You know what I realised the other day? I've got this far into this fic without recommending my favourite Bering and Wells vampire fanfic… How is that even possible? Anyway, it's "The Club" by RacetheWind_10. It can be found on this website, but I cannot work out how to post a link, so, go have a search. It is *not* suitable for work. But it is awesome vampire smut.
So… Myka, Pete and Amanda are in Colorado. They have collected a half-were and a telepathic kid. What could go wrong?
They drove to the hotel and after a little rearranging, they managed to find enough room for David and Tracy without booking another room. Myka asked Tracy if they could speak in private.
"There's something else I need to tell you," she said, and Tracy nodded, clearly curious. "It's kind of a long story."
"Okay," Tracy said, and they got David set up in Pete's room with some sort of games console. By the time they left him with Pete and Amanda, they were already heavily involved in some game that involved killing aliens with extreme prejudice. All three of them. Myka shook her head in amusement as she left them to their world-saving activity.
Tracy sat on one bed, and Myka sat herself against the headboard of the other. She took a deep breath before launching into her story.
"Okay. Well, I should probably start at the beginning," Myka said. Tracy nodded, her eyes narrowing.
Myka told her why Warren Bering had abandoned her, and Tracy's eyes widened, and her eyes darted to the door, apparently involuntarily.
"It's okay, Tracy. I know what it sounds like. I can prove it, if you like. And I'm not keeping you here – you can go anytime you like. We'll even drop you off, wherever you want to go."
Tracy nodded at her uncertainly.
"So, think of something that I would have no idea about. Preferably that no-one has any idea about. Or some stupid words. Something you can be pretty sure no-one else could know unless they can hear your thoughts," Myka said, and she let her shields down.
What the hell is she talking about? Is she insane? I think she really believes this…
"Tracy, you don't have to trust me. Just, humour the crazy lady and think of something and we can move on."
Tracy nodded uneasily.
Fine. Okay. Something weird. Purple fluffy bunnies with bananas on their feet.
Myka smiled. "Purple fluffy bunnies with bananas on their feet."
Tracy stared at her, looking almost terrified.
Shit! No, wait. Maybe that was something we used to say when we were kids. What's my password for my bank account? Dav1dismylife…
"Your bank password is David is my life. With a 1 instead of an I, in David's name."
Tracy blanched.
"You know," Myka continued, "my friend Claudia would say that's a terrible password. She makes me change mine about three times a week, it feels like."
Tracy looked at her in complete confusion.
"Sorry," Myka said. "I babble when I'm nervous."
"I… is this real? I feel like I'm high right now," Tracy admitted.
"Yeah. Welcome to my world," Myka said wryly. For some reason, that relaxed Tracy more than anything else Myka had said.
"So this was why Dad… why they sent you away?" Tracy asked, after a protracted silence.
"Yes. I told him, when I was very young, about a guy who was checking him out. The guy thought he had a nice ass. Of course I didn't really know what he was talking about, but I told Dad, and he asked me about it later, and I told him I could hear the guy talking in my head. I guess that, after a while, it freaked them out too much. The social worker took me away, and that was the last I saw of you all, until today," Myka said, matter-of-fact. She wasn't over the loss of her family, but she felt something… something strong, something warm, sitting here with Tracy, with David in the next room. His acceptance of her as his aunt had been entirely natural, and he had already begun to take up space in her heart.
They went to get some dinner, after Myka's confession. They chatted for a while about inconsequential things before deciding it was time to talk about the future again.
"You know, I hadn't really thought very far ahead when I asked you to help me leave Kevin," Tracy began. Myka nodded. "I don't know what to do. I don't know many people. I have some friends here, still, but I don't think any of them are going to understand or even believe me about this were stuff. And from what Amanda said about the were community, they're not ready to come out yet, not for a long time, if ever."
"Okay," Myka said, nodding.
"So I was thinking that maybe I could come with you to Mississippi for a while."
Myka paused, her mind whirling.
"Uh… um…"
"I don't have anywhere to go, Myka."
Tracy's face was pathetic, and she looked like the little girl that Myka remembered. And technically she'd only been pulled into this because of Myka. And Myka did have the room. Myka owed her.
"I… I guess that would be all right," Myka said, trying not to sound too reluctant. She didn't really like kids, and while David seemed like a great kid, he was still a kid. She had never lived with a kid.
"Thank you," Tracy said, throwing her arms around Myka's neck. "You are the best possibly fictional sister a girl could ask for."
Myka laughed, hugging Tracy back gingerly. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.
The following afternoon she was rethinking that attitude. Claudia had managed to book them on a relatively early flight, during which David had cried the whole time. He had some sort of an issue with his ears or nose, and the pressure was making his ears hurt. So he made everyone else's ears hurt, too. Myka was disgusted to realise that Pete had brought his own earplugs; he just went to sleep, while Myka endured one of the worst headaches she'd had in a long time. Amanda looked like she was ready to throttle the kid, and Tracy was wan and red-eyed from trying to comfort him.
Thankfully he went to sleep as soon as Myka settled him in the tiny third bedroom that she'd been using as an office. It had a fold-out couch that she made up quickly, and Tracy carried David upstairs carefully. He was already asleep, having been dosed liberally with some medicine that Tracy had picked up at the first drugstore they encountered on the drive back from the airport. Myka settled Tracy in the main guest room, which thankfully was already made up and had a real bed rather than a fold-out couch. Myka had rented the house fully furnished. She'd never intended on having guests but the house was set up with the furnishings, including drapes and bedding, so she figured there was no harm in keeping the place prepared. Tracy began to unpack, and she asked Myka to stay with her, to talk for a while. Myka agreed, but only if she could have coffee first. Tracy asked if she could have some too, so Myka made a pot and brought the mugs upstairs, sitting cross-legged on the surprisingly comfortable guest bed, leaning against the wall behind her.
"So what's it like, hearing people's thoughts?" Tracy asked as she put a shirt on a hanger.
"It's just like hearing someone talk, only it's inside your head. But only people tell the truth inside their heads, so you get to hear what they really mean. The thoughts - they come with emotions, too, and sometimes pictures. It… I only really started using it recently. Before that, my ability was all screwed up. When dad abandoned me, I ended up going to a lot of different foster homes. There was one in particular where the father worked out my ability and started using me to make money. Blackmailing people for their secrets, getting PINs for ATM cards, that sort of thing. But he… he was abusive, and I realised quickly that it didn't matter if I did what he asked or not – he still beat the crap out of me, and I decided that day not to use the ability again. So I tried to bury it, tried not to listen, and after a while it didn't work anymore. It became more of a liability than an ability," she said, staring at her nails fixedly. When she looked up, Tracy was watching her with tears in her eyes.
"I'm so sorry, Myka," she whispered. "What mom and dad did – I… God. I can't believe they would do that to their own daughter."
Myka just shrugged. She was used to the pain of it, now. It didn't make it any less, but she had learned to take the weight of it.
"I'm sorry about Kevin. He seemed…"
"He was an asshole," Tracy cut through Myka's attempt to be nice about her ex. "He wanted a woman to control and push around, and that's what he got, with me. I was happy with that, at first. It felt safe, someone else in charge, telling me how to do things. I was so lost, when David came along. But things were getting worse, with him, and I was thinking of ways to get away. You coming to find me, and the werepanther thing – that gave me the perfect out. So thank you, Myka."
"I don't think you'll be thanking me by the time the full moon rolls around," Myka said, taking a deep breath. What Amanda had done was unconscionable. Forcing something like this on someone for spite. She seemed to be incredibly sorry, but sorry didn't help, not when you had basically changed someone's whole life to spite someone else.
"It wasn't your fault, Myka," Tracy said softly. "Amanda explained to me what happened. Jesus, you nearly died, Myka. A vampire saved you? Is that right? How?" She looked curious and calm, not at all like she had earlier, with Kevin and their father.
"Well. That's kind of a long story," Myka began, and she tentatively let her shields drop a little, enough to feel the flavour of Tracy's reaction. If Tracy was going to judge her for her relationship with Helena, then they might have to rethink Tracy living here. "Helena – she's the vampire. I met her a while ago at a crime scene. She's hunting a vampire who is killing local kids."
"Shit!" Tracy said, clearly appalled. Myka realised, extremely belatedly, that David was now in danger from Christina.
"Don't worry," Myka said. "I won't let anything happen to David, I promise you. I'll keep a deputy stationed to watch him 24 hours a day, if necessary."
Tracy nodded. There was a slight hint of fear but a steady confidence in Myka coming through from her that warmed Myka and made her feel stronger, somehow. Tracy continued folding clothes and Myka took a deep breath before continuing.
"So. Helena is a vampire, she offered her help on this case. The vampire involved is her daughter. Helena is nearly 200 years old. During the civil war, some men killed Christina, Helena's daughter, and Helena felt she had no choice but to make her a vampire, because at least that way she'd still be alive." Myka felt Tracy's horror, her fear of losing her own son that way, and her understanding of what Helena had done.
"I think I would have done the same," Tracy said, her face twisted in sympathy. "I couldn't stand there and watch my son die without doing anything."
"Yeah. I get that. But it turns out that child vampires are insane, and Christina was crazy from the word go. Helena's maker was kind of a psycho too, and he let the kid run amok; let her kill anyone she wanted. Helena tried to stop them, but in the end she left them because they wouldn't stop killing. Neither of them have ever forgiven her. So the kid runs around killing kids, for whatever crazy reason, and Helena has tried to kill her before, but she couldn't."
Tracy nodded again. From what Myka could tell, her sister seemed to be a fairly open-minded and she thought before she spoke, which was unusual.
"Helena is working with the Sheriff's Department to try to find Christina and her maker and stop them. But in the meantime, we kind of… hit it off, I guess. I can't hear her thoughts, and I…" Myka paused, trying to think of a way to explain how Helena made her feel.
"Are you two an item?" Tracy asked, abruptly, cutting through Myka's thought processes once again.
"Yes," Myka said, and she dropped her shields as much as she could to read Tracy's reaction. She was a little surprised, but there wasn't any hint of judgement or disgust or anything that Myka might have expected from someone raised by Warren Bering.
"Is it nice, not being able to hear what she's thinking?" Tracy asked, and her mind was all curiosity and openness. No judgement, just interest in what Myka had to say. Myka pulled her shields back up, and sighed slightly in relief, both at the quiet and Tracy's acceptance.
"Yes. It's amazing, actually," Myka said, as she let herself think about how it felt, being with Helena. Sitting on the porch, watching the stars, with no thoughts but her own.
"She… she's different, you know? Because she's a vampire, and because she's so old. She was born before the civil war, and she's English. She's incredible," Myka said, and she knew she sounded dreamy, but she couldn't help it.
"Do you love her?" Tracy asked, a soft smile on her face.
"I don't know," Myka admitted. "It's early, still. It's only been a few weeks since we met. But being with her – it's so different. I've only had a few boyfriends before and I… Well. When we were – you know, intimate? This gift, if you want to call it that, is much stronger. So you hear what they're thinking; you can't block it out. I don't know if all guys are the same, but mostly my boyfriends were thinking about someone else or thinking that they wished I would let them do this or that to me instead, and I could never let myself go, you know?"
Tracy sat on the bed next to her and nodded.
"I can imagine that's… very difficult."
"Yeah," Myka said, chuckling. "I told Helena about this just recently. One guy was thinking about the pizza delivery guy. It kind of broke the mood," she said, and Tracy snorted.
"Is she the first woman you've been with?" Tracy asked, curiously.
"Yes. I mean, I went to college, studied criminology and all that, and people always said you should experiment. So I kissed a few girls. But Helena – she's so different, to anyone I've ever met. The silence is amazing, but there's something about her. She's compelling. Fascinating."
"Wow," Tracy said. "I can't wait to meet her."
"Well, it won't be long. She comes by most evenings. If not tonight, I'm sure you'll meet her tomorrow," Myka said.
As it happened, Tracy did meet Helena later that same night. But not in the circumstances any of them expected. Tracy went to bed around 4 in the afternoon, exhausted – probably from the emotional turmoil - and after talking to Pete and Amanda, Myka decided to go to Helena's house that evening instead. Amanda wanted to stay and watch over Tracy and David, and Pete said he would stay with her. So Myka let herself in to Helena's place just before sundown. She filled the huge hot tub and poured some wine for herself, and when she felt Helena approaching, she put some Tru Blood in the microwave.
"Hello, my love," Helena said, suddenly standing behind Myka, her breath whispering over Myka's nape. Myka turned to take her in, and she stood there for a moment, just enjoying the sight.
"Hey," she said, lazily. She leaned forward, barely brushing Helena's lips with hers, and she smiled when she heard Helena's fangs extend, a soft "snick" in the almost silent kitchen. The microwave beeped a few seconds later, and she handed Helena the now-warm bottle.
"I missed you," Helena said, her eyes crinkling in that way that Myka loved. It wasn't quite a smile, but it was an indication of amusement. Or happiness, perhaps.
"I missed you, too," Myka admitted. "I met my sister. And my nephew."
"Oh?" Helena asked, indicating that Myka should continue by raising one eyebrow in question.
"Yeah. Tracy – she's really nice. I think you'll like her," Myka said.
"I will like her? Does that mean she is here? Or are we planning a trip to Colorado?" Helena asked.
"She's here," Myka said, taking a sip from her wine. She took Helena's hand in her free hand and pulled her towards the bathroom, where the tub was now filled with fragrant, bubbly hot water. Helena loved to be immersed in hot water.
"Why did she return with you?" Helena asked as she stripped quickly, and helped Myka to remove her own tight jeans and boots. They both sank into the hot water, sighing as they did so.
"She left her boyfriend," Myka said. "He called up a posse, basically, to attack Pete, Amanda and me. Because we're freaks. So Tracy left him. I have house guests," she said, sighing. She still wasn't sure how she felt about that.
"Your sister and her child are staying with you? For how long?" Helena asked.
"I honestly have no idea," Myka said.
There was quiet for a moment, and then Myka added, "My father was one of the people who came to attack us. They had shotguns and crowbars and baseball bats. They were going to hurt us. My dad came to my sister's house, intent on harming me and my friends. I mean, what is that?" she asked, her mouth tightening.
Helena hissed beside her, and Myka turned to look at her. Her fangs were out, she was almost snarling, and her eyes were black, the pupils huge. She looked terrifying.
"He tried to hurt you?" Helena snarled.
"Yes. I don't know what they were going to do, Helena. It's one thing to abandon a kid, but was he going to try to kill us? Hurt us? What the hell were they going to do?"
Helena's hissing increased in volume. She was furious, a growl rumbling almost silently in her chest. Myka could feel it when she put her hand on Helena's sternum.
"He's gone, now, Helena. He can't hurt me. He's a disgusting excuse for a human being, but he's not a threat," Myka said. "I just don't understand how fear can make people do stuff like that."
Helena calmed down as Myka rubbed her shoulders and stroked her face gently. She was still furious, however. Her fangs didn't retract and her eyes remained darker than Myka had ever seen them.
They didn't talk for a while. Helena pulled Myka close so that Myka's back was against her chest. Her skin was cool, even in the hot water, and Myka sighed as she relaxed against the vampire. They stayed there for a while, wrapped up in one another, kissing every now and then. Myka told Helena a little about David and his sharing of her ability to read minds. They chatted a little more and after a while they left the bath, moving to the bed together. Helena made love to Myka single-mindedly, over and over again, until Myka couldn't speak, never mind return the favour. She drifted off to sleep with Helena cradling her gently.
It was four in the morning when the shouting woke Myka. It was a kid's voice, and he was scared. He was calling her name. It took her a minute or so to wake, as the volume of the shouting increased. To her surprise, Helena was still next to her. How could she not hear the noise?
"Helena. Can't you hear that?" Myka said, puzzled.
"I can hear nothing, Myka. What do you hear?" Helena said, after listening for a moment.
"I can hear a little boy. He's calling my name," Myka said.
"What's he saying?" Helena asked.
"He's saying, no, Myka, don't hurt her, not Myka, please," Myka said, concentrating.
Helena was quiet for a moment, and then she frowned a little.
"Myka, your nephew is a telepath. Is it possible that he can speak to you telepathically, as well as hear your thoughts?" Helena asked carefully.
"I don't know," Myka said, still disoriented and confused.
"Perhaps we should check on the child, and make sure that everyone is safe in your home," Helena said.
"Can't hurt," Myka said, shrugging. They dressed and got in Myka's car. They were silent for the few minutes that it took to drive to her house, and when she got there, it looked silent. She opened the front door and found Pete and Amanda asleep on the couch and chair in the living room. Pete was moving around a little, restless, muttering. Myka let her mental shields drop for a moment and listened to what was going on in his head.
He was reliving the attack on her by Sally in her panther form. In his nightmare he was watching her die, not saving her as he'd done in real life. He was frantic. This dream must have been what David was tuning in to and projecting out at Myka.
"We need to go wake him up. He's hearing, or seeing, Pete's dream. He's seeing Sally attack me," Myka said, and Helena let out another low growl beside her. "I'll wake Tracy first, she can wake David."
Helena nodded silently and they made their way to the guest room currently housing Tracy Bering. She knocked on the door, and Tracy's sleepy voice called out, "Come in!"
Myka went in and sat on the edge of the bed, explaining that David was having a bad dream but she didn't want to wake him herself.
"Okay, I'll wake him," Tracy said, confused and tired. She saw Helena outside her door and stopped, introducing herself.
"I am Helena Wells," the vampire said formally, bowing slightly and shaking Tracy's hand. Tracy looked awed.
"Come on, David isn't doing so great," Myka said. The dream was intense and he was still calling out in distress. It occurred to Myka then that she should really have woken Pete, first.
They opened the door and the little guy was moving around restlessly, his bed sodden with sweat and his face scrunched up.
"David? David, honey. Mommy's here. Everything's okay," Tracy said, sitting on the side of the bed and stroking his sweat-slick hair back from his forehead. The kid woke up slowly. As soon as sense returned, he saw Myka standing next to Tracy and he threw himself at her, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Aunt Myka! The bad cat was trying to hurt you! She bit you!" he said, tears streaming from his eyes. It was heart-breaking.
"Hey, honey," she said, sinking to her knees and cuddling him close, "the cat didn't get me. I'm okay, honey. It was just a dream, okay?"
He clung to her, shaking, and nodded.
"I promise it's okay," she said again. "I'm fine. Look at me."
She pulled back from the little boy, showing him that she was well and whole. His chin was trembling but he nodded again, looking a little more convinced.
"I can still hear her, Aunt Myka. The bad cat," he said, the tears threatening to return.
"Helena?" Myka said, turning her head slightly. "Could you go wake Pete and Amanda up for me?"
"Of course," Helena said, disappearing in a blur. Tracy took in a gasping breath, and David gaped.
"That's my friend Helena. She's a vampire," Myka said.
"Wow," the little guy said, his mouth still hanging open. "I never met a vampire before. I can't hear her, Aunt Myka," he said in a whisper.
"I know, David. I can't either," Myka said, and Tracy raised an eyebrow at her. "Why don't we get you changed into some dry PJs and we'll make some hot chocolate. Sound like a plan?"
"Yeah, Aunt Myka," he said, smiling. She sent him to the bathroom to change, with a little help from Tracy, and then turned to see Tracy watching her.
"Do you want to tell me what's going on?" Tracy asked, and her tone was… a little scary, if Myka was being honest.
"David… he can hear thoughts. He's a telepath, like me," Myka confessed. Tracy looked at her, expressionless.
"Did you… infect him with this, the way Amanda did to me?" she asked, pointing at her bandaged arm.
"No," Myka said immediately. "Of course not. He's always been able to do it."
"That can't be true. He never said a word," Tracy said, flatly.
"I know it must be difficult to hear, Tracy. But he is a telepath. I was asleep, Tracy, in Helena's house. It's not far, but it's not within earshot. He was shouting my name, crying in his sleep. He woke me from a couple of miles away, shouting inside my head. He's a telepath, Tracy, and he might even be stronger than I am. I need to speak to a friend of mine, Artie. See if there's anything we can do to help him," Myka said. Her face was creased up in worry for the kid, and, seeing that, Tracy's face relaxed a little.
"Okay, Myka," she said with a slightly dramatic sigh. "I guess I'm gonna have to do things your way for now. But if my boy gets hurt, Myka? You will wish you never met me."
Myka stared at her. There were quiet voices coming from downstairs, and she decided that retreat might be the better option, here. Her newly-discovered sister was more than a little scary.
"I would never hurt your son, Tracy," she said quietly, before turning and heading downstairs. She went to the kitchen and quickly made two mugs of thick hot chocolate, bringing them to Tracy before heading back down to check on Pete and Amanda.
She found Pete sitting up, wrapped in a blanket, and Amanda next to him, with Helena standing uncertainly nearby.
"Are you okay, Pete?" Myka asked, taking in Amanda's closeness to Pete, her arm hovering over his.
"Yeah, boss. I'm sorry. I guess I was having a nightmare. I… I didn't know the kid would pick up on it. I'm sorry he woke you up. You need to get your rest, Ma'am. You've been through a lot recently," he said, looking concerned.
"Pete, you don't need to worry about me. I can take care of myself. And when I can't, there seem to be an inexhaustible supply of superhuman beings around here who do that for me. You can't go worrying about me this much. I'm not your responsibility," she said, frowning.
"Yes you are!" he burst out, jumping up out of his seat. "Mrs Frederic asked me to keep you safe, and I just keep on failing you both. People keep on hurting you, Myka, and I never get there fast enough."
His face was red and he was almost in tears, his jaw and fists clenched. Amanda stood up next to him, rubbing his arm soothingly, coaxing one fist open with her fingers. She took his hand and squeezed it.
"Pete," Myka said, quietly. "Without you, I'd be dead. I would be dead and gone and none of us would be having this conversation. You jumped in front of a bullet for me. You took on two panthers for me. You were ready to attack MacPherson for me, and as far as I understand it, you could easily have been killed. What more do you suppose you should have done? You're not a psychic, are you? Should you have known exactly when I was going to be attacked, and by who?"
He shook his head a little at that, staring at his bare feet.
"Then, you did your best, soldier. Am I right? You did your very best to save my ass, and so far, I'm still standing. You can't stop me from getting hurt, Pete. It happens to everyone," she said gently. She reached out and took Helena's hand, pulling her to the back porch, leaving Pete to be comforted by Amanda.
"Is everyone all right?" Helena asked quietly.
"I guess," Myka said doubtfully. "Tracy pretty much threatened to kill me if David gets hurt, and Pete thinks he's responsible for whether I live or die, and is having PTSD flashbacks or something about me being hurt. So that's awesome," she said flatly.
"All of this is no more your fault than you being attacked was Pete's," Helena said quietly. She moved to stand behind Myka, putting her arms around her. "You cannot take responsibility for the actions of others. And your nephew having your ability is not your fault, either. It's a simple matter of genetics," Helena said.
"How do you know that?" Myka asked. "That it's genetic, I mean?"
"He smells like you do," Helena admitted.
"You mean, he smells good to you, the way I do?" Myka asked.
"Yes," Helena said shortly. Myka turned in her arms. Helena looked troubled.
"Is that going to cause you problems?" Myka asked. "Resisting his blood, I mean? If you're around him?"
"No, of course not," Helena said, looking slightly offended. "But other vampires – should they come across the boy, they will find it difficult to resist biting him. You will need to warn Tracy, to keep the boy away from my kind. At all costs, Myka."
"Okay. I'm not sure she'll be able to do much against a vampire, but I'll tell her," Myka said doubtfully.
"You forget that your sister is a were now, Myka," Helena said, her face still a mask of concern.
"Oh, yeah. I guess. But still, she can't take on a vamp by herself, can she?" Myka asked.
"No, but she could certainly hold a vampire off for a while," Helena said, her mind clearly elsewhere.
"What is it?" Myka asked, tilting her head slightly as she took in Helena's distraction.
"It's nothing, Myka. I just… realised something. Would you take it very much amiss if I were to leave you for the remainder of the night?" Helena asked. It wasn't really a question, however. She was clearly set on going, so Myka just nodded. She wasn't sure what was wrong with Helena, but she was sure that something was. She was equally sure that, whatever it was, Helena was not going to talk about it right now. Helena kissed her, stroking the side of her neck with cool fingers, before disappearing.
Myka took a deep breath. She felt uneasy because something was wrong with Helena, but also because she was concerned for David. She didn't know what to do for a five-year old telepath. She'd only just recently got a grip on her own abilities.
That's when she remembered – she needed Arthur Nielsen. He'd helped her to establish her shields. Perhaps he could do the same for David? She went to find his number, still in her wallet from when Mrs Frederic had forced it on her, and gave him a call. It was really early in the morning, and she knew he'd probably grouch at her, but she needed his help.
"Hello?"
It was Dr Calder who answered. Apparently Artie's office phone forwarded to his home number at night.
"Dr Calder? It's Myka Bering. I'm so sorry about the early hour. Is Artie around?" Myka asked, her voice apologetic.
"Oh, don't worry about that, Sheriff. Is everything okay?" Dr Calder asked.
"Yes. Well, sort of. I just… I have another telepath on my hands, and I kind of need Artie's help."
"Okay, Myka. Are you at home?"
"Yes Ma'am," Myka said, and then frowned at herself. She was calling people Ma'am again.
"I'll send him to you," Dr Calder said, before hanging up. Myka looked at the receiver for a moment and then shrugged. It made her life easier, she supposed, if he came over.
She put the kettle on, for want of anything better to do, and made up a pot of tea. If anyone wanted any, they could help themselves. She was tired and emotional and worried. It was almost five in the morning, and she was on shift at 9. She had no idea how she was going to get through the day on just a few hours' sleep.
Pete and Amanda came to join her at the small kitchen table, saying nothing but helping themselves to tea and cookies, which she got out of the kitchen cupboard after hearing Pete's stomach rumble. They sat in silence for around 20 minutes, after which point there was a knock at the door. Myka got up to answer it, ignoring the confused looks from Amanda and Pete.
"Artie, hi," she said, taking in the rumpled man's scowl. He had dark circles under his eyes.
"Hmmph. Where is the boy?" he said, stumping past her into the house.
"Sure, I'm fine Artie, thanks for asking," she mumbled resentfully under her breath.
She closed the door and showed him to the small guest room where David was sitting up in bed, his mother beside him.
"Hey guys, this is my friend Artie. He helped me to control my abilities, and he might be able to help you too, David," Myka said, gesturing at the rumpled lawyer. Tracy looked at him dubiously.
"Are you sure about this, Myka?" she asked, clearly concerned. Myka didn't blame him. Artie didn't inspire confidence.
"I am half-demon, Miss Bering. My demon side gives me telepathic abilities. I have been helping telepaths since before you were born. Now, do you want my help, or not?" he asked, his nostrils flaring in annoyance as he glared at Tracy.
"All right," Tracy said. "I'm sorry. It's just – he's my son. I didn't even know he could do this," she said, her voice becoming almost a whine.
"It's a lot to adjust to," Artie said, his voice strangely sympathetic. "Especially after finding out that you are a were, too. I understand."
She nodded at him, and Myka watched, a little taken aback by how pleasant Artie was being.
"Now, young man, I am going to block off your gift for a little while. To let you get some sleep, first of all. But I want you to come and see me soon, so that I can teach you how to do it for yourself. If that's okay with you, Miss Bering?" he said, looking at Tracy.
"Sure," Tracy said. "If Myka trusts you, I trust you."
Myka felt strangely warmed by Tracy's comment. Really, her sister had no reason to trust her. She'd brought nothing but mayhem into her life. It might not have been her fault, exactly, but these changes in Tracy's life – they'd happened because of Myka. She hadn't asked for them, nor had she particularly wanted them.
Artie touched his fingers gently to David's temples for a few minutes. He had his eyes closed, and when he opened them again, David's eyes popped open too.
"I can't hear anything!" he said, his eyes open wide.
"I know, son," Artie said carefully. "This is what it's like for everyone else. They can't hear thoughts. They can only hear what people say out loud."
"It feels weird," David complained, scratching at his head.
"It's only temporary," Artie said. "If your mother is happy, you can come see me soon and we'll start teaching you how to build your shields so you don't have to listen to people all the time. Sometimes it's too loud, isn't it?" he said, tilting his head sympathetically at the boy.
"Yeah," David admitted, still touching his head gingerly as if trying to find the 'on' switch for his ability.
"It's okay, buddy," Myka said. "I couldn't hear things properly for a really long time. Artie helped me fix it so I could listen if I wanted, and block people out when I didn't want to. Do you remember, how you couldn't hear me, yesterday?"
The boy nodded solemnly.
"I was using my shields, to keep my thoughts private. You can learn to do that, too," she said.
"Okay, Aunt Myka," he said, sighing dramatically. He lay down and turned his back on them. "I have to go to sleep now."
"Uh… okay, David," Myka said, biting back a laugh. Tracy caught her eye and smiled. They all stood and Artie left the room first, muttering to himself. Myka left Tracy to put David to bed, and went downstairs on the half-demon's heels.
"He is almost as strong as you, already," Artie said when they reached the bottom of the stairs. "He will need a lot of help."
"I know," Myka said. He had to be strong, to have spoken to her, mind-to-mind from miles away in his sleep. "Let me get them settled in and I'll call you and arrange an appointment."
"Very well," Artie said grumpily. "Try not to make it the middle of the night, next time."
He stumped out of the house and Myka watched him go, shaking her head slightly. The man was a grumpy ass. But he had helped her when he didn't need to. She closed the door and went to sit with Pete and Amanda. Tracy joined them a while later and they watched morning television until it was time for Myka to go to work. She left Tracy with Pete and Amanda, who promised to keep an eye on things and take her anywhere she needed to go, at least until Pete's shift started that night. She left them, her mind racing, running over all of the events of the last few days. She hadn't expected to end up with house guests – possibly permanent house guests – after this weekend. She knew that she would need to offer help to Tracy, but she hadn't counted on David and his abilities. And now something was off, with Helena. She tried to put it out of her mind but it stayed in the background, niggling at her, as she dealt with the usual business of law enforcement in a small town.