Well there's another week gone. Not much written this week but some notes and a couple of pages of day to day monotony for the warehouse crew. Scrapped most of it, but that's fine 'cause in between the rubbish, a few interesting ideas began to flow. I'm beginning to figure out that the key to writers block (for me at least) is to write through it. No matter how much rubbish fills the page, eventually something half decent will appear. Been reading more this week too.
I love that you guys are guessing what will happen next. Your reviews all made me chuckle.
Thank you again for the continued support. You guys are aces!
Chapter Nine
Helena heard her lover's breathing even out and sighed in relief. Despite the thrill of Myka's forceful lovemaking, she was glad that whatever had taken control of her girlfriend had dissipated. It would be mortifying enough for the ever-in-control agent to realise that she had been an unstoppable force of desire, let alone for her to face her other colleagues in that state.
She played absent-mindedly with locks of curly hair while her mind ticked over the possible cause and fallout from the unusual events. There were artefacts that preyed on emotions and those specifically related to sex, but she couldn't figure out how or why Myka would have accidentally come into contact with one of them. Such objects were housed in the dark vault if they were powerful enough and Myka was a consummate professional when handling the inventory, so what had happened to put her in such a state?
Long minutes passed with only their breathing filling the silence. Helena could still feel Myka inside her but didn't want to make any sudden moves to dislodge her. The sensation was awkward so long after the act, but HG sort of liked the idea of being intimately attached and was content to wait.
It wasn't too much longer before sleep laden limbs began moving again and confused green eyes gazed up at the inventor. Myka's frown deepened as she realised their position and, perhaps not as carefully as Helena would have liked, the American retrieved her wayward digits from their warm bed. "What? Helena?"
Confusion slowly turned to horror as Myka took in the scene; Helena's torn shirt, her bra pushed uncomfortably aside, and the unmistakable marks of lips having taken rough liberties with pale, delicate skin.
"Oh God," the brunette exclaimed in a broken voice, scrambling away from what she mistakenly assumed was the result of her worst sin.
Helena sat up cautiously. She removed the remains of her shirt and followed it with her bra. She didn't want to cover up; the mere act would likely reinforce her girlfriend's fears. The distraught woman had retreated to the wall and wrapped her arms around her knees.
"Myka," HG tried softly, deliberately keeping her movements slow as she crouched next to her lover and stoked her hair. "Love, it's ok. You did nothing wrong." She watched the tears well up behind green eyes and used her thumbs to wipe them away as they fell. "You've never done anything that I didn't want you to do." Leaning forward, HG placed a series of light kisses over her girlfriend's face, soothing away the tremors that lingered. Eventually, the pounding of Myka's heart subsided and the distress behind her eyes made way for a small smile of relief.
The Victorian gathered Myka's hands in her own and carefully but firmly pulled the agent to her feet. With a sly grin she reached for her unbuttoned jeans and pushed them to the floor, kicking them aside and repeating the action with her underwear. Once naked, HG took hold of the younger woman's collar and tugged her toward the bedroom door.
Myka's gaze drank in the sight before her. Broken memories were beginning to come back to her; the artefact; HG looking deliciously domestic in the kitchen; legs wrapped tightly around her waist. She'd been whammied and the older woman had allowed her free reign to get the implanted lust out of her system. She felt dirty for using Helena but self-satisfied at the same time; the inventor had a look in her eye that said she'd just had mind blowing sex and was eager for more. "Helena, I..."
"Hush, love. You were a little unfocused following the prelude, I think I need to show you what you missed... And since you're already all wet..." HG had no intention of letting her lover dwell on the negative aspects of the afternoon. They had at least another hour to themselves and she had an inkling that Myka needed the emotional intimacy that usually permeated their lovemaking.
Once Myka was reassured that Christina was ok with Leena and that they had some time to themselves before her return, it didn't take much for Helena to convince her girlfriend to disrobe and fall into bed with her.
HG made love to Myka slowly and thoroughly, reinforcing the notion that the agent's brief possession had not damaged their relationship. After enjoying the last few tremors of her lover's release, Helena left a parting kiss on a silky thigh and crawled up the bed to hover over the spent woman.
She let Myka pull her into a long, tender kiss and sighed her own contentment as they parted. "I could get used to you coming home early," she said wantonly as the fingers of her right hand continued to explore the naked expanse of skin beneath her.
Myka captured the wandering digits and kissed hands that smelt strongly of their coupling. She grinned around an errant finger that began to explore her lips; it still amazed her that she found her scent on the inventor's skin such a turn-on. Rather than the embarrassment she used to feel, the times that she had tasted herself on Helena's lips and hands were instantly paramount in her mind.
"I might have to schedule a lunch time visit if our afternoons are to end like this," Myka agreed. "Though I could do without the drama of artefact abduction and memory loss. We can skip that."
"Hmm, I don't know; I rather enjoyed you completely wild. Of course, I don't want you regularly exposed to artefacts," she hastened to add lest her lover think she was suggesting that. "Though, I do believe that there is perhaps room for a little role play in the bedroom, if you're open to the idea." HG knew that she had to tread carefully around this topic, but the brief flash of interest behind green eyes gave her hope. "You would look dashing in a uniform," she added, hoping to impart further inspiration.
A grin slowly settled over the brunette's features. "I'll keep that in mind. Right now though, how about I pick up our girl while you finish making whatever you were wearing when I got home."
HG tutted and found a pillow to hit Myka with, grinning at the bark of laughter that followed. "It's been over a hundred years since I last made bread from scratch and I loathe recipes. I improvised with a few things and the flour protested... vociferously."
"Is that so?" The American rose up to join the woman kneeling in the centre of their bed and ran the tips of her fingers down an exposed arm, watching the goose bumps that gathered in their wake. "Well, so long as we're talking about role play, I must say that domesticity is a very sexy look for you." A sudden memory of her girlfriend standing in the kitchen of another house, with another family entered her mind. "At least, it is when I know it's my bed you'll be sharing."
Helena couldn't have missed the sudden chill that entered Myka's tone even if she'd wanted to. Lamenting the loss of playfulness, she planted a firm, possessive kiss on the brunette and waited until she had eye contact to comment. "For the rest of our days, Myka, 'your bed' and 'my bed' don't exist for us. 'Our bed' is the only one I ever want to sleep in again."
They shared a brief moment of quiet reflection and Myka apologised for her dark thoughts and for ruining the mood, to which the Victorian protested the need. They dressed in comfortable lounging pants and shirts before making their way downstairs, hand in hand. HG kissed Myka at the door and asked her not to take too long at the B&B as she would have dinner on the table soon.
Myka strolled towards her previous residence with a lightness to her step that had not been there on her way home. The afternoon at the Warehouse had put her on edge and the mishap with Inana had only made her anxious state worse. Two hours in Helena's arms and at Helena's mercy, had chilled her out almost completely. There were still several pressing issues on her mind, but with memories of her lover's sighs and encouragements still whispering in her ear, she couldn't summon the energy to really care right now.
Leena's was quieter than usual when Myka's entered, though she could distinctly hear her adopted daughter's voice floating out from the kitchen. As she rounded the doorway, she couldn't help but smile at the familiar scene that greeted her.
Christina stood on a stool by the counter, up to her elbows in a bowl of what the agent could only assume was cookie dough, and there were splodges of flour all over her clothes, face and hair.
"Like mother, like daughter, I see." Her voice caught the girl's attention and bright eyes darted to meet her own.
"Mama, you're alright!" Christina jumped down from the stool and practically skipped the length of the room, stopping just short of her target when she remembered the mess she'd made. "I'm covered in dough," she deflated at the realisation.
Myka chuckled warmly. "Well I'm not," she declared as she knelt down to the child's height and pulled her into a loving embrace. After a minute, she leant back and gathered the girl's face between her two palms. "I'm sorry if I worried you, Sweetheart. Have you been ok here?"
The girl brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, smudging more dough onto her face. "Leena's helping me to bake biscuits to help make you feel better. Would you like to assist us? I'm the sous-chef, so I'm afraid you'll have to be the dish washer."
Both adults laughed and Christina grinned cheekily. "Actually Sweetheart; Mummy will have dinner on the table very soon, so we'll have to come back tomorrow to see how these cookies have turned out." She saw a frown appearing and quickly added, "I'm sure Leena will find somewhere to hide them from Pete."
The gentle B&B owner smiled and nodded. "I'll make sure they're still here in the morning. Now, why don't you go clean up in the bathroom and I'll start putting these on a tray so you can pop them in the oven before you leave?" The prospect of performing the most important task sent the girl whizzing from the room like lightning. Leena began to scoop out balls of dough and placed them onto a pre-greased tray, while observing Myka from the corner of her eye. "So, you're not feeling any residual effect from today's events?"
Myka nodded, having expected the inquiry. "I'm good. Relieved."
"In more ways than one?" Leena added knowingly.
The agent blushed but couldn't help the satisfied grin that accompanied it. "Helena took care of me." She chuckled at the raised eyebrow that was directed her way. "That's the last time I'm neutralising an artefact in the Warehouse with Pete though. Have you heard from him at all?" She asked after a beat. After leaving him behind with Claudia and Artie, she hadn't given much thought to how he'd fared.
"After HG called me to pick up Christina, I contacted Artie. Pete left the Warehouse shortly after you. He said he was going to Lila's." Leena placed her now empty bowl by the sink and began to wipe over the counter. "I'm sure she's 'taking care' of him."
Myka nodded in agreement but couldn't help feeling worried. "I hope they're ok. When Helena came upstairs, I was completely out of control. I'm not sure what would have happened if she hadn't wanted to... be intimate right then." She reached for her phone, beginning to wish that she had done so earlier. "I'm going to give him a call. I'll just be in here." She hit the speed dial for Pete's phone and closed the lounge doors behind her. Pete's voice came through the speaker and she immediately recognised it as his voice mail. Hanging up, she quickly redialled, feeling her nerves begin to tingle again with panic.
"Hello?"
Myka recognised Lila's voice and breathed a little easier. "Lila, thank God. Are you ok?"
"Agent Bering? Myka... sorry. I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"
Sighing with renewed relief, the agent barked a short laugh. "And Pete? Is he ok? 'Cause we had a bit of an incident at work and we were both a little out of sorts." There was a pause on the other end and she had to hold her breath to stop her from butting in.
"Well, if by 'out of sorts' you mean majorly horny, then yes, he has calmed down somewhat. To tell you the truth, I didn't really notice the difference until he woke from a nap and didn't seem to remember arriving at my place. He's taking a shower, but I can get him to call you if you like?"
"No it's ok. Just let him know that Helena and I are fine and I'll talk to him tomorrow." She heard Lila's assurance that she'd pass on the message and hung up.
Days like this didn't used to bother her so much, but since making her relationship with Helena official and becoming a family with her and Christina, all of the little upsets at the Warehouse continued to play on her mind. Most days, she felt like it was luck rather than skill that kept them safe and eventually she knew that her luck would run out. That dark thought lingered constantly at the back of her mind so that, even on her days off, the weight of it pulled her down.
Many things played on her mind these days. Most of them were generally pleasant. The 'what-ifs' about the future with her family. Where would they go on their first family vacation? What should she get them for Christmas? Where could she take Helena for Valentine's? Would she ever strike up the courage to pop the question?
But then there were those issues that perhaps wouldn't have such positive outcomes. The most pressing of which, was breaking the news of her happy situation to her parents.
Her sister, Tracy, was the only one who knew that she was in a long-term relationship with somebody and that she was helping to raise said person's daughter. Through the entire conversation with her only sibling, she had played the pronoun game; 'she, her and Helena' had hovered on the tip of her tongue, ready at a moment's notice to replace 'they, we and HG'. She'd chickened out though, and now she was faced with the prospect of coming out to her family all at once. With Thanksgiving fast approaching, her time was running out.
There was also the fact that she hadn't confessed her gross cowardice to her girlfriend yet, so HG was under the assumption that Myka's sister knew and accepted their relationship. It was a dilemma that had the potential to blow up in her face.
Hours later, Myka continued to ponder as she let Helena's voice and the words of E.B White wash over her. She could feel her lover's eyes on her between the turning pages of Charlotte's Web and knew that HG would want to know what was on her mind.
Little did she know that this particular time bomb had a very short fuse.
Artie rang bright and early the following morning, demanding to have all his agents in the Warehouse immediately. Helena mumbled several threats into her pillow as she heard Myka rise from their cosy refuge and head for the shower. She dozed sporadically until her lover's voice whispered a reluctant farewell in her ear and she smiled under a soft kiss.
HG opened her eyes just enough to make out her girlfriend's outline and reached out to drag her back towards the bed before she could leave. "Mmm... You mustn't leave. I forbid it," she mumbled into freshly washed and soft curly hair.
Myka indulged herself in the warmth that she desperately wanted more of and then sighed her disappointment at having to leave. "I'm sorry; I have to disobey." She grinned mischievously and moved her mouth back to her girlfriend's ear. "You will have to punish me later." She extracted herself from the bed and made to leave, pausing in the doorway to look back once more. HG was now wide awake, with a gleam in her eye that promised intoxicating pleasures if Myka gave up the notion of going to work and returned to bed instead.
Helena knew that her girlfriend was far too 'by-the-book' to chose sex over her career when she'd been given specific instructions by a superior. That was just who Myka was, and HG loved the whole package that was Agent Bering. That didn't stop her wanting to tease the rule-loving agent though. "Don't mind me then, darling. I'll just be here, imagining all the ways I can make you beg for my forgiveness." As she enunciated every word and made sure to exaggerate her already near perfect diction, she allowed a hand to travel over a silk covered breast and disappear under the covers.
She watched Myka struggle for a moment, biting her lip and clenching the door tight, knuckles paling under the effort to remain in place. HG's grin slipped, her mouth opening and eyelids drifting closed as her hand moved under the covers. She heard Myka curse under breath and chuckled to herself as the agent fled.
Myka paused outside Christina's room, calming her breathing and forcing Helena's wanton image into a box in the back of her mind. When she was sure that she had her composure back, she pushed open the door and peeked inside. A warm smile instantly lit up her features and she felt her breath catch at the utterly adorable scene in front of her.
On the bed, beneath a tent of blankets, came whispered voices. Myka listened for a moment, stifling a chuckle as Christina conversed with her toys, the tone of her voice alternating between different characters.
The agent wanted to remain, to bask in the simple pleasure of hearing a child play, but she could still hear Artie's agitated voice in the back of her mind and knew that she had to get moving.
Reluctantly, she stepped into the room and knelt down by the bed to lift up the edge of the covers. Christina's recitation faltered and two dark, curious eyes stared back at her. She exaggerated a frown and eyed the toys suspiciously.
"I thought there were more people under here. It sounded like you were talking to a whole crowd," she exclaimed in mock surprise and smiled as Christina giggled.
"Hello, Mama. We're planning an expedition," the girl declared excitedly. "Would you like to join us?"
Myka's expression fell as she felt the now familiar disappointment of leaving the eight-year-old to go to the Warehouse. "That sounds amazing Sweetheart, but I actually came in to get a hug and a kiss before I go to work."
Christina's face fell too, though she valiantly tried to hide it, causing Myka's stomach to clench tighter. "That's ok, Mama. You can join us later. I'll leave a map for you so you can follow our trail through the Arctic."
"The Arctic!?" Myka laughed and wrapped her arms around the small body. "Now I really wish I could join you. I'll make us a picnic. I bet you and Mummy will be hungry after an adventure across the tundra. I'll pick up your cookies from Leena too before I come home."
The young Victorian wrapped her arms around Myka's neck and kissed her cheek. "Thank you. You can leave one for Pete if you like," she declared, still holding on tight.
Almost hearing the cogs turning in the girl's mind, Myka waited patiently for further input. When nothing was forthcoming, she pulled back and looked into a worried gaze. "Chrissi, what's wrong?"
Dark eyes avoided the agent for a moment and then looked up cautiously. "It's dangerous at the Warehouse. What if it makes you ill again?"
Myka took a moment to consider her answer, knowing that she neither wanted to lie nor worry the girl any further. "Sweetheart, there are some jobs that adults do because they want to help people, even though their job might be dangerous. Like being a police officer or fire fighter." She waited for the eight-year-old to nod before continuing. "My job helps people and sometimes that means doing dangerous things, but that's why I have Pete, Steve and Claudia. And don't forget your mother. We work as a team, so when there are dangers, we can help each other out." She placed a kiss on the girl's head and squeezed her slightly. "I promise you, I am very good at my job and I take every precaution so I can come home safely to you and Mummy. Ok?"
Christina nodded into Myka's side and seemed to relax slightly. "Ok."
The agent's fingers found ticklish ribs and attacked mercilessly until the young girl was squealing with laughter, effectively chasing away the dark clouds of worry that hovered ominously behind her gaze. After spending an extra few minutes just enjoying their closeness, Myka placed a parting kiss on her head and waved her goodbye.
Approaching the Warehouse, Myka took note of everyone else's cars already parked and knew that Artie would be starting to fume. She pulled up next to Pete's over-sized vehicle and turned off the engine before she became aware of her partner still sitting in his driver's seat. With a sigh, she got out to greet him.
Pete's expression was full of contrition as he pulled a startled Myka into a crushing hug. "Pete," she choked. "Pete!" He pulled back quickly, allowing her to breathe normally again.
"Mykes, Lila told me you called yesterday. Are you sure you're ok, and HG's ok?" He looked panicked and shadows under his eyes told her that he hadn't slept well.
She took pity on him, knowing how scary it had been waking up to find her girlfriend in a rough state of undress. "We're good, Pete. How's erm... how's Little Pete?"
Agent Lattimer cracked an awkward smile. "I never thought I'd be grateful for having a woman knee me in the groin. Thanks." His genuine relief gave way to a smug grin as he continued. "Lila can tell you though; it didn't slow me down much." They left their vehicles behind and entered passed the heavy outer door. As they strolled along the umbilical, Pete sobered. "That was scary," he admitted softly. "Thinking that I'd... that she might not have wanted... and you with HG..." He couldn't even complete the thought. "I goof off sometimes, I know that. I never expected anything like this though. I just... I'm sorry Mykes."
Myka sighed as they reached the security door and turned to her partner. "Pete, you're my best friend and I love you, but please, can you start leaving the horse-play to afterhours? I'm having a hard time balancing family and work as it is, I don't want any more repeats like yesterday." She leant into the retinal scanner and opened the door.
Pete trailed behind her, thinking about the unsaid sentiment behind her words. "Hey Myka, you'd talk to me if you were having problems, right? You're not just going to leave again, are you?"
Myka opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted by their boss' irate tone.
"Ignoring the fact that you're BOTH," he glared at Myka, "An hour later than I asked. What the hell did you two do yesterday?"
"Well... you see..."
"Just what you asked us to Artie..."
"We attempted to anyway..."
"That statue has it in for me..."
"He tripped..."
"I totally didn't touch anything..."
The two agents babbled in coordination until they both blurted out; "We were whammied!"
The director glowered, his eyebrows pulled together menacingly as he struggled for the words to explain his ire. With a few grunts and other inarticulate sounds, he finally marched towards the office door, gesturing wildly for them to follow.
Artie walked them through the chaos that he claimed they'd left in their wake the day before. Myka vaguely remembered taking the same route in reverse but none of the artefacts that were now playing up had done anything close to unusual while they'd still been in the vicinity.
"Clearly, whatever the two of you disturbed yesterday, you took a very powerful aura with you and disturbed the delicate balance of harmony in this sector." He mumbled something to himself and turned in a small circle, obviously struggling with his own inner balance. "When you've sorted this lot out, I want the two of you back in that office, writing a report on EXACTLY what happened before AND after you left."
Myka began to protest but stopped immediately when Artie's stare found her again. She watched him ride off on his segway and bit her lip to stop from sticking her tongue out at him. "Great." She ignored Pete's sheepish look and glanced around at the shelves to their left and right. "We should stick fairly close together, but I think we'd better take an artefact each so we don't end up making matters worse."
He shrugged, obviously still feeling guilty and took off around the corner of the left stack. Being Pete though, he couldn't keep his thoughts to himself for long. "So, you're not really going to leave, are you?"
Myka rolled her eyes at her partner's inability to focus on the task at hand. She considered the question at length. "I don't know." She could feel his disappointment and immediately remembered the first few months of her return following HG's betrayal. She'd promised Pete over and over that she wouldn't just up and leave again. "I don't mean that I'm thinking of just packing up one day and disappearing; I won't leave you like that again, Pete. But there are days when I just want to be at home with my family. Not flying half way around the world, putting my life in danger for the Warehouse."
"Come on Mykes. Do you really think you could give this up?" His voice became strained as he wrestled with a Stretch Armstrong that was trying to wrap its arms around his neck.
She nodded to herself, knowing that it wasn't an simple decision. "For them, Pete? Yes I could." Myka carefully rearranged the information screen for a candle that when lit, slowly put people into a deep sleep, and gave it a quick spray with her neutraliser to be safe. "I'm not saying it would be easy to give up field work, or that I wouldn't eventually start to go stir crazy, but I think it'd be worth a go. Besides, Helena's happy with her research, what makes you think I couldn't be? At the very least, I've been thinking of asking to cut down my time in the field and take more assignments close to home. Leave the exotic locations to you, Steve and Claudia."
They fell quiet for some time after that, both lost in their thoughts of the Warehouse and the potential for a normal life on the outside.
The green-eyed brunette played with career ideas. What would she do for work if the Warehouse was no longer an option? She hadn't been kidding when she'd told Pete that she would probably go stir crazy. Other than when she was reading and her mind was occupied, she was not the sort of person who could sit still at home.
She'd noticed the same thing about Helena. Most days that she returned from work, HG had rearranged some of the furniture, had a new contraption half built in the back yard or had spent hours experimenting in the kitchen as if it were her own laboratory. The Victorian was adamant that she enjoyed being at home with Christina, but that didn't mean that she found it easy to spend all day, every day alone with an eight-year-old without other elements to stimulate her highly intelligent mind. Myka couldn't help wondering what trouble she'd get up to once Christina was in school full time.
Three hours into their arrival, the agents returned to the office to write their report. Pete dictated as Myka typed, though as he was completely incapable of sticking to the relevant facts, she soon tuned him out and recorded the unfortunate incident with Inana in her own words. She doubted that Artie needed to know about her partner's hose jokes.
She let Artie chew her out for being secretive and let Pete exaggerate their lack of focus as he attempted to get them off the hook. The director swallowed his protests as the reasons for their distraction became clear and in a roundabout way of continuing to tell them off, he apologised and retreated to his desk, ostensibly to monitor the artefacts.
It was past lunchtime when Myka had the urge to hear Helena's voice and realised that she'd left her phone at home. It was another five minutes before she remembered that Tracy was supposed to call her to sort out arrangements for Thanksgiving. Her head fell into her hands. She pictured the cell sitting on the work surface in the kitchen and wondered how many times Helena would let it ring out before curiosity got the best of her.