Title: Empire of the Sun: Chapter 2
Rating: R just in case (K+)
Summary: The agents are sent to the ancient ruins of Machu Pichu for a possible Warehouse emergency. (I suck at summaries)
Pairings: Myka/H.G.
Disclaimer 1: Warehouse 13 and characters are not mine, just playing around with them.
Disclaimer 2: To anyone who is from Peru, I apologize for making some stuff up. I did do some researchn but for story purposes, I had to use my imagination :) I've been there once a few years ago and completely fell in love with the country.
Disclaimer 3: First fan fic so any feedback and constructive critcism will be greatly appreciated.
Author's note: The events here take place aprox. one year after Helena joins the Warehouse and assume she decided not to go along with the whole blowing up the world incident. So, no Steve Jinks (for now).
I also forgot to mention, this hasn't been beta'd so sorry for any mistakes.
Chapter 2:
They arrived at Jorge Chavez International Airport at 7:30pm. The four agents exited the final gate only to be bombarded with the sights, sounds and smells of Lima, Peru. A considerable amount of people waited outside for friends and family members, taxi drivers shoved their way to the nearest unsuspecting tourist trying to convince them to ride in their cab, vendors were selling some kind of meat on a stick and sweet popcorn in questionable looking carts.
Helena inhaled deeply before exclaiming, "Ah! I did miss that smell" she remarked nostalgically as she guided her luggage towards the others who were searching for Roberto Amaru, the Warehouse contact that was supposed to be picking them up.
At the comment, Myka and Claudia turned to look at the older woman incredulously. The airport was located near the port of Callao and the only smells they could discern were a pungent fish and salt odor mixed with a mild sewage and garbage stench.
The inventor looked at them with an amused smile, "What? I am from Nineteenth century England, you know. What do you think it smelled like? Biscuits and tea?" she joked, as she headed along, catching up with Pete who was eyeing the carts selling food.
"Peter dear, I would ask myself where that meat comes from before putting it anywhere near my mouth" She warned as she came behind him and looked at the dark, dry meat skewered on a stick; slices of peppers and potatoes keeping it company. It did make for a pretty sight, she had to admit, but she wouldn't trust meat from a street cart in any place or era she thought to herself as she looked suspiciously at the stray dogs running around the streets.
"Don't be ridiculous, H.G. Smell It, smell it" He insisted as he grabbed the woman by the elbow and guided her to stand next to him, leaning his head down closer to the grill where the meat was being prepared and taking another deep breath. "How can anything that smells this good be bad? - Uh…Unoe, pore favore" Helena cringed at her friend's terribly broken Spanish as he ordered some meat from the young boy behind the cart.
"I would listen to the lady." A grave, male voice said from behind them.
They turned simultaneously and were faced with a tall, coppered skin man hovering over them, looking at what they were just about to order. He wore dark jeans, faded boots and a black leather jacket over a light blue button down shirt.
"Dr. Amaru, I presume?" Helena offered the older man her hand, giving him her most charming smile.
"Yes, that would be me…Agent Wells?" He asked with a perfect American accent as he politely took her hand and shook it.
"That is correct, and my ravenous partner here is Agent Lattimer" She introduced both men and as Pete greeted the doctor, the author looked up, searching for the other agents.
"Whoa, look who just arrived to the party "Claudia grabbed Myka's forearm, directing the other agent's attention from the files in her hand to where H.G and Pete were talking to a tall man.
"God, please tell me that's Doctor Amaru." The young inventor pleaded as she squeezed her friend's arm.
Based on what they had read in his file, Doctor Amaru was a 43-year-old archeologist who was born in Cusco from an American mother and Peruvian father. He had moved to Massachusetts with his mother after his parents' divorce. After receiving his PHD he had made a name for himself unearthing various ancient artifacts in several parts of the world and had been offered a place at the Warehouse at one point. The file did not specify why he had declined but a few years back he had retired and gone back to Cusco, where he accepted to keep watch over the city of Machu Picchu and several other ancient ruins and artifacts in the area.
As Myka observed the archeologist she had to agree that he did have a certain appeal to him, then her eyes locked unto Helena's causing her lips to automatically turn up. The inventor smiled back at her and waved her hand, indicating they should approach.
"Aaand I present Agent Bering and Miss Donavan" Helena finished as the women approached, offering the archeologist their hands in greeting.
"Well agent Lattimer, I have to say I'm a little envious of you right now" Flashing a perfect, white smile at Myka.
"Wha Foe?" Pete questioned, his mouth stuffed with the skewered meat.
Myka hoped no one noticed the blush she felt making its way to her cheeks as she met the archeologist's appraising gaze. Thankfully, Helena interrupted the moment. "Well, shall we be on our way then?"
"Of course, follow me" The older man supplied as he turned and made his way to a parked SUV.
...
"So where are we heading to first?" Claudia questioned when they were all settled inside the large car.
"Well, we leave tomorrow morning for Chincha so, I was thinking we can grab something to eat and talk about the case before I drop you off at your hotel" Roberto said as he looked at the car's occupants from the rear-view mirror.
"Whoa, wait, Chincha? Our instructions were to go straight to Cusco" Myka interjected from the passenger seat beside him, not liking that their plans had been changed without their knowledge.
"And we will, Agent Bering, after we make a small stop in Chincha" The doctor tried to appease the younger woman with a smile. Myka didn't budge.
"Explain." she simply demanded as she crossed her arms and waited expectantly for his reply.
Helena covered her mouth to hide the smile that appeared on her face and stared out of the car window. Myka could be so stubborn sometimes; it was one of her more infuriating traits, one that Helena had come to cherish ever so much…when it wasn't directed at her, that is.
The archeologist simply nodded and began to do as Myka requested, "Well, as you know the earthquake created a crevice in the side of Huayna Picchu. It's simple enough to get to but it appears there is a network of tunnels inside the mountain…there might be hundreds of dead ends, pit falls, not to mention possible booby traps. So, odds are if we go in there unprepared…we might not be coming out" He explained.
Myka's expression softened upon hearing Amaru's logic, a little dismayed she hadn't come to the same conclusion.
"So, what does that have to do with Chincha?" She questioned further, her voice deprived of her previous hostility.
"Cusco was the only Incan city that wasn't found and pillaged by the Spaniards when they first arrived here in the late 1520's. It was so well hidden, that it was only until 1911 that an American explorer, Hiram Bingham, came across it on one of his expeditions. He stayed in a village near the abandoned ruins for quite sometime and he befriended many of the natives who lived there. It was from them that he learned that there was an artifact of immeasurable power hidden somewhere within the ruins. It is said that after many years he found the source but, when he came into contact with it and learned what it could do, he decided to give it to the village…asking it's inhabitants to destroy it. He left Peru and never returned again. Well, It appears that this village refused to or was unable to destroy the artifact" He finished, taking a breath from his story. "Ah, here we are!….follow me agents, let's get something to eat!" He switched topics so suddenly; he left three out of the four agents staring expectantly at him, waiting for the next part of the tale.
- "Wait, why do you think that?"
- "Do you know what the artifact is?"
- "I still don't know what this has to do with Chincha"
- "Awesome! I'm starving"
The agents blurted out at once. The archeologist simply gave them an enigmatic smile and parked the car.
"I'm glad to hear that Agent Lattimer…because you're in for a treat" and then looking at the women. "All In good time my friends, come" He insisted as he stepped out of the vehicle and made his way into a sparse but nicely decorated restaurant on the edge of a cliff looking out into the ocean.
Once inside, they sat at a round table next to a large window from where they could see lights coming from the houses, shops and lighthouses that bordered the coast all around them. It was a beautiful view.
...
"I can't believe I'm saying this but, I can't eat another bite." Pete groaned, rubbing his stomach and giving a sorrowful look at the leftovers on his plate.
They had eaten everything from sizzling parmesan scallops, fresh corn tamales, crab stuffed empanadas and shellfish ceviche. Dishes they would normally never eat but after taking the first bite, they couldn't get enough of. Roberto had officially wined and dined them, proving to be a most gracious host.
As the waiter came to retrieve their plates, Claudia leaned casually towards Helena who was sitting to her right, enjoying a glass of Pisco Sour.
"Can you believe this guy? Come on, he can't be for real." Claudia whispered, suspiciously eyeing the polite doctor who sat between Pete and Myka, immersed in lively conversation with them.
Helena followed the young woman's line of sight and considered the man seated in front of her.
"Yes, he is quite charming, is he not?" She said dryly as she took a sip from her drink. Roberto was in fact rubbing the author the wrong way but probably not for the reasons Claudia thought, she admitted to herself.
"Yeah, well, that's the thing. He's just too…too perfect, that's never a good sign" She countered, eyeing once more the handsome doctor.
"Ah yes, well, we've only just met the man, give him time" Helena assured, taking a deep breath and giving her friend an amiable smile, trying to get rid of the foul mood she was currently in.
Truth was, she didn't find the doctor the least bit suspicious. He was charismatic, friendly and polite to a fault. She was, quite frankly, surprised he hadn't charmed the young computer wiz; he had certainly one over the other two agents.
She smiled politely at a joke the archeologist made and turned to look furtively at a laughing Myka who was sitting beside her. She tried not to examine too deeply the feelings Myka's new found interest in the older archeologist stirred in her. The curly haired agent's dark mood had all but disappeared and she seemed to be enjoying herself all thanks to Amaru's efforts. Meanwhile, H.G.'s disposition seemed to be getting worse with each passing minute.
Sensing H.G's eyes on her, Myka turned and gave her a questioning look, the goofy grin still plastered on her face. H.G immediately glanced back at her glass and took a deep breath, cursing herself once more for not being able to control the feelings the younger agent's smile prompted in her. She quickly returned her dark eyes at a worried looking Myka and placed the half empty glass of Pisco Sour in front of her, gesturing with a nod for her to try it. Myka looked curiously at the drink, her grin slowly turning into a crooked smile as she accepted it and gave it a try. She closed her eyes in delight as the tangy liquid made its way down her throat. "Oh my god, that's good." She praised, giving it another try.
"Isn't it?" Helena agreed giving Myka her own crooked smile. She unexpectedly felt herself blush when the younger woman's gaze turned from gleeful and carefree to soft and gentle, her leaf green eyes slowly roaming her face as if memorizing every inch of it. She had noticed these looks before; she had to be blind not to notice the hero worship the younger agent held for her, for that's all it really was. Nonetheless, it was excruciating having to ignore those looks yet she would be damned before she let Myka anywhere near her. The younger woman's friendship was already more than she ever deserved and she was sure it was only a matter of time before she would somehow hurt her and the other Warehouse employees, all of whom she cared for more than she would like to admit. The writer cleared her throat and forced herself to turn away from the searching eyes.
Myka caught herself looking at her friend and mentally kicked herself when the other woman awkwardly cleared her throat and turned away from her. 'What the hell Myka, are you trying to push her away?' She berated herself as she heard the author ask Roberto,
"So, shall we continue your enrapturing story, Dr. Amaru? I'm afraid it is getting quite late and we do have to wake up so dreadfully early tomorrow."
"Ah yes, where was I?" The tall man inquired.
"All-powerful artifact-supposed to be destroyed, wasn't" Pete summarized.
"Why do you think this artifact still exists?" Myka questioned, hoping the low lighting camouflaged the blush her recent slip up with Helena had caused.
"Well, turns out Bingham carried with him a treasured rifle wherever he went. Once he left, he gave it to one of his illegitimate children. The rifle was passed down from generation to generation and is now held in an estate by his great grandson. It appears that ever since the earthquake, the rifle has been…acting up." Amaru struggled with the last words and looked up, trying to gouge the group's reaction.
"Well, what do you think is the rifle's connection to the artifact we're looking for?" Pete prodded.
"I believe that the rifle was with Bingham when he encountered the artifact and a connection between them was created somehow…the link may not be with the specific artifact we're looking for, or it may be connected to a whole group of artifacts but, in any case, I think it's worth checking out" He finished.
The four agents looked at each other, silently weighing their options, finally Myka spoke up, "Fine, you're right. We'll leave for Chincha tomorrow and try to figure out if this rifle has any connection to the artifact and to what happened in Cusco." She said.
Roberto grinned, seemingly proud of himself for having convinced the agents to follow him to the city and asked the waiter for the check which he promptly insisted on taking care of.
Amaru parked the SUV in front of a small, enclosed hotel in the district of Miraflores. He helped them with their bags and as he talked to the clerk at the front desk, Myka left the other agents who were exhaustedly waiting around the common area and decided to explore her surroundings, always feeling safer when she knew the in's and out's of a place. She turned a corner and opened a sliding door that lead to a small garden. Myka closed her eyes, surprised at the silence that surrounded her. Lima was anything but a quiet city. She was startled at the sound of the door sliding open.
"It's nice here, isn't it?" Roberto asked standing inside the building, his usual confidence strangely missing from his demeanor.
"Yeah, it's beautiful" she agreed, looking at all the brightly colored flowers and the small tranquil pond in the middle of the garden.
"Ah, I just came here to give you the key to your room" He finally stepped inside the garden and stretched out his arm, offering the woman the small key.
"Thanks" She said as she took it from his hand. Sensing there was something else he wanted to say, she carefully asked, "What is it?"
Roberto opened his mouth to answer only to quickly shut it again. Placing his hands on his hips, his eyes fell to the ground at Myka's feet for a few seconds while he summoned up the courage to say what he had really come there for.
"I don't really know much about the Warehouse agents" He began awkwardly, "I, myself have only been in contact with the Warehouse for a few years now and know that there's been one too many incidents concerning the people working there. But, as soon as Frederic told me I was to meet you, I started doing some research on all of you." He looked up and seeing Myka was about to say something, trudged through, not wanting to get sidetracked, "I mean, I didn't know you, didn't really have a reason to trust you…no offense but if the Regents are anything to go by, then I wouldn't trust a Warehouse agent as far as I could throw them" He tried to make light of the situation, succeeding in making Myka smile, silently agreeing with his logic.
"I found out you used to work with Sam Martino back in the Presidential Protection Division" He continued, his tone serious again.
"He was my partner" Myka whispered back somewhat confused, not understanding why this man would bring up Sam and not really wanting to get into the whole painful subject.
Amaru nodded before stating, "I used to know him you know" This caused Myka's thoughts to steer from memories of blue eyes, slow sweet kisses and an easy smile, and focus on the man before her.
"What?" She asked incredulously.
"Before he became an agent, he lived in Boston for a while. He actually studied for about a year in B.U. where I supervised the field work for the younger students…Did you know he was interested in Ancient Studies?" He asked, sincerely curious at how well the younger woman knew her former partner.
"Ah, um no…I-I didn't" A surprised Myka confessed, her heart clenching at the thought of Sam not confiding even that small detail of his life to her after all they'd been through.
"He was a bright kid, eager, and quick…he was also the class clown, drove me insane with his pranks" He remembered fondly, eliciting a soft snort from the woman who covered her mouth and wiped at her suddenly tear filled eyes. She most definitely knew that side to her Sam, he would not be happy unless he exacted a genuine laugh from her at least once a day. He used to drive her crazy as well.
"Yeah, that sure sounds like him" She agreed.
"I'm- I just wanted to say how sorry I am for your loss, he was a great kid. I'm sure he turned out to be a great man." He uttered softly, feeling a little like a fool for having brought this up now and obviously unearthing some painful memories from the young agent. "Look, I'm sorry for bringing this up, it just came as a complete shock and—"
"No, its okay, thank you." Myka interrupted, laying her hand on the doctor's forearm, stalling him from apologizing for something he really didn't have to apologize for.
"It's nice to see him through somebody else's eyes." She assured the older man.
"Myka? Is everything okay here?" Her partner's voice came from the door. Myka quickly dabbed at her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket before turning to see a worried Pete and a somber looking Helena.
"Hey guys" She gave her friends a shaky smile, trying to appease their worried gazes "…I'll, I'll be right in." She assured, trying to sound casual and failing miserably
Pete didn't buy it for a minute. "Hey man, what did you say to her?" He walked into the garden and planted himself in front of the doctor. At this, Myka grabbed a hold of her partner's arm and gently made him turn to look at her.
"Pete, listen to me…I'm okay, Doctor Amaru didn't do anything…let's just go get some sleep, please." She urged the worried looking agent. "We'll talk about it tomorrow" She offered. When she saw his apprehension, she added, "I promise"
With that, Pete begrudgingly nodded his acquiescence and gave one final stern look at the taller man before storming out.
"I'm sorry Myka" Roberto voiced softly, grabbing her hand for assurance. At this, Myka saw in her peripheral vision Helena step inside the garden and, not wanting to cause another scene, she quickly squeezed his hand and whispered, "It's okay, I'll talk to them. Like I said, you have nothing to feel sorry for." With these words, the doctor seemed to relax some. He backed away from the agent and with a contemplative look her way started to head out only to be stopped by Helena's withering stare. He knew enough to recognize when someone was threating him and the look the agent was giving him spoke volumes. He quickly cleared his throat and averted his eyes as he walked back inside the hotel.
As soon as he left them, Helena strode quickly to the younger agent, stopping a few feet from her and placing a supportive hand on the Myka's forearm.
"Tell me." The inventor gently encouraged as she coaxed the green-eyed agent to look at her. Myka took another shuttering breath, not sure if she could handle the other woman's penetrating gaze right at that moment. She tried again to conjure up a smile but failed miserably, a few tears escaping despite her best efforts to hold them in. H.G lightly wiped them away, and then enveloped the younger woman in her arms. The taller agent breathed in Helena's scent and let her tears finally fall.
"He knew Sam" Myka's hoarse voice sounded muffled, her lips resting on Helena's shoulder. She didn't want her friends to get the wrong impression of Roberto and she regretted not telling Pete as soon as he had confronted the archeologist. But, it had all been too much. But at this moment, in the protective embrace of Helena's arms, she felt safe and she was finally thinking clearly.
"He just found out about his death and he was giving me his condolences." She pushed back some in order to look at the author's face. "He was his professor, before he decided to join the Secret Service…and just thinking about him so young and-and full of life…I don't know, it made me miss him all over again…I'm sorry" She finished lamely. Helena frowned at her friend, shaking her head in confusion. "Why would you say that?" She whispered fiercely, brushing loose strands of hair away from the younger woman's face with both hands and placing them behind her ears. "You loved him, and you've every right to miss him." She emphasized her words by cupping her face once more and ducking her head a bit in order to make eye contact with the agent.
Myka blew out a small breath, finally succeeding in reigning in her emotions and smiled timidly yet gratefully at the dark eyed woman. "How do you do that?" Myka asked in wonderment as she looked at her friend with genuine fondness. Helena grinned sensing the other woman's change in mood. "What?" She asked amused, playfully pulling a rueful strand of curly hair that had once again fallen over her face.
"Make me feel like everything is going to be okay when just a few seconds ago I thought I might just lose it" She explained, a little self-conscious about the whole ordeal.
"One of my many hidden talents, my dear." Came the writer's nonchalant response. Myka chuckled at Helena's comment, feeling infinitely better than a few seconds ago.
"Thank you" The younger agent stated earnestly after a few seconds as the other woman gazed sweetly at her. Myka's breath caught in her throat when H.G.'s dark eyes slowly fell to her lips. Myka's smile slowly faltered, giving way to semi-parted lips. At this, Helena immediately looked up, catching the younger woman regarding her in surprise. The author offered a wistful, crooked smile, not really knowing what else to do, having just been caught blatantly and dreamily observing her friend. She blew out a breath before giving her one of her trademark smirks and stating in a lower voice than usual, "No need to thank me darling, all in a days work." She took a step back. "Well, we have a long day ahead of us, best we be off to bed." She proposed a little unsteadily as she quickly turned and started to head back.
"Whoa, whoa!" Mika snapped out of her reverie and grasped H.G by the arm, making her turn around and face her. "What the hell was that?!" She demanded.
"What on earth are you talking about?" H.G. questioned back, her whole demeanor aloof.
Looking at the woman disbelievingly, Myka continued, "Oh no you don't…you know exactly what I'm talking about" The younger agent shot back. "I-I don't get you. You look at me and touch me like, like…" Frustrated at not being able to find the words to encompass what she saw when Helena regarded her the way she just had; she simply took a steadying breath and took a step towards the other agent, occupying her personal space. The deer-caught-in-headlights look the writer was currently donning only served to fuel her newfound resolve. Myka cupped the inventor's face and lightly brushed her thumbs against the other woman's cheeks.
"Like that" She whispered as she rested her forehead against the inventor's, finally seeing a crack in the other woman's armor. Helena closed her eyes, trying to organize her thoughts, not having expected any of this and refusing to let Myka get through her defenses.
`A little late for that old girl` She silently berated herself as she felt a light pressure on her forehead as the taller agent gently nudged her "Helena, look at me" She heard the soft voice gently coax.
"Tell me there's nothing here" Myka softly dared.
...
Six Months Earlier
"So, Helena... If you feel up to it, tell me a little bit about Agent Myka Bering" Dr. Harris encouraged the woman sitting impassively in front of her. "Based on what you've told me and from what I've read from your files, she was instrumental in you being reinstated into the Warehouse and according to you she is a trustworthy agent and a dear friend. But, I'm also sensing that that's not the whole story…" she finished, trying to gouge something from the legendary writer.
Dr. Eileen Harris couldn't believe that she had been assigned to work with the one and only H.G. Wells. She had spent many a night in her high school and college years finding solace in the writer's fictional worlds. She had to admit, she had been a little star struck when she had first encountered the younger woman but the feeling soon vanished; replaced by sincere respect and admiration – and on more than one occasion, exasperation - for her fellow Warehouse employee.
It was blatantly obvious that the atrocities the writer had been through had left open wounds in her psyche. That, coupled with the singular fact that she was a living, breathing time traveler, stuck in a world so very different from her own, made her a fascinating if not frustrating case.
At the mention of Agent Bering's name, Eileen noticed – and not for the first time- an immediate, albeit miniscule change in Helena's demeanor. She looked distractedly at the floor as an almost imperceptible smile graced her features.
"I love her" She stated simply. The sincere statement took the doctor somewhat by surprise considering it usually took various sessions to get her to open up about almost anything.
"Er—and would you like to expand on that, Helena?" She encouraged.
At the request, the writer quickly looked up, finally focusing on the older woman. "Yes, well, there isn't much else to expand on, now is there? I love her, I dare say I'm quiet in love with her, but you and I both know I'm in no state of mind to pursue a romantic entanglement…I am quiet mad, you know?" She deadpanned, deflecting her obvious hurt with an air of aloofness.
"You're not mad" Harris countered.
A skeptical raise of the eyebrow was all it took for the doctor to clear her throat and rephrase her comment. "Yes, you've been through unfathomable ordeals and you have a lot of work ahead of you in order for you to overcome all the anger and self-loathing you have inside you but, that doesn't mean you should deprive yourself of something that can very well help you."
"I beg your pardon…self-loathing? You must not have met me, I most certainly do not loath myself, quite the opposite in fact" The author stated with a half smirk.
"Stop avoiding the issue, Helena and do not confuse confidence and arrogance with acceptance of oneself. I'm well aware you regard yourself rather highly, at least in your capacity to manipulate and intimidate other people. But, I believe you're scared out of your mind about letting yourself feel something for someone. And it seems to me that you're not letting yourself trust others as well. Christina is certainly one of the main reasons for that, I'm sure you know. But, Myka is not Christina:"
At the sound of her daughter's name, the writer's whole demeanor darkened. "I bloody well know that. And Christina has nothing to do with my decision regarding Myka." Helena stopped herself then, realizing she was letting her emotions get the better of her. She took a steadying breath before continuing.
"I have done so many atrocities in my life time. I have hurt a great many people and I've actually enjoyed it in some instances. When I was released from that bronze prison, believe me, I was ready to cause a great deal of more pain to many others…and then Myka, she-she saved me from myself." Helena looked away before continuing "Myka, just by being Myka , she probably saved the world if I'm being honest" She finished almost in a whisper.
"I-I don't understand" Eileen was at a miss with her patient's last statement.
"And let us hope you never do"
Despite the inventor's background and her previous captivity in the bronze sector, Doctor Harris had never been the least bit frightened of her; that is, until this very moment. Agent Wells had never been this somber or serious and Harris did not like the dark gleam in the writer's eyes which had vanished just as soon as it had appeared.
Helena took advantage of the Doctor's stunned silence to finish up her musings on the topic at hand, feeling invigorated at finally being able to share her burden with someone. "Myka, she is so very noble and she sees the best in everyone. I, on the other hand, have a dark beast living within me and I do believe I will never be able to tame it and so I will keep her as far away from its darkness as I can for if she ever becomes prey to it, I fear it would be her demise and that-that is the one thing I cannot live with."
"Then why not just leave?" Eileen questioned.
"I've asked myself that many a time, believe me Doctor. I'm afraid I'm not that courageous and as I'm sure you've come to appreciate, I can be quite selfish. It seems I need the Warehouse and the people in it far more than I care to admit. They are my home and I rather have a semblance of a life, stolen moments of deluded happiness than nothing at all, for I assure you Doctor, outside of the Warehouse there is nothing left for me."
After long moments of silence, a solemn Eileen spoke out in a firm and confident voice, "Well then, it seems you have everything figured out."
"It is what it is" Helena provided.
"Then what are you doing here? Why seek help?" She challenged simply.
To Eileen's relief, the questions posed hit their mark, causing a minor dent in the inventor's armor. Helena shifted uncomfortably in her seat and grabbed her cherished necklace as she always did in moments of unrest.
"Ah well, that is the irony of it all, is it not? Myka has saved me from myself and by doing so, she has made me feel something I had long ago thought dead"
"And what is that?"
" Hope"
...
Clenching her jaw and knowing she had no other choice, H.G. rested her hands on each of the agent's and slowly removed them from her face. She held them delicately between her own and looked at them, lost in thought for a few moments, before finally looking up and meeting a warm, hopeful gaze.
"I'm sorry Myka." At those words, her friend closed her own eyes and stepped back, disengaging herself from Helena's hands. "I do care for you ever so much. You believed in me when everyone else was so sure I was an unrepentant monster and when they turned their backs on me, you put everything on the line to give me a chance at some semblance of a life" Helena tried to explain almost desperately, seeing the other woman distancing herself physically and emotionally from her.
"You're so full of crap." Myka blurted out after hearing the other woman confess her eloquent half-truths "Fine, whatever you say. I'm sorry I brought it up. You don't have to worry though, it won't happen again" She exclaimed aggrieved, not understanding why the inventor wouldn't open up to her, wouldn't admit her feelings. But, she felt like she had waited long enough and if this was what Helena really wanted then she really had no other choice than to accept it and move on. It didn't surprise her to feel her heart clench painfully at the thought.
They stood facing each other for a few seconds. Myka would have laughed if the situation hadn't been so screwed up. They were simply staring at each other, in a silent war of wills, seeing who would break first.
Thankfully, Claudia's disembodied voice interrupted the tense moment.
"Yo, Myka" The redhead's voice came from inside the building. With one final look at the inventor, Myka turned to the sound of the young tech's voice and replied "Yeah Claud, I'm in the garden" She announced as she walked towards the door, brushing past Helena.
Claudia met up with Myka just as she was walking through the threshold. "Hey…am I missing something here?" The young woman carefully asked as she stared at the two women's forlorn expressions. "What's with all the long faces? Between Amaru, Pete and you guys, I might as well be back at the Warehouse having fun doing inventory" She joked dryly, trying to lighten the mood.
"Everything's fine Claud…come on…I'm beat, let's go find our rooms." Myka tried putting on a more cheerful disposition for her young friend. "Oookay" A confused looking Claudia replied as her eyes settled once more on H.G. who had turned around and made her way to the small pond at the far end of the garden.
Myka put an arm around the tech and led her further inside, refusing to look back out into the garden.
As soon as H.G. was confident that she had finally been left alone, she exhaled loudly and with that breath, unwanted tears started to run down her face. She put her arms around herself and bent at the waist, feeling like she had just been kicked in the stomach. She rested a hand on a nearby tree and tried to control her breathing and reign in her wayward emotions only to become more agitated when she realized that it was becoming even more difficult to breathe. She sank to her knees and gave a soundless gasp when she felt a hand on the small of her back. She looked up, torn between gratefulness and sheer embarrassment. Claudia was bent over her, gently swiping the sweat soaked hair from her forehead, her expression focused.
"You're having an anxiety attack." She stated matter-of-factly, knowing that the usually confidant and proud writer loathed looking vulnerable in front of anyone.
The Warehouse tech knelt beside her friend and held a shaking hand, massaging it soothingly.
"H.G., listen to me. I want you to take a deep breath through your nose and count to three, okay?" She instructed, waiting for Helena to acknowledge her words and nod. The older agent took a deep breath and held it in. "Now I want you to slowly exhale". The teary eyed woman did what was asked of her and after a few minutes of this, she felt well enough to give the hand holding hers a reassuring squeeze before letting go and gently grabbing the younger woman by the collar of her jacket and pulling her closer. Still having some trouble breathing she whispered with some difficulty, "Not. A. Word" She finished, a shaky albeit impish smile on her face. Claudia laughed out loud; glad to see her friend was feeling more like her old self. She encircled the lithe woman's frame with an arm and helped her to her feet. "Come on…Let's get you to bed" Claudia exclaimed as she led the writer inside. "Be still, my beating heart" Helena quipped dryly.
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Thanks again for taking the time to read.