Helena shrugged it off, saying the robe was like second skin, molded to her frame. It would be too labor-intensive to break in a new robe now. Helena's hair was wild, curls falling haphazardly all over her face.

Alice grinned as she looked at Helena's feet--mismatched fuzzy slippers. Helena was wearing pink ones on her left--Helena's, but she was wearing lavender ones on her right--Alice's. Alice grinned as Helena approached her, and then wrapped her arm around Helena's waist and pulled her close. She waited patiently, with a smile as Helena picked up Alice's mug and took a sip of the coffee.

"And you call me a beverage bandit," Alice teased. "Breakfast will be ready in a couple minutes."

Helena grumbled unintelligibly in response.

Alice chuckled, knowing that Helena was still extremely hungover from the night before. She and Helena had gone to dinner with the others and everyone had a little too much to drink. When she and Helena arrived home, they had the brilliant idea that they would karaoke which is how Wilson and Jun Ying found them when they returned home from their own outing.

She'd been a little too drunk at the time to realize it, but Alice now realized Wilson and Jun Ying had also had quite a bit to drink that night, although they were trying to hide that fact from their mother. Still, Wilson and Jun Ying, who despite the fact had long moved out of the house despite returning fairly regularly, still clamored for their mother's attentions and gamely joined in the karaoke festivities. Looking back, Alice thought it was hilariously obvious that they were all drunk as they belted out songs at the top of their lungs. At one point, Wilson wrapped his tie around his forehead like a headband and drummed out the beat on a bongo drum. Helena, Alice and Jun Ying had been his back up singers, Jun Ying armed with a tambourine and Helena and Alice each shaking a maraca. Alice chucked at the memory, thinking there was definitely something white trashy about it.

"You know what I was looking at this morning?"

Helena looked at Alice, "what?"

"Our Post-it album," Alice said with a laugh. "We really are a old married couple, baby. Did you see the ones from when we first got together? It's all 'I love you so much' and 'have a good day, baby! I'll miss you!' and now it's 'we are out of eggs' and 'pick up the dry cleaning.' It's really sad. We're old and married"

"I like being old and married," Helena murmured with a smile despite her massive hangover.

"I like being old and married to you," Alice murmured.

Helena kissed Alice's cheek. "I think I'll collect the children for breakfast," she murmured.

"I'll go with you," Alice said, turning down to stove's flame to low.

Wilson nudged his sister's prone form with his toe. "How hungover are you?" he asked, biting back a laugh.

Jun curled into a ball, her cheek touching the cool hardwood floor. "I want to die."

Wilson laughed. "Well, come on, it's almost time for breakfast. I can smell it."

Jun Ying groaned. "I don't think I can eat."

Wilson poked his sister with his toe again. "Yeah, well, it's not Mom's fault you got trashed last night. You know she and Alice always go all out with breakfast when we come home."

Jun Ying groaned pitifully. "I don't think I can eat."

Wilson grinned. "Should I tell Mom you're sick?"

Jun Ying slapped his foot furiously. "Don't tell her that! You're going to make her worry"

"Should I tell Mom you're so hungover you decided to lie down in the middle of the hallway, then?" Wilson asked teasingly.

Jun Ying groaned. "How did you grow up to be so mean, little brother?"

"Younger. I'm your younger brother, by two months. If anyone's 'little' in this family, it's you, Jun, you're five foot nothing."

"I'm five-foot-one," Jun Ying said peevishly, sitting up, to lightly kick at her brother.

Wilson smiled at her affectionately. "You're such a liar. You aren't five-foot-one."

Jun Ying scowled at him, though she smiled. "What would you know about it, my massive little brother? We must all look like ants from up there."

"Younger brother," Wilson corrected. "You're only two months older and I'm fifteen inches taller than you. I am not your little brother."

"First of all, you will always be my little brother, no matter how massive you get. And secondly, you are not fifteen inches taller than me. I'm five-foot-one and you're only six-foot-two."

"You're five-foot-nothing and I'm six-foot-three," Wilson said stubbornly.

Jun Ying slapped his ankle playfully. "Wait until I tell your girlfriend how you torture your delicate older sister, little brother."

"Two months, fifteen inches," Wilson said, his tone the verbal equivalent to sticking one's tongue out.

"Babies!" Helena said, appearing in the hallway with Alice. "Why are you still having this argument? You're nearly thirty! Where did you learn such behavior?" she scolded, though she grinned adoringly at them.

Wilson and Jun Ying exchanged glances and then looked apologetically at their mother. "Sorry, Mom," they said in unison.

Alice placed her arms around Helena's waist. "What do you mean where did they learn it from?' Alice asked. "They learned it from you, kiddo."

"You're only fifteen months older than I am!" Helena exclaimed indignantly.

Alice grinned wryly at her as Wilson and Jun Ying burst into laugher. "See?"

Helena laughed and walked to her daughter, extending her hand to Jun. "Darling, don't sit on the floor, it's cold and you'll be ill."

Wilson snorted.

"Shut up," Jun Ying said, taking her mother's hand and rising to her feet.

"Jun," Helena chided.

"Sorry Mom," Jun Ying said.

Helena frowned and approached her son who now towered over her, and fingered the sleeve of his sweatshirt. "Darling, you are growing out of this--and I noticed you were growing out of the shirt you wore last night, we must go shopping."

Wilson bit his lip and exchanged an amused glance with his sister and Alice. "Okay, Mom," he said, allowing his mother to fuss over him.

Jun Ying chuckled. "You're a grown man who still goes shopping with his mother," Jun teased. "And you haven't even grown in ten years." She paused. "Can I come, Mom?"

The others laughed.

Helena hugged daughter. "Of course you can come, darling, I saw a top last week that I think would look wonderful on you! Oh, and some new jeans! And perhaps some new clothes for work?" Helena asked, clearly becoming excited at the prospect of taking her children shopping.

"Yeah, Jun's shrunk, so she needs a whole new wardrobe," Wilson teased.

Jun chortled and slapped her brother's arm. "Hey!"

"Well! You are five foot nothing," Wilson said. "I wonder what's going to happen when you're seventy years old. Will you disappear? Will Angelica and I have to transport you in our pockets?"

"I'm five foot one!"

"Oh, you're five foot one!" Wilson exclaimed. "It's like you're this whole new person! You're no longer a Lilliputian five foot nothing, you're a Brobdignagian five foot one. Man, that must be so exhilarating for you. Now you won't feel intimidated by women who are a giraffe-like five foot two. Now you can approach them with ease and confidence. That is what happens when you are five foot one." Wilson snorted. "You aren't five foot one, you lied on your license."

"I'll have you know, little brother, that tall women love me. Tall women and tall men love me. I'm universally beloved. Why wouldn't I be? Hmm?"

"Come on, guys, breakfast is getting cold," Alice said with a laugh. "We can continue this in the kitchen over breakfast."

"Okay," Wilson and Jun Ying said agreeably, following Alice and Helena into the kitchen.

"Hey Mom? Are Dana and Lucia going to be here tonight?" Jun Ying asked, taking her seat at the kitchen table.

Wilson grinned. "You still have a crush on Dana, don't you?"

Jun Ying blushed. "Well, you had a crush on Shane!"

"So did you!"

"Everyone has a crush on Shane," Helena and Alice said together. They looked at one another and chuckled.

Helena smiled at her daughter. "Yes, Dana and Lucia will be here tonight."

"Good," Jun Ying grinned.

"Oh, babies? It's your Mama's birthday tomorrow," said Helena, reminding the children of Winnie's birthday. Despite the fact she and Winnie still had a semi-contentious relationship, they'd tried over the years to bury their enmity for the sake of the children. "So don't forget to visit. I spoke to her a few days ago and I know she wants to see you.

"We remember, Mom," Jun Ying said.

"Yeah," Wilson said. "Hey Jun, don't forget to put my name on the card like last time."

Jun Ying smiled sweetly. "Of course I won't forget."

"That's what you said last time," Wilson said.

"Get your Mama some flowers, too," Helena reminded them. "She adores it when you bring her orchids."

"We won't forget, Mom." Wilson said.

As the family ate, each member could feel the residual hangover beginning to slip away. After breakfast, Wilson and Jun Ying washed the dishes and Helena and Alice slipped away to prepare for the massive dinner party that evening. Kit would be arriving later in the afternoon to help Helena and Alice cook and the others--Bette, Tina, Dana, Lucia, Shane, Carmen, Jenny and her girlfriend, Marguerite would be arriving later.

"Twenty years ago, when we first got together, did you ever think that Wilson and Angelica would ever get together and that we would be having this big ole dinner parties at our house?" Alice asked as they perused their wardrobes for their outfits for the evening.

"No," Helena answered frankly. "But I would have hoped."

Alice chuckled. "You know, it's still a little weird to me Wilson and Angelica got together. I mean, they practically grew up together and when Angelica had a crush on Wilson, he totally laughed it off."

Helena shrugged. "They're in love," she said softly. She and Bette were now comfortable enough with each other, and their mutual dislike and resentment had long been buried. But neither woman could genuinely say she liked the other--and they were each fine with that. People didn't always get along and that was just the way things were between them. Still, despite the fact that she and Bette never quite managed to become close, Helena was glad that their children became close, that Wilson and Angelica had fallen in love while thousands of miles away.

Helena could still recall Wilson's groan when she'd phoned him in Paris to tell him Angelica was arriving in Paris for an internship with an international human rights organization Helena had arranged for her. She'd asked him to watch over Angelica, because despite the fact she wasn't close with Bette and Tina, she'd somehow managed to connect with Angelica who'd expressed an interest in community service and human rights at a young age. In fact, it could be said she connected more with Angelica than she did with her own son, whom she loved and adored, but had shown artistic promise at an early age and an interest in art she simply could not connect with, despite all her efforts. And so Bette took Wilson under her wing, so to speak, becoming something of a mentor to him the way Helena had become Angelica's mentor. It was Bette who arranged for Wilson to study at an art school after he graduated from college seven years ago, and Bette who encouraged him, who utilized all her connections to the art world to showcase his talent in galleries and museums. And Bette was also the reason Wilson was in Paris, painting and studying art. Helena sincerely believed Bette was part of the reason Wilson was doing so well for himself in a notoriously difficult profession and she would be eternally grateful for that because Wilson was lucky enough to have a job that he loved, and one he could support himself with, even if his surname weren't Peabody. Of course, when Helena told Wilson to watch out for Angelica, because her work in Paris would be difficult--both in terms of her hours, but of the things she would see, Wilson had protested, stating he wasn't a babysitter. Angelica, was, of course, twenty-one years old at the time, hardly in need of a babysitter.

And now, a year later, they'd fallen in love. At first, Helena had been uncomfortable with it--Wilson was seven years older than Angelica, which was a significant age difference in her mind, although she knew that was somewhat hypocritical considering the fact that prior to Alice, she'd always been attracted to people who were significantly older than she. And she was worried about Bette's reaction to the couple, and Helena herself did not particularly enjoy the prospect of being related to Bette by marriage, because it was fairly evident that Wilson and Angelica would get married. But then Helena thought of the terrible ex-girlfriend's Wilson had in the past, and the fact she genuinely adored Angelica and thought there was a certain beauty to the way everything had come full circle.

Bette had also been initially uncomfortable with Wilson and Angelica becoming a couple, although not for the reasons Helena thought she would.

It had been an odd night, really. Wilson and Angelica jointly announced their couple status over a dinner at the house--Bette and Tina had also been invited. Then the couple left to see a movie, Alice and Tina washed dishes in the kitchen and Helena and Bette were left in the living room with a bottle of wine which flowed freely.

"I don't want to be related to you," Bette admitted honestly. She chuckled.

"I don't want to be related to you, either," Helena agreed, with a laugh.

"It's too weird."

"It is," Helena nodded. "And I think he's a bit old for her."

"He's not that much older than her," Bette defended. "I'm eight years older than Tina. But Wilson is so mellow and Angelica is…" Bette chuckled affectionately at the thought of her vivacious daughter. "Well, I'm afraid she would step all over him. Wilson was a lot more mature than she is when he was her age."

"Wilson and I enjoy that about her though," Helena said.

"Angelica spent too much time around Alice when she was growing up," Bette joked.

Helena chuckled. "Angelica did inherit a certain…"

"She's a prankster," Bette said with wry fondness. "Just like Alice."

"Yes," Helena agreed. "Still, I think Angelica would be very good for Wilson. Perhaps he would not take himself quite as seriously."

"And I know Wilson would be good to Angelica," Bette said. She felt it was odd that she could connect so much with Wilson, but be unable to share the same connection with Angelica. She'd tried to foster Angelica's artistic side, but despite being able to draw fairly decently, Angelica simply had no interest in art.

"I suppose this is a good thing," Helena said.

"I guess it is," Bette agreed. She smiled at Helena, knowing that despite all the bad blood between them and the fact they could never quite call each other "friends," it was all worth it to see their children so happy together.

Helena mused at the way life could take a person to such unexpected places. But then, she'd never expected to fall in love with Alice Pieszecki either. When she'd first met Alice, she was still reeling for her break-up with Winnie and she'd been smitten with Tina. And now, here she was, still so in love with Alice that she couldn't even think of loving someone else even in the hypothetical. She'd been so last back then--all she'd had was her work and her children to ground her. And now she had Alice, and friends, and her children were so very happy, which is all she'd ever wanted for them.

Helena smiled as her house began to fill with family and friends. She, Alice and Kit were in the kitchen, Kit still nagging both of them for being too thin, after all these years. She could hear Jun Ying regaling the others in the dining room with tales of her Friday night performances with her band in a bar nearby her apartment in San Francisco and the way the others laughed approvingly. She followed Alice and Kit with heaping plates of food and smiled at the chorus of eager voices that greeted them. Yes, she definitely felt blessed.

"Hey Jun," Angelica said. "What happened to that guy you were dating two months ago when I went to visit you? He was crazy about you."

"You mean Chris?"

"Steve," Angelica said wryly.

The others chuckled. Alice had always known that Jun Ying would turn out to be the heartbreaker and Wilson the serial monogamist.

"Oh," Jun said. "I don't know."

"Man, that gives me flashbacks of high school," Wilson said shaking his head.

Jun Ying rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on. That was over ten years ago."

"Hey, I used to get into fights all the time because of you."

"I remember that," Lucia said with a grin. "You enrolled in those kickboxing classes at the gym"

Wilson shrugged. "When your little sister--"

"You're younger," Jun interrupted.

"I'm fifteen inches taller! And you're only two months older than I am."

Everyone else at the table groaned. "Oh come on, you guys," Carmen said,

"We've been hearing about this since Wilson got his growth spurt and Jun…didn't," Dana added.

"Dana!" Jun said, looking at Dana in mock outrage.

Dana giggled. "Well! You didn't."

Jun crossed her arms and huffed. "I know, but you guys don't need to keep pointing that out."

Helena laughed and petted her daughter's hair. "Darling, I think you're perfect."

Jun cracked a smile. "Oh, mom," she said.

"Anyway," Wilson said. "I mean, think of how hard high school was for me. My bisexual sister goes out with, like, everyone at school and guys are coming up to me saying, 'dude, can we come over and look at your sister and your hot lesbian moms?' You know I was going to fight all the time."

The others at the table broke into a fit of laughter.

"Oh yeah," Kit said, wryly. "You are over six feet tall and were on all the sports teams, you were the class valedictorian and class president, oh, and even back then you were handsome and rich. High school was hell for you, kid."

The others howled with laughter.

"Yeah, Wilson!" Jun chimed in. "I mean, I had all these hot girls coming up to me and asking me about you, and of course, I was like, "hey! What about me?! But no, they only had eyes for you."

Kit looked at Jun in askance. "Like you should complain about a lack of attention! And you, you were the co-valedictorian with Wilson and you were gorgeous and rich, too! You kids have no reason to complain."

Alice and Helena chuckled as Wilson and Jun Ying grinned at Kit.

"Sorry Kit," they said together.

"Oh!" Alice said. "I need to get something from the kitchen. I'll be right back."

A few minutes later, Alice returned to the table with a case of beer. "Let's pass this down," she said, taking a bottle and passing it to Helena who passed it down.

Once it got to Lucia, she was about to pass it to Tina when she saw the label on the beer. "Oh come on!" she exclaimed, seeing that it was a beer called Goose Island. She showed the bottle to Tina. "Again?"

"Alice!"

Dana and Bette laughed hysterically.

"It's been twenty years," Lucia said wryly. "Aren't you tired of this joke yet?"

"No," the others, excluding Tina and Alice, responded. The table laughed heartily.

"I told you, it's Helena's favorite beer," Alice said innocently.

"Helena's favorite beer is from some tiny brewery in Chicago?" Lucia asked dryly.

"Yes," Alice said.

Lucia shook her head and grinned. "You're terrible."

"She really is," Tina agreed.

"Her pranks are the worst," Bette said.

"Oh God," everyone at the table agreed and then breaking into laughter.

"Hey!" Alice squeaked in outrage. "It's not that bad. And we all do it to each other."

"Except for me," Helena interrupted with a pout "No one ever includes me in on the pranks."

"You're just not good at them," Dana said.

"You kind of suck at it," Shane agreed.

"Sorry, Helena," Jenny said with a smile.

"And we can tell when you're in on Alice's pranks, because they're…cuter or something," Carmen laughed.

Helena looked outraged. "I will have you all know that I am perfectly good at pranking you people!"

"Sorry, Helena," Bette chimed in. "A prank is funniest when it takes that extra step into being a little mean, and you just aren't devious enough. That's why you're the one everyone likes." Bette stuck her tongue out at Alice. "And she's the one we all run away from."

"Real mature, Porter," Alice said wryly.

Tina patted Bette's back. "I'm with you," she murmured, resting her cheek on Bette's shoulder.

Bette beamed at her and turned her head slightly to kiss Tina's nose. "I know you are, baby."

"Junny," Lucia said, "how long are you going to be here this time?"

"For a week," Jun said with a grin. "The school is on holiday."

"I can not believe they let you be a third grade teacher," Wilson joked.
Jun chuckled. "Thanks, little brother." She turned her attention back to Lucia. "What's up?"

"Dana and I are going on a run tomorrow morning--10K! You in?"

"Totally," Jun said with a happy smile.

The others groaned. "I can't believe we let you two crazy people influence little Jun," Bette said. She paused. "Sorry, Jun. That wasn't a short joke."

Jun rolled her eyes. "I know, Bette."

"You'll always just be little in our eyes," Tina added softly with a smile.

"And it's only gotten worse since they opened all those gyms together," Kit added. "Like you people aren't skinny enough, we've got Dana and Lucia as LA's fitness gurus."

"Hey, I was a professional tennis player, what else was I supposed to do after I retired?" Dana asked.

"You people are insane and you got Jun in on it," Bette said.

"And all those posters of Dana and Lucia advertising their gyms all around LA," Shane said with a shudder.

"Hey!" Dana said.

"I'm sorry, but Alice is right about that poster of you, Dana, you really do look kind of evil," Shane said apologetically.

"The eyes follow you everywhere you go," Carmen added.

"See! That's why I deface it!" Alice said.

The others looked at her.

"Okay, there's really no excuse for that," Tina said.

"Really, darling, I will buy you a poster of Dana of your own to deface here," Helena offered. "There's no need to deface the same poster over and over again at their gym."

"It's not the same," Alice said.

"I don't even know how you do it," Dana said wonderingly. "I keep telling people to keep an eye out for you, but you keep managing to do it. I mean, we own these gyms and yeah, you have a free membership, but it's not like you actually exercise, so how do you get in without anyone noticing you and messing up my poster? And how come no one ever messes up Lucia's posters?"

"Do you want them to deface my poster?" Lucia asked.

"Lucia's is too imposing, but she doesn't look evil. Yours looks evil and the eyes totally follow you around," Alice said. "And Dane, you are really miserly," Alice said. "For denying me the chance to deface a shiny new poster, so that I keep having to deface the same one over and over again. I mean, how much can I really do to you? All I can do know is to make your eyebrows and moustache even bushier. I mean, the poster is falling apart! It's being held together by duct tape. Replace it!"

"Never!"

The others chuckled as Dana and Alice fondly sniped at one another over the defacement of the poster, with Alice demanding Dana replace the poster so that she might deface it and Dana demanding payment for all the times Alice defaced the poster which led to Alice pointing out that it was just the one poster.

"Hey Mom?" Wilson asked suddenly. "Do you mind if I take Mr. Lamb with me?" he asked, pointing to where Mr. Lamb was put into a glass case and mounted on a wall above the dining room fireplace. "When Angelica and I have kids, I want to give it to them."

"Hey," Jun Ying said. "Maybe I want Mr. Lamb!"

"It's just a sock!" everyone chorused together.

Angelica tugged on Wilson's arm. "It's a sock! I'll make you one." She was still baffled over how the Peabody children's favorite childhood toy was a stuffed sock.

"YOU CAN'T MAKE ANOTHER MR. LAMB!" Wilson and Jun Ying shouted aggrieved.

"It's a sock!" the others shouted.

Alice clapped her hands together to get everyone's attention."Mr. Lambs for everyone!" Alice squeaked. "Helena can make everyone a Mr. Lamb."

Helena grinned. "Yes, I can make new ones," she murmured, laughing as it started an entirely new round of conversation about the wonders of Mr. Lamb and how he was one-of-a-kind and to make another one in his likeness would be a mockery, with the other side arguing how it was ultimately only a sock and probably not particularly clean after more than 20 years. "Or perhaps one of you can take Mr. Lamb and the other can take Mr. Cow."

"Mr. Cow!" Wilson and Jun Ying shouted.

"Mr. Cow is new," Jenny commented with a smile.

"I'll go get Mr. Cow," Alice said, "he's in his shrine in the den."

A few moments later, Alice came back carrying a lumpy item. "This is Mr. Cow!"

"Another sock?" Lucia asked.

"He's Mr. Lamb's husband," Alice said defensively.

Helena shook her head and laughed. "Alice made Mr. Cow as sort of a runner up toy to Mr. Lamb, but we never intended the children to fight over either of them."

"Mr. Lamb and Mr. Cow are really cool, Mom," Wilson said.

"Yeah, we love them. They're the only toys we really loved that much, Mom," Jun Ying said. "Except for Ellie. I loved Ellie."

"Ellie?" Tina asked.

"My stuffed pig that I gave to Angelica."

"I renamed her Miss Piggy," Angelica confessed.

"Angelica!"

"What?" Angelica said defensively. "I still have her! And how come Mr. Cow and Mr. Lamb are kept separately if they're married?" Angelica asked.

"Mr. Cow and Mr. Lamb had a fight last night," Jun Ying said.

"You guys are really a lot weirder than you look," Angelica said.

Dana took the toy out of Alice's hand and examined it. "This is a cow? I can't even tell what this is. At least Mr. Lamb looks like a lamb!"

"It's just a name not a physical description," Alice huffed. "People don't think you're a bank or Helena's a pea because of her name."

"Well, Mr. Lamb is named Mr. Lamb and he looks like a lamb! Maybe you're just jealous because Helena's better at making toys than you are!"

Lucia laughed and stroked Dana's hair soothingly. "I'd open an account at your bank."

The others stared at her.

"Because it would be a fair bank. Fairbanks," Lucia said.

Silence greeted her.

"Come on!"

Dana chuckled. "You're cute, baby."

"Thank-you," Lucia said, sounding a little surly. "You people have no sense of humor."

The others finally laughed and conversation resumed. Helena glanced around the table, watching the people she cared about together, and happy and grinned. After twenty years, Helena still had a hard time believing she'd gotten so lucky, and yet, here she was. Helena felt Alice gently squeeze her knee to get her attention and turned to look at Alice who smiled at her.

"You okay?" Alice asked softly. "You got so quiet."

Helena grinned. "I love you," she murmured.

Alice grinned back. "I love you, too."

The End.