"Muuumm!" Five-year-old Lizzie exclaims with a pout from her cozy spot in bed between her mothers. "I want to know what happens next!"

"And you shall, my love. Tomorrow."

"No fair."

"What's a good story without some suspense?" Helena asks. "Besides you need your rest, you have a big day tomorrow."

Lizzie smiles with the same enthusiasm that Myka remembers having for her own first science fair.

"You did an amazing job on your project sweetheart," Myka says proudly of the solar system diorama that she and Helena helped their daughter paint. Lizzie grins widely at her mother's compliment.

"All right our little brilliant girl," Helena says, "Time for you to go to bed. Mama and I want to boast about you tomorrow, and we won't be able to do that if you fall asleep during the science fair."

Lizzie rolls her eyes in a way that Helena insists is all Myka, though Myka can see nothing but Helena in the gesture.

Helena wraps her arms around her daughter. "I love you my darling. Sleep well."

"I love you too," Lizzie replies as her mum presses a kiss to her forehead. Lizzie turns to Myka next, opening her arms wide and waiting for her mama's hug. "I love you Mama," she says as Myka squeezes her tightly and peppers her cheeks with kisses.

"I love you so much Liz!" Myka replies before letting go of her daughter and waiting for the girls to get comfortable on her pillow. Myka and Helena tuck Lizzie in tightly before blowing kisses at her as they turn out the light and leave their daughter's room.

"You should write those stories down," Myka suggests as she and Helena clean up the arts and crafts supplies from their earlier diorama making adventure.

"They're just silly little tales," Helena says.

"They're really great, Helena. I'm serious, even if you don't do anything with them, I'm sure that Lizzie will love having a book of the stories that you wrote for her."

"If you think she'll like that I'll start writing them down."

"Of course she'll like that. You know how much I cherish each and every story you've written for me," Myka says, wrapping her arms around Helena's waist.

Helena clasps her hands together around the small of Myka's back and pulls her wife tightly against her body. "Do you know how much I cherish you?" Helena whispers before pressing her lips to Myka's.

Myka whimpers against Helena's lips, but the noise is unfamiliar, the sound of pain more than desire. Helena pulls back to look at Myka. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, um, just a little stomachache," Myka says, and Helena feels her heart plummet.

"How long have you been feeling sick?" Helena asks, trying desperately to stay calm.

"About a week," Myka whispers.

"What does the pain feel like?"

Myka's eyes fill instantly with tears. "Like last time," Myka manages in a tiny voice.

Helena takes a deep breath and forces herself to be strong for her wife. Helena presses a hand to Myka's cheek, stares into her eyes confidently. "Most likely you are completely fine and this is nothing to worry about, but you need to get it checked out, all right?"

"I'm sorry Helena," Myka says, unable to stop herself from crying. "I should have told you. I just, I don't want this to be…" She can't say the word, refuses to acknowledge the possibility out loud.

"I know," Helena says, pulling Myka to her, careful not to cause her anymore pain. Helena presses her lips to Myka's temple. "We'll call Dr. Diaz first thing in the morning."

"I'm sorry," Myka repeats, burrowing her face into Helena's shoulder. She's been so stupid, such a coward. How could she have waited so long a second time?

"Let's try our best not to worry before we need to, my love. For tonight, let me do my best to distract you. There's no use thinking the worst before we know anything." Myka is breathing heavily against Helena's shoulder as Helena rubs circles on her wife's back. "It's most likely nothing," Helena says as confidently as she can manage.

"I know," Myka agrees, taking a step back from Helena and trying to collect herself. "Let's finish cleaning up."

"It can wait for the morning. What do you say to cocoa, twizzlers, and a Doctor Who marathon?"

Myka half sobs, half laughs. "You know me too well."

"I know you as you know me, my love." Helena wraps her arm around Myka's waist. "Come on. We need cocoa."

"Yes we do." Myka presses herself into Helena's side. She is trying so desperately not to fall apart right, but she is so terrified, feels like she might be sick at any moment. Helena rubs her back and kisses her cheek, and Myka knows that Helena is just as afraid as she is, but Myka takes lets her wife be strong for her anyway because she simply does not know what else to do.

Myka can't stop the trembling as the walks out of the doctor's office. The trembling or the nervous shocked laughter. "I think I need to sit down for a minute," Myka says as her knees shake.

Helena wraps her arms around Myka, supporting her weight. "It's ok. I've got you," Helena says as she helps Myka into a waiting room chair. "You're ok," Helena says, rubbing circles on Myka's back.

"I am," Myka says, laughing again. "I was so scared."

"I know. So was I. But you are just fine, Myka."

"Yeah, I am," Myka says again, trying to convince herself. "Ok, I'm all right to get up now I think."

"We can sit a moment longer. There's no hurry."

Myka's arms are still shaking slightly as she pulls Helena into her arms. "Thank you," Myka whispers into her wife's ear. Myka is a mess, a shaking, crying emotional mess, and Helena is the only person in the world that Myka can bare to have see her like this.

"There's nothing to thank me for."

But as Myka grasps at Helena she wants to thank her for each and every moment together, she wants to thank Helena for being so strong even though she was terrified too. "I love you so much," Myka says and the tears are falling harder now, soaking Helena's shirt.

"I love you too," Helena says, rocking Myka back and forth. "Take a deep breath Myka."

"I'm ok," Myka says sitting up and wiping her cheeks. "Let's get out of here."

"As you wish," Helena says, standing and extending a hand to Myka. "What do you say to going home and taking a nap? We have a few hours before we have to be at Lizzie's school."

"I love that idea," Myka says, now beginning to feel the exhaustion of a night spent awake and worrying.

"Glad to hear it. I'm knackered."

"I'm so sorry for scaring you," Myka says as she and Helena walk out of the doctor's office hand in hand.

"You should have told me sooner," Helena says, finally letting these words out now that she knows that everything is ok.

"I just wanted to ignore it."

"I know, but please, please don't you dare put your health in jeopardy like that again."

"I won't. I promise Helena," she says seriously. Myka may hate the idea of fighting cancer again, but she cannot, will not, force her wife and daughter to live without her.

"Good," Helena says with a squeeze of Myka's hand. She doesn't tell Myka that she can't live without her, that the thought of losing Myka keeps Helena awake some nights. Helena won't put that burden on her wife, doesn't ever want Myka to worry about what will happen to Helena if she gets has a recurrence.

"Thank you," Myka whispers as Helena crawls into bed behind her. Helena's arms wrap gently around Myka, her lips press a soft, warm kiss to Myka's neck.

"What for?"

"Being my strength."

"Always. Just as you are mine." Helena had vowed when she returned to Univille to never let Myka down again. Myka is the strongest person that Helena has ever met, strong and proud and private, and it means everything to Helena that Myka opened herself up to her. Helena will be damned if she does anything to betray the trust that her wife has placed in her.

Helena squeezes Myka's hands in her own and presses herself closer and closer to Myka's back. Myka can feel the desperation and the need, and so she turns in Helena's arms and stares into her eyes and reminds her that she's still here.