This week's challenge responses broke out into a round robin. Authors:

Maril, JoLayne, Eliza, Anthony, Dea

THE PATH TO TRUE LOVE

by Maril
[email protected]

Usual Disclaimers about copyright...Fireworks, Paramount

Trio Challenge response: must be because it's getting close to Valentine's Day :-)

~~~~~

The lamplight glinted on the broken sword as Helm turned it over in his hands, his eyes unseeingly focused on the blade, but his mind wandered elsewhere. A stealthy sound in his bedroom alerted him to another presence. Without turning around, he asked harshly, "What is it tonight, seeking refuge from Montoya,...or is this a social visit?" He heard the intruder come closer and felt the warmth of her nearness through his shirt-covered back.

"A bit of both," she replied quietly, leaning near his ear. Seeing what he had in his hands, she asked, "What are you doing with that? Isn't that the sword you shot in half when Grisham tried to kill me?"

"Yes, I picked it as a souvenir," Helm said, turning slightly to look into her masked face, only inches from his own.

"Of the time you saved my life?" she asked, moving closer. Now's your chance, Tessa. Kiss him! she thought excitedly.

But Helm turned away quickly to look at the sword again. He added, "No. I keep it to remind myself, you don't always have to kill to save a life."

Tessa winced from the intended barb, and drew in a measured breath to keep back the retort that sprang to her lips. This is starting out all wrong, she thought in frustration. Don't give up yet, she encouraged herself. Try to get the conversation onto a safer topic. He's in one of his guilt-ridden moods. Perhaps I can get him out of it. Tessa wracked her brain for a subject to change the course of his morose thoughts, but her brain seemed to have stopped functioning.

"So what bit of mischief have you been up to tonight?" he asked sarcastically, getting up and moving a distance away.

"You don't really want to know," she answered tightly, her temper starting to rise. Don't let him bait you, she admonished herself. He wants a fight, don't give him one. Keep your temper.

"No. I don't. Maybe you should go. It isn't safe here. Montoya knows you might come to my quarters, and he's probably on his way here right now." Helm wandered to an old trunk, lifted the lid, and dropped the broken sword inside, then let the lid drop with a loud bang. He laughed shortly. "And to think I could have been in the Canadas instead of here. The only things I would have had to worry about there would be the forces of nature, wild beasts, and savages. A lot easier to cope with than you!"

"What do you mean?" she asked in a hurt tone. What am I doing here? This isn't how it was supposed to go.

"I killed a man to save your life. I broke my vow for you. I didn't have to kill Serpiente, I just wanted to, because he was threatening you. Do you know how that makes me feel?"

"Human?" she retorted harshly, her temper reaching the flash point. "Wouldn't you have done the same for anyone, not just me? I would have." Tessa stepped closer, taking hold of Helm's shirt, forcing him to face her. "And you didn't just do it for me, Doctor. You did it for yourself. Serpiente would have come after you again until he finally got you. You know that. So, don't preach to me about your vows. It was as much about self-defense as it was about saving my life." Helm pulled away quickly, a button flying off as he tugged his shirt out of her gloved hands. Damn, she thought, why did I say that? Because it's probably true, and he knows it.

Helm pondered a moment, then turned with a quizzical look on his face. "Why did you come here tonight? There's nothing going on in the pueblo, is there?" He searched her eyes, waiting for an answer.

"I made a mistake. It won't happen again. Good night, Doctor Helm." Tessa fled through the door of his room, and escaped into the dark streets, her mind in tumult. Well, that certainly went well, she thought miserably, as she mounted her horse. I'll have to thank Marta for this little suggestion. She kneed Chico and he sprang into fast gallop out of the pueblo.

Helm rubbed his hand through his hair, then shook his head in consternation. What the hell was that about, he wondered. He strolled to his cot and sat down, still ruminating over the last few minutes, then struck his head suddenly. God, Helm, you are such a fool! He laughed wryly at his own stupidity. What was it she accused me of...vanity? Well, she was right. I am vain. So caught up in my own miserable thoughts, I couldn't see she came to be with me. What did it cost her to take this chance? And I ruined it and chased her away. He went outside quickly in the hope she was still nearby, but all he could see was the dust settling on the road left by her hasty retreat. Next time, he promised, it will be different.

... IS SOMETIMES ROCKY

by JoLayne
[email protected]

TRIO: Canada, a broken sword, a button.

ANTHONY'S COOL QUOTE: "I must confess it, it was I."

~~~~~

Helm sat on his examining table with his legs curled up under him stitching the button back on his shirt that the Queen had removed during her surprise visit the night before. If only things had gone more smoothly. The woman had surprised him. All day long he had done nothing but think about her, even when he was rustled out of bed to ride 5 miles to birth a baby. The entire ride there and back was filled with the thought that The Queen could be behind every rock and cranny. Her capabilities made her extremely attractive; watching her in action was like poetry. That she put her own life on the line for others made her even more so. Maybe my talks with her have had their affect. Maybe she'll think twice about killing, find another way. Maybe. Maybe.

Helm realized what he was doing. "Damn!" He had sewn his cuff to the shirt. Using his teeth, he pulled out the thread and needed to start over. Think, Robert, think!

~~~~~

Tessa stepped down from the carriage and smoothed her dress that Marta had just finished that morning. The yellow fabric seemed a little too bright when she saw it still on the bolt, but Marta was convincing when she said that it was beautiful on her body. It wasn't ornate as it was for everyday wear. It wasn't ostentatious, which she hoped would be appropriate for Helm. She wanted to make a good impression on the doctor, as their last meetings hadn't gone well. The only way that they could make headway in any sort of relationship was if he accepted Tessa as more than a spoiled child. If only he could see past that damn mask!

Without a word to Marta, who was just entering the general market, Tessa walked the long walk to the Doctor's Office thinking about what she was going to say and how she would say it. It was difficult to have so many personalities and keep them all straight. She had to be Maria Teresa, the pampered daughter of a Don to society; she had to be the unnerved, heroic Queen to the people who needed her and to the guards who wanted her head. She could only be herself to one person, Marta. As Tessa gathered the courage to open Helm's door, she hoped that there would be another one she could soon be herself around. To just be Tessa. She second-guessed herself, What if it's just that he doesn't like me?

~~~~~

Helm started again with a fresh length of thread when the door opened. He peered up to see Maria Teresa enter. He sighed and asked, "Do you need headache remedy once again, Senorita?"

"No," Tessa truthfully responded. Then she wasn't ready for the next question that she knew would come. There was only one reason she was there and she couldn't let it come out that quickly. "Yes," she quickly said to avoid him asking why she was there.

Helm set the shirt, button, needle and thread on the table and hopped down. Looking over the assortment of bottles on his shelf, he asked, "Having a tough day? You're having a lot of headaches lately."

Tessa grimaced. The reason for all the visits to his office wasn't because her head hurt. Why can't you see me?

He handed a small vial to her and said, "Remember to take them with a full glass of water."

"Yes, I remember." She came up with an alibi, "They're not for me. They're one of my workers." After Helm only nodded and went back to the table, she recognized the shirt. "What happened?"

"When?"

"To your shirt. What are you doing?"

Helm shrugged. "A button came off."

"How?" She couldn't help but smile and hoped he deciphered it as knowing, not strange.

"Buttons get loose with wear and once in a while they fall off." Helm didn't even notice her smile. "You know, I'm sure you've had buttons fall off. Instead of giving them to Marta to fix like you would, I have to do it myself."

Tessa's smile faded and she searched the room for some topic of conversation before she would just give up and walk out. A letter was unfolded on the desk. "Oh, what's that?" As soon as she said the words, she expected a slam.

Tessa wasn't disappointed. Helm replied, "It's a letter."

Her smile returned, one a mixture of embarrassment and resentment. She tried again, "I see that. What I meant, Doctor Helm, is who is it from? Has your family written to you?"

"No," he said without looking up from his task. "It's from an old friend from the Northern Territories."

"Do you mean ca nada?"

Helm looked up. "What was that?"

"The Northern Territories. Spanish know them by that name because there's nothing there. Ca nada."

"Nothing there," he repeated, confused. "Ah, you mean gold."

"Yes. It's been scouted for years. There's nothing there but savages."

"And friends of mine," Helm corrected her. "Do you only know what other people tell you?"

At that moment, she could almost forget that he had once called her, 'the most remarkable woman he ever met'. Sure, he said that about the Queen, but if he would just look at her, he'd realize that she was that remarkable woman. If only he could see into her eyes--if he would ever look into her eyes--he would know the truth. If only the man would give me a chance!

Helm pricked his finger and flinched. She rushed to him. "Let me help." It would be the perfect opportunity to soften him up so she could confess her secret. Show another side of herself to him. She wasn't the greatest seamstress, but she had darned a sock or two in her life.

What she got in response was a hearty laugh. "You mean by calling on Marta?"

"No." Before she could stop herself, she blurted out, "Why are you such a jackass?!"

Helm was taken by surprise and for the first time since she had walked in, he looked at her face. "Pretty language for a proper young lady."

"Oh!" Tessa grunted and was at a loss of what to say as she stared back into his eyes. His look hadn't softened, he was surprised. It only made her more mad. She yelled, "Here's another one! Why don't you take that broken sword and stick it up--." She had said enough, too much. She gasped at her boorish reaction and ran for the door.

"What?!"

~~~~~

Marta set a basket in the back of the carriage and heard Dr. Helm's door slam and his yell, "What?!" Tessa stalked back to the carriage and Marta shook her head. She was ready to ask how it went, but Tessa just kept right on walking past her. She was heading toward Montoya's headquarters. Marta rushed to her. "Where are you going? I have our supplies and we should return to the hacienda."

"I need to do something."

"What?" Marta forcibly stopped Tessa on the street. They had just been reminiscing about Don Alvarado that morning. Tessa had killed a man to protect her queen identity and to get the truth about her father's death; they had to bury Ramon themselves. Tessa said just that morning that she could never look at the haystack that covered his grave again. She had stated without a doubt that she would find out the truth of her father's death, even if it meant her own. Justice would be served. "I don't like the look in your eye, Tessa. You're going to do something foolish, aren't you?"

"Me?" Tessa stopped and glared at Marta. "Do something foolish? I never do anything foolish."

Marta looked back at the doctor's office and was going to ask what happened this time, but Tessa wasn't in the right mood. "That's right. You don't do anything foolish," Marta whispered to her. "Like dress in black and conquer Montoya's army? What do you think you're going to do at Montoya's? Are you going to waltz in there and demand that he fess up that he killed your father? What is he going to do? Tell you, "I must confess it, it was I?"

"That would be a good idea. Thanks, Marta." She walked on.

"Tessa, think!" Marta stopped her again. "Montoya will kill you if he finds out who you are."

"Marta, it's you who are thinking too much. I was going to ask Montoya to throw a spring fiesta."

Marta asked, "So you can talk to Dr. Robert Helm without the excuse of more headache potion? What's the problem with going to his office? Or inviting him to the hacienda for a meal? Or--."

"No. So I can meet an available man."

"Tessa... What about Robert Helm?"

Tessa looked over at Helm's office and he hadn't emerged. She told Marta, "Sometimes confession is not good for the soul. It makes you a fool."

Just then Marta noticed Helm standing in the doorway of his office. In his hand was the hilt of a broken sword.

ANOTHER REPLY

By Maril
[email protected]

These events follow Jo's vignette, and are earlier the same day as my last challenge entry. It fills in the events of the day before that eventful night which left the Queen in the pits.

~~~~~

Madre mio, Marta thought in irritation, as she caught up to Tessa, and taking a firm grip on her arm, steered the younger woman in the opposite direction to Montoya's office. "Don't make a scene, Tessa!" she whispered. "People are watching you." Without breaking stride, Marta marched Tessa toward their wagon. "We'll talk later," Marta said in the resolute tone that Tessa remembered only too well from her childhood--that inflexible tone that showed her iron will. Unresisting, Tessa allowed herself to be led to their wagon which was standing across the street from Montoya's office.

Tessa climbed onto the wagon, a petulant expression marring her beautiful features as she sat back on the bench in a sulk. Marta unlocked the brake and flapped the traces over the horses, starting the wagon back toward the hacienda.

A few miles out of town, Tessa suddenly grabbed the reins and halted the wagon. "Now, why did you stop me from seeing Montoya? I know what I'm doing!"

"You're not thinking straight, Tessa. When you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas," Marta said reasonably. "All Montoya wants is the hacienda, and you are the means to his getting it. Atl least Doctor Helm has no hidden motives."

"So what do you suggest I do?"

"Be patient. A man likes to do the pursuing of a woman. Let him chase you. Don't make it too easy."

"And this comes from your vast experience with men?" Tessa said caustically, then immediately regretted. "I'm sorry, Marta. I didn't mean that."

Marta turned to Tessa, an enigmatic smile on her face. "There are many things you do not know about me, querida. Perhaps I do know what I'm talking about." Marta laughed lightly and clucked the horses into motion.

For miles, Marta kept an irritating silence, that half-smile playing over her face, while Tessa fumed, wondering how to find out what she meant. Marta was a close one, Tessa knew. She was never forthcoming unless she wanted to be. There was no point trying to elicit an answer to this hint of some secret love life. When Marta was ready to tell it, only then would Tessa hear the story. This latest frustration only added to Tessa's bad temper, so that by the time they reached the villa, the younger woman was in a thorough snit. She jumped down from the wagon and disappeared into the house.

Marta shook her head sadly as she climbed off the bench. She smiled at the groom who came from the stable to take care of the wagon. "Thank you, Manuel," she said somewhat absently, her mind preoccupied with keeping Tessa from doing something impulsive, dangerous. Dreading their next confrontation, Marta walked slowly into the villa, and looked around for Tessa. There was no sign of her in any of the rooms--which meant she could only be in one other place. Marta made her way down to the wine cellar and pulled the wine bottle which unlatched the secret door. As she expected, Tessa was there, already in her black costume, preparing to tie on the mask.

"What are you doing now?" Marta asked in some exasperation.

"You said not to tell you. So I won't. I have my secrets too." Tessa gave her a triumphant smile, then opened the door to the tunnel that led to the stables, and slipped away into the darkness.

Madre de dios, Marta thought morosely. What is she up to now? It would be better to never to have left Spain, where there was only a war going on. It almost seems peaceful compared to this.

AND ROCKIER...

By Maril
[email protected]

He started awake with a gloved hand clamped over his mouth, and the scent of leather and a sweet perfume wafting into his nostrils. "Shhhh," she breathed into his ear, sending the hairs all over his body into immediate attention. The glove moved away, replaced by soft lips brushing over his with tantalizing slowness. He felt himself almost grinning. The second chance had come much sooner than he had hoped. His pulse galloped, and he reached up just as she moved back suddenly, grabbing thin air.

"What..." he began, then halted and listened. He groaned aloud as the sounds of running feet and shouts outside in the pueblo came to him. Dimly, he saw her dark figure in the near blackness of his room, only a few feet away, tense and waiting. Helm jumped as someone began hammering on his office door.

He heard Grisham's voice shouting, "Dr. Helm! Open up! Helm!" The hammering continued relentlessly, flaying his nerves.

"Answer it!" she whispered impatiently.

"All right, all right," Helm shouted. "You don't have to break the bloody door down!" More quietly, he said, starting to get up from his cot, "Well, if you don't mind turning around, I sleep nude".

"That didn't bother you a second ago," she chuckled in an amused undertone. "Here." He heard some rustling sounds then something of cloth was thrust into his hands.

"You must have eyes like an owl," he said as he tied the item around his waist. It seemed to be his shirt.

"You'd be surprised what I can see," she retorted with a dry laugh. "What would you do in a fire, Doctor?"

"Shock the neighbours, I suppose." He moved to her side quickly and pulled her into his arms, kissing her with quick passion, then pulled back, and breathed against her cheek, "Don't go away. I'll be right back."

"I'll be waiting," she whispered in his ear.

Helm moved through the darkness, and found the door already open, nearly knocking his nose on it. "Thanks," he whispered, then stumbled through into his office. Grisham resumed bashing on the door, and Helm growled, "For God's sake, give me a minute!" as he stubbed his toe on a table. Swearing in an undertone, he jerked his door open to find Grisham and two soldiers awaiting him.

Without invitation, Grisham shouldered past Helm, and strode into the centre of the office, holding a lantern aloft as he glanced around suspiciously. "We're looking for the Queen of Swords," Grisham announced. "Doing a house to house search, no exceptions." He gestured to the soldiers and they began a systematic search of the office.

"Surely, she would have ridden out of town by now," Helm said in an exasperated tone.

"Not likely. We've got her horse. It's tied up at the barracks corral."

"She would have stolen another, and got away on that."

"I hardly think so. You don't know this lady very well, do you? She loves that horse and won't leave him behind."

"And if she does escape without him?" Helm asked.

"Tomorrow he'll be slaughtered and given to the poor for meat." Grisham said carelessly, glancing around the office.

Helm felt his temper rise immediately to the boiling point. "That's barbaric! I'll buy the damned horse!"

"Sorry, Doc. No sale. Tomorrow he's horsemeat." The soldiers returned to Grisham, and shook their heads at finding nothing. Grisham stepped toward the bedroom door.

"Don't go in there! That's my bedroom," Helm said quickly.

"Hiding something, Doctor? Like a certain masked vigilante?" Grisham paused with his hand on the door, eyeing Helm for a reaction.

"The bed's not made," Helm replied casually.

Grisham wrenched door open quickly and rushed in, followed by the two soldiers. Helm walked in, his stomach in a knot as he waited for an exclamation of triumph. None came.

The soldiers checked the room thoroughly, looking into the wardrobe, under the bed, behind the chest of drawers. Helm laughed aloud when one of the soldiers lifted the lid of his trunk and peered in. The only thing amiss was the window was wider than before. Grisham noted the unusually wide opening, and turned his narrowed gaze upon the doctor.

"Like lots of fresh air, Doctor?" Grisham asked sarcastically.

"It was getting pretty hot in here earlier," Helm replied insouciantly.

Grisham marched past the doctor, trailed by the soldiers. Helm slammed the office door behind them, then rushed into his bedroom. She must have heard they had her horse, and what they were planning to do to him. There was only one place she could be now, Helm thought, his heart pounding against his ribs. She's walking straight into a trap, with her horse as bait. Without further thought, he pulled on some clothes and his boots, slipping out the window into the dark back street behind his office.

AND ANOTHER PATH

by Eliza
[email protected]

What the hell does he think he's doing? Tessa watched as Helm climbed out his bedroom window in imitation of her earlier exit. If he thinks that I don't know it's a trap then I am going to... The thought trailed off as she watched him move toward the stable.

"Great. Now I've got two to rescue," she muttered to the darkness. Chico would have been easy, he had common sense. Helm seemed to be running on some chivalrous notion of a damsel in distress. Did he completely forget who he was dealing with? Time to show him.

Tessa knew the short cuts through the town better than Helm for the simple reason that he stayed on the roads. Tessa had done a lot of traveling over rooftops and along walls, she could get to the stable before he did. Up a nearby trellis, along a balcony, a little jump onto a low roof, and then into a small courtyard gave her the opportunity to detain Helm as he rounded the corner.

If she hadn't taken him be surprise she would have never gotten him into the garden. As it was, he slammed her into the wall hard enough to knock the breath out of her. She had wrapped one arm around his ribs and the other hand covered his mouth, but he didn't struggle against her grip once he had stunned her, all he did was take half a step way from the wall. She moved her hand from his mouth to his shoulder and leaned her head against his back as she recovered.

"Are you all right?" Helm asked, looking over his shoulder.

She raised her head. "Just fine, doctor. You are not the first man to pin me against a wall." The grin she glimpsed as he turned his face away made her realize what she had said. She dropped her arms and said with a sigh, "What I meant was..."

"I know what you meant, but I prefer the first image." He pivoted to face her and she found herself leaning back against the wall looking up at him. "On second thought, I don't. No, I don't like the idea of anyone else doing this." He continued the kiss that she had started earlier that evening. It was a soft, lingering caress that neither one made any attempt to deepen. Tessa brought her arms around him again as their bodies made contact as thoroughly as the contact of their mouths.

They had just broken the kiss when a sharp neigh was heard nearby. Tessa immediately pulled away, almost embarrassed that she had forgotten about her friend. "Chico."

It took Helm a moment longer. "What? Oh, the horse. All right then, what's our plan?"

"Our plan?"

"Of course." Helm was eyeing her suspiciously then started to slowly shake his head. "Don't even think about it."

ROUND ROBIN PART 6

by Anthony
[email protected]

Robert Helm looked around the wall. Chico the Horse was tethered to a spot in the open. No way to jump on his back - well, the horse's back - and ride away. "Why does this look familiar?"

"Hm?" the Queen asked. "Nobody guarding," at all, down any street. "Looks easy enough."

"Well then, by all means, go right ahead -" Helm started to say, so the Queen walked around him and up to her horse. "It was a bloody figure of speech!" he muttered.

No sooner had that last word passed his lips than the Queen abruptly disappeared - going DOWN. Robert Helm nervously swallowed. He would've gone over to see if she needed any help when he noticed somebody else coming over to the pit - only one person, all all alone. [ooc: couldn't resist!] :)

"So nice of you to join us, senora," Montoya said, walking up to the pit. "The British use things such as these to capture tigers in India; though many pits also have sharpened poles in them, which this one is thankfully lacking.

"Would you care for a last meal? Think it over, I will be back at dawn," and walked back to his quarters, untying her horse and taking Chico with him.

PART 7

by JoLayne
[email protected]

After Montoya and Chico were gone, Helm looked the area over. There had to be more troops. More reinforcements. He couldn't possibly just leave his prized possession alone in a deep pit. Could he?

Helm continued looking to the right, to the left, on the rooftops and saw and heard nothing. Well, Montoya's surprised me before... He emerged from the shadows and sauntered over to the edge of pit after he felt that the coast was clear. He called down, "Are you hurt?"

"No." Her voice was laced with irritation.

With his first impulse for her safety having been taken care of, he smiled down at the Queen pacing a small oval on the ground of the pit like a caged animal, which he supposed she was. "When are you going to think first and react later?"

The Queen squinted up at him and remarked, "In a situation such as this, you intend to stand there yammering instead of getting me a rope or a ladder?"

"Yammering." Helm debated whether he was offended by that remark or he would chalk it up to 10 feet she had just taken. "Um," he said as he knelt down at the opening. "What would you suggest? A rope, or a ladder?"

"Either."

He scratched his head. "Well, I'm not sure where I'd find such things. Certainly not a ladder tall enough to serve the purpose."

The Queen stood still and clamped her hands under each elbow and glared up at him. "Are you enjoying this?"

"A little," Helm said with a chuckle. "You really think about what you're doing--."

"I know, I know." The Queen grumbled. "Look before you leap."

"Right!"

"Get me out of here."

Helm saluted her and said, "Ay, ay, your Majesty."

As he stood, he felt the familiar, yet completely unwelcome, sensation of metal against the back of his neck. "Great..." Helm turned around to see Grisham's shit eating grin.

Grisham said, "Well, well, well. Look who we have here." With glee, Grisham pushed his finger against Helm's chest, making him fall backward into the pit. "Two for the price of one."

PART 8

By Eliza
[email protected]

Helm hit the bottom of the pit. It hurt, but it was almost worth it to have Tessa lean over him with that look of concern.

"Is Grisham within sight?" she asked, very softly. She was eyeing the rim of the pit that was within her field of vision.

All right, she is not that concerned. "I can't see him." Helm replied just as quietly. "Aren't you going to ask..."

"Are you all right, Doctor?" She had raised her voice so that it sounded almost panicked. Her face was calm, though, and she was shaking her head.

"No," said Helm, but his expression turned it into a question. She pantomined encouragement and pointed to his knee. The doctor was catching on. "I've twisted my knee and possibly broken my ankle."

She rolled her eyes at him. "So there is no way you could stand?"

Helm caught a movement at the edge of the pit. He lay flat on his back, his face twisted in pain. His answer was angry, "Stand! I can barely sit up! I think I have bruised every bone in my body."

She pinched him, but the small smile betrayed her amusement at his overacting. "Come on, Doctor. Let's get you sitting against the wall and take a good look at that knee."

As Tessa dragged the "wounded" man to the support of the pit wall, he took full advantage of the situation to let his hands "innocently" wander over his assistant. He must have been trying her patience for she let him drop the last few inches so that he hit the floor again with a jarring bump. She moved her attention to his knee then scanned the edge of the pit again. "Do you see anyone?"

Helm shook his head and leaned close to whisper quietly, "If you are going to play doctor properly, the pants have to come off."

"Behave yourself!" She gave him a sharp shove in the centre of his chest and he hit the wall with thump. She moved in very close to ensure they were not overheard. "Can you smell it?"

His nose was in her hair and he nuzzled her ear before growling, "Absolutely."

She took his face in both her hands and stared at him, their noses almost touching. "The rain. There is rain moving this way. Which means the moon should be hidden soon and the rain itself will be additional cover. We may be able to get out of here without encountering the barrel of a gun before dragging our behinds over the edge."

"In the mean time..." Helm knew this was not the time or place but her reactions to his teasing were very amusing. And she got him thrown in a pit, soon to be a muddy pit; she owed him something. He managed to surprise her, pulling her onto his lap while quickly muffling her gasp of shock with his mouth. Then it was his turn to be surprised, for she melted into the kiss and he completely lost himself in the moment. That was how she was able to break his hold and scurry across the pit to lean against the other wall.

"Marta warned me about you." She was still speaking softly.

Helm was a little apprehensive, not sure of what the gypsy may have seen during that flash in insight at their first meeting. "What did she say exactly?"

"Nothing really. It was a comment she made one day -- that you were just bad enough."

The poorly muffled snicker that followed let Helm relax. He looked up at the edge of the pit and again saw a figure come into view. Tessa's legs were extended so that it was easy to tap her boot with his, in warning. She looked up the wall she was leaning on in time to see the soldier peer into the pit. Not Grisham, the captain must have retired for the evening. The prisoners met each other's eyes -- no more playing, it was time to work on escape.

Helm wasn't sure how long they had been in the pit, he may have even dozed, but he did notice when the air suddenly became cooler. Tessa must have noticed as well, for she got to her feet and move to sit next to him. Before she had completely settled, the night became much darker as the gibbous moon was covered by the approaching storm clouds.

Tessa snuggled close and Helm put his arm around her; the air was cooling rapidly. She whispered, "The guards are likely finding some cover. With Grisham believing that you are of no help getting us out, he may have only left a couple of soldiers. When I get out, I will incapacitate them..."

"Interesting way of putting it."

"Don't start this now!" Helm received a sharp elbow in the ribs for his poor timing. "I'll knock them out. Then I'll find a rope and get you out. I hope the ground won't be too slick by then."

Right on cue the rain started to fall -- hard. The dirt was rapidly turning to mud. Helm and Tessa got to their feet. Helm went down on one knee, lacing his fingers as if he was going to assist her onto a horse. Tessa placed her foot in his hand and then counted, "One, two, three." On three both pushed up with their legs, Helm using his back and arms as well, to propel Tessa over the edge of the pit. He heard her land with a grunt and the scrabble of legs hitting the sides.

There was a few moments of silence, then a breathless, "Be right back."

PART 9 - ENCOUNTER

By Anthony
[email protected]

When Tessa - still in her disguise as the Queen Of Swords, stood up so she could incapacitate the guards, and look for rope, she found herself looking at a familiar pair of pants...a familiar jacket...a familiar beard...and a pair of very familiar eyes.

"Colonel Montoya," she said conversationally. The good news was Colonel Montoya was holding a good length of rope. The bad news was that the rope was in Colonel Montoya's hands.

"Did not your mother ever teach you not to play in the rain, senora?" Montoya asked, toying with the Queen. He'd made sure the lone soldier would never report his presence here.

"She did, Colonel, but she also told me to stand by...," trying to think of the right word for this situation, " my friends."

Montoya nodded, understanding. "I wondered if you would be able to get out of the tiger trap on your own."

Tessa/Queen's eyes wandered down to where his gun was holstered, and -

In an uncharacteristic action, Colonel Luis Montoya tossed the entire length of rope at the Queen, which she fumbled but caught, startled. He then turned around and left.

I will give them ten, perhaps fifteen minutes before I ask Capitan Grisham if things are going well - for him, Montoya resolved.

PART 10

By JoLayne
[email protected]

As the Colonel sauntered out of view, the Queen looked around and up into the rain to see if there were sharpshooters waiting to take her out. Nothing was like surprising your opponent, but Montoya had to be up to something.

Helm yelled from the pit, "What in the blazes is going on?"

"I'm not sure," she yelled in reply.

"What?!"

She yelled again to be heard over the pounding rain. She got too close to the edge of the pit and the sandy ground started to give away. Tessa hurried back from it, not wanting to fall in again. She threw one end of the rope into the pit.

Helm studied the rope, the last thing he expected to see so fast. Before he could get a good grip on it, the rope was yanked back out of the pit. "Now what?! What are you doing!?" He shook his head as his face was pounded by rain as he looked up to the top of the pit and seeing nothing but water drops. She's a wonderfully frustrating woman...

Tessa pulled the rope through her hands from one end to the other to check it for flaws. She wouldn't put it past Montoya to have cut it so it would break. A little joke that would be funny only to him. Helm was already injured, she didn't want him to fall back in and break his back. The rope seemed fine. She looked around again and saw no one. Chico started neighing and stamping his feet. He was either irritated for being out in the rain or he was hearing something. Tessa hoped it was the former.

She threw the end of the rope into the pit again and there wasn't anything close enough in which to tie the other end. She planted her feet in the mud and yelled, "Okay, climb up!"

Helm tested the strength of the rope and didn't feel a lot of give. His ankle and knee seared with pain as he punched foot holes in the muddy wall of the pit as he used the rope for leverage. With a lot of effort on both of their parts, Helm made it to level ground. He laid back as the rain pelted his face. His ankle was inflamed and stabbing pain rocked his knee. All his troubles were muted though when Tessa leaned down and planted her lips on his. When she pulled back up, he muttered, "Thank you, Tessa."

She was surprised, but not too much. It was the first time anyone but Marta had called her by her own name while wearing the Queen's clothes. He said, "You made a mistake this morning. Only the Queen knew about the broken sword."

"Have you always been blind?"

"You were too good an actress. You play the spoiled brat well."

"Thank you." She stood, holding her hand down to him.

Helm grabbed her hand and gingerly got to his feet. Well, to one foot as he couldn't put any of his weight on the injured leg. She put his arm over her shoulders and asked if he could walk. "No far."

"Back to your office?"

"Sure."

"Okay." She dropped his arm and walked toward Chico.

"What are you doing?"

She untied Chico's reins and mounted him. "I had to get my horse back. That's how this all started."

"Well, can you give me a lift?"

"No."

"No?! Why not?" He fumed as he held weight off his bad leg.

"Because you aren't Montoya's prize. I am. And Chico is. You can saunter around the pueblo freely. I have to get him home."

"But careful," Helm said, agreeing with her. "There has to be guards out there."

"Of course."

"And don't kill anyone!"

"I'll take that remark under advisement," the Queen spouted as Chico rode her to a short wall and elegantly jumped over it, leaving Helm alone next to the pit, in the rain, and with a bum leg.

He grumbled as he hopped, taking hold of anything he could use as a crutch out of the enclosure. The rain had started to let up as he made his way down a street back to his office. Surprisingly, there wasn't anyone lurking around. He hadn't heard the Queen get into a tussle with anyone, no shots fired, no clanking of sword blades. That Colonel and his troops were indeed a puzzlement.

Helm took three large leaps and made it to the door knob of his office and paused to work out a kink in his knee. Taking one last look around and again seeing no one, he opened the door and hopped into his office. After closing the door, he was going to light a lamp, but then realized that one was already burning in his private room. The door was ajar. He didn't hear anything. That was never a good sign...

He made his way to the door and nudged it open. To his delightful surprise, The Queen was lying on her side on his bed. Her hand holding her head up. "Would you like to play doctor? Doctor?"

"Yes," he immediately said. "Take it off."

Tessa smiled and sat up, started to undo the buttons on her blouse. "No," Helm said. She stopped at looked at him. "I meant the mask."

PART 11

By Dea
[email protected]

Tessa raised an eyebrow and replied, "I thought you'd want me to leave the mask on. Besides being just a little bit kinky, with the mask on you'd still be seeing the Queen. That is who you are so taken with, isn't it?"

Helm cringed at the underlying tone in her voice. He had treated her as the spoiled brat she had pretended to be. Now he just had to convince her she was the one he wanted. Mask or no mask.

"As I said, Tessa," he offered as he limped toward the bed, "you were much too good of an actress. But it's also true that I was blind. I didn't want to see you as anything other than Maria Theresa Alvarado, rich, privileged and shallow aristocrat. I should've looked harder."

"Yes, you should have doctor," Tessa said, a smile playing about her lips.

"But right now, I want to see your face," he said as he reached the foot of the narrow bed. Then he added slyly, "Among other things."

Trying to still the wild beating of her heart, Tessa reached behind and under her thick black hair and tugged gently. As the delicate lace fell from her eyes she looked up almost shyly at Helm.

"Is this better doctor?" she asked.

"Oh yes," he breathed. "And please Tessa, call me Robert."

"Alright...Robert."

His name had never sounded so sweet to his ears.

PART 12

By Anthony
[email protected]

There was a pounding on the front door to his Doctoral office. Robert Helm looked up from where he was. "Unless you have a gaping hole in you that's bleeding uncontrollably, leave me alone," he muttered, and even quieter, "if you do have such a wound, why aren't you dead yet?"

But he managed to walk over to the door, putting a finger to his lips, hoping that Tessa would stay quiet. This wasn't the sort of thing that he could just say 'it happens', no matter who was on the other side of the door.

Robert Helm made his way over to the wooden door. Perhaps I should get a guard dog for at night... and then quickly dismissed that thought--some people might genuinely need medical expertise in the dead of night.

NOT that that helped his sleep much, as he opened the door.

And there he was - sword strapped to his side, a bit of scarring on the side of his face, and hair still trying to grow past regulation length.

Robert I. Helm Junior.

"Hello brother!" Dr. Helm's older brother greeted.

"What are you doing here?" doctor Helm accosted his brother. "And in the middle of the night, no less."

A shrug from his brother. "I'm here to make sure the Spaniards haven't robbed you of your senses...and to see if Alta California would make just as nice an addition as New Holland to the property of the Crown."

Robert P. Helm, the doctor to this pueblo, replied to his brown-eyed brother,

PART 13

By Eliza
[email protected]

Robert P. Helm, the doctor to this pueblo, replied to his brown-eyed brother, "You have always had a horrible sense of timing."

"Why? Don't tell me there a woman here you are trying to..." Junior broke off his comment as the look on Robert's face told him that was exactly the case. "Really?! You?!"

Robert had been listening to the sound of the window behind the dividing curtain being opened and so didn't react to his brother's comments for a few moments. Oh well, if the Queen of Swords could escape though his window, she could also get back in -- if she wanted. Then the insult hit home. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Junior put on the standard superior, older-brother grin and made himself at home at the doctor's desk. "Oh, nothing. It's just you always treated women with such deference, that there was a question of whether you had actually managed to kiss one before you left for the army. And afterwards, if you found enough other opportunities to bother to try."

Junior had tipped his chair back on two legs at his last jab. Robert didn't know how his brother could look so surprised at finding himself flat on his back on the floor. Then again, maybe it was the fact that Robert was holding a blade to his throat. Green eyes smiled mockingly into brown ones. "I can see your sense of humour hasn't improved either, brother. If you are going to take a shot at me, at least make it an effective one."

Robert helped Junior back to his feet and the brothers eyed each other, establishing the truce that usually followed any sibling altercation. With a nod, Junior reached down to reclaim his chair, although now his posture in it was not so cocky. Robert leaned against the wall near his desk, waiting for the complete explanation as to his brother's arrival.

PART 14

By Maril
[email protected]

"Well, Gill, what mischance cast you up on these shores?" Helm asked his brother, his grey eyes steely with dislike.

"Odd you should phrase it that way, Robby. I managed to escape from a transport ship bound for New South Wales, and recalled from your letters to the mater, you had fetched up in some dreary little hole in Alta California called Santa Helena." Belying his casual manner, Gill Helm arose and paced the small office, nervously listening every few seconds for something. A pursuer?

Helm expelled an angry breath. "What were you doing on a transport ship, Gill?"

Gill had the good grace to look chagrined as he glanced into his brother's wrathful eyes. "I was arrested at the manor house, right in front of the mater and pater. The effrontery of those soldiers! They heard I had been involved in a rising in Dublin, and arrested me for treason." He chuckled, then added, "I was to have been hanged, but there was a mix-up at the prison, and some other poor sod went to the gallows, and I was put on the transport ship after a few weeks in the hulks at Portsmouth. Amazing what a bit of money can do for you. Not enough to get me off though," he said ruefully.

"You let someone else go to the gallows instead of you?" Helm said harshly, his face crimson with rage.

"He probably deserved it, Robby. Most of them did. You couldn't imagine the ruffians I had to put up with in the hulks." Gill gave an exaggerated shudder.

Helm shook his head, as if trying to wake up from a nightmare. "And just what do you expect me to do with you? British ships put in here all the time, and every stranger is noticed in this pueblo. It's probably the nosiest place on earth. Your presence here will be common knowledge by tomorrow, if it isn't already."

"I just need a place to hide out for a few days. There's someone on my trail. I think I lost him, but he could have tracked me here. Don't you know anyplace where I could stay out of sight until he's gone?" The cockiness evaporated and Helm could see the cold grip of terror in his brother's eyes, hear the pleading in his voice.

Helm drew in a long breath, steadying himself against the fury he felt toward this wayward sibling. Irresponsible, impulsive and totally without scruples. That was Gill. And now he's landed himself here, to become my problem, Helm fumed. "Wait here, Gill. I'll just step into my bedroom for a moment..."

"To see if she's still waiting?" Gill chuckled infuriatingly.

The room was empty, as Helm expected and the window was wide open. With a quick snatch, Helm picked up his jacket, and returned to the main room. "Come with me," he growled, "and for god's sake, try to be inconspicuous. I think I know a place you might stay for a few days."

PART 15

by Dea
[email protected]

"Slow down Robby!" Gill called out in a low voice as he tried to match his brother's long stride. "What's the hurry?"

"In case you haven't noticed, this is the time of night where people usually do a thing called sleeping," Helm replied shortly. "I'd like to join them."

"I don't think it was sleeping you were looking forward to," Gill snorted as the two made their way down the dark quiet road out of town.

Helm glared at his older brother but didn't say anything.

Gill finally caught up with Helm and fell into step beside him. As close as he could tell they were headed out into the hills surrounding the pueblo. The night was black and thick and their footsteps the only sound.

"So, tell me about this woman who has taken your fancy," Gill prompted. "Who is she?"

"No one that needs concern you," the doctor replied noncommittally.

"I bet she's a real looker, eh Robby?" His older sibling persisted, "Is she prettier than Victoria?"

Helm spun towards his brother and pointed a finger in his direction. "Do not bring up Victoria! This is neither the time nor the place."

"Hey, you're the one who left her," Gill said defensively as he held up his hands in a gesture of surrender.

"I had to leave!" Helm retorted, then added in a quiet voice. "There was no other way."

"That wasn't how she saw it," Gill stated.

"She also wasn't aware of the dangers of the situation," Helm informed him as they continued walking, hills and rocks beginning to rise around them. "And that's how it should be...for all our sakes."

"Still the martyr," Gill replied shaking his head.

"Look, I didn't ask for this little visit, brother. Do you want my help or not?" Helm asked, hands planted on his hips.

"By all means," Gill replied with a flourish of his arm in the direction they were headed. "Lead on doctor."

The rest of the walk passed in silence and the two brothers finally reached their destination.

"What is this? A cave?" Gill asked unbelievingly.

"Still quite perceptive, aren't you?" Helm mocked.

"You expect me to stay in a cave?"

"You dug your hole. Now you can sleep in it."

"But what about food and supplies?" Gill questioned.

Helm sighed.

"I'll find a way to get them to you, but you don't want to be seen in town," he explained. "Unless you still want to find yourself on the end of a noose."

Gill unconsciously reached up and rubbed his neck.

"Fine," he retorted. "Thanks so much for the hospitality!"

"You're quite welcome!" Helm shot back. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to my nice, soft bed."

Okay so it wasn't so soft but it had to be better than his brother's arrangements for the night, and he wanted him to know it.

"I'm sure there'll be plenty of room in that bed too," Gill called after him.

Helm didn't look back. A coyote howled its discontent in the great desert. "Yeah, I know how you feel," Helm mumbled as he trudged back to town after depositing his wayward brother in an empty cave. "Just when things start to work out... they don't."

"I wouldn't say that, doctor," a voice called out from the darkness.

Helm looked up to find the Queen and her horse trotting alongside of him. He shook his head.

"I should've known you'd be here," he said with a small grin.

"It's awfully dangerous to be out here all alone," she replied with a shrug. "Can't be too careful."

He raised his eyes to her but didn't say anything.

"How about a ride back to town?" she offered, pulling Chico to a stop.

Reaching up and grasping Tessa's hand Helm mounted the horse. She took the reins up again and moved forward. She couldn't help but find pleasure in the closeness of the man behind her.

"So, who was that man, doctor?" she asked.

"What happened to 'Robert'?" he replied, the smile in his voice evident.

"Well... at the time, we were...," she tried to find the right words without embarrassing herself.

"In a delicate situation?" he offered helpfully.

"You could say that," Tessa sighed, a bit exasperated that he talked about it so lightly.

Helm attempted to suppress his laugh at the thought of Tessa shouting "Doctor!" at the height of said 'delicate situation.' He wasn't successful.

"What are you laughing at?" she asked, half-turning in the saddle to look at him.

"Nothing," he responded, putting on his most innocent expression.

She tried to glare at him and failed. Instead she rolled her eyes and faced forward leaving Helm once again free to smile.

"That man?" she prompted.

"That was my brother," he said dully.

"Your brother? What is he doing here?"

"Don't get excited; it's nothing noble."

"Oh?"

"He's on the run from British troops," he explained.

"Why?"

"His political persuasion is getting him into trouble."

"I see," Tessa replied. His reluctance to talk about it was evident so she left it at that.

Helm was glad that she had dropped the subject. He hated talking about his family, especially his brother. They were halfway back to town and he just sat and enjoyed the ride. The smell of Tessa's long dark hair dared his arm to gently slip around her waist, resting his hand on her hip.

The warmth of his hand nearly undid her. She just concentrated on getting them back to town.

PART 17

By Maril
[email protected]

Gill Helm watched his brother's form disappearing into the darkness, as he hesitated, shivering at the thought of going into that cave. What was in it? Bears? Pumas? He paced in front, summoning up the courage to enter when he heard voices. Straining to listen he heard them again -- his brother's and a woman's. With a wide grin, he skulked down the slope away from the cave, and toward the faint sounds. Then he saw her!

His mouth gaped and he shook his head as if to assure himself he was awake, not dreaming--a masked woman dressed completely in black with a sword hanging at her hip. She was something from a dream alright, he thought with a leer. Not only that, but she seemed to know Robby quite well, judging by her familiar tones and the warmth in her voice. In fact! Of course! She was the woman in Robby's bedroom. But who was she? And why the mask?

He observed his brother swing up onto the horse behind her and ride off toward town. Gill chuckled to himself as he climbed the hill to the cave. He would find out soon enough who she was, and what she was. And then maybe his righteous brother would have some explaining to do. I might even be able to make a bargain with the authorities. Get a pardon, even a reward. The thought made him laugh aloud, the sound answered by a lone coyote somewhere nearby.

PART 18

by Maril

Despite the coolness of the night air, Tessa was warm, too warm. Helm's body heat was doing wonderful things to her own, and she was trying to think clearly. Why was his brother on the run from the law? Did he pose a danger to Helm? She shifted to turn, almost encountering Helm's mouth only inches from her own. Too tempting! She swallowed and quickly turned back, saying over her shoulder, "How long do you plan to keep him up there? Sooner or later, someone will wonder where you're going everyday with packages of food."

Helm leaned closer, tightened his hold on her waist. "Let's forget about him for now. I've managed to...for years. Now he turns up like a bad penny. I'd rather talk about..." He didn't finish as Tessa halted the horse abruptly. They were on the edge of the pueblo.

"This is as far as I go," Tessa said. Helm chuckled at the unintended double-entendre.

"You're not coming back with me?" Disappointment tinged his voice. He slid down from the horse and looked up with a wry smile.

"I think I've had enough excitement for one night, Robert. Hasta la proxima." With that she wheeled the horse and in seconds was just a dust trail on the horizon.

LATER THE NEXT DAY...

Helm led the horse up toward the cave, and dismounted his own, tying both horses to a bit of scrub brush. Gill was sitting on a rock outside the cave, whittling a bit of wood. "Well, it's about time!" Gill said shortly. "I'm starving!"

"I do have patients to look after, Gill. They seem to expect their doctor to be there to tend to their needs, not go gallivanting off into the hills when the fancy strikes." Helm's temper was just below the boiling point. So far it had been a miserable morning. Not enough sleep the night before and the waiting room was full of patients. And if that wasn't enough, Tessa Alvarado had flounced in as if she had a right to his immediate attention. That woman was so irritating. He wondered why she got under his skin so much.

Helm lifted the saddle bag from his horse and then the canteen. He dropped both next to his brother. "There's enough food and water to keep you for at least a day. And the horse is for you. I've put a bit of money in the saddlebag. So, Gill, my advice is to get moving, get as far away from here as you can. If you go east, you'll eventually find the colonies, I mean, the United States. Go north and there are more Spanish settlements and Monterrey. Further north there are some Russian settlements. Or you can go south to Mexico. Lots of options. The only option not open to you is staying here."

"So much for brotherly love," Gill snapped sarcastically. "This is the best you can do for me, Robby?" He got up and glared at Helm. "Thanks, brother. I don't know how I can ever repay your kindness," he said acidly.

"Just don't ever come back. That will be repayment enough. Good luck. You'll need it." With that, Helm turned and remounted his horse, taking a last look at his brother. A sudden qualm of regret squeezed his heart. In spite of everything, he still loved this wayward, troublesome man. He was about to speak, then clamped his jaw firmly and kneed his horse into a trot away from the cave and down the slope toward the pueblo.

Gill followed him with his eyes until he was out of sight. "Well, Robby boy, if you think you've seen the last of me, you've got another think coming." He laughed harshly, then opened the saddlebag to see what food his brother had left him.

Continued in Part 2