The descent down the mountain was much easier than they had thought especially when they came across the source of a waterfall, the waterfall was gone but the source was still there. Nikki grinned as she drank the cool refreshing water and shouted, "Someone is obviously helping them." Helen nodded as she swallowed the drops from her cupped hand. "Yeah, apple trees and water sources… weird." Nikki nodded, "Yeah, but I am not going to question it… I have too many questions, that I’ve given up asking them." Helen nodded understanding completely what the darker woman was saying.

They trekked across the desert before Helen stopped dead in her path. Nikki turned to her, "Helen what is it?" Helen lifted her finger and pointed to the distance. Nikki eyes followed and she gasped praying her imagination wasn’t playing tricks. She grabbed Helen’s hand and pulled her along. The two walked quickly until the view became real. "Oh God, Nikki!" Nikki nodded, "I can’t believe it… Helen, it’s a town… a real town!!!" Helen shouted with glee and jumped on Nikki’s back shouting and laughing. Nikki dropped Helen to her feet smiling as she pulled Helen into a hug. "A town… I can’t believe it." Nikki yelled as she felt the air being squeezed out of her by Helen. The two pulled back and suddenly became silent as they looked at each other. Nikki dipped her head and captured Helen’s lips in her own. Helen gasped and grabbed Nikki’s head pulling her in closer. Nikki’s tongue searched for entry and was granted. Tongues caressed each other, lips sucked and nibbled, hands became entwined in hair. The two pulled back when the need for air was needed. Helen’s eyes were glazed with desire as were Nikki’s. Helen kissed Nikki again lightly again. Nikki smiled into the soft touching lips on her own. Nikki grabbed Helen’s hair in one hand and place the other hand over Helen’s resting them on her chest. The kiss deepened again, tongues finding new places to explore. Nikki pulled back kissing softly at the lips before she spoke, "Come on, let’s see if we can find civilisation."

They reached the edge of the town to be greeted by silence. "Hello!" Nikki’s voice echoed through the streets. "Anyone there?" Again, nothing but the echo. "Nikki," Helen whispered. Nikki saw the fear in Helen’s eyes and thought exactly the same thing, a dead town. The two walked through the streets passing homes, businesses and stores. They investigated some and found them empty of life. Nikki stopped in front of a hotel and looked at Helen, who just raised an eyebrow. Nikki started up the stairs and on reaching the top, she looked at Helen. "Well, I wouldn’t mind a bed tonight." Helen shrugged and followed Nikki inside. The interior was simply decorated, pictures of the dock and ocean adorning the walls. Helen studied them as Nikki looked for keys. "Nikki, this is a fishing town." Nikki just hmmed a reply. "Nikki, don’t you see?" Nikki looked at Helen. "See what?" "If this is a fishing town, well, where’s the sea?" Nikki thought about the eerie truth in Helen’s question and shook her head, "I don’t know, but I do know, I found the keys… shall we go for the ensuite or a standard double?" Helen barely audible in her reply, "Two singles." Nikki was surprised and hurt by the answer. Helen walked towards her and took her hand. "Nikki, this is difficult for me to explain..." Nikki shook her hand off, "Don’t bother, use me for your own comfort… can’t handle the real deal… fu…" Helen taken aback by Nikki’s cruelty interrupted her, "Nikki, you don’t even know me!" "Helen, what do I need to know? You’re beautiful, caring, kind, gentle, funny… what else is there to know?" Helen sighed, "I’m straight." Nikki laughed bitterly, "Gee that explains it… a straight woman… How I see it attraction is attraction, no labels needed… I am attracted to you, are you telling me you’re not attracted to me?" Helen sighed, "Too much has happened, that I can’t even define the simple things in life anymore." Nikki smiled bitterly, "Here’s your key… far far away from me… I am going to lie down." Nikki stormed out leaving a hurt Helen behind.

Nikki lay on the bed and groaned at her misery and her insensitivity towards the Scottish woman she was falling for.

"How do you know when you’re in love?" Nikki asked the older woman who was pouring her a cup of coffee before her. The older woman smiled at the woman she looked upon as her own daughter. "Nik, I don’t think you know, I think you feel it." "Barbara, that’s not an answer." Barbara laughed as Nikki’s forehead crinkled into a a sulk. "Butterflies at the sheer mention of that person’s name, an unintentional smile when you think of them, a need to cry when they cry, laugh when they laugh, hold them when they are vulnerable, a need to be their everything… you just feel love so much it begins to overwhelm, sometimes even hurt." Nikki smiled and nodded. Barbara kissed Nikki on the forehead. "You feel this for Trish?" Nikki looked up at the older woman’s gentle face, "Butterflies?"

Nikki jolted as she heard a knock at her door. She walked over to it shaking her thoughts from her mind. She opened the door and saw Helen on the other side. She thought, "Yeah Barbara, butterflies."