Wonderland

Title: Wonderland

Author: Carla

Fandom: The Practice

Rating: PG

Pairing: Helen Gamble/Eleanor Frutt

Disclaimers: (1) I don't own 'em never have never will. That honor belongs to David E. Kelly and a bunch of suits whose names and companies I don't know. No profit is made from this work of fiction. I use these characters without permission but much gratitude.

(2) I also do not own the lyrics to the song your Body is a Wonderland. That honor belongs to John Mayer. I wish I had half his talent.

Archiving: All my stuff can be found at www.realmoftheshadow.com/carla.htm. All others please ask.

Feedback: Feedback the good the bad and the ugly can be sent directly to me at cmfloresfd@yahoo.com A/N: After hours of listening to this song and watching old episodes of The Practice on FX this little ficlet came to mind. It's un-beta'd so any and all errors are mine. I hope you enjoy.

Wonderland

Helen Gamble stood in the doorway of the nursery watching Eleanor Frutt as she rocked her baby to sleep. She didn't say anything instead she slipped off her shoes before silently crossing the room on stockinged feet. Eleanor looked up at her a beatific smile on her face.

"Isn't she beautiful?" the proud new mother whispered.

"Yes you are," Helen whispered. ** Oh God where did that come from? **

It was true though; to Helen Eleanor was beautiful, inside and out. She wasn't sure when the latter had become true for her. Certainly she had been attracted to women before had in fact acted on the attraction on several occasions. But she'd always favored blondes who, while not as thin as she herself was, would not have qualified as "fat" by any but the most stringent of standards.

"I mean yes she is and so are you...too...b-beautiful that is the two of you are beautiful together," Helen stammered out. Her cheeks burned bright red. ** Way to go Helen ** she silently berated herself.

"Let me put her in her crib."

"I'm going to get out of these clothes." She was still dressed for court and couldn't wait to get into her comfortable sweats and oversized sweatshirt.

"Okay."

Helen closed the door to her bedroom, flicked on the clock radio and began to undress.

// We've got the afternoon
   You've got this room for two
   One thing I've left to do
   Discover me, discovering you //

She caught sight of herself in the mirror. Perhaps she was too thin, she thought to herself, but she'd always had a hard time keeping weight on.

** Your body is a wonderland **

Eleanor's had been. Helen had watched fascinated as Eleanor's body had changed throughout the pregnancy. She'd spent hours with her hands or an ear pressed to her pregnant housemate's belly; feeling the baby move, listening carefully for the tiny rapid heart beat. Sometimes they would read to each other from various baby books and when it was Eleanor's turn to read Helen would listen with her head on Eleanor's belly as the heavy set attorney would stroke Helen's hair. Sometimes the baby would kick and land a solid shot to Helen's jaw. When Eleanor was reading chapter five of "What to Expect When You're Expecting" the baby'd landed a solid kick to Helen's temple that left her sore for the rest of the day.

Meanwhile in the living room Eleanor sat listening to the sounds of Helen getting dressed in her room. If she concentrated really hard she could just barely hear Helen humming along to the radio. She thought about what had just happened in the nursery. Helen had been acting strangely lately, skittish almost about touching Eleanor ever since the baby had been born. She found that she missed that contact, the physical expression of Helen's affection for her and the baby. Which was odd because she'd never considered herself an "affectionate" person. Certainly she had never been that physically affectionate with any of her other female friends before. She supposed part of it was about being pregnant about having a need for physical contact. She'd always felt better, revived, stronger somehow for Helen's touch. She'd liked, too, how Helen had always asked her permission before touching her belly respecting Eleanor's space and her body. Respected the sacredness of Eleanor's bond to her unborn child.

// One mile to every inch of
   Your skin like porcelain
   One pair of candy lips
   And your bubblegum tongue //

She'd touched Helen more then too she realized. Run her fingers through long black hair, over the planes of the district attorney's face with its ivory white skin. Once she'd traced the other woman's lips and thought she'd felt Helen's tongue dart out to taste her fingertip. Eleanor remembered that Helen's lipstick had been candy red. She wondered what Helen's tongue would taste like.

"Ellie. Eleanor!" Helen waved her hand in front of Eleanor's face.

"Huh? Oh! Hey."

"You okay?"

"Just thinking."

"About?"

"Stuff."

"Oh. Mind if I sit?" Without waiting for a reply Helen sat on the sofa; near but not quite next to Eleanor.

// Cause if you want love
   We'll make it
   Swim in a deep sea
   Of blnakets
   Take all your big plans
   And break 'em
   This is bound to be awhile //

"Helen?"

"Hmmmm?"

"I miss..."

Suddenly Eleanor's words ran dry. She looked into Helen's eyes filled with love and concern and realized that she felt at peace, safe under the district attorney's gaze. Reaching out Eleanor fingered a lock of Helen's hair then slipped her hand behind the other woman's neck. Helen let out a small almost inaudible moan and leaned into the touch. With the slightest of pressures Eleanor guided Helen's head to her lap. Once the district attorney had positioned herself comfortably Eleanor began to run her fingers through jet black hair.

"I've missed this." Eleanor murmured as she looked down at Helen whose eyes were closed in pleasure.

// Your body is a wonderland
Your body is a wonder I'll use my hands
Your body is a wonderland //

"Eleanor"

"What love?"

"I've missed this too..." opening her eyes she took in Eleanor's smiling face, "Love."