A/N: No one dies! Happy ending but angst (Teriah). Set after the warehouse moved. So, what would be warehouse14. Myka and HG consult/work in WH14. For those Teriah fans who want to know more about Bering and Wells: Warehouse13 is free on amazon right now. Those B&W fans who want to know Teriah: PM me and I'll help. Enjoy!
Chapter One
Mariah's POV
It had been two weeks since I found out what Tessa did and also what Victoria did to her. I moved back in but we were growing apart more by the day. Mostly because of me. I couldn't get over the fact that Tessa blackmailed my mother. Everything was falling apart and it was killing me. I wish we could be happy again. Like we were around Halloween. If I think about this too long I'm going to cry again. I can't let that happen.
Eventually, I gave up reading the same page of my book and tossed it to the floor. "Goodnight."
Glancing at me, Tessa closed hers. "Don't let me keep you awake." Getting up, the musician flipped off the lights and got back in bed. "Goodnight."
"Ladies."
Both of us jumped hearing a voice from the shadows. The light flipped back on revealing a mysterious woman standing at the foot of our bed. She looked to be in her early twenties but there was something much wiser about her. "Who the hell are you?" We spoke in unison. Looking around, we saw a large man standing by the door.
"The name is Donovan. The two of you need to come with me."
"We're not going anywhere with you." Tessa spoke firmly. When Donovan's brow rose, the musician realized what she said but didn't care. "Mariah's not going anywhere with you."
Why is she protective even now? After I've been so cold to her. "She's right. We're not going with you. We don't know anything about you. And how did you get in?"
"Through a door." The woman's voice was laced with sarcasm. "You will come with me one way or another."
"Excuse me?!" Tessa got to her feet.
Raising a hand, the woman smirked. "By your own will. I wouldn't force you or Miss. Copeland to do anything you wouldn't want to. That's not part of the design."
Finding my words, I was finally able to speak. "What design? How do you know who we are?"
"I know everything about you and Miss. Porter. Stolen at birth, raised in a cult, married to said cult leader, con artist hired by Victor Newman to haunt your mother by pretending to be your dead sister's ghost. After a very long redemption, Mrs. Newman became your mother. You had a long line of failed relationships before you met Miss. Porter. Both of you fell in love with one another long before you would actually admit it. Two years later, you're living together. Very much still in love whether you believe it or not." Turning her attention to Tessa, she began bullet pointing her life. "As for you, Miss. Porter, you were forced to do things you aren't proud of to protect your sister. Eventually, you came to Genoa City hoping to gain stability in a long con. Just like Miss. Copeland used to do." Donovan's words stung. They reminded me that I have no right to judge Tessa. "However, you never meant to actually fall in love. Now, you'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe even if she hates you for it. Am I right?"
Glancing towards me, Tessa bit her lip. "Yes, all of it."
"Judging by the look on your face, I've reminded you of a few things." She smirked. "Correct, Miss. Copeland?"
"Yes." I muttered. "Still, doesn't mean we're going anywhere with you. Ever."
"We shall see." The lights flickered off. When they came back on, she and her bodyguard were gone.
"Who…" I looked to Tessa for answers. "Was that?"
"Apparently someone who knows everything about both of us." She paused. "And who wants us for some reason."
"What should we do?" No matter how irritated I am with Tessa, I still want her safe.
"According to Donovan, there's nothing we can do. I don't think she's a threat." Sitting back on the bed, Tessa rubbed her temples. "Was what she said true? You were a con artist too? I know you were hired by Victor and you said you had a record…"
"Yeah. It's true." Ashamed, I looked down. "Before I came to GC, I was a con artist." Anger radiated from the musician. "I know. I have no right to judge you for blackmailing or trying to con Noah. I've done some pretty messed up stuff too."
"Like Donovan said, I blackmailed Nikki to keep you and Crystal safe. I knew it was wrong but I wanted to protect you from those thugs. They beat me and threatened you. When I wasn't paying as quickly as they wanted, they followed you. Called you and hung up. They warned me by going after you." She paused again. "The one other person I care for the most."
"Tessa…" My voice wavered. "I'm sorry."
Hazel eyes studied me. "Apology accepted but I'm still mad. Unlike you, my love never wavered. Donovan wants us for something but she's not a threat."
Tessa has that crease on her forehead. She's debating something. I know that look. "What are you thinking?"
"She's not a con artist. She knows something we don't." Laughing sarcastically, Tessa shook her head. "It can't be."
"Can't be…what?"
"When I was looking through the Dark Horse files and decrypting them, I lurked on the dark web. Buried deep on the outskirts were files about some place. It was government run and I think she ran it? There was a file of agents. Her, some guy, and a female H.G. Wells."
"The…Father of Science Fiction…H.G. Wells?" The smallest of grins ghosted Tessa's features. "I paid a lot of attention to the things you liked when Noah didn't."
"Aaah, okay." Tessa smirked.
"Oh, like you didn't?" I tried to keep a straight face but was failing quickly.
"Nope." She shook her head. "I don't know that you secretly love veena sausages cut ¾ in with squeeze cheese inside."
The blood drained from my face. "How did you-"
"Late night snack at Sharon's when I lived with you." Tessa's smile grew wider. "I almost walked into the kitchen as you ate the last few."
"That night you ate the leftover cheesecake."
""You"? Don't you mean "we"?" Tessa laughed. "You ate it too. We had a mini fork fight over the last bite."
Remembering that night caused warmth to fill my chest. "We had some good times, didn't we?"
"We did." The musician spoke carefully. "We still can… It's not out of the realm of possibility."
Nodding slowly, I agreed. "Eventually…"
"I'll take what I can get." She smiled. "Because everything is better with you. Even when it's not that great."
Damn it, Tessa! It's stuff like that, that makes my heart explode into confetti. "Such a way with words."
Grinning playfully, the raven-haired woman made herself comfortable against the pillows. "I am a musician after all. Goodnight, Mariah."
"Goodnight, Tessa." I paused. "Hopefully no one else appears in our apartment."
"Yeah, hopefully."
Getting comfortable, I nuzzled my pillow. Remembering old times makes me fall in love with her all over again. Not like I fell out of love with her. I want to be like that again. But can we? So much stuff has happened between us.
Xxx
Myka's POV
Closing my book, I smiled seeing Helena sauntering towards me. "Hey, you."
"Hello, Darling." Tilting my chin upwards, the author kissed me gently. "We have the library to ourselves…"
Placing my hands on slender hips, I guided the older woman to straddle my lap. "You know as well as I do, when we're in the warehouse, we're never alone."
"That's true. But there's no better library. And I always loved that fireplace."
"Along with other things that have happened in front of said fireplace." I smirked taking in the sight before me.
"That too." A soft chuckle vibrated Helena's throat. "Besides, Claudia knows we can't keep our hands off each other." Dipping her head, the inventor kissed down my neck. "Even after all these years." She paused. "Hello, by the way."
"I'm quite good at getting here before anything happens. The two of you have scared me for life on multiple occasions."
"Well you didn't knock." Swiftly, Helena sat beside me, laying her legs over mine. "Hello, Claudia."
"Hey, Claud." I swatted my wife's shoulder. "She's our boss now. Be nice before she fires us both."
"As if I'd fire my two moms."
Laughing, I leaned my head back. The one time Pete makes a joke and it sticks. "How can we help?"
"I need you and HG to visit a young couple in Genoa City, Wisconsin."
"Have they found an artifact?" I tried desperately to pay attention as Helena played with my hair. Her short nails gently scratching my head. She knows just how to make me squirm. It's killing me!
"No. But I think they're about to create one. I want you to be there in case there's a problem after it's been made. The emotions between Copeland and Porter are very intense. Both in love and pain. They're a bit like the two of you, actually."
"Oh." We spoke in unison.
"Go pack. I'd stay about a week. All the information you need about the women is at the B&B along with your plane tickets."
Arriving at the B&B, two files were on our bed. Taking a seat, Helena flipped though one of the files. "It looks like these two need our help. Copeland has a sorted past but not as sorted as Porter's."
"Yeah. From Claud's notes, it sounds like they're in love but have tension because of the blackmailing and lies." Why do I feel like we're playing matchmaker again? We've done something like this before with Lena and Kara. It was nice having some alone time with Helena though. This town looks like it's run by two families. The Newmans and the Abbotts. Lovely.
"Seems like we're playing match maker again." Helena laughed. "At least this time no one is a superhero."
"You know me too well." I smiled at the older woman. "I was just thinking about them."
With a wink, Helena closed the file. "Well, I am your wife, Darling. Of course, I know what you're thinking. That was a very fun wedding."
"It was but I highly doubt Copeland and Porter will be walking down the aisle anytime soon." Pulling out my suitcase, I started packing. "Let's get packed and go. Our plane leaves in an hour."
It was late when we checked in to the GCAC. Neither of the women would be awake at this hour, so we decided to call it a night. After showering, Helena and I snuggled under the fluffy comforter of the king-sized bed. "What's our plan, Darling?"
"Let's get to know these two women a little before we figure out what artifact could come from them." Laying my head on Helena's chest, I sighed listening to her heartbeat. "Let's see if they can work things out on their own before we step in."
"Because their emotional state will define whether the artifact is a good one or a bad one?" Wrapping her arms around me, the author kissed my hair.
"Exactly." I snuggled into my wife.
"Well, from what Claudia has told us, the best place to meet people is at Crimson Lights. Or, we could hire Porter to show us around. She is unemployed."
"That's too suspicious. We'll figure it out in the morning."
Xxx
The next morning, Helena and I decided to explore the town; starting with Crimson Lights. Entering the coffeeshop, we noticed Sharon Newman, Mariah's mother, behind the counter. A taller Latino man leaned against the counter. From Claudia's notes, he's the lead detective in town. Rey, I believe?
"Coffee, Darling?" Helena spoke softly. "If you keep staring like that, we'll draw attention."
She's right. "Yeah." Approaching the counter, I smiled. "Two coffees please."
"Of course. Let me finish his order." Sharon's brow creased. "I've never seen you two before. New in town?"
"Yes. Take your time." Turning towards Helena, I looked around the shop just as a redhead walked in. Tapping my wife's arm, I motioned towards the door.
"Is that?" I nodded. "This might be easier than we thought."
"You're British?" Sharon seemed surprised.
"Yes." Helena flashed her award-winning smile. "I am."
"What brings you to the states?" The woman placed two mugs in front of us.
"Originally, not the best intentions. But that changed in the most unexpected way." Helena smiled at me in a way that always made my heart melt.
"Oh…the two of you are…" Sharon's defenses rose quickly.
"Married." Helena and I spoke in unison.
The action gained Copeland's attention. Curious green eyes studied us as she walked towards the counter. "Hey, Mom. Can I get my regular order?"
"Of course, Sweetie."
"Thank you for the coffees." Paying, Helena and I moved to a corner table. Keeping an eye on Copeland, we discussed the townspeople and the town's attractions. The whole time, we were being watched by the redhead.
"She wants to ask us something." Helena kept her voice down.
"Claud said she was curious and very bold. If she wants to know something, she'll ask." Sipping my coffee, I knew it was only a matter of time before curiosity would get the best of the TV host.
"Maybe if we leave, she'll follow us?" Placing her hand on mine, the older woman smiled. "I think her and Porter are the only lesbian couple in this town. She may want to ask questions that only we can answer."
"Oh, is that why you're flashing your charms more than usual?"
"Not exactly. I do love making you giddy." Helena flicked her tongue quickly against her teeth causing me to shiver. That tongue and all the endless wonders it can give. Gulping the last bit of my coffee, I glared as my wife laughed. "Come now, Darling, we have a town to see." Lacing my arm through the inventor's, I glanced towards the counter with a smile and wave. Cautiously, Sharon waved back.
Once outside, we waited by our rental car a moment. As if on cue, Copeland came outside. "Wait." Turning towards the young woman, her pace faltered. "You're new in town?"
"We are, yes." I paused. "You're the host of GC Buzz, right?"
"I am."
"And you're married to Tessa Porter?" Helena baited, knowing full well they were just dating.
"No. Not…we're just…dating." She stammered. Dark brows creased. "How did you know that?"
I pulled attention back to me. "You're quite popular in this town. It takes a lot of courage to openly care about someone."
"The two of you would know, right?" Glancing to our hands, she pointed. "Since you're married."
"We understand how hard it can be to love someone who everyone doesn't care for." Helena added with a grimace. "Myka's friends and family didn't care for me much. Not that I gave them reason to like me at first. But, Myka never gave up on me. Even when I had given up on myself. Her love for me never wavered."
Copeland's eyes grew a moment, blood draining from her face. "I can understand that." Her voice tailed off.
"Porter?" I offered.
"Yeah…"
Remembering our conversation from last night, I gave into Helena's idea. "We don't know our way around here. We had to ask about Crimson Lights. Would you and Porter be interested in showing us around? Being our tour guides so to speak?"
"I'll need to ask Tessa but I couldn't. Too much work." She paused. "Do you have a number I can contact you at?"
"Yes." Jotting down my cell number, I also gave our room number. "We're staying at the GCAC. You can reach us there too." Smiling, I gave Copeland a piece of paper.
"Thanks." The younger woman's gaze held on us a moment. "I gotta go. I'll run this by Tessa and get back to you."
"Sounds good. We'll hear from you soon." With that, Copeland got in her car and drove off.
"She'll definitely call." Helena spoke triumphantly.
"What makes you so sure?" Starting the car, I pulled out of the parking lot.
"Because no one can say no to my accent. You know this better than anyone." With a wink, the older woman leaned over to kiss my cheek. "Or my charms."
"Vixen."
Xxx
Tessa's POV
"So, a British woman and her wife want us to show them around town?" I took a bite of my sandwich. "Thank you for lunch."
"You're welcome. I'm just glad to have lunch with you." Mariah bit her lip. "At home."
"Me too." She wants to know and so do I. "Are we going to be okay? Do you think we'll be able to move forward?"
"After last night, a lot of things became clear to me." Taking my hand in hers, she squeezed. "I shouldn't have judged you like I did. I should have seen things from your point of view. Instead of shutting you out, I should have let you in."
"All of this after one person breaks into our apartment?"
Smirking, Mariah sighed. "I'm trying to be serious."
"I know you are." Kissing the woman's hand, I smiled. "We're going to make it. Nothing can keep us apart." Going back to my food, I took another bite. "Now, about these two women…"
"Yeah, they're new in town and don't know their way around. Why not be their tour guide? They seem pretty nice." Mariah shrugged.
"And they're married?" She nodded. Something in Mariah's eyes made me trust her. Somehow trust these two women I had never met before. "I'll do it. How do we get in touch with them?"
"I have their number. They're staying at the club." Pulling out her phone, Mariah dialed a number. Putting the call on speaker, she waited.
"Hello."
"Hey, this is Mariah Copeland. We spoke earlier at Crimson Lights."
"Miss. Copeland, have you talked to Miss. Porter about our offer?"
"Yes, she's in. Although, you can call me Mariah."
"And call me Tessa. Especially if I'm going to be your tour guide."
"Excellent." I could hear another voice in the background.
"Yes, I was about to suggest that. Cool it."
"How can I cool it with-"
"HELENA!" Scoffing, the woman apologized for her wife. "Why don't we all get more acquainted tonight? Dinner on us at the GCAC. Does eight work for you both?"
Trying not to laugh, I remembered how often I tormented Mariah while she was on the phone. Glancing towards the redhead, my brow rose. "Eight works for us."
"Great. See you both then."
After saying our goodbyes, Mariah ended the call. "Her wife reminds me of you."
Smirking, I folded my arms. "And why is that?"
"Because she torments Myka like you torment me when I'm on the phone with Kyle or Lola."
Grinning, I ran my leg up the inside of Mariah's. "Like that?" My head tilted slightly. Anything to cause the redhead to twitch under my gaze.
"Yes." Mariah breathed. Shaking her head, she cleared her throat. "Uh…"
"Sorry." I smiled sheepishly. "I forget that we're not totally back yet."
"It's okay, Tessa." Smiling, she took my hand again. "We're not going backwards in the relationship. Just…staying put for a little bit."
Hearing that breaks my heart. "Are you staying here or moving out?"
"Here. This is my home. No matter what. We just need to start over in a way."
"Whatever it takes." Looking down at my phone, I grumbled. "Guess you should get back to work."
"Yeah." Sliding back into her coat, Mariah hesitated.
Feeling her eyes on me, I became worried. "Is everything okay?"
"Mmhmm. I'm just missing one thing." She walked towards me.
"What's that?"
"This." Cupping my face, Mariah kissed me softly. "See you tonight."
Smiling into the kiss, I couldn't resist stealing another. "I thought we were standing still." Letting my hands rest on Mariah's hips, I caressed the patch of skin just under her shirt.
"That doesn't mean we're going to act like platonic roommates." The redhead chose her words carefully. "I wanted to kiss you for so long and after I did, I wanted to do it more. Now that I can, as long as we're together, I plan to keep kissing you."
"Even if you're mad at me?" I can just imagine Mariah being that angry meme penguin who's pasting a heart to a piece of paper with glitter. Don't laugh. Don't laugh.
Dark brows creased. "What are you not laughing at?"
"Nothing." My smile grew when Mariah smirked. "A meme that I saw…"
Shaking her head, she laughed. "We need to find you a job. Filling out applications and resumes keeps you online too much."
"See you tonight."
Eight came and we entered the club. Walking into the dining area, I stopped seeing the women we were there to meet. Noticing my shock, Mariah turned. "What's wrong?"
"That's them. The ones from the file." No way. No way this could be happening.
"Really?" She looked between me and them. "The agents? You sure?"
"Yeah…I'm sure." What else was in that file? I can't remember.
"Should we still meet with them? They've not seen us yet."
"Yeah. We should. Something tells me we can trust them. I don't know what it is."
Studying me a moment, Mariah nodded slowly. "Okay. Let's go." I followed the redhead towards the two agents. "Hey."
"Mariah, Tessa, good to see you." Myka stood to offer us each a seat. "Thank you for joining us." Light green eyes studied me. "You know who we are, don't you?"
"She's a clever girl. She probably does." Helena added with a knowing smirk.
Taking a seat, I kept my eyes on the British woman. "I do but I'm not sure how." My head tilted. "You're a woman, over a hundred and fifty years old, and here."
"Wait," Mariah's eyes grew. "This is…the..fff…" All I did was nod. "Wow…"
"Question is: how do you know us?" Myka took a sip of wine.
"I saw some files I shouldn't have."
"Mmhmm. When you were decrypting files at Dark Horse?" Before Mariah or I could speak, Myka continued. "We know all about the both of you. Our boss, you know her as Donovan, sent us. While this wasn't exactly how we wanted to meet you both, it's better than nothing."
My defenses rose. "Like I told her, we're not going anywhere with any of you."
"Tessa, we're not here to cause trouble. What Myka said was true. We do need a tour guide." HG continued. "While we weren't exactly truthful, will you still take the job?"
"Job?" Mariah and I spoke in unison.
"Yes. We didn't expect you to do this for free." Myka smiled at the waiter. "Two more glasses please and another bottle of wine." After we all placed our dinner orders, the agent continued. "While we can't tell you the exact reason we're here, we can answer some of the many questions you both have."
"Just not here." HG added. "Too many people."
"Gossip travels fast here. Both of us know that from personal experience." Mariah smirked.
"And by being new in town, we've already drawn attention to ourselves. Especially because I'm married to a woman and British. As your mother has pointed out."
"Yes, Sharon isn't one for subtlety. You'd think by being in the Psychology field she would be." Taking Mariah's hand, I squeezed. "She's not been too happy with my relationship."
"Yes, we know about the blackmailing." I wonder what HG did to Myka. Obviously, something pretty bad to get that type of sympathy.
"Not my best decision in the world but I couldn't think of another way to protect Mariah and my sister."
"Crystal's doing very well, by the way." Myka gained my full attention. "After reading your file, we checked in on her. She's got a great job and flourishing. Just like her big sister."
"I don't have a job. A steady one." Relief washed over me hearing about my sister. "I'm glad she's doing well."
Our food came and we all began eating. I was starving and had to keep reminding myself to slow down. "You said earlier that you couldn't tell us why you were in town but what can you tell us?"
The younger agent dabbed her mouth with a napkin. "You have questions about us. Why not start there?" She paused, eyes flashing to me. "Within reason."
Turning my attention to HG, curiosity got the best of me. "How are you here? And how are you…you?"
"A time machine of sorts. The writer everyone believes to be H.G. Wells was actually my brother. I supplied the ideas and the research. He supplied the mustache."
"A time machine?" Mariah questioned. "Are those real?"
"It wasn't exactly a time machine. Physical time travel is impossible. Trust me; I know." Sorrow washed over the older woman as she spoke. "I was cryogenically frozen and kept safe. A little over eight years ago, I was unfrozen. This one," HG grinned as she motioned towards her wife. "Eventually, saved me from myself. She's forgiven me countless times for unforgivable things. I literally, owe her my life. Myka's saved me in the past. When we worked together, we fell in love. I tried to fight my feelings for years but gave up when I thought I was going to lose her for good."
"Sound familiar?" The curly-haired agent smiled knowingly.
"Little bit." We answered.
Taking Mariah's hand in mine, I kissed her knuckles. "As you know, Mariah's forgiven me for quite a bit as well."
"One thing that Helena told me, she didn't mean it the way I took it but, she said: don't walk away from your truth. At the time, she meant my job. Deep down, I knew she also meant not to walk away from us."
A/N:I have written a Bering and Wells/SuperCorp crossover. If you're interested, here's the link. FFN: s/12407710/1/A-Curiosity-Unlike-Any-Other
AO3: /works/10331111
