Thank you to everyone who commented on the last chapter, I was overwhelmed by such positive responses! I only hope that the rest of this story can live up to the same standard. Or at least, not drop too far below.
So, without too much prattle from me, let's finally meet Freddy...
Chapter Thirteen
June's temperate warmth did nothing to prepare the residents of Univille for the sudden blast of heat that arrived at the beginning of the second week in July. One person in particular found the rise in temperature unbearable as she waddled around her home in a never-ending quest for relief, frequently whimpering at the feel of her body parts sticking together and calling for constant refills for the glass of ice she held in her hand.
Myka was miserable day and night, exhausted both by the energy spent trying to get comfortable and the sleep deprivation. She cursed her body, the weather, the lack of foresight in buying a home without air conditioning and anyone who dared to invade her space for more than a few minutes. The only person she found the energy to tolerate was Christina and that was only if the girl didn't touch her mother or expect her to engage in anything remotely active.
Helena did her best to be quietly helpful - out of the way but ever available to respond to her lover's needs. Being the cause of Myka's condition put her firmly at the top of the brunette's hit list though, which meant that she didn't stay in the room long. That she couldn't do much to help made her feel useless at this point in her fiancée's pregnancy, and lonely considering that they had been practically inseparable up until now.
Helena hoped that the delivery she had expected two days ago would arrive today. She wasn't sure how much longer she could stand being shut out when heat and lack of sleep were beginning to make her cranky also. The minute she lost her patience with Myka though, she was sure she would be cooked alive by the expectant woman's immolating glare.
On a seventh trip to the kitchen for ice, HG heard the crunch of tyres on the curb and detoured to the front door to intercept. Swinging it open, she ignored the startled expression on the young man's face and ripped the clipboard from his hands to scribble her signature on the bottom.
"Got something exciting, ma'am?" he asked, trying not to stare at the perspiration glistening on her collar and chest.
"Parts," she murmured unhelpfully and shoved the clipboard back at him before making room for him to wheel the collection of boxes towards the basement.
With all the commotion, she expected Myka to be curious, but had hoped that her lover would be too tired to rise from her place on the couch. With their daughter spending a few hours out with Claudia and Steve, there was no one around other than Helena to be her runner though and not knowing was apparently motivation enough for her to make the effort to move.
Now, Myka's ominous presence seemed to fill the hall.
At the arrival of the homicidal looking pregnant woman, the young delivery guy visibly paled, which was not the easiest feat for his caramel complexion. With the last box unloaded from his van, he offered the sexy Brit a sympathetic look and scarpered, his wide eyes avoiding contact with the imposing figure in the living room doorway.
Helena froze at the expression of irritation of her partner's face. Seconds felt like a lifetime as she debated what to tell Myka. Knowing that evasion would be pointless, she decided that failure with her plan was not an option and approached the brunette as she would a lioness.
"What's going on?" Myka demanded sharply. She stood with feet half a metre apart, one hand pushing on the small of her back, where it ached more than ever, and the other under her bump. "Are you having new toys delivered?"
"No, darling. I could hardly enjoy a new project while you're so uncomfortable," HG assured her fiancée soothingly. "I intended for it to be a surprise – the parts were supposed to arrive on Wednesday. I purchased some air conditioners. It should only take an hour or so to have them set up throughout the house, once I know how they work."
Myka's expression lit up slightly but her tone was still irritable as she asked, "Don't you just have to plug them in and push the buttons? Or did you have to buy the most complicated system?"
Helena winced at the accusation; it was not entirely inaccurate. "Shall we see how well they work before you rake me across the coals?" she grumbled in response, a hand rising to push an unusually lank lock of hair from her eyes. "Love, why don't you have a cool bath while you're waiting? I will make every effort to be done before you are." Not waiting on the brunette's answer, Helena kissed her cheek and disappeared.
Myka tipped her head back, eyes closed, and growled. Somewhere, underneath the irrational heat of her ire, she knew that her lover was doing everything in her power to help, but she felt like she'd just been abandoned in her misery. It took her a long moment to breathe through her desire to throw open the door to the basement and pick a fight, but when she did, her mind turned to Helena's suggestion and she used what was left of her strength to climb the stairs.
The bath helped. The cool water slipped blissfully against her skin and though her passenger became suddenly active with the change in temperature, it was worth the occasional elbow against her innards to not be sweating anymore. Twice she pulled the plug out, letting some of the water drain before topping up the bath from the cold tap, and in sporadic intervals, she dozed.
The hour passed in fits of relaxation and frustration, until the door crept timidly open and admitted a cautiously triumphant looking HG Wells. Myka smiled sheepishly as her fiancée knelt by the side of the bath and asked her if she was feeling any better.
A dripping hand lifted out of the water and landed on top of Helena's. "I'm sorry for being so grumpy. This heat is driving me nuts. You're trying so hard and I really shouldn't be taking my frustrations out on you."
"Believe me, love, I have some idea of what you're going through." Helena laced their fingers together and brought her lover's hand up to meet her lips. "I am so very grateful that Christina was a spring baby."
Myka pushed an uncharitable comment to the back of her mind and redirected her thoughts. "So, you're here to tell me that our house if about to become an ice-box?" she asked hopefully.
"It is ready for launch when you are," the inventor declared proudly.
Myka frowned as she began the arduous task of exiting the bath. "As long as it doesn't actually take off." She begrudgingly accepted the hands that helped her over the lip of the tub and stood, comfortably-naked, in front of her partner. "'Cause I'm not sure I'd put it past you to build another rocket."
"Rest assured, it was a figure of speech. It won't literally launch." She turned to grab a towel, muttering under breath, "I hope."
Myka managed a straight face by the time Helena looked at her again and shot a raised eyebrow in her direction. Realising that her fiancée's sharp hearing had caught it all, HG shrugged, her expression saying 'well, you never know'.
The brunette slipped a thin robe on once she was dry (inwardly grumbling as her body began to rapidly reheat with the movement) and followed the other woman into their bedroom. At the foot of the bed, she noticed a curved, white box with vents along the side and top. Eager to recover her cooler state, she looked to the raven-haired inventor for instructions.
Helena lifted a small device with buttons from a pocket on the side and showed it to Myka. "I installed a remote controller into this one and the one in the living room and I'm hoping that Claudia will help me to make an app so we will both have control from our phones. Theoretically, that will allow us to change the settings for one or all machines from anywhere in the house," she explained smugly.
"Honey, you know I usually love the tech-talk and I am impressed," Myka said tersely. "But I would like to feel it working now."
Slightly put down, HG placed the remote in the American's hand unceremoniously and pointed to a button. "This one turns it on."
The moment an icy blast hit her skin, Myka melted. It hardly seemed possible, but within a minute, she started to feel cold.
Helena tried not to sound too overbearing as she noticed the goose bumps and asked, "Would you like me to show you the rest of the controls now?"
In the end, she left her partner with the new device on an ambient temperature setting and suggested that Myka took the opportunity to nap while the house was quiet and she had the bed all to herself. Retreating to the basement once more, she forced herself to tidy the debris from her mini-engineering job and jumped in the shower just before Christina arrived home with her baby sitters in tow.
She put a finger to her lips as their footsteps and voices filled the hallway and pulled her daughter into a side-on hug. "Did you have fun?"
"Yes – Aunt Claudia and I climbed the monkey-bars. All the way to the top," she whispered excitedly. "Jamie and Drew were there too. Where's Mama?"
"Guessing by the hush-hush, kid, I'd say grumpy-Mama-Ber is sleeping," Claudia said as she moved into the living room to inspect the source of the breeze. "Sweeeet," she squealed softly as she spotted the new addition. "I see the goods finally arrived. No wonder big-sis is napping." She flopped into the nearest chair and let out a satisfied 'ahh' when it didn't immediately stick to her back.
Steve and HG shared an amused look before joining their friend. Conversation took a circuitous route around the Warehouse and the red-head took possession of Helena's tablet for some time as she postulated over the functionality of the app she agreed to create.
"Jinxie has a secret boyfriend," Claudia announced as she finished what she was doing and mentally returned to the room.
Agent Jinks flushed and threw a glare at his bestie. "Claude, enough. I don't have a secret boyfriend."
Helena smiled sympathetically at the uncomfortable expression on his face. "Myka was right, you can't lie for toffee, Steve." She and Christina were perched around the coffee table, building a pterodactyl with Mechano but the young man's unsuccessful denial drew her attention away from the task for a moment. "So who is the lucky fellow?"
"Think about it, HG. None of us ever leaves the Warehouse or Leena's long enough to form meaningful attachments and Steve-O is all 'I'm workin' here' when we're on a bust," the techie's arms moved robotically to match her tone as she rolled her eyes at Steve. "Who could possibly be on that very short list?" She placed her chin on one hand, tapping a finger against her lip in mock-thought. "There's Artie, Pete and... who's the only other possibility left...? So... hard..."
"Fine," Steve threw his hands up in surrender. "We had dinner the other night. Happy? It was just dinner."
"Nu-uh, Poopy-pants," Claudia grinned ear-to-ear. "I caught you both getting snuggly to Magic Mike. I thought you were over your Tatum crush," she teased relentlessly.
"If you have managed to make a connection with someone, we're happy for you, Steve," Helena interrupted, hoping to derail the red-head's well-intentioned attack. The poor guy was turning a shade that she had never seen before and she thought he could use a break. "It is not easy to meet people you can have a lasting relationship with in this line of work, so we wish you the best."
"Thank you, HG," Steve responded with a sigh, shooting a meaningful look at his best friend.
"Yeah-yeah," Claudia grumbled. "But when something does happen with JJ, I demand bestie-deet-rights."
Smiling at their playful banter, Helena was reminded of her brother and wondered for a moment how he would have faired with the pseudo-siblings. After briefly reflecting, she noted the time and excused herself to make a start on dinner, insisting as she left the room that her guests stay to eat with them.
Christina wandered in and out, reporting on the progress of her mechanical dinosaur and commenting on her state of hunger when her mother still hadn't finished. When Helena heard footsteps behind her again, she assumed they belonged to her daughter and jumped with a small squeak when lips brushed against her ear.
A familiar chuckle revealed her companion's identity and she abandoned her bowl of salad to turn in her fiancée's loose embrace. "I didn't hear you coming down the stairs," she commented as she relaxed against the counter.
"Odd," Myka responded lightly. "I sound like an elephant wandering around these days."
Helena rolled her eyes but as the comment had been somewhat playful, she ignored it. A hand rose, its thumb brushing tenderly over a flushed cheek. "You seem better rested. Can I assume that you actually managed to sleep?"
The brunette's gaze flicked between her lover's eyes and lips. Without answering the question, she leant in and settled against the inventor's mouth, one hand sliding fingers around the nape of a neck while the other disappeared under the lapels of a shirt. She tasted the remnants of sweet-pepper on her fiancée's tongue and a soft moan escaped her lips.
Helena melted into the American's arms, her brain struggling to catch up with the abrupt change in her partner's behaviour. She had no idea how long they stood there, making out like a couple of teenagers but by the time they came up for air, she was seriously contemplating dragging her lover back to bed. An emphatic 'yeuch' reached their ears and they turned to the doorway to find the source of the interruption.
Christina stood in the aperture, hands covering her eyes and giggling.
It began on the Tuesday of that same week, three weeks earlier than her original due date but right on time counting in the time travelling incident. Just after midnight, on the fourteenth day in July, Myka went into labour.
The significance of the date was not lost on either parent. They had discussed their feelings on the matter with Abigail since discovering the possibility that Fredrick could arrive this day and it had taken many sessions, for HG in particular, for them to find the silver lining. July fourteenth would be a day for celebrating their son's birth, not commiserating their daughter's death.
The pain stretched like a rubber band around her middle, gradually gaining strength as she breathed heavily through her nose and tried to sit up. "Helena!" she hissed into the darkness. Holding onto the edge of the mattress, she managed to pull herself upright and fumbled for the bedside lamp.
Having been subconsciously ready for weeks, at the first utterance of her name, HG was awake and moving before she even realised what was really happening. "I'm here, darling." Only wobbling a little, she rounded the bed and crouched in front of her partner. "Do you think it's time?"
Teeth clenched, Myka nodded jerkily and released a long groan. "Fuck," she growled as the contraction rolled over her and began to taper off. She was still panting but looking into her lover's reassuring gaze, she remembered all of their preparation and planning and knew what was coming next.
"Shall I call Vanessa and rest of the cavalry before I set up the room?" Helena checked and immediately reached for her phone as the brunette nodded.
After the first bought of false labour in Wyoming, they had a meeting with Dr Calder to discuss their birthing options in more detail. Myka's experience of the hospital had been less than comfortable or relaxing and after Helena described her home-birth at her cousin's house with her chosen doctor and midwife, much of their energy went into talking about the possibility of the same for Myka.
Having a spare bedroom where her helpers could nap if necessary and access to everything they needed through Vanessa, their decision was made easier. Within a few days, the house was ready, all the important people were on high alert, and all they had to do was wait.
Myka timed her contractions, insisting that she needed something to occupy her mind with other than the pain. By the time Helena had the bed ready for the messy proceedings and the doctor was on her way, they were fifteen minutes apart.
Christina's pyjama-clad form came wandering in, the commotion having woken her, and stood staring sleepily at her American mother's strained expression. "Is the baby coming, Mama?"
Myka patted the edge of the bed, the crinkle of the plastic mattress-protector sounding loud to her ears, and stood gradually to sit next to the young Victorian, from where she had been kneeling on the floor, trying to find a comfortable position. "Yes, your little brother has decided that it's time to make his big entrance." She opened her arms and the nine-year-old crawled into her left side. She appreciated the girl's presence at that moment. Hanging around while waiting for the next contraction to hit was not fun. The anticipation was almost as bad as the pain itself and she knew she had a long way to go yet.
Helena returned from making her final call and sat next to Christina. "Vanessa and Leena will be arriving in a couple of hours," she informed her partner. "Claudia and Pete will make their way over once it's light."
"Pete?" Myka wondered aloud. She didn't really object to his presence per-se, as long as he wasn't actually in the room.
"He insisted that I inform him the minute you went into labour so that he could be here to meet his nephew personally. Though I did wonder if his ulterior motive was to have a practise run before it's Lila's turn."
"I'll bet he..." Myka's words cut off as she leant forward, breathing consciously through the beginning of another contraction.
After reassuring their daughter that what her Mama was experiencing was normal, Helena encouraged her to return to bed, placed some gentle music into her Hi-Fi and promised to wake her either when it was morning or when the baby was born, though she did explain that Freddy probably wouldn't arrive until at least late morning. With her Mummy stroking her head, sleep soon returned to the girl.
HG took a moment to remember Christina's birth before she quietly left the room and went back to helping her partner.
She listened attentively as Myka talked through their preparations again, knowing that her lover was nervous and needed to reassure herself that they had everything in place for later. She ran for drinks and snacks whenever the brunette mentioned hunger or thirst, and did her best to help find comfortable positions against random items of furniture or on the yoga mat Steve had given them for this very reason.
Myka held onto Helena's presence like a lifeline in those pre-dawn hours. Vanessa arrived ahead of anyone else and smiled comfortingly as she checked her patient over, declaring before long that everything was moving at a good pace.
Morning arrived and Christina reappeared like a kid on Christmas morning, only to find things exactly as she'd left them. Both of her parents assured her that the baby was still coming and Leena, who had arrived just before dawn, volunteered to make breakfast for everyone, eliciting the nine-year-old's help in the process.
By midday, Myka was well in to her first stage of labour, her contractions coming every three minutes and staying for longer and longer. She remained mobile for as long as possible, hoping that gravity would help to speed things along, but eventually, Vanessa ushered her towards the bed for another round of checks and she decided she was too tired to get up again.
She held onto Helena, groaning through the pain, and tried to visualise her muscles relaxing, her body opening up.
"Remember your breathing, darling. Focus on my voice." The inventor took little care in schooling the excitement and natural 'know-it-all' tone from her voice, which she realised was a mistake the moment she noted her lover's irritated expression. She vaguely recalled screaming insults at anyone and everyone during Christina's birth and kicked herself at the novice comment.
"I know!" Myka growled through the pain as she clutched the bed sheets and tried to remember how to breathe.
"He's hurting her," Christina whispered just as Myka's latest groan vibrated through the ceiling.
Lunchtime had come and gone, with Leena vanishing upstairs the minute she'd tidied the kitchen and Pete and Claudia returning to the living room with their charge while they all continued to wait.
"Hey, kid," the red-head spoke, gaining the nine-year-old's attention. "He's not really hurting her, you know. Like your moms told you, it's not easy pushing a person out of your body."
"She's gonna be ok, CJ," Pete told her from his perch on the arm of the sofa. "We can still walk down to Leena's though if it bothers you. They said it was ok if you weren't happy waiting around."
"Yeah," Claudia added. "It's probably gonna be a while yet."
"No," Christina objected firmly and climbed onto the sofa. "I'm alright. I want to stay." She was tired, only having slept for five hours before the chaos had begun and managing very little even after being sent back to bed, but there was no chance of her falling asleep any time soon.
Claudia found the stereo and pressed play on what was already in the machine. She rolled her eyes slightly at the predictable classical tune that sprang to life, but at the small smile on the nine-year-old's face, she left Bolero playing.
They pulled Monopoly out of the games' cupboard and cleared the coffee table to set it up. As per their routine whenever Pete played with them, Christina and the tech-whizz immediately ganged up on him, declaring his downfall before they'd even started.
Upstairs, things continued to progress. Vanessa's arrival had initially calmed Agent Bering's growing panic, but as her contractions became stronger and closer together, Myka began to let her thoughts run to all sorts of horrible scenarios. What would they do if she haemorrhaged and the ambulance didn't arrive on time, or what if the baby got stuck and they couldn't get him out? What the hell had she been thinking, wanting her own experience to be as close to Helena's as possible? This was the twenty first century for crying out loud. Why wasn't she lying in a stark white room allowing someone to stick a needle in her to numb some of the pain!?
Helena sat by her fiancée's side, hearing the erratic sounds of Myka's breathing, seeing the tell-tale signs that she was over thinking, and began to explain in a calm, even tone what was happening. "Myka? Darling, listen to me. We're nearly there. Whatever is troubling that beautiful mind of yours, I need you to come back to me. Watch my breathing," she instructed, gaining the attention of tired green eyes. "Follow me." Gradually, it began to work and Myka developed a more even rhythm, similar to what they had been learning in class. "That's it. You're doing wonderfully," she encouraged gently.
"We're about nine centimetres now, Myka. Not far to go," Vanessa chatted, keeping her tone conversational as she and Leena monitored mother and baby's vitals and checked that everything else was in place. "He seems in quite a rush to meet his moms."
"Well, he's welcome to come out any time now," Myka groaned as her grip on Helena's hand relaxed a little and she wiped indignantly at the perspiration on her brow. "I don't understand why women would do this more than once."
"Believe it or not, love," Helena began. "But once all of this pandemonium is over and that precious life is lying in your arms, the months of discomfort and hours of pain become worth it. It's an addictive feeling."
Myka's semi-serene expression collapsed and she bent forward, hands bunching the sheets again. "Not right now it isn't!" she complained through gritted teeth.
The sun passed its zenith by the time Myka was fully dilated and she began pushing in earnest. In all the hours since waking, Helena had left the room only to run errands for her love, check on Christina, escort her agitated fiancée on a walk along the landing or to visit the en-suite. Knowing what her partner was going through, she winced at each new wave of pain and willed the end along. When Dr Calder finally announced that she could see the head, she felt a swell of anticipation.
Fredrick Charles came screaming into the world at 2:48pm, his head covered with a thin layer of dark hair and weighing 8lb 3oz. As he was quickly wiped over with a muslin and handed over to his exhausted mother, his wailing died down, leaving just his lower lip wobbling pitifully.
Helena and Leena helped Myka to shuffle back so she could recline against the cushions at the head of the bed. HG mounted the mattress with care, eager to snuggle with her lover and their newest family member.
Like every other proud new parent in history, Myka and Helena had eyes only for their baby and occasionally each other. Their hands moved continuously, gently exploring the curve of their son's head, tiny ears and curled-up fingers. Tears fell unseen from green eyes and the American finally understood what her fiancée had meant by the addictive feeling. This moment, and for all time, her baby held a piece of her heart.
A sudden thought made her breath catch in her throat. "Helena, I want to see Christina," she demanded.
HG gazed into her lover's eyes and immediately understood the request. They had not had chance to enjoy this moment together when their daughter was born and, ignoring the fact that they might never have met if the girl had not been left with Helena in 1890, Myka should have been holding both of their children in her arms. She kissed Myka soundly and prepared to get off the bed but was stopped with a gesture and a smile from across the room.
"I'll get her," Leena offered. "If you want me to."
"You still have to birth the placenta, Myka," Vanessa warned, though she was by no means adverse to anything that kept her patient happy and calm.
"I know," Myka said, already feeling her body working to that effect. "But that could take a while, right?"
Dr Calder nodded. "Everything has come along nicely so far. I expect it will follow within the next hour."
Smiling and turned back to her ever-patient friend, Myka inclined her head. "Please, Leena."
When Christina arrived, Helena immediately made room for her on the bed and cuddled up behind her family. She watched Myka kiss their daughter's hair and invite her to stroke her brother's head. The nine-year-old dropped her head onto the American's shoulder and Myka's curly-haired head joined it.
"He's so small," Christina observed as she gazed down at the baby in awe. "Was I that small?"
"Yes, my love," Helena whispered, not wishing to break the peaceful atmosphere. "Your fingers were this tiny and you squeaked when you yawned."
Myka's chuckle reverberated through their group embrace. Fredrick's eyes blinked open and he squinted up at the three females staring at him. "Hi there baby. We've been looking forward to meeting you for some time now."
"I'm your sister," Christina told him enthusiastically. "When you're bigger, we can play in my tree house and pretend to be pirates and have great adventures."
Helena shared a look with Myka, both of them knowing that, by the time he was old enough to climb into a tree house, their teenaged daughter would likely have outgrown games of make believe.
HG tousled Christina's hair. "He's going to love that tree house when he's big enough, darling. But it's going to be a long time before his gross-motor skills are developed enough for him to climb."
"Mummy or I could carry him up for the occasional picnic though, once he's sitting up maybe," Myka added.
As Fredrick yawned, squeaked and made everyone laugh, Dr Calder suggested that Myka try to feed him, explaining that it might speed the final stage of labour along. Christina jumped off the bed and volunteered to tell Pete and Claudia all about her little brother.
The nine-year-old skipped down stairs with a grin, holding her Mummy's phone, which contained the first few snap-shots of Fredrick. She bounded into the living room and jumped on Pete, who was stuffing himself with cookies. "He's here! Look, Leena took some pictures with Mummy's phone."
"How come you're not still up there, soaking up all the baby cuteness?" Pete asked, his words sounding muffled around the food in his mouth.
The girl pulled a face. "Mama still has to birth the placenta. I didn't want to stay for that; it sounded yucky."
Caught by his imagination, Pete miraculously lost his appetite and tossed the remnants of his snack back on the plate, his hand brushing crumbs from his mouth and shirt onto the floor. He wrapped his arms around the excitable girl and patted the space next to him. "Come on, Claude. Come see the Warehouse 13 next-next generation."
There were only about a dozen pictures to look at but it was enough to keep the trio occupied for half an hour as the adults 'awed' over their newest addition and remarked on the mushy expressions between Myka and HG. Christina waxed lyrical about all of her big sister duties and how she planned to teach him how to walk, talk and build sky-scrapers.
When Helena appeared downstairs again, it was to announce that everything had been cleaned up and Myka wanted to see them before they left. She led her guests into the master bedroom, hanging back slightly with her daughter to whisper a word in her ear as Agents Lattimer and Donovan tussled briefly over the chair closest to the new mother.
Christina grinned, disappeared and reappeared a minute later with something from her room. She climbed onto the mattress again, taking her chosen position at the head of the bed and held a wrapped package on her lap.
"What's this?" Myka asked, her expression softly curious as she gazed down at her daughter. With Pete holding Freddy, she was able to wrap an arm around the girl's shoulders and feel the lumpy package with her free hand.
"It's mine, Mama, but I want to give it to Freddy." She beamed from ear to ear, eyes full of mischief. "Will you open it?"
Myka threw a questioning glance at her fiancée and received a gentle nod in return. Intrigued, she began to pick at a strip of sticky-tape. "You might have to help me while I only have one arm," she told the girl. The minute they had one end open and the paper began to fall away, Myka's eyes misted over. Even were she not chock full of hormones and not emotional from having just given birth, the sight of her favourite childhood bear, the sentimental toy she had gifted Christina with, would have caused the same reaction. "Sweetheart, are you sure?" she asked through a suddenly tight throat.
"It's ok, Mama. I want Freddy to have our bear," she insisted.
Biting her tongue, to hold onto the primal sound that worked its way to the back of her throat, Myka picked up the stuffed toy and began to manipulate it with her one free hand. "For the best big sister ever," she croaked in a funny voice and proceeded to attack the nine-year-old with teddy-kisses.
Pete and Claudia watched this interaction with similar responses, heads tilted to the side and puppy-dog eyes. The second the moment was over though, the red-head returned to quietly demanding aunt-rights.
"It's my turn, you big baby-hog," Claudia whispered into the big guy's ear.
"Hey, hey, hey, little sister," Agent Lattimer crooned. "Little dude wants his Uncle Petie."
"It's my turn," the techie hissed.
Myka glared at the pair of them from her position on the bed. "Are you fighting over my child?"
"Zoinks," Pete winced and ducked instinctively, if a little less exuberantly than usual.
"Stop it," the hard-eyed brunette told her friends. A second passed and then her death-stare withered. "Or Old-Ted will have to have words," the funny voice returned, prompting a group chuckle.
Claudia had her turn, returned the baby to Pete, and then needed another cuddle before she and Agent Lattimer made their farewells and promised to run interference with well wishers for a couple of days until they were all a little more rested.
Myka fell asleep almost as soon as the guests had left; Christina curled into her side and Freddy in his bassinette. Helena saw Vanessa and Leena out of the front door, taking note of the doctor's orders and promising to call with any questions.
The door closed and silence descended on the hallway, prompting the inventor's body to deflate, her head thumping softly against the wood as she grinned to herself happily. An unexpected burst of delight fell from her lips and she clamped a hand over her mouth as a chuckle escaped and a fresh wave of tears gathered across her vision. Arms pushed her from the door and she tiptoed swiftly up the stairs, only slowing at the entrance to hers and Myka's bedroom.
They were just as she'd left them, her beautiful family. Helena absorbed the sight before her with relish, holding onto that feeling of unadulterated bliss. She pushed the door softly closed behind her before gliding across the carpet towards her son. Only the anticipation of this moment had fed her patience while Pete and Claudia took their turns to hold the boy and she breathed calmly now as she reached into the bassinette.
Fredrick complained at the disturbance, his face scrunching, fists reaching above his head and his little lungs pushing a whining-grunt passed his vocal chords. His mother's arms pulled him close to her warmth and her familiar voice whispered soothingly in his ear until he blinked, protests dying, and then slipped back into slumber.
Babe in arms, the inventor found an oversized cushion, lowered herself into the newly acquired rocking chair and arranged her body so she would have little need to move any time soon. There was no keeping the smile from her face as she gazed lovingly down into her son's features and began to memorise every curve and dip.
Unsurprisingly, there was a great resembled to his sister; the same pout, the same rounded cheeks and chin, the same gentle slope along the bridge of his nose, only... boyish. He continued to grunt and snuffle through each breath, using airways that he'd not needed to exercise before now.
Helena placed a lingering kiss on his crown and leant back in her seat, her arms lowering to rest atop the giant cushion, where the tiny prince lay, safely nestled in his Mummy's arms.
After the long, emotional day, HG could barely keep her eyes open. Knowing that chaos would soon resume, with everyone needing to eat and bathe before day's end, she didn't resist Morpheus' pull and drifted effortlessly to sleep, a smile still ghosting her expression.
Next on WH13: family fluff and parental peril...