"Myka! Myka!" I looked over the top of my book as Pete ran into the living room of the B&B. "Guess what I can….oh." He looked at the book I was reading and smirked. "How many times have you read H.G.'s books? And why are you re-reading them?"

"I don't know and I'm re-reading them because it's interesting taking it from a woman's perspective now that I know that H.G. Wells is a woman." He stood there with his arms crossed. "What?"

"Nothing." He tapped his chin. "It's just…you like her." My eyes grew wide a moment.

"No I don't. She's a hero of mine." Damn Pete and his vibes. I did like her, I mean, I've loved her books since I was a child. He just cocked an eyebrow and looked at me with that 'fess up' look of his.

"Do you know where she is?" I frowned and closed the book. "If you do, I won't say anything to Artie."

"I don't. Honest." I stood and started for the kitchen. I needed coffee or something to calm my nerves. Anytime I thought about H.G. my body did things that I've never felt before. Anxiety and something else. "But I am going out today. I need a few new books. The bookstore in town called and told me they got in a lot of old books."

XXX

The whole way to the bookstore H.G. plagued my mind. I've only met the woman twice, yet she never left my thoughts. I should be mad since she tricked us with the anti-gravity metal in her old London home. We worked very well together and I was grateful to her for saving Claudia's and my life. Then she gave me the grappler since I was supposedly coveting it. I smiled when I thought back on that day. She was clever for sure. Not someone to be taken lightly. As I combed the shelves of new books, I heard a familiar pair of boots walking in the next isle. "Looking for a new book or two?" I bit my tongue to keep myself from grinning when I heard the familiar British accent.

"Yes actually. Though it's rather hard since I've read almost every book in all the genres I enjoy." She chuckled and looked at the books beside me. "What are you doing here?"

"Same as you. I long for the books of my time so I came here when I heard they were the only bookstore in this town." I felt an odd calmness around this woman.

"You know, I should turn you into Artie. You're on his most wanted list."

"Yes I know. But I don't think you will." I raised an eyebrow and turned towards her; resting against the book shelf. "You see something in me that the others don't since you grew up reading my books. I'm sure you feel some sort of connection or maybe you feel like you know me somehow." I stayed quiet and let her continue to speak. "Have a drink with me?"

"Excuse me?" I was slightly stunned that she'd ask that but, then again, I was already saying yes in my head. "Why do you think I'd have a drink with you?"

"Because you want to know my side of the story. Let me fill in the blanks and answer the questions that must be going through your mind. I promise to not steal you from Pete." What did she mean by that? "If you didn't trust me, even a little, you would've arrested me by now." I shook my head. What was I about to get myself in to?

"Fine. But let's go a little bit out of town so the chance of anyone who wants you dead or bronzed again seeing us is much less." She followed as I paid for the few books I wanted. "We'll take my car if that's okay." We drove in a comfortable silence. H.G. just thumbed through the books I bought.

"You have good taste Myka." I glanced over at her as she looked at the next book.

"What did you mean when you said you weren't going to take me from Pete?" I could feel her eyes move from the book to me.

"Aren't the two of you an item as they say nowadays?" I didn't know whether to laugh at first. The idea of Pete and me together or H.G. trying to use today's terms.

"Okay, one: we aren't together. We're just partners; we work together. And two: please don't try and use today's terms. It's beneath you. What made you think we were together?"

"The way you two interact. The way two people who like each other hasn't changed much since the 1800's. Well, some of the ways haven't changed." I chuckled as we turned into one of the bar and grill joints just outside of town.

"Well I can assure you that we are not together. I care about him as a friend. One of the first real friends I have had in a very long time." She nodded as we got out of the car and walked inside.

"Would you ladies like a booth or a table?" A younger woman, late teens or early twenties, greeted us at the door.

"Booth please."

"Right this way." We followed the woman towards the back tables. Why she was taking us all the way back here I wasn't sure. "Alright, here you ladies are. My name is Chloe and I'll be your server this evening. May I start you out with something to drink?"

"Apple martini please." I raised an eyebrow to H.G.'s drink of choice.

"I'll have a…" I looked over the long list of drinks. "An amaretto sour please." The woman took our orders and walked away. "So you like martinis huh?"

"I maybe old fashioned in many ways Myka, but I do enjoy a martini now and then." There was a mischievous glimmer in her dark eyes. "So, what do you want to know about my past?" I leaned in on my elbows and thought a moment.

"So many questions so little time. I guess to start with…why did you ask to be bronzed? I mean, you had no idea if you'd ever be de-bronzed."

"You're right, I didn't know. It was because my daughter was killed and I looked for anyway to bring her back. I mean, I worked in a place where miracles happened and a partner of mine was killed because I wasn't thinking straight. I was overtaken with grief and asked. They allowed it." The waitress brought our drinks and the conversation stopped a moment.

"Can I get you anything to eat?" I had remembered that Pete said this place had the best bacon cheese fries so I ordered them. Chloe smiled and went to put in our order.

"Bacon cheese fries? I figured that was something Pete would eat but not you." I took a sip of my drink and shrugged.

"I have my moments of weakness. I can't say no to a good helping of cheese fries. Especially if they have bacon on them. Have you ever had them before?" H.G. set her glass down.

"Never. Though I have had bacon before." I couldn't help but laugh at the innocence of her voice. "What?"

"Nothing. It's just…I forget sometimes that there is so much stuff now versus back then."

"Yes. I found these pieces of paper that you write messages on and can affix to objects." I snorted with laugher this time.

"They're called sticky notes. It's amazing that something so simple can be interesting to you. I mean, you are one of the most talented inventors of all time yet you find a sticky note amazing. I don't mean any rudeness by it." The cheese fries came and I watched as H.G. took her first bite. The look on her face was something between 'this is…odd' and 'this is actually good'. We continued to talk for at least an hour or two; maybe longer. It was getting late, so we decided to head back into town. "Well here we are." I drove her back to her car and she got out. I almost didn't want her to leave. She tapped on my window and I rolled it down.

"Would you like to do this again sometime? Maybe next week for coffee?" There was a look in her eyes that I just couldn't say no to.

"Sure. Same time and meet here?" She smiled and walked back to her car. "H.G.?" She turned back towards me.

"You can call me Helena. H.G. may bring up some suspicion."

"Sounds good." We went our separate ways and I drove back to the B&B. By the time I got there it was almost dark.

"Where have you been?" Pete met me at the door. "Everyone's eating without you. And Artie has been asking about you since you left."

"I went to the bookstore and then went to that bar and grill for cheese fries." Pete studied me a moment and then shrugged.

"And you didn't bring me any? Geez Mykes." I rolled my eyes and smiled as I passed him to go to the dining room. "Hey guys sorry I'm late. I was reading at Joey's and lost track of time."

"You read at Joey's? Really Myka?" Claudia smirked and leaned back with her arms crossed.

"Okay. Okay. I wanted their bacon cheese fries." She laughed.

"I knew it! You do like greasy foods!" I rolled my eyes and took a seat.

Xxx

It was that time again to meet Helena at the bookstore. I had to make up an excuse to get away from the warehouse for a few hours. Butterflies filled my stomach as I waited for Helena to pull up. When she finally did, I let out a sigh of relief. "Hey you."

"Hello, how's your week been?" She climbed in and buckled up.

"It's been…busy to say the least. Yours?" There was a small coffee shop on the outskirts of town so we decided to go there.

"Uneventful really. I'm just getting caught up on all that's happened in the past hundred years." She leaned her head back with a sigh. "It's nice taking a break to have coffee with a friend." I smiled at the comment.

"Learning a hundred years of history would be tough on anyone." We drove in that comfortable silence again. Every once in a while I would look over and make sure she wasn't asleep. "So, are you going to surprise me with what coffee you're going to get?" Helena chuckled as we walked in.

"Probably not. I've not had many of the newer styled coffees. What do you recommend?" I looked at the choices on the board. After I decided, we walked up to the counter and I ordered two caramel frappucinos for us. "I've not had one of those before."

"Well I hope you like it." We took a seat near the back and started talking more about her past. When we started talking about her inventions I remembered all the ones we had in the H.G. Wells section in the warehouse. Which then reminded me of all the time I spent down there before we met.

"This is actually very good." She took another sip. "How would you like to come back to my apartment for an early supper?" I just looked at the woman. Did she really just invite me over for supper? "Or by the look on your face, I'll take that as a no."

"Sure. I mean, it just threw me off…the question. I wasn't expecting it."

"So is that a yes?" I smiled with a nod. This was probably a bad idea but I couldn't say no.

"Yes."