In editing these chapters I've just noticed that generally, they're a lot longer than in my last story. Yay me!
In writing chapter 6 (and getting very stuck), I had to go back and change a few things in earlier chapters. I did originally write Pete and Leena as a developing couple, but it stopped feeling right, so in steps an OC, Lila. Not much about her yet, but may find her way into future chapters. Fingers crossed that I found all the inconsistencies. If someone's hair or job title changes drastically, will you please let me know? Ta.
Oh, and I live in Jolly Old Blighty and have never been to South Dakota. The places and attractions in the following chapter(s) are a mixture of real and imagined. Eg. The Black Hills Railroad circa 1880, is a real attraction (according to their website) but I've never been there, so couldn't tell you whether it's good or not. I just liked the sound of it. Same goes for Minerva's and Mt. Rushmoor. The stuff about Theodore Roosevelt was courtesy of Wikipedia.
Chapter Three
One month later.
As the late morning sun crept through a gap in the curtain, Myka stretched and opened one eye. Having arrived very late from another artefact hunt, this time in South America, she had been persuaded to stay in bed much later than usual. Peering over at the clock, she read 9:38 and covered a yawn with the back of her hand. She lay immobile for a while, letting her body wake up in its own time and drifted in and out of semi-consciousness.
It was the creaking of the second to last stair that dragged her fully out of slumber and for a minute, Myka lay quietly, waiting for the gentle sound of her bedroom door opening. The slight whine of a door hinge caught her attention and she mentally counted the light footfalls that crept nearer. She hid a grin under the duvet and opened her eyes just enough to see who her visitor was. She watched as Christina carefully placed a small vase and a rose on her bedside table, and then leapt into action.
Christina squealed as she was lifted into the air by two deceptively strong arms and tossed gently into a pile of disarrayed bedclothes. She fought vainly against the hands that tickled her, her giggles and snorts of laughter only serving to spur on her attacker. It was the cries of 'I will wet myself' that forced Myka to finally relent. She rolled over as best she could to grin at the adult, her eyes alight with the unbridled joy that only children ever seemed to manage.
Christina greeted the tousled agent with bright eyes and a happy grin. "Morning Myka."
"Good morning Sweetheart," Myka returned the greeting along with a kiss to the top of her head. She loved these moments, first thing in the morning, when Helena allowed her daughter to wake the agent up; for now, it was her time to bond with Christina and she cherished every second. "Have you already had breakfast?"
"Mmhmm." She nodded in the affirmative. "You've been asleep for ever such a long time!" She declared in astonishment.
"Have I?" Myka asked, feigning ignorance. "Oh dear. I suppose that means Pete has eaten everything and there's nothing left for me."
Christina giggled at the agent's exaggerated pout. She was up on her knees now, her excited bouncing making Myka feel like she was floating on a steady current. "Don't be daft. Mummy saved you some."
Myka laughed. "How did you manage to defeat Pete?"
At that moment, the bedroom door swung open further and in stepped Helena with a tray held in her arms. Myka's smile grew impossibly wide and she scooted further up the bed while Christina moved over to make room for her mother.
HG waited until Myka was settled before passing over her breakfast and perching on the edge of the bed. "Well, it was not easy, let me tell you," she began her explanation of the daring feat in her usual 'adventure tone'. "We had to confuse a grumpy ogre with riddles; pass a lie detection test; charm a wood nymph; bribe a red-headed dragon and finally somnambulate a bottomless pit of a giant with details of how modern technology is aiding the increasing levels of illiteracy in the next generation and that we are performing our civic duty in keeping the English language alive."
Myka smiled behind her coffee mug. "All of that just to bring me breakfast? What have I done to deserve such treatment?"
Christina grinned and puffed out her chest. "You're the princess and we are rescuing you."
Myka's eyebrow rose in surprise and amusement. She looked to the inventor and noted the smug undertone to her half-smile. "I shall have to think of some way to reward my heroines." She made sure to keep hold of Helena's gaze so her meaning would be clear. The darkening of that chocolate stare told her that she'd hit the mark.
HG clapped her hands together and turned to her daughter. "Christina, since your clothes are still lying all over your bed, will you please go and finish your packing? We'll be leaving soon after Myka has finished her breakfast." She gave the young girl her best authoritative look as she tried to ignore the sultry glances that the sleep mused agent continued to send her way.
Christina frowned as if she knew that something in the room had changed but couldn't put her finger on what. She shrugged and jumped down from the bed. "Ok Mummy." She leaned carefully over the tray to kiss Myka farewell, and then did the same with her mother.
The moment they were alone, Helena crawled up onto the bed and leant casually on one arm. "You were saying?"
Myka pretended to think, her expression bemused. "I was?"
"Something about a reward?" HG reminded her with a hopeful glint in her eye.
"Mmm. For your heroics? Yes, of course. What did you have in mind?" She popped the last bit of toast in her mouth and chewed thoughtfully, taking her time to pick a few crumbs off her sleep-vest before swallowing. "Gold? Jewels? Land? My father's favour perhaps?" She tried to keep her expression neutral, but as Helena took her empty tray and placed it out of the way, she felt her heart pick up its pace and gulped.
"I think your highness has something of a much higher value to offer." HG closed the distance between them, inch by inch, her smouldering grin an obvious sign of her intent.
"Indeed?" Myka continued to play along. She loved the slow burn that sat in her blood and tugged at her every nerve. They had been at this deliciously torturous banter for weeks now and were nowhere near being tired of it. "What did you have in mind, my brave knight?" She felt herself relaxing into the pillows as Helena's body hovered over her above the covers.
"Can you think of nothing, my lady?" HG's gaze ran the length of Myka's outline, her memory filling in the blanks as her free hand tiptoed across the neckline of the agent's open collar. Her eyes darkened at the gasp that escaped from below her.
Myka reached up with both hands and settled them on either side of her love's beautiful face. Her patience was waning fast. "How about a kiss then?"
HG's hands came to rest either side of Myka's body as she closed the distance. "If you insist," she whispered before capturing the agent's mouth with her own.
Myka hummed her approval and pushed her fingers deeper into inky locks. She lost herself in the warmth and softness that surrounded her, allowing her rescuer to lead the pace that sent a tingling current of desire through every part of her body. More and more lately, Myka had been recalling the forceful, passion fuelled, kisses that HG had seduced her with so long ago and compared the past with the present. Their slow courtship was beginning to frustrate them both in the best of ways, but for mornings like this, she preferred this languorous exploration of tongues and lips, where each kiss imparted an unspoken 'I love you'.
Sensing a slight impatience building in the pace of the Victorian's breathing and the wandering of her hands, Myka used her grip on Helena's hair to pull her back slightly and break their kiss. She realised her miscalculation the moment the woman's nostrils flared and a familiar flash of desire passed over her gaze. Anticipating the impending loss of control, the agent pushed HG back as she struggled to recover her upright position. The moment she had the advantage, she pushed the inventor onto the other side of the bed and leapt to her feet.
Helena shot Myka a look of conflicting relief and disappointment. She needn't have been worried about her libido; four weeks of chaste kisses and not so chaste moments of hands wandering, and her body was crying out with need. With a groan, she grabbed a pillow and covered her face with it. "I think I may die. You are a sadist," she accused the brunette mournfully.
Myka laughed before finishing the dregs of her coffee and then grabbing her towel and clothes to head for the shower. With an evil glint in her eye, she tiptoed over to the bed and leaned down close to the pillow. "Play your cards right Wells and perhaps after tonight's date I will grant you 'le petite mort'." She danced out of the way just in time to avoid the arms that reached out for her and laughed as she ducked a flying pillow.
She dodged passed Claudia on the landing, whose eyebrows shot up as HG's unmistakable voice grumbled 'bloody evil woman' through the open bedroom door.
"Dude. She is really cranky when you don't put-out." Claudia ignored the blush on Myka's face and gave her the once over. "We're good to go when you guys are. I can't believe Artie's giving us all the weekend off. Dr. Vanessa needs to visit more often!"
"I'm all packed, I just need to freshen up a bit. Christina went off the pack but it wouldn't surprise me if she was sitting next to an empty case with her nose buried in a book." She tried to sound exasperated but couldn't hide the smile that accompanied the conjured image.
The red-head grinned knowingly. "Aww, look at you, all glow-y. Somehow, the Wells apple didn't fall far from the Bering tree. Do you want me to...?" She pointed towards Christina and Helena's room but was interrupted by the latter, who emerged from Myka's room looking somewhat more composed.
"Not to fret, Claudia dear. I'll go and hurry her along." The inventor kissed Myka's cheek and grinned with triumph at the squeak that followed the pinch to her bottom.
"Helena!" Myka hissed; her face burning as the youngest Warehouse agent tried to hide her amusement. "Now who's evil?" She sighed and turned back to Claudia, her thumb pointing in the direction of the bathroom. "I'd better..."
The computer whizz nodded her head as she backed up. "Yup. And I'd best go check Pete's luggage to make sure he hasn't just packed it full of cookies."
Myka frowned. They all knew that Pete was a grown man and could take care of himself, most of the time, but Myka usually took it upon herself to make sure he was prepared when they went anywhere. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah, no probs Myka. You have your hands full now." She paused, her eyes flicking between Helena and Myka's bedrooms. "Or maybe not full enough!" She chuckled as her fellow agent stuck her tongue out at her and then trotted down the stairs to update the rest of the group.
Myka shook her head and wandered into the bathroom to have a very quick shower. Probably a cold one. She smiled to herself as she thought of Helena's half-hearted complaints and their burgeoning romance.
Helena's idea of courting had been somewhat less virtuous than Myka had anticipated. Not that she was about to complain. Between them there was little to no hope of them keeping their hands to themselves; there always seemed to be an irresistible force in the room that constantly pulled them together. The American was fairly sure that a traditional Victorian courtship would not have involved the amount of touching that they indulged in.
Every minute that she wasn't working was spent with HG and Christina. No matter what they were doing, they did it as a family and Myka felt more content than she ever had in her life. Helena had always monopolised her attention whenever she was around and that hadn't changed, but what had changed was the way the inventor conducted herself. She radiated a happiness that Myka had never before been privy to. Gone were the dark shadows that had been a permanent fixture and gone were the times that she would simply shut herself off and block everybody out. Even Artie had remarked on how much easier it was to talk to her.
Their efforts to date had not been quite so successful though. Between Myka's last minute trips to one place or another and Pete and Christina's uncanny abilities to sense when the two women were enjoying a little alone time, their 'dates' had consisted of family picnics and one trip to the zoo. As much as they had both enjoyed the time with the excitable girl, they were looking forward to the first real date they had planned for that evening.
Helena had been given permission by the regents to move back to her home in Rapid City, if she so wished, and though HG loved being near Myka, she missed her own space and was eager to continue with a few of her personal projects. Rather than move back to her rented house though, she had decided to look for somewhere to buy in Univille. The aim of her trip had been, to pack up anything that she didn't want the removal company to touch and take it back with her to the bed and breakfast.
The simple plan had quickly spiralled out of control when first, Myka had managed to wheedle a few days of rest out of Artie, and then, uncharacteristically, the director had announced that they could all take the weekend off, so long they took their Farnsworths. Pete and Claudia had quickly insinuated themselves into HG's plans, along with Pete's new girlfriend Lila and with some persuading, Steve had eventually consented to join them too. Not one to be easily muddled, HG had done a little tweaking and convinced Pete and Lila to stay with Christina at her house that evening while she took Myka out for dinner at Minerva's.
The inventor was praying that their plans for the rest of the day would be able to tire her daughter enough to put her out for the night. She was hoping to end the day the same way it had begun - in bed with Myka.
The two-hour car ride saw the whole gang arriving in Rapid City a little before midday. There was just enough time for them all to off-load their bags at their respective accommodations before piling back in their vehicles to head south towards Mt. Rushmore. Pete wanted to see the giant heads and had managed to talk Christina into being extra excited, but their main goal was to ride the Black Hills Central Railroad – a relic of the Victorian era and therefore of particular interest to their party.
The ride to Keystone was fairly quiet in the front of the car, Myka and HG both enjoying listening to the gentle chatter from Christina and Claudia in the back seat, only occasionally being required to add to the conversation.
Helena let her gaze wander over the sprawling rocky landscape, interlaced with the varying species of tree that from a distance gave the mountains their 'black' appearance, and couldn't help feeling awed by how much her life had changed in two short months.
Grief had been her companion for so long that she still woke in the night, temporarily gripped by a fear of falling back into that all-encompassing hole of despair. One look across a moon-lit room was usually enough to calm her frantically beating heart, but there were times when she doubted reality and sleep would evade her for the rest of the night. She hadn't confided this in Myka. Their morning greeting was often the only thing that could calm her racing thoughts and reassure her that the nightmares were just bad dreams. One look into tired green eyes told her that the American struggled with her own difficult dreams, and though she was one, she didn't have to be a genius to figure out what those dreams were likely about.
Heading west reminded her of her solo drive to Yellowstone; her homicidal and suicidal intentions, her hatred of the world; her sense of betrayal, that human nature had let her down and become if possible worse than she remembered, and all the while, her precious Christina's absence continued to tear at her soul.
She took an involuntary breath, feeling the memory pulling at her insides. Before she could begin to lose herself though, there was a hand gripping her own and knowing eyes gazing at her with love and understanding. Eyes that knew her better than she knew herself.
"Hey," Myka's voice was barely above a whisper, not wanting to draw attention to Helena's distress. "It's ok. We're here now. We're not going anywhere."
They both knew that there were no guarantees for the future but HG was comforted by the underlying promise that Myka and Christina weren't going to willingly leave her. She squeezed the brunette's hand and took a deeper, calming breath. "I know," she said aloud, letting the words sink into her psyche, willing herself to believe them. "Thank you."
Myka kept her hand in Helena's, knowing that the older woman needed the physical reminder right now. Her own thoughts had begun to drift off in the same direction, mirroring the recurring nightmares she'd been having. Look at her Myka, her inner voice scolded. She's not the same woman who dropped you like a brick and took off on a crazy world-ending mission. Her thumb traced random patterns around slender fingers and she was rewarded with a warm smile. Isn't it about time you let her back in?
The words were so simple and it seemed like it should have been easy to let that last barrier fall, but like the Victorian, she too was plagued by the demons of the past. Her fears were not so much about Helena betraying her but more about a lack of confidence in her own judgement. She was almost sure she trusted the inventor. She didn't trust herself. Sometime soon she was going to have to take a leap of faith and deal with whatever came of it afterward.
After a quick diversion to let Pete and Christina take pictures of Tom, George, Teddy and Abe, the gang arrived at Keystone station and began exploring the quaint little buildings and machinery.
HG felt her spirits lifting the moment she saw her daughter's face light up at the sight of the steam-engine, and together with Myka, they walked the length of the platform, reminiscing about their journeys together through London.
On the train, Christina pounced from lap to lap, providing endless entertainment for the adults as she ooh-ed and ahh-ed over the scenery and interrogated her mother over the locomotive's inner workings.
They were all somewhat exhausted by the time Myka opened her bag and began to pass around neatly wrapped packets of sandwiches.
Myka and HG managed to persuade the eight year old to sit between them and while they ate, a tranquil air settled about them. The two women chatted about nothing of consequence for a while until the inventor began listing the experiments she needed to pack up before the end of the weekend.
"Mummy, why are we buying a house?" Christina finally asked after listening to her mother's plans.
HG frowned. "I don't follow you, love. You mean other than to live in?"
The girl turned in her seat. "I like where we live now. Why do we have to move?"
Helena hesitated. Since broaching the subject a week ago, her daughter had been rather quiet with her opinion. "The bed and breakfast is really only for agents, darling. Since Mrs. Fredrick informed me that it was ok, I thought it best that we find our own place to live."
Christina sucked her lip and leant closer to Myka. "I don't want to leave." There was real conflict in her voice now and the sound of it pulled at HG's heartstrings. The girl looked up at Myka and the source of her distress quickly became apparent. "Who will save your breakfast from Pete or read to me with Mummy?"
Myka felt tears prick at the backs of her eyes and hugged the girl closer, kissing the top of her head as she exchanged a heartfelt smile with the writer. "Sweetheart, is that why I found those estate agent's brochures hiding under your bed?" The girl nodded and Myka tried to hide her amusement. "Christina, if you're worried about something, you can talk to us, you know? Then we can explain things so you won't be so worried anymore."
HG fixed her gaze on young eyes that were brimming with a mixture of confusion and defiance. "Then we can discuss things like Myka coming to live with us," she informed the child in a slightly smug tone, anticipating the surprise and excitement that was sure to follow.
Though she and Myka were hesitantly rediscovering their connection and sometimes struggled to find their footing from one step to the next, one thing that they agreed on was that, sooner or later, they would be a couple again, in every sense of the word. The moment she'd had the go-ahead from the regents, HG had discussed Myka coming to live with her and Christina. The brunette had hesitated at first, but the idea of not coming home to either Victorian was not something that she could face, so they were soon agreed on looking for a home together.
With renewed vigour, Christina wriggled out of Myka's arms and jumped onto her mother's lap, gripping HG's face as she stared into an amused gaze. "Truely? So I will have two mummies?"
Helena laughed and Myka flushed with pride. Neither one of them had been sure about how to introduce the subject of their family dynamic into a conversation, but it appeared that the eight year old had no difficulty.
HG was very aware that others were beginning to stare now. Even amongst the general hubbub of chatter within the carriage, the two Victorians' practised diction carried far, and the unconventional topic they were discussing was bound to be of interest to some. HG Wells had never apologised for being born a woman or for defying convention and she wasn't about to start now. She loved her daughter and Myka and didn't care what anyone else might think about that.
"Would you like that, love?"
Christina squeezed into the space between them again and held one of each of their hands in her own. "Yes Mummies," she giggled a bit to herself before returning to watch the passing scenery.
Their round trip to Hill City and back took up most of the afternoon so that, by the time they pulled up at HG's house, Myka and Helena only had an hour to get ready before leaving to make their reservation at seven.
It was a small two-bed house with only one bathroom so while Myka dressed in the master bed room, Helena supervised Christina as she washed up and scrambled into her pyjamas, ready for bed after a late take-away dinner with Pete and Lila. Once her daughter was settled, HG ran back upstairs and swapped with the other agent, pausing as the brunette left the bedroom to admire long legs that made an otherwise ordinary dress look stunning.
Myka felt her body react to the obvious desire in the writer's eyes and scolded her playfully for keeping them from being on time. She dodged all attempts to be persuaded to 'skip dinner in favour of dessert' and made her way downstairs.
Christina was the first to spot her entrance. "Ooh, Mummy. You look lovely." She jumped up from her bed of cushions on the floor and trotted closer. "Now you're a real princess."
Myka beamed and laughed in the unconscious way she did when she was truly happy. She appreciated the compliment but it was being recognised as a mother that she really loved. She pulled Christina into her arms and hugged her warmly. "Thank you Sweetheart." She kissed the girl's head and then pulled back to see her properly. "It feels wonderful to hear you call me that, but perhaps we can change it a bit so Mummy and I don't get quite so confused?"
The young girl thought for a moment and then stood on tiptoe to whisper in Myka's ear. When she pulled back, her expression was curious, as if to say 'is that ok?'
"Perfect," Myka said just as they heard footsteps descending the stairs.
The brunette looked up and felt her breath catch at the sight that greeted her.
HG wore an ensemble that reflected her usual style, but her heels gave her and extra inch, making her glutes work just that little bit harder. Her shirt was tailored more for fashion than function, accentuating her curves and bust; her waist-coat ended higher than usual and her hair had been pulled up to allow Myka's gaze unhindered access to her throat and shoulders. Altogether, the effect had the American doubting her ability to reach the end of the evening without getting them either thrown out of the restaurant or locked up in jail.
Myka's mouth opened and closed but no sound came out.
Pete, who had been watching the exchange between his partner and her surrogate daughter with a melancholy happiness, found his own way to fill the awed silence. "I think the word you're looking for Mykes is, yowza!"
Lila rolled her eyes at Pete and turned to the two women, pushing a lock of strawberry blonde behind an ear. She smiled at the happiness that radiated from them. "You do look lovely, both of you."
"Very dashing, Mummy," Christina added to the compliments, moving from Myka to hug and kiss HG before returning to her space on the floor.
Pete caught them both hesitating as they eyed the eight year old. "Don't worry guys. We'll keep an eye on the rug-rat for ya and have her in bed before you get back. Take your time and have fun," he wiggled his eyebrows at his partner who stuck her tongue out at him.
Lila took pity on them, recognising how difficult it seemed to be to leave the young girl. "We're both keeping our phones on; any time you're worried, just send one of us a text and we'll get back to you as soon as we can."
"Thank you Lila," Myka breathed a small sigh as she linked her arm with her date's.
"Bye darling," HG called to her daughter. "We love you."
"Love you, Mummy," the young Victorian hollered back. "You too, Mama."
Myka smiled with Helena and gently led her out to the car before either one of them could change their mind.
Is the dynamic between Myka and Christina too much? What do you think to Christina's style of speech? I'm trying to mix upper-class Victorian with what I know of how modern 8 year olds speak. A lot depends on upbringing and I imagine Christina's as being fairly sheltered.