Disclaimer: I solemnly swear that I do not own Warehouse 13 or any of its characters.
Warning: contains character death, but there is a happy ending.
Spoilers: some season 4, mini spoiler for season 5: episode 1.
Forever
It was nearly too late when she found out. A sudden phone call in the middle of the night - Claudia was too hysterical for her to understand what was going on, but the urgency of the situation was clear - had Helena on the first plane to South Dakota. Helena was surprised, and worried, by the way Claudia clung to her as soon as she had stepped into the bed and breakfast. It had taken some time to calm the young woman down to the point where the situation could be explained.
Cancer.
Myka had been undergoing treatment for the past few months.
The disease had progressed far more rapidly than anyone had anticipated; Myka had been in and out of the hospital for the last couple weeks. During much of the time she had been home, she had been too weak and tired to even leave her bed for any length of time.
Peter had scarcely left Myka's side. He had sat with her through appointments and procedures whenever possible.
Arthur had avoided being around Myka much as possible - it was difficult for him to see her in such a condition. Though he was apparently spending all of his time at the warehouse, attempting to find anything that could be used to cure Myka.
Helena paused just outside Myka's bedroom door. During the time she had resided here with the other agents, Myka's door had rarely been closed unless the younger woman was dressing or sleeping. Myka had left it open - a standing invitation. It had been indicative of her personality - warm, open, never too busy for a moment of company.
Helena remembered taking her up on that a number of times. She would linger in the doorway, lean against the frame, and just watch Myka read - sometimes one of her novels, sometimes one she hadn't heard of - until Myka would look up. The smile that lit up Myka's face in those first moments of awareness was breathtaking, and Helena always found herself unable to resist smiling in return. The smile was always followed by a soft, "Hey." The one word drawing her in until Helena found herself seated on the bed beside Myka talking about anything and everything - except for her resentment of the world she had awoken to.
Now, the door was closed, and Helena felt like an intruder, violating a sacred place she had no right to enter. The hinges made no sound as she opened the door. It was unsettling. The metal should have creaked, alerting Myka to the presence of this stranger, who was presumptuous enough to admit herself, not greeted her as an old friend, who belonged in this room as much as its owner.
The room itself was unnaturally silent. Every object in Myka's room seemed to be conspiring to make no sound, allowing Myka to rest undisturbed. Helena settled down into the chair beside Myka's bed - a new addition to the room, no doubt due to her illness - and gently reached out to grasp Myka's hand. The skin was colder, the bones more prominent. Helena paid that little mind as she placed a kiss on the back of that delicate hand. Unconsciously, Myka's hand tightened around Helena's. Myka's mouth twitched, smiling, as if even in sleep she could recognize Helena's touch - or at least, that was what Helena liked to imagine.
Helena felt the fingers running through her hair, pushing the stray locks away from her face. Myka smiled at her, "Hey." Myka's voice cracked, and Helena immediately reached for the water bottle on the nightstand. She unscrewed the cap and offered it to Myka, who accepted it with a grateful smile. When Myka had finished, Helena took the bottle back and placed it back on the nightstand.
"You're here," Myka said with that same warm, inviting smile - as if everything was like it had been, and Helena's world wasn't slowly dying.
"Of course."
"I'm glad- I'm glad I got to see you again before..."
"Don't," Helena swallowed against the tightness in her throat. "Don't talk like that. We're going to beat this, Myka. We'll find a way. We have to..."
"Helena," Myka said gently.
"No, Myka, we're going to find a way. I can't- I refuse to lose you like this - without a fight."
Myka smiled sadly and struggled to sit up in her bed. She reached to take Helena's hand and pulled her towards the bed. Myka wrapped her arms around Helena as they settled in on the bed together. Helena clutched at her tightly, desperately refusing to let Myka go. "Just stay with me, please?" Myka wiped away the tears sliding down Helena's face.
Helena wanted to say, "Forever," but the word stuck in her throat. It seemed such a hollow promise, especially in that moment. She pulled Myka closer and rested her chin atop Myka's head. "I will."
Helena didn't know how long they stayed like that - cuddled close on Myka's bed. Myka drifted in and out of conciousness. Helena could always tell when she was awake - Myka's fingers would start tracing patterns across her stomach, stilling when she slept. Helena kept one hand against Myka's back - desperate for the connection, the feel of skin against skin.
She hadn't noticed herself drifting off, but the next time Helena awoke, she was alone.
Myka was still curled against her, but Helena knew. She was too still. No longer was there the subtle movement of her chest with each breath. Her skin was still warm where they had been touching, but the skin was cooler where Helena reached up, her hand trembling, to caress Myka's cheek.
Helena's throat constricted painfully. She tried to breathe, but the attempt was hijacked by a piteous noise. Helena buried her face against Myka's neck and cried.
She didn't know how long it would take one of the others to find them. She should let them know. So they could...
She clutched at Myka as another sob tore itself from her. She couldn't bring herself to let go of Myka - to leave her. She couldn't help seeing the irony. It had been too little, she'd been far too late, and it was only once Myka was gone that she realized that she couldn't let her go.
Helena woke with a start. She sat up quickly and looked around the dark room. Her chest heaved as she took in air in sharp, stilted breaths. Her heart raced, pumped blood too quickly, and left her feeling dizzy.
She felt a hand seek out her own. Helena looked down at where Myka's hand grasped hers. Myka was still asleep, Helena hadn't woken her with the sudden movement. Still, some part of Myka seemed to sense Helena's distress and sought to sooth it.
It was just a dream, a terrible dream, but a dream nonetheless. It had been more than a year since Myka's cancer scare. She was fine. She was cancer free. She was here.
Helena settled back down and wrapped her arms around Myka. Helena pulled her close. For the rest of the night, she would hold Myka and take comfort in the fact that Myka was alive and well and in her arms. Tomorrow... Tomorrow, Helena would begin her research. The last scare had been benign, but one could never be too careful.
It wouldn't be her first foray into biology and medicine. It would take some time, but she would find a cure.
After all, she was H.G. Wells... and she refused to lose Myka to some disease.
End.