Just trying to gather a few loose ends before the end and this is what came up.
Always trying to expand the relationships of all the characters - this might have been the long way to do it.
Mothers and Other Strangers
Helena propped herself up on her elbow lying next to Myka. Her hand played with Myka's long curls as Myka caught her breath.
"I can't thank you enough for coming…to my rescue," Helena said smiling mischievously.
"You are incorrigible," Myka laughed getting her play on words.
"It's a gift," Helena said, getting up and opening her closet. Myka marveled that the adjacent room was as big as her living room.
"A family of six could live in there comfortably." Myka remarked.
"Yes, but then they would touch my clothes," Helena said – seriously. It slayed Myka when the Genius didn't get her jokes.
Helena flipped through hangers until she had chosen her Brooks Brothers two button herringbone jacket, Pointelle V-neck cashmere sweater, and gray wool stretch pants. Myka watched in amazement as the Brit selected everything methodically. She got dressed without a word, adding the last touches. She pulled the Audubon Birds silk scarf around her neck and pulled a green Ostrich Barrel bag off the shelf. Myka was certain she had never seen her wear anything twice.
As Myka dressed, she smiled to think her own black suit with the black and white floral design blouse, probably cost a tenth of what Helena was wearing. One look at the Brooks Brothers pocketbook that still bore the price tag of the one thousand three hundred and ninety eight dollars confirmed her thoughts.
"That bag…." Myka said having never seen anything that cost that much.
"Don't you love it?" Helena said delighted.
"Yes," Myka said and wondered if her entire collection of bags added up to half that.
"You can have it then," Helena said handing over, but Myka politely refused.
Leena was happy to see Helena and then even happier to see the reason she had never seen an aura like this. In all her years of being able to decipher people's ephemeral energies, she had never seen two entwined the way Helena's did with Myka. Even in people who were married for decades, she had never seen such a thing.
"The front door was open again," she said when Helena and Myka sat down at the dining room table.
"I think we have rats," Helena said and made Myka laugh.
Pete drove to pick up Helena after Myka called to say everything was okay. She assured him that Helena was not upset with him and tried to play down that Helena took a cab uptown. He would never forgive himself if he found out Helena had been taken again on his watch.
"I feel like I'm losing it," Pete confessed to Myka at work. "My sensors are all off." It was no wonder. His mother was there and her actions were nowhere near what he would expect them to be.
Helena waltzed off the elevator sore, but without a care in the world. In spite of her middle of the night attack and abduction, Myka had made her forget all about that. It wasn't until mid-day, after standing for most of the morning, did she run into her next problem.
When Pete and Claudia reported that they had Skyped with Gerald and Terrance Frederic at ten AM – seven AM their time - and they found them interested, but confused, Helena suggested she talk to them directly. She explained what a valuable employee their mother was to the company and how she was so integral a player that without her, Wells Corp would surely suffer. The young men, who had both graduated with degrees in science, were told they could start their own division in the biomedical department. This was their golden ticket. Helena was playing nice and fighting fair for what she wanted.
When their mother found out, she disagreed. They called her with the exciting news and although she was thrilled to hear them so happy, it was such a quick turn of events that Irene was almost certain Helena had manipulated things to her benefit. She was annoyed that Helena went directly to them – and didn't approach her first. Her boss had done a lot of things to upset her, but she always managed to see the purpose behind her actions, but this time she went too far.
Helena took the call when Irene called thinking she wanted to discuss work.
"Good morning, Irene," Helena said sounding very chipper.
"Helena!" Irene said and confused her boss. Irene never lost her temper with Helena, and this sounded pretty close. Helena stared at the speaker phone as if Irene could come through it.
"What bit you?" Helena asked - stalling.
"Helena, I just got a call from my sons telling me that they just accepted jobs in New York. Helena, they're talking about selling their houses in San Diego and moving here. And do you know why, Helena?" Irene said into the phone.
Helena looked around her office as if she were planning her escape. "They want to experience four different seasons?" Helena said and Irene could tell that she was moving away from the phone.
"Helena, stay right there. I'm coming up and you and I are going to talk about this," Irene said. Helena was already out the door.
"Tell Mrs. Frederic I had to leave …..for a meeting …and I won't be back until tomorrow…," Helena shouted as she got on the elevator.
As confused as Eileen was by her boss' abrupt departure, she thought it was the answer to her prayers. Now her mother and Aunt could visit without her having to worry about them running into her boss.
Helena's quick departure continued as she took the elevator down one floor and barged into Myka's office. Myka was on the phone, but cut it short when she saw Helena in the state of panic. She honestly feared Jane was back.
"Helena, are you okay? Is it the Regent?" Myka asked wondering where the hell the security was in this building.
"Worse," Helena practically whispered. She had Myka's door ajar the tiniest bit.
"What could be worse than that woman, sweetheart?" Myka asked.
"I need a restraining order. As my lawyer, I implore you to ..," and Helena waved her hands wildly. "….draft one up!"
"Helena, you're not making sense," Myka said standing up now.
"Oh my God, she's here," Helena said practically shrieking, closing the door and holding it. Myka had not seen this woman afraid of anything. She backed down from no one and nothing.
"Helena, tell me what's going on, please," Myka said and then Millie was on the intercom.
"Mrs. Frederic to see you, Ms. Bering," the assistant said and Myka thought that was good timing. Irene was always able to calm Helena down.
"Don't let her in," Helena said and now she was behind Myka's executive chair.
Irene wasn't waiting to be invited in. She swung open the door and cast her eyes on the woman who thought she could flee from her.
"Helena, did you really think this wouldn't be the first place I would look for you?" Irene said in a castigating tone.
"I'm….. in a meeting now, I can't talk…," Helena tried.
"Lying will only make this worse," Irene said closing the door.
"Irene, what is this about?" Myka asked. She was worried Irene didn't know Helena had already had a very tough morning with the Regent invasion. "Helena was abducted again this morning by one of those Regents."
Irene looked straight at Myka. "What? Will those people ever give up?" Irene now asked concerned.
"Yes, and they shot me," Helena say trying to play on the woman's sympathies. Irene knew better and looked at Myka for the explanation.
"They tazered her and took her back to the townhouse where they wanted to get back something Helena took from the Warehouse, which was hers," Myka tried to explain.
"Is there anything we can do to stop these people?" she asked Myka and Helena was happy to hear her voice soften. This was exactly why she couldn't let Irene go.
"I threatened them with lawsuits and even full exposure. I'm not sure that was a good idea, but she backed off," Myka said. "I got the sense they were worried Helena would use …," and Myka whispered, "time travel."
"Well perhaps Ms. Wells could use it now and go back to when she got it into her head to take things into her own hands and mess with my family," Irene said, the frustration renewed in her voice.
"Helena?" Myka asked. How could she help if she didn't know what happened.
"She threatened to leave," Helena said.
"Retire, very different," Irene clarified.
"I beg to differ madam, they result in the same thing – your absence," Helena pointed out.
"I may have hinted that I wanted to visit my kids more. They're on the West Coast. Well, until this morning - because someone offered them their own division at one of the top biomedical firms," Irene said.
"Premier. You said 'top'. I prefer premier," Helena said – still behind the chair.
"They have their careers, their social lives, their interests – all out there and you dangled the opportunity of a lifetime in front of them to make them come here," Irene said.
"Sounds like a win win situation to me," Helena said.
"If you had come to me Helena, I would have talked to you about this," Irene said. "As usual, you forged ahead and went after what you wanted until you got it." This is what upset Irene the most. Not that she wasn't flattered Helena would go to so much trouble, but that there was no real thought behind it.
"Well, they sounded very happy about it," Helena said feeling unappreciated.
"Who wouldn't, Helena? You offered them their own startup company right in your own," the older woman said sitting down. "But what you did was really motivated by getting your own way! I swear I would put you over my knee, but I'm afraid you'd enjoy it too much," the woman said and shocked Myka.
"Well not by you," Helena admitted too freely and now both women looked at her. "That's not funny. I have been injured," Helena protested.
She saw Irene soften for a split second, mostly out of exhaustion - and pounced. "It will be wonderful, Irene. You sons will be in New York and you can see them anytime you want, and you won't have to leave and you can work whatever hours you want or whatever days you want and we won't have to find a new HR Director and everyone will be happy," Helena said of the perfect solution….that was of her own design.
"They really did sound excited," Irene admitted and Helena took that as a sign she could take her victory lap.
"So you'll stay?" Myka asked to make sure.
Irene shook her head. "I'm afraid of what she would do next," she conceded. "Relocate their homes when they were sleeping?"
"Draw something up and make her sign it," Helena said thinking this was an excellent idea. "Or not," she added when she saw the look on Irene's face.
Irene left the office after giving Helena her sternest look. She would share with Helena one day how touched she was that she would go to all that trouble just to keep her there. For now, she would just let her think about how she could not just do anything she wanted.
By the time Irene was on the elevator, Helena was done thinking about it.
"Well, that went better than I expected," Helena smiled. "I think it was because you were here," she said smiling and moving in to Myka's space.
"I think you have my chair that you hid behind to thank," Myka teased her back.
"I do not care what most people think, actually," Helena said to no ones' surprise. "Except you and Irene."
"I'm happy I'm on that list," Myka laughed.
"It does have its benefits," Helena smiled devilishly and snuck a quick peck on Myka's cheek. She knew Myka did not like PDA's at work. "Come to the Mayor's dinner tonight. I'll have Pete pick you up at eight," Helena shouted as she left.
Eileen was giving her mother and Aunt the grand tour on the top floor because she thought her boss as gone for the day. She had explained practically everything on her desk and what she did. Her Aunt was impressed and her mother was very proud. They were both happy to see how excited Eileen was about everything. Her mother had this image of a dark cave with flames and a wicked witch standing over Eileen.
"And this is where I make her tea," Eileen said of the kitchen area as if it were the inner sanctum.
"Did that Brit finally come to her senses and appreciate what good tea tastes like?" her mother asked.
"That Brit has always known what good tea tastes like," someone said and it wasn't any of the Sullivan women.
Eileen looked past her mother and there in the doorway stood her boss, hands on hips staring the woman down.
"No, Mr. Kosan, I did not get it. I did get her One's word that she wouldn't use it. Yes, I know the concern in that, but with all due respect sir, she does seem most willing to comply," Jane said from her hotel room. "My issue? No, I haven't decided what to do. I'll keep you posted."
OK fluff I admit it.