Hey everyone! This chapter is dedicated to all my readers and reviewers. The story could not have gone on this long without your invaluable support. Thank you!
When they get to the Warehouse they find Pete pacing back and forth with his phone lying in a few different pieces across the control room. Helena raises her eyebrows and exchanges a brief glance with Myka before leaving the pair alone.
"Pete?" Myka comes around to face him. "Everything alright?"
"Myka! Hey you're here! You're here. Why are you here? You should be resting, Mykes. Wait, is everything alright?"
Pete waits a moment when Myka stares past him zoned out into space. He waves his hand in front of her face trying to win back her attention.
"Myka?"
"Oh right! Sorry! I just, I was thinking I'm never going to have to do that again." She laughs pointing at the inventory manifest on the table by the computer. "What a load off, am I right?"
Pete shifts his weight between his feet uneasily and attempts a laugh. ''Uhh yeah, sure."
"Too bad you're still stuck with it. Don't you wish you had a free pass, like say cancer? Or death?"
"Myka!" It is not Pete but Helena who takes her by surprise.
"Oh come on honey, you know what I mean"
"I know exactly what you mean Myka, but do not presume to think that it hurts any less to have accepted it." Helena voice is sharp and puts an end to any protest or retort that may have crossed Myka's mind.
"I am sorry, hon" She turns back to Pete "So where have you vanished off to, Pete?"
"Vanished? Nowhere at all! I am right here as you can clearly see" Pete gestures to himself as if he has just performed a magician's reappearing act.
"Then why do you look like you have your hand in the cookie jar?"
"Cookies? Where?" He looks around for comic effect.
"Seriously, Pete? Stop trying to evade"
Pete shakes his head miserably. "I thought I had a lead, it didn't pan out so I came here to look into something."
"Oh" is all the response he gets from both women.
"I'm sorry, Myka"
Myka looks up with a smile plastered onto her face and her eyes shining.
"No worries, Pete! I have decided to use the necklace. It's why we were looking for you in the first place. So, stop chasing ghost artifacts that do not exist and spend some time with your dying partner" she glances at Helena to make sure she isn't going to get another scolding.
Pete goes to recover the remnants of his phone while Myka moves towards the chair and staggers before she settles down onto it. She chuckles but it comes out half-hearted and breathless.
"Wow! This whole fighting death thing can really exhaust a girl! Who knew?"
Helena waits until Pete is out of earshot then lowers her voice to a whisper. "What are you trying to achieve by throwing your impending fate in our face over and over and over again, Myka? I don't understand." For once the brilliant British woman staring back at the frail Warehouse agent looks utterly perplexed.
"I just- I want to ease you into the idea, so you get used to it while I am here to hold you when you break down in the middle of the night because the thought of waking up without me is too overwhelming. I don't want it to overwhelm you into the place you were in when you were- you know" Myka shrugs.
"Bronzed" It isn't a question.
In the silence that settles in Pete crawls out of the room waits staring down at the endless wonder that can't seem to help when they need it most.
"Myka, I want you to believe me when I say I will never do anything to hurt you like that again"
"It isn't me that I am worried about, Helena"
"I'll be good, is that what you want to hear? Then there it is, darling, I'll be the good little grieving widow."
"Guys?" Pete pokes him head into the room, "Tracy is at the B&B"
Myka stands up doing her best not to meet Helena's eyes. "We should be on our way then. I'll come with Pete" she tosses the keys "Bring the SUV?"
Helena nods and darts past them.
Pete raises his eyebrows but says nothing.
When they get to the car they can only see the distant silhouette of a black SUV racing towards the empty horizon. Myka stares at it until it is swallowed by the midnight blue of the sky.
Pete starts up the car and waits for his partner to put on her seatbelt but he doesn't make a move to press his foot down on the paddle, instead he stares intently at the woman in the passenger seat.
"I can't believe I am actually saying this, because I honestly thought I would never see the day when I would be defending H. G. Wells, who just so happens to be my partner's girlfriend, but you're being unfair to her."
Myka raises her eyebrows, taken completely by surprise.
"She has proven herself, Mykes. She stood by you through all the worse bits-"
"But the worst isn't here yet, is it?"
"No, no it isn't. But she genuinely seems redeemed now. She wants to marry you. She will be fine."
"That is exactly what I am worried about. Marriage means that she wants to spend the rest of our lives together and the rest of my life is just seven days and a bit. What if once I bite the dust she can't take it? What if she goes all homicidal again?"
"With her track record that is all a possibility, I agree and I am no relationship expert but I thought you were supposed to trust each other or something"
"Since when are you the mushy, touchy feely type?"
"Since you've decided to kick the bucket without me"
Myka laughs as Pete drives towards the B&B.
"I have a feeling we are going to use up all the deathly metaphors out there before this is over"
Myka smiles as she stares out at the barren expanse thinking of ways she can apologize to Helena without actually saying the words. She bites her lip as a few thoughts cross her mind.
They walk into their home to find Tracy sitting with Abigail, the rest of team Warehouse along with her parents conspicuously missing.
"Tracy!" Myka rushes forward to hug her sister.
"Hey there! Look at you." She steps back to observe the evident changes in her sister's physique. The snug leather jacket does its best to mask the way the button down shirt seems like a white sheet draped over a lamp post but the hollowness of her cheeks and her dim eyes are what jump out first as the jarring difference in the sister she saw just a while back and the woman standing before her. But even in her fading state Myka Bearing seems sure of herself and her presence fills up the entire room. Tracy runs her fingers through the short brunette locks that are straightened out to trace the curve of Myka's face. "Love the new hairdo!"
"It's a cancer special!" Myka chuckles.
"You look great, Myka" she smiles pulling her in for another hug.
"Yeah, perks of having one foot in the grave: flawless skin"
Tracy raises her eyebrows momentarily stunned by Myka's candor but Pete chuckles from behind the pair. "Nice one! Another one checked off the list!" He turns to face Tracy. "She's trying this thing where she eases everyone into the concept of her death by saying it over and over until we just have to yell at her to shut up and do it already. Did I get that right, Mykes?"
"On the spot!"
"So where is everyone?" Myka asks Abigail.
"They're out back…" she lets the words trail off not sure if she should continue.
"It's alright, Abigail. She knows." Helena descends from the staircase.
"Oh! That's good"
Myka looks between her sister and her lover deciding where she needs to be more. "Trace I really want to catch up, but I'll find you in a bit?"
Tracy eyes Helena and nods.
"I'll keep her company," Pete walks around Myka to face Tracy.
Myka leads Helena into the adjoining room and closes the door behind them.
Helena tugs at her shirt waiting for Myka to say something.
"Helena," Myka takes both her hands into her own, "I love you. You know that right? I love you more than anyone and anything. I am sorry. I didn't mean to doubt you. I was just afraid. I am so sorry, love, I am sorry that I hurt you. I will stop throwing it in your face if that is what you need me to do."
"It's alright, Myka. I think it is about more than getting me used to the fact that I will have to go on without you. I have a feeling I am not the only one having a tough time, no matter your brave face. So if this is how you choose to process it, I can take it."
Myka smiles and looks at the woman staring back at her. Her eyes trace her jaw, her pronounced cheekbones, her dark eyes and they settle onto the curve of her lips. Myka runs her tongue over her own lips and bites her lower lip.
"God, how are you so" she takes a step forward letting the unsaid words hand in the air between them.
"I have something to say, well actually ask of you" Helena cuts her off.
"Helena I know what you are planning behind the scenes and I love you so much more for it, but before you actually say the words out loud, I need to say my bit."
Helena nods.
"I am going to die. And it's going to be real soon. We can just spend our time like this, in love, with each other. Why do we need to get married?"
"Because I am not letting you leave this Earth without having called you my wife at least once"
"Helena, please understand"
"Myka I was not going to propose to you, because you don't get to say no just because you don't want to leave me as your widow. So instead I will ask you this; Myka Ophelia Bearing, do you love me?"
"Yes"
"Do you want to spend the rest of your life with me?"
"Yes"
"Would you have said yes no arguments had you more time?"
"Definitely"
"Then tomorrow I get to call you my wife because two people who love each other as much as I love you and you love me deserve to say their vows in front of friends and family, and also because I used your full name so I fulfilled the proposal requirements have I not?"
Myka smiles, pauses a moments and then erupts into laughter. Helena watches her baffled.
"You were always smooth with your words. Can't win an argument against H.G. Wells, now can I?"
Helena raises her eyebrows. "Is that a yes?"
"Oh yeah"
Helena pulls out a gleaming silver ring and slips it onto Myka's finger.
"I am going to kiss you now"
"Alright"
Helena takes her time covering the little distance between them and then leans in slowly enough that Myka just pulls her in. She savors the taste the brunette leaves behind once their embrace is cut short by a red headed woman opening the door.
"Oops!"
"Claud! Hey, what do you have there?" She points at the dress covered in a transparent plastic draped over Claudia arm.
"Your wedding dress," Claudia smiles. "I realize traditionally you should get to choose your dress and plan your wedding and all, but since when are you two traditional anyway. Hell, has this one here even proposed to you?"
"Actually she just did" Myka holds out her hand to show off the elegant ring with a glistening diamond perched at the center.
"Wow! It looks beautiful on you," she smiles. "Also I totally helped her pick that; she would've completely been lost without my utterly invaluable help"
"I would have, indeed. Thank you, Claudia"
"I'm just glad you didn't reach the altar and then realize you never actually proposed?" Claudia snarks.
So I know this chapter was supposed to be the wedding but this ran longer than I expected. Next one is almost done though so it won't be a long wait.
With my track record in mind, who here doesn't expect Myka to die?