Chapter 1
Helena traced her fingers along the thick red scar, which ran diagonally across her neck. She stared at herself in the wood framed mirror. Her naked, freshly showered body created a hazy reflection in the steamed glass. She saw a tall figure creep up behind her and felt slender arms wrap around her torso.
"Good morning."
Helena felt soft curls brush against her shoulder and feathery kisses along the side of her neck. "Darling, your clothes."
Myka pressed herself fully against Helena's back. "It doesn't matter."
Helena went rigid, roughly unclasped Myka's arms and threw them behind her. "It does matter." They stood in awkward silence for a moment. "I need to go get ready." Helena avoided Myka's eyes as she walked back into their room and quickly got dressed.
She made her way downstairs and into the empty kitchen. A pot of coffee sat waiting on the island in the center of the room. Helena poured herself a cup and quickly swallowed the hot bitter liquid, cringing as it burned the back of her throat.
Myka rushed into the room with a panicked look on her face. "Helena, what is going on?"
"Nothing." Helena tightly gripped the coffee mug between her hands.
"Well it doesn't seem like nothing. Why wont you talk to me?"
Helena could hear the hurt in Myka's voice, but this was a burden she had to bare alone.
Pete walked into the kitchen and felt the tension between his two partners, like it had smacked him in the face. "Trouble in paradise?"
Helena clunked her coffee cup on the counter and stormed out of the room with the heavy padding of booted feet.
"What? Did I say something wrong?" Pete shrugged his shoulders, grabbing a coffee cup of his own.
"Pete, shut up."
Helena needed to be alone with her thoughts. She found her hands subconsciously reaching for her neck and playing with the locket, which held a piece of her heart. She wandered through the warehouse, letting her feet take her wherever they wanted. She enjoyed loosing herself in history. It took her mind off of the world around her.
She stopped, suddenly snapping out of her trance. She knew exactly where she was, it is where she always ended up on her walks. She traced her finger across the plaque, which held her name. There sat her broken time machine and her experiments and serums, each a part of her history, each a part of her.
She sat on the red velvet chair attached to her once great machine and felt the energy drain from her worried bones. Her head fell into her hands and she closed her eyes, reveling in the silence.
"It's her birthday today."
Helena jumped when she heard a familiar voice echoing from the shadows. She ran her slender fingers through her raven hair, pushing it away from her face.
"Artie told me." Myka walked into the light and stood across from Helena, leaning on the corner of the rusted shelf.
"I don't want to talk about it." Helena stood up from her chair and began walking away from Myka.
"Helena, stop!" Myka chased her down the isle, placing a hand on the Brit's shoulder. "Why won't you talk to me?"
"Because, Myka, there is nothing to talk about."
Myka released her shoulder when hearing the venom in her words.
Helena sighed, turning back to the curly haired brunette, seeing the hurt in her eyes. "Myka, what are we doing?"
"What do you mean?" Myka's voice shook, restraining the tears that threatened to rise.
"Ever since what happened last year and the Lily…. incident, I have seen the way you look at me. I can see the mistrust in your eyes, like you think I will blow away at any second." Helena stopped Myka from speaking, gesturing that she wasn't done. "Why are you with me?"
"Because I love you." The brunette's answer was instant. She didn't even need to think about it.
"How can you love someone so damaged. You talk about giving me your heart, but I can't even return the gesture. How can I give you my whole heart, when it isn't whole to begin with? I am broken and my outburst today, just goes to prove that I am not healthy for you."
"Are you breaking up with me?" Myka felt like the air was being sucked out of the room.
Helena avoided her partner's eyes. "I just need some time to think." With those final words she turned and walked towards the entrance of the warehouse, leaving Myka in the void.
Everyone but Artie seemed to notice the tension radiating around the room. Myka sat in the armchair in the living room, reading an open book in her lap. She seemed to have been reading the same page for the past hour. Helena on the other hand was tinkering with a small brass box at the dining room table through the glass doors, her back facing Myka. Pete and Claudia sat awkwardly on the couch, texting each other back and forth, each unwilling to ask what was wrong.
Artie walked across the room and tossed a blue folder in front of Helena and a red folder in front of Myka. "You two are flying to LA, tonight. No… distractions."
"I'd rather go with Pete on this mission." Myka's voice was cold as she spoke.
Claudia noticed Helena's back stiffen at her words.
"I have something else for Pete and Claudia to work on while you are gone." Artie held up his hand to stop Myka's retort. "No exceptions!" With that he walked into the kitchen, intent on making a sandwich.
Myka turned on the heels of her feet and made her way towards the stairs. "I'm going to pack." They heard her feet stomp up the stairs and the slam of her door through the floorboards.
Claudia sat wide-eyed on the couch, not quiet sure what had just happened.
Pete leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "Okay then…"
Their flight landed in Los Angeles and still neither Helena nor Myka had said a word to each other. Each was avoiding the inevitable talk to come. This continued throughout the entire mission. Even after they had retrieved the artifact, the women avoided each other. Every time Myka glanced towards Helena, a fire erupted in her bones and seared across her skin. She was still angry, but it seemed like as time passed the fire turned to a simmer and then she couldn't be angry anymore. She could never stay angry with Helena.
They arrived back at the hotel and sat on their respective beds. Myka faced the sliding doors, staring at her reflection in the black glass. She watched Helena sit down on the bed, playing with her locket.
"I know Christina's death hurt you, Helena. Death can tear you apart and leave you in pieces. It took me the longest time to move past Sam. I still even think about him sometimes." Myka spoke softly finally having enough of the silence.
Helena's breath caught and her back stiffened. She waited both praying and dreading what Myka was about to say next.
"What we both have been through has made us stronger." Myka stood up and walked over to Helena. Myka kneeled in front of Helena staring into Helena's dark eyes. "You are not broken to me. You are beautiful and I love you, Helena. You just need to let me in. Let me help you work through this."
"I don't want to forget her… My baby…" Helena let out a sob. "My little girl…"
Myka cupped Helena's face in her hands, brushing her tears away with the pads of her thumbs. "Shhh… no… you will never forget her. Never. But maybe it is time to let her go. You are alive and Christina would want you to live and love and be happy. Wouldn't she?"
The victorian felt tears slid down her cheeks. She was at a loss for words. She had never felt the love for someone as she had felt for the emerald eyed brunette in front of her. Helena reached out and tugged on Myka's shirt, pulling her in for a tender kiss.
"I love you." Myka whispered against Helena's lips.
"I love you too, darling. I am so sorry." Helena whispered back, her voice breaking.
Myka smiled tenderly. She brushed a tear from Helena's cheek before pulling her in for another kiss.
He saw their touches and caresses, one woman forgiving the other, in the ultimate act of love. He watched them through their dimly lit hotel window. The shorter, dark haired woman, tugged the hair tie from the taller brunette, letting her curls fall around her face like a halo. It swooped down and rested on her pale collarbone, each touch from the older woman lighting a fire in her eyes. The man watched her swing her head to the side and the dark haired woman attacked her neck. He saw her body shudder and had to pry his eyes away from the revolting sight. It sickened him that this scarred woman could violate his curly haired angel.
