Bette stood back from the wall, admiring her handiwork. Yes she thought a satisfied smile on her face. Perfect! Now The picture will be the first thing I see when I awake every morning.

Bette looked around her bedroom, taking in the comfort of her surroundings. The King size bed, dressed with Egyptian cotton sheets, under a soft downy comforter, all coloured in cream. Bette liked to keep her home neutral, preferring a plain setting to show off her impressive art collection.

Of course this collection had been enriched by the addition of a Tina Kennard original. A unique piece, in fact the only one in existence that the artist had included herself in her portrayal of the untamed wilds of Africa.

Bette suddenly realised that this was the first time since leaving Tina that the picture hadn't been held tightly in her hands. Her irrational fear that if she lost the painting she would lose the woman who had poured her heart into each and every brush stroke. Finally though she was home, Finally she could place the painting where it belonged. In her home.No.In their home.

Although Bette was feeling weary with the results of Jet Lag, she couldn't rest. She had walked around her house, seeing it with new eyes, Eyes that she knew would be walking through her front door in just a few short weeks. She wanted it to be perfect, she wanted Tina to love this house as much as she did.

She walked over to the bed, to pick up the pad she had written her notes on earlier. Now lets see she thought. She had made a list of purchases she needed to make. She walked slowly to the couch and sat in front of her lap top to review her thoughts up to now.

Never one to do things by half, Bette had already contacted the carpenter who had worked wonders with the "moment in time" Exhibit they had held at the CAC the previous winter. She had arranged for her to meet at the house that weekend to discuss Bette's requirements.

She already knew that she would need more wardrobe space to accommodate Tina's clothes, but that was the easy part..she wanted to turn the study into Tina's studio, and that was where the Carpenters skills would be needed. She wanted to bring more natural light into the room, but at the same time allow it to double up as a dark room. The specifications were way beyond her knowledge base, so she had asked up and coming photographer Ana Gomez to assist with the specifications.

Then there was her bed. As soon as she had seen it again, she had felt the presence of other women there. It had never really bothered her before, but suddenly it felt wrong to expect Tina to share her bed, with the memory of the other women who had been there before her. The fact that she had not felt even close to the level of emotion she had with Tina was not the point. She wanted this to be right, she wanted this to be forever, and she wanted her slate wiped clean.

____________________________________________________________________

Tina once more looked at her watch, impatient that the time seemed to be dragging so slowly. She was beginning to regret her decision to make the arrangements for her art work herself. God she could be so stubborn sometimes she thought. She looked around her once again at the disarray she had created in her once tidy studio. Paintings were removed from their storage drawers, photographs littered around her as she debated which works to send across the world to the safe arms of Bette Porter. She envied them, for they would surely arrive long before Tina would be able to.

She imagined Bette standing over then boxes as they were opened for the first time, her delicate hands handling her work with a gentle touch as she removed them from their sturdy packaging. She pictured in her mind, Bette's hands unwrapping layer by layer her prize in much the same way as she had purposefully undressed her on their last night together.

Tina shook her head to remove the unwanted memories from her mind. God she thought, If I carry on like this I will be a quivering wreck by the time I reach LA. Her body felt like it was doing "cold turkey" Surprising her with the intensity it craved Bette's touch.

She walked slowly to the window, looking unseeingly at the midday sun beating down on the lush landscape. She sighed sadly, realising that for the first time, there really was somewhere she would rather be than here.

Her attention was grabbed by the opening of the compound gates, and the arrival of her good friend Vual. He had been a frequent visitor since Bette's departure, his ability to arrive exactly when she needed him the most unsettling her somewhat.

Today he had bought with him 2 willing helpers in his brother and cousin. The packing crates had been ordered even before Bette's departure, and had arrived in Nairobi 2 days ago. Vual had made it his personal mission to not only deliver them personally, but to help in the time consuming preparation for their departure for the US. Tina had half-heartedly told him that she could manage, until it was pointed out to her that the sooner her art work was packaged and ready to go, the sooner that she herself could make her journey plans.

______________________________________________________________________

Bette paced up and down, her right hand holding her phone to her ear, as she waited to be connected to the CAC. It had taken her a full 20 minutes to listen to he various messages left for her over the previous two weeks. First on her list though was to update Franklin on the amazing turn of events her journey had revealed.

"Bette?" Franklin answered, picking up the call he had been impatiently waiting for.

"Yes Franklin it's me" Bette replied cheerfully.

"How was your trip" He enquired, silently crossing his fingers for the outcome he desired.

"Oh, Franklin," Bette exclaimed. "It was the most amazing experience of my life" She enthused, her voice animated as she started to regale him with the stories of her few short days experiencing the joys that Africa had to offer.

"Bette!" Franklin interrupted impatiently. "I am so glad you had a nice time, but wasn't there a point to your visit."

Bette stopped suddenly, feeling hurt that he did not want to hear about her adventures in the wild. "Yes Franklin, She replied, a hard edge to her voice.

"Well?" Franklin prompted. "Did we get the artist or not?"

"Yes Franklin," she stated, her voice showing her strain. "We got THE artist. She will be arriving in LA in a few weeks with her exhibit pieces. I suggest we set up a meeting on Monday to go over the details and requirements for the show. In the meantime I will take the weekend to start formulating our plans,"

Bette let Franklin talk for a few more minutes about the significance of her success for the CAC and her career, hardly listening, her mind instead wondering what Tina was doing right now.

______________________________________________________________________

Tina wiped the sweat from her brow, the air-conditioning in her studio barely making an impression on her tired body, as she worked to pack up her life's work into the sturdy wooden boxes Vual was constructing in the main compound.

As if that wasn't bad enough, she had learned that the red tape she would have to go through to get this work through customs and onto a suitable cargo flight would take weeks to arrange. She needed help and she needed it now.

She lifted her head as Vual entered with yet another newly constructed box, his muscled body glistening with the sweat of his endeavours.

"Are you ok?" He asked noticing Tina's furrowed brow.

"I guess" She replied, not really sure.

"You are impatient to leave here my friend" He stated.

Tina looked up at his towering frame, feeling guilty for trying to rush her departure, instead of enjoying the little time she had left with her good friend. "I'm sorry" she said sadly.

Vuals face was lit up by his beaming smile, as he looked at his good friend tenderly. "You are sorry for making me build all these boxes? He began teasingly "You are sorry for leaving me here? Or you are sorry you did not leave with Bette when you had the chance?" He asked his brows razed quizzically.

Tina laughed, along with him, swiping his arm playfully. "I will miss you, you know" she said, knowing that their relationship was about to change forever.

"Of course" Vual replied, "As I will miss you. Now little one, you have a frown to darken the very skies above us. Tell me what I can do?"

Tina explained the problems she had with the art work, and her worries about the travel arrangements that were getting more complicated by the minute. "I just don't know what to do" she said in confusion. "How do I get all of this to LA?" She asked, looking around her at the chaos that was rapidly taking over her life.