Title: Empire of the Sun
Rating: R just in case (K+)
Summary: The agents are sent to the ancient ruins of Machu Pichu for a possible Warehouse emergency. (I suck at summaries)
Pairings: Myka/H.G.
Disclaimer 1: Warehouse 13 and characters are not mine, just playing around with them.
Disclaimer 2: To anyone who is from Peru, I apologize for making some stuff up. I did do some research but for story purposes, I had to use my imagination :) I've been there once a few years ago and completely fell in love with the country.
Disclaimer 3: First fan fic so any feedback and constructive criticism will be greatly appreciated.
Author's note: The events here take place aprox. one year after Helena joins the Warehouse and assume she decided not to go along with the whole blowing up the world incident. So, no Steve Jinks (for now).
Final Note: I just want to apologize for taking so long with this. I moved to a new apartment and I just recently found the energy to finish this chapter. I'm going to make the next chapters shorter so, I'll be able to post them more regularly. Thanks soooo much for all your feedback. This one is kind of a slow chapter but I promise the next chapters will pick up speed.
/
Drums, that was the first thing Pete heard when he stepped out into the courtyard. It was primal yet graceful; so much so that the agent couldn't help but bob his head to the rhythm.
"Pete, come look at this" He heard his partner's awestruck voice. He picked up his pace, half walking, half jogging to reach Myka and Roberto.
He made his way behind the bar at the far end of the courtyard. There, the cement floor gave way to dirt laden ground. The area was about twice the size of the courtyard and it seemed that the entire Hacienda was congregated around a large campfire. Some of the younger men were unearthing some large stones from a hole in the ground while another group dressed in loose-fitting white pants and long sleeved shirts were seated on some strange looking wooden blocks while they rapped expertly on them, creating the beat that had them all so enthralled.
Pete bumped shoulders with Myka and directed his chin towards Adriana who sat on the other side of the campfire her, a large gauze over her nose, secluded from most everyone else except for three grave looking men who stood watch around her. She was holding Soraya, still bundled up in the blanket. She had drawn first watch over the rifle and apparently the three large men had been chosen to keep an eye on her in return.
"What are they playing?" A captivated Myka asked after making sure the rifle was being looked after.
"It's called the 'Alcatraz' ; it's an Afro-Peruvian dance played with the 'Peruvian cajon'-" The archaeologist explained as he pointed to the hollow wooden blocks the men were sitting on.
As he talked, a group of five women dressed in white knee high skirts and white blouses walked out in single file, swaying their hips to the rhythm of the ever increasing beat. From the other side of the campfire five men, also dressed in white and holding lit candles, walked out in similar fashion. As both groups met, they divided up into pairs and their dancing became increasingly more sensual.
"I don't know what I'm watching, but I am digging this!" Pete remarked with a toothy grin beside Myka. With a quirk of her lip at her partner's statement, Myka noticed Claudia, H.G and doctor Arpasi join the group on the other side of the campfire.
"See, now the men will try to light the tissue that hangs from the women's skirts, but neither must lose their rhythm. If the man achieves lighting the tissue, then that means she is his."
He finished with a proud smile, obviously thrilled at being able to share this part of his culture with the other Warehouse agents.
/
"So! How are we doing? Are we enjoying tonight's entertainment?"
"Gaaah!" Claudia yelped at Gustavo's unexpected entry.
"You seriously gotta stop doing that." She muttered a little annoyed; the young woman's nerves still on end from the day's events.
"It is quite fascinating, I must say." Helena smoothed over as she gave a winning smile to the short man who beamed in delight.
"Mr. Bingham-" Helena began to inquire.
"Gustavo, please." He interrupted.
"Er, yes-Gustavo, May I inquire where that small stone you trapped the shade with came from? I am assuming it is an artifact, yes? That shadow creature launched Agent Lattimer across a room and then it disappeared through a rock wall. Both of which I thought impossible before tonight yet, somehow that unpretentious stone kept it from flying through the door or simply breaking through it." She mused.
"Ah yes, the stone of Javier Ramirez is indeed an artifact, Agent Wells. It was actually the first time I've used it to tell you the truth, I'm so glad it worked." He stated distractedly, his attention on the men taking out the large stones from the ground.
"Who's Javier Ramirez?" Claudia asked, the name nowhere near ringing a bell.
"He was a simple miner, no one of importance, or at least that is what everyone who met him thought...until the day he died." Arpasi interceded, seeing that Gustavo's attention was elsewhere.
"What did he do?" Claudia asked, her attention focused on the doctor despite everything going on around her.
"He saved eight people from being buried alive a few years ago in a mine not far from here. One of the survivors claims that Javier, who had been outside on his lunch break, went in searching for his friends after the mine collapsed. He lifted a huge boulder that was blocking the entrance and descended down the mine shaft where he helped free the men that were trapped below. Unfortunately, the same boulder Javiar had lifted with such ease came loose and crushed him. The strength of eight men wasn't enough to lift it off him. The stone you saw today came off of that boulder; one of the young men he saved kept it as a reminder of his bravery and handed it over to Gustavo when he realized that if placed near a door or entryway, it was impossible for someone to cross it." The Doctor finished.
"Woah" Claudia breathed out. It was so easy to forget that artifacts could be made at any moment by any one event or person. You just needed to be at the right place at the right time.
Her musings were interrupted by loud cheering. One of the women who had been dancing had made her way over to Pete and was nimbly guiding him to the center of the group where he was handed a candle by one of the men and given an encouraging pat on the shoulder. Two men stood on either side of the agent and proceeded to teach him how to move his hips and feet. While he certainly moved with confidence, Pete's dancing was anything but graceful. Myka inwardly cringed at her partner's moves but couldn't help being caught up in all the festivities. She clapped, smiled and whistled encouragingly at her friend.
As Roberto watched the young agent laugh at Pete's antics, his breath caught and his usual confidence disappeared along with his ability to think clearly it seemed as he saw himself move to face the young agent. Myka looked at the tall man with a curious face, her smile still in place. Hoping he wasn't making too much of an ass of himself; Roberto grabbed a handkerchief he kept in his pocket, making a show of unfurling it with a flourish and placing it in the waist band of his jeans. Myka guffawed at the older man and shook her head in disbelief when she realized what he was about to do.
"Agent Bering, May I have the honor of this dance?" He asked, somehow showing more confidence than he felt.
"I can't believe it" A laughing agent replied,
"What?" The doctor asked as he looked down at himself.
"I can dance just as well as any of those women" He jokingly boasted as he pointed to the group behind them.
"No, it's not that...you keep a handkerchief? Really? How old are you?" She teased.
Roberto stepped closer to her, an exaggerated haughty expression on his face, "Old enough to be completely comfortable showing off these moves" He smirked as he slowly started to move his hips in wide circles making Myka burst into laughter again.
"Yeah, that's what I'm talking about" he hollered out as he stepped into the circle of dancers. Myka shook her head again as Roberto neared Pete. Both men, swept up in the music and their mutual silliness, started to partake in the dance as a pair. Their dance moves encouraged others to join in and pretty soon most of the Hacienda was dancing next to the campfire.
Myka walked up to Roberto who offered her a candle and playfully lit it. Myka's laughter ceased though when the archaeologist gently grabbed her hand and guided her closer to the other dancers; she swallowed hard, all of a sudden nervous.
/
"O.M.G. what's that smell?" Claudia was distracted from the spectacle that was Pete by the smell of meat and herbs.
"Oh yes, come dear, follow me." Gustavo quickly answered as he grabbed her by the hand and led her to the group of men who had been removing stones from the ground and who were now taking out large pieces of meat and placing them in dishes.
"This is part of the surprise...what's a good host to do if not offer his guests the best of cuisines" He questioned rhetorically as he grabbed a long fork and pierced a juicy slice and handed it to Claudia; the smells making her mouth instantly water.
"Must. Have." She said as she snatched the fork from the short man and practically inhaled the offered meat.
"This is sooo good, what is it?" She asked.
"Ah, that is cuy" He said after giving the skewered meat a closer look.
"I have no idea what you just said but I'm assuming it's Spanish for 'Most yummy thing ever'." The redhead exclaimed through a mouth full of food.
"Guinea Pig" Helena's smooth voice came from behind her causing Claudia to look back, what little was left of the slice already half way towards her open mouth.
"The what now?"
"Cuy?...Yes, I believe that's what they call Guinea Pig around these parts" Helena explained with a mirthful smile as she watched her young friend force herself to swallow the remnants of her food and slowly turn to hand the rest of the meat to a confused looking Gustavo as she headed off to the bar area and gulped down the first drink she could get her hands on.
"I am so going to give that to Pete and see if he finishes it off after I tell him it's Guinea Pig" Claudia proclaimed after drinking another glass of juice. "That is an experiment I'd be all too happy to partake in" The inventor said with a smile. "But first, I'm afraid I must ask you to help me with a small endeavor of my own." Helena finished so only Claudia would hear. At the remark, Claudia instantly straightened and directed her attention towards her dark-eyed friend.
"I'll need for you to distract our host for a few moments while I steal away." H.G. murmured as she inconspicuously looked over at the improvised dance area.
"Where are you going?" Claudia asked with a worried lilt to her voice.
"Well, I don't know about you darling but, I find our host to be a bit odd and even though I usually find that quite endearing in a person –" Helena said as she gave a playful nod to her young friend.
"Why thank you" Claudia quickly replied in her own exaggerated British accent.
"-there have been one too many incidents since our arrival and alas, I'm afraid to say my curiosity has gotten the best of me once more."
"You're going to break into his house." Claudia's question came out sounding more like a statement.
"Of course." Was the prompt reply, accompanied by an expectant and confident look at the redhead.
"Count me in…You know I love it when you guys ask me to help you commit felonies" She deadpanned as she searched for Bingham.
Helena grinned at her friend and watched her make her way to Gustavo. The young tech grabbed his forearm and said something to him the writer couldn't make out. The small man gave her a wide smile and jumped up and down a few times before grabbing her by the hand and hauling her over to the impromptu dancing area. Claudia turned to the writer and mouthed a "You owe me" before accepting a tissue from one of the dancers.
Helena smiled once more at her friend and seeing that all eyes were on the pair, she stepped back into the shadows and turned in the direction of the manor.
/
Although the Hacienda had electricity in certain parts like the courtyard and the farmer's living quarters, it appeared that Gustavo did not deem it necessary to place any sort of light source in most areas. Luckily, H.G. had held on to the flashlight she had used in the catacombs earlier that day and she slowly, but steadily made her way through the uncertain terrain. After about twenty minutes and two embarrassing instances in which she almost fell flat on her face, she could finally make out the large manor's silhouette. She circled the front side of the house, checking if any of the doors and windows were open, but with no luck. She directed her light to the second floor and smiled to herself when she saw a broken window. She proceeded to expertly climb the side of the house, using a broken down fenced wall to reach the window. Balancing herself on the wall, she took off her jacket and used it to clear the broken window of small shards of glass and placing her jacket back on, she climbed in.
The first thing that hit her was an acrid smell that made her eyes instantly water. She got up and used her flashlight to pinpoint the source. The room appeared to be a graveyard for different species of plants and these were clearly the source of the foul odor. She found it odd that a dead plant could emit such a distasteful smell but upon closer inspection, she could see that the dried leaves and roots were suppurating an oily, grey substance. Something had clearly killed them. Careful not to touch anything in the room, Helena stepped back and searched for the door. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that it was the only thing in the room that hadn't been invaded by the dead shrubbery.
As she exited the room, she found herself in a long hallway with several doors on each side. But, it was the door at the far end that demanded her attention. It was made of dark brown mahogany and in the middle there was a large golden sun. She neared the door and delicately placed her hand on the ornament. It was real gold. Helena's hand fell to the handle and turned.
"Ballocks!" She cursed under her breath when the door didn't open. She searched through her pockets until she found the hook pin she almost usually always took with her on missions. The inventor smiled triumphantly after a few short minutes when she heard the unmistakable click of the lock. She opened the door and quickly scanned the room with her flashlight; her delicate mouth opened slightly in awe and gave way to a surprised gasp.
/
Myka cheered in delight when she finally got her candle to light the handkerchief hanging from Roberto's back pocket. It was a lot harder than she had thought it would be but, she had been one of the first to achieve it. Roberto smiled back at her and quickly discarded the charred cloth. The dancers gave a loud cheer as well and congratulated the pair with loud clapping.
"You know what this means, yes?" Roberto inquired, a small almost shy smile adorning his face.
"Ummm…I,I, you,.." A flustered Myka was at a loss for words.
Roberto stepped closer to Myka and gently took the lit candle from her motionless hand; bending down to blow on the small flame. Myka's heart gave an unexpected skip at the older man's proximity.
"It means –" he continued, ignoring Myka's almost panicked expression. "-you get first pickings." He finished with an even wider smile, nodding over to the men who were still taking out meat from the large hole in the earth.
Myka nodded and opened her mouth to say something, anything. She didn't know if she was relieved or disappointed that what she thought was going to happen didn't. Before she could speak though, she felt someone bump into her. She turned and saw a dancing Claudia giving her a pleading look. When Claudia moved positions, Myka could see why. Gustavo was clumsily dancing behind her, trying to light the long tissue and failing miserably. Her young friend had burn marks on the seat of her pants.
Myka turned once more to Roberto who was laughing good naturedly at the pair. "Can you give me a moment?" She politely excused herself. She walked up to Claudia who was still dancing, a pained expression on her face. "Ow! Watch it Gustavo!" She warned not for the first time.
"I'm sorry my dear. I'm afraid I'm a little out of practice…it's been such a long time since someone has asked me to dance." He said as he stopped dancing altogether and looked vacantly at some invisible point in the darkness. Claudia felt horrible then and was about to ask him to continue, when the short man gave a small jerk and looked at her again, his smile back in place.
"Ah! Agent Bering, I see you've had more luck than me." The small man congratulated.
"Yeah, well…I think Roberto was dancing slower than he should have." Myka said. "Could I steal Claudia away for a moment?" She politely asked, wanting just as much to talk to her friend as to change the subject.
"Of course"
Once they were out of ear shot, Myka wasted no time in coming down on her young friend.
"What are you up to?"
"What do you mean?" Replied an aloof looking Claudia.
"Oh come on. Dancing with Gustavo? You're up to something"
"I have no idea what you're talking about" The increasingly guilty looking redhead defended herself.
Myka searched their surroundings, looking for Claudia's usual accomplice.
"Where is she?" The agent asked, trying to keep her temper in check.
"Myka, you know when you ask questions you have to be more specific. It's secret agent Q&A 101." Claudia was clearly trying to avoid answering.
"Claudia!" Myka snapped.
"She's breaking into Gustavo's house" Claudia blurted out, practically seeing the fumes form above Myka's head.
"God damn it, H.G." Myka exhaled, looking around for Pete.
"Um, Myka? Where's Gustavo?" Claudia asked as she too searched the campfire area.
Myka caught sight of Pete flirting with one of the dancers but, Gustavo had disappeared without a trace.
"Claudia, go get Pete…I'll meet you at the house." Myka said as she turned and ran in search of H.G.
/
Helena stared in fascination at the collection of antiques spread out before her. She was greatly familiar with the majority of them since most seemed to be from the 1800's and from close and familiar people she had known in her past life. Her dear friend's Arthur Conan Doyle's pipe; her former lovers, Robert Louis Stevenson's eyeglasses, Mary Kingsley's cherished pocket watch. She could easily remember each and everyone of these objects. A small, nostalgic smile appeared on her face as her mind's eye conjured up memories long thought forgotten. She tentatively reached out to place her hand over the unique pipe but, stopped herself, not knowing if it had turned into an artifact.
"Don't worry Agent Wells, none of the objects in this room are artifacts…feel free to touch"
The soft voice made the agent jump from her spot and quickly turn around. Gustavo was standing in the middle of the room, a proud smile on his face.
"Gustavo, I…I" The inventor was at a loss for words. She had been caught red handed and had no excuse for being in the strange man's house.
At the woman's silence, Gustavo's smile broadened impossibly wider as he walked over to the agent and stopped beside her, grabbing the pipe and gently taking her hand and placing it there.
"I used to think that history seemed to cast a light on people and events, making them seem grander than they could have ever really been but once I started collecting and investigating, I came to realize that sometimes people come into this world who are larger than life; who change the course of things for better or worse, with big events and small." He explained as he guided a subdued Helena to another part of the room. He opened a door and enthusiastically ushered her in. What Helena saw there took her breath away once more. She felt like she had been transported in time. Much of the furniture and objects in it had belonged to her family long ago. Her mother's large wooden wardrobe stood impeccably in the corner of the room. The time traveler walked slowly up to it and reverently opened its doors. Her mother's dresses carefully wrapped in plastic hung from old wooden hangers. Closing the door suddenly on the memories that bombarded her, Helena turned and stared at the small man; her question all too apparent on her face.
"As you can see, history has always been an obsession of mine…particularly the 1800`s. In my humble opinion, the most gifted and fascinating people have emerged from those years - you of course being amongst them. I started collecting the Wells' family possessions along with other greatly renowned families as soon as I was old enough to spend my inheritance. Here, come, come…there is still more to show." He exclaimed with excitement as he led her over to another part of the room. Helena could see that there were other items not belonging to her family strewn about the space. Most of the furniture and objects were covered by dusty looking sheets. When they arrived at the far wall, the writer saw a wooden door about the size of a large window. Indeed, she had thought that that was exactly what it was until Gustavo opened it and showed her what lay behind.
"My father's sword collection." She exhaled in awe.
Her father had inherited from his father a small but impressive sword collection and he had added some very beautiful and coveted items to it. She had spent hours with her brothers looking at them, imagining great stories of adventure and romance. She quickly stepped closer and looked back at Bingham, silently asking for permission. It seemed that old habits died hard. Her father's sword collection was the one thing the Wells children were prohibited to touch and it was the one rule Helena never dared break.
Gustavo smiled indulgently at her and motioned for her to get closer. As she had done before with her mother's dresses, the writer carefully placed her hand on one of the sheathed swords. She felt Gustavo move around the room but, she did not find it in her to turn around. She did not want to leave this moment…it was the closest she had felt to her family since she had been released from her bronze prison. She heard Gustavo drag what was probably a chair next to her. He climbed on it and proceeded to extricate one of the swords from the wall.
He turned and handed it to the unusually quiet black haired woman. "Everything belonging to your family, it's yours of course..."
Helena shook her head in bewilderment. With the older man standing on the chair, at eye level with her, she was able to really see him for the first time. His unusual blue eyes shown back at her with kindness and excitement; she felt horrible for ever suspecting him of foul play.
"Gustavo…that's not nece—" She began to protest.
"Of course it is…you're the rightful owner by all means. I'll keep everything here, safe, until you feel ready to confront your past." He said.
Helena closed her mouth, amazed at how well the older man had read her.
"In the meantime, I would so love it if you would take this with you." He said as he handed her the sword.
"It's a Black Prince sword…light but powerful…I thought that maybe it would help you on your journey."
"A sword? That's a little old fashioned." The English woman remarked, although she took the sword just the same.
"Yes well, I prefer things to be old fashion…I'm thinking you might feel the same?" He quipped with a smile.
Helena smiled back in acquiescence as she unsheathed the light sword. It was impeccably kept. The black leather handle fit perfectly in her delicate hand. The blade was spotless and she could tell that it had recently been sharpened. Gustavo had been waiting to hand it to her, that was clear.
"Gustavo, I am sorry for my suspicions…they were unfounded. I should have never broken into your home."
"No need to apologies my dear Agent Wells. Most people think the worst of me…I am a bit odd, I must admit."
"Well, I do tend to find that quite endearing in a person." Helena answered sincerely, echoing the words she had uttered to Claudia not two hours before.
/
Myka ran as fast as she could towards the general direction of the house, her small flashlight not helping her visibility much in the pitch blackness of the night. She had to get to Helena and make sure she was alright…then she'd be able to kill her.
She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the large manor in the distance. As she neared, she heard Helena's unmistakable laugh causing her to stop dead in her tracks in order to pin point her location.
She quietly walked along the right side of the manor, to a small courtyard. There, she saw Gustavo sitting on a wooden bench, casually talking to H.G. who appeared to be wielding a sword, practicing on a large dead stump. The curly haired agent turned off her flashlight; The lights in one of the rooms behind them had been turned on and she could clearly see everything from her position. It wasn't a surprise to her that Helena was skilled with a sword but, the image of her gracefully wielding it made her breath catch. She was absolutely breathtaking. To top it all off, she was gracing Gustavo with a genuine smile. The first one she had seen in a long time and the sight of it made her heart ache. She needed to see her smile like that more often. Of course, nowadays all she seemed to manage to do was cause the older woman to scowl and pull away.
"Mykes?!" Pete's voice came from somewhere near the front of the house. She cringed when she heard it, knowing that Gustavo and H.G. were sure to spot her now.
Sure enough, Helena turned and squinted her way. "Myka? Is that you?" Helena asked as she placed the sword in the sheath she had strapped to her back.
"What are you doing here?" The older woman continued to ask as she made her way to her friend.
"What am I doing here? I could ask you the same thing." The taller agent responded defensively, grabbing the back of her neck in nervous habit.
"I was just having a lovely conversation with our host." Helena answered, knowing full well Myka knew what she had come here for.
"Here, I have something for you." The time traveler continued as she took something from her jean pocket, not giving the younger woman time to respond.
She lightly grabbed the woman's wrist and placed a thin, golden bracelet around it, small green rubies, that looked black in the dark, running along its length.
"Not to worry, it's mine. I didn't steal it my dear." She joked after she had clasped it. Myka had not expected the older woman to be in such a good mood and she most certainly wasn't expecting a gift so, all she could do was take turns staring dumbfounded at the bracelet and back up at Helena.
"Ah, speechless…just what I was going for." H.G. tried to brush away the gesture but she knew very well what she had given Myka. As soon as she had seen her mother's bracelet, images of Myka's emerald eyes had come to her. Granted she had planned to give it to her in a more appropriate setting, but she had seen the younger woman and as always…all of her plans had gone out the window.
"Oh, you found H.G…I thought she would be running from crazed farmers by now." Claudia interrupted the silence as she appeared from the corner of the house.
"Hilarious as always my dear Claudia but alas, I'm afraid my adventure came to an abrupt end."
"Really? Why's tha—oh" Claudia stopped in her tracks as she saw Gustavo appear from behind the writer.
"Hello Ms. Donavan. I see you got bored of dancing without me."
"She put me up to it!" Claudia barked, pointing to her mentor.
"No need to worry my young friend. Agent Wells and I have spoken and everything is 'out in the open' as they say" Bingham assured the young woman with a friendly laugh.
"You…had a conversation…with H.G….about feelings and stuff?" An incredulous Claudia questioned.
"Well, Mr. Bingham did most of the talking; I just stood and melted into a puddle of shame." H.G. corrected.
"Ah, that's sounds about right." Claudia replied.
"Guys! What the hell? Can you please tell me what we're doing here when there are hot dancers and food over there?" An exasperated Pete called out as he neared the group.
"Awesome! A sword! H.G. let me hold it" He quickly continued, oblivious to anything that had happened in his absence.
"Absolutely not, not under any circumstance, I'm quite taken with my limbs and I prefer they stay attached to my body thank you very much." H.G. replied only half serious.
"I know how to use a sword, H.G." An offended Pete rebuffed, tripping a few seconds later over a large branch.
"Your skills with the sword are not in question, your ability to stay afoot…well, that's a whole other matter now isn't it?" The writer easily shot back.
It was then Gustavo decided to intercede, sensing that the childish banter between the two friends would go on to no end if someone did not take it upon themselves to change the subject, "Well then, I propose we head back…after all, you are my guests of honor and since your journey continues tomorrow, I am determined that you all enjoy yourselves tonight."
After a few short minutes, which they used to organize their belongings, they started the trek back to the campfire. Helena had given into Pete's pleas and had relinquished her newly acquired sword under the condition he did not unsheathe it. Pete, Claudia and Gustavo had gotten a few paces ahead of her, all of them engrossed with her new weapon. H.G. smiled at them, allowing herself to take in the moment for the first time since she had arrived to Peru. She felt a light pressure on her wrist and she turned to look at Myka. The taller woman was giving her a sad look, causing the writer to stop walking.
"Myka? What is it?" She questioned with worry.
"H.G…I- the bracelet?" Myka had finally found her voice although it appeared that stringing words together to make complete sentences was still out of the question.
"It appears our friend Gustavo has impeccable taste…he purchased many of my families heirlooms…the bracelet belonged to my mother." She calmly explained as she traced delicate fingers over the item in question.
"Oh, Helena. I can't accept this." Myka whispered, grabbing the small bracelet, intent on taking it off.
"You can and you will." The time traveler insisted before ringing a hand through her dark hair and exhaling in exasperation. "Myka, I know I haven't been the most forthcoming person in regards to my feelings for you…or anything else for that matter…" At this a glassy eyed Myka gave her friend a bereaved smile. "But, you must know -at least I hope you do - you're the one person who knows me better than anyone else. You are my one true friend and I want you to have this small part of me, let me be able to give this to you…please."
Myka looked down at her gift and traced the rubies with a delicate finger. As she nodded almost timidly, she looked up at H.G. with a genuine smile who returned it in kind. But, before Myka could thank her friend, she felt warm arms wrap around her. Myka stood still for a few short moments; this was the first time the writer had ever initiated contact like this with her and so, H.G. had completely blindsided her for the second time tonight. The agent quickly relaxed into the embrace though and wrapped her own arms around the older woman. The embrace was easy and genuine. All of the tension and questions that had overwhelmed them the past few months seemed to dissipate like a bad dream. Whatever was going on between them, this felt right and at that moment, she felt like their friendship, their connection, could endure anything…even her broken heart.
They stood like that for several long seconds before H.G. cleared her throat and stepped back. Looking a little bashful but hiding it the best she could with a cocky smile, Helena turned her gaze towards Myka, taking the younger woman's wrist in her right hand, her next words belied the way she delicately traced her beloved mother's bracelet. "Well, I'm famished…how about we go get something to eat before heading to bed. Like our dear Mr. Bingham said 'our journey continues tomorrow.'"
/
Thanks guys..as always any and all feedback is appeciated.