#[Scouting Ahead] - Dash Commentary | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

beatricethecat2 · 7 years

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if/then (2.0) -10

So here’s what happened…I wrote and rewrote this thing so many times it’s crazy. It became apparent Claudia and Myka’s conversation was pretty pivotal, and it needed space to flesh itself out but I tired to weave time in a way that meant we were going back a day in the middle of a chapter (I hope it works) so I wanted it all to go up at the same time. Then the chapter got overly long, so I split it into two for easier reading. That’s why it took so long to push this out, so sorry for the wait! Edited 11/24 and thanks so much if you are still reading!

Previously: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8, part 9

Read first if you are new! gutted/sorted and wax/wane…if/then is a continuation of those two.

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Myka's typing slows to a stop as Helena touches her shoulders and kneads, gently, into tense muscles. As Helena's fingers dig deeper, she leans back in her chair, and her eyes flutter closed.

“We're ready to go, are you?” Helena says.

Myka's eyes snap open, and she taps the down arrow. “I need another half an hour, tops.”

“You said that fifteen minutes ago.”

“I was wrong,” Myka says, standing, kissing Helena in apology. “Go eat. I’ll catch up.”

“But Myka, crepes!” Christina exclaims, her tone beyond anything reasonable for breakfast. But Myka's not surprised as weeks ago they watched a documentary titled “Crepes and Castles." Christina's been obsessed with both ever since.

“I know! I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you, I promise. You go ahead. Mine will have to wait.”

“Must you finish this very minute?” Helena asks.

“I really, really should,” Myka answers, smiling at Helena's mopish tone as she's clearly allying with Christina for effect. Helena knows she has obligations to fulfill even though the sale’s off, they discussed it briefly last night. "If I’d gotten up earlier, I’d be done by now, but someone wouldn’t let me.”

Myka fusses with Helena’s collar and folds it under, then smooths it flat. Helena looks down as a flush creeps across her cheeks.

“I’ll tell you a secret,” Myka says, skimming her fingers over the sides of Helena’s arms, leaning forward until her lips nearly touch Helena's ear. “I'm happy I stayed."

“Ugh, you two. My teeth are rotting all the way over here,” Claudia groans and looks at Christina. "No one’s getting crepes if you don’t get outta here soon. Come give your Aunt Claudia a hug.”

Christina barrels across the room and latches onto Claudia, who's lounging full-length across the couch.

“Sorry to miss the eats, but I got places to be."

“I know. You came to see your friend’s supercomputer.”

“I came to check up on your mom.” Claudia winks at Christina then narrows her eyes at Helena.

“Any thrilling revelations?”

“Nah. You’re pretty boring.”

“Boring and saccharine.”

“Double whammy,” Claudia says and turns back to Christina. "I’ll meet you later, and we’ll climb that tower.”

“Bridge,” Christina corrects.

“You said tower.”

“It is a rather well-known landmark, or have you not heard of it?" Helena points out.

“Smartypants,” Claudia says and sticks out her tongue. “Maybe we’ll lock her in the keep, just for fun.”

“Tower Bridge doesn’t have a keep. A keep is the stronghold of a castle. We learned that on the show,” Myka says, flashing a self-satisfied smile.

“Can we go to a castle with a keep?” Christina pleads.

“I bet the Tower of London does,” Myka says. “If there’s time, maybe we can go there after.”

Myka's smile withers at the sight of Helena's scolding eyes.

Christina shuffles towards Myka with her head hung low. “I want you to come with us now,” she says, wrapping her arms around Myka’s leg.

“I wish I could, sweetie, but Leena needs these files. And you need to eat before your batteries run out. You want them fully charged for today.”

“Please…"

Christina’s absurdly round puppy-dog eyes nearly sway Myka's resolve, but she holds firm. “Go with your mom.”

Christina looks down and pouts.

“Am I not a suitable breakfast date?” Helena asks.

“Yeah. But you didn't see the show.”

“I do recall an in-depth description over the phone. Why don’t we send photos and include Myka in the commentary.”

“I’d like that,” Myka says, smiling in a way she hopes placates Christina.

Christina’s pout wavers then recedes, and Myka breathes a sigh of relief.

“Put your coat on, love,” Helena says and lifts her own from the arm of the couch.

“I’ll finish sooner if I can,” Myka says, snatching Helena’s coat and holding it out for her to slip into. Helena spins around and lifts her arms up and Myka threads them through the sleeves. Myka buttons a few buttons then steps back, admiring the dashing figure Helena cuts in the garment.

“Full service this morning,” Helena says, sliding her hands into her pockets and posing for Myka’s benefit.

“Don’t forget your umbrella,” Myka says. She grabs the handle leaning up against the couch and hands it to Helena.

“Mom, come on!” Christina cries and grabs Helena by the wrist.

“Off we go,” Helena quips as she’s pulled away.

As the door closes, Myka steps towards the desk but slips on something underfoot. She bends down and picks up a white card then reads it's raised black text.

“Who's Bonnie Belski?” she asks.

“Bonnie who?" Claudia says.

“Belski.”

"Beats me. Where’d you find that?”

“Here,” Myka points to a spot very recently occupied by Helena.

“Must be H.G.’s. What else does it say?"

“There's an email and a number and...” Myka flips the card over and scowls at a second number scribbled in pen. She resumes her spot at the desk and types the name into her browser.

“Oh no,” she says, shaking her head, slumping back in her chair. “No way."

“No what?” Claudia says, hopping off the couch and scurrying behind her.

“Her.” Myka clicks on an image to enlarge.

“Wowsa. Who’s the glamazon?”

“One of the owners of the bar Helena works at. One who hits on her.”

“Ooooh, someone's jealous," Claudia jabs.

Myka scowls.

"It's no biggie. People hit on H.G. all-the-time. She’s like ‘whatevs.'”

“There’s just something about her, something familiar.”

Myka's seen what Claudia's referring to, but for some reason, this woman strikes an unsettling chord. She scrolls through images, and one, in particular, jumps out. "There. That’s Mrs. Frederic’s gallery.”

“And that’s her at some other art thing,” Claudia says, pointing at an adjacent photo.

“That’s Mrs. Frederic’s, too. I recognize the artist.” Myka clicks on the image and reads the caption. “It’s from an art fair, the one I was at this summer, in Basel.”

Did she meet Bonnie there? Maybe even talk to her? The same artist had a few pieces at Vanessa’s booth. She continues scrolling through, searching for other shots, but unfortunately finds none. But there are scores of others featuring Bonnie front and center, smiling the same, practiced smile at the opening of the bar, at a reception after a show, at a party on a boat...

“Claud, what exactly did Helena tell you about working for Macpherson?”

Myka continues scrolling as she waits for an answer then looks up at Claudia.

“Bit of a non-sequitur.”

“I guess. Humor me."

Claudia crosses her arms over her chest and squares her stance. “She sold old stuff to rich people and didn’t ask questions cos the bucks were rolling in. Then her wrists got slapped and boom, she’s deported.”

“Does that sound like the Helena you know?”

“You’re just now figuring out the whole thing’s hinky?”

“No, but…you’ve known her longer me. I jumped in the end.”

“I missed a lot of stuff when things weren’t cool between us. I know times were tough and she'd do anything for the kid.” Claudia looks down and shuffles a foot.

“It’s not your fault she got into this mess.”

“If I was less of a dick about Giselle, about a lot of things, she wouldn’t have been so dumb.”

“You don’t know that for sure."

“Yeah,” Claudia says. Her eyes go distant as if caught in a memory, then she tips her chin at Myka’s screen. “So what’s MacPherson got to do with babezilla?”

“Nothing, probably. Hopefully. But after seeing her here,” Myka says, pointing to Bonnie at the gallery, "I feel there’s a connection.”

“How?”

“This is going to sound crazy," Myka says, studying the photo before continuing. It’s odd she doesn’t recognize anyone but Bonnie but notes it was taken last year. There are repeat faces at the art fair, so maybe Bonnie knows the artist, or maybe, just maybe, she's being paranoid. “On second thought, it’s too crazy.”

“Aw, come on. Spill.” Claudia pulls up a chair and twirls it around then sits, legs straddling the back.

Myka thinks on this; Claudia’s involved, too, by proximity, but should she betray Helena's trust? Keeping secrets is what got Helena into this in the first place, so fewer secrets might be prudent in the long run. And the secret she’s keeping now—Helena meeting with Mrs. Frederic to keep her in Mrs. Frederic's good graces—is her fault. Helena would have steered clear if Myka wasn't involved.

“What if Bonnie's keeping tabs on Helena for Mrs. Frederic.”

“Blondie, a spy? Why? You said your boss was cool with H.G."

“I think she is."

“’Think’?"

“I…” Myka chews her bottom lip, holding on to Claudia’s questioning gaze. Maybe it’s better if Claudia knows so she’s not blindsided if something goes awry.

“Please don’t tell Helena I told you this.”

“Scouts honor," Claudia says, holding up two fingers.

Myka stares at Claudia’s fingers and takes a deep breath. “Helena told me she's been meeting secretly with Mrs. Frederic to help fight MacPherson’s appeal. I don't think she'd be of interest unless she was more involved with MacPherson than she said."

“I looked for dirt on ‘Emily Lake’ when H.G. went public.”

“And?”

“Nada. And I dug deep, which is sketchy as hell. As far as the internet’s concerned, Emily Lake doesn't exist.”

“I tried, too. Same here,” Myka says, with obvious annoyance. "Maybe we weren’t looking in the right places. My anonymous source gave me some research tips that could help. Maybe we should try again.“

“Bummer about that, by the way. H.G. said your sale’s off.” Claudia lays a hand on Myka’s shoulder. "I know you were banking on that bank to get over here, but something will work out.”

“Yeah,” Myka says, and looks down at the floor to fend off thoughts of disappointment.

“So these tips?”

“Right. A mix of rumors and facts, stuff like movements of shipments, patterns of certain buyers, historical documents. Through those, they could predict a client’s actions.“

“Creepy. How’d they find all this stuff?”

“My guess? It’s what they do, professionally."

“Like a narc?”

“Maybe, maybe not,” Myka says, feeling a little uneasy about her participation after saying it out loud. She was so focused, she didn't question the information, but she’s beginning to understand where Sally’s paranoia stems from.

"What’d you do with the info?”

“I pieced it together with decades of notes from previous researchers. This thing had been lost and found, on and off the market a million times since the 50’s.”

And suddenly it hits her, why everything’s been kept under wraps, that she’s a pawn in a larger game being played with or without her participation. And maybe she shouldn't have been so forthright because now she’s dragged Claudia into it all. Helena did say the business "twists you about and pits you against your allies,” but the question is, are her allies who she thinks they are? She swings around to face Claudia.

“I don’t know why I told you that. I shouldn’t have told you that. I haven’t told Helena. Please don’t tell her, or anyone, I told you any of this.”

“Mums the word,” Claudia says, in a fake British accent.

“I mean it, Claud. This is serious.”

“I know,” Claudia says, dropping her antics. “That’s a lot of stuff to keep under wraps. H.G. shouldn’t have put those meetings on you.”

“She didn’t. I dragged them out of her.”

“I mean she shouldn't have kept them from you in the first place."

"It’s…complicated,” Myka says, looking down at her hands. Claudia doesn’t know about Helena’s connection with Sally’s brother, or that Sally ousted Helena to Myka, or that—

“H.G., complicated? Totally. But you?” Claudia says. “You’re a straight shooter. You don't play those games."

Myka’s stomach churns. Claudia’s right...what has she gotten herself into?

“Look, I’m as much a part of this as you two, with the kid and all. You gotta keep me in the loop."

“Helena won’t like it. She says the less I know, the better.”

“H.G. can suck it. Don’t tell her I know.”

Claudia looks at Myka’s screen, then reaches across and clicks the down arrow, scrolling through photos of Bonnie.

“Scoot over. Lemme look something up.”

Myka moves to the side, and Claudia types the name of a store into the browser.

Myka raises a brow. “Hey, I buy stuff from there.”

“What you two do in the bedroom is none of my beeswax.”

“Not, like, racy stuff. They have bras that fit me.”

“TMI,” Claudia mumbles, holding up a hand while scouring the index of garments. As her scrolling slows, she clicks on a thumbnail, and a lacy negligee opens on a larger page. “Bingo!"

Myka gasps. “How did you…”

“I work with a lot of dudes, ok? You do not want to know what's in their browser history.”

Myka turns the laptop toward her and studies the woman pictured. Her hair is a shade darker, but there’s no question, she’s Bonnie. She navigates back to the index page and sees her featured in multiple listings, posed seductively in pink, red, taupe.

“She’s a model, and she owns a bar?”

“And she likes art. Or someone she’s into does. Gotta do something with all that cash, right? Why not impress chicks?”

Myka clicks on a particularly complicated garment, littered with straps and garters and cutouts; my god this Bonnie's leggy, and thin, and, um, busty. She shuts her laptop to stop herself from spiraling further into a hole.

“So…"

“More beach bunny bimbo than NSA, ” Claudia says, with a smirk. “I could keep digging, she what skeletons she has rattling around.”

“Thanks, but, no,” Myka says, looking down and feeling, what…defeated? Is that what it is? Did she really want there to be a connection? And if so, why? Claudia pretty much said it earlier; H.G. gets hit on all the time. Is she that insecure...

“Wait, why didn’t that come up when I searched for her?”

Claudia opens the laptop and clicks on some keys. “She models under a different name.” Claudia spins the laptop toward Myka.

“Viondra Moore?” Myka says, scowling as she skims Viondra’s Wikipedia page.

“Sexier than 'Bonnie Belski.'"

“Ugh,” Myka grunts.

Her phone dings several times and when she glances at it, multiple pictures appear, most filled with crepes, supplemented with lengthy commentary. She scrolls up, and her attention hangs on the first photo, a selfie of Helena and Christina smiling and waving in front of the restaurant. The text reads “wish you were here,” and the urgency to hurry returns.

“I better finish up and go,” she says. “Could you not mention this Bonnie thing, either, to Helena? I was hoping today could be conflict free.”

“Done and done,” Claudia says. “But you’ll do it, right? Keep me posted?"

“Yeah,” Myka says with certainty.

She obviously needs someone to keep her on the level, so maybe it’s good Claudia knows. Making mountains out of molehills seems her specialty lately.

“One more thing?” she asks. "Could you close my browser? I can't look at that woman again."

-TBC-

On to chapter 11

#BERING AND WELLS #w13 #if/then #AU week #fanfiction #Myka Bering #Helena HG Wells #part B posting in a second...

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