Getting together during the holidays afforded Myka and Helena a short honeymoon period. They were able to spend time together alone and with Christina, and after a few days they fell into an oddly comfortable domesticity. Myka woke in the morning to the sound of Christina chattering away to her mother, and to the smell of coffee brewing. Helena, apparently, had gone shopping for decent coffee and a coffee machine the morning of their date, just in case she stayed over that night. So the first morning after they'd woken up together and made love, Myka fell asleep for a short time only to be woken by the smell of the most delicious coffee. She stumbled downstairs in a pair of borrowed pyjamas that made her look like Andre the Giant, as they only reached about halfway down her calves, and walked into the kitchen to see a smug Helena waiting for her with a cup of coffee that looked delicious.
"Good morning, beautiful," Helena said, smiling.
"Did you make coffee just to wake me up?" Myka said, also smiling – after all, she'd just spent the night with Helena and fallen asleep in the afterglow of their most amazing sex yet.
"Not exactly," Helena said with a smirk. "I was just undertaking an experiment. I wanted to see how long it would take you to wake up if I brewed some decent coffee for you."
Myka grinned widely.
"And?"
Helena chuckled.
"Two minutes and 18 seconds," she replied.
"That's pretty impressive," Myka said. "Have you ever conducted this experiment with anyone else?"
Helena shook her head.
"Given that I've only just bought this monstrosity," she indicated a very fancy looking coffee machine with all sorts of appendages, "I can say with some confidence that you are my first guinea pig."
"Did you buy that just for me, Helena?" Myka asked, slightly wide-eyed.
Helena blushed slightly.
"Well, you do love your coffee, and I thought…if you were going to be spending a little more time here, you might…"
She was cut off by Myka's enthusiastic kiss.
"Thank you, Helena. That's the sweetest thing, seriously."
"Save your praise until you've tasted the coffee, darling."
The first cup was pretty appalling, but after she'd spat out the pieces of coffee bean and set up the grinder properly by following the instructions (which Helena had put aside, deciding that she was more than capable of running a simple coffee machine without instruction, thank you very much), the second cup was pretty close to sublime. She took a cautious sip, and then several more, sighing as she savoured the taste. Helena smiled at her, and she leaned over to kiss her, first gently and then a little more seriously.
"Maybe I should buy more kitchen appliances for you, if that's the response I'm going to get," Helena said, after catching her breath.
"I think you know by now that there is no need for you to buy me anything, Helena. I'm incredibly easy, apparently, when it comes to you," Myka said wryly.
"Is that right?" Helena asked, sauntering closer and pressing herself against Myka, careful not to disturb the coffee cup.
"You know it is, Helena," Myka said, a little more seriously. Helena's smile slipped a little.
"You know I would never hurt you, Myka," Helena breathed, searching Myka's eyes worriedly.
"Sure, not on purpose. But I hope you realise how much power you have over me, Wells," Myka said, with a small smile.
"The same is true of you, Myka," Helena protested.
"No, I don't think it is," Myka said.
Helena stepped back a little, running her fingers through her hair and turning with her back to Myka. She blew out a short breath.
"Do you think that I would risk Christina's happiness by bringing you into our lives if I wasn't serious, Myka?" she asked without turning.
Myka paused for a moment before speaking.
"No, of course. But I just meant…we aren't in the same place, and I know that."
Helena turned, her mouth slightly open.
"You really are bonkers, aren't you? Again, I ask you. Do you really think that I would risk Christina's happiness? After Giselle? Because the answer is, of course, no. I wouldn't risk her happiness unless I had very strong feelings for you, overwhelming feelings. And I recall trying to tell you that the other day, when you put your hand over my mouth to stop me. Do you remember?"
Myka looked at Helena, tilting her head slightly as she absorbed what Helena was saying.
"You said that you thought you might…that's not the same as saying that you do. Love someone."
"I…I'm not particularly good at communicating how I feel, Myka. And I didn't want to say anything you weren't comfortable with. But rest assured that whatever power I have over you, you hold over me, equally. I wouldn't have moved forward with you if I weren't sure of that."
Myka nodded, taking a long drink from her mug in an attempt to cover the tears that were welling up in her eyes. When she looked up again, Helena was right there, tipping her head up so that Myka would meet her eyes.
"Maybe we're not ready to say certain words to one another, just yet. But we've known each other a long time, Myka. I know you know me probably better than anyone, and I think the same is true the other way round. You don't have to be insecure with me. I never want you to have to feel that way."
Myka nodded again, and Helena leaned up to kiss her.
They enjoyed a quiet breakfast together of toast and fruit, and they had the luxury of sharing a shower together before Christina returned, Charles dropping her off around midday. Christina was ecstatic to see Myka and demanded her attention for much of the rest of the day. They watched television together, Helena looking on with a look of stunned happiness on her face, and they built some more Lego items together. They all had dinner together, Christina chatting animatedly throughout, and after a quick bath, Myka read to her from her new book. She barely got through a page before the little girl was asleep, making adorable snorting noises. She was wrapped around Myka's arm, and once again Helena showed up at the door just as Myka was trying to extricate herself from the girl's clutches.
"She's such a minx," Helena whispered, grinning, "just like her mother. She doesn't want to let you go."
Myka smiled, emotion welling up in her as she gazed down at the beautiful little girl.
"She's amazing, Helena. You should be so proud," she said, keeping her voice low.
"I am," Helena said, her eyes glistening.
Myka finally managed to remove herself from Christina's grasp, leaning over to kiss her forehead before creeping out of the room.
They made their way downstairs quietly, and Helena went to pour them some wine. She handed Myka a glass and sat next to her on the sofa, putting one arm around Myka's shoulders to draw her close.
"Thank you, darling," she said, seriously, before taking a sip of her drink.
"What for?" Myka asked.
"For being so good with Christina. For actually enjoying the time you spend with her. She can tell, and she already loves you for it."
Myka reddened.
"I honestly don't understand why anyone wouldn't want to spend time with her, Helena. She's an amazing kid. She's smart, she cracks me up, and she's a mini-you. What's not to love?"
"I would ask Giselle, but I seriously doubt we'll be running into one another any time soon," Helena said dryly.
"That woman was an idiot," Myka said, trying and failing to keep the contempt from her tone. "She didn't appreciate what she had right in front of her. You and Christina, you both deserve better than that."
Helena smiled and leaned over, leaning her forehead against Myka's.
"You are amazing, Myka," she breathed.
"No I'm not. You and Christina are amazing. I don't deserve you."
"We'll have to agree to disagree there, sweetheart," Helena said, kissing her softly. She pulled Myka into her so that they were both half-reclined on the sofa, and they watched half of a movie together before agreeing that it was time for bed, when their yawns got out of hand. Ten minutes later they were wrapped around each other in bed, and the only sound to be heard in the Wells (and Bering) household was soft snoring.
A lot farther South, a tall man with a crooked nose was talking with a beautiful redhead. He was drinking beer, and she was sipping from a glass of expensive red wine.
"So, explain to me again why Helena still has my daughter?" he asked, as if continuing a conversation they'd had many times before. His accent was thick, East London. The redheaded woman pouted.
"It's not as if I didn't try. I called the police when I left the kid alone, told them I was a neighbour and that it happened all the time. The police were too busy," Giselle Williams said, taking another sip from her glass.
"And you didn't think to maybe do it again?" he asked, standing and pacing back and forth.
"I did. But that bitch Bering found out from the kid, and she told Helena. I followed your plan, Marcus," Giselle said, almost snarling.
"If you'd followed my plan, then my daughter would be living with me by now," Marcus said.
"And yet, here we are," Giselle said, spreading her hands. "I did what you asked, Marcus. It's not easy to betray someone when you've been living with them for such a long time."
Marcus scoffed. "You didn't give a shit about Helena. You liked her looks and her money, that's about it. I know she's good in the sack but that doesn't mean she made you feel anything for her. We both know you aren't capable of loving another human being."
He didn't notice the woman's slight wince as he gesticulated grandly with the pint of beer in his hand.
"Well it doesn't matter now, Marcus. Unless you can prove that she's not fit to look after the girl, and you can prove that you are, then you're out of luck. I've done my part, and I want my money."
Giselle stood, facing off with him, and Marcus laughed.
"Fine, fine. You can have your money. But stay local, Giselle. I might need your 'help' again."
He tapped at his phone and Giselle's phone buzzed in her pocket, confirming the transaction. She left without a backward glance, and when she was outside the front door of Marcus' new home, she shuddered. How she could ever have slept with a man like him, she would never know. And how she'd got herself in this mess, she would never know. She needed some help, and she had an idea who might be able to help.
She tapped out a quick text message to Claudia Donovan before hailing a cab on a busy London street.
"Where to, love?" the driver asked.
"Euston station," she said, distractedly. She hoped that Joshua Donovan still kept up with his contacts in the Salford underworld.
It was their first day back at work, and Myka and Helena were struggling to maintain their usual professional relationship. There was plenty to do, as there always was at the beginning of a new semester, but Myka was finding it hard to focus. Helena popping into her office to 'check' on her every hour or so was not helping.
It came to a head an hour before lunchtime. Myka was hangry, and to put it bluntly, horny, and Helena's visits, which seemed to involve a lot more casual touching than usual, were not helping.
"Hello, darling," Helena said, slipping into Myka's office for the fourth time that morning, kissing the back of her neck and letting her teeth scrape gently against the tiny hairs there. Myka was suddenly furious, and before Helena could say another word, she found herself being walked backwards and then pinned against the closed door in Myka's tiny office, with Myka's hands firmly on her hips.
"I swear to god, Helena Wells, if you don't stop fucking teasing me I will take you against this door here and now," Myka growled, and the look of surprise (and arousal) on Helena's face was comical. There was a moment of quiet and then Helena sighed out a breath that seemed like it came from her boots.
"You're right. I'm sorry. I have been teasing, and you have a lot of work to do – I should know, since I'm technically your boss. Can you ever forgive me?"
Her attempt at being contrite was slightly spoiled by the biting of her lip and the widening of her eyes and nostrils. Myka shook her head and loosened her hold.
"I will forgive you, but you had better make it up to me tonight, Dr Wells. And if you don't want to do some unprofessional stuff in an office where either one of us could be discovered at any point, I suggest we set some ground rules," Myka said, her eyes still slightly narrowed.
"Of course, darling," Helena said. "I'm sorry."
She did not look even a little bit sorry, but Myka let that pass for now.
"So. For now, Dr Wells, please remove your derrière from my office and let me get on with my work. And if you come back in here today without a cup of coffee at the very least, I will not be held responsible for my actions."
Myka smiled to lessen the bite that she knew was present in her words. Helena nodded, a little eagerly, backing away and leaving Myka to her work. They might work in the bedroom, and as friends, but it appeared that they still had some learning to do as to the other's likes and dislikes as partners. Being distracted while working was not a thing that Myka enjoyed, and neither was being teased. She shook her head and smiled before tackling the lecture planning she had to get finished before the end of the day.
Helena did return at lunchtime, stopping only to drop off coffee, water, and food, and she gave Myka a brief kiss on the cheek before retreating. And it was a retreat, because she took one look at Myka's expression and set the food on the desk, backing out with wide eyes. Myka chuckled and ate quickly before returning to work, and by the end of the day the matter was forgotten. But Helena was a little more careful at work from then on, and Myka started to feel a little better about the balance in their relationship. She had been serious when she told Helena that she was easy when it came to her, but she had begun to realise that their relationship couldn't have any sort of longevity if she didn't assert herself from time to time.
Myka did get her revenge later that night, indulging in a much-longer-than-usual teasing session that ended up with Helena biting a pillow in the darkness of her bedroom so that she didn't wake Christina. A very self-satisfied Myka smiled in the dark afterwards, slightly frustrated herself since Helena had passed out without reciprocating, but pleased that she'd teased Helena into an almost-frenzy. She definitely deserved it after her behaviour that day.
It was Friday of the first week back, and Claudia had dropped in to Myka's office. Her visits were rare and usually work-related. As she flopped into the spare chair in Myka's office and threw a box onto the desk that smelled like some sort of baked sugary goodness, Myka figured that this was a very rare social visit.
"Hey Claud. Did you have a good New Year?" Myka asked, opening the box cautiously and removing a jam doughnut. Claudia pulled out the chocolate covered ring, stuffing it down her throat without much ceremony.
"Yeah. Josh and Abigail made dinner. It was good," Claudia said, her eyes wandering around the tattered posters and noticeboards that adorned the office walls. It didn't look the best, but Myka hadn't ever really thought about decorating, because it wasn't like she spent much time here in a typical week.
"And you?" Claudia asked, suddenly all piercing stares and unwavering attention. Myka took a deep breath.
"It was great, actually. Rebecca and Jack were amazing. They fed me so much I'm pretty sure I was close to some sort of coma," Myka said with a smile.
"Those guys are great," Claudia said. She had a genuine smile on her face.
"They are. I feel closer to them than I ever did to my own parents. I feel kind of guilty that they still want me around, even after Sam…" Myka trailed off, pushing her hair back from her face.
"I get that. But they love you, Myka. Nothing wrong with that," Claudia said, her face clouding over. Myka knew that Claudia didn't have any family other than Josh, and didn't want to prod at that particular sore point any longer.
"They do. And it's mutual. I'm lucky. But I guess you want to know what happened on Boxing Day, huh?" Myka asked, and Claudia nodded. "Well. I went to see them, and we had a nice day, good food, good company. And I read Christina a bedtime story, and when I got back down, Charles was gone." She paused for a minute. "Did Helena not tell you all of this already?"
"I haven't had much time to speak to her, actually. And I wanted to hear from you," Claudia said, her face unreadable.
"Okay. Well, I… we ended up sleeping together that night. And I went home the next day, but before I left Helena asked me if I'd go out on a date with her," Myka said, smiling involuntarily.
Claudia raised an eyebrow.
"And?"
"We went to Velvet, we went home together, and basically we've been together since," Myka shrugged. "It's kind of been a bit of a honeymoon-ish thing. And being around Christina this whole time… it's like, my heart, you know?" Myka said, grinning, hands over her heart. Claudia barked out a laugh.
"Yeah. That kid is special. And I can't attest to Dr Wells' skill in the bedroom, but I'd imagine you two would create sparks, given how long you've been eye-banging," Claudia said, smiling. "I'm glad things are going well. If you want to talk, I'm here. Helena can be a dumbass sometimes and I would hate for her to fuck this up."
Myka was surprised. Majorly surprised. She still had the impression that Claudia didn't much like her, and she was more than surprised that Claudia would ever be on her side, yet alone criticise Helena.
"See you later, Bering," Claudia said, but as she left she seemed to have a fond smile on her face. Myka was warmed by it. She told Helena about (some of) the conversation later that night.
"She has never really seemed to care much for me, but she seemed like she was… concerned, for me? And happy for us, I guess? As much as Claudia is ever happy," Myka said.
"I haven't had a chance to really speak to her, except in passing. But I imagine she would be happy. She's been silently judging my relationship with Giselle for years, I just didn't realise," Helena said wryly.
Myka smiled at her, and Christina came back from the bathroom just then, and they didn't talk any more about Claudia that night. But it made Myka feel a little more secure, again, that she wasn't just Helena's girlfriend to Helena's friends. She was a person in her own right, and she decided to assert herself more, to not allow herself to become less for Helena's sake, because she wanted this relationship to be her last, if she was being entirely honest with herself about the whole thing.
Christina was continuing to be a joy, and she was becoming so attached to Myka that it was worrying her a little. Her intention was absolutely to become part of this family if that were at all possible. She loved Helena and cared deeply for Christina, but sometimes relationships didn't work out. As an adult she knew that, but she was aware that kids didn't always understand the intricacies of relationships and often ended up feeling that they were to blame. As Myka stroked the little girl's hair, Christina lying with her head in Myka's lap as they watched television, she sent up a silent prayer to whoever might be listening that, no matter what happened, Christina wouldn't suffer for Helena and Myka's actions.
Later when they were in bed, Helena asked her why she looked so pensive, and Myka explained, briefly. Helena was silent for a long moment, but she turned to look at Myka and smiled.
"Regardless of what happens with us, Myka, you will always be a part of Christina's life. And as I believe I already said to you, I would never have asked you on a date or gone forward with any of this without believing that this would work. I would never risk her, not if it was just a shag. Especially not after Giselle. I love that you care about her that much, Myka. But please, let me worry about my daughter, at least for now," Helena said, speaking softly and with such love in her voice that Myka's chest clenched and then released, some of the worry and strain melting away. After all, if Helena believed in them this much, then there was really no reason for Myka to twist herself in knots. Part of her remained vigilant, however, because she was unwilling to break a child's heart for the sake of her own happiness.