Loved the reviews; they were much appreciated as I powered through the last week of the half term and celebrated my birthday! Lurker, your feedback is enjoyed no matter when you find time to offer it. I know that RL doesn't always give us the time we really need to say everything we want to.
A little warning for some angst in this chapter. Also fluffiness with our OTP and some questionable snooping. I confess that I'm a bit of a Disney fan and am not really up to date on what 'the kids' are watching these days. The movies mentioned in this chapter just seemed to fit well and I couldn't find suitable, modern replacements. I hope it seems plausible that the girls would choose to watch them.
Chapter Ten
Myka held her glass of water tightly between two hands as she stared around the space and tried not to focus too much on memories of this living room and the sensation of her heart breaking. Feeling butterflies in her stomach as she waited for Helena to return from upstairs, Agent Bering placed her drink on the coffee table and laid both hands over her bump. As if knowing that his mother needed a reminder of the change in circumstances, Freddy rocked against the outer wall of his warm sanctuary.
"Not long now, little man. I guess your sister has found something to distract your Mummy with," she whispered to herself.
On the heels of those words, renewed chattering filled the landing, coming ever closer as Helena and Christina made their way back downstairs. They were alone for now and Myka assumed that Nate was keeping Adelaide busy; usually when the two girls were together, there was no separating them.
Agent Wells eyed the tenseness of her fiancée's posture and held afore both hands to pull Myka to her feet. She wasted no time or thought as she kissed the brunette and tugged her towards the door.
"We're leaving already?" Myka queried with no small amount of relief as the inventor slipped into her shoes. She looked around for Christina and found her daughter reaching up to the coat hooks for their handbags.
"No sense in standing on ceremony," HG replied and then called up the stairs, "We're leaving!"
Adelaide appeared beside Nate at the top of the stairs and bounded down, straight into Helena's arms. "I wish you could stay," she blurted, completely oblivious to the awkward glances between the two women and her father. "You promise you'll come to watch us skate tomorrow? I'm going to teach Chrissi how to go backwards!"
Helena watched her daughter's eyes light up at the idea and tried to contain her scepticism. "As long as you're enjoying yourselves, I don't think it matters in which direction you're going, though I think Christina will need time to get comfortable with the basics first," she cautioned, though she was aware that her words were likely falling on deaf ears. "We promise to be there."
"As long as there's still going to be carrot cake," Myka added, her words serving to break the tension slightly. "That was your promise, remember?" she asked the blue-eyed birthday girl.
"Of course!" Adelaide squealed, making her friend giggle as all the adults flinched. "It's my favourite after all."
"Mine too," Agent Bering grinned and felt her lover's hand fall against the small of her back.
Helena met Nate's thoughtful gaze and offered him a small smile. She could only guess at how difficult he and Myka were finding this whole situation, and though she regretted how her actions had caused both of them pain, she couldn't feel entirely bad for the consequences. The smiles on the girls' faces were enough to dissuade her habit of dredging up old guilt. "Christina, are you certain that you have everything you need?"
"Yes, Mummy," the young Victorian replied, catching an almost sigh before it started. Instead, she left her friend's side and wrapped her arms around HG's waist. She accepted a kiss and then moved on to her Mama. "Can I call you at bedtime?"
Myka kissed her daughter firmly atop her head of wavy hair. "I'm sure Adelaide's daddy will let you call us before bedtime," she responded before glancing at the man in question and receiving a nod of the head. "You'll be on your best behaviour?"
Helena's expression mirrored her fiancée's as she recalled nights spent going back and forth between bedrooms. "And go to sleep when you're asked to," she glanced between the girls. "Both of you?" she added.
Two sheepish expressions gazed up at the adults, glanced at each other and valiantly held in twin grins.
Nate shook his head, his experience of slumber parties outweighing that of the women before him. He knew he was in for a trying couple of days with less sleep than he would like. It came with the territory and so long as it brought a smile to his little girl's face, he wouldn't trade it for anything.
"I'm sure they'll be fine," he told his guests and stroked his daughter's hair. "You have all the details for tomorrow?" he asked Helena.
"Yes. And you have our numbers if there are any issues," the Brit replied, reassuring herself and Myka more than anyone. She encouraged her partner toward the door, knowing that they had been there long enough. "We'll speak to you later, darling. Have a wonderful time," she smiled at Christina and made a beeline for the car.
Sharing Helena's difficulty, Myka put on a brave face and blew kisses at their little girl, taking comfort in the expression of excitement on those perfect features before they eventually rounded a corner and lost sight of the house and its occupants. She sank back into her seat, eyes closing and content to let Helena drive in silence for several minutes.
The inventor's driving had really improved since her early days in the twenty-first century and Myka barely remembered some days that the auto-mobile had been little more than a dream when Helena was born. She supposed it shouldn't have come as much of a surprise really – the Brit was a dab-hand with machines and a quick study.
"Are you alright, love?" Helena asked once they left the suburbs and were heading into the city.
Wanting to be near Christina but not so close that their presence was stifling their girl's growing independence, they'd chosen a hotel less than an hour away. The distance stretched to the limits all of their comfort zones but it was a necessary step that they all had to take.
Myka heard several layers of meaning behind her fiancée's question and wrapped a hand around the inventor's knee. "I know what you did back there, with all the extra attention – the little touches and kisses," she explained gratefully. "Thank you. It wasn't easy being in that house again."
"I know," Helena acknowledged. "I'm here now, Myka. I'm not going anywhere. If ever you feel the need to remind yourself that I am yours, feel free to drag me aside to touch and kiss me 'til your heart's content."
The expectant agent grinned and pinched the knee under her hand. "Noted."
They arrived at their hotel on the outskirts of Casper and checked in. With key-card in hand and only small overnight bags each, they rode the elevator up two floors and found their room after a short walk, number one hundred and sixteen.
Standing beside the door to the bathroom, watching her lover unpack, Myka took in the decadent surroundings. "You know, we don't always have to stay in the most expensive places, Helena. A well kept motel would be fine too."
HG's eyebrows drew together as she contemplated the suggestion. "One of those places where you drive up to your room you mean?"
Myka chuckled at the expression of distaste on her lover's face. She moved slowly closer and settled her hands on the inventor's hips. "Yes, one of those places. So long as I have you, what do I need chocolates on the pillow and tiny bottles of shampoo for?"
"You deserve the best," Helena tried to argue, though her attention was firmly settled on a pair of glossy lips.
"And I say again," Myka caught a bottom lip between her two. "I have you," she whispered, before sinking into Helena's embrace and enjoying her particular brand of attention.
Bags remained unpacked as they sank onto the bed and began a languorous exploration. Myka had to admit, as she managed to find a comfortable position around her bump, that the bed was a definite plus to the luxury hotel. Perhaps she would defer her objections over her fiancée's choice of accommodation until after the birth. Though with only eight weeks left to go, opportunities would be few and far between in any case.
After groaning her pleasure into Helena's kisses, Myka fell asleep between layers of Egyptian cotton and remained that way for a good hour. Her sleep patterns were all over the place of late, her dreams sometimes waking her with their intensity and leaving her unable to settle again, not to mention the numerous times she woke to use the bathroom or wander downstairs for a snack.
At his current state of growth, her baby pushed against her stomach, which made it hard to consume complete meals. She'd take to eating a lot of finger foods; things that were easy to pop in a pocket or bag when she ventured out. Her super sense of smell put her off most things these days too but she still had enough cravings that she was in no danger of going hungry.
By the time she rose from her nap, Helena had unpacked what little they'd brought with them and was sat at the desk by the window, writing. Myka tried not to make any noise as she angled her body for a better view. What could be better on waking than finding HG Wells intent on her writing? Elegant hands at work; fingers either wrapped around a pen or holding the writer's chin, a thoughtful expression furrowing an otherwise smooth textured complexion. Lips pursed and moving, tasting silent words. She was no writer herself, but Myka thought that her heart could compose indefinitely with a subject like her fiancée to feed her muse.
Seeing a twitch at the corner of Helena's mouth, Myka knew she'd been caught staring. Building up some momentum, she made it into a sitting position and found the robe her lover had left lying on the end of the bed. The large, fluffy garment covered her adequately and she knew that the inventor had requested the larger size in advance.
Approaching the Brit from behind, Myka wrapped both arms around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. "A new HG Wells masterpiece for a new millennium?" she asked into the shell of an ear.
Helena's pen-free hand came up to entwine with her lover's. "Something a little more prosaic I'm afraid; reminders for when we arrive home, love."
Eyes having already scanned the page, Myka frowned in concentration as she puzzled over the list and kneaded her fingers and thumb into the base of the writer's neck. "Formaldehyde, ethanol, vinegar, baking soda, bassinette, crib-mobile and brackets," she read slowly. "I really hope most of those things are unrelated."
Hearing the teasing in the American's tone, HG adopted a wistful expression and half turned to gaze up at her wife-to-be. "It will be the most exciting new born entertainment system ever devised."
"And the most dangerous. The minute you try to patent it, we will have Social Services hammering on our door," Agent Bering noted dryly. "Are we heading out for dinner?" she added, noting the hour and considering her level of hunger.
Helena swivelled round in her chair. "I contemplated booking a table," she admitted, her eyes flashing habitually as her gaze wandered the length of her fiancée's body and she recalled their earlier encounter. Being uninhibited by parental duties at present was somewhat encouraging for her libido. Myka appeared not to notice her interest though. "I thought it best to wait and see what you fancied."
Myka eyed the room service menu and thought about her pyjamas. There was a comfy looking chair beside a floor lamp that screamed 'sit in me' and her mind went to the book in her bag. "Would you mind if we ate in? I don't really feel like getting dressed up."
HG grinned. "If you intend to remain like this, I can hardly refuse."
Catching the tone behind the Brit's words, she flushed and rolled her eyes. "You didn't get enough of this earlier?" she asked boldly, eyebrow raised with self-conscious amusement.
"I feel like there is an oxymoron in there somewhere," Helena countered.
Pleased as she always was by Helena's compliments, Myka smiled. She watched as her fiancée rose gracefully from the desk chair, feeling only mildly jealous at the ease of movement. Her hands reached up to cradle the other woman's jaw as she leant in for a kiss. "Feed me first and then maybe I won't complain when you watch me read."
HG chuckled against Myka's lips. "Why don't you peruse the menu and I will order while you're slipping into your nightwear?"
Myka wondered, not for the first time, what it was that the writer found so enticing about her. Helena's hands played around her hips, occasionally brushing the sides of her belly and bum. She found the action more soothing than arousing though and hummed her contentment into the embrace. "Sometimes I think you like me being pregnant too much."
"Ça, c'est impossible!" HG cried and then immediately toned down her enthusiasm when green eyes narrowed sharply. "Well, darling, can you blame me? You're beautiful and I'm thoroughly enjoying sharing this experience with you."
The explanation softened Myka's expression but she couldn't help the warning that fell from her lips. "Mmm, well make the most of it while you can because I'm not planning on having another."
Helena pouted as the brunette moved out of her reach and picked up the menu. "We didn't plan the first two," she noted bluntly.
"Then all of our children will just have to be happy accidents," Myka said softly as she ran a finger down a list of starters and tried to ignore the price.
As it wasn't a topic they'd touched on much before, Helena swallowed her response and made a mental note to revisit it at a later date. Every time she looked at her fiancée and thought about how they had created this miracle together, she felt a surge of pride to think that she was giving something to the world instead of taking it away.
This feeling didn't quite mesh with her belief that humans as a species were something of a plague on the planet, but that belief had been born in the wake of Christina's death and encouraged by every example of indifference and cruelty she had witnessed thereafter. Now, with love filling her every waking moment, bringing new life into the world was once again a joyous experience and one she wouldn't mind repeating.
It wasn't her body that was incubating that little bundle of joy though and she understood why Myka was reluctant to think about another addition to their family so soon.
While her parents were debating internally over the future structure of her family, Christina happily munched her way through Adelaide's chosen birthday dinner of pizza and ice-cream while sitting cross legged on the living room floor, watching something called The Parent Trap.
Shortly after her parents had left, other girls began to arrive. The first two were good friends of Adelaide's from school and the third was a cousin, who was the daughter of Nate's sister and a year older than the rest of them. The school friends, Amelia and Codie greeted her as if she was a visiting dignitary but the cousin, Jenny, barely said hello and seemed to be mostly avoiding contact. Since she had no idea what she'd done to incite the girl's ire, Christina decided that she would make do with staying out of her way and proceeded to enjoy the rest of the company.
They used Codie as a model and Amelia taught her how to braid a simple plait. Adelaide put so many clips and ties in it that there was near panic when they tried to remove it all. Christina begged to play with Amelia's hair after that, her gaze pleading as she marvelled at the stark contrast between the white of the girl's eyes and the dark, rich tone of her skin. She got lost in studying the neat, tightly woven rows as she wrapped ribbons around the ends and clipped them in place with tiny butterflies.
Hide and seek was followed by truth or dare and the young Victorian found herself on the receiving end of a barrage of questions regarding her origins and the absence of a father figure in her life.
She answered as best she could, which led them onto a conversation about London and eventually triggered the idea for the film.
They were half way through when Jenny spoke up from her position on the couch and Christina had a feeling that the older girl had been watching her for some time.
"I bet you're loving this movie aren't you, Wells? An American and an English woman coming together in a beautiful love story. I bet you have the hots for Lohan too. I've heard she'd into girls, you might have a chance in ten years time."
It was obvious, as Amelia and Codie shared worried looks and Adelaide stiffened while taking to examining the carpet, that the older girl's spiteful tone was not unintentional. Christina, though puzzled by the sudden verbal attack, turned to give her full attention to the issue.
"Which one is Lohan?" she asked with a veneer of calm. Deep inside, she shook with indignation as she wondered what the bloody hell she'd done to deserve this.
Jenny guffawed. "Man! Do they still live in caves in England, or did you not get cable in your castle? Lindsay Lohan plays the twins. The one with the freckles, see?"
"She's in Freaky Friday too," Codie interrupted, hoping to derail the conversation and restore a friendly atmosphere. "Have you seen it, Chrissi?"
Christina offered the girl a small smile for her efforts, shook her head a little and turned back to the glowering girl on the couch. "If they're the same person, it would explain why she sounds like my Mama when she tries to mimic my Mummy's voice," she offered calmly.
"That's it?" Jenny asked, her expression darkening. "Ad, are you really gonna let her pretend that her Mummy did nothing wrong?"
Adelaide adopted a deer in the headlights look as the young Brit gazed at her in confusion, her dark eyes holding a depth of sadness. She had never been entirely sure if her new friend knew that Helena had lived with her and her dad. Helena's apology touched her mind and she remembered the promise she'd made to keep Christina's death a secret.
"It's not Chrissi's fault, Jen. She's my friend and I wanted her to come to my party. And Helena didn't mean to hurt my daddy; she feels really bad about it." The more she spoke, the more Christina's expression changed from confused to hurt. Seeing this made her feel bolder and she forgot all about her deference to her older cousin. She moved closer to her friend to throw an arm over her shoulders as a show of solidarity, effectively ending the conversation.
Jenny remained subdued after that. They managed to finish the movie and got part way through Freaky Friday before the heavy atmosphere began to lift and silly chatter returned to fill the room.
Christina joined in half-heartedly, her mind elsewhere as she wondered when would be the best time to pepper the birthday girl with more questions. She stared at her friend's father for signs of injury when he interrupted to offer them more snacks, but could see none and her mind whirled with possibilities.
She was relieved to discover that Jenny's visit did not include sleeping over but was further confused when Adelaide's aunt gave her a look of cold indifference as their eyes met. She felt her stomach turn over and swallowed a tear.
There was enough space on the couch for the four girls to squash together and Christina found that she was thankful for being on the end where she could scrunch back into the cushions and try to hide. They were watching some show on the Disney Channel now and she was struggling to find interest in the drama between the characters, finding the overall effect too 'loud' for her tastes. She smiled in parts but her heart wasn't in it. She perked up when a warm hand found hers and squeezed it gently.
Looking into her friend's blue eyes, she discovered the comfort she so desperately needed and remembered how Adelaide had defended her mother. Maybe, whatever her Mummy's offence, it wasn't as bad as she was imagining.
Unable to shake it from her mind though, Christina lay wide-awake as the others gave into their collective sugar-crash later that night and drifted off to sleep. She tossed and turned, her mood swinging wildly between anger at her Mummy and Adelaide's cousin, to a melancholy that gripped her insides tightly when she thought about the possibility of her mother hurting anyone.
Aware that the goodnight conversation she'd had with her parents had probably left them worrying about her, she felt guilty now on top of everything else. Unable to muster her usual enthusiasm, she had feigned the need to see what her new friends were doing and bid them a very rushed farewell over the phone.
Eventually, through sheer frustration, she poked her friend awake and demanded to know more.
"Addy?... No, it's not morning... I want to know what Jenny meant," Christina said in a hushed but firm tone. "What happened between your Daddy and my Mummy?"
The young American sighed, rubbed her eyes and turned to face her friend's fierce expression. "Your Mummy used to live here, with me and my Daddy."
"... For sleepovers?" the dark-eyed girl puzzled aloud.
Adelaide looked down at her quilt and back up hesitantly. "No. They met at a cooking class and they went out together... On dates. She called herself Emily and after a while, she came to live here. She shared my Daddy's room." As difficult as it was, talking about a time when she had enjoyed the English woman as a permanent fixture in her home, the pain was eclipsed by the renewed confusion and hurt she witnessed in Christina's expression. She hastened to continue the story, knowing that it got better in many ways. "One day, two agents came to the house, your Mama and Uncle Pete. They had to find something that was hurting people. It hurt my dad and Emily had to tell him that her real name was Helena." She went into great detail, eventually drawing a wan smile from her friend as she described her kidnap and subsequent rescue. She was sill proud of herself for escaping her bonds and being prepared to attack her captor even while she had been terrified.
"Mama left?" Christina asked, unable to comprehend a scenario where her parents were not joined at the hip by choice. "And Mummy stayed?"
"Not for long. Daddy wasn't very happy about the lies or about me being in danger. I think he must have argued a lot with your Mummy," she added uncomfortably. "She moved to her own house after that. Closer to your Mama I think. Daddy was cross for a while and then sad. He said lots of things about it to my Aunt Liz," she admitted.
As the story came to an end, Christina realised that her heart was beating overly fast and took a minute to remember Abigail's breathing technique while she processed all of this information. She had never before considered how her parents knew Adelaide or her father but if she had had to guess, she would have thought it was through hunting for an artefact. The truth was rather more confusing and began to trigger a multitude of questions as to her own whereabouts at the time.
How long had her Mummy been living in the future before her parents recovered her from that strange place in Paris? She didn't recall having been there long and had never given it much thought but Mummy had said it was part of the magic so she wouldn't miss her family. She always assumed that her mother's journey had been the same, but it sounded like the older time traveller arrived earlier.
"You're not upset with my Mummy?" Christina eventually asked.
Adelaide shook her head. "I was sad when she had to leave; Helena's lots of fun to have around. But she's happier with Myka, I've got you now and Daddy has a new girlfriend who seems to like him a lot. So we all have a happy ending, right?"
It took a moment for dark eyes to lose the shadow that hung over them and to shine with their usual joie de vivre. Though many questions remained at the back of her mind, the young Brit found her friend's positivity infectious and smiled in agreement. She was going to have a long talk with her parents once they were home but in the meantime, she had a party to enjoy.
Deep in the aisles of a certain mystical building in South Dakota, Agent Coombs wandered the shelves casually, taking stock of the items around her and occasionally pausing to read the manifest on some of the more interesting members amongst them.
Though her colleagues complained endlessly over the task of taking inventory, even that kiss-ass Jason, Meghan actually found herself enjoying it most days. It gave her time away from the other agents when she was feeling crowded and since training with Leena to hone her skills, she no longer struggled with the overwhelming intensity of some of the more powerful artefacts.
After a rocky start, she was beginning to feel more at home and perhaps part of that had something to do with not having the uppity Brit around. Maybe it was instinct or a genetic predisposition to dislike the English woman on principal; her family way back had suffered under England's long-armed rule for many years before America's independence and HG's attitude made her think of how those rich upper-class must have lived while they exploited so many. Or perhaps it was the fact that this living historical figure was clearly unstable and everyone pandered to her needs almost as if they were afraid that she would explode, even as they continued to let her roam free.
She supposed she had noticed some effort on the Brit's part to seek professional help, and she knew from experience that Abigail was good at getting to the heart of issues.
... Perhaps her issue simply stemmed from the fact that this arrogant woman had sought to kill her and almost every other person on the planet simply because she was in pain and had the means. Why should she be so ready to forgive that?
Her wandering took her as far as the bronze sector as it often did when she was alone and she stood for several minutes just staring at the statues there. One in particular, which was standing separate from the others and was adorned with a monitor and several sparkly accessories that Agent Donovan had likely added over time.
Something strange emanated from the young figure; an energy that Agent Coombs could not place and yet she was certain that she had encountered its ilk before. It put her on edge but drew her in at the same time.
Unbeknownst to her colleagues, she had begun her own investigation to find a link. Somewhere in this endless place, she knew was the source of that disturbance, and she was going to find it.
Up next... Ice skating, a little scare and HG coming clean!