Title: Three Words that Halted the World
Chapter: 10
Rating: M
Pairings: Bering and Wells, Cleena, so the other pairing shouldn't be plot ruining now but you know incase people are being all "Not reading till you're done" I am still leaving it out *eyeballs a few people*
Summary: Set in The Path We Walk verse (Warehouse 13 with CSI), Heather has become a H.G.'s permanent therapist and one of her closest friends. Naturally, after the dust settles from artifact induced confessions of love, there are things to worked out, namely, are Myka and H.G. actually dating, or was it all just the fault of the artifact, and if they are what does that mean for them?
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended. All use of preexisting characters are covered under the Fair Use bit of copyright.
Authors Note: Long chapter ahead, at least long for me. Lots of fun plot points happening here, hopefully I have managed to appease everyone in the process.
Muddling through the emotions the next day, Helena realized she wasn't happy with her choices, to which the snarky part of her brain threw up a sign saying "You don't say". She had told Heather it was just sex added to their friendship, right? Groaning she fell back on the bed, her hair poofing out in a fan over her pillow. Sleep had done wonders to clear her mind from the emotional fog, but even in the light of a new day and wielding logic as her weapon it was still like fighting a battle up hill in the snow.
Sighing and rubbing the palms of her hands into her eyes until little stars danced around in the blackness, Helena let her thoughts run rampant. She had lied, oh how she had lied. It was so much more than just sex. Her heart had ached for Heather in the same ways it ached for Myka, and when she finally realized the existence of those feelings, her heart was having none of games that happened with Myka. And if she was honest, letting her heart take the reins led her down a path were she lied to Heather, lied about wanting a relationship with her. But Heather seemed fine with returning the feelings, as long as it was a solid relationship, cementing Helena into her choice. Right up until Lindsey called. Then more lies poured from her mouth like a river, that she would be fine with Heather going, lie; that it was for Lindsey that she was willing to give up, partial truths laced with lies; that she wanted Heather to leave earlier, lie. Lie after lie in her attempt to be noble for Heather and in part for Lindsey, someone she didn't even know. She was willing to put everything on hold for Lindsey, because if Christina was alive and needed her she would expect the same from Heather, but it hurt. But then the logical side tried to argue that Lindsey wasn't the same as Christina, not really. Lindsey was Catherine's daughter, why was she letting her come between her and Heather? Because Heather wanted to be there for Lindsey. Because Heather, despite whatever hurt Catherine had caused, would still move heaven and earth for Lindsey. But Helena wasn't ready to give up, not really. She looked at the cell phone charging on the night stand and her fingers itched to pick it up and call Heather. To tell her that she had made a mistake. That she wanted to go to Vegas with her, or that she wanted Heather to come back as soon as she could, regardless of what Lindsey needed. But she didn't. Instead she stared at the phone like it was a vicious dog that was going to bite if she moved until her eyes closed again.
The clock hanging on the opposite wall let her know it was early in the afternoon when she finally woke up again, but the waking up was not by choice. Something had stirred her from sleep but looking around and listening she couldn't figure it out.
That was until a fist pounded on her door followed by Claudia informing her, "Dude, you have till I count to 10 before I pick this lock to make sure you're not dead."
"I'm very much alive Ms. Donovan." Helena said, sliding out of the bed and pulling a robe on that was hanging on the back of her door. She opened the door and was almost pushed to the floor when Claudia pushed in. "Yes, please come in Ms. Donovan. And I know I have informed you many times, but I am not a "dude"."
Claudia rolled her eyes. "Whatever. You are really okay?" She said, grabbing Helena's arms and spinning her around.
"Well, I was until you did that. Now I fear I may be ill from sudden motion." Helena said, stumbling to her bed to sit down. "Why the concern?"
"No one's seen you since Heather left two days ago. We were starting to worry." Claudia said, bouncing as she sat down on the bed.
"Two days ago?" Helena asked. That couldn't be right.
Claudia nodded. "Yea, don't you remember?"
"I suppose I have slept for the past two days then." Helena muttered, her thoughts vocalized.
"Heather is coming back right?"
"I was under the impression that you didn't care for her." Helena said, her eye brows raised.
"It's really nothing against Heather. Shrinks just give me the hebejevies. You spend some much time being told your crazy when you're not and that job title strikes a not fun note." Claudia explained, before bouncing off the bed and pulling Helena up. "Get dressed. We are going to go have fun times and stuff."
Helena laughed before complying with Claudia's demands.
Walking down the stairs she was met with not only Claudia dressed and bouncing around, but with Steve, Leena, and Pete all waiting for her. Apparently they were going to have a happy intervention, they decided she couldn't be sad anymore. And really, Pete being on board with that wasn't surprising, given last time she was upset he got a broken nose.
Operation Make Helena Happy was in full effect.
Laser tag was Helena's new favorite activity.
However, Claudia's car was firmly going on the never again list. The two hour drive to the next big city normally didn't bother her, but in Claudia's tiny Prius, unbearable was just starting to scratch the surface of how Helena felt about it. Even with Steve volunteering to sit in the back instead of Pete, they were still so close that Helena was all but sitting in the poor man's lap on the drive.
Hiding behind a barricade, her back pressed to it as she watched the others move around she almost felt bad for the younger kids they were playing against. They never stood a chance against them, but they did give a good fight and she was slightly out of breath. Sneaking around the corner she picked off two of the kids from the other team, leaving only one of them against their four. Glancing around quickly she caught sight of Claudia and Steve on the other side of the room from her, hiding behind something that looked a bit like a crater. Helena snuck over to them, watching for the last opponent.
"Have you seen the last child?" She asked, making sure to keep her voice low.
Both of them shook their head before they heard Pete yelling.
They all quickly ran towards the sound only to realize it was shouts of victory. Pete was standing in front of the last person from the other team, a teenage girl who when she pulled her vest off revealed a t-shirt from a boot camp for young kids who wanted to get in shape to join the FBI. Pete shook her hand before everyone else followed suit, congratulating her on lasting so long. Helena turned around to make sure everyone was leaving before she shut the door only to see Claudia talking to the young girl, probably creating a file on her already for Warehouse 13 generation 2. Looking up Claudia caught sight of Helena waiting with the door propped open, letting the intense white light spill into the darker room. Both younger women jogged over to meet Helena.
"This is Anisa Belova." Claudia said, ushering the younger girl through the door.
"Pleasure to meet you Anisa. You played a bloody good game." Helena said shaking the young girl's hand.
"Thank you, I was surprised I lasted so long against you. It was obvious a few minutes in you are all trained officers of some sort." Anisa said as they joined Pete and Steve at the front desk turning over their equipment. "I was actually about to go hit the paintball field, you guys game."
Pete turned to Helena and Claudia, puppy dog eyes full on. "Please Claud! Paintball is awesome!"
Claudia caved almost as soon as Pete started begging and they followed Anisa to the paintball field.
Helena did not like paintball, because paintball hurt.
Trekking up the hill to sit next to Steve to watch the other three finish the game she cringed with every step.
"You didn't last long." She said, finally sitting down in the dirt next to him.
"You know, paintball just really isn't my thing." Steve said, watching as Claudia and Anisa moved back to back across the field, taking out anyone who dared show their face.
"I venture to say it is not my thing either." Helena said, rubbing the spot on her thigh where someone had shot her.
"They seem to be good at it though."
Helena nodded in agreement. "How many rounds did Claudia say we were doing?"
Steve sighed. "Three more, the last one she said has alternate rules. Basically you go until you surrender after being hit."
"Sounds…lovely." Helena replied, her words dripping with sarcasm that she was sure Steve shared.
Laser tag she could get behind, paintball, not so much.
Opening the front door to the B and B, Helena all bet fell across the threshold. The last round of paintball had been brutal. She was sure both of her thighs were bruised and most of her stomach was as well, but if she was in bad shape Claudia and Pete were worse. Steve had bowed up of the last round after taking one shot, and as such he was the only one not groaning in agony as they walked up the front stairs and into the living room.
Hearing the commotion Leena appeared from the kitchen to look at the bruised and battered group. "Did you all have fun at least?"
Everyone nodded, one of the few actions they could do without pain.
"That's good. Who's the worst?"
"Claudia." Helena answered, gingerly sitting in the chair that was normally reserved for Artie, but at this moment she didn't really care.
Leena helped Claudia up the stairs and to the bathroom, starting a hot bath for her to soak in, while the rest of them nursed their wounds with simply not moving.
Helena was starting to drift off in the chair when Leena came down the stairs, trusting a phone into her hands. "It's Heather, she doesn't sound good."
Helena pushed herself up from the chair to find something that resembled privacy as she pushed the phone to her ear.
"Heather?"
"Helena." Her voice sighed into the phone.
"Is everything okay?" Helena asked, sitting down at the small kitchen table, unwilling to walk any further.
"No, not really." Heather answered. Helena could hear her shifting on the other end, as if this conversation physically made her uncomfortable.
"Tell me what's wrong."
"How would I get clearance to bring Lindsey to Univille?" Heather asked.
"I… I don't know. I can ask Leena when she comes back downstairs. Heather, why do you need to bring Lindsey here?" Helena asked, worry tinging her voice.
"Things didn't go well Helena, and I really don't want to talk about."
"Okay." Helena said reluctantly before covering the mouth piece of the phone to yell for Leena.
The other woman appeared a few moments later, panting lightly from all the running up and down the stairs.
"Heather needs to ask you a question." Helena said, handing her back the phone.
Helena listened to Heather's muffled explanation before Leena said she would set it up.
Before she knew it the phone was back in her hand.
"Can you pick us up at the airport tomorrow?"
Helena nodded before realizing Heather couldn't see her. "Yea, sure."
"Thanks, I'll see you tomorrow."
Then the phone line went dead.
Helena sat on the hard plastic chair waiting for Heather and Lindsey the following day, her brain racing. Should she confess everything she had thought about? About how in love she was with her? Would it matter? She was so lost in her own thoughts she didn't realize their plane had landed until Heather was pulling her into a tight hug.
Helena smiled, her arms wrapping around Heather, but not so tightly that her fresh bruises made contact. Heather pulled back after a moment and Helena couldn't stop the gasp that escaped her when she saw the hints of bruise peeking out from under the make-up Heather had on. "Heather, what happened?" Concern for Heather erased any thought of confessing her lies right this moment. That could wait until everything else was settled.
"Lou happened." She answered disgusted. Turning around she pulled Lindsey closer to her before introducing her to Helena.
Helena shook her hand, taking in her thin stature and bright blonde hair. She truly was her mother's daughter, almost an exact clone of Catherine. "Pleasure to meet you Lindsey."
"Thanks." She murmured.
For looking like her mother, Helena thought, the girl didn't act like Catherine in the slightest. Catherine oozed this presence of everyone else will kiss my ass and be happy about it, but Lindsey was the exact opposite.
"Let's get you two home." Helena said, slipping her hand into Heather's free one.
It didn't take them long walking before Heather realized Helena was limping. "What happened to you?"
"Paintball." Helena answered bitterly.
"I like paintball." Lindsey murmured again.
"Well darling, you are a better person than I. I despise the sport currently." Helena responded, a smile on her face, but with the pain from walking it looked more like a grimace.
They were almost out the door when familiar curly chestnut hair passed in front of them before turning around and looking at them.
Myka.
So much for everything else getting settled.
They stared at each other for a moment before Myka broke the silence. "Helena, Heather." Helena watched her eyes drop down to where their hands were interlocked.
"Welcome back Myka." Helena answered before moving around her. She wasn't ready to handle Myka right now, especially not with an audience.
She helped Heather and Lindsey settle into the hotel room they were going to stay in until more permanent arrangements could be made for Lindsey. Lindsey insisted she could stay by herself and Helena was inclined to agree, but Heather wanted to stay with her for at least the first few nights. Which left Helena going back to the B and B to face Myka with no resolution on what she and Heather were doing.
She slammed her hand on the steering wheel when the car stopped in the drive way of the B and B, behind Myka's. Forcing herself to get out of the car and deal with the mess that was her current relationship status like the woman she was, was the hardest thing she had done that day.
She made it to the living room before Myka made an appearance.
"Are you and Heather dating?"
Helena looked at her wide eyed. Whatever Myka had done while she was on vacation was either a very good thing or a very bad thing, only time would tell. "I don't know what we are doing." Helena answered honestly.
Myka nodded slowly. "I'm sorry." She finally said, sitting down.
Helena paused before sitting down across from her. "For what?"
"For everything and nothing." Myka answered cryptically.
"You're going to have to do better than that Myka."
"For telling you the truth because of that artifact. For getting mad at Heather, it wasn't her fault. For backing away at high speed from whatever we had. For everything and nothing. I don't regret anything, including my pulling away. I needed to find me."
Helena raised an eye brow. "Does this mean you are ready to have an adult conversation about this?"
Myka nodded. "I need to have one."
Helena nodded, pondering how she was going to phrase her next sentence without erasing whatever progress Myka had made. "I love you and Heather equally."
The look of shock on Myka's face said she did not succeed on her attempt.
"Helena, I can't handle this." Myka finally said.
"I'm not asking you to. I am telling you, my heart aches for both of you, in ways that keep me up at night worrying about little things that shouldn't matter."
Myka closed her eyes tightly, her body shaking with each breath. "Are you proposing a poly relationship?"
Helena tilted her head to the side. "I fear I am lost by modern terminology again."
"A relationship between 3 or more people."
"Is that a thing?" Helena asked.
Myka nodded slowly. "Not a popular thing, but a thing."
Helena worried her lip for a moment. "Not at this moment, no. But you have given me something to think about. I would appreciate it if you would entertain the thought of at least befriending Heather."
"I'll think about it." Myka answered before getting up, her head was swimming with this. It had taken the whole time she was on vacation to come to terms with the fact that she was madly in love with Helena, and now Helena was trying to add another complexity to their relationship. One that involved Heather.
A few days passed without anyone talking about anything even remotely related to what Helena had suggested to Myka, and Myka wasn't egger to bring it up.
Thankfully Artie had decided that they were fit to work back in the warehouse, although both women were limited to inventory for the time being. Doing inventory was a fantastic device to avoid someone, and when Helena got her assignment for the comic aisle, much to Claudia and Pete's dismay, she slinked away before she could hear where Myka was being assigned.
They didn't see each other until they broke for lunch, or rather until Helena broke for lunch. It would appear that Myka had been stuck in the office with Heather all day. When she closed the door behind her both women looked at her. "Fascinating spots on the floor ladies?" Helena asked, realizing the likelihood of them talking without her to mediate was low.
"Amazing." "Superb." Both women answered at once, watching Heather move to grab her lunch from the mini fridge.
Sitting down she watched them fidget around each other before she decided enough was enough. "For the love of all that is holy, please speak to each other." Helena said before diving into her lunch.
"She wants a poly relationship with both of us!" Myka blurted right as Claudia and Pete walked through the door.
Helena sighed. Of course that is what Myka would start with. Of-fucking-course.
"I never explicitly said such." Helena said, watching Claudia and Pete do a fantastic fish out of water impression and Heather trying to juggle this information.
"I-uhm-er, we're going to go." Claudia said, pushing Pete out the door and closing it firmly behind her.
"Is this something you want Helena?" Heather asked, confusion evident on her face.
"I don't bloody know anymore! You gave me shite advice to find other relationships, well now I feel the same way for you as I do for Myka, how the bloody hell am I supposed to deal with that." Helena exclaimed.
And then silence. Heather and Myka stared at her, while she picked at her sandwich.
Heather sighed. "I care about you too."
Myka nodded. "It took me a long time to realize it, but I care about you too."
"Then what do we do?" Helena asked, looking up at the two women who had claimed her heart without them realizing it.
Heather and Myka both pulled their lips into their mouths, worrying them while they thought.
Heather finally broke the silence. "I think Myka and myself need to try to be friends first before any choices are made."
Myka nodded. "I am just going to voice now, the idea of a poly relationship, it's not something I am 100 percent comfortable with."
"I am sure I could change your mind." Heather teased.
"Yea, no. Slow down there Casanova." Myka responded.
Heather smiled and mock saluted.
The mock salute, the same thing Helena had done when they first worked together. "Great, you two are two peas in a pod." She muttered.