Chapter 1

Myka laid awake on her back, on her bed. Ever since Helena helped them with that case... she couldn't stop thinking about it. The silence they shared meant more than anything they've ever talked about. She always felt a small flame for the Victorian woman, but she never really acknowledged it. She never really noticed it. Not until that moment. All the small innuendos, all the things the British woman said that made more sense now that Myka thought about it. She's been denying it. Without even realizing it, she's been denying it.

Myka bit her bottom lip. She really wanted to grab the receptacle and talk to her again. So badly. Even though they couldn't touch, even though Helena wasn't entirely corporeal, she wanted so badly to just talk to her. To be near her. But her goodbye... it was final. She was never going to see her again. Not unless she got her hands on that receptacle. She contemplated it. How would she get it? It was in the hands of the one and only Mrs. Frederic. So maybe it was hopeless. Myka sighed.

If only Helena realized it sooner. All the things she said to Daniel Varley. She wished so much that the 19th century Victorian realized it sooner. Maybe then, she wouldn't locked in a prison where only her consciousness existed in an orb. What happened to her body? Where is it?

'I wish I knew,' she thought sadly.

The next morning, by the time Myka arrived downstairs, everyone was eating breakfast. She stared at an empty chair, remembering the time when Helena was there. Artie was handing out the case files, and he ignored Helena completely.

"Morning, Mykes," came the voice of her partner, Pete. Myka turned her attention to him and gave him a small smile, "Hey."

Pete gave her a peculiar look and asked, "You okay, Myka?" Myka looked to him and gave him a bigger smile, "Yeah, I'm fine. I didn't get much sleep last night, that's all," she waved his concern away. Pete knew exactly why Myka was acting the way she was. Leena, who walked into the room a few moments ago, knew exactly how big of a lie that was.

Myka took her seat and didn't touch her breakfast. Just looking at it, picking up her fork and poking at it occasionally. Claudia looked at Myka's food and then to Myka, who was deep in thought. Even the eccentric Claudia knew what was going on in Myka's head. To be honest, Claudia didn't really know what to say, so she left it alone. She knew Myka... she was one of those, 'I-suffer-my-pain-in-silence' kind of people. And that was why nobody said a word... they didn't know what to say.

Artie walked into the room, "Please tell me there's a new case, Artie!" Pete pleaded childishly.

"No. Just inventory today. You guys failed to do inventory on Section W," he said, looking at Pete and Claudia with a glare, like he knew they were slacking off. Claudia cleared her throat, trying not to look guilty and Pete just stuffing food into his mouth so he didn't have to talk. There was a momentary pause.

"I'll do it," Myka said, suddenly. It surprised everyone in the room. Myka had hardly talked since the Jericho's Horn case. Artie knew why she wanted to do it.

"It's fine, Myka. They have to learn," he responded, his last comment directed at the two childish agents as he looked at them. Pete and Claudia were eating, trying not to look guilty, but knew that Artie found them out.

"No. I want to do it," Myka replied, persisting as she stood up. Artie gave an unsure glance at her and finally gave a small nod. "Very well, then."

Myka stood up and walked out of the door. Artie gave a long sigh, shaking his head slightly as he took a seat at the table.

"She's been really bummed out ever since H.G and the-"

"Really, Claudia?" Artie asked sarcastically, interrupting her. Claudia didn't say anything else after that, just going back to her breakfast. Artie looked to Leena. She gave him a somber look, "Her aura is depressing. But she's not compromised. She just needs to focus on other things for the time being," she answered his silent question. Artie nodded.

Myka slowly walked towards Section W. Her thoughts still occupying her. She arrived to her destination, the main reason why she wanted to do inventory in this section. Looking at all the artifacts that were made by the one and only H.G Wells. Myka opened the box with the grapple gun, smiling at the memory. She touched the cool metal surface, still reminiscing.

"She's safe," came the sudden voice of Mrs. Frederic. Myka turned to her with a start.

"Agent Wells is safe. Although, we're still keeping her consciousness away from her body, her weekly reports are telling us that she's very slowly improving and making progress," the older woman continued.

"Making progress? In what?" Myka asked, already knowing the answer but needing to hear it.

"I think you already know, Agent Bering, that she's making a recovery away from her anger towards the world. The only thing she has in this life are two things. The Warehouse... and you," she replied. Myka wasn't surprised but a warm feeling spread within her as Mrs. Frederic said the last word.

"So she's... okay?" Myka asked, keeping her voice from catching. Mrs. Frederic nodded.

"Yes, Myka. I'm fine," came the smooth, light, voice of Helena behind her. Myka turned around to see Helena, her arms crossed, but her hand playing with her necklace. Myka smiled when she saw her. The urge to give her a hug was so overwhelming that she had to remind herself that she wasn't really there. Just a hologram. "Helena," she greeted with a wide smile.

Myka turned to Mrs. Frederic, the receptacle in her hand. "Mrs. Frederic, why did you bring her here?" Myka asked, confused. A solemn look swept across Helena's face as she waited for Mrs. Frederic answer. She already knew why she was there... with Myka.

"Because the Regents thought it was best if she spent time with you," Mrs. Frederic explained. Myka turned to Helena, wanting to know if it was true. Like the statement of Mrs. Frederic wasn't enough. She needed to hear it from Helena.

"It's basically a knew type of torture for me. I can talk to you and be around you. But only as a reminder. A reminder for where I really am and what I'm doing there," Helena answered Myka's unasked question. Myka looked to Mrs. Frederic, a pained look on her features.

"No. No, I'm not going to have any part of it," she refused, shaking her head.

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice, Agent Bering," Mrs. Frederic answered, a serious look on her features, but Myka could see the sympathy in her eyes. Myka still shook her head.

"No. I'm not going to be part of Helena's torture. This is a whole other level of torment, Mrs. Frederic. I'm not going to let you do it," Myka said, her voice strong as she stood her ground. Helena, with a look of such sadness in her eyes, whispered, "Myka. It's alright. It's better than not talking to you at all. It's better than wondering about the Warehouse and how you're doing. It's much better."

Myka looked to Helena, pain very evident in both of their eyes. "But..." Myka whispered. Helena gave her a comforting smile that seemed to make everything worse, because the smile was only sad. She glanced at Mrs. Frederic for a moment who returned her glare, before turning her attention back to Myka.

"It's alright, Myka," Helena continued. Myka looked at her, and only nodded. Even though she knew that Helena didn't want this, just like she didn't want this, they really didn't have a choice. The Regents' decision was final, there was no say in the matter. Myka's view of the Regents changed. She saw them as merciful, understanding, but now. Her eyes have been open. They can also be cruel and they know the meaning of torture.

"Fine. What do I have to do?" she asked, her voice on the border between stoicism and anger. Mrs. Frederic, with her saddened eyes, gave Myka the receptacle.

"You keep it. I will inform Artie and the other agents of the situation and the circumstances. But the receptacle is to stay with you at all times. It's yours to do as you please," Mrs. Frederic responded. Myka nodded, accepting the black orb from the older woman. She then turned to Helena, successfully bottling her emotions inside, before saying, "I guess I'll see you in a bit then."

Helena nodded, understanding the situation Myka has been put in and knowing that Myka understood her situation as well. They shared one more sad look at each other, before Myka pulled the black orb open, before turning it, and closing it again. Myka turned to Mrs. Frederic, "This is cruel. Even for the Regents," she said, her voice darker than usual and slightly shaking.

Mrs. Frederic nodded, "I agree, Myka. But there's a reason the Regents have made this decision and it's not only for Helena."

Myka received the small hint in her statement, but brushed it aside.

"It doesn't matter. There had to be something else they could do," Myka replied. Mrs. Frederic stared right into the younger woman's eyes, not backing down from her intense stare, "It wasn't the Regents fault that Helena followed the path she chose. It was her decision, Agent Bering, to go after the world," Mrs. Frederic responded.

"It wasn't her fault that her daughter was murdered," Myka countered. Mrs. Frederic paused, her stare becoming more intense as her eyes seemed to darken as she looked into Myka's eyes.

"It was a tragedy, I know. But H.G Wells could have found a better way to cope, than to seek revenge on the world after more than a century," she replied. Myka couldn't argue with that. She knew, just as well, that Mrs. Frederic was right. And with that statement, Mrs. Frederic walked away.

The Warehouse agent let out the breath she didn't know she was holding. A million thoughts were running through her head, but Myka only looked down at the black orb and sighed.

"I'm sorry, Helena," she whispered, before putting the orb on the shelf next to the grapple gun, and walking away.