[AN - So sorry about the longer wait! Work has been busy and we also just sort of had a blizzard, so I've been rather distracted.]

Chapter Nine

The agents packed their essential belongings into Myka's bag and bundled up for the cold. Although they had their hats, gloves, and coats, they weren't dressed properly enough for the brutal chill. The trek was going to be physically taxing, which would keep them warmer, but they didn't have any food to replenish the energy they'd be burning through. Helena had a half empty bottle of water left from the airport, but that was all.

Myka estimated that they were still about ten miles away from the gas station. On a good day, that would probably take about three hours to walk. Today, however, was not a good day. Today was an awful day full of problems, including a large accumulation of snow to hinder them. It would probably take at least five hours to get there in these conditions. The sun would be going down within the next hour, making the hike even more difficult and dangerous.

Myka was growing increasingly more worried as she continued to calculate and assess what they were dealing with. She decided that it was probably best to stop thinking about it for the moment. Unless she could wish up some miracle that melts away the snow and provides them with an easy way back to the cabin, they were kind of screwed and nothing was going to change by dwelling on it. Always a bit of an overthinker, Myka knew that not thinking about something was much easier said than done, so she thought up a diversion instead.

Putting her plan into action, Myka feigned a sigh and told Helena, "my sock slipped off my heel. I need to adjust it back into place, but you can keep walking and I'll catch up in a few seconds."

Helena nodded, appearing slightly confused. Myka knew it probably sounded a bit odd, but she needed Helena to keep walking ahead. After a few steps, Helena looked back as Myka was crouching down to the snow. Myka gave an awkward smile and continued to go about 'fixing her sock', when in reality, she was trying to make a snowball. She knew it was silly and juvenile, but Helena's experience with the snow was terrible thus far. If Myka was honest with herself, even she was beginning to feel a rising hatred for the snow that she usually loved so much. They both needed a moment of fun after the troublesome turn of events.

When Helena turned forward and kept trudging through the snow, Myka quickly scooped up some snow and patted it into the rough shape of a ball. Standing up and pulling her arm back to throw, Myka really hoped that her aim was on point. She wasn't let down when she let the snowball fly and it hit Helena square between the shoulders with a thump.

Helena turned around quickly with surprise to see the broad, childish grin on Myka's face as she laughed and threw another snowball. The second shot hit Helena's left shoulder, as she let out an incredulous, "Myka!"

Myka's laughter grew even more at the look on her partner's face. "You better run!" she shouted.

"Have you ever known me to run from a challenge?" Helena tossed back. "You may have started this war, but I shall prevail. Perhaps you should be the one running."

Myka launched another snowball that grazed Helena's arm as she tried to avoid it.

"If you want a chance at winning this, maybe you should at least try running your mouth a bit less," Myka snarked playfully.

"Oh, you are going to regret that," Helena threatened with a glint of mischief in her eyes as she dashed for the trees to take cover.

Myka sat her backpack on the ground and sought out her own place to take cover. Before she could find a suitable bunker, a snowball came flying from behind a tree, signalling the start of HG's assault.

"You're going to need much better aim than that!" Myka teased as she easily dodged the snowball. Moments later, a second snowball flew right into her thigh.

"Just warming up my throwing arm, darling!"

They maneuvered through the snow, hiding from tree to tree, trying to score as many shots as possible. Both very headstrong, neither woman wanted to submit to the other, but Myka knew they really needed to get back on track.

"Okay! Let's call for a peace treaty and get back on the road," Myka shouted across the trees.

"Is that an admission of surrender?"

"Not even! This was a great way to warm up, and a necessary stress reliever, but I don't think it's wise to prolong our time in this cold."

"Of course, I do agree," Helena conceded, stepping out from behind a large oak tree. "I suppose we'll just have to recommence this war with another battle at a more fit time."

Thinking that the issue was settled, Myka strode out into the open, making her way to the bag she sat by the road. As soon as her back was turned, she heard a mischievous laugh and a soft whir as one last snowball collided with her backside. I should have known better, Myka thought as she brushed the snow from her pants.

"Sorry, darling, I couldn't resist," Helena apologized without a hint of true remorse. Myka gave her a pointed look, followed by a traitorous smile as her partner caught up to her. She loved that Helena was having fun in the snow, even if it was at her own expense.

"Come on, you, we've got a ways to go and not nearly enough daylight to cover it." Myka leaned over to scoop up the backpack as she strolled past it. She stepped awkwardly on a rock beneath the snow and lost her footing. Right as Myka was about to fall, Helena reacted, reaching her hands to Myka's hips and pulling with enough strength to keep her upright. The sudden change in directional force, however, was enough to send Myka even more off balance. Her body collided with Helena's and they both fell backwards to the ground where the snow was deep enough to absorb the brunt of the impact.

"Darling," Helena began, short of breath from the collision, "I know you have previously asserted that I am an agent under you, but there are much more enjoyable ways to bring that to literal fruition."

"I see that our fall hasn't bruised your ego," Myka grunted.

"Well, of course not," Helena noted, "an ego cannot be physically harmed. It is a part of the psyche."

"That was supposed to be a joke."

"Oh, right! Not to worry dear, I understand your need to use humor to deflect our palpable sexual tension."

In that moment, Myka realized that her partner's hands were still holding firmly onto her hips. She was caught awkwardly between not wanting to move from their near embrace and not wanting to stay so close to the woman who made her lose control of herself.

"Can you give me a push back up to my feet? I can't move if you're going to keep holding my hips like that," Myka gulped.

"Perhaps I don't want you to move," Helena murmured from beneath her.

"Honestly, I'm not sure I want to move either, but we really really need to keep moving forward so we don't freeze to death," Myka replied frankly.

"Fair enough," Helena sighed, readjusting her hands and giving her partner a firm push on the bum. When Myka was upright, she turned and reached a hand down for Helena to use as leverage. She rose to her feet, invading Myka's space and not letting go of her hand. "I'm not sure I can trust you to walk safely without falling again, so I'll just be keeping a hold on this for good measure."

"Fair enough," Myka repeated her partner's words back to her. "Let's go."

Hand in hand, the agents returned to the road. Myka felt like a schoolgirl holding her crush's hand for the first time. It lifted her spirits and brought a goofy smile to her face. She was completely smitten and trying to hide it right now would take more energy than she had to spare.

The sun was going down and the windchill grew more bitter. The women leaned closer to each other without making the conscious decision to do so, hands still firmly linked together.

"Helena, I'm beginning to worry," Myka admitted, looking down at her feet as the snow crunched beneath her boots.

"Myka, my darling, you've been worrying since we left the cave. I've watched that worry grow bigger within you with each passing moment." Turning to look her partner straight in the eyes, Helena tried to offer comfort, but instead conveyed the concern that was hiding deep within her own eyes.

"It's going to be bad when the sun sets," Myka quavered. "We won't have much light from the moon tonight. Trying to navigate will be tricky and there are a lot of ledges along this road. I don't think it will be wise to walk through the night, even with our flashlights."

"I think we should begin seeking out shelter of some sort," Helena agreed. "Keep your eyes peeled for overhangs, caves, closely gathered trees, and right about anything else that may offer protection from the wind and falling snow."

Myka gripped her partner's hand tighter. She was usually one to take charge, but the events of the day were wearing at her nerves and it was a relief to have someone else step up and take the lead.