Two things: 1. Helena appears in person soon. Maybe in the next chapter… or not. Well, you'll have to see for yourselves ;)

And 2. I threw some OC here. One of them is a person in no way related to anything in the show (unlike another characters I use, you're just about to see), but it's just sth I'll need later – so, you know, not pointless – and I promise it's just a back story kinda thing, nothing to be concerned about. Did I freak you out? I hope not. Let me know. :)

I do not own WH13 nor its characters.

Chapter Two

When Myka wakes up at 7, Tracy is still asleep. She probably won't be up till noon, Myka thinks, knowing that her sister in not a morning person, especially after going to bed at 3 a.m. She gets up quietly, grabbing some clothes in her way out of the room.

In the kitchen, she runs into her mom, who greets her warmly. They eat in comfortable silence. Myka sips her tea, when the other woman finishes a crossword.

"What are your plans for today, Myka?"

The girl wants to answer with "reading a book on the porch now, looking for a library in town later", but she remembers last night's decision. So instead she decides, "I'll go find Pete and see if he wants to do something together. Maybe we'll take a tour around, see what's to do here."

"Good idea. Have fun, honey."

"So, uh, what are you going to do?"

Mrs. Bering smiles with a corner of her mouth. "I'll try to drag your dad to the beach. You should join us later; bring your friend, if you'd like."

"Maybe." Myka nods her head, thinking about how inviting and supportive her mother is lately and how, oddly enough, it starts to weigh on her.

Ever since Sam died, her family has been tiptoeing around her. Her mom became overly caring; Tracy suddenly became aware of the fact that her sister is a living, feeling being, not some impassive humanoid; and her father, well, he stopped criticizing her every decision – settling for silent watching. I should be glad, she thinks, but she can't help feeling certain uneasiness.

"Are you ok, honey?"

"Yeah, mom," she says automatically, "just thinking… about the book I finished yesterday," she lies, but it seems to do the trick.

# # #

She walks down the street at leisure, enjoying the breeze and sunbeams, and the silence of an early morning. It's her favorite time of a day, when everything is waking, coming to life – and light.

For weeks after Sam's death Myka avoided light, warmth, joy. She felt like she didn't deserve it; he died because of her, because she was late. She blamed herself. It took time for her to stop feeling this way, to accept what happened. Time and a few meetings with school psychologist, because her family didn't know how to talk with her about the accident.

Eventually she started healing, letting the light in, coping with her emotions. She survived the first year and believed she'd be ok again. She even let herself be comforted by another person, one that she met in the bookstore, on a rainy spring evening a week after the first anniversary of Sam's death.

Charlie was a tower of strength. Kind and self-confident, she made good first impression. They talked a lot then, waiting for it to stop raining. Myka still doesn't know how she ended up sharing her pain with the elder girl, but she can still remember how safe and relieved she felt in Charlie's arms. Their short-lived relationship gave her hope she'd find happiness again. But it certainly didn't help with Myka's relations with her family.

"Where are you?"

Myka comes to a stop, when a child's voice breaks through her thoughts.

"I'm sorry?"

"I mean, where did you go? Where did your mind take you?" The girl is ten at the most. Her dark eyes seem to drill into Myka's soul, while an enigmatic smile shows up at her friendly face. Myka stares back, stunned.

"Leena, come back inside." A woman approaches them. She pushes the girl lightly in the right direction, and looks at Myka apologetically. "I'm sorry, she's very curious about every person she meets. She means no harm."

"It's ok, I…" Myka tilts her head. "Leena, as in Leena's B&B?" She looks over, indeed seeing the sign before a building.

"Yes, I'm the owner, Leena's mother. Can I help you?" both her voice and smile are honest and inviting, and so Myka smiles back.

"Yes, actually. My friend, Pete…"

"Oh, Cookie Monster!" The woman laughs good-naturedly. "That's what Leena calls him." She winks and adds, "It stuck, and now everybody does too."

Myka chuckles, shaking her head. A few curly strands of hair obscure her vision; she reaches her hand to move them aside.

"I'll tell him you're here," Leena's mom nods before walking away.

Soon enough a laud happy yell, that warms her heart, fills the air, "Hey Mykes!"

# # #

When they pass by a cinema, Pete does some Star Wars character impression. At Myka's shrug, he groans.

"Oh girl, there's a lot I gotta teach you. Oh, look! Ice cream parlor!"

He practically runs there, and she follows slowly, enjoying the easefulness of a lazy morning and good companionship. Vacation; so far so good.

"What flavor do you want?" Pete asks, already tasting his strawberry ice cream.

Myka wonders for a moment.

"I'll have apple."

# # #

A few minutes later they find themselves by Artie's shop. The owner tosses and turns at the entrance, grumbling under his breath.

"Hey, boss," Pete says, "what's up?"

"Pete, look at the shop's walls. There wasn't any graffiti here yesterday," Myka observes.

"You are right..." Artie looks at her expectantly.

"Myka."

"Myka. You're absolutely right," he sighs, "some kids must have done this at night, and I think I know who they were."

Pete snaps his fingers. "MacPherson and co?"

"Who's MacPherson?" asks Myka, ever game to solve the puzzle.

Artie adjusts his glasses.

"James MacPherson Jr. His father and I have ours… difficulties."

Pete makes a wry face. "And Jimmy-boy is very pleasant guy, simply charming," he adds acidly.

"What did he do to you?" Myka regards him carefully.

Pete and Artie exchange looks. They both shake their heads.

"Trust me Myka, JJ's mere presence is upsetting enough," Artie tells her. "I suggest you stay away from him and his gang." He looks up at the shop, Myka and Pete do too. The words painted on the walls are disgusting, although Myka must admit she's impressed with James' vocabulary. "Those boys are hooligans."

"Shady characters," casts Pete.

"And that girl is no better, going about with them" Artie says deprecatingly. "She probably played a part in this."

Myka tosses Pete an inquiring look. His voice is reluctant, when he answers unasked question, "Helena Wells."

# # #

Myka and Pete spend the rest of that morning and a better part of the afternoon helping Artie. They paint the walls in purple. When Pete suggested this color, Myka looked at him with unbelieving eyes, but Artie said he didn't care and left them to themselves. So the boy grinned and set to work.

Myka paints methodically, while telling Pete about her love for fencing and studying languages; then in return she listens to stories about how Pete, when he was little, used to go camping with his dad and watch stars. They talk easily, and Myka laughs hard at him, when Pete leans unwarily against the wall and gets his whole t-shirt and shorts in paint. Next thing she knows, her nose is purple.

# # #

After grabbing some burgers; which was Pete's idea, obviously; they go their separate ways. The evening is warm, and the breeze skims pleasantly across Myka's face.

Pete waves at her from the distance, yelling, "Bye-bye, my-Mykes!"

"You're crazy!" she chuckles, looking at him over her shoulder. "See you tomorrow, Cookie Monster!"

Myka's small smile becomes a wide grin when she hears Pete's yare singing "C is for cookie" out loud.