Lexa made her way through the crowded terminal leading DJ by the hand. She wanted to get DJ out of the space terminal as quickly as possible to avoid any reporters or photographers that might be hanging around waiting for them. Lexa had arranged with the cruise ship for their luggage to be delivered straight to DJ's house. That way they would not have to worry about picking it up when they arrived at Earth after the cruise.

Lexa glanced around the terminal and picked out the few photographers that were in the area. At the moment they had not spotted them, but Lexa was sure that the situation would quickly change once they spotted DJ. Tightening her grip on DJ's hand she quickly made her way outside the building.

DJ allowed herself to be dragged along as she could not really see around her but she had a brief glance of a reporter. She really was not in the mood to talk with anyone. Her cruise had been wonderful and enlightening for them both. DJ had come to realize that she and Lexa had feelings for each other. She was finding out that Lexa's programming was changing and adapting to create everything that she was.

Lexa quickly hailed a taxi and pulled DJ into the back of the taxi as a reporter noticed them. She told the driver where to go and watched as he took off leaving the reporters behind as they realized who had just been in the terminal.

DJ relaxed as the taxi took off towards their house. She was tired from the unloading process and the lengthy process it took to get to the space elevator and down. There had been a long line as a result of the newly formed peace between the colonies and Earth.

DJ looked over to where Lexa was sitting and slid on over to where she was. DJ laid her head on Lexa shoulder and felt an arm snake around her and held her close. DJ snuggled into the warmth that Lexa emitted. It did not take long before Lexa heard soft snores coming from DJ.

Lexa had learned that DJ fell asleep quickly in a moving vehicle like the taxi. She allowed herself to be a pillow for the small blonde. Lexa had thought about what President Harriton had asked her and she had a feeling that she would take it. Now all she had to do was tell DJ about her decision. She knew the smaller woman was waiting for her decision and Lexa briefly wondered what her reaction would be.

Lexa watched as the scenery went by as they approached DJ's house. Lexa briefly thought about waking DJ up but decided against it. The taxi stopped in front of the house and Lexa got out after paying the driver. The cab driver sped off after they got out. Lexa walked up with DJ snuggled into her arms.

Lexa took a look back up into the night sky as she walked up to the front door. Some of the lights in the sky she had been to but it still looked beautiful. She wondered what DJ thought about the night sky.

Taking the still sleeping DJ's hand she placed it on the scanner. If Lexa was going to be staying here then they needed to make the scanner responsive to her hand as well. It was something they needed to talk about as the door slide open and Lexa walked into the room.

"Lights low," she said to the computer which put the lights on giving the room a soft glow. Lexa really did not need the lights to see, but if DJ woke up then at least she would be able to see. Lexa realized that she could shift from normal, to ultraviolet to infrared vision.

Lexa walked over and glanced at the clock, it was a little after seven. She placed DJ down on the sofa and gently placed a blanket over the smaller woman and tucked it around her. She then headed towards the thermostat and pushed it up a bit to warm up the room. Winter was about to hit full force tomorrow. It had not been cold when they left, as they had been enjoying a late warm spell but now it was mid December and old man winter was to make his appearance.

Walking into the kitchen she glanced into the fridge and pulled out a few items that she knew DJ would like. They had managed to grab a bit to eat for lunch but it was now late evening and DJ would be hungry when she woke up.

DJ awoke to the smell of something cooking as her stomach growled. She remembered eating lunch, what they had managed to grab on their way down from the cruise ship earlier in the day. She realized that she was lying on the sofa and had been tucked comfortably in. She smiled at the thought of Lexa doing such a thing, as she amazed her more and more.

Finally deciding that the smell of food was too good to ignore she got up and walked towards the kitchen. Lexa was standing there in front of the stove cooking and DJ took a moment to watch. Lexa moved with a grace that DJ found mesmerizing.

"Are you going to stand there staring at me or come over and sit down. It's almost ready," Lexa said turning around raising an eyebrow at DJ watching as the smaller woman seemed to snap out of her trance.

With a smile DJ walked over to the table and sat down as Lexa had ordered. In a way DJ felt bad that Lexa had done so much for her, and in a way DJ wished she could do more.

"What's wrong," Lexa asked having gotten quite good as reading the smaller woman's face. DJ still did not talk much, but her face usually told her more of what was going on than anything else. She knew that DJ was shy around people. She was not afraid of people, just talking with them. That brought a question of her own, but first she needed to see what was bothering DJ.

"I'm a burden to you," DJ finally said.

So that is what's wrong, Lexa thought to herself. She thought about it for a few seconds. Lexa did a lot of cooking; of course she was good at it, as DJ could burn a microdinner. DJ was not good at protecting herself and Lexa had reprogrammed herself in a couple of ways.

"That's not true," Lexa replied watching as DJ's eyes begged her to say otherwise. "Without you I would not be here, but I don't have any money, or a house, or even a job right now."

"But you will," DJ replied.

"That's true, but even if I get all that and move out I'll still be missing something that's become important to me, you," Lexa said to DJ and saw the eyes tear a bit at her words.

Lexa went over and sat beside DJ. Then she pulled the smaller woman onto her lap. "I would miss you very much. You're a special person DJ," Lexa said into the small ear. Holding DJ just felt right to Lexa, like she was destined to be here. DJ just felt protected.

DJ patted Lexa's arm and went to move back to her chair but was stopped. Lexa pulled DJ's plate on over and they ate together.

"By the way, there was a message for you on your answering machine," Lexa said after they had finished eating. She had seen the blinking light, but did not listen to it. This was still DJ's house and she did not want to intrude too much into the woman's personal life.

The messages were normal; some from the university wondering if she was going to continue her work there, actually they were begin her to stay. Ever since the university had received word about what the former dean had done they were begging her to stay. The university was grateful that she had been there and were now offering her a raise. She would have to think it over a bit she decided. Then she heard the next message.

"Hello Ms. Seylitz, this is Dean Arbuck from NHMCCD, I was hoping that you haven't forgotten about talking to our students and staff for Monday the eighteenth, please give me a call and let me know. My number is 5555-2215," the message said.

DJ realized that the date was the day after tomorrow. She had forgotten all about it and for a brief second thought about rescheduling the event. She glanced over to Lexa. She then realized that she needed to go and get back to a normal life. She walked over to her computer and sent off an e-mail to Dean Arbuck to tell him that she would be there, with a guest.

"That's something that does puzzle me about you. What do you do at the university," Lexa asked wondering about it. She did not see DJ as a teacher, but that's what you would associate with a university.

"I research," DJ replied. "I get to use their resources, and they get a kickback from my products."

Lexa realized that it helped both parties out. DJ did not have to spend money for materials, and the university got money and prestige from DJ.

"I also teach the computer professors," DJ said.

Lexa nodded her head as she brought everything together. "So basically the university pays you to play with their equipment, teach their facility and do seminars at other universities."

DJ nodded her head yes. She knew that it seemed easy, but she really spent a lot of time at the university working late and unusual hours. More than once she had shown up at a teaching seminar with little sleep from late night working.

"You want me to go with you to this seminar," Lexa asked hoping that DJ would say yes. She really did not want to leave the woman alone. DJ nodded her head again. "I also want to take the President up on her offer, but only on my terms."

DJ thought it was fair. Lexa needed her own identity, not that she did not have it, but something that she could build on.

"I'll call her in the morning," Lexa said.



Lexa walked around downstairs and looked outside the window. A cold front had blown through and it was currently snowing as the temperature had dropped almost fifteen degrees and was now negative ten degrees Celsius.

Lexa had left DJ asleep in bed as the woman seemed to love to sleep, and was a deep sleeper. Lexa was also glad that the woman had not been having any nightmares lately. A smile came to her face when she thought about DJ's actions whenever she tried to extract herself from the smaller woman.

DJ would usually frown then reach for her. Lexa had found that a small kiss on DJ's forehead and if she gave DJ her pillow the smaller woman settled down and went back into a deep sleep. DJ usually also would have a smile on her face.

Lexa walked over and poured herself a glass of milk. She looked out the window and realized that she was glad they did not have to go anywhere today. She picked up the phone and dialed a familiar number and waited for the person to answer.

"Hi there," Lexa said in a pleasant tone to a secretary. "This is Ms. Lexa Cabon," Lexa was cut off from saying any more as the secretary said that she was being transferred. Lexa realized that the President was waiting for her call.

"Ms. Cabon, I've been expecting your call," Janice Harriton said over the phone. "Have you come to a decision about my offer?"

"I'm going to take it, but I also want to be able to help out DJ when she needs it," Lexa said. "I'd like to wait until DJ has calmed down enough before I start any missions."

"That sounds fair. I'm going to bring you on as a special agent. You would only report to the president," Janice said. "Of course you have the right to refuse any mission, but I would only call you for extreme emergencies."

"All right, in the meantime I'm going with DJ to a seminar tomorrow," Lexa said.

"Sounds like fun. DJ is a wonderful speaker," Janice said. "It's just too bad she is so shy one on one."

"We all have our faults," Lexa said then wrapped up her call. Glancing back out the window she then took out some food and began cooking some breakfast. She did not have to wait long until DJ made her appearance after she had begun to cook.

"Smells delicious," DJ said as she eyed the food then Lexa who was standing there looking back at DJ. Lexa had on a robe and DJ was just in her sleep shirt which came down to her thighs. She looked very sexy to Lexa.

That was something Lexa had been thinking about, she wondered if they could have a physical relationship beyond what they already had, as well as a mental one.

"Are you going to decorate for the holidays," Lexa asked her wondering if DJ even did that.

"Not really," Lexa heard the reply and the tone that DJ had used. Lexa thought about it for a second recalling everything that she knew about DJ and realized that the smaller woman had never had a Christmas with a family. An idea came to her and she knew that she would not have much time to get it going, but it might give DJ some fond memories of Christmas instead of lonely ones.

"Are you going to finish your speech today," Lexa asked changing the subject and got a nod that she was. "Don't strain your voice," Lexa said as they finished breakfast. With a hug and a quick kiss Lexa went to clean up the kitchen while DJ went to her study to work.



DJ stared at the words on the screen until they just did not make any more sense to her. She rubbed her eyes as her mind went back over what Lexa had asked that morning. Lexa wanted to decorate the house. It was something she had never done before as Christmas was not one of her favorite holidays.

All the memories she had of the holidays was one of being in the orphan house with a bland gift that she really did not want. She had never gotten anything she really wanted. Every year she got something that it seemed no one else wanted.

There was the one year that they filled out wish lists when she was five. She had wanted the Wilderness doll that were popular that year and instead had received a remote controlled car instead. It was definitely one of the worst presents of her life.

"Never got the Wilderness doll," she muttered as she wiped a few tears from her eyes. She decided to get something to drink and walked out to the kitchen missing the hasty exit made by Lexa.

Lexa had walked to the study to ask DJ what she had wanted for lunch and had stopped in the doorway when she had noticed the smaller woman's posture. Her excellent hearing had picked up what DJ had muttered and one of her questions was answered. She had rushed back to the kitchen and waited for DJ to appear.



Lexa watched as DJ paced around the small room as she prepared to give her talk. Lexa knew that there were over a hundred people in the conference room and wondered how DJ did it. She looked to be a nervous wreck. The poor woman had already thrown up because of her nerves.

"You okay," Lexa asked walking up and placing her hands on DJ's shoulder.

DJ nodded that she was and could not bring herself to tell Lexa that she always acted like this. She would be nervous for the first minute of two, and then as she concentrated on the subject she ceased to see people, just her work.

"All right, I'll be in the front row," Lexa said giving the smaller woman a kiss for luck.

DJ was a bit stunned at how a kiss form Lexa could render her senses mute as she stood there mutely watching the woman walk away. She heard her name called and walked out to the podium to a round of applause.

Lexa listened to DJ talk about the biochemicals that were starting to be introduced into the medical field and realized that DJ was indeed very smart and talented for knowing so much. The woman could see things that others did not and had a way of making it work. Today she was telling the group about an advance in the chemicals that could be used to neutralize nuclear waste from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

Lexa realized that if it was successful then they could resume nuclear plants and they would be easier to build and operate than other power plants. DJ's voice was soft, yet the tone she used made everyone know that DJ understood every word she said.

Lexa was concentrating on DJ's voice that she almost missed a certain sound. It chilled her as she recognized it and was up and running before anyone could say anything.

A shot echoed throughout the room and silence was the only thing that could be heard. Lexa watched as DJ turned to see her then was thrown backwards by the force of being shot. The shot had hit her arm and already Lexa could see blood beginning to seep through the sleeve of DJ's shirt.

Lexa realized that the sniper would not stop and quickly bypassed some of the limiting factors of her programming and raced to cover DJ even as she heard another shot echoed throughout the room. Lexa wasted no time as she covered DJ's body with her own as whoever was shooting switched to automatic weapons fire. She felt some of the shots impact her back but she was focused more on the small form in her arms and the soft cries of pain coming from her.

Lexa heard the sounds of scuffling among the sounds of screaming and people running as they tried to get away from the scene. Glancing up she saw that a person had been subdued in the balcony area of the room. Several security guards were standing by and they had a rifle that she assumed was the weapon the person had used.

Getting up she looked over DJ. The smaller woman had been struck in the chest, arm and leg. The chest wound looked more like the bullet had grazed her and there was a hit in her thigh. Quickly she noted that the woman was still breathing which was good. She noted that her green eyes held fear in them.

"I need some help over here," Lexa said to the group who was running up to them. She noticed that one pulled out a cell phone and called it in. An emergency crew would be here soon. Lexa used a towel that someone brought and used it to try and stop the bleeding on the thigh wound as that one seemed to be bleeding the worst.

The paramedics arrived and Lexa backed off. At least as much as she was able as DJ would not let go of her arm. Lexa was torn between staying with DJ and going over to find out who the person was and why he, or she, tried to kill DJ.

The look in DJ's eyes made up her mind. The smaller woman needed her and she would stay with her. They placed her into the ambulance with Lexa right beside her. The paramedics tried to get Lexa to follow but DJ refused to let go so they all got into the ambulance.

Lexa listened to what DJ's condition was. One of the paramedics thought that she had some muscle damage that would probably require surgery to repair. Lexa was not concerned about that, the procedures to repair muscles had gotten very good, but the surgery took a while to do and recovery usually took a week or two.

Lexa had managed to switch DJ's grip from her arm to her hand where she rubbed her thumb against the back of DJ's hand in a soothing motion. Lexa brought her other hand to brush back the bangs of DJ's hair and gently caressed the woman's cheek.

DJ was still in pain, but the fear had been taken out of her eyes which made Lexa glad. Lexa wished she could do something to take away the pain the smaller woman was feeling but knew that her just being there helped her.

They arrived at the hospital where they rushed her into surgery. DJ was not sure she wanted the surgery.

"Let them repair the damage, I'll be here when you wake up," Lexa promised. DJ relented and Lexa watched as she was wheeled into the operating room.

"Are you okay ma'am," a nurse said as she got a look at the tall dark haired woman's back. The jacket had at least three holes in it that she could see.

"Yes, why," Lexa replied wondering why she would ask such a question.

"Its just you have a least three holes in your jacket," the nurse replied.

"I have a vest on," Lexa lied quickly making something up. "Something I always wear."

The nurse shook her head at the weirdness of the woman's answer, but she had read everything about the strange woman and figured that she wore it for her own protection. She had been rumored to be some sort of spy against Lord Sera. The latest rumor was the woman was DJ's bodyguard. In this case it probably saved both her life and DJ's.

Lexa realized that she needed to get a new shirt, jacket, and repair the damage done to her back from the five shots that hit her. The only thing that concerned her was that someone might want to check her back and she would have some explaining to do that she did not want to do.

"How long will the surgery take," Lexa asked the nurse.

She glanced down at her clipboard to see what was being done before looking up. "Muscle reconstruction, usually takes anywhere from two to twelve hours depending on the damage done."

"Thanks, I'm going to go change, call this number if anything happens," Lexa replied knowing that there was nothing she could do for DJ until she got out of surgery. And she wanted to talk with the police about what happened.

She turned around to see an investigator headed her way.

"Ms. Cabon," the man asked and Lexa nodded her head. "I'm Detective McNiell, has Ms. Seylitz received any threatening call or letters lately?"

"No, we just got back from a cruise, and there was nothing in the mail or on the answering machine," Lexa replied.

"Guess we'll have to wait until he regains consciousness," the detective said then continued when Lexa raised her eyebrow at him. "The man hit his head and was knocked out in the fight. I was just trying to get some information before he woke up, something that might give me an advantage."

"Sorry," Lexa replied not able to think of anything. DJ had not been upset at all, at least not from a threat to her life. Beside the fact that she was nervous before the seminar the smaller woman had seemed to be herself.

The detective shrugged his shoulders and promised that he would keep her up to date and left a number where she could call him. Lexa decided that she could get home quickly and change and tend to her back.

The drive back to DJ's house was quick and she asked the driver to wait as she would only be a few minutes. The driver stated it was not his money and turned up the radio while he waited.

Lexa checked the messages and went through the mail quickly but found nothing. She pulled off her jacket and shirt then found a mirror to inspect the damage. There were five bullet wounds in her back.

Grabbing a pair of tongs she went back to the mirror and turning her head around to see what she was doing pulled out the five slugs. Once that was complete she waited until the slight bleeding was finished and then pulled on a dark shirt. Glancing at her jacket she realized that it was ruined and grabbed a sweater instead.

She arrived back at the hospital and was informed that DJ was still in surgery. Her arm muscles had been slightly damage, but her thigh muscle required extensive repair and reconstruction and that she would be in surgery for another two hours.

Lexa used that time to eat while she was waiting. She had just finished when an older couple came walking into the cafeteria and headed right for her.

"How is she," the woman asked and Lexa recognized her as Debbie South. The tone in her voice made Lexa feel good, they were concerned about DJ.

"The doctors are doing muscle reconstruction but the bullets managed to miss anything vital," Lexa replied and saw that they both relaxed.

"That's better news than we had received," Gary said.

"The news just said that she had been shot and was in surgery. There was no mention of her condition," Debbie said.

"We rushed over as soon as we could," Gary said.

"DJ will appreciate that, she should get out of surgery in about an hour," Lexa said checking her watch.

"What happened," Gary asked leaning closer to Lexa.

"She was talking when I heard a weapon being readied to fire and I acted. I ran up to her and she turned and that's when she was hit. Her turning made the bullet miss her heart. I covered her and got hit five times," Lexa said watching Debbie's eyes get real large.

Debbie was about to panic when she heard that Lexa had also been hit. She glanced at her husband who seemed unfazed by it as he asked if she was all right.

"I'm fine," Lexa replied.

Debbie leveled a glare at her husband. She knew that he was holding back some information as he was not concerned by the fact that Lexa had been hit and she wanted to know why.

Gary glanced at Lexa and raised his hands. "Do I," he asked her not wanted to say anything with Lexa's permission. Lexa nodded her head yes.

"What's going on," Debbie asked her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Lexa is not really human," Gary said in a low voice to his wife. "Lexa is really an android."

They both watched as Debbie's eyes got real big and she looked at Lexa very closely. She was not sure about what she had just been told. Lexa looked, felt and acted human.

"DJ built me when she was kidnapped by Lord Sera. I was to be his perfect weapon. I have a neurocarbon steel skeleton and a program that DJ constructed. But I was able to think for myself, that was the flaw in Sera's plan. That and I feel protective of DJ, but that's an inadequate word," Lexa whispered to Debbie.

"So you weren't damaged," Debbie said cautiously.

"No, nothing that can't be repaired in a day or so. My vital functions were not harmed, nor were they in danger," Lexa replied.

"Ms. Cabon," a doctor said coming up the group. Lexa glanced up and waited to see what the doctor had to say. "DJ has just finished surgery and is now in recovery. The operation went smoothly and I expect a full recovery in a week or two."

"Can we see her," Debbie asked.

"This way," the doctor said leading them to where DJ was resting.

There was a bandage on her arm and Lexa was sure that there was a matching one on her leg. To Lexa the woman looked so small and vulnerable and all Lexa wanted to do at that moment was protect DJ forever.

Gary's cell phone chose that moment to ring and he walked outside to answer it. Lexa walked over and held DJ's hand and brushed back the hair in her face. DJ's eyes fluttered open still heavy with sedatives.

"Hey," DJ said a smile coming to her face as she saw that Lexa was right there. She knew that Lexa would not allow anything to happen to her. She struggled to remember why she was there then slowly remembered what happened. She had been shot, twice. She remembered giving her speech then saw Lexa heading towards her. She turned a bit to face Lexa just when the bullet hit her.

Her arm ached but that was not as bad as her leg. It felt like nothing she had ever experienced before. She wondered at how long she would be in the hospital. Glancing around she also noticed Debbie for the first time and managed a smile for her as well which was returned.

"How do you feel," Lexa asked getting a wince in return which told her that DJ was in some pain. "The pain medication is probably starting to wear off. They should be in soon to check up on you."

"You gave us a bit of a scare there DJ," Debbie said coming over to the other side of the bed. She brushed DJ's bangs back with a motherly affection. "You should have seen Gary. I think he broke several speed limits getting here so quick," she said with a smile but Lexa could hear the concern that the older woman had in her voice.

DJ glanced back to Lexa with a question in her eyes. She still wondered what type of surgery had been performed on her.

"You will be here for another couple of days and the doctor expects a full recover in about two weeks. He had to reconstruct the muscles in your leg and repair your arm muscles otherwise you got lucky. The shots hit nothing vital. If you had not turned when you did the first shot would have probably killed you," Lexa said telling the small woman the truth.

"Saw you," DJ said not realizing how close it had been. It would take a few days for her to fully comprehend what had happened to her.

Gary walked back into the room as he closed his cell phone. Lexa realized that he probably had been talking to someone important and probably about the attempt on DJ's life. She waited to see what he would say.

"Sorry, hey thank goodness your awake," Gary said seeing that DJ was awake now, although he could see that she was still fighting off the effects of the sedative the doctors had used. He walked over to check on DJ himself much like a concerned dad. Lexa watched knowing that Gary and Debbie had begun to work their way into DJ's heart as late adopted parents to her. It was something that had been missing in DJ's life, and now it appeared she had at last found that as well.

"I got a call from the President; she had some information and wanted to know how you were doing. Apparently she called the police and wanted the report on her desk as soon as possible. The preliminary report states that the man is unstable and that he is or was a part of a group called the 'Neo-Colonizes'. They are a group of radicals who want war with the colonies. The authorities are in the process of questioning several high members of the organization," Gary stated. "The shooter did not believe that you were kidnapped, but were an active participant and stopped a war between the colonies and Earth."

"The 'Neo-Colonizes', they are usually quite peaceful, despite the name," Lexa said as she recognized the name.

"Yes, they were founded shortly after the colonies were founded. At first they were a violent group but over time they changed tactics, and have for the past seventy-five years tried political pressure instead," Gary said. He had been approached in the past by the group but had stayed clear of the group.

DJ listened to Lexa and Gary. She was not aware of this group; whoever they were they were not very big. She hoped that the man was just unstable and that it would be the last time someone shot at her.

"Sounds more like to me that he was operating outside the organization, as it does not fit their activities, even when they were a violent group. They usually hit colony cities trying to wipe the city out," Lexa said as she retrieved the information on the group.

"Yes, and going after DJ would not provoke a war," Gary said. He believed that the man had been working alone, but realized that DJ would probably need some protection and made a note to talk to Lexa about it. "The President also would like to talk with you."

"I guess I better get it over with. I'll be right back," Lexa said smoothing some of DJ's hair out of her face. "Come on," she said to Gary and led him out of the room.

Debbie and DJ watched as they walked out of the room and Debbie turned back to DJ. She could see that there was still some pain in her eyes but that would be understandable.

"You'll be surprised at how quickly you'll be back on your feet DJ," Debbie said. "I had muscle reconstruction on my back last year. I fell during a skiing vacation and tore up one of my back muscles. I was sore for days until Gary finally told me I was going to the hospital. I argued with him saying it would be fine, I'm glad he didn't listen to me," she said with a chuckle.

Debbie talked a bit longer until Lexa and Gary walked back into the room. They looked to be in a good mood despite what had happened today. Debbie eyed her husband knowing that something was going on. She would get it out of him when they were alone.

"You should probably rest DJ," Lexa said looking down into DJ's green eyes. "It will allow time for your body to heal properly before you begin therapy."

"DJ, I'm really glad that you're okay," Gary said as he had walked up beside the bed and grabbed one of her hands. "I'll be in touch but right now I'm needed back in the capital," he told her.

DJ smiled that he had come and it was something she wished she had growing up.

"Can you stay for a while," Lexa asked Debbie who turned her eyes on Lexa then to her husband. She could tell something was up between them. Gary did not have any pressing concerns until after the New Year. "I need to head back home and check DJ's mail for anything that might be threatening that could help the investigation."

"Sure," she said. "Gary would you be a dear and go with me to the cafeteria to get a drink then I'll be right back," she said with a glance at Gary then a smile at DJ.

"Sure," Gary replied knowing that his wife knew that they were up to something. He would have to tell her and hope she did not tell DJ.

They walked out with Gary telling DJ that he would be back hopefully tomorrow.

"Now dear husband want to tell me what is so pressing in the capital," she said as she put her arm around his and leaned into him.

"Lexa has invited us over for Christmas," he replied.

"Really, that sounds like fun," Debbie replied but it still did not explain what was going on so she waited.

"Lexa and I are going over to the store and buying a tree and decorating her house. I've called some decorators and they will be over in an hour," he told her. "Apparently has DJ never decorated and Lexa believes that she has never had a real Christmas with friends."

"She did grow up in the orphanage dear," Debbie replied. She knew that while the foster care had improved it still could not replace a family.

"Do you have any ideas," he asked her.

"Well, DJ is Lutheran, you should probably have a nativity scene somewhere," she said. "And use tasteful decorators, not the horrible kind."

"I will," he said knowing what type of tastes his wife had. He would follow her example that she had used at their house to decorate DJ's house.

"And don't go too overboard either. You don't want to overwhelm her," she said as they got to the cafeteria.

They talked some more then they walked back up to the room. "I'll get your partner in crime and you two can begin your scheme," she said. "And my lips are sealed," she told him thinking of what she could do to distract DJ for a while.

"I'm back," Debbie said as she walked into the room.

DJ and Lexa were still talking and holding hands. Lexa knew that she could not be gone before DJ began to worry even with Debbie there. She told DJ that she would be right back and gave her a quick kiss.

Debbie watched as Lexa left the room and she sat down next to the bed.



Lexa and Gary had made it too the store and were now in front of the trees looking at them wondering what size to get. Lexa did not want to go too big and Gary wanted to go all the way on the tree. They finally settled on a seven foot tree and made their way back to DJ's house.

They arrived just as the decorators got there. They spent a few minutes going around the house and through each room.

"Well, it will take about a day and a half, and it will cost you three thousand credits," the decorator said.

"Deal," Lexa said. They shook hands and Lexa left the rest in Gary's hands as she had to head back to the hospital. A sudden thought came to her and she went back upstairs and grabbed a pillow and then walked out of the house.



Debbie sat in the quiet room as DJ had fallen asleep shortly after Lexa and Gary had left the room. The sedative the doctors had given her were still working.

Debbie thought about what her husband had said about Christmas. The last couple of years they had been invited to the party at the capital and she had thought that this year would be no different. Going and spending time with DJ and Lexa would a change of pace for them. She had thought of the party at the capital as being boring lately. A bunch of ageing politicians who only talked business was not any fun.

Debbie also had begun considering DJ and Lexa as her adopted kids. The only relative that she had was a half brother that had gone and joined the military and rarely returned home. Gary had a sister that lived on the moon and they usually got together during the summer.

The door opened and she looked up expecting to see Lexa come walking through the door. Instead she saw a tall thin man dressed in a blue suit come walking in. Debbie was not sure who the man was and she had her guard up.

"Hi, my name is Dr. Arbuck, I'm the new dean of the university where Miss Seylitz works," he said as he stayed by the door. Debbie was wondering about him. His facial features were almost cold but his voice was warm that echoed through his eyes.

"I wanted to see for myself how she was doing. We've received quite a lot of calls inquiring about her condition but because we have no information and no permission from DJ we are not able to disclose anything," he said as he glanced over to where DJ was sitting.

A noise behind them and they both turned to see a tall woman come walking in. Debbie was actually relieved to see Lexa come walking into the room.

Lexa eyed the man briefly and walked into the room carrying a pillow with her. Debbie eyed the pillow with interest but did not say anything just yet. Lexa kept her eye on Dr. Arbuck then got out her cell phone and dialed a number. Both of them watched and waited to see who she was calling. The man did not seem nervous about the fact that she was calling someone.

"Yes, is Dr. Arbuck there," Lexa said and listened to the reply. "Yes please," they heard her say. Then the man's cell phone went off. He glanced down and answered his phone.

Lexa hung up and the man looked at her. He just waited to see what she would say.

"Sorry about that, but I wanted to make sure that you were who you said you were," Lexa said.

"Not a problem," the man said. "I understand completely. "You must be Lexa Cabon. The rumors don't do you justice ma'am." he said.

Lexa glanced at the man and although his facial features were cold, his eyes and voice told the true story about the man. He took his work seriously.

"The university wanted to see if they could make a statement for DJ. We've been getting a lot of calls since the news broke and most of our staff is curious as well," he said.

"Well the statement I don't know about, but you can tell your staff that she will be fine and is resting," Lexa said. "She'll probably sleep though the night. I'll talk to her about a statement when she wakes."

"That sounds fair, is there anything I should tell the press when they ask me," he said.

"Just that she's resting, it's what you've seen," Lexa said knowing that it would be less than the doctors had said.

"Off the record, is she all right," he asked with concern.

"Off the record, she had muscle reconstruction and will be recovering for a week or two," Lexa said.

"I'll have her schedule cleared and any events rescheduled after the New Year," he said then with a courteous good-bye left the room promising to come back when DJ was awake.

"Strange man," Debbie said after he had left. "To just look at him one would have thought of him as cold and distant, but he actually was quite nice."

"Yes, very different from their last dean," she said getting a questioning look from Debbie. "He was the one who booked DJ's vacation and was working for Lord Sera."

Debbie had not heard that before and was shocked to find that out. She really wanted to know what had happened and she decided to ask for a quick version of what happened.

Lexa thought about it for a few seconds before relaying her part in the story. She left out what had happened to DJ as that was something that the young would probably not want told without her permission. Lexa mentioned what had happened in the former dean's house and the role that he had played in it all.

Debbie listened to it all in silence before asking a question. "Why didn't you tell the government yourself where Lord Sera's hideout was?"

"I thought about it, but the first thing I had to do was protect DJ, then the public needed to know that Lord Sera was behind it all, and make sure that people knew that DJ was not part of it all," Lexa said giving a quick version of why she had done what she had.

Debbie thought about it all, and realized that Lexa's plan had actually worked. There were no conspiracy theories, and the people felt that DJ was a victim like she was.

"Oh, here's your key," Lexa said giving Debbie the key to their car. She had driven it back from the house. "You know how to get to DJ's house right," she asked as Debbie said that she did. "Good, the car is parked in level three near the elevator, to the right when you get out," Lexa said.

"What's the pillow for," Debbie asked as her curiosity finally got the better of her.

"It's for DJ; I'm hoping that my pillow will calm her down if she has a nightmare. I know that we will not be allowed to stay past visiting hours," Lexa said. "I will try to remain in the hospital just in case, probably down in the cafeteria."

Debbie looked down at her watch and realized what time it was. "I should probably get going if I'm going to pick up Gary. I'll stop by tomorrow," she said standing up. "Do you know if the doctors have restricted her diet?"

"No," Lexa replied wondering what the older woman was thinking about.

"Good," she said then said good-bye one more time and walked out of the room.

Lexa realized it was almost time for the nurses to come around and enforce the visiting hours. She placed the pillow next to DJ and watched as her hand clutched it.

The door opened and a nurse's head stuck through. "I'm sorry but visiting hours are over," the nurse said.

"I know, I was just heading to the cafeteria," Lexa said as she gave a kiss to DJ's forehead and told her that she would be back in the morning.

"She'll probably sleep all night," the nurse replied.

"I know, but I'll feel better. She's been having nightmares lately, make sure that she still has this pillow, if not come and get me," Lexa said to the nurse.

The nurse just nodded and waited until the tall woman left the room the made sure that everything was all right before continuing on to the next room.



The nurse looked up as the alarm for one of the rooms went off. Something was going on with one of the patients. She quickly got up and checked it out. The readings on the monitor were above normal and she quickly went down the hallway hoping that she would not have to call for any doctors.

Opening the door she glanced at the bed where the young blonde woman was beginning to thrash around the bed a bit. Her head was turning from side to side and the nurse glanced around and was about to call for a sedative when she noticed something on the floor.

She then remembered what the tall dark haired woman said. The patient had been having nightmares lately. The woman was obviously having on right now. She picked up the pillow and placed it next to the woman.

The nurse watched as the patient grabbed the pillow and clutched it. For a few seconds she stopped moving then she wrapped herself around the pillow and slipped back into a deeper sleep.

The nurse was not sure about what had just happened, sure she had been told by others that sometimes things like that would happen but she had never seen it before.

She quietly walked out of the room and closed the door. Walking back to her desk she almost wished some things could be so easily fixed.



Lexa sat in the chair next to DJ while she ate her breakfast. She had already had something to eat before visiting hours began and had walked into the room just before DJ had awoken.

Lexa was glad that DJ was no long in much pain, but she would have to go easy on the muscles until they fully healed, which was about a week or two. There would also be some therapy and she would be in the hospital for another day. The doctors wanted to make sure that there was no reaction to the operation. Usually one would occur within twenty-four hours of the operation.

Lexa had managed to talk to one of the doctors while eating breakfast and he said that DJ would probably be released tomorrow morning. Today would be just one of resting.

The door opened and Detective McNiell walked into the room. He had a few pieces of paper. "Hello, Ms. Seylitz, Ms. Cabon," he said as he walked in.

"Detective McNiell," Lexa replied. "Is there any news," she asked hoping that the case would be open and shut.

"So far the investigation shows that the man operated alone. The leaders of the Neo- Colonizes said that they had kicked him out for his violent tendencies and had notified the authorities that he was mentally unstable. The Government has provided documents that they had informed us. It was three years ago. We are currently investigating others to make sure that you're safe," he told them.

"What will happen to him," Lexa asked.

"The attorney general is pressing charges for attempted murder, and with all the evidence present Ms. Seylitz will not have to appear in court," the detective said. That seemed to relax DJ a bit. She was not looking forward to having to go to court and testifying.

"I just wanted you to know, and see if there was anything else that we should be on the look out for," he said turning his attention to Lexa.

"I checked the mail and messages and there was nothing threatening in any of them," Lexa said. The detective thanked them then left the room.

DJ was glad that lunch was something eatable and not some formed meat byproduct that some places served. While some people liked it she was not fond of it. Lexa had assured DJ that if it was she would go and get whatever the woman wanted.

The door opened after she had finished and Debbie came walking into the room. They noticed that she was carrying a plate and wondered what it was.

"Hey, glad to see that you're awake and looking good," Debbie said with her ever present smile as she walked into the room. "This is for you," Debbie said placing the plate down on the tray next to the bed.

DJ glanced over to see what it was. On the plate there were several cookies. Sugar cookies covered with icing and in Christmas shapes. No one had ever made her Christmas cookies before and she was almost afraid to take one so she decided to save them until later in the afternoon.

"Thank you," DJ said as she looked up to Debbie.

"It was really nothing, but it was my pleasure," Debbie said with a smile.

The rest of the afternoon went by quickly which surprised DJ seeing how she was stuck in the bed. The doctors came by to see how she was doing and began to draw up a regiment for her therapy and said that she would be released tomorrow morning.

Lexa took that time to ask Debbie how the decorating was coming. Gary was still at the house and had said that they would be finished by tomorrow morning. Lexa was glad to hear that.



DJ could not wait, she had been stuck in bed for a while, and she had taken a shower that morning with minimal discomfort from her arm and thigh. At the moment all she wanted to do was get out of the hospital. They were just waiting for the doctor to sign the papers and she would be free to go.

Lexa was anxious about DJ's reaction to her house and the decorations. She had gone home last night to check it out and was pleasantly surprised at the decorations. The decorators had been very tasteful in the arrangements. Garlands lined the stairway, and around the fireplace. The tree was well decorated with a lot of color lights on it.

The doctor came into the room and signed the papers and told DJ to follow the therapy to get her muscles back into shape. DJ promised to follow the doctor's instructions and climbed into the wheelchair.

She thought that it was a bit ridiculous that after all the medical advancements that one still was wheeled out of the hospital. Gary was there along with a lot of the press. They took pictures and videos of her being released.

Several reporters tried to ask her questions but Gary's secret service agents help out Lexa as they cleared a path to the car. Once inside they took off and headed to DJ's house. The ride was quiet and quick.

DJ was glad that she was out of the hospital and was hoping that she would not have to go back anytime soon. She was so lost in thought that she almost missed what was on the lawn of her house. There was a naivety scene on the front lawn.

The car stopped and she got out as she glanced at the front of her house. There were lights around the trees and all over her house. Walking up to the door she saw garland around the doorway. Opening the door she noticed that the stairway had garlands on it and in the family room there was a decorated tree.

"Welcome home DJ," Debbie said as she came out from the kitchen.

DJ turned to see Lexa standing behind her. "You," she asked her eyes not leaving Lexa.

"Yep, it's my first Christmas," Lexa said looking back into DJ's eyes. She was a bit surprised when DJ gave her a big hug. "I guess you've not mad then."

"No," DJ said as she realized that she had missed out on the feeling of Christmas in her house. With a thought she realized that she needed to go shopping for Lexa.



Lexa watched as DJ had almost fully recovered from the shooting. Her physical therapy was going well and the therapist said that she was about done with it. Lexa would be glad when DJ was finally recovered but she was a bit sad that another horrible memory that would give the smaller woman nightmares.

Lexa looked down at her watch and noticed that they still had a couple of hours before they dressed and made their way to Christmas Eve church service. Lexa had attended the church that DJ was a member at a few times. The members were generally supportive of DJ and respected her privacy.

A light snow was falling and it was predicted to last through Christmas day. It was not a heavy snowfall, just light enough to be noticeable. At the moment Lexa was outside shoveling the front porch and pathway. The subdivision that DJ lived in had a group of workers that would shovel the driveways of the homes. Lexa noticed that they were a couple of houses down the way and would be there soon.

There had been experimentation for self clearing driveways and one had used heat. But that had only succeeded in creating a sheet of ice on the driveway before it was abandoned. DJ was inside the house probably working on another project of hers. Lexa had learned that for DJ her projects were fun.

Scrapping another patch of snow she flung it to the side and continued to clear the path. Lexa continued to shovel as she watched a makeshift hockey game begin across the way on the local frozen pond. About eight of the local kids had begun playing. They had set up their nets and picked the teams and with their gear on they went and started to play.

Lexa was glad that some things had not changed even with all the technology. The kids still enjoyed playing even though it was cold outside. She watched them for a few minutes as they enjoyed themselves. There were no refs, parents, just a group of kids having fun.

Lexa was still thinking about that when a snowball hit her in the back of the head. Spinning around to catch the suspect she saw her as she ducked behind the side of the house. Lexa could hear DJ chuckling as she scooped up her own snowball.

Lexa waited patiently for her adversary to poke her head out again which she did. Lexa let her snowball fly.

"Whoa," DJ replied as she did not duck in time and the snowball hit her in the forehead. Fortunately it had mostly broken up by the time it had gotten to her. She took off her cap and wiped off the melting snow on her forehead and then made another snowball.

"So that's how you want it," Lexa said watching as DJ made another snowball. Two could play that game as Lexa made another one. Lexa had to duck quickly to avoid DJ's throw but her throw hit the smaller woman in the stomach. Lexa was making another one when she was hit in the leg by DJ's next attempt.

For being such a computer wiz the girl has an arm, Lexa thought to herself as she threw one back as they were now running around the front yard. Lexa watched as the snowball hit DJ in the chest and a small smile came to her face as she grabbed another clump of snow. In DJ's haste the snowball broke up as she threw it having been in a rush to throw it.

Lexa packed another snowball and threw it not accounting that DJ was going to lean down. Lexa could not have planned the path of the snowball as it would have hit DJ in the stomach, but with her bending it grazed her face and hit her upper chest.

"Yow," DJ yelped as the cold snow went down her jacket and shirt. It was a perfect shot and now she was definitely getting cold. She would have stripped right there to get the cold clump of snow out of her shirt but quickly went inside past a snickering Lexa who followed along behind her.

Lexa went chuckling a bit at what had just happened as DJ walked inside and quickly stripped out of her jacket and then her shirt. She grabbed a towel to dry herself off and managed another glare at Lexa who was still smirking.

Lexa was definitely enjoying the view as she looked at DJ. She was standing there with only a bra on top, and that was slightly wet already.

"Cold," Lexa asked as she glanced at the nipples which were erect.

DJ was a bit confused then noticed where Lexa was looking as she glanced down and realized what Lexa was looking at. She covered herself then turned around and walked out.

"I'm going to take a shower and get ready for church," she said as she walked out of the room and up the stairs. At least the interior of the house was warm.

DJ stripped out of the rest of her clothing and started the shower. She was actually pleased with the way Lexa was acting. It was only at times like this that she would remember that Lexa was an android that she had created. Lately she had wanted to expand their relationship but she was not sure how or even if Lexa wanted to. Sure they kissed often, but would, or could, she move to a physical part of the relationship. DJ had created Lexa with the capabilities of performing such things, but would she.

Thinking about the tall dark haired woman and what she wanted Lexa to do her hands wondered to her breasts without her conscious thought. She began to image what Lexa would do and her hands massaged her breasts even more.

DJ jumped when a pair of hands touched her shoulders. She had been so engrossed with her dream state that she did not hear Lexa come into the shower.

"Sorry," Lexa said as DJ had whirled around. She was breathing hard and her face was flushed. That was something that Lexa had not wanted, at least not yet.

"Its okay, just lost in thought," DJ replied as her eyes roamed over the body in front of her. Her dreams were playing themselves out in front of her; at least she hoped that it was not a dream.

"Thought you might want some help," Lexa said with a smile as she grabbed the soap and got some lather on her hands. She then started working at DJ's shoulders then slowly worked her way down watching for any reaction by DJ.

DJ moaned a bit but did not try to stop what Lexa was doing. She had wanted this for a long time now and her knees almost gave out when Lexa got to her breasts.

Lexa had wondered how DJ would react to being touched in her more sensitive areas especially after what had happened to her with Lord Sera. That was the main reason she had not acted on her 'feelings' sooner. She knew that she wanted to be with DJ for a long time to come.

After carefully massaging DJ's breasts which were now harder than they had been earlier Lexa moved on down lower as DJ leaned against the wall of the shower and moved her legs apart a bit more in anticipation of what was to come.

Lexa noticed the movement and slowly made her way lower. Lexa circled DJ's bellybutton a bit with her finger watching the movement that it caused in DJ before moving even lower. She brushed past the blonde curls toward her goal.

"Do you want me to continue," Lexa asked wanting to give DJ a chance to stop if she needed to.

"Hell no," DJ replied as she glanced at Lexa. Lexa was a bit taken back by the language but had her answer as she pulled apart DJ's lips to expose her sex. She could see DJ's clit as it extended out from its hood and with a small lick elicited a moan from DJ. Knowing that the woman would not be able to withstand much more she pushed one finger into DJ's sex and closed her mouth around the throbbing nub.

DJ could not believe how quickly she reached her climax as her knees finally gave way and she collapsed into Lexa's arms.

DJ regained her strength a few minutes later and they got out of the shower. DJ was a bit disappointed that Lexa was getting dress then she realized the time and groaned.

"What about you," DJ asked as she walked over to Lexa still naked.

"We can get back to me later," Lexa replied.

"Deal," DJ replied.



Lexa sat lying in bed listening to DJ sleep. It was finally Christmas morning and she wondered how DJ would be this morning. She had gotten her a few gifts and still had to place it under the tree. More than a few times she had seen DJ glance under the tree and pick up the few gifts that were for her.

She thought back to last night and after they had gotten home. DJ had been tentative but wanting to please which touched Lexa. Lexa grinned when she thought about a certain gift she had picked out. She really was going to try and form a physical relationship tonight but seeing DJ in the shower yesterday lost in thought and rubbing her breasts was too much.

Glancing at the clock she realized that it was time for her to get up. Slowly extracting herself from DJ she got dressed and walked downstairs and grabbed the gifts from their hiding place and placed them under the tree. She had seen a few under there for her as well from DJ. Glancing out the window she noticed that it was still lightly snowing and that it had erased all of their activities yesterday. Lexa grinned as she recalled the shower activities. That had been real nice.

She heard a car pull up and realized that Gary and Debbie had arrived. She got to the door just as the stepped up on the front porch. Gary had his arms full and his wife had two bags. They said their hellos quietly and Debbie made her way to the kitchen. She had wanted to make a breakfast for them like her mother had made for her. It was a coffee cake that she had made up the previous night and all it needed to do was cook.

Gary took their coats and placed them in the closet. He then placed their gifts under the tree and stoked up the fireplace.

Ten minutes later Debbie came into the room with coffee for them and sat down as they waited for DJ come down the stairs.

"How long do you think she'll be," Gary asked a bit curious as to how long DJ would sleep.

"Not long once she smells the food," Lexa replied. Usually DJ would get up once Lexa was about done with breakfast. "Here she comes now," Lexa said hearing the door open.

Debbie got up and went to the kitchen. The coffee cake was about done and she had a drink prepared for DJ.

DJ walked down the stair feeling more excited about Christmas than she had in years. Lexa had already fixed something to eat as she could smell the food. She wrapped a robe around herself and went down the stairs. She turned the corner and was not prepared for what she saw. There sitting down was Lexa and Gary.

Coming out of the kitchen was Debbie with a tray in her hands. She could see a mug and several small plates, napkins and a pan of what looked like coffee cake.

"Morning DJ," Gary said as Lexa got up and walked over to DJ.

"Merry Christmas," Lexa said placing a kiss on DJ's lips. DJ stood there stunned at what she saw. This Christmas just kept getting better and better.

"Merry Christmas DJ," Debbie said handing DJ a mug which she realized was hot chocolate, another one of her favorites.

DJ sat down next to Lexa as they ate the breakfast and began to open the gifts. There were actually quite a few for DJ and she began to open them up. Several were the normal gifts, a sweater, and some scented bubble bath which she told Lexa they could try out later.

"You might want to open that one later," Lexa said with a raised eyebrow as DJ grabbed one of the last three gifts. DJ glanced at Lexa wondering what could be in the box and her curiosity got the better of her. Lexa just waited for the blush she knew would come.

Gary and Debbie watched as DJ opened the box and they recognized where it was from, Victoria Secrets. DJ groaned realizing that Lexa had been right. This was not something she should have opened in front of Gary and Debbie.

"Lets see," Debbie said curious as to what Lexa had bought.

DJ decided to go on ahead and open it and pulled out a very sexy teddy with matching panties. She felt her cheeks burn at the thought.

"I should have gone shopping with Lexa," Gary replied with a glance at Debbie.

DJ glanced at Lexa who looked perfectly calm about it all. "Later for sure," Lexa whispered to DJ who just blushed some more.

"Here maybe you should open this one next," Lexa said.

Lexa handed DJ the larger of the two remaining presents first saying that she knew that the gift was a bit late. DJ was not sure what to make of that and unwrapped the gift. She was a bit stunned when she found out it was a Wilderness Doll still inside its packaging. It was what she had wanted when she was five years old and never received.

DJ glanced at Lexa with a question on her face.

"I overheard you in the study," Lexa said.

"Oh," DJ replied then with a quick hug to Lexa moved on to the last box. Unwrapping the small box she uncovered a small box. Opening that one up she saw a pair of earrings and a matching necklace. It was gold with diamonds in it. To DJ they looked like the crown jewels.

"Thank you," she said as tears came to her eyes. She had never imagined while she was being forced to create Lexa by Lord Sera that it would be the best thing that ever happened to her. She was surrounded by friends that she considered family. An android who was her best friend who was quickly become her lover and a senator and his wife who she considered her parents.

This was definitely the best Christmas of her life, and she could not wait until tonight.

The end.