grumpybear1031 | Belief & Betrayal Chapter 15

+ Title: Belief & Betrayal
+ Authors:

shaych_03
+ Fandom: Warehouse 13
+ Pairing: H.G./Myka
+ Notes: Ladies lovin’ ladies ahead… and angst, and action, and well, just read it – we promise you a happy ending. Takes place where 2X12 Reset leaves off, possible spoilers for both seasons. Some liberties taken with certain events, as we don't have actual dates for H.G.'s bronzing etc... We are finally finished and doing a second round of edits...whooo hooo.
+ Rating: We'll play it safe and say R throughout NC-17 Chapters will be clearly marked.
+ Disclaimer: Warehouse 13 and it's characters belongs to Syfy. We're just borrowing them for a while and promise to give them back.
Thanks to

taterc for help with a quick beta.

Author's Note: Shay, I hope you can forgive me for dragging you into this mess. My obsession with H.G. Wells blinded me, and a need to correct the total mess that was “Reset” kind of made me crazy. I'm not much of a writer so your help in getting this from inside my head to down on paper is very much appreciated. I'd also like to say a big thanks to darandkerry for being an amazing beta. Your suggestions and punctuation help are invaluable.

Author's Note: Jen, you may have dragged me into watching Warehouse 13 kicking and screaming, but I've had more fun working on this story with you than I have in a long time. Your ideas are great; you have a natural ability to kick start my muse and keep her chugging along happily. Should I even bother to mention how good you are at calling me on BS characterizations or reinterpreting the sometimes cornball melodrama that my muse creates? Anyway, I'm glad you got me into this. I would also like to add my thanks to

darandkerry , for her spot on beta skills. I hope we didn't kill you with all the missing commas.

PREVIOUS CHAPTERS
CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 2 CHAPTER 3 & 4 CHAPTER 5 CHAPTER 6 CHAPTER 7 CHAPTER 8 CHAPTER 9 CHAPTER 10 CHAPTER 11 CHAPTER 12 CHAPTER 13 CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 15

By the time they finally got around to eating, it wouldn't have mattered what kind of hot dogs Myka had purchased. The outsides were overly crispy and the insides were extremely dry, but they were warm, filling, and once drowned in ketchup and served with handfuls of potato chips, went down easily enough.

While they ate, Myka brought Helena up to speed on the conversation she'd had with Mrs. Fredric.

"Wait, so you're saying that we're both still active agents?" Helena looked so adorable with ketchup smeared on her lips and nose that Myka could barely stop herself from leaning over and kissing her face clean.

Frowning slightly as Helena's question broke through her pleasurable daze, Myka said, "You know, I'm not really certain. I think so? Maybe? I don't know. I suspect that by the time this is all over, even if our innocence is proven, we'll have to face some sort of review." She sighed and then shrugged in indifference. "Probation's not so bad - a few months of desk duty, followed by limited field work, and then, as long as we've proven ourselves, we'll be back up to full status in six, maybe seven months."

Helena nibbled on a chip. "Things were so much simpler in Warehouse 12. If an agent made an unforgivable mistake, they were transferred to the records and research facility in Outer Mongolia."

"Oh yeah," Myka nodded. "That happens here, too. I can't tell you how many poor schmucks I know that have been sent off to Alaska because they couldn't make the grade."

Dusting off her hands, Helena leaned back against the picnic bench and said, "Well, I suppose it might be interesting to learn how to mush."

Myka just gave her a look. "You sound like you actually want to get reassigned to the frozen north."

Shrugging, Helena replied, "It's certainly better than spending the next hundred years in the bronze sector, or worse." Helena tried not to think about the fate that the regents had planned for her. No one wanted to go to the Farm. Eternal bronzing was far more preferable to spending even a week inside the super secret facility.

Startled, Myka said, "There's worse than being turned into a real, live, version of Han Solo in carbonite?"

"Oh, that movie was rather good fun, wasn't it? I particularly enjoyed the part when that ape man put the automaton’s head on backwards."

"I take it that you got roped into a geek movie marathon with Claudia and Pete?" said Myka as she started cleaning up their mess. There was just enough coals left to start a fire, and she intended to use them to enjoy a couple of cups of cocoa and some s'mores before they went to sleep.

"Oh, is that what that was called?" Helena smiled. "I just remember having Pete and Claudia lure me into Pete's room and plying me with copious amounts of popcorn, beer, and modern trivia."

"I hope you weren't too sick the next day. I just can't begin to imagine what kind of beer Pete might serve with popcorn. And I really hope he wasn't letting Claudia drink. It's illegal to serve alcohol to anyone under twenty-one." There was no question in Myka's mind that Pete had abstained. His sobriety was far too important to him for him to sacrifice just for the sake of a movie. As she spoke, Myka opened a small bundle of firewood and carefully fed small sticks to the coals until they caught, then slowly built the tiny flame into a generous, roaring blaze. The heat and light were a welcome addition to a night that was growing darker and colder by the minute.

Helena grinned. "I've not met a beer yet that didn't agree with me. Though I must say, American Pilsners have quite improved from my day. As for Claudia – since Pete abstained, who else was I to share my years of study and appreciation of the lowly hop with? Although, as I do recall, she wasn't nearly as enamored of the drink as I."

On the table, Myka laid out the ingredients for s'mores. "Well, I hope you like this, too." Skewering several marshmallows, she handed a stick to Helena. "Just hold it over the fire until the surface is golden brown. Or you can put it deeper into the flame, let the sugar burn, and use the gooey, charred remains. Either way is good." She demonstrated by first toasting one marshmallow, and then charcoaling the other. Both were then placed on graham crackers that had been topped with squares of Hershey's chocolate.

After crowning the whole mess with a second graham cracker, Myka presented the result to Helena. "Here, try this."

With her only good arm occupied with holding a skewered marshmallow, Helena improvised. She opened her mouth, leaned forward, and took a bite of the confection. The warm, sweet, sticky explosion of flavor and texture was incredible, but it was nothing compared to the expression of utter desire that burned in Myka's gaze when Helena's teeth grazed her fingertips.

Licking her lips, Helena said, "Delicious," and then moved in to take a second bite. This time, she lingered, sucking all remaining bits of chocolate and marshmallow from Myka's fingers.

Weakly, Myka said, "Here, try this one, too, so you can decide which you like better." Nervously, she scooped up the second s'more and offered it. As she had both hoped and feared, Helena again took small bites of the snack and then, once it was gone, licked Myka's fingers clean. Entranced by the sensation of Helena's lips and tongue on her fingertips, Myka ignored everything but the need to touch Helena. Letting her fingers linger on Helena's mouth, she traced the shape of the other woman's lips over and over until Helena spoke her name.

"Myka, come here." Both a plea and a command, Helena's request broke the haze of lust that had settled around Myka.

Letting her hand drop, Myka collapsed on the bench beside Helena. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

Helena just smiled wickedly. "Oh darling, you definitely do not make me uncomfortable." Abandoning her marshmallow to the flame, Helena settled her good arm around Myka's shoulders, drew the other woman against her, and leaned in close, lightly nuzzling the soft skin behind Myka's ear. "You are entirely too distracting, Myka Bering. Whatever shall I do with you?"

"How about kiss me?" Myka whispered brokenly as Helena nibbled on her earlobe.

With a final nip, Helena murmured, "What a wonderful idea." Slowly, she traced a winding path of gentle kisses along Myka's jaw and, by the time their mouths touched, they were both breathing hard. Gone was any tentative connection; this kiss was all about feeding the intensity of the passion erupting between them. Helena was fire, Myka her fuel, and together, they burned hotter than the sun.

Giving rein to the desire sweeping over her, Myka shifted until she was straddling Helena, her fingers buried in the other woman's thick, dark hair. Pressing their bodies close, Myka kissed her over and over, wanting - needing - to bask in the glorious sensations Helena's touch had awakened in her. It felt so right to let go and just fly, knowing that no matter what, Helena was right there, no more than a breath away. She opened her eyes and looked down to see Helena watching her, and smiled. "You feel so good."

"And you are exquisite," whispered Helena as she reached up to brush a stray lock of hair off Myka's face.

It didn't even occur to Myka that she shouldn't have allowed the incredibly sweet gesture; it was only when a fiery sting of pain shot through her cheek, forcing her to jerk back and hiss, that she remembered the massive bruise on the side of her face.

Helena's reaction was instant and dire. All desire fled from her as she was visibly reminded of the damage she'd done to Myka earlier.

"You should put some ice on that," said Helena, her tone businesslike, lacking anything resembling the passion that had so recently coated her words.

"Hey," said Myka softly. When Helena kept her gaze resolutely on the fire, Myka sighed and said, "Helena, look at me." Reluctantly, Helena glanced up, but couldn't meet Myka's gaze. Myka smiled and wound her fingers into Helena's dark hair. "It's all right, you know. It looks far worse than it feels." She scratched the back of Helena's neck lightly. "Stop beating yourself up over an accident."

"You're far too forgiving, Myka. I could have hurt you very badly." Guilt made Helena's voice harsh.

Myka chuckled ruefully. "I sincerely doubt that. Maybe if you didn't look like you'd been run over by a train, you might be threatening, but right now? Claudia might be more dangerous."

Despite herself, Helena found that a smile was edging its way onto her lips. "Is that a challenge, Agent Bering?" she asked archly.

Leaning forward, Myka brushed a teasing kiss on Helena's cheek. "Only if you want it to be." Again, she kissed her, lingering on the spot until Helena turned just enough for their mouths to meet, join, and then part softly.

Slowly, Helena reached up and delicately inspected the bruise. "I am very sorry."

Leaning into the gentle touch, Myka smiled and said, "I know." She yawned and then said, "Damn it, I was going to make us cocoa. And I didn't get any s'mores, either!" Then she frowned and added, "Plus, you never told me what was worse than being bronzed." Standing, she went over to the table and gathered up supplies for a couple more s'mores.

Helena stood as well. "You go ahead and enjoy your dessert. I've had enough. I think I'd like to get some sleep. As for the alternative to bronzing - ask me some other time. I don't really want to talk about the Farm tonight."

Hurriedly stuffing a piece of chocolate in her mouth, Myka shoved the rest of the food into a bag and said, "No, you're right. We should rest. Besides, you need to get out of those bandages for a while. Let me douse the fire and then I'll come and help you, okay?"

When Helena realized what Myka meant, she couldn't help but grin. "You just want an excuse to get your hands on me."

"You're damn right I do. And at this point, I'll take whatever I can get," Myka retorted teasingly, quickly putting out the fire and following Helena to the van.

After carefully unwinding the bandages from around Helena's ribs, Myka helped her to put on a simple cotton shirt and pajama pants and then get settled into a fairly comfortable position on the air bed. Snuggling in close, Myka slipped her arm around Helena's waist and said, “Comfy?”

Sleepily, Helena replied, "Perfectly."

"Good." Pressing a light kiss to Helena's shoulder, Myka closed her eyes and waited for sleep. The fire that burned within her couldn’t be extinguished nearly as quickly as the coals had.

TBC