DISCLAIMER: The characters herein are used without permission. No infringement intended.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
SPOILERS: Spoilers from Vendetta until Reset.
FEEDBACK: To ariadni.mou[at]gmail.com
Dating HG Wells
By Athena
Chapter 7
Egypt, 10 days prior
Myka held Helena closer trying to draw strength from her. She was scared. Scared for what they would find in the morning. Scared that something would happen to Helena, or Pete. She felt her lover stir and turn in her arms.
"Myka, what's wrong?" she asked gently.
"I'm scared Helena," she said in a small voice.
Helena held her tight and gently caressed her back. "It will be all right. I won't allow anything bad to happen to you, darling."
"How can you promise that? This is so different from anything we've faced before."
Helena kissed her softly. "Yes it is, but I know that you can handle it."
Myka felt the passion from earlier rekindle itself. She looked into Helena's dark eyes searching for something. "Make love to me Helena. If something happens to either of us tomorrow, I want to have this memory of us," she whispered.
Helena shivered. If something should happen… She didn't say anything, but put all her love into making Myka feel like the most loved woman in the world. When Myka finally fell asleep Helena lay awake pondering the morning and the events to come. She placed a soft kiss on Myka's brow watching her smile in her sleep. A silent tear fell from her dark eyes as she realized that this really could be the last time she would ever hold Myka in her arms. She wished that things had been different, that she could have told Myka the whole truth from the start. As it was now, all she could do was pray that Myka would understand, and perhaps one day find it in her heart to forgive her.
Present Day
Myka stared at the ring in her hand. There was no doubt about it. It was Helena's. The big question was, how had it ended up here? She looked at the ring more closely, trying to see if there was an inscription inside. Noticing something there she held it up to the light and squinted. "Always," she finally read. She leaned back against the headboard and closed her fingers around the ring. She could feel the outline of the star imprint itself against her palm.
"What do you want to tell me?" she whispered to the silent room. As expected, there was no answer.
She had checked out of the hotel and continued her trip. She occasionally glanced at the ring that now resided on her right hand. It still felt a little unfamiliar as she was unused to its presence. She reached for her coffee and the ring glimmered in the bright sunlight.
Myka sipped her coffee and sighed. At least that tasted the same. Thank you Starbucks, she thought. She had just put the coffee back in the cup holder when her phone rang. She reached into her pocket and to her surprise there were two items in there. She pulled out her phone… and Helena's locket. She stared at it as if it were a snake. It slipped through her fingers and landed on the passenger seat. She felt tears in her eyes. She had Helena's ring and her locket. This could not be good.
The phone kept ringing and she looked irritated at the display. It was a blocked call. Angry enough she answered it.
"Yes?" she barked into the pone.
"Myka, please calm down," Mrs. Frederic's voice said sternly on the other end.
"Is she dead?" Myka yelled. "Why else would I have her things?"
Mrs. Frederic sighed on the other end and Myka started to get angry again.
"She's not dead Myka," she said softly. "You have her things because she wanted you to have them."
"Why? Is she about to die?"
"No she's not."
"But why?" Myka whispered confused.
"I want you to pull over Myka. I am going to give you an address. We will meet there and discuss this further."
Myka slowed down and pulled over to the side of the abandoned interstate. She scribbled down the address. It did not sound familiar.
"Now what?" she asked. There was no response and she realized that the line had gone dead. She flung the phone on the passenger seat and growled in frustration. She banged her hands on the steering wheel. Finally calming down she grabbed the GPS and plugged in the address of her new destination. According to the GPS it would take her two hours and forty three minutes to get there.
"Fine, she can buy me lunch," she muttered.
Myka pulled into the parking lot and glanced around. A few cars were parked outside the ordinary looking truck stop, but nothing seemed alarming to her. She turned off the car and glanced at the locket on the seat next to her. She picked it up and weighed it in her hand. It felt just like it had the first time she held it. She opened it and as expected, Christina's face smiled at her. To her surprise there was also a picture of Helena in there. She ran her finger over her beautiful face and sighed. Finally she snapped it shut and put it around her neck. She slipped it inside her shirt and shivered a little as the cold metal touched her skin. Even so, knowing that she had Helena close to her heart gave her comfort and strength.
Myka glanced around the half full diner looking for Mrs. Frederic. She was not there. Myka slipped into a booth and ordered a coffee. The waitress served her and disappeared again. Myka could feel eyes on her and looked up. Several people were looking at her. She started to feel uncomfortable.
"Agent Bering."
Myka's head snapped up at the familiar voice. She turned her head and looked at Mrs. Frederic. She was standing in the middle of the diner looking at Myka.
"Welcome to the Gathering of the Regents."
"Regents?" Myka said surprised. She glanced around the room and noticed that everyone's eyes were now on her. "Are you telling me that these people are Regents? They don't exactly look like Regents."
Mrs. Frederic smiled and walked closer. She sat down at a table across the aisle from Myka.
"Regents come in many shapes and sizes, Myka. Not all of them are like Mr. Valda."
"Or Mr. Kosan," Myka mumbled.
"Mr. Kosan is a bit different," Mrs. Frederic said patiently and smiled.
"So why am I here?"
"To pass the test of course."
"Test?" Myka exclaimed. "What test?"
"Think of it as your yearly evaluation as a Warehouse agent."
"My what?" Myka exclaimed. She started to get angry again. "I resigned, remember?" She started to get up.
"Sit down Agent Bering," Mrs. Frederic said sternly.
Myka sank back into her seat again and glared at her.
"Do you really think that it is that simple? That you can just walk away from the Warehouse? The Warehouse chose you. I chose you."
"Why?" Myka muttered.
"You were faced with a great challenge Myka," she continued, ignoring Myka's question.
"HG Wells," Myka muttered. "Yeah, well that didn't work out so great now, did it? Why would you still want me after that disaster?"
"I was disappointed that you chose to leave before the completion of the assignment."
"What? It was done, over. She was hauled away to," Myka waved her hand. "Wherever you keep the really bad and crazy ones."
"No she wasn't," a voice said behind her.
Myka jumped to her feet and turned around. She stared at HG Wells who was standing there smiling at her. Helena looked as beautiful as ever, perhaps even more radiant in a white suit and crisp dark shirt.
"What are you doing here?" Myka whispered.
"I came to speak on your behalf darling," HG said and smiled.
"You…" Myka laughed and shook her head. "You came to clear me? What is this? Surrealverse?"she barked.
"Agent Bering, you have a lot to answer for," HG said sternly and walked over, not stopping until they were inches apart, effectively invading Myka's personal space so smoothly as if she had every right to do so. "Do not take this lightly. I am not the one on trial here, Agent Bering. You are."
Myka looked wild-eyed at her. She reached out to touch her, but pulled her hand back when she realized what she was about to do. She glanced around the room and finally her eyes landed on Mrs. Frederic.
"Can someone please tell me what's really going on here?"
"Have a seat Agent Bering," HG said.
Myka sat down and glared up at her. She folded her arms and leaned back.
"Regent Wells claims that your actions have been outstanding," Mrs. Frederic said suddenly.
"Regent Wells?" Myka exclaimed and laughed. "You've got to be kidding me."
"I can assure you that nothing here is a laughing matter," HG said seriously.
Myka just stared at her.
"Agent Bering, you left before the mission was completed, before debriefing with your superior. This is highly unusual for you, and truly disappointing," HG continued.
"Why did you leave, Agent Bering? The real reason this time," Mrs. Frederic said.
"It's personal," Myka mumbled.
"Nothing is personal, Agent Bering," HG said icily. "If you want to have any chance whatsoever to restore the council's trust and faith in you, you need to explain your reasons."
Myka stood up and walked over to her. She looked her straight in the eyes.
"Do you really want me to tell you? In front of them?" she said.
Her question, spoken so calmly took HG by surprise and she tensed up, but just as quickly as she reacted, the emotions were gone, replaced by her usual unreadable expression.
"We do not have the luxury of privacy, Myka," she said, holding Myka's gaze.
"Fine," Myka snapped. "I left because I thought I had lost you." She closed her eyes and her hands clenched into little fists as she fought the tears. "With you by my side I felt invincible, like I could do anything, that there was no mission dangerous or difficult enough." She closed her eyes again.
"Agent Bering, focus," HG said seriously, but there was a softness in her voice that had not been there before.
"I just could not stand to be there one moment longer knowing that I would never see you again, that I would never experience the thrill of a mission, working side-by-side with you," Myka whispered. She looked down at her hands. "And knowing that it had never meant anything to you. That I meant nothing to you, that I was nothing more than a pawn in your insane plan, well, it hurt."
"And yet you never stopped to think that it might not have been what it seemed?" HG asked her.
"Of course I did!" Myka barked and glared at her. "I wanted you to be good, damn it!"
Myka returned to her seat and slumped down. She rested her head in her hands.
"You were doing extremely well up until the moment when you left. Leaving your team behind like that, shattering the group, shows lack of inner strength, Agent Bering. It is of grave concern to us," Mrs. Frederic said.
"Perhaps you should not have encouraged Agent, I mean Regent Wells to pursue me then," she snapped.
"Agents have pursued relationships in the past and it has never been a real concern to us," Mrs. Frederic noted. "Perhaps this time it was a bit more unusual considering Regent Wells' background, but still, we didn't see any harm in it. Your actions however, are greatly disturbing."
Myka huffed and looked away.
"Myka," HG said softly.
The tone of voice surprised Myka. It was the same tone of voice Helena normally used when speaking to her in private. She trembled and tried not to cry. This was the voice of her Helena, her friend and lover.
HG kneeled by Myka and put a hand on her thigh.
"Please Myka, you need to explain, or they will lock you up until you do."
"What?" Myka exclaimed. "Lock me up?"
HG smiled at her for the first time. Myka bit her lip trying not to touch her.
"Do it Myka," HG said softly. "I know you want to touch me. It's all right."
Myka glared at her, but when she saw only honesty in HG's eyes she tentatively reached out and ran a finger down HG's cheek.
"Why did you give me your ring and Christina's locket?"
"Because darling, that's what people do who care deeply for each other. I wanted you to protect what was most important to me."
"Oh God, Helena," Myka whispered. She caressed HG's cheek. "My heart was broken," she whispered. "That's why I left. I needed to heal in order to be able to trust myself in the field again. I have seen what can happen when an agent is distracted by love. Sam died because of me, because he was distracted. His mind was not a hundred percent on the job. Because he allowed his feelings for me to interfere, he did not think, or act like a secret service agent. And it got him killed. It could have been worse; he could've got other people killed too. We could not depend on him," she said in a hollow voice. "I could not let that happen to anyone I care about," she said softly. "If that means that you want to lock me up somewhere until I'm fit for duty again, fine, so be it, but know that I would do it again, should I feel that I am no longer trustworthy in the field. My fellow agents' safety is my first priority. It used to be keeping the President safe, but since that's no longer my duty, the next thing is the safety of the team."
HG nodded slowly. She looked up at Mrs. Frederic.
"What about your own safety?" Mrs. Frederic asked.
"What?" Myka asked confused.
"You asked me to shoot you," HG said seriously.
"Oh, that," Myka mumbled. She looked HG in the eyes. She traced a perfect eyebrow and smiled a crooked half smile before letting her hand fall down in her lap again. "Your eyes have always held the secret to your feelings Helena. I could tell that you would never hurt me," she said tiredly. "And even if you had, if you were really going to destroy the world, I would die anyway. I thought that faced with the realization that the person you claimed to love would die because of your actions, you might reconsider."
"And you were right," HG said. She got up and put her hand on Myka's shoulder. "I would of course never have struck the trident a third time. I counted on that you would find a way of stopping me, and you did."
Mrs. Frederic slowly rose and glanced around the room.
"I have heard enough and call for a vote."
"What?" Myka said confused. HG's hand gripped her shoulder harder and she shook her head at her.
"Who feels that Agent Bering is not fit to return to duty?"
Myka held her breath as a couple of hands were raised. It was not quite half, but it was a good number.
"Noted," Mrs. Frederic said. "Who feels that Agent Bering's explanation of her actions is satisfactory and that she should be allowed to return to duty immediately?"
Again hands were slowly raised. Myka counted and then closed her eyes. It was the same amount of hands as against. She felt HG grip her shoulder and she looked up at her. She watched as HG slowly raised her hand. Helena's lips started to curl until she was grinning down at Myka.
"Darling, you passed."
Myka took a deep breath and laughed but it turned into a sob. She felt HG pull her close and she wrapped her arms around her slender waist. She never noticed the other Regents silently leave the diner.
"Regent Wells, will you make sure that Agent Bering returns to the Warehouse?" Mrs. Frederic asked.
"I most certainly will," HG said. "After her vacation is over."
"Certainly," Mrs. Frederic said with the tiniest chuckle.
Myka pulled away from HG and frowned.
"Vacation?" she asked confused.
"I thought we needed some time alone to talk," HG said and caressed her cheek. She tucked a lock of Myka's hair behind her ear. "I feel that I have a great deal to explain to you."
Myka nodded. HG held out her hand to her.
"Shall we?"
Myka took her hand and together they left the diner. Myka did not look back. She would be forever grateful if she would never have to see the place again.
Myka sipped her Martini and glanced at Helena. Helena's drink sat mostly untouched on the table in front of her. After the meeting with the Regents, Helena had asked Myka to drive them to the nearest airport where a small jet was waiting for them. When she asked Helena about it, she was told it belonged to the Regents and it had been Helena's mode of transportation to get to the meeting.
A few hours later they had touched down in southern California. A car had been waiting for them as they got off the plane. And here they were in a small, but gorgeous house close to the beach. Myka watched the sun set behind the trees and sighed.
"We could have had this talk anywhere Myka," Helena said suddenly. "I chose to bring you here because I thought you could use some time to relax. And on a more personal note I thought the beauty of the place might soften your judgment of my actions," Helena said with a little smirk.
"You did, huh?" Myka said and chuckled. She glanced at Helena. "You do have an unfair advantage."
"I do?" Helena said surprised. "Oh do tell darling," she said and leaned closer.
Myka gestured to her. "That," she said and shook her head. "I still love you Helena, that hasn't changed. You hurt me, but that doesn't cancel out my feelings for you," she said seriously.
"I am very pleased to hear that, because my feelings haven't changed either," Helena said and took Myka's hand.
"I wish that you had told me," Myka said.
"I know darling, but I couldn't. It would have jeopardized the entire operation. It would have ruined your chances of showing them what an outstanding agent you are. To fall in love with you was never part of the mission. I could have completed the mission perfectly fine even without you in my bed, darling. It was a delicious surprise that actually made the mission harder for me. I tried to fight the attraction as you know, but I couldn't. It was too strong."
Myka chuckled and looked at Helena out of the corner of her eye.
"You really mean that?"
"Of course I do!" Helena said slightly upset. "I would never joke about that."
"Good to know."
"I have read most of the reports from today's meeting and they are good Myka, very good."
"What about the ones who voted against me?"
"They expressed their concern, but they have faith in the counsel and its decisions. They don't think that you will disappoint the Warehouse again."
"How can they be sure?"
"Because they believe in us, darling," Helena said and laughed.
"What?" Myka said confused.
"They noticed the fact that you were wearing my ring, and that you asked about the locket. I had not told them about that. The fact that the gesture held meaning to you impressed them, and even more so that you accepted them," she said and smiled. "They were surprised by my actions. Everyone knows how much my locket means to me. That I would give it to someone else says something about my feelings for that person, and how much trust I put in the person."
Myka looked at her. She swallowed as tears again threatened to fall.
"I meant what I said to you in Egypt Myka," Helena whispered. "I really do hope that you can forgive me."
"I already have," Myka whispered.
Helena got up and slowly walked over to Myka, stopping right in front of her. Myka took her hands and pulled her down on her lap. She caressed Helena's hair and rested her forehead against her chest. Helena gently stroked her curly head, enjoying the feel of having Myka in her arms again.
"A week ago we made love in Egypt," she mumbled.
"That's what kept me from going crazy," Myka whispered.
Helena gently cupped Myka's chin and smiled at her upturned face.
"How so?"
"The love you showed me and the way you made love to me…" her voice broke. "I just refused to believe that it was all an act."
"It wasn't, darling. It never was," Helena said and kissed her softly.
Myka grabbed Helena and pulled her closer in a desperate need to be as close to her as possible.
"Darling, easy now, I'm not going anywhere," Helena said and chuckled.
"Sorry," Myka mumbled a bit embarrassed. "It's just that I'm a bit emotional to say the least. Today has been quite nerve-racking."
Helena cupped her face and kissed her softly. She flicked her tongue against Myka's upper lip and licked it teasingly, slowly driving Myka mad with need. She felt her tremble and separated Myka's lips with her tongue. She moaned and pressed closer to Myka as their tongues touched.
"Please let me make love to you tonight, darling," she whispered against Myka's lips. "I need to feel you against me, for us to connect fully."
"I know," Myka whispered. She looked into Helena's dark eyes and saw the need and fear in them. "I want that too."
Helena pulled her against her and let out a deep sigh in relief.
"Does this mean I need to call you Regent Wells now?" Myka mumbled.
"Only in bed, darling," Helena teased. She yelped when Myka pinched her butt.
"Well then, your highness," she said and made a face at Helena. "Take me to bed, Regent Wells."
Helena laughed and kissed her once more before sliding off Myka's lap. She held out her hand to her. Myka happily put hers in Helena's.
The End