A/N: This story is gonna pick up soon and have lots of Bering Wells fluff and fun, but getting them together is gonna take some building up. There will be fun times I promise, lots of cute stuff, so please read this chapter knowing that wonderful things will be happening very soon. All mistakes are mine... my bad.
Also, this is set in a different time. I wanted to keep the year open because I am playing around with how the women are treated in this universe and stuff. I didn't want to put an absolute date on there just yet and be wrong historically. Maybe in future chapters I'll mention it, but just know that this takes place in a time where women are thought of as property. (that's not so important but just letting you know)
Enjoy! :)
Myka woke up earlier than usual and situated herself at her desk. She looked at her desk proudly. It had taken a long time to convince her father that she would have use for it and she did. She had also worked tirelessly to convince her parents to allow her to go to University, but they settled on home tutors since not many women were enrolled in classes with the men.
She brought pen to paper and crafted a letter to her family; saying goodbye, saying how much she loved them, but that this wasn't her world and she needed to go. She needed to free herself from this world that had become more of a prison to her, she needed to find out who she really was. After the letter was complete, she sealed it in an envelope and propped it up on her desk.
She ran outside quickly, before anyone else was awake, but bumped into one of the maids who had practically raised her. "Where are you off to so early miss?"
"Just putting my book bag under the tree so I can head out there after my lessons." Myka smiled innocently before taking off.
When she got outside, she walked to the far end of the property and tossed her pack over the gate where no one would be able to see it, then she headed back inside to continue her day as normally as possible.
Myka sat in her History lesson and couldn't stop looking at the time. Her days would usually fly by so fast and she would just pray for time to stop completely, but it seemed that now she had a plan; something she wanted to do, the ticking of the clock had ceased and all she wanted was for it to move quicker.
"Is there somewhere you need to be?" Her tutors voice drew her gaze away from the grandfather clock sitting in the corner. She shook her head.
"No maam." She decided to just let it be and concentrate on what was happening, then perhaps the day would fly by as it used to.
She went from one lesson to the next, relaxing more with each passing hour. Finally her last lesson had arrived. "Artie!" She ran to the piano and sat down. This was something she would miss most of all about this life; this man who had become a father figure to her, brought her under his wing. She cherished every minute of her piano lesson, putting everything into it that she had and played some of the most beautiful music Arthur had ever heard.
"Myka are you okay?" He asked, lowering his glasses a little to show his concern.
"I'm okay. Why do you ask?" Her fingers halted on the keys as she turned to her teacher.
"No reason. If you say you're okay, I belive you." He didn't really believe her, but let it go and kept a cautious eye on her. As much as he was a father figure to her, she was a daughter to him, and he always made sure she was well taken care of.
...
Artie was leaving the Bering estate and Myka followed him, keeping a good distance between them. She collected her book bag and continued to follow him, looking over her shoulder at the house before turning down the dirt road and walking away from Willow Tree.
They walked for a few minutes, Artie never knew she was there. As she walked, Myka saw the little rabbit she had spoken to the other day and mouthed 'I told you.' She watched as the rabbit seemed to huff and hop away. When she looked back to the trail she had been following Artie on, he was gone.
In a slight panic, Myka picked up her pace, her grip tightening on her book bag. She was so desperate, she almost called out for him, but if she did he would make her return home. Suddenly she felt a pressure on her foot and she fell, face first, lightly knocking her head on the ground. Myka looked toward her feet and saw them tangled in a mess of roots. She kicked them away, struggling slightly, but eventually freed herself and got back up.
The fall left her a little disoriented, she shook her head and looked around; suddenly the trees blurred together but as she found her footing she was able to fight through the dizziness and follow a path, but this one she was uncertain of. She only hoped that wherever it lead, wasn't where she had just come from.
She felt as though she had been walking for miles, and she very well could have been; her feet were tired, she was thirsty, but at least her vision had cleared up. A separation of the path caused her to stop, she contemplated which way she should go. She looked to the left and then to the right, she felt a pull to the one on the left and even though she had no idea why she felt more inclined to, she went that way.
"What?" She breathed out, her eyes opened wide in awe as she took in the sight before her. "How has no one found this?" She whispered to herself. In the middle of the woods, there was a big building, a warehouse that was unmarked by names or numbers; it was just a big building, a little run down and rusty. She picked up her pace, still shocked that this could exist here... in her woods.
Myka knocked on the door a little and it creaked open, welcoming her. She slowly pushed it open just enough to be able to squeeze through, then she shut it. It was dark, but a little ways in front of her she saw a dim light and walked toward it. When she got to the light she saw it was a window and she gasped looking out of it; there was a small field, green and lush and bright, as though it were outside and not in an old danky warehouse. She quickly opened the window and jumped out, making her way through the impossibly bright green grass. There were butterflies, and ladybugs, small critters roaming around.
In the middle of a field, there was a well. "Water." Myka ran over to the well and lowered the bucket, she made sure some water got inside and pulled it up quickly, completely parched. When she got the bucket to balance on the edge of the well, she leaned forward to scoop some into her hands.
"What are you doing here!?" A voice boomed loudly, echoing through the enclosed field. "How did you get in here!?"
Myka heard the mysterious voice's footsteps descending a flight of metal stairs. She looked up and saw more windows, 'there's an upstairs' she thought. "I'm sorry." She called out, not knowing where this person was. "I just got turned around in the woods. It... it was an accident."
"No one can find this place if their looking for it, let alone by accident. How. Did. You. Get. In. Here.?"
"I just knocked and the door opened up." Myka was now face to face with a girl, she noted the hooded eyes, fiery red hair, but mostly she took in how young she actually was, and also how much older she appeared to act. "I promise it was an accident, I'll just go. I'm sorry." Myka backed away from the well and the stranger saw the small bucket sitting there, wet from being lowered.
"Did you drink from the well!?"
"No." Myka took a few steps toward the only obvious exit, but the girl countered every step.
"You can't leave." Her voice was dripping with something more than anger and cautiousness, Myka almost thought it was filled with fear.
"What!?" Myka tried to bolt, but the girl gripped her arm tightly.
"Stop! You can't leave. You drank from the well!"
"You're crazy! I didn't!" Myka shrugged the girl away, but fell to the ground screaming when a sharp edge slid across her arm. She held her bleeding arm and looked at the girl who's eyes were now wider with complete shock and true fear as she tucked the knife away. "What is wrong with you!? I'm leaving and I'm telling my father! We own these woods, you shouldn't even be here." Myka turned and the young girl tackled her!
"Wait! You really can't leave now! I didn't know who you were, I didn't mean to do that!" They struggled on the floor for a few minutes, rolling over each other, stumbling and falling over and over again and shouting 'stop, you can't leave, let me go' until a set of hands were on each girl, pulling them apart.
"What is going on here?" A calm, older voice asked. It was calm but effective, as the red head instantly stopped fighting the young man holding onto her shoulders.
"Mrs. Fredric."
"Claudia. What is the meaning of this?" Myka made eye contact with the older woman who offered a smile and put her hand up, and suddenly, there were no hands on her anymore. Myka was shaking, she didn't even look to see who had been behind her, but suddenly that person was putting a blanket over her shoulders. "Please take her to the other room while Ms. Donovan and I have a little chat."
The stranger behind Myka had now moved to her side. "May I?" A beautifully accented voice asked. Myka looked over and saw that this young woman had her arm extended as to welcome her into her embrace.
"Sure." Myka nodded and stepped into the safety of this woman's side.
They walked up a flight of stairs and Myka was lead to sit on an old couch. The woman left her side for a moment and returned with a bowl of warm water and some towels. She leaned down in front of her, pulling Myka's arm out of the blanket. "I'm Helena." Myka looked into her eyes, dark brown and yet so light and welcoming compared to the other girl. There was something in them, they looked so wise; as though they had seen many amazing things.
"Myka."
"That's a beautiful name. May I clean out your wound?"
"Yes." Myka answered automatically, putting her hand out. She was used to having people do things for her and even though she had always fought to be independent, she couldn't fight the natural reaction of expecting help. Myka stayed quiet for a moment, watching Helena tend to her cut with such a soft and gentle touch. "What's gonna happen to me?" Suddenly brown eyes were boring into her own hazel ones.
"I think you'll be fine. It's Claudia who should be worried." She looked back down at Myka's arm. "You'll have to forgive her, she's very young and she was just frightened."
Myka scoffed, but her eyes that were filled with anger toward the young girl, softened when the British woman kneeling in front of her reached out and held her hand in support. "It's fine." Myka looked away and Helena finished cleaning her up, wrapping a cloth around the wound.
"Should be good as new in no time."
"Will I be able to leave?"
"It depends on Mrs. Fredric really. Whatever Claudia tells her will determine your verdict, but don't worry, you're safe here." Helena looked at the bandaged arm. "Well, your safer now that Claudia's getting a nice, long lecture."
"I told her that I'd tell my father. I was scared... I won't tell him I promise."
"Why would you telling your father scare Claudia so much that she'd tackle and fight you?"
"Because we... we own the woods..."
Suddenly, the Brit's demeanor changed. Her eyes darkened immediately and she backed away defensively. "You... you're a Bering?"
"Yes... Myka Bering. Why?"
Helena didn't say it out loud, but everyone knew that she loathed the Berings. She remembered the many conversations with Irene, debates really. Why the old sage defended that family name, she would never understand. She was about to retreat when the rest of the group joined them in the room.
"Ms. Bering." Irene addressed the young woman on the couch. "Claudia here told me everything that happened. It appears that we have some things to discuss."
Myka looked at the girl Claudia who had found safety behind Helena, she took in the few other people's faces and nodded, she was now and with good reason, concerned for her safety now that the name she happened to carry had come with a stained reputation among these people.
So... sorry if this chapter was way way too slow... It'll pick up in a couple chapters I swear! Please stick with it and I promise some fun Bering Wells ahead. Just getting the story going here. The next chapter will have an intense (i think) and fun little Bering and Wells moment in the bedroom. lol.
Thank you so much for reading this. Please review and comment. I'd love to hear what you guys think. XO
