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SPOILERS: Season Two.
Dusty Footprints in Time
By Athena
Part 14: Are we..?
Three months later: South Dakota
Myka took a deep breath and stopped Helena before she could open the door. "Honey, I need to tell you something," she said softly.
"What is it?" Helena asked worriedly. "Are you not feeling well?"
Myka smiled and shook her head. "No, no I'm fine."
"Then what is it? You're scaring me."
Myka took Helena's hands and chewed on her lip for a moment. "I'm late," she whispered.
"Late for what?" Helena asked wild-eyed.
"My period," Myka whispered. "It's been over ten weeks since my last period."
Helena gaped and cupped Myka's face. "Dearest, are you certain?" she whispered.
Myka nodded. Helena laughed out loud. "My wife is pregnant."
"Helena, it could just be a coincidence," Myka said gently. "I should get a pregnancy test to make sure."
"We should get Dr. Calder here," Helena said and grabbed her Farnsworth.
Myka put her hand on top of Helena's, stopping her. "Let's try the pregnancy test first, okay?"
Helena nodded and closed the Farnsworth. She took Myka's hand and dragged her over to the door. "Let's head into town then, dearest. No time like the present. Let us not dawdle one second longer," she said cheerfully.
Myka laughed and followed Helena at a somewhat slower pace down the stairs.
"Helena," Myka hissed. "We don't need all of them. Just one."
"What if the one you pick malfunctions?" Helena argued. "It says here that they are not always reliable. Perhaps trying more than once would be best?"
Myka nodded. "I agree, but we don't need twenty five of them. Get two or three. That's more than enough."
Helena reluctantly put back the handful of pregnancy tests that she had dumped in Myka's shopping basket. She grabbed another two, different brands from the first two. Myka raised an eyebrow and Helena gave her a stern look.
"No arguing," she muttered. "This one is supposed to be the most reliable, so we are taking two of that one, and one of each of these other ones, just to be on the safe side."
"I don't even know if I can pee that much," Myka muttered and rolled her eyes.
Helena laughed and wrapped her arm around Myka's waist.
Helena paced nervously outside the bathroom waiting for Myka to come out. She glanced at her watch again and glared at the door.
"Darling, what's taking you so long?"
The door opened slowly and Myka stepped out, her eyes on the floor. Helena rushed to her and cupped her face.
"Well?" she asked impatiently. Her face fell when she saw the serious look on Myka's face. "No?"
"Helena," Myka said in a gentle voice. "You're going to be a mommy."
Helena gaped and then made a face at Myka. "You had me worried sick looking like that!"
Myka laughed and hugged Helena close. She kissed her and smiled at Helena.
"I'm sorry for teasing you."
"You should be," Helena muttered, but then smiled. She swung Myka around in a little dance on the floor. "We are having a baby."
"Yes Helena, you knocked me up," Myka said and rolled her eyes.
Helena laughed and kissed her. She gently put her palm on Myka's stomach. "My beautiful wife is with child, and she will just get more and more beautiful as time passes."
Myka made a face. "I'm glad you think so, because I can't say that I'm really looking forward to puffing up like a whale."
"You will absolutely glow my darling. I have no doubt about it. You will be the most beautiful pregnant woman that has ever lived."
Myka smiled. "Thank you. You always make me feel beautiful."
"Always, love."
Myka snuggled closer, enjoying the comfort of Helena's arms.
"I'm a bit scared," she confessed in a faint whisper.
"I know, darling. So am I," Helena said and kissed her temple. "But I know that we can do this together. You will be an amazing mother Myka."
Helena watched in fascination as the ultrasound machine displayed an image of the fetus. She gripped Myka's hand harder as a steady heartbeat could be heard.
"There's your baby," Dr. Calder said and smiled at them. "Everything looks absolutely normal."
"She's beautiful," Helena whispered.
Vanessa smiled at her. "It's a bit early to determine the sex, but if you want to know, I will make sure that we take a good look next time."
Helena smiled and looked at Myka. "I think we would like to know for sure, but we already know in our hearts that it's a girl."
"Most parents have a hunch," Dr, Calder agreed. "Sometimes it's right, sometimes not."
Early March, Essex, England
"This is all your fault," an eight months pregnant Myka muttered and, irritated, eased into the car. She glared at Helena through the window.
"Darling, you are beautiful," Helena said for the tenth time as she started up the car and pulled away from the Cottage.
"I look like a pregnant whale," Myka huffed. "And I can't see my feet anymore."
"You will in a couple of weeks."
Myka huffed and looked out the window.
"In the meantime I get to pick your nail polish color," Helena teased.
"Oh shut it, Wells," Myka muttered.
Helena just laughed and shook her head. "You know, England doesn't seem to bring out the lady in you."
Myka glared at her again.
"I love you darling, and nothing that you say or do while pregnant will change that," Helena said cheerfully. "I'll take all the abuse and it will just wash right off of me."
"Bloody marvelous," Myka muttered, using another of her recently acquired favorite British words.
"You really need to start watching your language darling," Helena teased. "The baby can hear you."
"Shut it," Myka muttered. "If I want to swear I bloody well will."
Helena laughed out loud. "All right then. So baby shopping first, or lunch first?"
"Baby shopping," Myka mumbled. "Please."
Helena grinned and took Myka's hand. "I love you."
"I love you too," Myka said and rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry that I was mean to you."
"Don't worry about it. I'm sure I'll be just as bad, or worse while pregnant."
Myka chuckled and nodded. "God help us all, if that ever happens."
Myka looked out the window, admiring the early spring landscape. The drive from Wells Hall to the nearby village really was beautiful, she mused. She glanced at Helena and smiled.
"I'm sorry, sweetie," she whispered. "It's just that we have so little time alone before you have to leave again and it's really frustrating to think about at times. Still, I shouldn't be taking it out on you."
Helena took Myka's hand and squeezed it. "I've told Artie that if something comes up within the next week I'm available, but after that I need to be here with you."
Myka nodded. "Don't get me wrong, sweetie, I want you to go. You and Pete make a good team, and he sure as hell needs you there."
Helena chuckled. "I do enjoy working with him. It surprised me really. We've had so many ups and downs. I was a little apprehensive at becoming his partner, without having you there."
"I'm sure that you're much nicer to him than I normally am," Myka mumbled.
Helena laughed out loud. "He has mentioned from time to time that you can be a little abusive, darling," she teased. "I'm sure he deserved every little bruise."
Myka made a face and mumbled something about what she would do to Pete next time she saw him.
"Well, here we are, darling," Helena said and parked right next to the exclusive children's clothing store.
Later the same week, Boston College, Boston, Massachusetts
Helena sprinted after Pete down the dark hallway. Bright light was coming out of a room further down on the left. Slowing down as they approached, Pete made a hand gesture to Helena. She nodded and pulled on her gloves before grabbing her Tesla. Armed and ready they both charged through the door.
It only took a moment to sedate the janitor. While Pete cuffed him, Helena slipped the artifact into a large neutralizer bag. It sizzled and popped as the artifact was disarmed of its power.
"Snagged and bagged," Pete said and grinned at Helena.
"All in a day's work," she said and winked at him.
When Myka had really started to show, she had been assigned desk duty and was officially off field work until after the baby was born. She had clearly not been happy with it, but with each day she started to agree. Helena had been assigned as Pete's current partner since Jinks and Claudia had been permanent field partners for a while now.
Pete grinned at Helena who was relaxing in the passenger seat.
"We did good today, Wells."
She chuckled and nodded. "We're not such a bad team, even without Myka."
"I know, and I take much less abuse when it's just us."
"Are you saying that you prefer me over my wife?" Helena teased.
Pete winced. "She's a bit rougher around the edges than you are. And you don't normally hit me. Occasionally you Tesla me, but that's very rare."
Helena smirked. "If you feel deprived just let me know."
"Thanks, but I'm good. The last bruises have almost faded by now."
"Myka is right, you are a girl."
"Hey! Be nice. Just because you're sexually frustrated, being away from the little wife doesn't mean that you should take it out on me."
Helena sighed. "I'm sorry."
He shot her a quick glance. "Hey, I didn't mean to bum you out."
"That's all right Pete. I do miss her, and I worry about her."
He nodded. "And you're not getting any nookie, I know."
Helena laughed and shook her head. "At this point in her pregnancy Myka is not all that interested in sex. It's quite normal actually."
"I'm sorry," he said embarrassed. "I was just teasing."
"I know. I'm just explaining to you that it will most likely be a while until you'll have to use your ear plugs."
"Aw, sorry, man. That must be tough."
"It's all worth it in the end."
"I appreciate that we can talk like this," he said and made a gesture between the two of them. "You know, talk about women."
Helena chuckled and shook her head. "Oh Pete, you do make me smile."
Helena's cell phone started to ring and she pulled it out of her pocket.
"I'm sorry. I need to take this. It's Myka."
Pete nodded.
"Hello darling, how are you?"
Pete tried not to listen to the one-sided conversation. It was hard when you were only a foot or two away, but he tried to concentrate on the driving. Finally Helena hung up and put the phone away.
"She's fine. The baby is fine too."
"Good."
"Since we'll be back a day or two early I'm going to see if I can change my flight and get back to England sooner."
Pete nodded. "This is your last mission before the baby is due."
"Correct."
"I'm glad that you came with me," he said honestly and looked seriously at her. "You're really good in the field, and I can always trust that you have my back."
"Thanks Pete. That means a lot," she said and smiled at him. Helena gently touched his arm and gave it a little squeeze.
"Awesomeness!"
Helena smiled at Claudia as she entered the warehouse office. Pete had hit the floor right away to put the artifact on the "recent acquisitions" shelf in wait of its more permanent location. Helena took the card Claudia handed her and skimmed the information. She nodded to herself and then took the offered pen and signed off on the artifact description. She handed the pen back to Claudia and put the card in the "to be filed" box.
"The nursery looks like something right out of a fairytale. I can't wait for you to come and visit and see it for real," Myka's voice said on the speakers.
Realizing that Claudia was talking to Myka via Skype, Helena sneaked up behind the girl and smiled at her wife over Claudia's shoulder.
"Helena!" Myka exclaimed and grinned at her.
"Hello darling," Helena purred. "You look stunning as usual."
"Thanks. How was the mission?"
"Oh, fine. As I told you in the car, pretty standard. I didn't even have to fire my gun."
"Disappointing," Claudia muttered.
"If I can change my flight I'll be back day after tomorrow."
Myka grinned. "I'd like that. Hey can you bring me some stuff?"
"Twizzlers, Jif peanut butter, pretzels, oh and grandma undies," Claudia interjected and checked each item off on her fingers.
"Claudia! Not funny," Myka said and glared at her. "I'm pregnant, not old."
"You are beautiful darling. Don't you worry, I'll torture Claudia long and slow for making fun of you. She has no idea what's coming," Helena said in a low, menacing voice as she grabbed Claudia's shoulders in a vice-like grip.
"I was just joking," Claudia squeaked and looked scared. "Myka tell her. I'm sorry, all right?"
"Helena, let her go," Myka said and rolled her eyes.
"If you insist," Helena said and made a face. "I'm getting bored here all by myself. I could use the distraction."
"Go and play in the HG Wells section," Claudia muttered. She bolted out of her seat and scampered across the room to the filing cabinets eyeing Helena warily.
"Helena, be nice to Claudia. She's like my little sister, you know that."
"Yeah, what she said," Claudia said loudly from across the room. Helena shot her a dark look. "Okay, I'll shut up now."
Helena talked to Myka for another couple of minutes before closing the connection. She leaned back in her seat and sighed. Turning her head she smiled at Claudia.
"You know that I would never hurt you, right darling?"
"I guess," Claudia muttered. "You're pretty scary looking sometimes, and when Myka is involved, I'm not so sure."
"True, but you are family. Unless you actually purposely set out to hurt her, you have nothing to fear from me."
"Thanks."
Helena glanced at Claudia's back. A thought emerged and she smiled wickedly.
"Um, Claudia, did I ever tell you about my latest invention? My Tesla alarm system?" she purred.
Claudia turned around and just gaped. "Holy frak, you didn't?"
Helena bit her lip and nodded. "Would you like to see the schematics?"
"Would I…" Claudia rolled her eyes. "Spill it lady."
Helena laughed and pulled her chair closer to the computer.