I usually take ages, but these are the final few so I'm really enjoying this. Plus this is probably the longest one yet. Enjoy!
Pete rests his hand on the handle of the door to the B&B but makes no effort to turn it. He clenches his teeth and turns to face Myka waiting expectantly with Helena's arms wrapped around her.
"Uh, Myka, there is something you probably ought to know before we step inside."
"What have you done, Pete?" she sounds annoyed but her tone is laced with a certain sense of curiosity. Everyone treats her differently now. They walk on eggshells and do their best to never upset her. Pete's tone suggests whatever is waiting inside is not going to be pleasant.
"Well, I know you keep putting it off, but your parents are kind of here"
"Define kind of"
"They're waiting in the living room and not the least bit pleased that all your emails and phone calls have only said you are doing well," Pete shrugs, "Really, Mykes? They're your parents"
Myka rolls her eyes and shoves Pete aside before stepping over the threshold. The moment she does she wishes she could wait a moment longer outside, collect herself. What she meets in the living room is a terrified mother and a furious father. Tea sits cooling on the table, made by Abigail, she assumes. But by the looks of it, neither one of them has touched it. Warren's face is all but red with rage, because fear so easily comes out as anger and all the lines are so blurry right now.
"I don't know what to do with this girl, Jeanie" Myka hears walking in on an on-going conversation. "She needs her parents,"
On any other such occasion Myka would never have dared to say her next words out loud but right now her walls are down and her filter stripped away.
"What I need is my family, and I have plenty here,"
The moment the words leave her lips she wants to pull them back in, luckily, she has someone else that can come to the rescue.
"What Myka means is, with you all here the only family she has missing is her sister"
Warren peers at her as if trying to gauge the motives of the woman with her fingers laced into his daughter's hand.
Helena lets go of Myka and moves forward to shake her parents' hands.
"It is great to see you again, Mrs. Bearing" Helena nods. "And a pleasure to finally meet you, sir"
"Am I to assume you are the infamous Ms. Wells?"
Helena raises her eyebrows and looks back at Myka before returning her attention back to the man before her.
"Myka has mentioned me?"
"You've come up," is all he chooses to say about the matter.
They settle in with some coffee and biscuits, the conversation about Myka not telling her parents lost in the talk of the treatment progress so far. Helena cannot help but notice that the brunette only nibbles at the chocolate chip cookie that she once claimed were her favorites and barely sips the coffee.
Claudia attempts to lighten the mood with her usual wisecracks, a few about her times alone in the Warehouse doing things Artie vocally disapproves of. Steve shares his recent stories of holding down the fort on his own and even Irene makes an appearance.
Myka's parents get to meet everyone and Myka cannot help but smile. This feels good. It's been a while since it has been like this, but it feels like home again. Maybe Helena was right, now all her family can be together and savor each moment until it lasts.
Myka looks around trying to spot Pete, she just thought that he has been quite for a bit but upon closer inspection she notices he is nowhere to be found. She gets up too fast and has to pause to let the dizziness wane. The first place she looks is the kitchen and when he is not there she proceeds to search the upper floor.
"Pete?" she calls out standing outside his room. "I'm not mad about you calling my parents if that's why you're hiding" She pauses, waiting for a quip. "Pete? I'm coming in, I hope you're decent because no one wants to-" She stops talking when she sees the room is empty.
It is not Helena but Abigail who comes up from behind. "I think he left to go somewhere."
Myka turns around to face the woman. "Where?"
"He didn't mention it"
"Oh," She nods pulling out her phone, "Thanks"
The bell keeps going but Pete doesn't pick up. When Myka hangs up she notices the text he has sent her earlier.
'Going on an artifact chase. Be back soon. Artie knows.'
When Myka returns to the table she amused to find Helena cornered by her parents with questions about their relationship.
"So are you and Myka-?" Jeanie raises her eyebrows.
Myka is the only one standing from behind who notices Helena's cheeks flush. While the British woman may boast about her conquests, meeting the parents was not her forte.
"Lovers? I believe that is a question best presented to Myka."
She does not notice both of them cringe at the word lovers instead, she looks around panicked searching for said lover. When she sees Myka, the other woman comes up behind her and places both hands on her shoulders.
"It would seem you have not shared the nature of our relationship with your parents, they have a few questions for you, darling" While Helena remains smooth with her tongue her eyes plead with Myka to save her from this predicament.
"Helena is my girlfriend, mom, dad" Myka smiles.
"It's great that you have someone," Jeanie pats Myka's arm.
"She seems like an upstanding young lady" Warren looks at his daughter.
Claudia snorts. "There's two words to describe H.G."
And while Warren and Jeanie remain confused, everyone else joins in the laughter, even Helena.
The first few days are the best, they always are. The effects of the drugs are still in the process of hitting her with their full might, something she knows all too well by now. She feels fine besides the fatigue, the constant, ever present fatigue that seems more a part of her life than the after affects of some drug.
It is the end of the first week when it really hits. It is then that it gets harder and harder to get out of bed in the morning. Her limbs weigh more somehow, while her body shrivels up. Anything she eats, she is bound to throw up. So she hardly ever eats, despite the constant nagging of every resident of the B&B and the ever present platters of food cluttering her surroundings.
Myka does not like to admit it but when Claudia has to run across the backyard to catch her as she faints she finally gives in to the fact that she is more prone to fainting spells than she has ever been before. She is not allowed to lock doors behind her anymore, in case – but no one ever finishes that sentence. That doctor warns her about not getting hurt in any way, something about white blood cells or infections. Myka can't keep track of it all anymore. There are more things she cannot do than she actually can. She doesn't like it one bit. And she is more than vocal about it.
"Myka," a voice shakes her back to the living room, "Myka!"
She realizes this voice has been calling out for a while, and she tries to ignore it before the incessant loop of her name being called in a louder and louder tone becomes impossible to neglect.
"What?" she snaps, turning her head to her mother.
Jeanie hands her a bunch of tissues crumpled in her hand. "Your nose is bleeding again,"
"Oh,"
Myka pulls her head back in a practiced motion and wipes away the stream of red. When she feels it dry up she stands up to leave.
"I think I'll go up for a bit"
Her mother starts to stand but Myka stops her.
"I don't need you to tuck me in, mom" she smiles.
"Right, of course" Jeanie returns the smile with a hint of sadness, "You're all grown up now. You can fight all your battles on your own"
"Not all of them," Jeanie's smile spreads slightly wider and she is glad to hear those words.
Myka finds Helena pulling on her shirt in their room. She closes the door behind them and raises her eyebrows, smiling seductively.
"Well someone's in a mood"
"Kiss me, Helena"
So Helena steps forward and presses her lips to Myka's briefly before pulling away.
Myka frowns.
"Not like you're afraid of breaking me," she pulls the other woman in, "Kiss me like you used to, like you actually mean it"
Helena complies. And it feels good. It has been a while.
They pull apart then settle onto the bed, Helena's hand thrown over Myka's waist, their legs; a jumble of limbs. They stay like that until it feels like time no longer exists. But mirrors of deception always crack.
"It's time," Myka says running her fingers over the necklace under her pillow.
And while Helena may not be able to see the golden glint of the necklace, she knows exactly what Myka means. It is a moment she has dreaded for a long time.
So Pete is MIA and it's time. Things aren't looking too good, are they? Or are they? …