Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Warehouse 13 and honestly, I really don't want to. It's much more fun to play with the toys and put them back to play with later.

A/N: Thank you for all comments and reviews. Always appreciated and considered. Keep crying, keep laughing. Withoue one you can't have the other.

"Helena, what are you doing?" Myka yelled from the door.

"Umm, nothing?" a guilty voice answered from the kitchen. "Just getting ideas?"

"With a measuring tape and a pencil. And, is that your little notebook I see you sneaking in your back pocket?" Myka quickly reached behind and pulled the book out of Helena's back pocket, waving it in her face. "You're supposed to be resting that ankle. Get on the sofa. Now!" she pointed with the book.

"Myka, I'm not an invalid. I'm bored…" She limped over to the sofa. Myka was pleased to see most of the bruising from the last mission with Steve had faded, but the ankle was more problematic. She'd sprained that ankle numerous times and the repeated damage was becoming a concern. Helena was tired of the forced rest. She'd already ignored the initial resting period, but they were still hoping for some healing to occur now, along with the physical therapy.

"Sit. Put your foot up on the pillows. You were complaining this morning that it hurt. You never complain when things hurt. When did you last ice it?"

Helena plopped on the sofa in a less than gracious manner with a huff, placing the injured ankle on the pillows, elevating it. She thought for a moment, then guiltily admitted to Myka, "I'm not certain, actually. Are you always this demanding? You're getting quite pushy. "

"You know damned well how demanding I can be, especially when you don't behave." Myka teased her from the kitchen, rummaging in the freezer through their growing collection of ice packs. "Do most people have this many ice packs? I swear we have more ice packs than food in here. It's a good thing we eat at the house most of the time."

"Occupational hazard, dear. If you were not so demanding, I would be able to get us groceries," Helena taunted. "My good behavior is hardly an incentive, now is it, darling?"

"You don't do groceries if you can get away with it and if you misbehave I'll tell everyone you giggle." Myka was always quick to use this threat. It usually worked.

"You wouldn't..." Helena had a look of pure horror on her face that made Myka laugh. She sat on the sofa next to Helena, adjusting the ice pack, noting the slight flinch.

"Try me, Helena. I don't see what the big deal is, but you seem to think that would be the worst revelation in the world." The first time she heard it she was shocked. Now for the big guns. "Or, I can tell them you're ticklish. Then, of course, there is that Emily Lake scream of yours that only I know don't know is in reality a residual part of YOUR personality. Oh, the secrets I keep for you." Myka resisted the temptation to tickle her, keeping the injured ankle in mind.

"That's not fair!" Helena complained, pouting.

"Then there's the HG Wells pout. If you really don't rest," she whispered in her ear, leaning in to kiss the back of Helena's neck exposed by the pony tail today, "Then I definitely won't be doing any of that."

Helena had immediately dropped her head forward, loudly moaning shamelessly at the first sensation of the warm breath against her neck. "Oh, you are a very wicked woman."

Myka stood up skimming the back of Helena's neck with her nails. "Yes, and if you always respond like that, you are going to get us in trouble."

Helena grabbed the hand, stopping its teasing. Looking up with a smirk and a glint in her eyes, she growled at Myka, "Only if you do that in inappropriate places."

"Well, I won't let you be the judge of appropriate in this case. Now, here is your book. Doodle, draw, do whatever, but no measuring." She kissed the tip of her nose.

"But, I'm bored!" Helena whined again.

"You've made that quite clear with the 50 texts I received this morning, and I would appreciate no more pictures. Steve saw the first one when he handed me my phone." She looked at the ceiling in feigned, deep thought. "I believe his comment was along the lines of that particular view being more attractive in Tenerife without the tan lines and he'd be happy to take you with him to his favorite spot anytime." Myka looked straight at her. "Be thankful it wasn't Pete. I was able to delete it before he could grab the phone out of my hand when Steve couldn't stop laughing."

Helena laughed at the thought of that scenario. "Oh, I hadn't thought of that. I'd be more than happy to go with Steve, though. Besides, I already know where his spot is." She winked at Myka, remembering the time she'd spent with Steve at the beaches in Tenerife.

"I would prefer you didn't go with Steve, but I that remains your choice. He's seen far more of you than I like to think about. As brilliant as you are, it never occurred to you that someone else might pick up my phone? You know what it's like over there."

"What am I supposed to do?" Once again she whined pathetically.

"First, stop whining. You're not five. I like the adult version better - the games are more interesting and I you already made reference to my being demanding." Her eyes glinted as she looked at the still pouting face. "I thought you'd love to have this time to read. How about you read, oh, say, War and Peace?"

"Oh, not that drabble again. I don't think I could get through it a second time. I honestly don't understand what you see in it. I've been reading. I need to DO something."

"Seriously, Helena, you were pulled from the field for at least six weeks. I already belittled Artie and the rest for letting you anywhere near the warehouse. You should have done this from day one. You weren't supposed to be working yet." Helena's surprise prompted Myka to explain. "It's not the first time you've done this, Helena. I know the protocol on ankle sprains. And, yes, I called Dr. Calder. She yelled at Artie, too. In a couple of days you can do desk duty." Helena glared at her. "Sweetie, I know this is not easy and I wouldn't want to be in your place either, but if you don't take care of that ankle now, it will never get better."

"Let's give it a couple of days. I'll try to sneak some files home. Maybe we'll get a ping. You can at least do research. It's better than sitting here doing crossword puzzles." Myka tried to be optimistic to cheer her up. She couldn't imagine herself being in this position, but she could read for longer periods of time. Despite how much Helena craved literature, unless Myka was with her she couldn't sit for extended periods of time before getting anxious to do something.

"Crossword puzzles? Are you serious? They are insipid time wasters."

"Thanks. Don't let Mrs. Frederic hear you say that. Some people like them. What do I have to do, tie you down?"

"I can't say that I ever complained about that before." She offered her hands to Myka, smirking.

"Helena…" Not wanting to go this direction again.

"Oh, fine. A girl can only hope."

"You're whining, again. I need to go back. Only ice for 15-20 minutes at a time, remember? You lose track of time easily. Set the timer if you have to."

"Fine," she huffed loudly. "May I have my workbook from the office, please, before you leave?"

"Yeah, hold on." Myka ran up to the office and back down. "Here, I grabbed some Thoreau, too. Anything else? Oh crap, I forgot lunch…Sorry, peanut butter and jelly." Quickly throwing the sandwiches together and getting a glass of water she set one on the table. "Okay, remember…"

"Yes, Myka…Rest, ice, compress and elevate. I've got it. I'm not completely incompetent, nor am I an invalid. I am merely bored."

"Yes, I know, and infuriatingly stubborn." She kissed the frowning forehead. "I love you anyway. Now, I've got to go. And no more measuring!" she shouted as she shut the door, shoving the sandwich in her mouth.

"Come in, Claudia. The door is unlocked." Helena had readjusted her ankle to the top of the sofa, using her other thigh as a writing surface, intent on her work.

"How did you know it was me?" she asked sitting on the floor at the coffee table across from the sofa.

Helena never looked up from her work, forehead creased in deep thought. "Since I have been banned from sending unnecessary texts, Myka texted me. To what do I owe the pleasure of your company? I can only assume it is to babysit me. Am I correct?" Helena gave the girl a cool glance.

"Well, kind of." Claudia pulled out her laptop, setting it on the table. "I can work remotely. Myka was trying to come up with ideas to occupy you, Pete said something about tying you up, Myka got really red and punched him, and Steve just laughed. So I came over here."

"Well, as much as I do enjoy being tied up, I was very quickly turned town earlier at that suggestion. I do agree it would not be especially beneficial for my ankle at the moment, but fun nonetheless." Helena looked up from her work to see Claudia fidgeting at the table, not looking at her in the face. "Oh, Claudia, how am I going to teach you to not be so embarrassed with sexual innuendoes, let alone the blessed thing itself? God knows you've certainly found us in more than just an occasional compromising situation. Not to mention, you know exactly who you'll be running to and we know it won't be Artie and it had better not be Pete."

"Maybe you two should be a little more concerned about those compromising situations…you know, like location, frequency, volume...location."

"Quite possibly, but what would be the fun in that?" Helena beamed, turning her attention back to her work.

"And I'm not ready for that advise, thank you very much, so don't get any ideas." Claudia stood up abruptly, her face turning red. "You want some tea? When was the last time you iced?"

"Myka is right; you are an impossible mother hen. That tea would be wonderful, though, thank you… and the ice as well, please." She heard the rummaging in the kitchen and smiled. "She's hiding them above the refrigerator, left side, in the back."

"Uh, thanks." Claudia came back with the ice and a bag of Twizzlers waiting for the water to boil. "Is that your secret workbook?"

"Yes." She smiled before taking the ice and adjusting it accordingly. She grimaced when a sharp pain shot through her ankle.

"What are you working on?" She tried to peek over Helena's shoulder.

Closing the book quickly, she looked at Claudia perplexed. "If I told you, it would not be a secret, now would it?"

"Fine." Bringing back the tea, she dug through her bag before resuming her place on the floor. "I smuggled some files for you to look at. A couple from 12. I thought you might be interested."

"I'll just start a pile to add the ones I know Myka will bring home. It'll do a poor job keeping my mind off other activities which someone has momentarily suspended for my ankle's benefit, despite my insistence that one need only be creative." Helena chuckled at the burning face across the table. "Consistent exposure, Claudia. I will teach you yet." She dropped the files on the floor and continued working in her workbook as Claudia fidgeted again.

"HG?"

"Yes, Claudia."

"You really can't tell me what you're working on?" she begged.

"No. What is the point of having secrets, if one does not keep them? Besides, this one would take us to a topic you find distressing." HG smiled having no intention on explaining this plan in her book.

"Does Myka know?"

"Does Myka know what, exactly?"

"Your secrets."

"Ahh, Myka knows a great many things," Helena said cryptically.

"Oh." Claudia sat back on her hands staring at her computer. Helena sat back waiting, staring at her workbook pretending to work. She and Myka learned this technique long ago, patiently waiting for the young woman to get around to what she really wanted to know.

"HG?" Claudia inquired hesitantly, arms now wrapped around her legs, computer forgotten.

"Yes, Claudia."

"What kinds of things?"

"You would have to ask her."

"Claudia?"

"Yeah?"

"What do you want to know?"

"Oh, nothing..." she said unconvincingly.

"Then why are we having this lack of a conversation? It is obvious you want an answer to something."

Claudia sat of the floor hedging a bit before blurting out, "Were you really as promiscuous as you imply? You know, back then?"

"Well, that is a rather personal question. Why do you ask?" Helena closed her notebook, pushing it down between the back of the sofa and the cushion. Pushing a loose strand of hair back with one hand she looked at the hesitant woman sitting on the floor.

"Sorry. It's none of my business. It's just you mention it a lot in passing, and you don't really hold back much, either verbally or, uh…physically. Sorry. Forget I asked."

"You are correct. I've never kept it a secret that I took many lovers. It's not something I am particularly proud of. For the most part, in reality, none of them were of much importance to me beyond the moment, and as a result, I did end up in a rather undesirable situation."

"Christina?"

"Yes." She reached for the locket that was no longer there. She rarely reached for it anymore it had been lost for so long.

"Claudia, we all respond differently to our environments…"

At that instant, Myka walked through the door smiling at the sight of the two working across from each other in the living room, deep in conversation. "Hey, guys. You want to stay for dinner, Claud?" she asked entering the kitchen trying to figure out what they would feed her if she said yes.

"No, thanks, I'm good. I think I've had enough babysitting for one day," she muttered.

"Claudia," Helena touched the young woman's arm, "Go up to the office. In the bottom drawer of my desk you will find some journals. The two blue ones I believe will help answer your questions. We can talk again when you're ready."

Myka came over when Claudia shot up the stairs, to stand facing Helena from the end of the sofa, concerned. "Did I interrupt something?"

"Somewhat, but I think it'll all work out. Everything is fine." She smiled reassuringly at the slight frown still on Myka's face.

Myka raised her eyebrows at the woman on the sofa, appreciating her present position; ankle elevated on the back of the sofa, her other foot on the floor. Her shirt had ridden up exposing a small strip of her abdomen. "Do you know that the way you are lying is very provocative?" Myka climbed over the end of the sofa into the inviting open space between Helena's legs. Helena pinned her down with the good leg. Rising on her arms, Myka's eyes smiled. She leaned down to kiss the woman beneath her.

"Hey," Claudia spoke from the stairs. "I thought those activities were frowned upon for a healing ankle." She grabbed her stuff quickly, stuffing the two journals in her bag.

"You'd be surprised how healing such activities can be. It's all a matter of creativity." Helena smirked. "You'll learn yet, Claudia." More seriously she added, "I don't think I have to tell you, but please mind not to keep those journals laying about."

"Yeah, yeah…I wouldn't. Are you sure?" Claudia asked from the door.

"It's nothing you've not heard already or I wouldn't eventually tell you, Claudia. Perhaps a bit more detailed. I think it just might be easier for you."

"Okay." She slowly shut the door, not bothering to say good-bye.

Myka looked down at Helena curiously. "Want to explain to me why you're letting her read those journals? They're, uh, full of some pretty private stuff, not to mention a lot of that, specifically, still happens. I'm not sure how comfortable I am about that."

"As if she doesn't know what goes on already. Well, partially at least. She's interrupted often enough." She paused for a moment, continuing sincerely, "She's curious about my past. Almost as much as you were before you read them." Helena tapped her nose. "Apparently, I've made a few more suggestive comments than necessary and teased her about it as well. The blue journals are a good start; they are not so explicit. The red ones are well hidden."

"Of course I was curious and I found those journals to be pretty revealing. But, I'd been sleeping with you and was kind of in love with you when you handed them to me to read." Myka adjusted her weight in Helena's arms.

Helena lay quietly enjoying Myka's presence, in thought. "She will know soon enough. I'd rather it came willingly directly from me, not another."

"Are you up for a movie at the house? You don't have to watch. You can just pretend and get a foot rub and I know that calf is stiff. You may actually like the movie. Steve picked it out, not Pete."

"I could use a change of scenery. Can we eat there too? I know you have absolutely no idea what's in the freezer beyond ice packs."