We Are One, a sanctuary fanfic

Name: We Are One.

Writer: Ann.

Fandom: Sanctuary.

Rating: PG13.

Timeline: Post Tempus, not too long after, though.

Genre: Sci-Fi.

Others: Absolutely not my best piece, but I enjoyed writing it and I hope you'll enjoy reading.

For an amazing friend and a fellow Sanctuary fan, Michelle ( SanctuaryAngel).

Helen stood in front of the big Sanctuary in London, soft snowflakes landing around her and on her coat. Her blue eyes studied every single part of the building, from the front door to the windows in the upper floors. She knew her other self, the Victorian Helen, was supposed to arrive, but still let her senses relax and absorb the air of London and the London Sanctuary that she missed so much. The truth was it almost made her laugh. She has come from a time when there were Sanctuaries all around the globe, while the only Sanctuary her younger self knew was the one in front of her eyes.

Looking around her to make sure the other Helen wasn't around, she hurried to the front door. She quickly opened the door and entered the main hall, closing the door behind her. Even though she was no longer cold, she didn't take her coat off. She knew even though the chances are small that Helen would see her, others still might. And it was too big of a chance for her.

The sound of the door opening made her start walking. She walked as quickly as she could, knowing it wasn't the only person that was allowed to meet her. She could hear the sound of her heels against the polished floor, and hoped she was far enough from the person at the door for him to hear her.

She realized these were false hopes when she heard footsteps moving closer to her. The other person – whoever he was – was running after her. And so she started running as well, passing through the familiar halls on her way to the little room Watson made for her. He managed to hide it from her other self, something for which she was grateful.

"Stop!"

Helen nearly froze. It was the one voice she had hoped not to hear, the voice that belonged to the one person that should have never seen her. It was her own voice.

She stopped, holding her hands high in the air the way she knew Helen expected to find her. She quickly dropped the gun and slid it to a darker corner, before doing her best to hide her face. Then she opened her black raincoat, starting to feel hot after running through a big part of the Sanctuary.

A moment later she heard Helen stopping behind her. She knew she was holding her gun aimed at her, and had only hoped she could talk her way out of the situation.

"Turn around." The voice was stern. Helen did as she ordered, turning around in one swift move. Her blue eyes met her other self's similar eyes, and she hurried to study the other Helen while hoping she didn't recognize her.

The woman in front of her was still young, and clearly didn't know how hard it will be to continue her father's work. She was wearing a raincoat as well, hers dark as well. Her heels weren't as high as Helen's, and the gun was simpler than she was used to, but her eyes were as stern as hers, and the hair was as long as hers. She was definitely Helen Magnus.

Fortunately, she didn't seem to recognize Helen. "Who are you?" She asked quietly.

"I'm a friend of your father's," Helen replied, trying to change her voice as much as she could. "I was supposed to meet Doctor Watson?" She added, a slight tone of question in her sentence.

"How did you get in?" Helen continued, suspicious.

Helen hesitated. Admitting that she owns a key would be dangerous. Watson wasn't in the building, and so that ruled out that option. She could say someone opened the door, but Helen would check it, and when she'll find out no one did it, Watson and she will be in trouble. And that she would never do to her old friend.

"I have a key," She admitted eventually, as a new idea came to her mind. "I got it from your father, when he just started working on this place."

Helen still seemed suspicious. "Who are you?"

"I told you-"

"I know you." Helen cut her off. "I do not know how, but I know you. Tell me who you are. Now." She added, looking at her cautiously and holding the gun steadily.

"Alright." She kept looking at Helen, not sure whether or not to reveal herself. "I cannot tell you who I am. However," She added when she noticed a familiar dangerous expression on the other Helen's face, "I can tell you I'm related to you. I am a family member. We have never met… But I am related to you, and I live in the Sanctuary."

Helen still seemed suspicious. "I do not know who you are. And that's not enough," was all she said.

"Helen-" Still with her hands in the air, Helen spoke again. She spoke quietly, urgency in her voice. "-You have to let me go. I know who you are, probably better than you do. I have known you for my entire life. And I know you would never hurt an innocent creature. I know about the Sanctuary you are running in here, and I know one day it will be something big, bigger than you can imagine. But that would only happen if you let me go now."

Helen's face may have stayed frozen, but Helen could tell she was thinking. She didn't know whether or not to believe the stranger, who looked so familiar and clearly knew her well enough to know about the Sanctuary.

Seeing she still wasn't sure, older Helen continued. "As you know, your gift is longevity. You will live for longer than you believe and will do more than you can ever imagine. You, John and Tesla will have more adventures than you've ever dreamed of. But it will only happen if I'll leave this place alive, well and free."

She could predict the next chain of thoughts in her younger self's mind. She would think about how it didn't make any sense, but the other woman clearly knew about her past and her life. She would rule out all other solutions – there was no way she was followed, not with the Sanctuary's security system, and none of her friends would betray her – and will then realize the truth. As her friend used to say, when all other solutions are ruled out, the one that remains, no matter how unreasonable it sounds, must be the truth.

"You're from the future."

Helen nodded briefly. "I am. That is all you need to know now."

Young Helen hesitated for a moment, her eyes locked to the other Helen's eyes. Then, slowly, she lowered the gun, still looking into the other woman's eyes. Helen didn't move, knowing it was a fragile agreement the two had sealed. She knew herself too well to make the mistake so many people have done before.

"Go."

That one word said it all. Helen turned around, grabbed her gun and started walking quickly through the hallway back to the entrance. But to her surprise, as she moved past Helen the other woman quickly caught hold of her mask and took it off, revealing the face of the intruder to her Sanctuary.

Helen didn't waste any time to explain. She pulled it back up and started running back to the entrance, ignoring the shocked Helen behind her. Her young self was never supposed to find out about her or the future. She wasn't a woman who got scared easily, but this was a special occasion. That incident could change her future in a way she can't even imagine.

Behind her, the other Helen stood still, still staring at the place where she last saw her future self. She put her gun back to its place before turning around and walking towards her room, still thinking. Even though Watson's methods and ideas were usually true and useful, Helen found it hard to believe it was herself. With all the creatures she has worked with, she was completely used to the unusual, and so she didn't find it hard to believe this was a traveler from the future. But knowing herself, she figured she would be too careful to let herself be seen by her younger self.

Once again, she found herself a mystery to think of. But knowing she would not get to a solution, she gave up, leaving it in the back of her head and returning to work.

And years later, when Helen thought of it once more, she could almost hear the other woman speak. And the words she said were the only words Helen expected her to say. "I am you. We are one."