Ok, this chapter starts off by covering those three hours that our beloved warehouse crew spent having fun at the fair, and then we begin to get back on track with the last chapter's cliff hanger. I didn't originally intend to write it this way. I just kind of wrote myself into a corner with the introduction of a trip to the fair, which should have so many amazing possibilities, but then couldn't think of how to either continue the chapter or end it. I felt like the story needed a bit of tension and action that wasn't just Bering and Wells fluff, but as my muse is trying to pull me forward to all the potential domestic bliss that's brewing, I was distracted and began writing nonsense that wasn't really going anywhere.
Hopefully, the rewritten version is to your liking.
Chapter Six
After some initial deliberation, at Myka's suggestion, the Warehouse crew agreed to ride the Ferris Wheel first so they could take in more of the fairground from above and have fun while making a more informed decision on which rides or stalls to visit.
"They're a good deal larger than I recall," HG observed as she watched a family up ahead boarding one of the eight-seated pods.
"Bigger but safer," Claudia assured her. "The engineering that goes into theme park rides these days might impress even you HG. And though the health and safety police are generally a buzz kill, places like this have to be regularly inspected to be allowed to stay open. More thrill, less spill."
Myka threw the young techie a grateful smile and wrapped her arm a little tighter around her girlfriend's waist. "For someone who invented a device that launches you several metres in the air, I wouldn't think the height would bother you."
"I'm not afraid for me," HG reminded the brunette needlessly.
"I know honey," Myka replied and placed a kiss on Helena's temple. "Bad joke," she added and felt the body next to her relax slightly. "Sorry." The queue moved gradually closer to the ride. "Do you think she'll be scared?" She asked with a hint of her own concern.
The inventor contemplated the ride and sought for a memory of her daughter ever showing a fear of heights. She looked over to where Christina was holding Claudia's hand and talking excitedly about what they might see from the top. "It doesn't appear as if she's holding any apprehension." She sighed and leant into Myka more. "I'm glad we could do this today. As difficult as it is to relax in a place with so much potential for things to go wrong, it's worth it to see her having fun."
Myka felt her heart swell and gazed lovingly at her girlfriend. "You really are amazing," she whispered, drawing a confused glance from HG. "After everything you've been through, no one would blame you for locking yourself in the house with Christina and never letting her have an inch of space or freedom. We wouldn't let you do that to yourself or her of course, but we would understand. You're trying to give her the life she deserves, no matter how hard that is... You're amazing," she repeated.
Helena's gaze left her daughter for a moment and she pulled Myka into a short but tender kiss. "I have you to thank for all of this, love. I don't believe I would have the courage if it weren't for your presence in my life."
"All right you two, enough of the ultra-gooey stuff. There's something I need to ask everyone that we need to agree on before we go any further," Pete announced in his most serious tone. "Remember; I want you to be honest... Does this haircut make me look dorky?"
All six of them stared at him before the adults all began to talk at once.
"Totally dorky! Seriously dude, I was thinking of going all Edward Scissorhands on you in the night or something."
"It's not exactly your best look, Pete. I thought maybe you were growing it out and were just stuck in that in between stage you know? I would have said something though, eventually."
"Not really a good look for you, man. I didn't want to say anything though in case you decided to use me as a fashion guru and go ultra short."
"It's nice Pete, but it might be starting to get a little out of control."
"It's hideous. Though if you were attempting to appear as immature as you behave, then I'd say you were on the right track."
Christina looked between all the adults, waiting for them to finish before throwing in her two-cents. "I like it."
Pete grinned and stuck his tongue out at his friends. "Thanks CJ. You're now officially my new best friend."
She smiled sweetly up at him and HG rolled her eyes. Myka laughed and ruffled the girl's hair. "Just don't feed him anything or he'll be following us home."
While continuing the good natured ribbing all through their ride and the subsequent visits to the prize giving stalls, ghost train and bumper cars (where Lila volunteered to stand on the side-line and video their fun with her phone), they all took turns in introducing the newest member of the Warehouse family to their own personal take on the fair. This gave her some distance from her mother's involuntary fussing and gave HG and Myka some time to enjoy the occasional stolen kiss or longing gaze without worrying too much about where their daughter was.
Eventually, they ran out of activities that they all wanted to do and the two women bid a temporary goodbye to their four friends as they headed, with Christina between them, for the more child-oriented portion of the fairground.
Myka filmed Helena on the Carousel with Christina, and HG did the same for her on the Tea Cups. They all rode the Flying Dutchman and the Pirate Ship, which the inventor declared was a violation of nature and good sense. Then finally, they returned to the games of skill and chance, which Myka and Christina walked away from with matching stuffed toys, courtesy of HG.
They spent their last few minutes without the others sitting on a picnic bench, sipping milkshakes and reminiscing about the most memorable parts of the weekend (that weren't spent in bed at least).
"Have you enjoyed yourself, my love?" Helena asked the young girl as she watched her inspecting her new toy racoon.
"Yes Mummy. Can we do this again next weekend?" She asked with bright hopeful eyes.
HG smiled and stroked her daughter's hair. "Well, perhaps not exactly the same things, but I agree that it would be enjoyable to go on regular outings."
"With you too Mama?" Christina added enthusiastically.
Myka smiled regretfully. "When I can Sweetheart. When I'm not working, I'll definitely come with you and Mummy." She really loved her job, but since having Helena and Christina in her life, she'd begun to resent the time she spent away from home. "So what are you going to name your new friend?" She asked, hoping to change the topic.
Christina stared into the orange plastic eyes of her new toy and thought carefully. "Roquefort," she declared proudly after almost a minute.
Myka spluttered into her milkshake and HG chuckled. They exchanged a meaningful look that said 'our kid is special, huh?' The senior agent turned back to the girl and nodded her approval. "Rocky. I like it; it suits him. Not sure if I'll be able to top that. Will you help me?"
"Sure Mama. What do you think he looks like?" Christina shifted so she was kneeling up in her seat and facing her parents, HG next to her and Myka across the table.
Myka picked up the stuffed racoon and held it up; mimicking the eight year old's actions. "Well, I think he looks like an outlaw because he has this mask on, or he could be the Lone Ranger. He was the main character in a popular TV show about a vigilante lawman with a secret identity," she explained after seeing the identical expressions of confusion on her companions' faces.
"Would any outlaw do?" Asked Helena. "There are plenty to choose from. Dick Turpin, Claude DuVall, John Nevison... Robin Hood, if you're feeling romantic about the idea of armed robbery." She reached a hand across the table to stroke the toy's fur, 'accidentally' finding Myka's hand instead.
The American trembled at the contact and her mind automatically began counting down the hours until bedtime. She turned her hand over and captured Helena's, stilling the distracting movement. "Turpin has a nice ring to it, but I don't think Claudia would forgive me for missing the opportunity to name something in her honour... sort of. Claude it is."
"Can I tell Claudia on our way home?" Christina requested; a twinkle in her eye as she imagined the youngest agent's surprise.
"Sure you can. Speaking of which, we should probably get moving; we're supposed to be meeting the others by the cotton-candy stall in five minutes." Myka kept Helena's hand in her own as she stood up, prompting their departure.
Helena smiled fondly as they stood by the row of confectionary stalls with the rest of their party and watched Myka talk Christina into buying a toffee apple, which at least had fruit beneath the layer of sugar. Pete wasn't much help as he had no self control when food was involved and walked away unabashedly with candy falling out of his pockets and each hand. She briefly wondered if his obsessive eating had anything to do with the guilt he'd felt after the loss of his father, perhaps replacing the over indulgence with alcohol? She shook her head. It didn't matter now. He was an integral part of their family whether she liked it or not, but she made a mental note to talk to him about the impression he was making on her daughter and his responsibility as an 'uncle' to be a good role model. Admittedly, he was doing a fairly good job overall.
She stuck like glue to her daughter, trying not to reach out and straighten the collar of a coat for the fifth time, or stop them to re-tie a hair band that had come loose. She held onto the urge to ask if the girl was too warm or too cold, if she was thirsty, hungry, sleepy or needed to use the facilities. She watched Myka with their daughter and felt her girlfriend's relaxed manner rub off on her a little.
Myka had told her that she was amazing and she tried to take it to heart. Myka believed it and Helena trusted her partner's judgement. If only she could impress upon the brunette how incredible she was as well.
No one else could make Helena want to share the responsibilities and privileges of being a mother to Christina. From the moment she'd felt that tiny life fluttering inside her, she had been fiercely protective of her role in her little girl's life. Yes, she had given too much of her time to the Warehouse and worked when she had wanted to be at home. She had simply enjoyed the thrill of the chase too much to appreciate the preciousness of parenthood, but she was hardly the first or the last person to do that. Being given a second chance should possibly have made her more protective of that role, but Myka made it easy to share.
There was no push and pull between them when it came to Christina. Or, not yet at least. Myka filled a hole in her heart, in her life, that she hadn't known was there. From Myka's whispered confession following their return from Paris, Helena knew that their dynamic had shifted significantly. The American had bonded to her child and it only felt natural to extend her role to the other woman. The question of them not being a family someday had never entered her mind.
As they walked towards their exit, HG felt something she'd hoped never to feel again; the tingling of apprehension that precluded the discovery of a curiosity. She looked to her girlfriend and saw the telltale sign of a furrowed brow just seconds before Claudia's fateful question.
"Does anyone else smell fudge?"
Myka felt her stomach plunge. This couldn't be happening. Most of them were Warehouse agents but surely they were entitled to a few days to themselves without the world of artefacts interfering? She felt Pete's eyes on her and met his gaze with almost identical concern. Neither one of them had counted on being in this situation with their respective partners any time soon. Pete's last experience of introducing a girlfriend to the world of weird had not gone well and considering the deepening of his feelings for Lila, the last thing he wanted was to scare her off.
Agent Bering squared her shoulders, knowing that at least three of their group would be especially vulnerable if there proved to be a dangerous artefact around, and therefore, she would need to step up her game. Christina and Lila were innocent and completely unaware of the dangers they could face, and HG was so tense that she was likely to kenpo the next person who looked at her into a coma.
She felt her natural leadership instinct kick in and began assigning tasks to her fellow agents. She opted to keep Lila with her and Helena as, not only would she provide another pair of eyes to watch Christina, it would give Pete more freedom to do his job.
Steve and Claudia kept their eyes peeled as they moved through crowds and searched for tell tale signs of their personal brand of craziness. Other than a few odd fashion choices though, they'd covered half the length of the fairground without spotting anything.
"You sure you smelt fudge Claude?" Jinksy glanced sceptically at his partner. He wasn't quite as attuned with the rush of unease that came with an artefact; his talents lying more in the personal one on one interrogation. "It is a fairground. I'm sure we could buy it here if we wanted."
"Nu-uh, Poopy Pooperson. Warehouse fudge has a distinctive scent. It's not your regular Hershey's brand." She caught the frantic motion of a scuffle in her peripheral vision and grabbed Steve's arm to drag him with her. "Something's brewing and we need to stamp it out before it gets its natural born killer instinct on."
They approached the Duck-Shot booth, both praising their good timing as they managed to pull a tethered pellet gun from the game attendant and separate him and his indignant customer.
"Hey, federal agent!" Steve shouted and waved his badge in an effort to regain some order. "Both of you need to calm down and start explaining some things."
Claudia turned to the punter. "You start. Name first," she told him.
"Rick Greally. I was just playing the game. I was having a lucky streak and then this guy starts yelling at me, calls me a cheat and refuses to let me have another go or give me my prizes!" He glared at the stall operator from beneath a baseball cap. "I'm a paying customer; you can't treat me like that!"
"I'm not giving merchandise away to cheats!" The disgruntled worker shouts back. "That's just good business."
Agent Jinks glanced between the two irate men, searching for a hint of untruth as they continued to question the pair. So far there was nothing blaringly obvious. The booth operator was slightly shifty, choosing his words carefully, but Steve had been getting that vibe from fairground workers his whole life, like it was in their job description. Rick continued to demand the prizes he'd won fair and square and the booth operator, Derek Needwood, continued to refuse.
"Ok, Derek." Steve began in his calmest and firmest tone. "If he played the game and you can't prove that he cheated, which I don't think he did; I can spot a lie a mile off and he's not lying; you need to either reimburse him or give him his prizes."
Rick, who was beginning to get red in the face, gestured wildly. "I'm not taking my money back. I want my prizes!"
"I don't buy it," Derek exclaimed. "There's a ratio of 1 win to 10 tries on this game. Sometimes people get lucky and win two or three times, but he's a freak of nature!" He pointed accusingly at Rick. "100% success rate! He's going to clean me out; I'll be out of business!"
Claudia huffed and rolled her eyes. "Typical," she murmured. As an aside to Steve, she whispered, "We're getting nowhere with these two. Neither one of them remembers touching anything strange."
"I'll get a list of the places Rick's been," Steve suggested as he kept half an eye on the situation in front of them. "We need to check in with the others and see if they've come across anything to do with luck or heightened skill."
"On it," Claudia saluted and reached for her Farnsworth. She opened the bronze case as she stepped away from the raised voices. "OK, Pete or Myka?" She thought carefully for a moment before deciding to check in with Pete first, thinking that Myka would appreciate having updates from all of them in one go. He answered on the third ring but as Claudia peered into the screen, all she could see were feet and gravel. "Pete?"
Pete had followed Myka's instructions to check out the rides, but after talking to three operators, he was convinced that he was on the wrong track.
He thought of Lila, HG and Christina and didn't like the churning in his stomach. If ever they needed a quick resolution, it was today. Lila had seemed to handle the sudden tension well, but as she really had no idea how bad things could get, the response was not unusual.
Agent Wells on the other hand was hyper aware of the dangers they could be facing and Pete worried that the physical reminder would be too much for her and that, in her state of panic, she would try to run again. She had not long agreed to take on the somewhat removed position of Key Researcher and seemed to be enjoying it, which in turn made Myka happier and less irritable, which was better for his overall wellbeing. He preferred happy Myka; she was less punchy.
Following a gut feeling, Pete left the quadrant of big rides and wandered over to a sign that said 'Mystic Meg' in large swirling script. He chuckled to himself, remembering a recent hunt with Steve at a renaissance fair and then shrugged. It wasn't often that artefacts fell into their laps in the same manner, but there was definitely a theme with some of them and he figured it couldn't hurt to take a look.
Pushing passed a heavy velvet curtain, Pete found himself lost in a cloud of incense and coughed. A low hum of amusement drew his attention and he turned to find who he assumed was Meg.
"Who enters the inner sanctum without an invite?" Came a half-amused voice. "Most rude." She chuckled and looked over her visitor with a knowing eye. "Well?"
Pete searched for something, anything to say, but found himself uncharacteristically lost for words. He felt something. Like he was hanging on a precipice and didn't know whether to edge away or dive off.
"Perhaps you should take a seat while you find your tongue," the mystic suggested as she reached for her cards and began idly shuffling them. After a moment, she leant towards the now seated agent and studied him for a good minute before relaxing back into her seat. "So, Peter," she smirked at the sudden widening of his eyes. "What brings you to me?"
Pete found the words ready at the tip of his tongue the moment she asked the question, and they fell from his lips seemingly without effort. "I'm looking for something."
"Yes," she agreed in a halting manner. "Many of those who seek me out are 'looking for something', but that means a great many things to different people. You are not looking for something you've lost but for something you've never had." She studied him again and he felt a curious sensation on the back of his neck. "Possibly something you've only recently begun to think about."
Agent Lattimer's mouth opened like a fish's. "How...?"
"It matters not," she declared with a casual wave of her hand. "Have faith; you will find what you seek soon enough. Presently, I believe you have a task to complete? I don't have your... artefact. Try the hoops." She placed her cards back on the table and stood as if to leave.
Pete found himself following suit. He wanted to say something; to ask her a dozen questions or even just to thank her for easing his mind, but found himself once again mute. He turned to go, stopping at the heavy velvet curtain when her scratchy voice filled the air again.
"Take care Agent Lattimer," she warned him with a chuckle. "Your usual antics may not be so easily forgiven when the changes that are coming take hold of your partner."
Pete left the smoke filled den in a daze, needing to shake his head several times before his thoughts began to resemble order again. He found himself at the Ring-Toss game and remembered her comment about hoops. He wanted to go back and investigate further, but when he turned round, Mystic Meg's was nowhere in sight.
"Ok Lattimer. That was weird, even for you. Time to get back on track." He didn't want to admit it, but he trusted the clairvoyant's tip and began looking around for strange objects or suspect behaviour. No sooner had he stepped up behind a young teen, who was just about to try her luck at the game, when he was hit with a big vibe.
The girl looked to be about fourteen and Pete spotted what must be a gaggle of her friends standing off to one side, waiting on her. It happened the moment the guy behind the counter handed her change to her. One moment, she was nervously eyeing up the hoops and targets, the next moment, a breeze passed over her and her whole demeanour transformed.
Her back straightened, shoulders pushed back, a confident grin took over her features and she winked at her friends. She picked up the first hoop, weighed it in her hand and with a casual flick of her wrist, tossed it cleanly over a peg.
This process replayed six times until the stall operator declared that she'd reached her maximum number of wins and asked her to leave. By then though, a crowd had gathered, including the group of teens who were now making such a racket that Pete found he could hardly make himself heard.
"Hey! You've got no right to send us away just 'cuz she's winning." A tall, wide shouldered youth towered over the booth, making the now sweating fairground worker back up a couple of steps.
"Yeah dude. Where does it say that in the game rules, huh?" Another jock-like lad piped up next to his peer.
The girl in question looked determined too, her stance becoming more rigid as she refused to move. "I'm having another go. I'll leave when your game beats me."
Agent Lattimer had managed to use his bulk to push between the spectators and situated himself in front of the teens, blocking their path to the game. "Ok people. I'm Pete, from the fair games commission. I just have to ask a few questions before we can sort this out and make everyone happy again." He heard some spluttering from behind and what sounded like 'what games commission?' He turned and gave the cowering worker a pointed stare. "Hey buddy," he whispered. "Trying to help you out here; do you mind?" The guy retreated, shaking his head, letting Pete turn back to his audience. "First off though, I need to investigate reports of counterfeit coins in circulation today. Miss, could you turn out your pockets please?"
Several pairs of eyes frowned at him in confusion but the girl moved to do as he asked. The way she eyed the booth told him that her focus was firmly on getting back to the game. As soon as the coins were back in her hand and Pete finished putting on his purple gloves to reach for them, her expression changed again, panic and anger taking over. Pete tried to make a swift grab and found himself being tackled to the floor by the two large teens he'd heard arguing earlier.
His Farnsworth rang and he just managed to reach into his pocket to open it before it was knocked from his grasp. From a few feet away, he heard Claudia's voice and tried desperately to escape his captors without hurting them. They were minors after all.
Using his vast wrestling experience, he managed to break the grip of the lad holding his arms and then swept his legs round to lock the other teen in place, preventing him from moving. He made another grab for the communicator and whooped in triumph as he brought Claudia's image to face him.
"Pete, what's going on?"
"I think I found it Claude. But Beavis and Butthead here decided to get a little Pete action and I haven't managed to get my hands on it yet. I could use a hand with the snagging and bagging," he admitted around his bravado.
The red head agent hesitated, but after a quick tête-à-tête with her partner, she nodded. "I'm on my way. Where are you exactly?"
While Claudia and Steve were walking the length of the fairground, and Pete was interviewing ride operators, Myka was doing her best to keep Helena calm and reassure her other companions that everything was going to be alright. At the same time, she had to keep an eye out for anything that could tell them about the type of artefact they were facing.
"So, why is smelling fudge so bad?" Lila asked after they'd been walking for about five minutes. "Not everyone likes fudge, but you guys seem to really not like it." She was walking behind Christina, as HG had asked her to so they were blocking her on three sides. She had been aware that Pete's job was hush-hush. The occasional snippet of conversation she'd gleaned from his side of the phone had given her reason to pause more than once, but as she looked at the deathly serious expressions on his friends' faces, she began to realise that there was a lot more to it than she could ever have imagined.
Myka frowned, considering her explanation. She hesitated, knowing that her ability to lie convincingly still wasn't a polished skill.
HG on the other hand was quite at home with subterfuge and proved it nicely the moment she began her delivery. She wasn't in a soft approach mood and wanted to keep Pete's girlfriend as quiet as possible so they could concentrate more easily. "It isn't f.u.d.g.e, but rather ph.u.g. Phosphor-uranium-gadolinium. A compound that when heated, produces a chemical reaction that would be disastrous for anyone standing within ten square miles."
Myka glanced sharply at her lover. She was impressed as always with Helena's quick thinking, but she was laying it on a bit thick and the American worried that younger ears would soak up the explanation and become overly concerned. "There's nothing to worry about though, as long as the compound remains in its dormant state. That's why we want to find it A.S.A.P."
"Ok," Lila murmured as she looked between the two agents. There was obviously some sort of silent communication passing between them. It was both sweet and annoying. She wasn't sure what she thought of HG's explanation, but whatever was going on, it seemed like she wasn't going to get the truth out of them any time soon. At least, she hoped that was the case. She really didn't want to be stuck in the middle of some sort of terrorist plot.
Beginning to feel her unease burn uncomfortably in the pit of her stomach, Myka glanced again at Helena. She had seen the Brit in a state of great distress before, but the woman who stood beside Christina now, actually scared her a little. There was a wild fire in her eyes and if there was any sort of combustible compound in the near vicinity, it was in that stare.
She wondered for a moment why she had thought it was a good idea to bring them along. Though it was simple really. The idea of this artefact finding HG waiting in the parking lot with nothing but two innocents to back her up had been terrifying. At least together, she felt like there was some small amount of protection.
Still, Helena was suffering under the weight of her anxiety; it was imperative that they bag this artefact quickly. With a spark of inspiration, Myka made for the security station and flashed her badge as she began to question the guard there.
"I don't see how this is any business of the secret service. Far as I know, only presidents round here are those four heads up the road." The guard on duty had been watching something on a small screen just out of their view and was not pleased at having been disturbed.
Myka could feel Helena's irate presence just behind her, but before she found the need to calm her down in some way, there came a flurry of panicked chatter over the guard's radio.
~Chris calling Kane. We've got a situation over in the red zone. Requesting assistance... NOW!~
Kane scrambled, almost dropping his portable TV, and grabbed the radio. "Kane here. What sort of assistance?!"
Myka itched to snatch the radio from him, but chose to keep listening, her arm holding tight to Helena's waist, willing her to have a drop of patience.
"I don't think these guys get many emergencies," Lila muttered from the back.
~Just send some guys! Folk's are going crazy hittin' each other, and I've got some guy chasin' a girl, sayin' he's Secret Service.~
The line crackled and a few shouts of panic and anger could be heard before it went dead. The small Warehouse crew felt the guard's gaze on them and Myka levelled him with a no-nonsense stare. He quickly sent out the same S.O.S to several other guards and then turned to his audience.
"He is Secret Service," she assured him. "If he's chasing someone then she's got what we're looking for. We can clear this up quickly. Just tell me where the red zone is."
He hesitated just long enough for HG to snap. She'd had more than enough; she was scared and angry, and felt useless in that capacity. Irritable didn't even come close to explaining her state of being. She twisted out of her girlfriend's grip and stepped into the tiny security room, ignoring the indignant choking sound that came from the guard. A quick scan of the desk behind him gave her what she wanted; a map of the park, clearly labelled for staff use. She ripped it out from under an empty pizza box and handed it to Myka, completely disregarding the complaints that followed them away from Kane's throne of authority.
Myka had her bearings in seconds and handed the map back to Helena. She began to move off, felt the inventor start to follow and stopped again. "Helena, you need to wait here," she reminded her gently.
HG only had to glance at her daughter to nod in agreement. She hated the idea of watching her lover leap into the fray without her, but Christina's safety came first. Her conflicted gaze trapped green eyes for a moment, communicating more with Myka than words ever could.
With a quick kiss to trembling lips and a tender touch to a young wavy head of hair, the lanky agent was off, sprinting across the asphalt in the direction of the red zone.
I apologise for giving you another cliff-hanger, but this chapter was becoming a behemoth and it just felt right to end with Myka rushing off to save the day.
I'm quite pleased with how this chapter has come together at last; the first draft left so many things that needed to be changed! But I got through it, and I have to say I'm rather proud of myself for persisting. :-D
Next chapter will be less action and more feelings, but hopefully still enjoyable.