A/N - As I mentioned previously, I am taking liberties with some of the W13 stories/characters. This is a prime example - the Alice Story of the Lewis Carroll mirror isn't as fully described in the TV episodes. I needed something to bring this sort of character into the story, and I wanted to use someone who was canon to the Warehouse, and Alice fit the bill in all aspects except how I've shown here. I hope this alternative does it justice.
Secondly - is there anyone here who is available to beta read this for me? I would prefer someone who is good at grammar please. Mine isn't the best, so I'm always looking to try and improve it. Also someone who might spot plot holes as I go along. I hate when I post something knowing it isn't as good as it could be or hasn't been as well checked as I'd like. Yes, I'm pretty pedantic on stuff like this lol
So, if you think you can help, please just pop a PM my way and we'll see if it's feasible.
Last of all, I plan on still taking my time to post chapters on this, since I want to ensure the majority is written before really posting. However, since everyone has been so generous in the comments and PM's I've received on this story, I thought I could at least offer this, and perhaps the next chapter as a thank you. It does mean though the rest of this will still be a fairly long time coming, but it will get done and posted as quickly as is feasible for me to write it. The story is already 9 chapters along, and I have the full outline plotted. It's just a case of filling in the details.
Enough of my prattling on...
A shoulder to cry on.
Chapter 2.
Myka sank down into the couch cushions, as Pete Lattimer sat down on the armchair next to her. She had just finished telling him about the disastrous day she'd endured.
"Are you sure you don't want to work at the Warehouse?" Pete asked, his concern showing, "You know, Mrs F would let you if you asked. And yeah, I know I irritate you, but we worked well together."
"Pete," Myka tried not to sound exasperated at her former partner, albeit for just one event, and then having both ending up at Warehouse employees, although in different areas, "You know I was brought to work at the prison specifically. If I give up, those women will have no-one on their side, and it'll go backwards again, and they are the people who'll suffer."
"At the expense of your own well being." Pete noted, "Is it worth it?"
"Yeah, it has to be." Myka smiled, "You know H.G. Wells, and you were the ones who stopped her, what's she like?"
Pete's face darkened, "If I had my way, she'd be thrown back in the bronzer."
"Pete! I expect that kind of rubbish from the Regents, even Artie, but not you. Surely she deserves a second chance."
"No, she doesn't. She had that second chance, and although Artie wasn't sure, and Leena could see her aura was off, and I got a weird vibe, none of us realized how dangerous she was going to become. Hell, if she can fool us, then she must be some kind of twisted mastermind."
Myka shook her head, "I don't believe that for one second. I think it's because there is good inside her that you all got those readings that were off, and didn't see how difficult it had become for her. No-one took the time she needed once MacPherson released her from the bronzer to help because they just didn't think about the effects. She needs rehabilitation, not condemnation. No-one can say she wasn't a superb Warehouse agent until the death of her daughter, so there must be something that is worthy inside her. She's just..." Myka sighed trying not to feel her own feelings that it brought to the surface on how she was with her own family, "She's lost and needs to be guided back to all that was good."
Pete watched as Myka played with the hem of her t-shirt she had put on once she'd got home, and exhaled, "But you've already seen what she's like, didn't you just tell me she launched a scathing verbal attack on you, just as you'd got the women calmer, so it spiraled out of control?"
"Yes, and no," Myka leaned forward, snagging the coffee mug she'd put down, knowing it was now cool enough to drink its contents. Sipping it slowly, she considered her reply, "She's angry, and frankly I can understand why. You've read her file, the Regents should never have placed her back into the Warehouse without helping her first."
"Sorry, but we'll have to agree to disagree on this one. Artie didn't want her at the start, and he was right. That is one scary woman, and the best thing you can do is not get involved with her, and you certainly shouldn't trust her."
Myka couldn't believe what she was reading, as she walked through into the guards office. Seeing the person she needed, she didn't hesitate to march up to them.
"What do you think you're playing at?"
Sally Stukowski looked over her shoulder, before finishing making her coffee, and with mug in hand, slowly turned to face Myka, a sly grin appearing, "I was doing my job." She then took a slow, deliberate sip of her coffee, enjoying the anger rolling off Myka, even though she was showing remarkable restraint.
Myka bit down her retort, knowing that Sally was deliberately trying to get a rise out her. Although Myka had been Secret Service, and Sally had been FBI, they had crossed paths in their previous jobs, and Myka didn't like her then, and was dismayed when she took the warden's job to find one of the senior guards was Sally. Instead, Myka held out a file she'd brought with her, "So your job is to put prisoners in solitary simply because they had the temerity to challenge me."
"Yep, that about sums it up," Sally smirked, knowing it was getting to Myka, "She knew by saying what she did it would get the women riled up. If she hadn't interfered, then we wouldn't have had the problems we faced yesterday."
Myka walked forward, pushing into Sally's personal space, "If Valda had done what I had told him to in the beginning, we wouldn't have faced anything at all yesterday. Punishing H.G. Wells for his error is not the way I work, and if you both continue to undermine my attempts, I will see to it personally that you will be sent back to the FBI so fast, you're ass will be on fire."
Without waiting for a reply, Myka stalked out.
The woman grinned maliciously as she pushed Helena through the door throwing in a single blanket after her, where it fell at her feet. Helena turned slowly, picking it up, and merely glared back at the guard.
"Enjoy the stay."
Again, Helena refused to react as the door was slammed shut, and within seconds the light went off, and the room was plunged into complete darkness. Swallowing hard, Helena moved slowly towards the raised concrete bed area she'd spotted before the light had gone out.
"Bugger and blast it."
Despite being careful, Helena found the bed area rather sharply with her shin. She shifted around, and pushed herself up to perch on the edge, pulling the blanket tighter around her. She knew without a doubt that this had been a deliberate ploy to place her in such surroundings. Trying to avoid the deepest, darkest thoughts making their way through, Helena moved again, as she lay on her side, pulling her knees into her chest, trying to curl up as much as possible. She would not give them the satisfaction of knowing just how badly this was affecting her.
Unsure how much time had gone, but hearing a key in the lock, Helena slowly sat up, pulling the itchy blanket tightly around her.
"What the hell?" Myka exclaimed, before she turned back to the open doorway, looking back at someone just out of Helena's view, "Get her clothes back here. Now!" Myka then slapped a switch just outside the door, and light flooded the room.
Shifting slightly on the hard concrete surface, Helena watched warily as Myka walked in further, her eyes blinking as she tried to readjust to the light. She continued to refuse to show how scary the time had been for her, reminding her of the endless hours she'd been encased in bronze. She had barely stopped herself from vomiting in fear a few times before the door opened again and Myka Bering appeared. Even now, her eyes were still slightly sensitive going from full darkness back to full brightness like it just had. She resisted the temptation to shield them, not wanting to show any weakness.
"Miss Wells, I am sorry this happened to you."
Helena grunted, her disbelief obvious, and before Myka could say anything more, a guard appeared with the basic black jumpsuit, shirt and underwear as before. Handing it over, Helena took it carefully, and smiled once Myka turned her back, allowing her to change.
"I didn't authorize this." Myka spoke up as Helena finished fastening her attire, "I just wanted you to know that. This - this is not what I want to do here."
"Obviously it is, otherwise why am I here? Oh I'm sure that whatever you wanted is not going to happen, so meanwhile what is going on here is still not what is considered acceptable in today's society." Helena scoffed, watching with fascination as Myka turned around to face her again. "The Regents wouldn't allow for anyone to be rehabilitated in a humane manner, least of all me."
"This was done without my authorization. And regardless of previous treatments or how the Regents do things, I like to think my option is still a step up from before. "
"I'm sure it is, but it's still uncivilized. I had hoped that society would have moved on, that the Regents would have moved on, it would seem I was wrong on both counts."
Sensing an opening, Myka stepped a little closer, "Is that why you wanted to try and destroy the world?"
A number of emotions flashed across Helena's face, so quickly, Myka barely had time to register them, but anger was at the forefront. That and grief.
"The world is meaningless to me now. I lost Christina, I have no-one, so what do you care."
"I don't know but I just do." Myka was as surprised as Helena by her reply, but didn't want to change it, as she saw the slightest of hope showing. Stepping back, Myka gestured to the door, "Shall we?"
"What the hell are you doing?"
The door to Myka's office crashed open, as Myka stood up quickly.
"Nothing that need concern you." Myka's voice was cold, as Valda stared at her, anger visible.
"Nothing that need concern me," He spluttered in annoyance, "Nothing. That. Need. Concern. Me." His voice rose, as he stepped forward, and for the first time, Myka was grateful there was a desk between them, "You are fucking unbelievable. You brought Wells back into general, without any discussion, knowing what she's done."
Myka put her hands down on the edge of the desk, and keeping her elbows locked, leaned across, "Like you extended the courtesy of going against my express wishes yesterday, as well as knowing Stukowski placed a prisoner into a solitary cell, stripped, with only one blanket on a concrete bed. No other bedding, no mattress or pillow. Nothing else there with her apart from a stainless steel toilet, which she couldn't see because it was so dark. All of this goes against all our rules here, even before I became warden. What has happened in the last twenty four hours has been enough for me to place you, Stukowski and a couple of other guards on report. Now, you can either leave, or I will have you escorted out, Regent or not."
"You are unbelievable. As you say, I am a Regent, so this will be reported at our next meeting and you better start praying because by the time I'm done, you won't get a job as a garbage collector." Valda was now visibly shaking in anger.
"So be it, however, I stand by what I have done, and until such time I am no longer in charge here, you will get on with the job with which you have been assigned."
Without another word, Valda spun on his heels, before storming back out of the room, the door being slammed even harder than the last time.
As Myka sat down, she picked up her Farnsworth, dialed and was pleased as Pete's face popped into view.
"Hey, Myke's, what's up?"
"Have you got a few minutes?"
Pete looked serious as the defeated look of Myka registered, "Yeah, sure. Just give me a sec." The screen moved as Pete did, and Myka heard a door close, as he settled into a chair, and came back on screen. "Not a good day?"
"Ugh, you could say that," And without realizing it, Myka's problems poured out. She finally finished, as Pete scratched his chin, "And this is the point you tell me that I've mishandled all this." Myka said softly.
"Not mishandled, no. I just think you are sometimes a little too direct. Too much by the book and forget that they don't like change, or their positions challenged. It would be bad enough if it was just a senior guard, but Valda is a Regent Myka and by all accounts, wasn't happy you took the position he thought was his. You are educated, young, driven, meticulous and great as a secret service agent, but no experience as a Warehouse agent. That's gotta be a blow to his ego."
Myka rubbed a tired hand across her face, "The problem is, if I did follow the book that was here when I arrived, this place would still be in the dark ages. Don't people understand that I'm trying to help?"
"Some do, but the old boys network is still in place, or people like Valda who simply resents you because you are everything he isn't. But you have people who do support you, including Mrs F. It's why she was so insistent you took the job. You need someone who you can trust in there who'll help you, on both sides."
"You mean someone in my charge?" Myka looked slightly incredulous at the idea.
"Yeah, I mean I know that you run a place with the highest security possible, well the highest is them bronzing people, but you know, isn't there someone who understands what you're trying to do and has some power with the women?"
"Sadly no." Myka looked up at the gentle knock on her door, as her secretary poked her head through, and motioned to her watch, showing she was needed at a meeting, "Listen Pete I've gotta go, but thanks."
Helena moved across the crowded floor, and sat opposite Alice, who was fidgeting with a piece of cotton hanging from her sleeve. She barely looked up as Helena sat down.
Definitely drugs, Helena thought as she took in the appearance of the women in front of her, with haggard looking skin and hair, sunken eyes, and a malaise about her that was impossible to hide.
"What do you want?" Alice asked, looking with contempt in Helena's direction.
"I thought we might try and catch up a little. After all, we knew each other previously, and yet here we are." Helena stretched her hands out, gesturing across the table, "Two Victorian women, trapped in an era so far removed from our own time. For example, I have no idea why you are here?"
"If you must know, I'm here because of Charles and his blasted mirror."
Helena's eyebrows rose, her surprise obvious, "Really, how?"
"I killed people. It drove me to madness, and when the agents came to retrieve it, I killed one of them as well. I was told it was an artifact, like I care." Alice spoke impassively, sending a shiver down Helena's spine at the way she spoke, "They trapped me within the mirror, and I escaped on a few occasions, but they continued to recaptured me. Finally after yet another escape, it was realized I hadn't aged but appeared to age outside the confines of the mirror, and at some point rather than risk my escape again, well, here I am. Now, I am aging as life intended, and at some point I will die and no longer be their problem."
It was at that moment that Helena realized Alice was insane in every sense of the word. She pulled back slightly, taking in every facet of the woman in front of her. "I'm sorry to hear that happened to you."
Alice looked back with total derision, "I'm sure you are, you odious toad." Without saying another word, Alice stood up, pushing the table into Helena's midriff, and swinging a fist, catching her firmly on the temple. Before Helena could even begin to defend herself, she was being hauled away by numerous guards, as other inmates began shouting around them.
