Disclaimer: I've lost my marbles
AN: Final chapter of Library of Crazy. I'm sorry that this update took as long as it did, endings were always the hardest part for me in writing, and I rewrote this chapter three times. More authors notes at the end.
Chapter Thirty-Five: Endless Wonder
"Wake up!" The little voice urged.
Myka's head snapped up, searching her surroundings with an edge of desperation, but all she could see was darkness, all she could feel was the pain of the abrasive ropes cutting into her wrists, all she could hear was the rasping of her own breathing echoed weakly by Walter Sykes.
She found herself calming slightly, despite the grim outlook, comforted by the fact that there was no possible way she heard-
"Mom, wake up!" the voice insisted once more.
"Christina?" a wave of fear washed through Myka's body. She couldn't be here, there was no way… MacPherson said he would leave her out of it!
Myka jerked against the ropes suspending her in the middle of the barn, but it was no use, she couldn't move. She felt herself being pinned against some weight. Panic increased.
"Mom, come on," Christina whined, "Mummy says we can't start until you wake up."
Myka's eyes slowly opened, becoming aware of reality a centimeter at a time. Her vision was blurry, and her thoughts were still groggy from the nightmare, but this definitely did not look like MacPherson's barn, it looked like her bedroom.
She realized, quite suddenly, that she was at home, in bed, and Christina was straddling her, trying to get her to wake up, and excited grin on her face. Her curls were wild, her eyes bright, still dressed in the pajamas she had picked out for herself the night before.
Myka breathed in relief as her heart returned to normal speeds. She wasn't still in that barn, and more importantly, Christina never was.
"Hey," Myka croaked as the pain finally made itself known.
Christina's weight was pressing down on her, making it worse, but Myka couldn't find it in herself to move the little girl away.
"It's Christmas, Mom, come on!" she bounced excitedly, and this time, Myka couldn't hide the wince it caused.
"Christina, darling," Helena chastised from where she appeared in the door way, "I didn't mean that you should come wake her."
HG lifted her daughter off Myka and set her standing on the floor, "Go finish your breakfast with the others," She gave her a gentle shove on the shoulder, "We'll be out in a minute."
The four year old gave a dramatic sigh before skipping out of the room. Helena lowered herself carefully to the mattress.
She had a look of concern on her face as she brushed Myka's curls away from her face, "Are you alright, love?"
Myka took a shallow breath willing the worst of the pain to subside.
She left the barn with severe dehydration, hypothermia, three broken ribs, a fractured cheek bone, a dislocated wrist and shoulder on her left side, and a mild infection. That wasn't including the mental scars that had been added to her growing collection.
Those she was handling far better than her physical pain, for once. It helped that MacPherson was dead, Sandra and Raymond were in some super-secret government prison, and Walter Sykes was in a medically induced coma. For once, there was no need to look over her shoulder every moment. And Dr. Cho was working with her every day now to make sure that her mind recovered as well as her body.
Myka was an awful patient for the day she spent in the hospital, and every day over the next three weeks for Helena. She didn't like having to take it easy, she was used to doing things for herself, but her injuries hindered her, though she was determined to be back to her normal self as soon as possible.
So she never told Helena when she was in pain, she never took the pain medicine prescribed to her, she studied and she passed her finals and she went to work and played with Christina and basically did everything as she normally would. As much as was possible for her.
She smiled up at her girlfriend, realizing there was a question that needed answering, "I'm fantastic now that you're here."
"Why Miss Bering," HG smiled as she leant her face closer to Myka's, "Flattery will get you everywhere."
It was meant to be a brief, good morning kiss, but Myka wasn't having any of that. She wrapped her arms around Helena and rolled, throwing her to her back and pressing deeper kisses down on her. After a moment's indulgence, HG pulled back, as much as the bed would allow, to catch her breath, and Myka only trailed kisses down her jaw and neck.
"Myka, darling," Helena was trying to keep her thoughts from clouding over with the desire the rest of her body was feeling, she swallowed thickly, "Not that I'm not thoroughly enjoying myself, but I don't think now's the best time…"
"And why's that?" Myka challenged as her teeth grazed along Helena's collar bone.
"Because," her back arched slightly, and her hands gripped Myka's hips tighter, but she screwed her eyes shut and searched for the reason that this needed to stop, "Because there is an impatient child waiting for us in the next room, and Pete can only be stalled by Christina for so long before he starts opening presents without us."
Myka groaned before kissing Helena's lips once more. At first it was full of need and desire, and slowly cooled until it was just a chaste peck on the lips, and Myka rolled off, biting back a grunt of pain.
Her timing was perfect, as the door to their bedroom opened once more, this time, it was Claudia, reaching one hand out blindly while the other one was clamped over her eyes, "Is it safe to enter? If I peak, will I be scarred for life… again?"
HG chuckled, "You shan't be blinded, though I think you were being a bit dramatic about it last time. It's perfectly natural for a couple, such as Myka and myself, to have a healthy sexual appetite-,"
"Stop talking," Claudia plead, throwing both hands out as if to physically stop HG's words, allowing herself to peak out of one eye to make sure both women were fully clothed, "For the love of God, HG, stop. I love you both, but there is such a thing as too much information."
HG simply smirked as she rose from the bed, straightening her shirt and running a hand through her hair. Myka slowly rolled off the bed so she wouldn't have to bend as much at the waist, HG was quick to help her to her feet. She was rewarded with another, innocent kiss.
Claudia made a fake gagging noise, "Seriously? You're worse than teenagers."
Myka and HG smiled at one another, conveying more love in that single glance than a thousand words ever could.
They followed their friend to the living room of their apartment, where the rest of their surrogate family was waiting for them. The smell of coffee and bacon was drawing Myka to the kitchen, but as soon as Christina saw that her mom's girlfriend was awake and up, she jumped to her feet and ran to her.
Christina grabbed Myka's hands and practically dragged her to the love seat, sitting her and her mother there before calling everyone to the living room, though they were all already pretty much there.
Myka understood her excitement though, so she indulged her with a smile. This was the first Christmas Christina was spending with her mother in the last three years. This was the first real Christmas that Myka was having since she left her parent's house, her first ever with Helena.
She looked around at her small, mismatched family.
Claudia, who had been the one to put up all the decorations. She hadn't had a Christmas since she was eight, foster homes were always depressing during the holidays, so she went all out on the tree that barely fit in the apartment, the lights that were bright and the ornaments that were just shy of gaudy. She sat on the floor with a mug of coco, her back to the couch where Steve sat.
He had a big smile and a floppy red Santa hat, clearly indulging Claudia's mania with the holiday with good grace. Steve would never admit that he loved Christmas almost as much as Claudia did. It wasn't the presents or the coco or the decoration. It was the smell of pine tree that clung to everything, and the feeling of belonging somewhere, at last.
Pete was on his knees at the tree, passing out the presents and secretly trying to guess what was in each colorfully wrapped package. He celebrated when he was right and gave a confused tilt of his head when he was wrong. He accused Myka of purposely wrapping her presents weird so that he couldn't guess correctly.
Amanda was smiling and trying to keep her childish boyfriend focused from where she sat beside Steve. She had elected not to go home for the holiday, feeling like she fit in better with this tightly knit group then she ever did with her "real" family. She was needlessly worried about being accepted by her boyfriend's friends, and also about how he would react when she told him she was considering leaving Fresno and transferring to Fairview. But she knew that discussion could wait.
Then there was Helena. She was used to large parties on Christmas, her parent's home in London full to the rafters with people she didn't know who always asked her too many questions she didn't care about. She had never felt lonelier than when at those parties. Here, in the warm embrace of her girlfriend, surrounded by the people who had become less like friends and more like family, seeing her daughter's eyes light up with each gift unwrapped… here, is where she felt happy and safe and loved, and Christmas finally seemed to mean something.
True to her nature, Myka enjoyed watching everyone else open their gifts, and blushed deeply when she opened any of hers. She had saved the best for last, so she thought, when she pulled a rectangular box from behind her seat and handed it to Helena, waiting for everyone to be distracted so she could have her girlfriend's reaction all to herself.
"What's this?" Helena smiled as she accepted the silver wrapped present, the familiar weight and shape of a book in her hands, "You've managed to find a book that we don't both already own?" she quirked an eyebrow.
Myka lifted one of her shoulders and briefly looked down at her lap, "I may have stumble on something a while ago, and I thought… oh, just open it." Myka urged.
This piqued HG's interest, and her curiosity won out over watching Myka's reactions. She carefully peeled away the paper, sliding out the text and staring at it for a moment, just staring at it. She ran her hand over the worn cover, the gold embossing on the spine. She pulled back the cover and found the scrawling signature of H.G. Wells.
"When the Sleeper Wakes," she whispered, almost reverently, "This is my favorite…"
"I know." Myka smiled, almost smugly.
"It's a first edition," HG pointed out, "A signed first edition, where did you..."
"Over the summer, working in my father's shop, I stumbled on it." Myka played with the fringe of her warn pajama bottoms, "I remembered it was your favorite and set it aside to give to you one day."
Helena's heart swelled at the thought that, even while Myka was rightfully mad at her, she cared enough to set aside a book that reminded her of Helena. She quickly put her hand on the back of Myka's neck and pulled her in for a kiss before anyone could see the tears filling her eyes.
Myka smiled as they pulled apart, wiping her thumb across HG's cheek, catching the single tear that had escaped. They were lost for a single moment that lasted an eternity in each other's eyes, filled with love and an unbridled joy that they had made it here, despite everything that worked to keep them apart including their own stubbornness. They had made it.
They all spent the day together, drinking hot coco and watching Christmas movies. Laughing and playing games. Eating and telling stories. They spent the day happy. Happier than they had all been in a really long time.
They all believed that this feeling would last from here on out, or at least vehemently hoped that it would. And it did, for six whole days, they believed that they couldn't finally move past everything and live their lives like normal college kids.
That's when there was a knock at Myka's apartment door.
It was January first of the new year, ten am, and it was a miracle that Myka was even awake. They had spent the previous night celebrating with their friends, Christina spending the night at Nate and Emily's so the other adults could let loose.
She hadn't gone to bed until five in the morning, but her body woke her up to go through detox. It had been too long since Myka had anything to drink, and her tolerance had lowered. She was leaning on her elbows against the counter, listening to the coffee brew and waiting for the six aspirin she took to take effect.
She was trying to figure out how she ended up with a busted lip and a bruised cheek when they knocked.
Myka was still weary of answering the front door, but it was a hurdle that she and Abigale talked about overcoming, and Myka made a resolution that year to not allow past experiences to hinder living her life. So after downing her glass of water, she walked to the door, resisting the urge to put the security chain on, and pulled it open.
The was met with two men who's suits were blacker than Myka thought possible, and both were wearing sunglasses despite the cloudy day. The tall bald man stayed stoically quiet, while the shorter, darker man spoke, "Are you Myka Bering?"
"Can I help you?" She asked, adrenalin spiking in her, over shadowing her hang over migraine.
"That depends," he grumbled, "Are you, or are you not, Myka Being?"
"Yes, I'm Myka," She agreed finally, reaching her hand for the end table hidden by the door, the top drawer now containing a tesla, "What's this about?"
"We've been sent by Mrs. Fredric to collect you." He stepped forward.
"You're kidding me, right?" Myka stepped back, closing the door some to stop the man's advances.
"Ma'am, this is Warehouse business, and you really need to come with us." He insisted once more.
"I'm not going anywhere with you until you tell me what's going on." She crossed her arms.
"Why is there yelling?" a British voice complained groggily behind her as Helena padded barefoot through the apartment her head in her hands.
"Are you Helena Wells?" The bald man finally spoke, and HG's head snapped up.
"Who are you?" she demanded, moving to take up a stance similar to Myka's beside her.
"We were sent by Mrs. Fredric to collect you, your girlfriend, one Claudia Donovan, Steven Jinks, and Peter Lattimer." He answered curtly, glancing down at his watch, "And we're already running late, so if you could please come with us."
"We can't just go with you," Helena shook her head.
"I'm afraid you don't really have a choice, Miss Wells," He looked over his shoulder at the apartment directly across from them.
His partner pulled something from his pocket, and as he opened his hand, there was a brief flash. Myka and HG both tried to close their eyes, to turn their faces away from it, but it was too late, and everything went dark.
Myka was violently jerked back to reality when the bus she was sitting in went over a bump and her head hit the window it had been resting on.
"What the," she rubbed her head with her hand as she looked around. She appeared to be sitting in an old school bus. She had a gnawing feeling that a lot of time had passed since she had last been aware, and she was no longer in her pajamas, but dressed warmly in jeans, boots and a tick jacket.
A glance out the fogged up window reviled a barren, snow covered landscape.
"Were not in California anymore," she heard a familiar grumble from a few seats in front of her as someone else also came too and glanced outside.
Myka rose on unsure legs, her balance off do to being inside a still moving vehicle. She was sitting in the car back of the bus, three rows in front of her a familiar head of red hair was glancing this way and that.
"Claudia?" Myka called out.
The techie sprung to her feet and turned to face the sound of Myka's voice, "Mykes! Where are we?"
"I don't know, I just woke up, I think…" She looked to the other rows, finding Pete's slumped form first as it was in the row across from hers. Then Steve's blond head stirring beside raven black hair.
In the front of the bus sat two more people she didn't recognize right away, at least not from the back. But she would save that discovery for later as she walked down the aisle, using the seats for support, until she got to where Steve and Helena sat.
"Helena," Myka knelt beside her, "Sweetie, wake up." She brushed hair from HG's face.
She made a protesting groan, "Five more minutes…"
"No, come on, Helena, it's time to wake up," Myka urged.
Steve was glancing around, panic growing as he took in the unfamiliar settings, and his furtive movements are what finally drug HG from whatever induced sleep they had been in. Her eyes snapped open, full of fear and confusion until they settled on Myka, and she visibly calmed.
"Where are we?" she questioned, "What happened?"
"I don't know," Claudia answered for her, "But we're slowing down."
"Claud, wake up Pete." Myka ordered calmly before turning to the other two passengers in the bus, sparing a quick glance for the suited bus driver staring intently out the windshield of the bus and not paying them any mind.
It was coming back to them all what had happened what felt like only moments before. The mysterious men in black, sent from an even more mysterious Mrs. Fredric from the supremely mysterious Warehouse…
Myka thought she would be more afraid, perhaps panicked like the others seemed to be, but she surprised herself by staying calm as she moved up two more rows. What did shock her was to find Abigale and Leena asleep in consecutive rows.
She walked past them without bothering to rouse them, going to stand instead behind the driver's seat.
"Where are we?" she demanded.
"South Dakota," The driver responded without looking away from the field they were driving to,
"We're almost there, don't worry."
"Almost where?" Myka asked, seeing nothing but hills and snow for miles in either direction, but the driver seemed to be done talking to Myka, so she brought the others together in the middle of the bus after waking Leena and Abigale.
"What the bloody hell is in South Dakota?" HG made a face as she glanced worriedly out the window.
"Nothing but snow apparently," Claudia grumbled.
"No, wait, what's that?" Steve pointed at the mountain they were driving towards, more specifically at the black shape at the base of the mountain, steadily growing bigger.
"I'm assuming that's the Warehouse," Myka paced the aisle, "That's what they grabbed us for, right? Mrs. Fredric sent them for us. I mean, how long were they really going to let a bunch of college kids who knew about them run around."
"Why would they put the secret government agency in the middle of South Dakota?" Pete huffed.
"Maybe that's exactly the point," Abigale shrugged, "Who would actually think to look here?"
The last five minutes of the trip was made in tense silence, and when the driver told them to exit the bus, they did it stoically. Showing no emotion, though each was feeling a great amount of fear build up in their chest. This is the moment they had been waiting for since they discovered the curiosities. This is why they stopped hunting them. Because they knew eventually, these agents would catch up to them.
They left the bus in a straight line, stopping to stand side by side in front of the large structure before them. They stared up at it, it's sheer size over whelming. They were so caught up, they failed to notice the figures waiting for them.
"It's a bit cold out here," Vanessa finally called to the young adults, "So if you're all done staring?"
Vanessa Calder, Arthur Neilson, Jane Lattimer and Irene Fredric stood with their backs to the building.
"Would you mind explaining to me," Myka spoke first, anger tainting her words, "Why you've kidnapped us? After all we've been through, what made you think that was a good idea?" she demanded, her hands balling into fists at her side.
"We needed to speak to you all," Jane said, "To get you all here. We're sorry, but this was the fastest way."
"Where's my daughter?" HG demanded next, her eyes flashing dangerously.
"Don't worry, she's safe," Vanessa assured her, "She's still with Nate."
"And Amanda?" Pete called, "Where's my girlfriend?"
"Amanda wasn't involved with you. She wasn't part of your, what was it you called them? Scooby Doos?" Mrs. Fredric quirked an eyebrow at Claudia.
"Neither were Leena or Dr. Cho." Myka argued.
"We need them for… a different reason." She answered cryptically, "And unless you all want to freeze out here, I suggest you follow me."
A door that seemed too small for a building so massive swung open behind them, and the four Warehouse personnel walked through. The seven shanghaied people left behind exchanged a look of pure skepticism. Pete was the first to move for the door, followed closely by Myka.
It was a long corridor, lined with tubes, each with the word EXPLOSIVES printed on the side in bold lettering.
"What the hell?" Pete whispered to his best friend as he reached out a tentative hand for one of the tubes.
"Don't touch the bombs!" Artie snapped without turning around to look at them.
"Bombs?" Pete mouthed to Myka as he pulled his hand back, and she shrugged in response.
Helena grabbed Myka's hand, wanting the silent support she knew she would find in the green eyes of her girlfriend. They all stayed huddled pretty close together, figuring there was safety in numbers.
The hallway lead to an office, or what Myka assumed was once an office. It looked as if a tornado had blown through.
In response to whatever expression was on her face, Vanessa said, "We're doing a bit of… house cleaning."
She didn't explain herself, and the other three didn't stop walking until they reached yet another door, this one leading to a metal catwalk.
"Whoa," Pete's jaw dropped as he gripped the railing, staring at the scene before him now.
"Oh my god." Myka whispered as she moved to stand next to him.
One by one they each had their reactions staring at the shelves below them. Massive shelves, stretching out endlessly in every direction, filling with items too far away to easily identify, but Steve caught sight of what looked like a pyramid off in the distance.
"What is this place?" Leena asked reverently, feeling all the different energies wrapping around her. For once, everyone around her was feeling almost the same thing as she was, like the atmosphere was warm and welcoming. Like they were coming home.
"Welcome to Warehouse 13," Artie waved with great grandeur towards the Warehouse floor.
"Why are we here?" Myka asked, turning to Mrs. Fredric, knowing she was the one in charge here, "Are we in some kind of trouble for… well, for the last year?"
"No," she shook her head, "Your actions over the course of the previous ten months have shown us something. That you five," she pointed to the college students, "Show more promise than anyone we've come across. Both as individuals, and as a team."
"So, what?" Myka laughed, more from confusion and disbelief than actual humor, "You kidnapped us, drugged us, and brought us to The Middle of Nowhere South Dakota to offer us a job?" she looked at the woman like she was insane.
"More than a job," Mrs. Fredric gave a small smile, "I'm here to offer you all an invitation to a world of endless wonder."
AN: Final Chapter for Library of Crazy, the second part of America's Most Dangerous Antiques Roadshow. I want to thank you for sticking it out with me for the last 120,000 words, thank you so much for your reviews and patience because god knows I need it. You have all been fantastic.
I am thinking of adding a third part, I have some outlines for it but no major story arc. That's why I gave this one a kind-of ending. Because even if I do end up publishing America's Junk Drawer, it'll be in a few weeks so I can work on the promised 2120 fic. But if it's something you want to see, let me know and I'll see if I can step it up and work on two stories at once. No promises.
I love you all, you beautiful amazing individuals.
-W