A/N: Sorry for the delay! A wicked cold had me put the story on hold, but hopefully I'll be back to updating every few days again. Thanks for sticking with it! Reviews of all types are always welcome. Obviously I own nothing or HG would have been by Myka's side in the finale.

Chapter 6: Kids

Returning back to the B&B after meeting with Dr. Moore, Myka was exhausted. Their conversation had taken a toll on her both physically and emotionally. She'd barely made it through the front door when she was approached by Claudia. The young woman had nothing but concerned etched across her face, and Myka felt the need to stay strong for her so she quickly pulled her into a hug.

"How did it go?" Claudia asked, taking a step back.

Myka wanted nothing more than to head upstairs, curl up with the woman she loved and live in a world where tomorrow never had to come. But that would have to wait. She needed to fill the team in on what the coming days would look like.

"It was fine Claud." Myka tried to reassure. "Come on, let's talk inside." she said as she gestured toward living room. Pete followed behind Claudia but Helena grabbed a hold of Myka's hand and held her back, gently tugging until Myka turned around and took a step back towards her, filling each others personal space.

"You know darling, you do not need to go through this all again right now. I know that was draining and I'm sure you just want to rest. If you want, I can go talk to Claudia and Steve and then meet you upstairs."

Myka looked down at their joined hands and couldn't help but smile at Helena's offer. "Have you always been this good at reading my mind?" she asked with a smile. "Honestly, I wish we could just go lie down together, but I need to be the one to let them know what's going on. I kept things from them too often in the beginning. I owe it to them." she concluded.

"They would understand." Helena insisted.

"I know they would. But it's not fair. Just... stay close by?" she asked.

"Of course." Helena promised.

The two made their way into the living room where Steve, Pete, and Claudia were sitting. Myka and Helena joined Claudia on the couch where Claudia was the first to break the silence.

"Look Myka..." she started uneasily. "I don't want to pry... I know this is your business... and I know it's super selfish of me... but I'm kind of freaking out here... and..."

Myka interrupted "It's ok Claud." she said, resting a hand on the younger woman's knee. "I get it. I can't even imagine if our situations were reversed." she started. "Thank God they're not" she mumbled under her breath, shuddering at the idea of this reality being forced on any of her family. She felt Helena place a hand on her lower back which gave her the strength to continue.

"I wish I could tell you something for sure. Honestly, I wish they could have told me something for sure. But they're not going to know much more until I have surgery tomorrow. A lot of it will be exploratory. They go in, look for cancer, remove what they can find, wherever they can, and close me back up. We won't know how bad it is until after it's over. I'll be in the hospital for at least two days after the surgery and there will probably be two weeks before I start chemo, if I start chemo..." she sighed in resignation at how frustrating the situation was.

Helena picked up where Myka left off, knowing that Myka needed a break from explaining. "After the surgery they'll recommend the next round of treatment options. We got a ton of information on the possibilities and I think Pete described it best as 'information overload.' So really, like Myka said, there is no way of knowing anything else until after the surgery."

Claudia looked like she had a ton of questions, but noticing the exhausted look and Myka's eyes, she kept them to herself. "Ok, we wait til tomorrow."

"Yes." Myka replied, "There isn't anything to do tonight except for have some dinner and relax. Tomorrow will be here soon enough."

"Well," Pete interrupted, trying to lighten the mood. "I always like the idea of eating. Ooh, and a movie! Let's order some pizza and Myka, you can pick..."

"Unfortunately movie night is not going to happen." Artie spoke up as he walked into the room, file folder in hand. "We have a ping. Steve and Pete, grab your bags, you're heading to Seattle." he said while handing the folder to Steve.

Pete wanted to protest and Myka could see the words forming before he even spoke. "Pete, don't worry about it. Go."

He turned to look at her "Mykes, are you..."

"Yes, I'm sure. Go. It's obviously important or Artie wouldn't be sending you." she rationalized.

Artie took that moment to speak up on his own behalf. "She's right Pete. If it could wait, I would wait, but you know how these things work." he spoke sadly, really wishing he could keep the family together right now.

"Ok." He said as he stood. He approached Myka and pulled her up into a hug. "Tomorrow is going to go just fine. I know it. Have Helena or Claud call us when you know more?" he asked, trying to keep the frustration out of his voice over not being there.

Myka spoke quietly into the hug, again recognizing that she kept her family in the dark too long when this all started. "Of course. No secrets anymore. I promise."

B&W~B&W~B&W~B&W~B&W

Pete and Steve quickly packed and departed and after sharing a light meal with Artie, Claudia, and Abigail, Helena and Myka made their way upstairs for the night.

The two women were curled up together in bed, silently absorbing each others warmth and relaxing into the presence of the other person. Myka was curled into Helena's side, with Helena's arm wrapped protectively around her. A position that was becoming very familiar for the two women, and brought them both an enormous amount of comfort.

However physically close they were, both women were consumed with their own thoughts, which were on completely different topics.

Helena was running through every fact and statistic she had heard today as she absently traced patterns on Myka's back. She was working out possibilities and next steps in her head, even given all the uncertainty. She was a scientist and couldn't help her brain from going that direction.

Myka on the other hand was completely lost in thought around the idea of family. All forms of it. Her parents. Her biological siblings. Her adopted siblings in Pete and Claudia. Helena. Their future. Would they have a future family?

She had never thought much about her future or having her own growing family before. Her life was pretty hectic both as a Secret Service agent and even more so now as a Warehouse Agent. When she was with Sam, the idea of having kids was the furthest from either of their minds. Since joining the Warehouse, relationships were nowhere to be found in her life. And she was ok with that. She loved her work and her newly formed circle of friends, and she was content. There was always time for a family later.

She held onto that belief for a long time. Even when she allowed her feelings to develop for Helena, the likelihood of them ever becoming anything more seemed like nothing more than a dream. If they couldn't even be together, they obviously would not be starting a family together. It wasn't until she saw Helena with Adelaide that she realized no matter how hard her past life had been, even someone with Helena's previous pain and heartache still saw the benefit of having a child. And as wrong as the situation had been for Helena, and as painful as it had been for Myka to watch, she couldn't help but look on in amazement at the change in Helena at being in a mother's role again. That moved something inside of her that she had yet to even put words on, let alone process.

And then reality came crashing down. And regardless of whatever she felt before about kids and family and the woman she was now curled up with, all she could currently feel was incredibly sad that all of a sudden the option to be a mom was completely out of her control. She shuddered a little at the thought and felt Helena hold her tighter to her, placing a kiss on her head.

"I won't be able to have kids." Myka spoke quietly, barely realizing she had said the words aloud. She wrapped her arm a little tighter around the waist under her.

Helena did not miss a beat, quickly transitioning from her own thoughts to those of her partners. "Maybe not biologically, but you can still be a mother. If that is something you want." It had come up briefly at the doctor's office and Helena had a feeling that it was weighing on Myka's mind, so she had not been caught off guard by the topic.

Myka lifted her head at the comment, trying to gauge Helena's reaction. This was crazy. They'd been together for a day. Was she really going to approach the kid conversation right now? Looking into Helena's eyes, she saw nothing but concern and love. Even if this wasn't currently about them starting a family, because that was too soon, Myka could see that Helena was more than ready to be a friend and talk through this with her. Maybe that was all she really needed right now.

Lowering her head back down to the chest below her, she started speaking in nothing more than a whisper. "I always assumed I'd have time to figure out what I wanted where kids were concerned. That eventually the situation would present itself and I would just know, 'hey, I want to be a mom.'" she sighed, wondering how to continue. "In 31 years I have not had that desire, but I always figured it would come. At the right time, when I was with the right person, when I hadn't been whammied..." she trailed off cringing at the memory of Pete accidentally wishing her pregnant.

"Why do I feel like there is a story behind that?" Helena inquired.

Myka chuckled despite the severity of the topic and the horrid memory of that day. "It was a while back, a wishing artifact. Unfortunately this time Pete touching things without gloves got me pregnant..."

"Pete got you pregnant!?" Helena could not suppress the the rise in her voice.

"Nothing like what you're thinking." Myka calmed the older woman. "Honestly at the time it freaked me out more than I expected. Now I can't help but be sad to know that was the only time I'll ever have had that feeling."

Helena thought back to her own time being pregnant, giving birth, holding her daughter for the first time. Losing Christina was the hardest thing she'd ever gone through, but growing and bringing a child into the world was a beautiful experience and Helena was saddened that on top of everything else this was also being taken away from Myka. However she knew without a doubt that if becoming a parent was what Myka wanted, then it would happen and that Myka would be a phenomenal mother.

Myka continued to speak, sniffing quietly as she did. "I knew this was going to be physically challenging. Surgery, chemo, whatever the hell else they throw at me. I know that the next few months could kill me, literally. But I wasn't prepared for this part. I wasn't ready to think about getting through it, and then still having things that I still can't do. That my body wasn't going to simply going to shut down for the time being. Parts of me are shutting down for good."

Although she'd been holding Myka close and tracing circles on her back while they spoke, Helena took this opportunity to slide down on her side in front of Myka so they were facing each other. She caught the tears in Myka's eyes and reached up to gently stroke the younger woman's cheek. "I wish I could take all this pain and sadness away. I wish I could kiss you and tell you everything is going to be fine. But even if I can't do or say that, there is one thing that I absolutely know for a fact." she stated resolutely. "You, Myka Bering, are the strongest woman that I have ever met. And when the time is right, you will be an incredible mother. However that child comes into your life, they will be the most fortunate child ever, because you have so much love and goodness in you. And you will give over every part of your heart to that child, and they will feel it, and be safe, and protected. And they will know that you are their mother, regardless of whose body brought them into this world. There is an indescribable bond between a mother and child, and you will have that bond with another living soul. You will, because frankly, biology is irrelevant when it comes to these things."

At Helena's words, Myka couldn't hold back the flow of tears. She wanted to believe everything Helena said, but she still needed to mourn the loss of a feeling she would never know.

Helena hooked her arm over Myka's waist and pulled their bodies even closer together. "Trust me."

Myka took a minute to gather herself together again before she continued to speak. "Thank you. I want to believe you. I want to trust you. It's just so... God I don't even know the words." she admitted. It was all so overwhelming.

"You don't need words darling. They rarely do justice to something as complicated as parenting anyway. You are allowed to just feel." Helena spoke softly, her own feelings towards being a mom evident in her voice.

Myka picked up on the hitch in her voice and instantly felt bad for not thinking about how bringing up children would make Helena miss Christina. "God Helena, I'm sorry if all this is making you think of Christina." she stated sincerely.

"I am never sorry to think about Christina." Helena reassured. "She was amazing, and if there is one thing I've realized through all these ups and downs, it was that I was blessed to have her in my life for the time that I did." She spoke with so much conviction that this was true, that Myka marveled just a little at how far Helena had truly come. "I wish you could have met her Myka. She would have loved you."

Myka smiled at the thought of a mini-Helena in the world. "I'm sure she was an amazing child, and that you were an equally amazing mother." She completed her statement by placing a solid kiss to the lips of the woman in front of her, before rolling onto her back and tugging the Helena on top of her.

After a few moments passed, and realizing that Helena was in fact in a healthy state of mind, Myka couldn't help but ask "Do you ever think about having another child?" She was curious to know if having a relationship with someone like Adelaide was enough, or if Helena wanted to raise a child again.

"I hadn't for a very long time. But as you said, if the timing is right, and my partner agrees, then yes, I would consider it." Helena replied honestly. In her heart she knew it would only be with Myka. And the idea alone brought a smile to her face.

"Can I confess something?" Myka asked shyly.

Helena propped herself up so she could look Myka in the eyes. "Of course, darling."

Myka pushed a strand of hair out of Helena's face and then cupped her chin. "Watching you with Nate was one of the most painful experiences ever. But watching you with Adelaide? Watching bad-ass H.G. Wells love and teach this incredible little girl? That was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. I think I fell in love with you even more that day. And when I told you to stay, it was because I wanted you to have that. And now? We may never have that, and I am so sorry if you gave that up for me."

Now it was Helena's turn to tear up at the truth behind Myka's insistence that she make it work with Nate. God this woman was selfless. She leaned forward and kissed Myka again. Words completely escaped her, so instead she poured all the love she felt for this woman into the kiss.

When they broke apart Helena finally was able to gather her thoughts. "You are the only person I want to share that with. When the timing is right, when you are healthy, when... we've been together for more than 24 hours." she chuckled at her own comment before turning serious again "Being here with you is the only thing I need. I gave up nothing. I gained everything." and she leaned in for another kiss that left no doubt in either woman's minds that they are exactly where they needed to be.

The need for air eventually pulled them apart again but the look in both of their eyes was evidence enough that the topic at hand would be saved for another day. They in fact had far more pressing needs to attend to.

Helena leaned forward and whispered into Myka's ear "I do believe you promised to 'make it up to me' for not allowing me to shower with you this morning." She emphasized her statement by nipping at Myka's pulse point before continuing. "I do believe it is time for me to collect." Her hand slowly made it's way under Myka's shirt and she felt the younger woman arch into her touch.

Myka's head was still spinning. What she could offer Helena versus what Helena deserved weighed heavy on her mind and she was conflicted. But as Helena's hand inched further up her body, she realized that none of that mattered right now. Helena chose to be here, with her. And if her body was going to betray her in the worse possible way tomorrow, she was going to cherish every moment she had with her love tonight.

Wiping all thoughts from her mind she effortlessly flipped them over so she was hovering over Helena, grinning down at the look of surprise on the inventors face. "I do believe you are correct." she whispered to the woman before her before lowering her body. Tomorrow would come no matter what. Tonight was theirs.