This is the first story I've ever published. Mistakes are all mine. Characters unfortunately are not. Feedback (the good, the bad, and the ugly) is all welcome. Hope you enjoy!

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Helena was sipping her tea getting ready to head in to work when her phone beeped with an incoming text message from an unknown number.

"Come home. - CD"

Claudia. Her stomach dropped. Nothing kicked her senses into high alert like hearing from her Warehouse family. And this had her immediately on edge.

She quickly typed out a "What's wrong?" and hit send. Staring at her phone anxiously waiting for a response, she was frozen in place. Her breathing was shallow, her heart was racing, her brilliant mind started to form a thousand possible scenarios all revolving around one thing. Or one person to be exact. Myka. Her phone beeped again shaking her from her thoughts.

"I can't explain like this. Trust me. If you ever loved her. If you ever even thought you did. If you still do. Come home. Please."

Helena dropped the phone on the table. She felt tears start to form in her eyes, quickly blinking to keep them away. Of course she still loved her. She thought about her constantly. She played through their conversation in her driveway over and over again, regretting the fact that she was too scared to be a better person. To be honest. To believe in her own truth. She had failed Myka so many times. How could this strong, beautiful, intelligent, woman ever return her feelings. Why would she want her to come home now?

She'd betrayed her. She used her to get into the Warehouse. She fell in love with her. And then she betrayed her.

She almost ended the world. She almost killed her. She realized too late everything that was right in front of her. She could have trusted her. She could have healed with her. She could have gotten over Christina while loving a woman who made her feel safe and good for the first time in well over a century. But instead, she failed her.

She tried to make up for it. As a hologram as best she could. The chess lock. The astrolabe. Working for the Regents when she got her "life" back. Apparently she was even trying to make up for it in a time she didn't remember, saving Myka and the others from an exploding Warehouse. But she knew in the back of her mind, she would never be good enough. She could never make up for what she had done. And she couldn't stand the thought of ever hurting her again.

So she ran. Ran to "normalcy." Ran to a place where she tried to start over. Where she thought if she didn't see her or interact with the Warehouse, she could never cause her pain again

The look in Myka's eyes as she drove away that night proved just how wrong she was. She loved her and she betrayed her again. She hurt her again. And she knew deep down that Myka would always be her one regret. Her one true love. Her One. But also the one she lost because she was scared.

She glanced down at Claudia's text one more time. Of course she loved her. Maybe Myka loved her back and maybe she didn't. But it didn't matter. Myka was all that mattered.

She picked up her phone and sent a quick "On my way." back to Claudia. Whatever was going on, Myka needed her, and although her track record proved otherwise, she was determined to never let her down again.

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Helena grabbed the bag she kept tucked away in the back of her closet. She may have been looking for normal, but she would always be a woman ready for anything. As she headed down the stairs towards her car, reality hit. Adelaide. Nate. She would need to tell them something. She'd call Nate from the car and explain her quick departure. Adelaide was another story. To say she had grown close to the girl would be an understatement. It didn't take her long to realize it was Adelaide and not Nate that kept a piece of her heart in this drab Wisconsin town. She would need to explain.

Adelaide's school was on her way out of town, and as much as she wanted to get to Myka as soon as possible, she knew she had to stop and speak to the young girl in person. She headed into the office and within minutes Adelaide was on her way down the hall. She smiled when she saw Helena, but her smile instantly turned when she noticed the serious look on Helena's face.

"Hi Emily. What are you doing here?"

Helena cringed slightly at Adelaide's use of her name. "Hi darling. I needed to talk to you for a second." Helena led Adelaide over to a nearby bench, and then squatted down in front of her as the young girl sat.

"I need to leave for a little while." she started as she gently squeezed the girl's hands. "I'm not sure for how long, but I want you to know that I love you very much, and I promise I will do my best to stay in touch with you as often as possible."

"You have to go see Myka, don't you?"

If Helena was surprised by the girls insight, she didn't let on. After all the secrets about her past, she owed this girl the truth. "Yes, I have to go to Myka."

"Are you going to go live with her now? Because you love her?"

Helena smiled. Oh how this girl had captured her heart. "I don't know. I need be there with her right now. We'll see what happens I suppose." She ran a hand through her hair, internally cringing at not knowing why she was needed back home.

"You have to know Addie, your father, he's a good person. And maybe in a different life..." she trailed off but Adelaide pick right up.

"Myka is your person. You should be with her."

"If she'll have me." Helena let slip before she could sensor her thoughts. She patted her knees and then rose, offering her hand back to Adelaide. "How did you get so smart anyway?" she smiled down to the girl.

"You taught me to observe. And really Emily, it wasn't that hard to notice." The girl smirked up at her mentor.

"Righty ho then." She sighed before pulling the girl into a fierce hug. "I love you Addie. I always will."

"I love you too Emily. And don't worry. It will work with Myka." She smiled up to Helena. "And then you can tell me all about your great adventures together."

"I'll miss you sweet girl." After a final hug and a kiss to the forehead, Helena watched Adelaide retreat down the hall back to class. She would miss her more than she could express, but right now she needed to drive away. She needed to get to Myka.