Author's Note: This is my first Bad Girl's story and I'm trying something new with it's style. Let me know what you think. And of course, I don't own Bad Girls or any of the characters. I write simply for my own enjoyment. :) And let's face it, the Helen and Nikki story arch ended in a way that just begged for fan fiction. lol.

~Reese

A gentle breeze wafted in through the slightly opened window. It's early morning chill causing gooseflesh to prickle Helen's bare skin. She shivered slightly before snuggling a little further under the duvet. In the back of her mind she knew she needed to get up, but it irritated her when she woke up before the alarm clock, especially after getting to sleep so late the night before. Helen Stewart was not a morning person. Rolling over to her other side, her hazel eyes still closed against the early morning light, Helen reached out for the warmth and familiarity of her lover. The taller woman's scent lingered on the sheets, but the fabric felt cool to the touch. A frown appeared on Helen's face as her hand ran over the smooth fabric of the pillow. Pulling the pillow close, Helen cuddled it for a little while longer before finally opening her eyes. She sighed deeply. Though it did happen from time to time she didn't like waking up without Nikki by her side.

As she got out of bed she reached for her dressing gown and pulled it on as she wondered where Nikki was. Stepping out into the hall she listened carefully to the early morning sounds of her home, a soft smile started to pull at her lips as she padded towards the stairs as she allowed the wash of warmth their home offered her to wrap around her. As she reached the bottom of the stairs the smell of coffee hit her and Helen's smile brightened. She followed her nose to the kitchen, but her smile faded when she didn't find Nikki in her usual spot at the table. Over the years the Scotswoman had grown accustom to her partner's habits, and even found them comforting when the world outside seemed so shook up. For a moment she actually thought about calling out for Nikki, but then thought better of it.

Walking over to the coffee pot Helen reached for her favorite mug and as she did so she caught a glimpse of Nikki in their back garden. She was sitting on the back steps with her own cup of coffee smoking her only cigarette of the day. Nikki had decided to quit a few years ago. She'd tried really hard, and had given it up for the most part. Now she only smoked one in the morning, and a few more when stress was really high. Helen smiled as she took the opportunity to watch her lover for a few stolen moments. It still amazed her, their lives together and everything that had brought them to this point. It had only been eight years since Nikki's release from Larkhall. Eight years since Helen had seen Nikki thanking her on the national news. Eight years since she'd gone to Chix to tell Nikki that she loved her. Eight years of ups and downs, joy and heartbreak, loving and fighting.

As the Scotswoman stood in their kitchen watching the love of her life through the window as Nikki soaked up the last few remaining warm summer mornings, Helen's mind traveled back to that night, the night she'd finally admitted to herself and Nikki that she loved her, wanted her, and that she would stop running away from her. Her smile returned as she replayed the events. Come to think of it, she'd awaken early that morning to find Nikki's side of the bed empty too.

The sound of London buzzed all around them but Helen didn't notice. Her mind, her body, even her very soul were completely engrossed in the woman who's arms were wrapped tightly around her. When she and Nikki finally managed to come up for air they simply smiled as they stared into each other's eyes. They were both afraid to say anything, to even move, They were afraid that it was all a dream and if they disturbed the moment they'd wake up alone in their beds, one in an empty flat and the other a small cell.

It was Nikki who finally steeled up the courage to ask, "This is real, isn't is? You're really here with me? Loving me? Cause if this is a dream it's the cruelest nightmare ever."

Helen nodded her head slowly as she reached up to caress Nikki's face. It felt wonderful beyond words to do something as simple as touch Nikki without worrying that they'd get caught. "It's real, Nikki. I'm here, with you, loving you, and I'm not going anywhere."

Nikki smiled as tears welled in her dark eyes. She held Helen a little tighter as if she'd disappear if she let her go. "Do you remember the promise I made to you?"

A light blush colored Helen's cheeks as she nodded. How could she forget? Nikki had no idea how many nights she'd gone to sleep with those very words floating through her mind and the dreams they pulled from her subconscious. Her blush darkened a little when she thought about the nights were those words had affected her while awake too, the nights she'd fallen asleep flushed and with Nikki's name on her lips.

"Would we still be taking it slow if I said I wanted to take you home right now so I could keep my promise?" Nikki asked, her voice low and husky and yet there was a flutter of uncertainty. She brushed lightly at Helen's flushed cheeks. Later when she was feeling a little more sure of it all, she'd ask what had made her beautiful love flush so prettily. But for now all she could do was think of the fear knotting in her stomach like a lead weight as she waited for Helen's to reply.

"You are a woman of your word." Helen answered as she raked her nails through the hair on the nape of Nikki's neck. "We have all night to take it slow."

A bright grin appeared on Nikki's face when she caught the deeper meaning of what Helen was saying. Leaning in she kissed the shorter woman tenderly. Taking Helen by the hand a few moments later, Nikki lead her back to the club. "I need to say goodbye and thanks to everyone first, but I'll make it quick."

An hour later Helen was leading Nikki into her flat. She watched as Nikki looked around and smiled. It was certainly different then the last time she'd let Nikki in. The longing and desire still swirled in the air around them, but this time there was no dire sense of urgency. There was no looming return to Larkhall hanging over their heads, no fear of getting caught, no turmoil over never knowing if they'd have another night together.

Reaching out Nikki caught Helen's arm and pulled her close. She held the shorter woman in her arms and kissed her. It was a passionate kiss full of promise and possibilities. When they parted for air Nikki smiled softly, "Just making sure you're still real."

Helen returned the smile as she ran her hands up and down Nikki's back. "Feel free to do that whenever you need." She kissed Nikki softly, her hands running up Nikki's back and into her hair. God how she loved the feel of Nikki's hair sliding though her fingers. "I love you, Nicola."

"I love you, Helen." Nikki whispered.

There was a tremor in Nikki's voice that made Helen pull back a little so she could hold Nikki's face in her hands. She stared into Nikki's eyes for a moment before kissing her softly and wrapping her arms around her neck, which allowed Nikki to wrap hers around Helen's waist. The soft reassuring kiss quickly became more heated as passion and desire flared to life. When Nikki deepened the kiss, Helen moaned. When Helen pushed Nikki's jacket off her shoulders and started to undo the buttons on her blouse, Nikki moaned. Before long the women were making their way to Helen's bedroom, clothes, shoes, and their fears left behind them in a messy trail.

Everything about the way they made love this time was different. They explored each other's bodies in slow, reverent ways, but they also playfully teased and gave into more burning, almost desperate needs. Nikki discovered Helen was ticklish and savored her lover's girlish giggles like a fine piece of chocolate. Helen found another beauty mark on the small of Nikki's back that she couldn't believe she'd missed last time. Nikki learned that if she blew a cool breath over Helen's nipple while it was wet from her affections, Helen made the most amazing sound as she gasped a short breath. Helen figured out that if she curled her fingers at just the right moment, at just the right angle, Nikki called out her name in the sexist way she'd ever heard her name spoken before.

The sun had started to turn the dark night sky grey when the two women collapsed for the final time in blissful and satisfied exhaustion. As Helen finally gave in to the pulls of sleep she thought about the feeling of Nikki's arm wrapped around her. She thought about how perfectly she fit into Nikki, their bodies pressed together leaving no space, and yet there was no sense of crowding. She simply fit perfectly into the curve of Nikki's taller frame. It really was as if they'd been made for each other. When Helen finally fell asleep she was smiling, a single tear squeezed from the corners of her closed hazel eyes.

Hours later when she felt the full warmth of the sun's rays on her bare skin, Helen cuddled into the warmth of her bed. Her mind was cloudy with sleep and lingering pleasure as she flipped over to her other side, eyes still closed, smile slowly returning as thoughts of her night with Nikki returned. When she reached out for her lover and found the other side of the bed empty, panic quickly filled her heart. Had it all been a dream? Another heart wrenching dream. Opening her eyes as she sat up in bed, Helen took stock of things. She was undressed, she never slept nude. The room smelled of sex, and the pillow she pulled to her chest smelled of Nikki. So did she for that matter, and that's what made her sigh in relief. It hadn't been a dream, it had been real, but where was Nikki?

Getting out of bed the Scotswoman grabbed the black silk dress shirt Nikki had been wearing the day before and slipped it on. She buttoned the shirt as she walked out of the room, smiling at the smell of Nikki's perfume that lingered on it and the fact that it hung to her thighs. She smirked at the idea of wearing Nikki's clothes, and then giggled knowing there was no way Nikki would be able to wear hers without looking a little silly.

Not finding Nikki in the lounge Helen headed for the kitchen. The smell of freshly brewed coffee made her moan with pleasure and she smiled. If Nikki got up every morning to make her coffee Helen would love her forever, then again she was pretty sure she'd love the tall dark haired woman forever anyway. That sudden thought caused Helen to stop in her tracks. She'd never thought that before, not with Sean, certainly not with Thomas who had just been a way of lying to herself about her feeling for Nikki. But with Nikki she could see the future, their future. It actually scared the hell out of her, but in a good way. At least now she was actually thinking beyond just tomorrow. Until now the future had been Nikki's appeal, now that Nikki was free, now that they were together, the future was wide open and waiting.

It was the cool breeze that ruffled the hem of Nikki's shirt about her thighs that brought Helen out of her thoughts. She blinked once and then looked over at the back door, it was open a little. Walking over she carefully opened it the rest of the way and glanced out into the back garden. Nikki was sitting on her tiny garden steps with a coffee mug setting beside her and a half smoked fag between her fingers. Nikki's head was down and Helen took the moment to run her eyes over the contours of Nikki's body, that's when she noticed the slight hitch in her breathing. Then she heard the sniffle. Helen's heart broke as she stepped outside and over to Nikki. She moved the coffee mug so she could sit beside the taller woman and then carefully reached out to turn Nikki's face towards her own. Tears streaked Nikki's face, her eyes shining with tears still welling up, and Helen's heart crumbled completely.

"Sweetheart?" She said softly as she brushed at Nikki's cheeks with her thumbs as she cradled her lover's face in her hands. "Sweetheart, what's the matter?"

Nikki saw the fear and pain flash in Helen's eyes and across her beautiful face and it killed her. Dark eyes went wide a little when Nikki thought that Helen might think she regretted last night or something. Leaning in she kissed Helen tenderly, reassuringly, and then when she pulled back she took Helen's hands into her own and drew them to her chest. "I'm free, Helen."

Helen let out the breath she hadn't known she'd been holding, her fear and insecurity fading slowly as she tightened her hold on Nikki's hands. "Yes love, you're free. A little surreal still?"

"Unbelievably so." Nikki admitted. She raised their clasped hands to her mouth and kissed Helen's before letting one go. She kept a tight hold as she rested their clasped hands in her lap. She used her free hand to brush at Helen's hair before turning to look out over the unkempt garden. "I woke up this morning still thinking I was in my cell. My heart clenched so painfully over the thought that last night had been a dream that I'd gasped. Then I felt you beside me and it all came rushing back. I was free. I was with you, waking up with you, in your room, in your bed, in your flat. I wasn't in my pissy little cell, in that fucking bloody shithole."

Helen wanted to interrupt to correct Nikki. It wasn't her bed, her room, her flat. It was their bed, their room, their flat, but she didn't. She knew Nikki needed to get this off her chest so she just reached out and began to gently comb her fingers through the back of Nikki's hair.

"I felt so unbelievably good, so bloody giddy that I think I giggled." Nikki continued. "I don't bloody giggle." She smiled a little as a blush colored the bridge of her nose. "I laid there for a long time just smiling like a bloody idiot while I watched you sleep. You're so beautiful when you sleep, Helen, so angelic. The first real bit of shock hit me then. I needed to get up, to move about, and I didn't want to wake you so I got out of bed really carefully. It hit me that there was no rush in waking you. We could sleep all day if we wanted to and we wouldn't have to worry about the police busting in the door. Then I went to the bathroom and from there it was like walking through an electrical storm. I could do whatever I wanted, no one was telling me when to get up, when to shower, when to piss, when to eat. I was making coffee, humming to myself and suddenly I started to tremble, then I started bawling like a baby. I'm surprised I didn't make a right mess out of your kitchen."

When Nikki stopped Helen knew it was all right to speak. She squeezed Nikki's hand as she continued the soothing manipulations on the back of her neck. Her own eyes were showing signs of welling tears as she gave Nikki a soft, loving smile. "It all happened so fast, Nikki. Even with all the waiting, all the hoping it would happen; it actually happening was still a shock to the system. It'll take time for you to adjust to even the smallest of things, but you will and I'll be right here to help you."

Nikki sighed in relief. Her shoulders shagged a little as she leaned closer to Helen.

"What is it sweetheart?" Helen asked as she wrapped an arm around Nikki's shoulder.

"I was half afraid you'd say we had to get back to Larkhall." Nikki replied.

Helen wrapped both arms around Nikki and held her tight. She kissed the top of Nikki's head and closed her eyes to ward off her own fears and looming tears. "Never again." She said softly. "I'm never losing you to that place again. I don't ever want to lose you to anything again, Nikki."

Nikki pulled away just enough to look into Helen's hazel eyes. She stared into them as if she could search Helen's heart, her very soul for the truth and amazingly enough she found it. "You mean that."

"With everything I am." Helen replied. "I've put you through hell being a right sodding idiot. I'm sorry for the pain I caused you."

"It wasn't one sided, darling." Nikki replied as she reached up to caress Helen's face. "I didn't make your life easy."

Helen laughed softly, "No, but it was worth it, you're worth it all and then some."

Nikki leaned in and kissed Helen softly. She kept their foreheads pressed together, her lips hovering close to Helen's as she breathed, "I love you Helen Stewart."

"I love you Nicola Wade." Helen replied.