Disaster
Helena plowed through her work and returned call after call until there was no one left on the long list. She had a meeting scheduled with Claudia, and then she was set to leave for the day. Myka was leaving first, and had plans to set up a nice quiet dinner for her and Helena, so that they could ease back into being home.
"Thanks for this," Claudia said, sitting down in front of her boss' desk. She was holding her hand up that was decorated with the conch shell bracelet. Helena couldn't ever remember seeing it, although she was sure Myka had bought it for the techie.
Helena smiled, although it bordered on grimacing, and said – "Please do not feel obligated…,"
"….to get you something?" Claudia jumped in and finished.
"Yes," Helena said.
"Whew! No, that's great. I hate when people get you something from their vacation and then you feel the pressure when you go away to reciprocate - and you spend your vacation worried about what to get them in return," Claudia spewed.
"Exactly!" Helena said, thankful someone understood her.
"Maybe you could share that with Miss Manners outside, boss, cause she's planning our vacation around places that have souvenirs that you might like," Claudia explained.
Helena agreed that she would - especially when images of the cartoonish mouse that adorned the Sullivan living room came back to her.
Claudia wanted to talk to her about some unusual activity in the security sign ins and outs in a couple of the labs. "Maybe they're just working on projects, but Stem Cell and Nanotechnology have been checking in early and leaving very late," the techie reported looking at her tablet screen.
Helena knew what one of those departments was working on. "I'll speak to them," is all she said.
She had been updated that afternoon by Dr. Wang on the progress they were making. Several offspring were thriving based on the latest research they were doing – and that research was based all on Helena's ideas. As Dr. Wang put it to this department, 'this is what happens when someone won't take no for an answer about what others call the impossible. She thinks differently about everything'. He was talking about his boss.
Helena decided she would deal with the Nanotechnology Department in the morning. The woman from the department had updated Helena in the meeting and said they were working on the nanofiber project. Nanofibers were threads with diameters of less than 1,000 nm. Medical applications include special materials for wound dressings and surgical textiles, materials used in implants, tissue engineering, and artificial organ components. The work was long and tedious, but Wells Corp was well ahead of other labs on this. Perhaps this is what accounted for the long hours.
Helena thanked Claudia and readied to go home. She was looking forward to a quiet evening at home with Myka. She was on her way out and had said goodnight to Eileen when she remembered what Claudia said.
"Ms. Sullivan, do you notice the items in my office?" Helena asked.
"Yes, Ms. Wells," Eileen said, having practically memorized the entire room.
"You note then that there are paintings, some one of kind objects and paperweights, and Mrs. Frederic's favorite- Newton's Cradle, yes?" Helena asked.
"Yes," Eileen said.
"Nowhere will you find anything that was spewed out of a mold by the hundreds, for mass consumption," Helena said. She meant anything plastic.
"Yes," Eileen said, trying to understand what her boss' point was.
"Nor should there be," Helena said and Eileen nodded her head agreeing. It was Helena's office. She didn't have to explain why she liked it that way.
"Good," Helena said getting the elevator, happy that was taken care of. She smiled at Eileen who stood at her desk wishing Helena would tell her the point of that conversation.
Helena texted Myka that she couldn't wait to get home, but there was no response. "She must be showering," Helena thought. Then a text came in, but it was from Eileen. Detective Tierney had called as soon as Helena left, and she had told her that Helena was unavailable and that she was to speak to Ms. Bering. Helena was going to text back, but the phone died.
"Damn that woman," Helena said thinking it didn't take the detective too long to get in touch with her feelings. Helena didn't say anything in the car on the way home, considering the very woman who was upsetting her was the same woman she was trying to get back with Pete.
Helena realized by the time she got home, Jane probably would have already called Myka. Now she had to come up with a plan on how to handle this. She had kind of thrown her to the wolf in this instance. She reached in her bag, dabbed a little Chanel on her neck, applied another layer of lipstick, and in spite of the chill, pulled the zipper on her dress even lower under her coat. Perhaps Myka would forgive her more quickly if she was drunk on perfume and too busy being kissed to be upset.
Helena took a deep breath at the front door and stepped inside. She took off her coat, pulled on her dress to straight it out, and ran her hand through her black hair. As soon as she finished, she heard the door to the library slam shut. She jumped a bit and thought - Not a good sign. Then she looked up to see Myka standing there looking very perturbed. Apparently Jane had gotten to her and Myka was not pleased.
Helena was busy trying to figure out Myka's body language. She had her hands on her hips, then threw them up in the air and her face was contorted. The methodical brain inside the scientist's head instantly listed the steps she should take – a) apologize, b) kiss her c) let the Chanel do its job, d) apologize again. The plan fired across her synapses as her eyes took in that Myka was coming at her quickly.
What the hell had Jane done?
"Myka, I …," was all Helena got out of her apology before Myka embraced the sides of Helena's head, and pressed her up against the wall, kissing her hard.
"I missed you," she said to Helena before she fell onto her mouth.
Apparently, missing Myka looked a lot like upset Myka tonight.
Helena finally figured out she should stop trying to talk while Myka had her like this and allowed her mouth to be devoured. Myka's aggressive actions flipped Helena's plan upside down – and the Brit couldn't have been happier. Or more turned on. She liked aggressive Myka who was kissing her like they had had separate vacations. Finally, she pulled back – but only to let Helena breathe.
It took Helena a second to realize that at the very same moment she uttered – I'm sorry, apologizing for Jane calling, Myka was saying the very same two words. What was Myka sorry for? Maybe she was tough on Jane? That would still be Helena's fault.
"It's okay, Myka. I know you didn't expect to have to deal with her," Helena said, waiting to get back to kissing.
"Oh Helena, please promise me you won't ….," Myka said, but Helena was already filling in the blanks.
"I won't kill her….yet," Helena said of the cop who was annoying her now.
"She's inside; we'll just talk to her ok?" Myka asked and her face was covered in concern.
"Here? What the hell is she doing here? Oh, she has some bloody nerve. I will make her leave," Helena said. Now the slamming of the door made sense. Not only had Jane called, she stopped over and now she was in the library? She started to make her way to the room when Myka pulled her back and again assaulted Helena's lips so sweetly that you could hear the screeching of Helena's brain putting the brakes on her plan.
"Let's forget her," Helena said, pulling Myka into her body and pushing up against the more sensitive parts. "God I want you," Helena said, now on fire between the intense kissing and remembering what it felt like to run her hands over Myka's bare skin.
"Oh I wish we could," Myka said, pulling back a little. "Apparently, she's staying."
That was the proverbial line in the sand and Jane had just crossed it. "The hell she is," Helena said going straight for the door. She flung it open as Myka called for her to wait. Now the Brit tried to figure out who the woman was that was standing by the fireplace.
"Who the hell are you?" Helena asked, because the intruder was not Jane and she was interrupting her time with Myka.
"So, you're Helena Wells," the woman said in a less than friendly tone.
"I know who the bloody hell I am. The question is ..," Helena was now saying sternly.
"Helena, this is Tracy, my sister," Myka said calmly. It should have registered with Helena faster, but right now that woman had thwarted her time with Myka.
"What the bloody hell are you doing here? What the bloody hell is she doing here?" Helena asked, turning to Myka.
"I thought you knew," Myka said.
"How would I know?" Helena asked confused now – a state she didn't do often and detested.
"I sent you a text. I texted you that Tracy surprised me by coming here," Myka said. Helena immediately looked at her phone. There was nothing, the battery lifeless from sheer exhaustion.
For a moment, there was dead silence. Even the flames in the fireplace seemed to be still.
"I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else. Helena Wells, how do you do?" Helena said, extending her hand – not to be polite, but to get a better look. Myka watched as Helena took Tracy's hand in hers and pulled her in slightly. It reminded her of how she had greeted Sam, all those months ago. She could almost see Helena scanning Tracy as she held her there.
"Tracy Bering-Benson," the younger sibling said and stared at Helena.
Seconds seemed to pass, both women in that stance. Myka feared neither would let go and so she literally grabbed both their wrists gently and pulled them apart.
"Well, isn't this nice?" Myka said and both women could hear the nervousness in her voice.
Only one of them was ready to remove the cause.
Were you surprised to see Myka's sister?
Will she have the same rough edge as her father?
What do you think her purpose here will be?