NAME: Kirk Baldridge

EMAIL: kirkbwriter

TITLE: Second Chances

DISCLAIMER: I do not own these characters. They belong to SyFy. I'm just borrowing them.

FANDOM: Warehouse 13

PAIRING: Myka / Helena

RATING: T

SUMMARY: Set around the end of "A New Hope". Artie has convinced the Regents to let Helena stay free and realizes Myka should be the one to tell her.

SPOILER: The season three finale "Emily Lake/Stand" and the season four premiere "A New Hope".

AUTHOR'S NOTE: If you're not a fan of HG Wells or the idea of Myka/Helena, you probably shouldn't read this.

Myka Bering sat on her bed, idly thumbing a copy of HG Wells TIME MACHINE while the author herself was taking a shower a short distance away. They had survived. They had won. Sykes was dead. The warehouse was okay. And for now, at least, Helena was free, though that might be true for long.

Artie had gone to see the Regents, to talk to them about Helena. She didn't know what he was going to say but he told her not to worry, which only made her worry more. Artie and Helena didn't exactly get along. And she had tried to destroy the world. That was hard to forget, or forgive. A part of her still felt very hurt about what Helena did, but given how close they had come to dying recently, she wasn't prepared to dwell on the past any longer.

'I have to tell her.' After seeing Helena in person again, and spending time alone with her in Tokyo, Myka finally realized something she had suspected, and in truth feared, for a while now. Her feelings for Helena were stronger than she had been able to admit. Helena had all but admitted she felt the same way already, so the only thing stopping her from saying or doing anything about it now was her concern for what Pete and the others would think, and whether or not it would interfere with her work at the warehouse. "Damn it. I have to tell her."

"Tell who what, darling?" Helena was standing in the open bathroom doorway, wrapped in a towel. Her hair was plastered to her head and her skin was still glistening. "Are you all right?"

It took Myka a moment to catch her breath, and she had to force herself not to stare. "What?" She shook her head. "No, I mean...yes I'm fine. I just have a lot on my mind is all."

"Perfectly understandable, given the circumstances. I'd be more concerned if you weren't a bit distracted." Helena leaned back and stretched, her breasts threatening to rise free of the towel. "This was glorious. While I'm certain Emily Lake must have bathed regularly I haven't felt clean like this in ages." She wandered into Myka's closet. "I should also like to thank you for your clothing. I would rather not remain in anything given to me by Walter Sykes."

"You're welcome." Myka tried, and failed, to not think about Helena naked. She cleared her throat, thankful mind-reading was not one of Helena's many skills. "Did you find something?"

"You tell me." The other woman came out of the closet, wearing a pair of Myka's jeans and a t-shirt that was a size too small on her. She turned a slow circle. "What do you think?"

Myka blinked. "It's...uhh, you look great."

"Thank you." Helena sat down on the bed beside her. "For everything." She started to put her hand on Myka's, smiling when the other woman did not pull away. "I've missed you so much."

"Me too. You, I mean." Myka rolled her eyes. "God, I'm babbling like a schoolgirl."

Helena cupped her cheek. "I think it's quite endearing."

Myka's heart started beating faster. "Helena, I have to tell you something."

"Of course. Anything."

Myka took a deep breath. "I think I..." They both turned as someone knocked on the bedroom door.

"You guys decent?"

Seeing Myka was flushed and not in the mood to respond, Helena took the lead. "That's a matter of opinion." She frowned when Pete unceremoniously opened the door. "Oh, by all means, do come in."

"Thanks." Pete looked from Myka to Helena and back again. "Artie's downstairs. He wants to see you."

Helena felt a stab of fear, but suppressed it. "Me?"

"No, Mykes actually."

Myka raised her head. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm not getting any vibes if that's what you're asking. Artie didn't say. Just asked me to come get you." Pete shrugged. "I guess you can come too if you want HG."

Myka stood up. "I'm going to see Artie. Helena?"

"If it's all the same to you, I think I'd rather wait here. Should these prove to be my last moments of freedom, I would prefer to spend them in more comforting surroundings."

Myka nodded. "I'll come fine you as soon as we know something." She followed Pete downstairs, where Artie was sitting in the dining room along with Leena. Claudia wasn't there. No one had seen her since they took Sykes body away, and Pete had to physically restrain her to keep her off him. "Artie? What did they say?"

"I asked the Regents for leniency. I suggested that H.G. Wells had served her time, had achieved some degree of rehabilitation, and should be given her freedom."

"And?"

"They agreed."

Myka breathed a sigh of relief. If they had decided to use the Janos coin again, she was planning to get Artie to let her hold on to the sphere so she and Helena could talk whenever they wanted.

"With one caveat."

Pete cocked his head. "They wanted fish eggs?"

"Stop it." Myka usually found it amusing when Pete acted ignorant like this, but she wasn't in the mood right now. He nodded and crossed his arms. "Artie, what's the condition?"

"H.G. Wells is to be released on her own recognizance, and not subject to any surveillance or restriction, except that she may never set foot in the warehouse again. We might consult her at some point in the future, and all of you are free to socialize with her, at the B&B or anywhere else if you choose, but H.G. will not be reinstated as an agent and is barred from having anything to do with artifacts."

Myka frowned. "Why?"

"You were there, Agent Bering." Everyone jumped, as Mrs. Frederic was suddenly standing right there. "You know the answer to that question. HG Wells very nearly destroyed the world. You may have chosen to trust her again without reservation but the Regents cannot afford such a luxury." She turned. "They do, however, trust Arthur. He spoke very highly of Miss Wells, and that more than anything else is what convinced them to agree."

Artie shrugged. "I only spoke the truth."

"And quite eloquently, I might add. It is almost as if Arthur has information about H.G. Wells he is not sharing with the rest of us." Mrs. Frederic and Artie shared an uncomfortable look, though only Leena seemed to notice. She had accused him of doing something, and she was right of course, though Artie had not told her about the astrolabe. "Inform Miss Wells she must make a decision about Emily Lake. A considerable amount of time and effort went into crafting the persona, and if she decides not to return to it we will have to arrange to eliminate it."

Myka cleared her throat. "Can I be the one to tell her?"

"By all means."

Myka returned to her bedroom, to find Helena sitting cross-legged in the middle of the bed, with several books scattered around her. "Helena? What are you doing?"

The writer was holding a pen. "I noticed you had several of my books. Early editions at that. I thought I would sign them for you, though it occurs to me you would be hard-pressed to tell anyone else who might see them how you have a modern signature from a centuries old author." Helena closed the book. "Perhaps this was a bad idea."

"No." Myka sat down and put her hand on Helena's. "It's a very touching gesture, and I appreciate it. Thank you." They both smiled, and she licked her lips. "The Regents have made their decision."

"Am I to be returned to the Janos coin then?"

"No. You're free, Helena."

Helena was clearly confused. "I beg your pardon?"

"I'm not sure what he said, or why, but Artie convinced the Regents to let you stay out on your own."

"What?" Helena shook her head. "That simply can't be. Not after everything I did. It's not like the Regents to be so lenient. What is, at Pete might say, the catch?"

Myka bit her lip. "You won't be an agent anymore. Ever again. They said you aren't allowed to work at the warehouse, or come anywhere near it for that matter."

Helena sat silent and still for a few moments, then sighed. "I suppose that is understandable. They wouldn't want me around any of the artifacts. Given what happened with the Minoan trident I can't say as I blame them." She took Myka's hand. "I regret this means you and I won't be able to see as much of one another as I would like. Since I may not get the chance to see you again, at least for a while, Myka..."

"Can I go first?" Helena nodded, and Myka took a deep breath. "I almost told you this in Tokyo, but we were kind of busy and then everything with Sykes..." She shook her head. "...no. I'm not going to beat around the bush anymore. I don't know what kind of time either of us might have left. Helena, I think..."

"You think you may love me?" Helena smiled as Myka, her cheeks flushed, nodded. "I was hoping you would finally realize that." She reached out and gently stroked Myka's cheek. "I feel the same way darling. More than threatening the world or shooting Artie, hurting you and ruining whatever chance we might have had of building a life together is my greatest regret since I was awakened in this world. I'm thankful we have the chance now, and I only wish you had been born earlier in my time, so I could have introduced you to my dear Christina."

Myka chuckled. "I'm sure that would have gone over well in Victorian England."

"You might be surprised." Helena grabbed Myka's shoulders, leaned in suddenly, and kissed her. "And if I have my way you will be again, every day we are together."

Myka's cheeks burned, though not from embarrassment. "God, Pete's going to flip."

"Why is that?" Helena undid the top button of Myka's shirt. "I was under the impression many men from this era were quite...stimulated, by the thought of two women together."

"They are. Pete is. Seriously, it's kind of scary. He'll probably want to take pictures." Myka sighed. "Thing is, Pete and I are a team. We hunt artifacts and we trust each other with our lives. If you and I are going to be together, I'm afraid he might think it means I'm choosing you over him."

Helena shook her head. "That's ridiculous. I seem to recall Pete and...what was her name, Kelly?" Myka nodded. "It ended badly, which admittedly is my fault for inflicting an artifact on her, but before then they were quite happy even as the two of you were repeatedly saving the world. How is you and I being together any different?"

"It's not, but Pete won't see it that way. He blames you for driving Kelly away, and for my leaving after what happened at Yosemite. You've made up for a lot of it, helping us against Sykes, but if I start spending time with you instead of hanging out with Pete and the others, he may feel abandoned again."

Helena undid another of Myka's buttons. "This might sound cold, but is that not Pete's problem?"

"I suppose so, but you try explaining that to him. In case you hadn't noticed, Pete is kind of stubborn." Myka glanced down and her eyes widened. Speaking of not having noticed, she wondered when Helena had opened her shirt and exposed her bra. "Why Miss Wells, are you trying to seduce me?"

"Trying? My dear Miss Bering, I should think I am succeeding admirably."

THE END