A/N This is a one-shot in the same verse as "Do You Mind"
"Why are you not warming this bed?" Helena blurting into the phone, still half asleep. Myka smiled to herself, allowing her body to react to the warm sensation of that low, raspy voice. Still addled from sleep and all filters off, the charming, public persona tucked away in a bottom drawer as both women started to trust enough in each other, slowly letting their walls down.
"And a good morning to you too, Mary Sunshine." Myka reaching to put Helena on speaker phone as she turned down the radio in her police assigned SUV.
"Don't be flippant," Helena sighed as she rolled over, taking a quick swallow of water to clear her throat. "I am nether 'Merry' or radiating yellow rays out of my bum." Helena setting her bottle of water down, squinting at the red blur of the time clock on the nightstand next to her bed as her brow furrowed at the ungodly hour
"Ouch, and I thought I was a grumbling bear first thing in the morning. Where is that Wells charm I fell for?" Myka smirked, trying her best to sound light, not wanting to dwell or let on to the reasons she was arriving to work three hours early.
"That 'Wells' charm is still in bed where, I might add, you should be as well." Helena padded her way to the bathroom, her phone tucked between her neck and shoulder, a heavy sigh from both women at the same time had them pausing.
"Was it a night terror again?" Helena asking as she held the phone tight to her cheek, trying to muffle the flush. "Please talk to me, Myka. I may be one of the walking dead from lack of REM cycles, but I am here for you." Helena froze, hands half soaped as she listened to the soft puffs of air that were slightly raised over the sound of the running faucet.
"I didn't want to wake you, so I left early. I figured I would do some laps around the impound lot and shower in the station." Myka was looking in her rearview mirror as she changed lanes, her eyes darting away from her reflection. Even she could not stand to look at herself with that asshole of an excuse she was trying to sell.
At first, when they started dating, the thought of opening up to Helena terrified her to the core.
She had always held her emotions in check;
First because of her Father, listening to him belittle family members 'Whining about this, moaning about that. Jesus, Joseph and Mary, grow a backbone. I was never handed anything, never cried about anything'.
Myka kept her head down, not even daring to side-eye her Father as he mumbled under his breath after a family gathering, her following close behind him as she would help to lock up the downstairs shop.
Years later, just after receiving her law degree, her father pulled her aside in the shop, 'What the hell is this?" his face stone cold as he held the acceptance letter to the police academy in his hand. The only show of emotion Myka could detect, aside from the low rumble of anger laced in his voice was a swirl of gold flashing in his eyes. 'All that time and money wasted to be what. A meter maid?" Myka held her ground, not shrinking away from him; her eyes soften as she watched her mother place a calming hand on her father's shoulder.
"Warren?" her mother's voice a soothing bond for both father and daughter. He sighed out his defeat as he wheeled back from Myka.
"Myka has explained this numerous times, needing, wanting the law degree to become an investigator, right dear?" the older woman nodding at her oldest with a soft smile. "Because of the crash."
"They never caught the bastard that rear-ended you two," Myka grumbled in a low voice, head downcast as she towed at a loose flap of carpet.
"Myka Ophelia, language!" Tracy smirked at the chiding from their mother as she tightens her grip on their father's wheelchair.
"I paid my own way through school," shuddering at the thoughts of all the jobs she fitted in between classes. Dealing with irate customers in many of the retail jobs, swallowing down her anger and emotions until it became second nature.
"No, not as bad as some nightmares, but enough to wake me up." Myka fidgeted in her car seat, swallowing hard at the lump building in her throat, her grip tightening on her steering wheel as she forced herself to continue. "I can't shake the stuffed toys in the back seat of that head-on I worked last week out of my mind," Myka pulled off the road, sitting on the exit ramp that leaded to the state main office in the southern district.
"Three hours before your shift, you should come back." Helena shifting herself against the headboard of the bed, "It's holiday eve and I can prepare a proper meal for you, maybe help relieve some of that tension?" Helena thumbing at a stray piece of fiber on the upper thigh of her flannel PJ's as she lowered her voice at the last of her words.
"Hun, where would we sleep" Myka's voice not as weighted as she reached for her phone, taking them off speaker. "You know Vanessa would crack the whole ceiling of my bedroom apartment. Remember last time?" a small smirk spreading across full lips.
"Are you insinuating that my cooking would torch my flat, resulting in us having to … enjoy each other at your place as your landlady fells the wall around your wanton pleads?" Helena felt the knot of worry unfurling in her stomach as she listened to the soft chuckle emanating from this woman she was falling for.
"Helena, last time you tried to cook, well how can I say this," Myka hummed as she leaned back in her car seat, the easy banter causing her shoulders to relax.
"I'm listening detective Bering, please, educate me with your keen observational skills." both women feeling the others smile as they both inched further down in their respective resting places.
"Remember when you tried to boil eggs that one night?" Myka rubbing her hand against the top side of her thigh absentmindedly. The soft feel of the wool of her pants a soothing contrast against the callouses on her right trigger finger.
"I remember an indulgent evening," Helena saying as she gently scraped her fingernails over her hip.
"You burnt the water, honey," Myka raising her voice in a teasing manner. "Who burns water?" letting out a mock sigh of frustration. The sound of silence filled the air, Myka grinning at her phone, just waiting for a huffed reply.
"I will have you know that I …" the sudden beeping on Myka's phone caused the younger woman to jump, muscles tensing back as she looked at the incoming call.
"Babe, Helena …" waiting for the woman to pause. "I have an incoming 911 from the station," Myka set her gear into drive as she hung up, her knuckles turning white as she listened to the information relaying to her, punching up her computer scene to confirm her response to the emergency.
"On my way," her fingers hitting the speed dial as she pulled onto the Interstate, Helena picking up just after the first ring.
"I am really sorry but we have a …" Helena cutting her off.
"I know, I just received a text, fatality. Will see you there." Helena sighed as she hung up.
XXX
Helena pulled up to the back loading dock, head resting on the steering wheel as she breathed in a few cleansing breaths. She gathered her things from the car, trying to clear her mind as the echo of her boot heels on the concrete steps filled her ears. She winched at the thought of someone losing their life, of a family having to suffer on this eve holiday, then shaking the thought away as she swiped her card to enter the rear of the morgue.
"Dr. Wells, we are loaded and ready to go." her assistant a bit too chirpy for the situation.
"I shall be there shortly, thank you Todd," Helena zipping her coveralls, a hint of a thin smile out of politeness as she nodded to the young man. "Would you mind manning the controls? I would like to review the reports from the first responders," her laptop held against her chest as she nodded her thanks as the young assistant held the door open for her.
The morning rush hour had reduced the interstate to a parking lot, Helena flinching each time Todd honked the horn at some selfish drivers who, god forbid, allowed them to get in front.
"Any chance of getting an escort through this jam?" Todd huffed as he squeezed the van between a car hugging the shoulder and the sound wall.
"All the units are tied up at the scene, I am quite sure you can navigate us to the said place." Helena never looking up, her eyes rereading the details Myka had reported as she was the lead investigator first to arrive on scene.
"Should I grab the gurney, Dr. Wells?" Todd's voice was raised, trying to get the Corners attention over the low rumble of cars passing by.
"No need to shout," Helena rounding the backside of the van, grabbing the black, plastic bag as she helped Todd with the stretcher. They snaked their around the police units and emergency vehicles surrounding the body from the view of the public and the news crews just nearby.
She let out a soft sigh as she heard that voice; the woman who often invaded her every thought was snapping pictures of the scene, directing the crews as to what to bag and tag.
"Helena" was whispered softly near her ear as the doctor and the investigator bent over what was once a living, breathing soul. Helena nodded to the crew, giving a final go ahead to place the man into the black bag, both women stepping back as Todd wheeled the gurney back to the van.
"Do I want to know the details?" Helena asking as she handed the forms to Myka to sign off on. Myka kept her head bowed, then gently tugging Helena to the guardrail. Both looking up as the two cars were being towed away.
"The fire truck is coming," Myka's voice unemotional to all others on the scene, except to Helena, her catching the slight waver as they watched the firemen hosing down the scene.
"Senseless,"
"Pardon?" Helena asked, then pulling Myka and herself away from the pink-tinted water rushing to the drain.
Helena walked a step behind Myka, following her to the woman's SUV, waving Todd off as she leaned against the passenger door, arms crossed as she watched the emergency crews open the last lanes of traffic. "Mind if I hitch a ride?" Helena asking as Myka reached behind her to open the passenger door.
"Doctor Miller is waiting at the morgue for the body." Helena giving a faint smile as she buckled herself in. "He owes me a holiday and will perform the autopsy. So that leaves me free to tend to you."
"And what makes you think I am free for the rest of day?" never looking up as she also buckled herself in.
"Myka, no word games, please." her hand stilling on Myka's as the young woman started to shift the SUV into drive. "I saw your captain taking all your collected data. No excuses"
Helena let the silence lay, knowing Myka was collecting her thoughts, she watched as they pulled into the driveway of Helena's flat. She was starting to unbuckle herself, stopping as she felt the warm press of Myka's hand on hers.
"Senseless," the word repeated again as Myka pressed her forehead against Helena's, her thumb rubbing small circles over her knuckles.
"This woman pulled over to the shoulder of the highway, a flat tire." Myka drew a ragged breath through her nose, releasing the breath slowly across her lips, the soft breath whisping a few black locks away from Helena's forehead as she kept them pressed together.
"This man, a good Samaritan, on his way home to his family after working the night shift pulled over at seeing the stranded woman struggling to change her flat tire." Helena shifted to her side, closing the gap between her and Myka, nodding for her to continue.
"He was changing the tire, making the woman stand away from the shoulder of the road, and then it happened." Myka swallowing hard, and then clearing her throat as she went on. "This car just slammed into him, his body flung against the cement wall. The car never stopped." Myka clamped her hand over her mouth, her shoulders shaking as she tried to control her sobbing.
XXX
Helena had guided Myka out of the car as she had kept talking, leading her into her flat. "Sit," Helena said softly as she seated Myka on the side of her tub. Myka kept her head down, never once making eye contact as Helena gently coaxed her clothes off, draping the soft, terry-cloth robe over her shoulders as she let the tub fill, her hand testing the warmth of the water.
Helena had shed her own clothes as the tub filled, then gently wrapping her arms around Myka as she guided them both, letting the warmth of the water envelope them. Helena hummed a soft, non-descript tune as she washed Myka's curls, her hand pressing on Myka's forehead as she guided her to rest her head on her shoulder.
"Sleep?" Myka nodding as Helena had finished drying them off, the gentle lull of Helena's hand on the small of Myka's back, guiding them to the bed, caused a quiet sigh of contentment from the now less stressed investigator.
"Thank you," Myka whispered after resting her head into the form fitting space between Helena's neck and shoulder, a smile forming on her lips as she felt the soft heartbeats against the tips of her fingers as they rested on Helena chest, the woman gently stroking her curls.
Helena whispered a thank you to whatever, whoever was listening as her love finally rested, uninterrupted.