Was Helena trying to close herself off? Probably, but she really didn't know how not to react that way. While part of it could be attributed to what she'd gone through after Christina's death, the larger part of it was just how she'd been raised. She always kept her emotions close to her heart, not always allowing people to see them, especially when she was hurting. So when the Seal had seen fit to send Myka back home the previous night, Helena did what she knew how to do, which was throw herself into some project and keep herself busy. In a way, this was progress because working on a project or writing was creative, not destructive. Had Myka been taken by the Seal two months earlier, Helena probably would have had a very destructive reaction to it.
It hurt knowing that the point in time Myka had been taken back to was the explosion of the Warehouse, and Helena was even more worried knowing that in the future she was about to live through, the Astrolabe had been used to erase the destruction of the Warehouse. But what hurt more was that Helena did love the younger agent and once more she'd had something she loved taken from her. Right there was seemingly more proof that Helena could not actually maintain a relationship, or even happiness in such matters for very long. Any time she was given such things, life would take it away just as quickly. And lately, it had been taking them from her in a cruel way. She didn't know how, but when Claudia had come up to her workroom and fiddled around with her, Helena had managed to not breakdown. The Victorian woman had managed to keep it together and keep focused enough on what she was doing to be able to keep her emotions restrained within.
Helena had also probably only slept for a couple hours. Though she had also at least come downstairs earlier in the morning to tend to Emily when she needed it. But after the girl had eaten breakfast and Claudia and Steve were up and around, she ensured they would look after Emily, and she'd returned to her workroom. While she sometimes had a propensity for locking herself in the room, she left it unlocked, if only so she could quickly get to Emily if the need arose. Sitting in her chair, Helena looked down at the project she'd spent most of the night working on. She sighed heavily and pushed it aside. Brushing a hand through her hair, she leaned over the table, bracing her elbow on it and resting her head in her hand, her eyes gazing sadly at nothing.
The Victorian woman knew she should just get up and be productive, that Myka wouldn't want her to sulk and lock herself away, but she just didn't have the energy for that right now. And almost as if on cue, Svetlana walked through the door. At first, Helena thought it was Claudia, but when she looked up and saw the blonde woman, she blinked in slight surprise. She shouldn't be surprised that Svetlana was there, but how had she known to come? Had Claudia told her? Or had she seen Claudia's post? Either way, it didn't matter. She was here now. But then a scent caught her and she looked down at the tea the other woman had set in front of her.
Apples.
Drawing in a slow breath, Helena slowly reached out to take the cup in her hand, but she briefly hesitated, a slight tremor running through the hand. But in the end she did manage to take hold of the cup. Of course Svetlana would add that to the tea. Was she making a point? Probably. And while the scent stirred up emotions and memories, Helena was trying desperately to keep ahold of herself. "Thank you," she finally spoke, which, as most of her words did, carried more than one meaning with them. She did need a friend right now though she'd fought against admitting such a thing.