And this was going to be the shorter installment! Not.
Many thanks for those of you still on the journey.

Home Run

It was the first time in all the years Irene worked at Wells Corp that she felt it necessary to lock her office door. She knew Helena would make good on her promise of giving her only five minutes to fix this problem. She smiled hesitantly at the couple and asked them to sit down. She paused momentarily now, wondering if she should sit close to them or behind her desk. Helena's words came back to her and she moved to her chair using her desk as a buffer.

"We're on kind of a tight schedule," Warren said, as courteously as he could.

"Bridget's taking us to lunch and a show. You know, at first I didn't like this idea," Jeannie started to inform Irene.

"I wanted the Detective to take us around because she's got a gun. Can't be too careful in this City," Warren said and Irene realized the man had no idea that the most perilous thing to him was standing on the other side of her office door.

Irene's mind raced to find a way to get through to these people, whom she knew for a fact to be well meaning, but clueless at times.

"We…would love to stay….," Jeannie said, looking at Warren to back her up.

"We don't want to keep Bridget waiting," he added, hoping Irene wouldn't mind if they left.

They both liked Irene even if she was bossy at times. They could always tell that she cared deeply for their daughter and Helena, so they wanted to remain polite, but this woman's timing was terrible. "So, we'll stop by….," Jeannie said and Warren got up out of his seat.

Irene knew that she had to keep them there, at least for four minutes more. She was caught between a rock and Helena and she knew which direction she had to go. "You can't go out there!" she said, standing up and sounding sterner than she planned.

Warren stopped in his tracks and turned to look at his wife as if to ask – what is up with this woman. "Well, maybe we could stay a couple of minutes," Jeannie said to him because the Berings prided themselves on being polite, even to people who were frustrating them. It was from years of being in retail. The man sat down again, forcing a smile on his face.

"Mr. and Mrs. Bering…..," Irene said, taking her seat again and folding her hands on her desk, "…sometimes we….(no, that won't work)…You know how as parents we…(oh God, they'll never understand that)…Our children always look to us …..(They have blank looks of their faces)." It seemed that no matter which way Irene considered trying to get through to the Berings, it wasn't going to be effective. It was so unlike Irene not to know how to communicate her message, that even she was surprised. She finally threw her hands up – literally – and leaned over closer.

"There isn't anything Helena wouldn't do for your daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Bering," Irene started. "If she even senses that something is bothering Myka, Helena will go to any length to rectify the situation. And if she can't fix it," Irene said slowly and made sure they were looking at her, "…..she will have it removed."

"Oh, that's very sweet, but…," Jeannie said and Irene swore she heard someone call out – STRIKE ONE.

Irene pursed her lips and looked at the clock. "Mrs. Bering," she said hoping to divide and conquer, " Do you remember what it was like when you were pregnant? "

"Oh, if this is lady talk, I can wait outside," Warren said, not wanting to hear what followed. STRIKE TWO.

"Maybe we could get coffee before we leave," Jeannie suggested because she knew if Warren got up one more time, he was leaving. "Let's go," he said and Irene gave it one last try.

"Helena will kill you if you go outside," Irene said and got their attention.

"What? No, she won't," Jeannie said because it sounded so preposterous.

"She does have a temper," Warren pointed out, remembering back to when Helena spoke with him. "Did I ever tell you the time….."

Irene was afraid she was running out of time.

Bases loaded, bottom of the ninth, two outs, and one strike away from losing the World Series. (In other words – pretty dire).

"Helena sensed that your enthusiasm over being with Bridget might have bothered Myka. Helena has one rule about such things – they must cease and desist. So, you must now show as much enthusiasm about doing something with Myka and Helena, as you are about going out with Bridget. I would suggest that you make it sincere and convincing because I promise you, if Helena suspects it's not working, she will hold you to task until you get it right – no matter how long that takes," Irene said practically all in one breath.

"Myka is…jealous?" Jeannie finally asked Irene - mother to mother, and the HR Director could tell that possibility made Jeannie sad.

"They're always our kids," Irene answered and it was like waiting to see which side of the fence her final swing at bat was going to land.

Warren couldn't figure out what the big deal was, but thankfully, Jeannie was catching on. Myka was always the one who hid her feelings, so it was just plausible to Jeannie that what Irene was proposing could be true. "We should take them out to dinner tonight, Warren," Jeannie said in a moment of assertiveness that Irene wished she'd try more often.

"Okay," Warren said because underneath the cluelessness, he cared a great deal about his children.

Irene stole a peek at the clock – three minutes and eight seconds. IT'S A GRAND SLAM!

Millie's urgent call to Gloria brought the nurse quickly to the 16th floor where she was simply pointed in the direction of the pacing Brit outside Irene's office. "Anything I need to know?" Gloria asked Millie and Bridget.

"She's in lethal mode," Bridget quipped.

The nurse had no idea what that meant, but she understood the people in this building had their own way of expressing their thoughts, especially about Helena.

"Oh, good!" Helena said when the nurse approached. "We might have need of your area of expertise."

Gloria looked around and the only one who looked like they needed medical assistance was the CEO. Her ivory skin was blooming with red from her neck up to her cheeks. Her breathing was audible as she paced outside of Irene's office. Gloria looked over at Irene's assistant, Sandy, but she sat with her eyes glued to her computer screen for fear of catching Helena's attention.

"Who will need it?" Gloria asked and gently grabbed Helena's wrist to have her sit down. She resisted at first, but the nurse didn't let go and sat down herself on the couch. Helena wanted to point out her cheekiness, but the nurse was actually feeling the CEO's pulse. It didn't take Helena long to catch on to the woman's slight maneuver and she fixed her dark eyes on the woman.

"I am capable of taking my own pulse, thank you," Helena said, more insulted that the woman thought she could be cunning.

"I didn't want to interrupt you," Gloria smiled. "Now, what's this all about?"

"If Irene does not get through to those two dolts, they will need your less than sly maneuvers to fix them," Helena ranted and stood back up. She pushed up the sleeve on her gray three quarter length jacket that covered her black lace and gray dress to look at her Rolex watch. "She has two minutes."

Gloria had seen Helena like this before and could easily tell she was in protective mode. "They upset Myka?" she astutely asked.

"Don't they always?" Helena retorted. "You have no idea how many times I've spoken directly to them. Her father especially, and each time, they seem to be actually comprehending the words."

Gloria got a clear picture of what was going on now. Whatever the Berings did, they had upset Myka and were sent to Helena's Fixer as a courtesy before she took matters into her own hands. "Nice of you to give them a chance," the nurse noted as she straightened out her white skirt that she wore with a multi colored smock.

"Myka…..," her boss started, without realizing that the real subtlety the nurse possessed was in getting her to talk. The CEO took a deep breath and sat back down and said, "…Doesn't like it when I ….(swallow) ….. show people the error of their ways. She believes it better when it comes from within."

Gloria nodded her head. "She makes a very good point."

"Yes, well I have a way of motivating people to dig down and fix whatever it is they need to do in order to make things right," Helena said and looked at her watch. It was almost time to give Gloria a demonstration of that skill.

Inside, Irene was putting the finishing touches on something she liked to call – Ways to save Myka's parents. "I know a great place for Italian food," Irene was saying when Warren complained that he found New York food too spicy and longed for some good American food, even though he was here all of twenty-four hours.

"Remember, Warren," Jeannie said, having received the message, "The food isn't as important as spending time with Myka and Helena. We may not be back before the baby's born. Let's make it an enjoyable dinner."

Warren listened to his wife of many years and nodded. "Thank you, Irene," Jeannie said and hugged her. "You're a good friend to our girls."

Irene was afraid if Helena every heard them refer to her as one of their girls, she'd lose it. But that was a problem for another day. As soon as the five minutes were up, Irene's office door flew open. Helena stood there, bent bobby pin in hand and said of tumbler locks – "Well, thank heaven these haven't changed." The Cheshire like grin on her face was directed right at Irene.

"Oh, Helena!" Jeannie said upon seeing her daughter-in-law. "Warren and I want to take you and Myka to dinner tonight. We're leaving tomorrow and can't go without taking you two out."

Helena had been pretty sure Irene could talk sense into them, but she wasn't at all sure she could get them to sound so enthusiastic. Warren approached Helena and gave her a tight squeeze around the shoulders; an action that Helena abhorred. Irene's arched eyebrow conveyed that lifelong lesson she always seemed to be teaching her friend – 'Play nice.'

"That…will be wonderful," Helena said flatly, as she straightened out her jacket, wrinkled by the embrace.

"We'll go ask Myka," Jeanne said and the couple strolled down to her office. Helena stepped back outside, Irene joining her as they watched the couple. "Bridget, give us a minute. We want to ask Myka something," they heard the twosome say and then they asked Millie if could see Myka. Even from down the hallway, Helena could hear how impressed Myka was that her parents wanted to be with just the two of them later that evening. "Okay, sweetheart, we'll see you later," Jeannie said and kissed Myka goodbye. Then the couple waved to Helena and went on their way with Bridget. "We have to be back in time to take the girls to dinner," Warren explained to Bridget.

"They're leaving tomorrow," Irene whispered to her boss, whose head snapped back to look at her.

"You got them to do that?" Helena asked amazed.

"No, they already have the tickets," Irene answered truthfully.

"I would have doubled your bonus, had it been your doing," Helena said seriously.

"Oh, you'll reward me, don't worry," Irene said and returned to her office, leaving her boss standing in the hallway before she could respond.

"She is really so annoying," Helena said to Gloria, who watched the charade play out.