Healing is a slow and difficult process, but Helena is healing. Vanessa takes over Helena's care, because there is no way to explain the fact that suddenly an abdomen filled with tumor is perfectly clean. And yet, scan after scan shows that both Helena and Myka are cancer free.

Helena is still so tired and weak when she comes home from the hospital, and she and Myka spend days locked away in the bedroom together.

"You don't need to stay with me every minute Myka. I'll be fine," Helena insists one afternoon. Helena is dozing off and on, while Myka sits in bed besides her finishing some research for the warehouse.

"Yes you will," Myka says, finally letting herself smile. Everything has felt too much like a dream for the past week for Myka to let herself believe that it was true. Myka sets down her computer and lies down with Helena. Myka rests her hand on Helena's cheek, strokes her thumb along the overly pronounced bones.

"Because of you my love," Helena tells Myka. "Because you are the most stubborn woman I have ever known."

"Me? That's pretty funny coming from someone wouldn't let me cure her until…"

The shadows rush over Myka's face, and Helena wants nothing more than to chase away that pain. "Don't think about it darling."

"Don't think about the fact that I almost lost you?"

"We're leaving that all in the past. I am agreeing to forgive you for using that glass without knowing what effect it would have on you, and we are just moving forward."

Myka sniffles and wipes tears from her cheeks. She is so tired of crying. "I'm glad that you're willing to forgive me for using an artifact at absolutely no cost to myself to save your life."

"Please Myka. I don't want to bicker about this."

"I'm sorry," Myka says. She still struggles to accept what Helena did for her, what it all means now that they have a chance to have a future together.

"Come here," Helena says, pulling Myka to her chest and throwing the covers over their heads. "I will always be willing to do anything for you."

Myka chuckles to herself. "You know, when I was little, I loved making a fort with my pillows and blankets on my bed. It was my little refuge you know? I could sit there and get lost in another world for hours and hours and forget how disappointed my Dad was in me or how my sister was popular and pretty."

Helena looks at Myka so with such intensity. "If anyone is ever disappointed in you, then it is their fault for wanting the wrong things. You are beautiful and brilliant and such a good person Myka Bering."

Myka doesn't know how to respond, so she leans forward and captures Helena's lips in a kiss. "God, this is so much better than reading your books as a kid. I mean, I loved your books. I still do. They're amazing. It's just-"

"You're rambling love."

"Sorry."

"Quite alright. And Myka? I agree, this is far better," Helena says with a smile.

"Than what? Reading your own books?"

"Than anything I could have imagined."

"Where's Helena?" Myka asks Claudia when she gets home from the warehouse. A month after Helena left the hospital, Myka is finally beginning to relax a little. She's been able to bring herself to go to the warehouse a few times, but the anxiety lingers and Myka still imagines coming home to find that Helena is really gone.

"Upstairs."

"Is she ok?" Myka asks, a little frantically.

"Woah. Calm down. She's fine. Just taking a nap I think."

"Sorry for freaking out," Myka says.

"Nah, I get it. You want to go check on her right?"

"Yeah."

"Go," Claudia says, and in no time at all, Myka is already bounding up the stairs.

Myka cracks her bedroom door open, expecting to find Helena asleep. What she finds instead in Helena sitting up in bed, her cheeks wet and eyes red and puffy,

"What's wrong?" Myka asks, running to Helena's side. "Are you ok?"

Helena nods, not wanting to frighten Myka into thinking that she's ill. "I'm thinking of Christina."

Helena watches Myka visibly relax and shift gears. She shrugs off her coat and pulls back the covers, settling into bed next to Helena.

Myka waits for Helena to speak, and finally she voices what has been paining her all day. "Artifacts have saved my life twice now."

Myka would tell Helena how truly happy that fact makes her, but Helena looks so devastated as she speaks these words.

"I tried so hard to save Christina."

"I know."

"I failed Myka. I failed to save my daughter."

"It wasn't your fault."

Helena doesn't say anything, but she feels, as she has for the last 115 years, that she failed Christina.

"What happened to Christina couldn't have been stopped. I don't know why, but it couldn't. You tried so hard, and if it was possible I know that you would have succeeded."

Helena laughs bitterly. "You have too much faith in me."

"How could I not have faith in you?"

"Quite easily I'm afraid."

"Well I do have faith in you Helena! And I know that it's unfair that you couldn't save Christina with an artifact, but I will never apologize for using one no save you!"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you think that I'm ungrateful."

"That's not what I'm concerned about Helena. I wish you could see yourself as I see you," Myka says, because for all of Helena's confidence in her intellect, she is so very unsure of herself. " You are the most incredible woman I have ever known Helena. Not because you wrote some of my favorite books or invented a time machine and a rocket ship. You lost Christina, and you're still here, you're still trying to live and save the world and take care of the people you love. I know you lost your way for a while, but you found it again. What you did for me Helena," Myka shakes her head, still awed by Helena's sacrifice for her, "that was the most amazing thing that anyone has ever done for me. You are amazing Helena and you are so good. You deserve to finally have peace and happiness."

"I am happy Myka. You make me very, very happy." Myka reaches out to wipe the tears from Helena's cheeks. "I haven't been truly happy since my Christina was alive."

"I wish that I could have met Christina."

"Me too," Helena whispers and her heart aches at the picture of a perfect future that she will never know.

"I bet she was a lot like you."

Helena's smile grows bright when she tells Myka, "She was clever and opinionated and determined."

"Just like her mother," Myka says. "And I believe that just like you, she would want the people she loved to be happy. She would want you to be happy."

"I'm not sure that I deserve that."

"Well I'm sure. I'm absolutely certain. You deserve to be happy Helena Wells."

Helena opens up her locket, stares at her darling Christina. "I'm trying to accept that Myka."

Myka kisses Helena's cheek. "Good."

"I would appreciate if you could grant me some time to work on it."

"We can work on it together. Bering and Wells. We are awfully good at puzzles, and there really isn't a greater puzzle than your mind," Myka teases.

"What happened to Wells and Bering?"

"I was taking pity on a dying woman."

"Bering and Wells it is."

"I need to walk for a bit," Helena tells Myka on their morning jog. It becomes less and less of a struggle everyday for Helena to keep up, and these days she is beginning to almost feel like her body is her own again. "You keep going."

"I'd rather walk with you," Myka replies as she slows to a walk.

"Really darling, it's alright. You should finish your run."

Myka rolls her eyes. "I told you that I'd rather walk."

"Righty ho then," Helena says taking Myka's hand. "I appreciate you slowing down for me."

"I barely have to anymore."

"It's amazing how quickly my body is mending," Helena muses. "It'll be time for me to start practicing my kenpo again before long."

"Oooh. You're been promising to teach me for years!"

"Gladly darling. Perhaps you can give me some fencing lessons in return."

"As soon as you feel up to it," Myka says, swinging their hands between them. "Just make sure you aren't pushing yourself too hard, ok?"

"I'm walking right now, aren't I?"

"I just want to make sure you're giving yourself time to recover."

Helena glances at Myka, at the suddenly wet green eyes. Helena gives Myka's hand a squeeze. "I know my love."

"There's a screening of Rocky Horror Picture Show in Univille tonight," Helena says, looking through the local newspaper over breakfast with Myka.

"Claud's going to be sad to miss it," Myka replies.

"It's a shame that she and Steve are in Louisiana." Helena looks at Myka, eyes gleaming mischievously. "You and I however, are free."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes, why not?"

"Claudia did explain to you that everyone dresses up at these things right?"

"That's the fun of it."

Helena is smiling broadly, and Myka swears that in this moment she couldn't find a trace of melancholy on Helena's face. She's just happy to be alive, with Myka, and with the prospect of an evening of dressing up and singing.

Myka indulges Helena's idea of course, because there is no way that Myka could ever imagine saying no to something that makes Helena smile. But several hours later, when Helena is putting the final touches on Myka's Janet costume, Myka begins to wonder what kind of trouble her weakness for Helena's smile will cause in the future.

"I can't believe that I agreed to do this," Myka groans looking down at the slip and bra she's wearing.

Helena giggles, all easy comfortable sexuality in her tiny maid's costume and red wig. "You look smashing darling," Helena says wrapping her arms around Myka's waist. "My only complaint is that you're wearing a few too many articles of clothing for my liking."

"Too many? Too many? I'm wearing a bra."

"And a slip that comes down to your knees. I happen to like your thighs. Seems a shame to cover them up." Helena's hand works it's way down Myka's bottom and on to her legs. "I believe that your character is known for singing a song asking to be touched."

"She is. I on the other hand do not sing!"

"We'll see about that tonight," Helena says with a light smack to Myka's bottom.

"For someone who grew up in the Victorian period, you're remarkable unfazed by all this."

Helena smiles playfully at Myka. "It reminds me of some of my favorite parties at Oscar Wilde's house actually. Now grab your coat. We're going to be late."

"You are coming back to the warehouse, right?" Claudia asks one day when she comes home to find Helena in the kitchen.

"You don't care for my baking?" Helena teases, holding out a plate of snickerdoodles for Claudia.

Claudia grabs a cookie. "I love your baking, but I miss having another nerd at the warehouse."

"I believe Myka qualifies. She speaks more languages than I do."

"Yeah, but she won't take apart gadgets with me. I need someone to help me rewire all of Artie's electronics."

"That does sound enticing," Helena says. "I suppose I could start with some time at the warehouse until I feel up to field work."

"Awesome!" Claudia says lunging herself at Helena and engulfing her in a hug. "Hey, does this mean I'm going to be your boss?"

"I do hope that you'll be a benevolent overlord."

There is sure to be a frost tonight, but the shooting stars in the wide expanse of the North Dakota sky make the chill worth it.

"I miss the bustle of the London sometimes, but the sky here really is magnificent," Helena remarks as she and Myka stare up at the sky.

"It is," Myka agrees, snuggling into Helena's side and pulling the warm wool blanket tighter around them. "We should take a vacation to London."

"You want to revisit where we first met, do you?"

Myka laughs. "Maybe we can skip the caverite on this trip though?"

Helena raises her eyebrow and smiles at Myka. "I don't know. It could be fun." Myka scrunches up her nose making Helena laugh. "Use your imagination darling."

"Maybe we can take a vacation for New Years."

"That sounds lovely."

"I was hoping," Myka begins shyly, "that you would come home with me for Christmas. I want you to meet my family."

"Really?"

Myka nods. "This is the happiest that I've ever been in my life Helena."

"I love you so much Myka Bering. I would love to meet your family."

"Hopefully you'll still love me after you meet them."

"I will love you until the stars fall from the sky."

"Writer."

"Indeed my love."

"I love you," Myka whispers, looking into Helena's eyes, shining brightly in the moonlight. Myka can see the story of the rest of her life in those eyes.

"Surprise!" Claudia, Pete, Artie, and Steve yell as Helena and Myka walk into the warehouse. There are balloons and Welcome Back banners decorating the walls.

"So this is what you were all whispering about last night," Helena says, as everyone takes turns hugging her. "I knew you were up to something."

"But you didn't figure it out, did you?" Claudia asks.

"No I didn't darling. You outsmarted me."

"If it makes you feel better," Claudia says, "Artie made strawberry short cake for you."

"My favorite! Thank you Artie. Thanks everyone."

Artie clasps Helena on the shoulder. "We're just glad to have you back."

"So," Claudia says expectantly to Helena once everyone is eating cake. "Do you still smell the apples?"

Helena grins widely. "I do."

Claudia smiles too. "Welcome home H.G."