AN: I'm keeping it fluffy for a while longer. I like fluff. Hope you're liking it and thanks for the reviews! I've been trying to keep everyone in character even if they're not exactly the same people, if you feel like I haven't succeeded please let me know.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 3: Words with Friends
Helena runs around the building complex that makes up the faculty residence, the parking lot to her left and a thin stretch of grass to her right. It's early on a Sunday and not a lot of people are around. She'd spent most of Saturday getting new furniture for her apartment and setting up a lab. She'd talked to Leena before coming and had managed to get one of the bigger apartments so she'd have room for her various bookcases and a small, basic lab. Claudia had helped her set up, she'd brought Steve to help with the heavy lifting, and they got pizza and beer. Claudia even had the forethought of getting some porter for her from a beer importer. It had been quite a nice day.
She's running her final lap when she stumbles upon Pete bent over the open hood of his car, cursing loudly. Helena stops and looks amusedly at the man. "May I be of assistance, Peter?"
Pete removes himself from under his hood and cleans his hands on a rag, squinting at Helena and waving halfheartedly. "HG… Do you know anything about cars?"
Helena chuckles. "I built a robot that is currently roaming around Mars, I think I can make a simple combustion engine work."
"Alright" He steps back, allowing Helena space in front of the car. "It won't start but I can't find what's wrong with it."
Helena steps up to the car and starts moving parts around. She works in silence for a while, with only the sound of metal being jingled around between them. "Huh, I seem to have found the problem. Do you have a wrench?"
Pete appears to be deep in thought, he's looking at his shoes and slowly scratching his chin. He looks up when Helena speaks. "What?"
"A wrench? Do you have one, Peter?" she says, her voice a mixture of confusion and amusement.
"Oh yeah, sure." Pete goes to the other side of the car and opens the trunk. He takes a toolbox out and takes it to the front, he crouches down to take the wrench out and hand it to Helena. The Brit goes back to trying to fix the car but stops after a minute with a sigh. "Is there something you would like to share with the class, Peter?"
"Huh?" Pete hasn't moved from the spot, crouching next to the toolbox.
Helena sighs again and puts the wrench aside. She can see Pete is struggling with something but she's really not good at dealing with other people's feelings. "Do you want to tell me something? You seem to be thinking really hard down there."
Pete finally looks up at Helena and stands up, wiping his hands on his jeans. "I don't know how much Myka told you about me but I'm sort of like her big brother. I mean, we're all kinda like a family here and we take care of each other."
Helena doesn't understand what Pete is trying to say but from his rambling she can tell it's going to take a while so she sits down on the sidewalk. "What I'm trying to say is that I love Myka…" Helena raises an eyebrow at him and he hurriedly clarifies. "In a brotherly sort of way. And I wouldn't want anything to happen to her."
"I wouldn't want anything to happen to her either, Mr. Lattimer." Helena starts to get worried that something might be wrong with Myka. "Is everything okay with Myka?"
Pete notices the concern in Helena's voice and his mouth curls up. "Mykes is good." He starts pacing in front of Helena and gesticulates wildly. "That's the thing. She's really good right now and it took her a while to get to where she is, emotionally and professionally. But she's too trusting, she thinks that there's good in everyone and she admires you so she kinda has a blind spot for you and I'm worried."
"You're worried?" Helena is extremely confused by Pete's rant. "I am! And I know I don't really know you HG so I don't have all the information, but I know Myka and when she told me about your date last Friday and how you said you were taking her on a real date next week, she looked hopeful. And I haven't since hopeful Myka in a really long time."
Helena looks up at him confusedly. "You're worried because Myka is hopeful about our relationship?"
"I'm just worried that she's getting her hopes up only to be disappointed." Helena sighs at this. She can see why Pete is telling her this. She's a little bit annoyed about having to justify herself to this man, but she's glad Myka has someone who cares about her enough to do this.
Helena stands in front of Pete and squares her shoulders. "Peter, I don't really know if this thing with Myka is going to go anywhere. We just met; we've been on one date."
Pete opens his mouth to say something but Helena raises his hand to stop him. "Still, in the short time I have had the pleasure to know her I have come to be hopeful as well. I like her a lot; she's one of the most amazing people I have met in my entire life. She's genuine and funny and breathtakingly gorgeous. And maybe in a week or a month or a year, she'll get fed up with me but I will not waste the opportunity to get to know her and be with her for as long as she allows me to."
Pete is leaning on the car and Helena leans next to him and crosses her arms across her chest. "I don't know what's going to happen and I can't promise I won't disappoint her. But I can promise to try to be the best for her. I would never knowingly hurt her."
They stay next to each other without saying anything for a while. Pete thinking about what Helena said and Helena thinking about Myka's little family. The previous day, she had realized that Claudia and Steve admired and respected Myka deeply. Pete's overprotectiveness demonstrates that he cares a great deal about her too.
After a while, Pete bumps Helena's shoulder. "Are you gonna fix my car or what?" Helena laughs heartily, picks up the wrench and bends over the engine again.
"Myka! Come on, we've been to five stores already. My feet hurt, I'm hungry, and I can't go back into a changing room, they're too small and stuffy. Can't I just wear a pair of jeans and a t-shirt?" Claudia whines and stomps her feet as she follows Myka around the mall.
"No, Claudia, you can't wear jeans and a t-shirt to a symposium where you're the keynote speaker." She walks into a store and turns around to face the young redhead. "I promise this is the last store and I'll take you to that burger place you like when we're done."
"Fine!" Claudia throws her arms up and walks into the store and waits for Myka to pick some items for her. They walk back to the dressing room area where Claudia goes in to change while Myka sits outside waiting for her to come out.
"I hear you have a hot date next week." Claudia calls from the other side of the door.
Myka smiles at the mention of her date with Helena. "Oh yeah? Where did you hear this?"
"HG told me. I helped her move some stuff into her apartment yesterday." She comes out wearing black pants and a white shirt and stomps over to the mirrors in front of Myka. "She wanted to know if there were any nice places around that you might like."
Myka hands a black vest for Claudia to try on over the shirt. "Really? And what did you tell her?"
Claudia adjusts the vest and turns to look at it from different angles. "Oh no, I'm not ruining the surprise. HG would kill me." She steps into the low shoes Myka has set out for her and smiles. "I think we have a winner!"
Claudia takes a bite from her burger and moans appreciatively. "These are the best burgers in the whole world."
Myka toys with the salad, occasionally taking a bite. "Did she say anything else about me?" She tries to sound nonchalant but she's pointedly avoiding Claudia's gaze. Claudia smiles and shakes her head. "Did who say anything else about you?"
Myka gives Claudia her best you-know-what-I'm-talking-about look. "Helena. Did she mention me yesterday besides asking about places for our date?"
"She might've said something." Claudia eats her fries and musters up her most innocent look. Myka glares at her and follows the fries going from the plate to her mouth. "Claudia!"
Claudia flinches and smiles. "I don't know, Mykes. HG probably wouldn't be too happy with me if I just told you what she said."
Myka all but pouts. "Come on, Claud, you don't have to tell me anything specific, just, you know, the general idea."
Claudia narrows her eyes and looks at her. "Okay, the general idea." She goes back to her fries. "Well…" she says between bites. "She really likes you."
Myka smiles, she knew she just had to start Claudia talking and then she wouldn't stop. "She does?"
"Oh god, yes. It was nauseating. 'Have you noticed how cute Myka looks when she blushes?'" She says in the worst possible British accent. "Who would've thought the great HG Wells was such a softy." Claudia looks at Myka. She's smiling widely and a faint blush colors her cheeks. Claudia smirks "You like her a lot too, don't you?"
Myka's blush deepens. "I wouldn't say a lot, I mean, we've only been on one date. And what is a lot? I would say I like you a lot. And yes, she's brilliant and intriguing and oh so incredibly hot and of course I like her but not a lot lot."
Claudia laughs. "Man, you've got it bad." She ducks as Myka reaches out and throws one of her fries at her.
"Mykes?" Myka looks at Claudia and she suddenly looks really serious. "I really like HG and I'm sure she has the best intentions but, I was here when the whole Sam thing happened, I don't want to see you get hurt again."
Myka reaches for Claudia's hand and squeezes it. "I appreciate it, Claud, I really do but I have to take a chance at some point. And I think Helena is the right person to do it with."
Claudia bites her burger and mumbles with her mouth full. "I hope you're right."
