Late that night, John entered his quarters to find Helena at the computer, studying Life Support Systems reports. Working with Pat Osgood as long as she did, was beginning to turn her into a junior' expert on LSS engineering. Although, it had been one of those extremely busy days at Medical Center when she longed for her quarters and for a hot tub, when she finally arrived there, Helena took only a shower for she could not resist taking a look at the LSS updates Pat just e-mailed her. Five months after Amanda Akin's death, her theories still bore ingenious features to be unveiled by Pat and his faithful apprentice, the CMO.
Pulling Helena to her feet, John took her chair and pulled her to his lap.
"Quoting my favorite doctor: "Time to stop working and relax, love!"
Curled into John's arms, Helena relaxed completely and forgot about the reports.
"Yes, sir. Want to eat something?"
"Nope. I just want a hot shower and be under the covers with my wife."
Helena stood up flashing John a wide grin and pulled him to his feet.
"That's a great idea, honey. Let's get going."
While John took a shower, Helena stood in the bathroom doorway, chatting with him about their activities during the day. As he finished and headed to the sink to shave, she curled on ‘his’ side of the bed to wait for him. When John finally arrived, he found her in a deep and peaceful sleep.
"So much for our romantic mood tonight, Doc." He smiled, slipping into bed and bringing his lady to the lock of his embrace. Softly fingering her hair and inhaling her scent, John resisted the wish to wake her up and slowly fell asleep too.
The next day was quite busy, it seemed everybody decided to schedule
meetings. Command
staff meeting, LSS/engineering meeting, and even Med staff meeting - this
one, Helena's own fault.
Her night shift was about to begin and Helena was already regretting her
own choice to be working the third shift that day. Dr. Mathias entered
her office to check their weekly schedule, and instantly noticed her weary
look.
"Hey, Boss, are you OK?"
Helena straighten up on her chair and rubbed the muscles in her neck.
"Yeah, Bob. Just fine. But to be honest I'm looking forward to being in my Jacuzzi in the end of this shift. By the way, shouldn't you be going off duty now?"
Mathias was hit by a sudden inspiration and seized the opportunity.
"Well, since it seems things are going to be fairly quite tonight I decided to pay you a visit. Why don't we take this chance to run that check-up you promised me?" Bob offered earnestly.
Helena looked at him sensing she was being trapped. Maybe the way she dragged herself through the day had become evident to her colleague and personal doctor. The Med Center was really quite that night and maybe she should just comply to the check-up and get rid of Bob's continuing requests on that subject.
"All right, all right, you win. But let's do it quickly."
And so they did.
"Helena, come here and take a look at these readings, will you?" Bob stood up relinquishing his seat to his supervisor.
In a little while Helena was very grateful for Bob's kind gesture, because
as soon as she finish reading the analysis of the exams she felt her legs
would very likely give out on her any minute.
Bob practically shooed
her out of the Med Center. He called off her late duty and this time she
was too stunned by the news to care to protest.
Helena got to her quarters in ‘automatic pilot’ -- her thoughts were a complete turmoil. She remembered that, fortunately, John was in a late meeting. She needed some time to gather her emotions.
As the door slid open, later on, Helena went to Koenig to welcome him, lacing her arms around his waist, playfully nuzzling into his neck.
"Good evening, Commander. "
"Oh, good evening, Doc. I thought you would be on duty tonight." John mused, leaning to kiss Helena's lips softly, cupping her face in his hands.
"We've re-scheduled and as I've learned you'd be off soon I set something special to close this long day of ours. Now, get to the shower and then come back here".
And so he did. Helena laughed at herself wondering if relaxing John just to thrill him with the news about the baby wouldn't be kind of cruel.
Before long, the atmosphere she has plotted was set. A soft music was playing
as John and Helena Koenig swayed to the beat in the lounge area of their
quarters. Helena was comfortably clad in one of John's shirts and wearing
no shoes. Something about Helena on bare feet had always turned John on.
And that was how she was, clinging to his neck, tiptoeing every now and
then to place small kisses along his jaw. He delighted himself in breathing
the scent of her hair. They reached out to engage in a long kiss. Now she
rested her head on his shoulder so he could brush his lips on her forehead,
between her closed eyes. Breathing each other's breath, a slow dance in
their barely lit quarters seemed to be a perfect beginning for a most wanted
relaxing night. John leaned down to nibble Helena's shoulder and she reached
out to kiss his neck – so much for their slow dance.
Lifting Helena from her feet up into his arms, John kissed her deeply and
passionately. As he took her to their bed, Helena decided, while getting
rid of their clothes, that her news could wait just a little longer. Pinning
Helena's arms to the mattress over her head, John trailed kisses from her
neck, down her shoulders to her breast, around the line of her jaw. Not
really able to move much she could only gasp with pleasure. When
he finally released her arms she reach up to capture his mouth in a searing
kiss. As they parted, gazes locked, they smile for that feeling was there.
There was something in their relationship that despite long duty hours,
the moment they close the door of their quarters John and Helena could
transport themselves to a parallel reality where they would, actually,
celebrate their love, being each other's life. They were more than lovers,
more than best friends. Their bond was transcendent. In her eyes
he could find comfort, love, peace and caring. His arms were her safe harbour
and his smile could light up her very existence and melt away her worries.
They made love with body and soul. They always did and always would.
Propped up on one elbow, John stared at Helena, dozing beside him. He could
watch her for hours. That night she looked even more beautiful than he
could think possible. Slowly a smile began to form on her lips and without
opening her eyes she sheltered herself in his embrace, kissing his chest.
"Did I fall asleep?"
"Just for a little while." He smiled closing his eyes savoring her nearness, fingers smoothing her hair.
Helena pulled away to face John. She smiled anticipating his reaction to
what she was about to tell him.
"What is it, Helena?"
"John, I -- we--"
Her sentence went unfinished, for they were startled as the klaxons went
off announcing trouble. An explosion in Engineering caused by a short-circuit.
Very soon, John was there assessing the damages along with Pat, and Helena
was in Medical performing a surgery in one of the technicians.
Late the next morning, John decided to contact Helena. Last night, she had begun to tell him something he seemed unable to stop wondering about ever since; but then, all hell broke loose and when they were finally back to their quarters she was too exhausted, so he didn't want to press the issue. He brought lunch to their quarters and set the table. Ten minutes after Helena arrived, happy for the break and hungry. The commpost diverted their attention from their kiss to Tony's last report on the status in Engineering. Everything was under control. But now, time for Commander's private lunch.
As his attention went back to his previous activity, all the color drained from John's face as he looked at Helena turning ashen. She leaned against the wall, reaching to touch her temple. Her head swam and she felt the ground shifting under her feet. She thought she had heard John's voice calling her name as if from a distance. Helena's next sensation was, for some reason, being taken up into John's arms. After that her consciousness could not detect anything else.
The familiar sounds of the med sensors began to intrude into the blackness. Soft strokes smoothing her hair made her open her eyes just to meet blue troubled ones.
"Darling, how are you feeling?" John asked in a whisper.
"John? I -- I'm OK, I guess", she answered, taking a deep breath.
As she began to ease onto her elbows, John helped her lay back, adjusting the pillows and making her lean against them.
"John, please, stop worrying -- I feel fine now. I really do."
Bob approached Helena's bed, patting John's shoulder.
"What's wrong with her, Bob?" Pressed John in a very characteristic and impatient tone.
Looking from Helena to John, Bob gave him a calming smile before answering his Commander.
"Well, according to theses readings there had been a fall in sugar rates
and in blood pressure -- nothing really serious -- but my advice is to
pay more attention to the meal schedule."
Then turning to Helena he added, mocking a scold, "Try not to mess with
it as you have been doing lately and get some rest. Take this afternoon
off and I'll let you back to work by tomorrow."
"So she is all right?" John asked Bob in a much relieved tone.
"Yes, John, I'm just fine. Let's get out of here and find some lunch. I'm
starving." Helena cut in, slipping from the bed.
They returned to their quarters and the forgotten lunch. Helena ate
with relish then she asked John if he would have some more time before
going back to Command Center. Sensing a note of seriousness in the request,
John contacted Tony then sat back to await Helena's news. To his
surprise she made another suggestion: "Let's go to the Observation Room,
John."
Fortunately the place was deserted. When the door slid shut behind them, John leaned against the window sill pulling Helena into his arms.
"Now what is it that you've been trying to talk to me about? And why here?"
She hesitated for a moment trying to find the right words. Then bringing her forehead to touch his, she smiled remembering another happy moment in that same place, before answering John’s question.
"You asked me to marry you here, remember?"
"Of course I do." Now he pulled back a little, a questioning look probing into twinkling green eyes.
"So it seemed just the right place to tell you -- " her voice trailed off as John grasped her hands with cold ones. His heart had already skipped a beat or two.
"Helena, you are -- "
"Yes, John, I'm pregnant. You and I, my love, are going to have a baby."
John blinked absorbing the piece of information, staring at Helena with his breath caught in the throat. He looked down placing a trembling hand where his child was beginning his life. As a wide grin spread through his face, John swept Helena from her feet whirling her around once. He kept her off her feet, bringing their faces on the level with each other.
"Our child, Helena, our child! I love you, I love you, I love you!"
Laughing and crying at the same time, Helena took delight in John's embrace.
Two hours later Koenig was back to Command Center. He began to feel a bit embarrassed by the bewildered looks he was receiving from his staff since he got there. But that was quite understandable for John couldn't wipe out a constant smile from his face and he also seemed a little detached from his surroundings.
"Commander, is everything OK? Is Doctor Koenig feeling better?" Sandra Benes asked.
"Oh, Helena is perfectly fine. As a matter of fact, everything is perfect, Sahn."
And in a few days, all personnel learned why everything was so perfect.
A few months later, Helena patiently watched as John traced the outlines of a baseball field on her belly to explain his son the basics of his favorite sport.
"John, … " Helena spoke in a teasing musical tone, "…you're calling the baby ‘son’ but it might as well be a daughter, and I have a feeling it's going to be a girl."
"Well, since you think it is more fun to wait for D-day to know for sure I'll place my chips on my hunch."
>From her station in Command Center Helena could feel John's vigilant eyes probing for any signs she might let out indicating the forthcoming arrival of their child. That shouldn't be long now. As she strained to reach for her lower back, she felt John leaning over her, both his hands massaging her back.
"Let's take a break and go for a little walk, OK?", he said in a hushed tone trying to hide his concern.
Uncharacteristically, Helena complied at once. Smiling as he took her elbow she stood up and they left Command Center heading to the nearest travel tube. Inside the travel tube, Helena leaned back against John's chest as he enfolded her with his arms supporting her enlarged belly.
"Hey, aren't you feeling well?" John asked, touching Helena's cheek with his own.
"I'm a bit tired today, and my back really hurts."
"I've noticed it. Want to go to some place special and relax for awhile?"
John asked, waiting her choice to program the travel tube to their destination.
Helena's voice took some time to come out. Matching John's gaze and using
a consciously controlled tone she answered:
"Yes. Route it to Medical."
Trying to master the panicky tone in his voice a transfixed John Koenig managed to confirm his suspicion:
"Helena -- now?!"
"Yes, John. But be calm. We still have some time."
After programming their route, Koenig contacted Medical Center to alert Helena's staff that they were checking in.
A med team awaited them outside the travel tube doors. Helena was taken to an exam table but Bob Mathias informed the couple that it would still take a little longer for the baby to put in his appearance.
In a couple of hours more, the Koenigs were in the delivery room. John did beautifully coaching Helena during the whole process. "A real pro", in Mathias' wording. Kissing each other and their baby, laughing and crying together, John and Helena reveled in that perfect moment.
Once more John's hunch met his expectations. Three months after the first
baseball basics explanation, Helena gave birth to Jason Koenig.
Very early in the morning, the Commander of Moonbase Alpha got up to calm down his crying son. Unfortunately, that particular crisis could only be solved by Helena.
"Come on, Jase, let's get mom to fix you some breakfast."
"Well, what are my two men plotting this early in the morning?" Helena asked, already figuring out the reason, as John handed their obviously hungry son on to his mother, along with a passionate good-morning kiss.
"I guess young Mr. Koenig wants his mom. I empathize with him."
John sat beside Helena, his head touching hers and his fingers smoothing
her hair. Once more, watching in complete delight, as if for the first
time, while she nursed their baby. He wouldn't miss the pleasure of watching
the most beautiful scene he could ever imagine for anything in the universe.