This chapter was a challenge – this is a difficult morning for everyone. Yet, I have these funny lines to put in so I hope they bring some levity, not confusion.

Thank you to Mottskid for the Victorian Expression that Helena utters – and confuses the life out of Jane. It was just too good not to put in here.

To wiffyscoob, M4BW, and many others who commented on Myka's canon – Myka's going to struggle with being the perceived weak one - about being in Helena's shadow – but we all know she's a strong person in her own right. The perceptions are her own and she will struggle with them. I would never want to do her an injustice by making her appear weak.

Pete's been absent but only because so much has been going on with Helena and Myka. He's back and will continue to be.

Also - tried to describe Eileen a little more for you - so you get the idea. If this does not do it, I'll Twitter her picture.

FYI - the world's largest department store - Macy's in New York - is also responsible for the Thanksgiving Day Parade (think Miracle on 34th Street).

Connections

As soon as Helena moved in bed, Myka tightened her grip on her even though she was sleeping. Helena knew the woman in her arms was having nightmares from the murmuring and unsettled sleep. She was all too familiar with what waited for people who experienced trauma when they slept. She continued to kiss Myka's head and touched her face to coax her back to safety throughout the night.

Leena got past the crowd of reporters that the police kept behind the barricades when she arrived at the townhouse the next morning. She opened the papers when she got into the kitchen.

The Daily News read:

"War of the Worlds - Helena Wells, CEO, declares war on gang in New York"

And the New York Post read:

"Kicking Ass Time Machine - Helena Wells, sends thugs into another time zone with ass kicking on train".

The Mayor's Office was flooded with calls to give Helena an official position in his administration and some went so far as to suggest she should have his job. Not the way he wanted to celebrate his recent reelection.

Myka opened her eyes to see Helena's smile and she felt relieved. Her unconscious mind had replayed the train scene over and over, none of the outcomes good.

"Good morning darling," Helena said softly.

"Hi," Myka said and Helena could hear the tired in her voice.

"I'm wondering if you should stay here today," Helena suggested.

"Where will you be?" Myka asked.

"I have to go to work…," Helena started to explain.

"Then that is where I will be," Myka said and Helena knew there was no room for discussing it. Myka could be very stubborn in her own way.

"The press will be all over this, darling," Helena said.

"I want to be with you," Myka said.

Helena pulled Myka into her and decided they would go at whatever pace Myka needed. She was not going to push Myka on any issue, but rather take her lead.

"How did you know, Helena?" Myka said looking up at her.

Helena looked into the green eyes she had studied for hours. In them, she saw the storm of feelings Myka felt.

"I think we have a gift, Myka. I'm not sure how, because the Warehouse never told me anything about your One being as connected as you are to me. And they never said I would share such emotional sensations with the person I picked," Helena explained. "It's a gift."

Helena kissed her gently and Myka pulled her in hard. She squeezed Helena in her arms as if she could not bear to let her go. Myka was still taking in what happened – and her psyche would only let her deal with so much. She knew Helena had saved her – and that either one of them could have been seriously hurt. It was too much for Myka to deal with alone. She needed to keep seeing Helena to assure herself she was okay.

"Do you want Leena to bring up breakfast?" Helena asked and then rang the woman when Myka said yes.

Leena brought up tea and fruit and toast and asked if they were okay. Helena assured her they were, but asked Leena to sit with Myka while she showered. Myka felt self-conscious, but didn't refuse the offer. Helena rushed so that Myka wouldn't be separated from her for too long. Then Myka showered, but left the door open – something she'd never done before.

Helena whispered to Leena - "Get Irene on the phone. I'm sure she's heard all about this, but tell her we need to keep an eye on Myka today. I want her calendar checked and tell Millie to make sure no one bothers her," Helena ordered.

Helena could hear the water running so she went into her closet. Was it a subconscious selection on her part that she chose to wear leather that day? Her forty six hundred dollar Fendi peplum black letter jacket covered her black Alexander Wang eighty dollar t shirt, and her six hundred dollar Alberta Ferretti gray twill pants. The Gucci Beverly patent leather T-bar pumps tipped the outfit back to feminine. Everything was transferred into the Fendi 2Jours leather pocketbook.

Myka's selection was easier. She had only brought a few outfits up with her from her apartment. Helena was already seeing this as a problem. After last night, she felt they needed to address it soon.

Myka wore a White House/Black Market jersey dress in magenta that hugged her tall and slender shape. The faux surplice neckline allowed just the hint of the top of her breasts to show – but enough to make Helena sigh when she saw her in it. Myka pulled up black stockings and stretch ankle boots as Helena sat there glued to the small bench. If there was a lovelier sight to Helena, it was only when the reverse happened at night.

"I love that dress on you," Helena said truthfully. "Where did you get it?"

"Thanks. I bought it at Macy's," Myka said of her recent shopping trip.

"The parade people?" Helena asked perplexed and made Myka smile for the first time that day.

"Yes, the parade people," Myka said kissing her retail store challenged lover.

"Myka, perhaps we…can….discuss …you moving here," Helena said slowly as Myka bent over and Helena lost her ability to speak in complete sentences.

"Are you saying that because I could not take care of myself?" Myka snapped and surprised Helena.

"What? No! I am suggesting it because I want you here," Helena said aware that Myka was struggling.

"Can we talk about this later?" Myka asked annoyed.

"Of course darling," Helena said –quietly.

Myka's thoughts flooded her brain while she was in the shower. The media rush about Helena saving the day also meant pointing out that everyone else froze – including Myka. She had never branded herself as brave, but coward was hard to swallow. Then she felt guilty for feeling anything but gratitude that Helena was there and they were safe.

Leena came up to say that Detective Tierney was downstairs and wanted to know if she could talk to them. Helena said she would go down first, since Myka was still putting the finishing touches to her makeup on. She jerked her head for Leena to stay with Myka.

"Good morning, Ms. Wells," Jane said and apologized for the intrusion, but explained it would be better than at the station.

"Detective," Helena said.

"How is Myka?" Jane asked because she understood a thing or two about what victims go through.

"She's not up to dick, I fear," Helena said in a quiet voice.

"She's what? Not up to? What are…what are we talking about here?" Jane asked confused.

"Oh sorry – English expression," Helena said of her archaic saying. "I don't think she's doing well."

"Yeah, well that's to be expected. You okay?" Jane asked.

"Yes, thank you, I am well," Helena answered.

Jane asked Helena to tell her about the specifics of the night before and Helena did with great haste. She wanted to get it over with and didn't want Jane asking Myka anything.

"I eventually have to talk to her," Jane explained.

"Give her some time today," Helena said.

"Listen, I want you to be careful. It's not like this guy or his fellow gang members don't know who you are," Jane said. "He could be out on the streets again soon."

In light of what happened, Jane had seriously considered contacting the judge to ask him to commute Helena's sentence when the Brit said –

"If any one of them comes near her, I will kill them," Helena growled and Jane believed she meant it.

Maybe that therapy would help this woman deal with whatever demons she was fighting because Jane was sure she was.

"Yeah? And where will Ms. Bering be when they haul your ass to Rikers Island?" Jane asked of the inevitable consequence of prison. "Stop and think, okay Wells?" Jane said. "And don't be stupid. You got lucky."

"Luck had nothing to do with it," Helena said in her usual tone with the Detective.

"You are the most stubborn woman I have ever had the displeasure of proving wrong," Jane said.

"How long are you going to be here?" Claudia asked Steve who had spent the night on her couch.

"They have to fumigate the apartment today and tomorrow, so two days at most," he said feeling unwelcomed. He opened his eyes surprised his hostess was already up and dressed. "What? What are you wearing?" he asked pulling back to take it all in.

In all the time he knew Claudia and spent time with her, he had never seen her dressed like this.

"What? It's my outfit," Claudia said defensively of the pencil navy with white polka dot skirt, white long sleeved blouse with a navy sweater tied around her shoulders.

"Did you forget with the country club was?" Steve teased.

"Stop. I just wanted to try something a little more...feminine," Claudia tried.

"You mean a little more... Eileen," Steve said and put his arms up in a defensive stance when she threw a pillow.

"Too much?" Claudia said of her outfit that ended in navy flats.

"If you were attending Princeton, no. If you're going to work, maybe. What's up Muffy?" he asked and howled at his own joke.

"Are you sure you the fumes are really that harmful?" she asked. "What am I supposed to wear then?" Claudia asked feeling her attempt at being more girlish had failed.

"How about what you like to wear?" Steve said patting her knee. "You want to be her girlfriend, not her twin," he pointed out.

"She's so …..," Claudia said looking up.

"Katy?" Steve filled in.

"And I'm so …," the frustrated woman said.

"Gaga?" her friend asked referring to the scientific classification of personality as either Katy Perry of Lady Gaga.

"Yes," Claudia said and sat back on the couch with her legs far apart.

"Yeah, I think we need to work up to this outfit. How about you just wear your usual comfortable stuff? I think that's one of the things the little goober loves about you," he said.

"Don't call her that," Claudia said seriously.

"Oh we got it bad," Steve said and put the pillow up to defend himself.

Claudia got a text and bolted to get her stuff. "She's going to Helena's. She can't wait for work. I told her they were okay, but she's freaking out and she's headed to Central Park West," Claudia yelled as she ran in circles getting her bag. Steve watched as his friend struggled with the lack of bulkiness in her shoes. She had to adjust her gait as she walked in the flats.

"I'm not missing this show for the world," Steve said determined to get to work early that day.

Claudia didn't have time to change. She ran out the door and took the train uptown, praying she would get there before her Brooklyn friend. Eileen indeed was on her way there. She didn't know what she was going to do when she got there, or if Helena would let her in (as if), but she was going.

Helena did not care for Jane's tone warning her …of anything. She heard Myka coming down the stairs and decided not to pursue the argument.

"Myka darling, Detective Tierney is here, but I explained that you might not want to …," Helena said gently, but Myka cut her off.

"I can speak to her," Myka said more sharply than she intended. She saw the surprised look in Helena's eyes.

"OK," Helena said slowly.

Myka wanted to apologize and tell Helena she didn't know what was going on and that she felt all confused, but she didn't want to cry. Instead, she went into the living room where the detective was and closed the door.

"Myka, this can wait," Jane offered.

"No, it's okay, CJ, thank you," Myka said taking a seat.

Jane asked her to tell her what happened in her own words and Myka did. It was all very vivid to her and given her memory, she recalled everything detail. She noticed the man's clothing, the tattoo on his neck, the smell of his clothes, the woman who screamed out to God over and over until one of the thugs told her to shut up. She knew everything that happened and Jane wrote it all down.

"Myka, sometimes after something like this…..," Jane started and Myka's stern look made Jane stop mid sentence.

"Fall apart? Need therapy? Need drugs? Can't function? What CJ? What happens?" Myka asked sharply.

"People feel a lot of things after things like this. Like they shoulda done something or that they think how something worse coulda happened. It can play with your head," Jane said sitting down next to Myka.

"Yes," Myka said and put her eyes down.

"All I'm saying here Myka is don't shut Helena out, ok? You need to talk it out with someone," Jane said.

"Why? So she can save me again?" Myka said getting to the real feeling.

"Listen Myka, what Helena did was very brave and also very stupid. She took on several men twice her size and while I know why she did it, I can't condone it. It's not all knights in shining armor as your head might be telling you," Jane said trying to give Myka a different perspective. "People like that sometimes need more protection than people like us."

Myka looked at the detective. "I feel …foolish for being angry with her," Myka said unable to look Jane in the eye. "She put herself in danger for me."

"Yes, I know. She's brave, I'll give her that. But my sense tells me Myka, you do the same for her every day. Maybe not as theatrical as beating a thug on a train, but in smaller ways – more ways even. That's just my sense," Jane said patting Myka's knee as she got up.

"Thanks CJ," Myka said finding solace in her words. Could that be true?

Suddenly there was a commotion outside with high pitched yelling. A cop knocked on the door and opened it.

"Detective, we got a woman out here who is insisting on coming in. Eileen Sullivan?" he said.

"Let her in before she bites your ankle, Officer," Jane said of the woman in question. "You people are the craziest bunch I ever had to work with."

Jane walked into the foyer where the five foot four inch- shoulder length blonde haired woman was poking at the officer.

"OK, Ms. Sullivan. You don't want your first run in with the law to be for assaulting an officer," she said as she grabbed the woman's arm gently.

"Where is she?" Eileen asked and the panic in her voice was palpable.

"I'm sorry, she got away from me," Claudia said running through the door.

"Shorter leashes, I keep saying," Jane said to Claudia and then looked at her preppy outfit which had to stand out to catch Jane's attention. She rarely noticed couture unless it was on a dead body or at a crime scene.

"What did you... dress in her closet?" Jane asked much to Claudia's chagrin. Now Eileen looked at the detective with the fury still in her pale blue eyes.

"Hey Wells," Jane called out and spun Eileen around like the lightweight she was and took her by the back of her arms. "This one is all yours," she said when Helena came out.

Eileen broke free of Jane's light grip and ran to Helena. She had been so afraid that the woman suffered injuries that the press wasn't reporting that she was crazy. She rushed at Helena who opened her arms instinctively to grab her.

"Are you okay? Are you okay?" Eileen asked and Helena hugged her closely and told her yes that she was. "And Ms. Bering? She must have been so scared."

"Ms. Bering is okay," Helena said and Myka came out of the living room. Claudia couldn't hold back anymore and grabbed Myka. Her embarrassment swelled and she let go quickly, coughing and saying she was glad they were okay.

"Thank you Claudia," Myka said understanding the girl's feelings.

"We're one farm short of being the Walton's," Jane said to the cop at the door who laughed.

Helena immediately looked at Myka and searched her face for something that would tell her they were okay. Myka smiled – not only at the image of Helena holding Eileen in her arms, but of Helena – her One.

Jane went out the front and Eileen and Claudia went to the kitchen.

"Are we okay?" Helena asked because this was her one real concern.

"Yes, Helena – we are always okay," Myka said kissing Helena on the lips to assure her. Even when she was wrestling with her feelings, the one thing she was sure of was how she felt about Helena. It was the most solid thing in her life.

Pete was in the kitchen waiting to take everyone to work. He had arranged for the police to keep people off the side streets so he could lead the women to the car out the back. He had called Steve and told them they would meet with the security team first thing at work. Now that Helena had made enemies with the gang members, no chances could be taken. His dark clothes reflected his mood as he took this threat very seriously.

Claudia spoke with Leena and assured her she and her team would be back to check on the security system in the house. There was one in place and it was working fine. It was the user who was creating the problem.

"I'm so glad they're okay," Eileen confided in Claudia as they waited for everyone to come to the car.

"Yeah, me too. Gotta be rough on Myka though," Claudia said.

"Why?" Eileen asked taking note of Claudia's outfit and smiling.

"It can be a blow to your ego when you're rescued, you know, like you couldn't do it yourself," Claudia said and spoke from personal experience.

"Remember Claudia, being rescued comes in all different shapes and sizes," Eileen said. "Myka may never know just how many times she's saved Helena."

And with that the youngest sage stepped into the car to go to work.

"I think you channel Yoda," Claudia asked getting in alongside her.

Let's not forget Myka's rescue at the Warehouse - Helena will remind her of that.

Thanks for reading along and especially for your extremely kind words. I feel most fortunate to have
such kind readers.