Title: Ours

Author: A. Windsor

Fandom: Warehouse 13

Characters: Myka Bering, HG Wells, Pete Lattimer, Max Lattimer, with supporting roles from everyone else.

Pairings: Myka/HG, Claudia/Leena if you're inclined to see it.

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. My two years and a half of law school could allow me to legalese this a little more, but it also tells me it's pretty useless. So please don't sue; it's not mine, I'm just playing! And Max is mine, so please don't steal him!

Summary: Helena allows herself to want.

Author's Note: And here is the sequel to Delivered. I'm blown away by the response to the first story in the 'verse, so I'm anxious to see what everyone thinks of this. Thanks to cacheese who always talks through my crazy with me.

"You are very spoiled," Helena tells three-and-a-half-year-old Max as he takes another leap, swinging happily between his aunts, little hands clinging tightly.

"Yes," Max says, distractedly agreeing with whatever his HG is saying.

He lands with a thump as his shoes hit the airport floor, the bright red lights imbedded in the sole putting on a show.

"Do you gots to go?" Max asks, turning his dark eyes up at them, looking from one to the other.

Myka sighs softly and squats down to his level.

"Yeah, buddy, and so do you! We're going to go visit my nieces 'cause one was just born. And you're gonna go see your aunt, and that is super exciting."

Max nods, reaching out to take a handful of the collar of Myka's jacket.

"It'll just be a few days. Daddy will be with you the whole time." Max does smile a little at that. "And you have Pooh, right?"

"Let us check," Helena says, unzipping his Superman backpack and confirming Pooh's presence. "Good. He is right there on top. Now." She holds her arms out invitingly, and Max happily allows himself to be lifted. "Shall we go get you a snack for the plane, then?"

"Yes, p'ease."

"Hmm, I wonder why he is spoiled," Myka teases as Helena settles Max on her hip.

Max is happily oblivious to the comment, clinging to Helena's neck and looking to his aunt:

"Gotta get a snack, Aunt Mykes."

"Yes, of course, lead the way," Myka laughs.

At the newsstand, Max tries to out-cute his way into some candy for the plane ride, but even his spoiling HG draws the line at that, as tempted as she is to turn him over to his father properly sugared up.

The check out girl smiles at them as they pay for the Goldfish crackers they settled on after a long negotiation.

"He's so cute," she gushes. She turns her attention to Max. "Are you going to be good for your moms on the plane?"

It is a common mistake and they usually just let it go these days, although Helena took some adjusting to the fact that in some parts of the country now, a child out with two women was assumed to belong to those women. ("Only because you two are such a couple," Pete once teased.)

"Aunts," Max surprisingly corrects, nonchalantly reaching for his crackers. Aunt Myka wins that battle, though, snatching them up and tucking them into the outside pocket of his backpack. "Riding a plane with my daddy."

"Oh! Well have a good trip."

"You, too!" Max smiles winningly, waving over Helena's shoulder as they leave.

Myka shakes her head. The toddler is often just as much of a flirt as his father. She checks her watch.

"Okay, buddy, time to get you to Daddy so everyone can get on their plane. Want a piggy back ride?"

"Yes, p'ease!"

So far, the trip to Colorado Springs has gone very well. The presence of a newborn tends to wear down the edges on all of the awkward interactions that usually plague Bering family events, and Myka's father even made quite polite small talk with Helena about Romantic era poets at their lunch earlier in the day.

Myka currently has said calming newborn, her younger niece, Chloe, cradled in her arms, while her older niece, Olivia, tries to scramble into Helena's lap.

Olivia finds her aunt's partner endlessly fascinating. Olivia also looks incredibly like Myka, all riotous curls and inquisitive stare.

"Hi," the three-year-old grins, once she reaches her target and balances herself on Helena's legs.

"Hello."

Helena looks over to Myka, who is engrossed in her conversation with Tracy, and then back down to mini-Myka.

"Are you enjoying your new sister?"

Olivia shrugs and snuggles closer to Helena's chest.

"Yes, well, when they are that small, they are rather boring."

"Mhmm."

"I never had a younger sibling. I had a big brother. They're a bit of a pain. I imagine a sister will be fun."

Olivia nods. She is feeling quiet, cuddly tonight, perhaps worn out by the day's events; Helena has known her to talk her ear off in other situations. Now, though, Olivia just joins her in watching Myka, Chloe, and Tracy, and occasionally making small talk.

It is the first time Helena has actually seen Myka with a newborn. She was not really around when Max was this small, or even when Olivia, six months younger, was born.

The sight is, to put it simply, exquisite, and Helena does try her best not to stare.

Myka is already practically a mother. Only Myka herself would argue otherwise, and while Helena sees her point about parenting roles, she knew very early on, just from hearing her talk about him, that a lifetime of loving Myka meant a lifetime of loving Max. They were a set. It just took Helena some time to get there.

It is funny, though: despite how often children have abstractly been discussed in their relationship, Helena has never asked Myka if she wanted a child of her own.

Or now, more accurately, if Myka wants a child of their own.

She couldn't fathom the question before. There are so many reasons not to, chief among them Christina.

Would it be betraying her memory to bring another child into her heart and life? Would it be fair to the child? Could she ever love another child like she loved her Christina?

Except.

Macsen Lattimer has already stolen into her heart as much as he has Myka's, and her memory of and love for Christina is as strong as ever. It still hurts, every day, and it will never stop, but the idea of a future...

She looks down at the younger girl in her lap, the child that looks so much like her Myka, and Helena allows herself to want.

To want a future and a life and a child with Myka.

Maybe.

Or at least to try.

"So. When are Liv and Chloe getting a little cousin?" Tracy asks, that oh-so-sisterly, nagging smile in place.

Myka quickly glances over to where Helena sits, Olivia snuggled on her lap, talking quietly. She hopes she can't hear.

"Oh, I don't think-" she stutters to defend, looking back down at her sweet little niece in her arms.

"Oh, come on. It's the twenty-first century. All the lesbians are doing it."

Myka sighs. Ever since she told Tracy about her relationship with Helena, her sister has become an expert on all things sapphic.

"We're so busy with Max, you know, and work-"

"Look at that squishy face," Tracy interrupts, leaning over to gently pinch Chloe's cheeks. The infant just yawns in response. "Don't you want one of your own?"

She would be lying if she just flat out said no, but she's always been rational about these things.

"Helena... she lost a child. A while ago. Christina. She was eight."

"Oh."

Finally, something to shut Tracy up.

No, she shouldn't be so mean; her sister does look pretty devastated.

"So I don't really think that's in the cards."

"I'm so sorry," Tracy says earnestly.

Myka shakes her head.

"You didn't know. So," she changes the subject to something she knows Tracy can go on and on about. "How is Kevin adjusting to a house full of women?"

HG sits down in the workspace she shares with Claudia and asks:

"What do you know about artificial insemination?"

Claudia sputters out her coffee.

"Um, what?"

HG opens her mouth to repeat herself, but Claudia holds up a hand.

"No, I got it. Just, isn't this something you should be talking about with Myka? Have you talked about it with Myka? Are you guys having a baby?!"

"Ah, I have not broached the subject with her yet," HG dampens Claudia's glee. "But I have been thinking about it. In fact, it's all I can think about. And it seems that is how women in our situation have children."

"Yeah, that or adoption, but I can't imagine anyone at the Warehouse passing a home study for that." Claudia takes a deep breath. "Um, really? You want another kid?"

It's been years, and HG is now less of a larger than life figure and more of a confidante. She feels like she can ask these questions.

"Most days, yes."

Claudia nods thoughtfully.

"Cool. Very cool. Okay, I will do some research, but you need to talk to Myka."

HG drinks thoughtfully from her cup of tea and says: "Indeed."

"Agey! Agey!"

"Hello, Max, did you have a nice morning at school?" HG asks as she lifts the excitable three-and-a-half-year-old into her lap.

"Yes! It was fingerpaint day!" He holds up his stained fingers. "Is Daddy home?"

"Working, my love."

"Aunt Mykes?"

"With your father. They should be here when you wake up tomorrow morning."

"Okay!" Max says brightly, used to such arrangements. "Aunt Leena, can I have my picher to show Agey?"

Leena has finally joined them in the living room, with an armload of groceries as well as Max's Superman backpack.

"Max, you should have helped Aunt Leena," HG reproaches gently.

"Oops, sorry," Max leaps from her lap and runs to Leena, holding out his arms. HG follows him.

"Thanks, Max," Leena smiles, dropping the lightest bag into his waiting arms. She looks to HG. "I've got these, but there are a few more in the car."

"I'll retrieve them."

"And then my pit-cher, please, Aunt Leena," Max begs. "I made it special for Agey and Aunt Mykes."

"No more tentacle missions," Myka groans as they climb the stairs. "You can take Steve. Or Helena. Or better yet, Deandre. Tentacles are totally a New Guy job."

Pete laughs, but it's weak. He's exhausted, too.

"We'll let Artie know."

He peeks his head into Max's room to check on his son and panic chases the exhaustion away. There are a million rational reasons why Max might not be in his bed, but the panic is there all the same.

"Max isn't in his room," he whispers urgently.

Myka holds up a hand and quickly opens the door to the room she shares with Helena. She turns to give him a grin and thumbs up. Pete shakes his head and joins her to check for himself.

Yep, Max has once again conned his way into his HG's bed. She falls for it the most of any of them, but maybe they're both just a little lonely whenever Pete and Myka are away.

"I'll move him," Myka insists, shooing him. "Get some sleep. He'll be up at the crack of dawn."

"Yes, ma'am," Pete sloppily salutes as Myka shoves him out the door."

Myka grins as she sees the way Helena and Max are snuggled together in the center of their bed. They are very sweet with each other.

Helena immediately stirs when Myka puts a hand on Max.

"It's just me," Myka soothes, leaning across to kiss her briefly. Helena gives her a soft, sleepy smile. "I'm going to take him back to his room."

Max mumbles a little in his sleep, something about waffles, and Myka and Helena share a quiet laugh. Myka gathers the increasingly heavy boy in her arms, kissing his temple, and turns to carry him across the hall.

"Myka, wait," Helena calls.

Myka turns back, eying the Winnie the Pooh in Helena's hands. She grins and maneuvers so she can put the silly bear on Max's stomach. Helena meets her eyes with a flicker of uncertainty before blurting:

"What do you think about having a baby?"

Myka freezes but manages to not drop Max.

"Our baby," Helena clarifies.

"A baby?"

"I'm sorry," Helena hurries to say, suddenly wide awake. "I should have brought it up at a more opportune time."

"No, it's- I'm gonna go put him down. Hold that thought?"

Helena nods, and Myka juggles Max in order to open the door, her mind running at a million miles a minute.

tbc