A/N: I haven't been able to work on this story for a while. I have chapter titles and I have almost outlines... I am slacking, I apologize; but I am trying to get back into writing regularly. Thank you all for your patience. I really really appreciate it. :)
I hope you enjoy this chapter. I really hope there aren't any inconsistancies with this and the previous chapters because I just... my brain is all over the place. If there are any, please don't point them out. haha. Just kidding. Anyway... have fun reading.
"What does this mean?" Claudia sat across the mysterious artifact, studying it in it's current, dormant state. "I mean it isn't doing anything."
Pete sat next to her with a plate of cookies in his hands. "This is weird, but my mom seems okay and the warehouse isn't in danger."
"Pete! You can't say that... it's like the ultimate jinx." Claudia dropped her head in her hands and slowly looked over towards Pete. "Where did you get those?"
"I don't know. Aisle 637 R something or other."
Claudia rolled her eyes and pulled the plate out of Pete's hands, causing him to whine like a child. "Dude, this is why you'll be the first of us to kick it." She put the plate aside, pushing it far out of Pete's reach.
"At least I'll be well fed and happy when I die."
Everyone was on edge, whispers filling the office as each person tried to figure out this mystery that was the Remati shackle; the only thing that really could protect the warehouse wasn't active and no one understood why.
"Claudia?" Irene called from the other end of Artie's office. She had been the only one to silently contemplate the issue and now she needed to say something to move things along. She was just as confused as everyone else; this has never happened before. Not that she knew of anyway. "Perhaps you should pick the shackle up, see if you can sense anything."
"Me? Why me?" Claudia backed away from the artifact.
"Because Ms. Donovan..." Irene sighed as she walked to the shackle and picked it up carefully, carrying it to Claudia who slowly stood. "I cannot. Here."
Claudia cringed slightly but took the shackle in her hands. "Woah!"
"What is it?"
Everyone perked up, making their way closer. Helena and Myka were watching from the adjacent wall, waiting to see how things played out.
"I don't know what it is. It feels like a magnet or something and believe me, I know about powerful magnets." Claudia thought back. "Artie remember when I got stuck to the warehouse..."
"Claudia!" Artie barked. "What's happening?"
Claudia scoffed. "It's just pulling a little... a lot actually."
Mrs. Fredric put her hand on Claudia's shoulder. "Follow it. Let it lead you and we can get answers."
Claudia took a breath and let go of her own will, handing it over to the artifact. She followed where it lead and was immediately sorry that she did.
"No! No no no no no! Absolutely not!"
"Helena?" Myka held onto her wife's hand, attempting to keep her from bolting.
"Myka..." Helena whined. "That thing is... it's..."
"It's choosing you Helena." Myka finished saying the words that her wife would not.
Helena almost looked like she was going to cry, perhaps in frustration. "But why me!?" She was a foot stom away from having a tantrum.
"I have a theory." Artie said, straightening his glasses.
"This should be good." Helena whispered under her breath, earning a jab in the ribs by Myka's elbow. "Ow."
"Sorry but this is serious." Myka looked a little worried, a little relieved. The emotions were so mixed that Helena couldn't read her. "Please... can we just hear him out?" Helena took a breath and nodded. "What is it Artie?"
"I've been going through some old journals lately. Caturanga's journals."
Helena almost looked as though she had just been slapped. "You what? Those are private! You can't just... He was a great man and his journals were his and only his. There has to be some rule about this. What? Just because an agent of the warehouse dies, privacy and respect are thrown out the window? Are my journals going to be read aloud one day by some stranger who knew nothing about me!?"
"Sweetie, I know you're upset..."
"Myka, he took me in, took care of me and stayed by my side through everything." Helena's voice cracked; Myka quickly wiped the tears from her wife's face before anyone could see them fall.
"I know. I'm sorry. I know that he meant the world to you love."
"And you meant the world to him." Artie's gruff voice cut through the tension. "He mentioned you a lot. You were like a daughter to him H.G. I'm sorry I read the journals but according to him, you were next."
"What?" Helena shook her head. "What do you mean? I was next."
"You were supposed to be the next caretaker after Caturanga. He said that you would have had the potential to move with the Warehouse to America; that you could have been the caretaker for Warehouse 13."
Everyone was silent.
"But... Claudia is the next caretaker."
"Your time as a potential caretaker has passed; the bond is shifting over to Ms. Donovan." Irene smiled at all this wonder the warehouse provided them. She was always surprised by how human in was; how it cared for it's people, how it loved it's agents. "The warehouse still loves you Helena, the way it did when you were at Warehouse 12."
Helena teared up as she suddenly got a whiff of apples in the air; a scent that only she could smell.
"So it wants me to what? Guard it?" The Brit turned away from Claudia who was still holding the shackle out for her. She looked Myka in the eyes as Irene talked to her over their shoulders.
"Yes. It trusts you to be it's new protector."
Myka saw the look in Helena's eyes; fear, uncertainty, sadness and a few other things that she couldn't quite place. "Can you guys give us a minute?"
"Myka this is an issue that needs to be resolved now."
"Artie!" Myka looked at him harshly at first but pulled back apologetically. "May I please have a moment with my wife and my daughter?"
Everyone started to trickle out of the room, eventually leaving the Bering-Wells family alone in the office.
"Myka, I don't know what this means?" Helena sat down on the couch, Sarah falling right next to her as they watched Myka pace back and forth in front of them. "Darling please sit down."
"I can't. I'm trying to think."
"I can see that my love and it's hurting my head."
"Yeah mom. This is weird. I'm used to weird but this is really weird and you usually have the answers to really weird."
Myka chuckled a little, finally sitting down between her girls. "What do you want Helena?"
"I don't think we have a choice anymore darling. I think the warehouse always had it's eyes or heart or whatever it has... It's set on all of us. We belong here in some way, probably will until the day we all die. I don't think I have a choice in this. I just need to know what it means... for us."
"That's exactly what I was thinking."
...
Myka, Helena and Sarah walked into the B&B surprised when they realized that the warehouse family had left the warehouse while they talked everything over.
Everyone was in the living room watching a movie, the shackle sitting on a table next to Jane. Helena took a step toward the woman who was as equally engulfed in the film as Pete was, but the Remati shackle started to shake slightly causing her to halt. Jane turned her head to see them standing behind her.
"Jane could we maybe... talk with you..." Helena stuttered as she eyed the shackle suspiciously. She still wasn't sure what it all meant and before she agreed to anything, she needed to know. Jane nodded and stood, holding the shackle as she followed the three women into the library. Everyone else watched as the small group of women left the room.
"How can I help you ladies?" Jane set the shackle down again, folding her arms in front of her as she sat down.
"What would this mean... for me and for my family?" Helena asked, sitting across from the regent.
"Nothing. Your position would change, you wouldn't be out in the field as often because you're..."
"Too valuable?" Helena's voice became low and dangerous. "So everyone else is what? Dispensable? No. If I do this, I want to be treated the same. I want to be a fully participating agent of the warehouse. Nothing changes."
Jane thought for a moment; she picked up the artifact and walked over to Helena. "Very well H.G. nothing changes." She reached for Helena's hand, which the Brit reluctantly gave. Myka watched with Sarah tucked into her side, smiling supportively.
"Wait. I stay with my family."
"Well you need to go on a month long... retreat of sorts. It's just a month; almost like school. It's really boring to be honest, but necessary. You will learn a great deal about the warehouse." Jane smiled, becoming the guardian of the warehouse was an honor and she was so happy that Helena was the person she had to hand this gift over to.
"I will not keep any secrets from my wife and my daughter Jane. If they tell me to do that, I will have to decline this offer of guardianship and suffer the consequences of refusing this... gift."
"Everything you learn, you can share with them. That doesn't mean you'll want to. We all know that the warehouse with all it's wonder and magic; is still dangerous, darkness hiding in every corner."
"I didn't know the warehouse had corners... I thought it was an endless thing of endlessness..." Sarah whispered to Myka, causing the agent to laugh. When they got a pointed glare from both former and future warehouse guardian, they apologized.
"Nothing changes Jane."
"Nothing H.G. I give you my word." Jane was serious and sincere. Helena had no doubt that out of all the regents; Jane was the one she would trust with her family's well being. The only one.
"Okay then." Helena held her arm out once more and watched as Jane closed the shackle around her wrist. The glow was blinding, but no one wanted to look away. It was a pivotal moment in all of their lives. Then it just stopped and Helena was left with a chunk of metal weighing her arm down.
"That's it?" Myka said and quickly covered her mouth. "Sorry... I was just thinking that and it sort of came out."
"Can't blame her though." Sarah spoke up. "That was sort of anti-climactic. I mean... after everyone made such a big deal about it. I expected fireworks or something. Maybe a ceremony."
Helena didn't know why, but the truthful response to what had happened was so refreshing and adorable that she started laughing. She laughed so much and couldn't stop herself.
"Aunt Jane, you broke my mum." Sarah looked a little worried. She always loved when Helena laughed, but even this was a lot. "Fix her please."
Helena started to calm down. "I'm sorry my love but this is just... that's it? I'm responsible for protecting the warehouse because of this?" Helena held her arm out. "This will be interesting."
Myka quickly walked over to her wife and pulled her into a tight hug. She leaned back slightly only to press their bodies together more as she kissed her. "You're going to be amazing at this."
"I'm going to try." Helena whispered against Myka's lips as she rested her forehead against the taller agents, arms wrapped around her protectively, and lovingly.
They returned to their daily activities as though nothing had changed. No one said anything until later that evening; Mrs. Fredric, Artie, Mr. Kosan and Jane all stood in the warehouse with Helena and Myka; informing them of the upcoming month. Helena would be away learning about her new position; the location of her retreat kept quiet until she got there. They wouldn't risk any threats against Helena or the warehouse and it's agents.
...
"I'm gonna miss you mum." Sarah was practically on Helena's lap as the three sat on their couch the evening before Helena had to leave.
"I'll only be gone a month darling. Besides, your mother has a few things to keep you busy. You are still grounded until I get home."
Sarah sighed but pulled Helena even closer. "I wish you didn't have to go."
Helena smiled and hugged Sarah tight, looking over at Myka who was smiling, holding Helena's feet in her lap, lightly brushing her fingers over the Brit's ankles. "I know sweet heart. Time will fly by I promise."
Myka cleared her throat. "I think it's time for bed." She patted the legs she had been holding and Helena swung them over the side of the couch, sitting up. They all headed to their rooms, but Sarah didn't stop at her door to say goodnight as she normally would.
"Can I sleep with you guys tonight?" Her mother's laughed lightly and took her hands.
"Of course you can." Myka pulled her daughter into her side. "You'll be sleeping with me while mums away right?"
"Yes please."
"Are you two trying to make me jealous?" Helena tried to sound offended but she loved the sight of her family being ridiculously adorable. "I will miss you terribly now that I'm shackled to the warehouse."
"When you think about it, we're all kind of shackled to the warehouse. Or as Leena would say, connected." Sarah yawned as she fell in the middle of her parents bed; each woman falling beside her, completely exhausted.
"I like that." Myka stretched and turned in, to face her family; seeing Helena smiling back at her over their now sleeping teenager. She reached over and took Helena's hand, resting them on Sarah's side as they cuddled up together. "Connected."
Thank you for reading this. Sorry if it felt like it just kept going and going and going. Wrapping chapters up is really not my thing. lol. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. It was fun and interesting to write. I tried to throw in some humor here and there but my sense of humor is questionable so may not have been funny. :x
Please stay tuned for more. I will try to update as soon as possible.
I appreciate reviews and comments so if you're feeling up to it, I'd love to hear from you.
Love you all. Thank you for your support. xoxo