Chapter Nine Timing is Everything

"Know that love is truly timeless." Mary M. Ricksen


"Oh you deserve props, come here," Pete said doing a high-five, bump chest, and a pat on the back all in succession. He had tears in his eyes and was still laughing when Helena rounded the corner and stood there, glaring. Under normal circumstances, this look would have scared Pete – just a little.

"Mr. Lattimer!" Helena said with the tone of a middle school teacher.

Just then, the Farnsworth buzzed on the floor and caught their attention.

"That's gonna be for you," Pete said, wiping a tear from his eye. He simply could not control himself.

"Helena?" Myka called coming around the corner. She stopped in her tracks when she saw Pete and Claudia. Hands went into her pockets, eyes cast down momentarily while she collected herself. This was so embarrassing.

"Somebody should get that," Claudia said, biting her lip to stop the laughter bubbling inside from escaping. It was like trying not to laugh in church. She wouldn't dare look at Pete who had even less control.

Helena growled and picked up the Farnsworth and opened it to see Artie's nostrils flaring.

"Would you mind telling me what is going on down there?" Artie bellowed from the device.

"How the bloody hell would I know?" came the equally snarky response.

"Agent Wells! Would you care to share what it was that you were doing?" Artie asked out of patience.

Now usually the Brit had an answer for everything, but this time the circumstances of being discovered -by means of her own invention no less, had her a little off her mark. Even Pete saw the hesitation. He pointed up to the ceiling and tugged on his ear in an attempt to help out. HG finally got it.

"We were testing the whispering gallery devices," she finally said to Artie.

"Really? Are they operational now?" he asked getting side tracked.

"You can hear every word," Pete blurted out and then collapsed into the laughter he had been suppressing.

That was all Claudia needed, and she let go of her cries of hilarity, too. Myka just covered her face, moaned out loud, and slid down onto the floor.

Artie had no idea what was transpiring and HG's answer sounded plausible, but didn't explain why the two of them went racing off in separate cars to the Warehouse.

"What Agent Lattimer means…..," HG started to say, but realized she didn't want to share that.

"Come again, Agent Wells?" he asked calmly into the device.

Pete and Claudia lost it – they held onto each other as they let loose everything they found funny about that question.

"I cannot begin to explain Pete nor Claudia's behavior," HG said stalling.

"Do you think you could all manage to come back up here?" Artie said slamming the Farnsworth closed.


No one said a word. In those few moments it took to get back, Pete and Claudia managed to regain composure long enough to follow HG and Myka. Myka was mortified, but grateful that not everyone knew what was going on. The trip to the office could not go fast enough and she swore she could hear her friends giggling behind her.

"Uhm ladies," Pete said as he followed them up the stairs.

"Now what is it, Pete? One more joke before we go in? One more innuendo to embarrass me?" Myka said exasperated.

"Gee no, Mykes. I was just going to point out that you're both wearing the same pair of boots," he said honestly.

Myka's head shot down –in her haste, she had put on one of HG's and one of her own. Helena had grabbed the opposite pair.

"Oh for bloody sake," Myka yelled as she undid one boot and gave it to HG. They swapped shoes and walked into the office. Artie couldn't imagine what was keeping them and stared at them when they made their appearance.


"Now would someone tell me what we're all doing back here?" he asked looking at anyone for an answer.

Myka detested the silence. It weighed on her more than the others and she caved first. "Helena and I had words and I followed her back here to talk about it," Myka explained.

"Isn't that exactly how we started this day?" Artie pointed out sharply. "And while you were here, you decided to check the whispering gallery devices?" he asked HG.

"That was an ingenious device," Pete said biting his lip. "Top notch, HG." He bit down on his knuckle to contain the laugh.

Artie didn't wait for Helena's response. He had heard enough. "OK you two can wait here," he said to HG and Myka. "Let's go," he said jerking his head to the others.

"But….," Pete said because he had just thought up several more lines.

"Do you want to be here when Mrs. Frederic returns?" Artie asked, and Claudia and Pete raced for the door.

"She was going to meet us at the house, but then you two took a detour back here, so she's on her way," Artie said.

"What's to discuss when someone has you doing nothing?" HG said out loud.

"What makes you think it's going to be a discussion?" Artie asked. He started toward the door and then turned back.

"We're not done here by the way," he said and only Myka found that upsetting.


"What does that mean?" Myka asked after he left.

"What does what mean?" HG asked looking at the computer. Perhaps she could just get some data from the system while she was waiting.

"What Artie said – we're not done here by the way – what did that mean?" Myka worried.

"No idea, nor do I care," HG said honestly as she pressed keys to access a database that would give her readings of what happened in the Personnel Quarter Archive.

"I wish I had your endurance for trouble," Myka said sitting next to HG.

"Try getting in some once in a while," HG teased.

"Hey, I get in trouble. I'm in it now," Myka said trying to watch what HG was doing at the computer.

"Yes, you are Agent Bering," Mrs. Frederic said and only Myka jumped, "Although your record is nowhere near that of Agent Wells," she added. Helena didn't flinch. Nerves of steel, Myka thought when she noticed.

"Did my definition of nothing escape you, Agent Wells?" the Sage asked.

"No Mrs. Frederic," HG said.

"Agent Wells, I am not in the habit of handing out consequences for infractions that won't give my agents an opportunity to learn something from them," the older woman said.

"Mrs. Frederic, you must understand the magnitude of the issue we are dealing with. We both believe we traveled through time – and we must explore the event ….," HG tried again.

"Oh I do understand perfectly. It is not that you want to do it that I have trouble with Agent Wells. No, it is the way you are going about it," Mrs. Frederic said and her words sounded very familiar to Helena.

Myka noticed the similarity in them to her own, but wasn't sure she was comforted by that fact.

"Why is everyone so concerned with bloody protocol?" HG said exasperated.

It was the wrong question and Myka cringed when she saw the expression on her boss' face. In true fight or flight fashion, she didn't know if she wanted to step in between and protect HG, or grab her and run. She did neither – but said;

"Mrs. Frederic, think about this from Helena's perspective for a moment, please. She spent years trying to discover if time travel was possible, and came closer than anyone we know. To rekindle that hope again today was amazing. You can understand why she's pressing to follow through, yes?" Myka said calmly.

"Thank you Agent Bering, for the insightful albeit unsolicited analysis," Mrs. Frederic said without expression. Myka took a step back.

"She is being a team player, something we encourage around here, no?" HG asked because no one made Myka uncomfortable in her book.

"Let me take a few minutes that I actually do not have to explain to you both what I am doing, even though it should be perfectly clear," Mrs. Frederic said and sat down.

Now Myka was really worried. Story time with the Sage was bound to be unpleasant.

"Let's say one day there is a ping, and the signal comes in from New York. Thousands of lives are at stake, and we are a plane ride away from helping them. There's an artifact involved and the other agencies need our help. We need every available agent. Artie orders the team to New York and off they go. All except one, because she is on the threshold of a breakthrough. She believes she is about to discover that she could get to New York ahead of the rest of the team. She proceeds and gets there, but because she is one person, she is unable to get the artifact. She dies with the other innocent citizens. The other scenario is that while she is here still trying to figure it out, the team arrives in New York, but because they are one person short, they fail in their mission, and innocent lives are lost," Mrs. Frederic relayed and then asked, "Do you see my point?"

Myka listened intently, but the Inventor was a step ahead, as usual.

"Or there is another scenario! She travels forward in time to New York ahead of the team, locates the artifact, and saves them valuable time so that when they get there, they get the device and save everyone," HG said because she felt the Sage was making up the story to suit her point.

Unfortunately, Helena had missed the point.

Myka could tell immediately what had happened. She involuntarily shook her head at Helena, but it was too late.

"Agent Wells, the team was ordered to go," Mrs. Frederic said giving Helena the correct answer.

"Oh, yes," HG said slowly realizing she had missed the point. She got it now.

"I would like you to write up your report for me about this event. I will review it with the Regents and we will make the decision about if and when you can commence your work. Is that understood Agent Wells?" her boss asked.

"Yes ma'am," Helena said.

Myka smiled because she felt there was hope that HG could get the approval to work on this.

"And do you know what happens after you give me that report?" Mrs. Frederic asked.

Helena was afraid of giving an incorrect answer and so she said something she rarely said in life – ever.

"No, I don't."

"Nothing - Agent Wells, you do nothing," Mrs. Frederic reminded her as she took her leave, but not before waving her hand at the computer and shutting it down.


Helena waited until she was out of earshot before she complained – "Bloody nothing."

"Helena, look on the bright side. She's asked for your report and she'll bring it to the Regents. They'll support you Helena," Myka said positively.

"Yes I know they will," HG said confidently because in her mind, who wouldn't support a brilliant scientist working on such an incredible phenomenon. "The question is how long will they take?"

"Some things just cannot be rushed," Myka said moving alongside HG.

"Oh yes," Helena said getting Myka's drift. "I believe I just demonstrated that I learned that lesson well. Of course, if you had explained that to me this morning …..," HG said smiling.

"You wouldn't have listened," Myka teased back.

"Are you impugning my integrity, Agent Bering?" Helena feigned annoyance.

"No of course not, Helena," Myka assured her, "I just know you."

"Indeed," HG smiled, falling into Myka's warm embrace.

"Well, let's head back to the B&B. You have a long night of – nothing ahead of you," Myka said walking to the door first.

"Well, perhaps not 'nothing'," HG said slowly - and then looked around to make sure she was alone.


The issue of time travel elongated this story line and complicated things a bit.
If you think I have not used it properly, I hope you will post your ideas.
Many thanks to Xenite who kindly offered her insights in my most confusing moments.