So here is my sequel to 'The Bubble'.

I'm pretty sure this is going to be an overall fluffy, happily ever after, type of story. Those are my favourite kind ;-) With a few bumps (hence the title) along the way. Continuing on from where I left off in the prequel, Myka, HG and Christina are still living in the B&B. If you haven't already read 'The Bubble', you might want to do that to get some context the whole 'how the hell is Christina alive?' scenario. I don't think it's essential however.

Rated M to be safe, and possibly for future chapters.

I surprised myself with how much I've managed to write over a few weeks and I might be feeling a little over confident with my ability to update regularly when I'm nowhere near finished. Though I've been struggling with chapter 6 for over a week now. As usual, I make no promises, but I really wanted to have a go at writing under a bit more pressure.

As usual, reviews are welcome, and as I will be writing and updating one chapter at a time, reviews are more important than ever!

Enough waffle! Hope you enjoy...


Chapter One

Myka stood in front of the full length mirror in her room and gave her outfit a quick once over. Having spent the last week in either jeans or lounge pants, she was happy to be wearing a suit again. Something about business attire made her feel in charge and being in the right frame of mind was vital in her line of work.

She grabbed her jacket from the foot of the bed and shrugged her shoulders into it, avoiding the exaggerated pout that was being directed at her from the open doorway. She gave one last tug to the hem of her favourite blue shirt and stepped over to greet her petulant observer.

"Helena, you're pouting. Just yesterday, I heard you telling Christina that it was 'unbecoming of a lady to stick out her bottom lip in order to derive extravagant favours from others'." She gathered the raven-haired woman's hands in her own and placed a brief kiss on the prominent item in question.

"Your argument is flawed darling," the Victorian insisted behind a sly smile.

"Is it?" Myka cocked her head to one side and looked the inventor up and down as she nodded authoritatively. "How so?"

HG pulled the agent in closer to her body and smirked when green eyes dipped briefly bellow her open shirt, the pupils dilating automatically. "Wanting you at home with me is not extravagant. It's simply necessary for my ability to continue functioning. Like a weather-vane needs the wind to turn it; like a dew laden web needs the rising sun to reveal its beauty; like a timid child needs the dawn to chase away the demons lurking in the dark; I need you to bring out the best in me." Her now serious gaze met Myka's and then dropped suddenly to where her hands played with the agent's collar. "How will you do that if you are not here?"

Recognising that the playfulness that often sat between them had left the room, Agent Bering ushered the writer inside and led her to the bed. "Helena, it's been two weeks since Paris. You know that's considered more than enough time to recover from a difficult artefact hunt. The Warehouse had a ping yesterday and two more this morning; I'm needed back at work." She placed two fingers under the Victorian's chin and tilted her head until their eyes met again. "That doesn't mean I want to leave you or won't be thinking about being right here by your side." She paused and felt her mouth quirking up at the corner. "That was beautiful by the way; what you said about needing me. Your words have such power over me."

Helena smiled ruefully, her head cantered to the side as she accepted the compliment. "Well... If they really had any power I would not be still waiting for you to leave. Indeed, we would not be having this conversation at all." She continued to tease the opening of Myka's shirt without thought. A subconscious effort perhaps to hold on and never let go. "Am I being desperately pathetic? I can't remember ever being this..."

Myka watched HG search for a word but didn't need to spend long thinking of one of her own. "Clingy?"

HG considered the offering and nodded with clear distaste. "Yes, that will do nicely; it has a rather deplorably dependant twang to it," she said with loathing. "Why is this so damned difficult?"

Myka pulled Helena into a firm hug, her arms wrapping around tense shoulders, feeling shaky hands settle on her back as she spoke into raven hair. "You're trying to separate emotion and logic," she hypothesised. "Logically, you know that my job is important and that I'm a good agent who knows what she'd doing. At some point I will have to leave this house, whether it's to work at the Warehouse or anywhere else."

"You need not work at all darling, if you so desire. I have more than enough money to keep the three of us comfortable for a very long time," HG informed the agent, a petulant tone still in her voice.

The curly haired brunette moved back to observe the inventor as she responded. "O.K. I vote we talk a bit more about that later." HG nodded with a smile and Myka, feeling the need to keep contact, took slender hands into her own.

"You were saying, Dr. Freud?" HG teased.

"Right. So, logically, I think you have confidence in me, but emotionally... Emotionally you're afraid that this will be the beginning of where things begin to fall apart again. You said so yourself, that having me and Christina around together is like finally having a real family. No one relishes the thought of losing that, Helena. It's not pathetic to want to hold us all together. Most people don't really think about the what ifs. With you it's less about 'what if' and more about 'what has been and what could be again'." She watched the tears well up in dark eyes and wished immediately that she could take her words back. "I'm sorry, I'm being too harsh; saying too much."

"No, no." HG shook her head and wiped away the tears that had dared to escape. "They are astute observations Myka. I'm not sure how to make these feelings go away however. I am trying," she added, desperately wanting the curly haired brunette to believe that she could get better.

Since returning from Paris and spending her first night back in the B&B in Myka's arms, Helena had been reluctant to let either her daughter or the woman she loved out of her sight. It wasn't something she planned to do but rather, when either took it upon themselves to wander, HG found herself envisioning the terrible things that could happen with even the most mundane tasks. When these thoughts overwhelmed her, she fabricated some reason for them to spend time together and often found Myka's arms around her, a kiss on the forehead and a few reassuring words before they read, played or cooked together.

The Victorian knew that Myka saw right through her excuses and admired the patience and understanding that was given without question, but worried that someday soon, Myka would come to her senses and realise that she was caring for a woman who perhaps belonged in bedlam. That the young agent was getting nothing from a relationship that was heaped with responsibility with very little reward.

HG's mind was far too occupied currently to put her heart into the physical intimacies that had been the bedrock of their relationship for a time. She knew that Myka couldn't put her desires on hold forever and didn't want her to have to, but she wondered when or even in she would ever feel those desires in full again; their occurrences were still infrequent.

Myka held the writer close, unaware of the demons she was temporarily chasing away. "I know you are, Helena. And we already have everything we need; time and each other. Small steps, ok? That's how we're gonna beat this."

Myka wanted to say more, to give HG every reassurance she needed to feel confident in herself again, but knew that words wouldn't be much more than a balm to the long-term healing that was needed.

The intimate quiet that surrounded them was suddenly broken by a loud hollering from downstairs. Claudia held nothing back as she unknowingly broke the moment. "Myka! Get your groove on girl; we gotta go before Arthur-ella blows a gasket!"

HG reluctantly but deliberately drew away from Myka, kissed her briefly on the cheek and whispered a choked, "I will see you later, darling. Be careful." She left the room without a backward glance.

Myka wasn't offended by her behaviour; she recognised how difficult their current situation was to Helena and was dedicated to giving the writer as much time as she needed to find her feet. Honestly, she was relieved that she had time to figure out what this meant to her.

She knew that she loved Helena and Christina and couldn't envision ever being apart from them, but the idea of being physically intimate with her again was frightening. Where her waking hours were spent helping Helena to the point where she could crush her own fears, her night were becoming increasingly fraught with uncomfortable dreams where she returned to the scenes of Helena's betrayal.

She wasn't sure that she was ready to give up that control again after her trust had been broken so cleanly and coldly... and without her having had any idea that it was going to happen.

Christina waited for her on the landing and wrapped both arms tightly around Myka's neck as she hugged her goodbye. The girl had voiced her disappointment the previous evening that they wouldn't be able to spend the day together, but overall she was adapting very well to her new environment and was at least not afraid to let Myka go.

"Will you be home for tea, Myka?" Christina asked hopefully, pulling back from the hug to look into green eyes.

Myka smiled sadly. "I'm not sure sweetheart." She tucked a wavy lock behind a petite ear and knelt down to eye-level. "Pete and I have to fly out to Ontario, in Canada, to retrieve something for Artie. If we're lucky and quick we might be able to get home tonight, but sometimes it takes a couple of days. I won't know 'til we get there."

"You have to get something for the Warehouse," the young Victorian concluded for the agent.

Before Myka could reply, heavy footsteps reached the top of the stairs and Pete's voice came from behind her.

"Mykes, I'm sorry, but we gotta go now. Artie wants to fill us in before our flight." His eyes told her that the last thing he wanted to do was drag her away, but he didn't have much choice in the matter. He stepped towards the young Wells and ruffled her hair affectionately. "Hey CJ, you gonna take care of your mom and Leena? Save me some cookies ok?"

Christina grinned at him but the voice that answered came from the doorway of the inventor's room. "Must you call my daughter that?"

Myka glanced up at Helena and noticed right away that she had been crying. She felt her stomach drop and a powerful urge to pull the other woman into her arms and never let go. Patience, Myka. She told herself firmly. Small steps, remember? A day or two apart might be just what you both need to start healing. Myka refocused on the figure in front of her and smiled at the familiar waywardness that Christina had inherited from HG.

The girl in question left Myka's side to wrap her arms around her mother's middle and grinned mischievously up at her. "I like it Mummy; it's like your nickname."

As Pete gently took Myka's arm and began leading her away, he looked triumphantly at the irritated parent. To Christina he said, "I'll take good care of Myka for ya CJ, and maybe we'll bring you back a Mountie, ay?"

HG could hear Myka scolding her partner all the way down the stairs and couldn't help smiling a little at the fellow's ever-present joviality. Knowing that however long her love was gone would be a lingering torture, Helena set about finding tasks to distract herself. The first turned out to be explaining what a 'Mountie' was and why Pete was joking (she hoped) when he said he would get one for her daughter.

Myka made her way downstairs in just enough time to intercept Claudia's brewing meltdown and finally they made it out to the car.

The redhead noticed Myka's pensive look and forgot for a minute all about their impatient boss. "Hey Myka. HG's gonna be ok, y'know?" She put a hand on the senior agent's arm. "I spent some serious time in Crazy Ville; getting back to a semi-normal routine was a pain in the shorts at first, but it did help."

"I know, Claud." Myka turned the key in the engine and started the car. She began to pull away, throwing one last glance at HG's window. "It doesn't make it any easier."