"You could have stayed with us a bit more." Martha looked at her daughter troubled. "You don't have to shoulder all this burden by your lonesome, sweetheart." She gently caressed Teagan's tear stricken face.

	"I know, Ma." Teagan rasped. "I don't plan on doing it all alone. I just thought it would be best to take her home as soon as possible so she could start adapting to it. Instead of having her calm down in yer place to ship her to my house right after."

	Martha considered for a moment. "You might have a point there." She peered at her daughter intently. "But I know you, Teagan. You will always try to fix things and exhaust yourself in the process. And you won't call me and your dad so as to not worry or burden us." She squeezed Teagans hands. "This is not something you should do alone. Raising a child, even a young adult as Megan, it's something you should share. Please, let me and your dad help." Martha pleaded. "Even if just a little."

	Teagan's phone buzzed, alerting her to a new text message. She glanced at the screen and upon seeing Regan's name picked it up. '[i]Hey, I just wanted to let you know I'm off work, in case you wanted to drop a line... or something.[/i]' The text read.

	"Who's Regan." Her mother asked beside her, trying her best to appear as if she wasn't peeking into her daughter's private conversation.

	A small, small smile graced Teagan's lips. She didn't mind her mom's prying. "I met her during the Rat King incident. She's PART."

	"One of those officers who track down rotten Epics?" He mom asked.

	Tegan nodded.

	"Is she pretty?"

	The firefighter colored adorably. "Ma!"

	"Oh, don't 'Ma!' me, young lady. I know you too well. Whatever this Regan texted you, made you smile [i]that[/i] smile."

	"What smile?" Teagan looked at her mother suspiciously.

	"You know." He mother grinned. "Your 'I'm smitten' smile." Came the gentle answer and Teagan blushed even more. She buried her face in her palms.

	"I shouldn't be thinkin' about that know. I need to take care of Megan." She admonished herself.

	"Oh, Teagan, sweetheart. You will." Her mother assured her. "I have no doubt about that. But like I said. Don't do it alone. It won't be good for you. And it certainly will not be good for Megan. If this Regan is making you smile like that, welcome it. You've been alone for so long. Always helping others. Always putting them before yourself. You're thirty-seven, honey. If this woman calls to you, answer. Me and your dad will be here for you and for Megan." Martha finished her little pep talk with a squeeze of Teagan's hands. "Now..." She continued, peaking at her daughter with a playful light in her eyes. "You didn't answer me. Is she pretty?"

	Teagan allowed a slow smile to stretch her lips. She brought Regan's face in her mind's eye. "She's gorgeous!" She answered, her voice trembling. "She drove me to your place when you called to tell me about Megan. She... She said she would be there for me if I needed to talk."

	"That was sweet of her." Martha commented with a smile. She was starting to like this Regan and would have to grill her wayward daughter more on the subject when she was a little bit more stable on her feet. "Will you?" Martha asked. "Talk to her?"

	Teagan hesitated. "I... I'm not sure I'm ready."

	"You're talking to me." Her mother countered.

	"That's different, Ma."

	"How?" Martha debated.

	"You're my Ma. I can talk to you and... and..." Teagan didn't finish.

	"And not feel vulnerable." Martha finished for her.

	Teagan slouched, sinking in the sofa cushions.

	Martha pulled her up and made her sit straight. "Teagan Heyes, if there is one thing I'm absolutely sure of, it is that my daughter is no coward!"

	The firefighter was taken a little aback by her mother's vehement declaration. She thought for a moment. Was she acting like a coward in not calling Regan. Sure, she felt self-conscious opening herself up to possible heartbreak. But how did one find a companion to share their heart with, if not through an act of valor, a leap of faith of sorts. To put your hart on a platter as the saying went. To open yourself up to the possibility. No! She most definitely wasn't a coward!

	She gently took her mother's face in her hands. "Thanks, Ma. I love ye!" And kissed her on the forehead.

	"I love you too, dear." She stood. "Now I'll go and fetch your dad from beside Megan's bed and we'll leave you alone, as if I'm not mistaken... You have an important phone call to make." She winked at her daughter.

	Teagan just smiled and shook her head. She rose and followed her mother to Megan's room.

	They entered and found Rory Heyes sitting besides Megan's bed, gently stroking her hair and singing a lullaby. "It doesn't matter she can't hear me." He'd stated. "As long as she knows I'm doin' it, it'll sooth her." And he'd turned out to be right, of course. The exhausted young woman'd fallen right to sleep.

	"Let's leave our girls to rest, dear." Martha approached her husband. When he turned his eyes were wet. He rose, not trying to hide his tears.

	"She'll be hurtin' for quite some time." The man stated helplessly and took his wife's hand in hers.

	"Yes." She answered squeezing hes hand. "But we'll be here for her." She looked at her daughter meaningfully. "All of us."

	Teagan simply nodded and escorted them to the door. A few hugs and kisses later she was alone in her leaving room. She padded back to Megan's room and cracked the door. She was still sleeping. Closing the door Teagan pulled out her phone and headed for the leaving room. She plopped down on the sofa and called up Regan's contact. She stared at it for a long time, before mustering up the courage to call.

	"Hello, Teagan." Came the slightly unsure sounding answer. "I didn't expect you to call."

	"I know I said I wasn't ready to talk this morning, but..." Teagan wasn't sure how to continue. What could she say without it sounding too forward. Finally she decided to settle on what felt right, but couldn't get the words out in time.

	"But you still feel the need to." Regan finished what Teagan'd wanted to say.

	"Yes." She whispered.

	"Megan?" The PART officer simply asked.

	"She's sleeping." Came the quiet answer.

	"May I tell you a story?" Regan asked.

	Teagan thought she heard a trace of sadness in her voice. But since she really didn't know what to talk about and didn't want to end the call, she answered with a quiet 'yes'.

	"There was this girl." Regan began telling her story. "She was an orphan. They'd told her her parent's had died. She didn't really remember them, so she wasn't all that sad about them dying. And of course she didn't feel abandoned like most of the other children in the orphanage. So she wasn't at all a sad orphan. Oh, sure life wasn't easy. The orphanage was supported financially by the ECPD and people donate money and stuff often. But still, there were a lot of kids and the money had to be divided wisely."

	Regan paused for a second. She didn't know why she'd volunteered to tell Teagan her life's story. But if it helped her forget her troubles for just a few moments, she didn't mind. And it's not like she kept it a secret. "So the children were well taken care of and didn't want for nothing. Even if they didn't have the fancy clothes, toys and the such. Even if they had to do chores on top of classes. And when the girl was eight years old the dream of all orphans came true for her. She was adopted! By a good family of a lady cop and her sweet writer of a husband. And it is then that the girl realized what it meant exactly to have someone to rely on. She knew with absolute certainty that those two sweet people would spare no means to make that little girl happy. Even more so when, after she'd turned fifteen, they'd told her the truth about her parents."

	Regan hesitated. That part of the story was dark and she didn't want to burden Teagan even further. But she'd begun and she wanted to finish. Somehow she felt she needed to tell it all. "They sat her down on the sofa and with gentle voices and compassionate looks had told her how her teenage mother was raped by a crazed Epic and left to die, broken and bloodied on the streets." There was a muted gasp on the other side of the line, but Regan pushed on abandoning the anonymity of the story. "When I asked them if my mother'd abandoned me of her own volition, they told me they honestly didn't know. Mum and Dad didn't hide anything from me. They were and to this day are always honest with me. For the good and for the bad. So, you see, Teagan... When I told you Megan was lucky to have you. It wasn't just empty encouragement. I lost my parents before really knowing them and so felt no pain. If I were to lose Mum and Dad, i'd be a wreck."

	There was silence on the other end of the line. And then a shaky voice. "Regan, I didn't know. I..." Teagan's voice betrayed her. Here was this woman who hadn't had the easiest of lives, and she was so courageous, so compassionate, so understanding. "Thank you." She hastened to say. "Thank you for sharin' yer story with me. It..." Teagan thought for a minute. She understood why Regan'd shared it with her. "It helped. I know I feel inadequate in consolin' Megan. But all she really needs is to know I'm there for her."

	"Yes." Teagan could hear the younger woman's smile across the phone.

	"I..." Teagan stuttered. "I mean..." What was she trying to say?!? "I need to be here for her..." The firefighter tried again.

	"Teagan, it's alright." Regan tried to reassure her.

	"No... Jesus..." Teagan was blubbering helplessly. "Shait! Come on, Heyes!" She encouraged herself and Regan couldn't help but smile at her obvious fumbling. She heard the older woman take a deep breath. "Lets try this again. What I'm tryin', and failin' miserably, to say is that I like you. And I would like it very much if you would do me the honor of goin' out with me..." She hesitated. "But..." She didn't finish.

	"But you have Megan to think of." Regan finished instead, heart pounding wildly in her chest. "I think we both feel there's a connection between us. I know Megan's you're priority right now. I don't want to interfere with that, but I would also like to see where this thing we have can go. So you're not getting out of this so easily, Heyes." Regan grinned. She couldn't help it. Teagan'd asked her out. Of sorts. "Here's what we'll do. You lead. And I'll follow. How's that?" She asked suddenly apprehensive.

	There was a moment of tense silence on the other end of the line. Then a shy answer made Regan release the breath she'd been holding. "I think I would like that very much."

	"Good."

	"Hey, Murphy?"

	"Yeah?" Regan smiled. The mood had lightened up a bit. She could feel it by how Teagan'd called her 'Murphy'. She too used the other woman's family name in similar manner.

	"Thanks for tonight."

	"Always." Regan stated simply. "Can you tell me a little bit about Megan now?"

	Teagan's heart swelled. She should have been expecting her to show interest. She'd seen first hand the compassion she was capable of during the swarm rats' assault.

	The two women ended up talking for another hour or so. Tegan telling the younger woman about Megan. About how she was born deaf-mute. How she'd saved her one faithful day from that forest fire. Regan'd interrupted her than.

	"Your back?" She'd asked gently, contained horror coloring her husky voice.

	"Yes." Teagan'd answered simply.

	"She seems like a fine young woman." Regan said after Teagan'd finished her story. "She will heal. It'll take time, but she'll get there." She assured.

	"Yes." Teagan agreed. "Thanks, Regan. I know I said I wasn't ready, but I really needed to talk it out..." A slight pause. "With ye."

	Regan couldn't contain her smile. "I'm glad you called. Go to bed now, Teagan. You need to rest. Don't make me come there and put you to bed, Heyes!"

	Teagan laughed. "Ye don't even know where I live, Murphy." Although the idea of Regan putting her to bet was most appealing.

	"Heyes, you forget. I'm a cop." Regan mock growled.

	"Oh, posh!" Teagan countered. "Ye'd never abuse your authority like that."

	"Don't provoke me, Heyes!" Regan warned laughing now. "Just go to bed already, woman!"

	"Yes, Corporal!" Tegan saluted.

	"Oh, shut up, you..." Regan was giggling like a school girl. "Say 'good night', Heyes."

	"Good night Heyes." Teagan obeyed and more laughter followed. "Night, Regan." She finally rellented.

	"Night." The younger woman answered. "Sweet dreams." She added.

	They disconnected and Teagan set on the sofa for a long time, a silly grin plastered all over her face. Somewhere out there in Epic City Regan sat on her own sofa with a similar expression.

	Finally Teagan stood, went to Megan's room, peaked in and when she assured herself the girl was still sleeping, left the door ajar and went to her own bedroom punching out for the night.