If ever you doubt I don't read your posts, think about your questions or points you make, this chapter was in part born of such things.
I rely on the wonderful insights of the readers and appreciate when you reach out to me in posts or PM's and say -'wth' were you thinking? lol
I hope this ties up a few loose ends and/or answers some questions.
Always - my goal is to be true to these characters we adore.
Unparallelled
"What made you bring them here?" Pete asked Jane after she joined them in the kitchen.
"The call was for a "647" – celebrity disturbance of the peace. I show up and it looks like your boss and Ms. Bering are wasted. I swear I looked at them and thought 'what the hell?' The tall one told me to bring them here and that Helena would explain. Only then did I realize these two were like imposters or something. I didn't know if they were stand ins or what. And yeah, THAT'S why I brought them here," Jane said annoyed that she was being questioned. "I was trying to save your boss' ass – again – by not letting the press get ahold of them."
"Oh," Pete said. "Sorry."
"So how much do they look like…," Steve started to ask when the two actresses walked in. "Holy Twinsville."
"So detective, is this a private party or can anyone join?" Joanne asked.
Bridget never saw the look on Myka's face before. "Myka, it's my fault. Jaime said her friend was in town, we called her, and we all went out. They work so hard and long hours that they wanted to party and well, they got carried away. I didn't want more bad press, so I asked Jane to bring us here. We were (cough) right down the block," Bridget said.
"That explains how you got here. Now who will explain how that woman wound up on your lips?" Myka asked and stared right at Helena.
"Think you might want to take that one, Wells," Bridget said, giving Helena a slight pat on the shoulder and walking away into the kitchen.
"Myka, I knew it wasn't …I mean of course I knew it wasn't ….but, she was coming in at me …and I let it….and….. I am sorry," Helena said. They would later attribute her lapse in judgment to her being emotionally spent and physically wiped.
Myka was already feeling a myriad of emotions. Kathleen Sullivan had challenged Helena, and when she shot up from the table, Myka sat there. She wanted to be right at Helena's side, and yet she wasn't. It wasn't fear that kept her in her seat, but rather confusion. Did Helena need her to do that? Would Eileen have seen it as two against one and stood up with her mother? Myka had been feeling more confident after talking to her father the night before. Feeling confident with Helena was different. She always wanted to please Helena and that made it more challenging.
Staring at Helena right now, Myka felt less angry than threatened. Hadn't some woman just walked into her home and had the audacity to kiss her woman? She would deal with her in a minute.
"That is not to happen again," Myka said sternly to Helena, who was literally stuck in the corner of the hallway. Myka moved in so quickly, that for a second, Helena thought she should accept the slap she feared was coming her way. Instead, Myka grabbed Helena's jaw, pulled her in, and kissed her passionately. Helena knew Myka's touches well, and this was a mix of force and wanting mixed with a declaration of ownership. Helena's knees nearly gave out. She liked a jealous Myka, as long as she wasn't the one in trouble.
Helena practically moaned her submission when Myka released Helena's lips, took her by the wrist, and gently pulled her to the kitchen. Helena put her hand to her lips to make sure they really weren't on fire. Myka marched into the kitchen, Helena behind her looking more inebriated on love than those on liquor.
"Wow!" Pete said, seeing the resemblances immediately. Jaime and Joanne were hip to hip on one side of the island when Myka and Helena entered the room.
"Well this would be a line up nightmare," Jane said of the uncanniness.
"I think it's one of nature's miracles," Bridget said, thinking she could have her cake and eat it, too.
Myka surveyed the room as if she actually had trouble picking out the woman she wanted to talk to. She walked over to the actress in question. "Don't you ever touch her again," Myka said in a tone that startled Pete, shocked her father, and excited the hell out of Helena.
"Myka Ophelia Bering!" her father said.
"Oh-feel-yah?" Pete said and Jane hit his arm.
Myka turned to her father with such a glare, that the man retreated in his seat. The Bering's believed in never discussing anything in public, let alone showing their emotions. Myka flashed back to the warmth of the Sullivan's home. Pangs gripped her heart, pangs that Helena could feel.
"Myka, would you see our guests out?" Helena asked, and Pete, Steve, and Jane took their cue. Bridget gathered up her new friends and promised they could come back tomorrow to see the HG Wells collection.
Helena was alone with Warren in the kitchen. "I don't like what's gotten into her," he said to Helena, and his words were lathered with blame.
Helena switched gears and allowed fury to reach out through her dark eyes.
"What concerns you, Mr. Bering is the change you see. Myka is finally filling the holes your patriarchal upbringing put in her ego. And do you know what she's filling it with? Self-confidence, Mr. Bering. Myka is through with always accepting the blame, through with thinking she is not good enough. You are damn lucky to have a daughter like her, sir. Take it from someone who has lived through the horror of losing a child, Mr. Bering; losing Myka would be the worst pain of your miserable life." Helena walked out and left him to think about her warning.
And he did. He felt insulted that Helena would accuse him that way. He always wanted what was best for Myka. Could Jeannie have been right? Did Myka know what was best for her? Would he lose her if he argued otherwise? He may have disagreed with a lot about Myka's life, but one thing was true. He had never seen Myka so happy. He went upstairs to think about that.
Helena went back into the living room where Myka was trying to decide what to do with the drunken trio. "Helena, I just don't think we can send any of them home like this?" Myka said regretfully.
"Well, let them stay upstairs then," Helena said.
"Oh that would be brilliant," Jaime said and Bridget could not have agreed more. The three went upstairs as Bridget gave them the impression she knew every inch of the place. In fact, she was simply a good guesser.
Finally, all seemed quiet and Myka and Helena went upstairs.
"I'll go check on my father," Myka said. Helena was going to suggest she didn't, but she knew Myka would want to see him.
"All ok, Dad?" Myka said, knocking on the door.
"Yes, come in Myka," Warren said. He had enough time to talk to Jeannie on the phone. She was the one he always talked to when emotions were involved.
"Could her boss be right about all this?" he asked his wife.
"Warren, stop calling Helena her boss. She's her girlfriend," Jeannie said.
"I talked to your mother," Warren said as Myka sat on the place on the bed where he patted.
"How is she?" Myka asked.
"Smarter than I am, but you knew that already," he smiled. "Look Myka, I know I've made some mistakes as a father."
"Dad, you're a great dad," Myka said instantly.
"I'm glad you think so. But Helena doesn't," he said.
"Dad, Helena is very protective," Myka tried to explain.
"Yeah, well she's always smart. Look Myka, I don't know how to feel about your relationship with her. I wanted you to get married and give us grandkids. I never saw this coming. But one thing I knew I always wanted was for you to be happy. And as much as I try to fight it, Helena does make you happy. And I know now she loves you," Warren said.
Myka knew Helena had something to do with this. Whatever she said had moved Warren Bering enough to think about his relationship with her. Tears welled up in Myka's eyes. Her father was really trying.
"I love you, Myka. I have always loved you. And if Helena loves you, then I guess we do have something in common, and maybe I have to change my thinking," he said sincerely.
"Oh Daddy," Myka said, hugging him, his words reducing her to tears.
"Helena told me what a fool I was not to appreciate all I have in you, Myka," Warren said, his voice quivering.
The author, who had been the source of the most special moments Myka shared with her father when they read The War of the Worlds, had brought them back together…. for real.
"We can share this room," the Canadian actress said, and her English counterpart agreed. They seemed quite content to be in the same room – alone.
"Well, three's company," Bridget said and bid them goodnight.
Myka said goodnight to her father and returned to find Helena getting ready for bed.
"I want to apologize…," Helena was trying to say when Myka came at her full throttle and pushed her down on the bed.
"I am crazy about you," Myka said, kissing Helena – out of gratitude, out of jealousy, and out of - just plain out of her mind in love.
"I take it then you accept my apology?" Helena gasped, as Myka discarded Helena's robe and devoured her skin in wet kisses.
"Let me show you how much I forgive you," Myka said, getting more and more excited with each gasp Helena let out.
Hours later, after the actresses exhausted themselves catching up on each others news, and Warren Bering slept peacefully, Helena heard someone on the steps. She worried the man was leaving in the middle of the night and got up to check. She saw Bridget in the hallway, about to leave.
"Bridget?" Helena called out.
"Oh hey, Helena," Bridget said, getting her coat.
"Madam, it's 3:30 in the morning. Where are you off to?" Helena asked.
"I'm going home," Bridget said. Helena was used to hearing the woman's lilt and usually found it annoying. Now she heard something else.
"Not at this hour, you're not," Helena said, coming down the stairs. "Now get away from that door before I have to call Detective Tierney back. You're not on her list of favorite people –although I sincerely doubt one exists. I will make you tea and you can bore me with the details of your angst," Helena said and motioned with her index finger for Bridget to come.
The banker put back her coat and followed as she was told. Moments later, as Helena poured two cups of tea, Bridget sat across from the Brit and poured her heart out.
"I envy you and Myka. I think seeing people who looked like you, put me over the edge. It was like sharing a moment, except…," Bridget said sipping the tea.
"Except what?" Helena asked, wishing the therapy session would end soon.
"Except I was attracted to Jaime and …she looks…like you," Bridget said, thinking it through.
Helena stopped drinking and slowly put her cup down. "Bridget, I believe Myka thinks of you as a friend. I think you have done a rather good job of keeping your feelings for Myka in that same realm. Your fascination with me is understandable. It's quiet common actually. However, I believe Myka demonstrated her tolerance, or should I say lack of tolerance, for that tonight. So, I would not share that thought with Myka, even if you and Ms. Murray were to elope," Helena said.
"Yes, she was pretty territorial," Bridget laughed. "I hope someday I have even a small piece of what you and Myka share, Helena."
Helena stared across at the woman who at one time, she was certain she did not like. "It is the standard by which all good relationships should be measured, although I fear most would fail," Helena said truthfully. Then she added, "I shall do everything I can to help you attain that, Bridget."
"You're really sweet, you know that?" the banker said in her southern drawl.
"Yes, yes, don't go spreading it around and ruining my reputation," Helena said and finished her tea.
That night, as Kathleen Sullivan tried to come to terms with her mixed feelings about the news, John Sullivan assured her that nothing could change their relationship with their daughter. Eileen lay awake in Claudia's arms, wondering what this really meant for her. Warren slept quietly, glad that he and Myka had talked. Pete was so excited about going to the Super Bowl in the Wells Corp box seats, that he couldn't stop talking about it. He was going with Jane, Steve, Claudia, and Eileen.
It had been an emotional roller coaster ride for Helena and Myka that day. Myka was going to watch that actress, especially if she was going to be working with the English one on Helena's show.
Helena crawled back into bed after making sure Bridget returned to her guest room.
"Hey you," Myka said, sleepily.
"Hey you," Helena said back, kissing Myka's nose.
"I missed you," Myka said.
"I was just downstairs," Helena explained.
"No, I mean – I don't remember dreaming about you – so I missed you," Myka said.
"You really should write, Myka Bering," Helena said, kissing the lips from which those words just fell.
What's left? Millie's class? Helena's employee luncheons? Eileen adjusting to the news?