Myka's jaw dropped when they pulled up outside the modern mansion. The architecture was extraordinary. The building was the perfect marriage between modern, glass and metal, and Victorian, marble and white brick. "What on earth? HG, who is this woman?"
Helena was equally awed by the building as they drove along the white stoned road leading up to the house, "She is a very old friend."
A black Porsche 911 GT sat in the driveway outside an impressive set of garages. Helena chuckled, "I imagine those garages to be brimming with automobiles- Elizabeth adored engines and especially motorcars."
Getting out of the car, the young Elizabeth came to greet them, "Helena, I thought it best not to tell her you were coming. The way she has been recently a pleasant surprise would do her some good."
The Agent grinned slightly, "I would often appear at her door unannounced, I do not think it would do to alter that tradition."
Walking through the vast halls, Helena's ears detected the familiar notes of piano music drifting through the halls. Closing her eyes she could almost imagine she was back in her own time. The music abruptly stopped; followed by a light, but rapid footsteps on the floor above them.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes, "I didn't think I would be able to keep this under wraps for long."
Her friend appeared at the end of the corridor. Helena could not stop a choking sob, "Elizabeth!"
The other woman let a soft smile tilt the corners of her lips, "Helena."
Elizabeth stood about a head taller than Helena, and so wrapped the smaller woman easily into a protective embrace.
Stepping back, HG looked at her friend in wonder, "You haven't aged a day."
A small shadow of melancholy danced behind the older woman's eyes, "I'll explain later, I promise." Myka almost had to stop herself from staring; she had never seen eyes as vivid as the ones who had turned to study her. "You must be Agent Bering."
Nodding, she held out her hand, "Myka, it's a pleasure to meet you."
The other woman's eyes flicked for less than a second between the two agents and a look of knowing graced her features, "Excellent." She raised an eyebrow at her granddaughter, "Liz, you didn't tell me we had guests."
The young woman shrugged, "You seemed to need something to cheer you up."
Touching Liz's cheek Elizabeth smiled, "Darling you worry too much." Her tone lightened, "That is my job."
Having never left contact with Helena, Elizabeth gripped her wrist encouragingly, "It is so good to see you Helena."
Taking in her friend's manner of dress Helena was taken aback, "You really have embraced this century."
Looking down on her fitted jeans and designer shirt, Elizabeth shrugged elegantly, "I have learnt to embrace any century."
In the drawing room, Myka sat with Helena and Elizabeth, cradling a glass of brandy. Elizabeth's eyes turned to her, "So Myka, how has working for the Warehouse been for you?"
Taking a moment to consider Myka smiled softly, "The only word I can think of to describe it is mad. But in the most wonderful sense of the word; I never know what is coming around the corner, what new challenges I will face. But there that also brings its downsides. I've had more brushes with death than I can count, you can never know what to expect with this job. But I love it- I wouldn't trade it for the world."
The older woman's lip quirked into a ghost of a smile, "Well said."
Sipping her brandy, Helena sighed contentedly, "Thank the Gods this hasn't changed much."
Elizabeth chuckled, "Darling, where would I be without a decent tipple?"
"Probably giving some poor merchant a roasting, for selling you a sub-standard product."
Raising her glass, the older woman nodded, "Exactement, mon ami."
Myka leant forward, "You speak French?"
"I speak most known languages." Sipping her brandy, Elizabeth looked over the curved rim of the glass, "Taking the long path through the centuries does tend to leave one with more spare time than one knows what to do with."
"So what do you do in your spare time?"
Elizabeth's eyes came to Myka again, "Oh a multitude of things. Whatever I can get my hands on really. I have done most things, from kempo to cross-stitching."
Myka glanced to HG, "Helena does Kempo. Did you practice together?" It was still strange to the younger agent, to think she sat with a woman who by all accounts was older than Helena, and yet without the aid of bronze sat appearing not a day over thirty.
HG placed a hand on Myka's knee, "Elizabeth taught me Kempo."
"Yes, you were thirteen and wouldn't cease your constant badgering until I agreed to teach you."
Myka laughed, the image of the younger Helena pestering the older woman warmed her heart, "So, you've always had that talent then!"
The inventor curved an ebony eyebrow, "Talent? For what?"
The agent smiled, "Being able to bug your way into getting what you want."
"I am quite sure I have no idea to what you are referring darling."
It was then Elizabeth's turn to raise an eyebrow, "And that time I found you tinkering with the muskets in the armoury, and you somehow managed to talk me out of scolding you?"
A sweet innocent smile spread over HG's lips, "Well, I simply thought I could adapt them."
"To what ends? They were from the English civil war! I doubt they would be able to shoot at point blank range, unless thoroughly cleaned and prepped."
When the previous sentence caught up with Myka, she stammered, "You have an armoury?"
"On the estate yes. The old house was a Norman castle I converted." Looking slightly embarrassed, Elizabeth explained, "Money is something one accumulates over time, and by taking on projects I am able to throw my mind into it so as to avoid boredom."
Helena nodded, "My boredom can cause discord; yours is often nigh apocalyptic!"
"I don't think it is that bad darling!"
Myka looked around, "So where is Liz going, she mentioned that she was leaving?"
"She is being flown out to Kenya. When not working on Warehouse matters she is a professor of History at Cambridge. But she is currently doing a study of the history of the Massai."
Helena leant forward, "How fascinating, does she plan to publish."
"Among her other works, yes." Elizabeth placed her empty glass down, "I am so proud of the girl."
Helena asked carefully, "When did you have another child?"
"1959, a girl my Grace." Looking at the clock, she sighed, "Well ladies, I hate be a poor hostess, but I must away to bed."
Myka looked at her watch, the dial read 3.30am. Her eyes widened, "I didn't realise it was so late!"
"You needn't worry darling, our flight is not until eleven thirty tomorrow... well this evening."
It was still dark outside when the haunting notes of Elizabeth's quiet playing roused her from her sleep. Myka was curled into her side, one arm draped protectively over the inventor's torso. As Helena tried to untangle herself as gently as possible, Myka stirred, "What time is it?"
"Half four darling, go back to sleep." Helena kissed her forehead, "I need to go and speak to Elizabeth."
Looking up Myka seemed hesitant, "Helena..." She paused, looking uncomfortable she cautiously asked, "Were you two...?"
Leaving the rest of the question unasked she saw Helena register the meaning, "No darling. We were never lovers, Elizabeth was... is a dear friend. I do love her, but not in that context, she was my protector. More like a mother figure than a lover." She held Myka closer a moment, "Elizabeth was with me when I first learned of Christina's death and in the weeks that followed- when I was at my most vulnerable- she protected me from the world with such ferocity..." Helena sighed, "She knew my pain, and she did not want me to suffer as she had."
Myka frowned, "She lost a child?"
Helena nodded, "Her daughter Mellissa. She never did tell me what happened, but Elizabeth has always played her cards impossibly close to her chest." Planting kiss on Myka's cheek she stood, "Hopefully she will tip her hand this evening."
"I have the strangest feeling of déjà vu." Elizabeth looked around to Helena, "Well, are you coming in?"
Nodding Helena took the seat beside Elizabeth. "You said you would explain."
Sighing, the older woman replied, "That I did." Standing Elizabeth wandered over to the cabinet in the corner, opening it she withdrew a decanter of whiskey and two tumblers, "You may need this by the time we are finished."