A/N

Don't you just love what the brain concocts at 2am in the morning?

I do not claim to own Sanctuary. Although I am awesome, I'm simply not that awesome just yet.

Reviews are muchly appreciated.


"Henry, please open the door."

Don't answer. Don't speak. Don't think. Just breathe. In and out.

"Henry, please. I don't wish to intrude on your privacy but I will do so if you refuse to answer me young man." Magnus pounded on the door, louder this time. Henry winced.

She'll go away eventually. Don't answer her. In and out, just breathe.

"I'm coming in." There was the sound of a key turning in the lock, and Henry's bedroom door swung open.

Magnus frowned. Henry's room was an array of crumpled clothes, discarded machine parts and - Helen gasped - claw marks on the wall. She took a deep breath and turned her attention back to her young foster son. Helen's expression softened. "Henry?"

He was completely still, his body curled into a tight ball. His shoulders were tense and he looked ready to spring at any second. His breathing was steady - but too controlled. Cautiously, Magnus took a step towards him. "Hey, Henry. It's just me."

"Go away." Henry's voice was lower than usual, a little rougher. Magnus frowned.

"Come now Henry." She took another step. And another. Henry didn't respond, but his breathing got quicker. Louder. Like he was fighting to keep it under control.

"I said go away!" his voice was closer to a growl, and Helen heard the sound of him gnashing his teeth together. His shoulders hunched and a breathless sob escaped him. Magnus felt her heart tighten in her chest.

"Henry," she murmured to the twelve year old, "Everything is going to be alright."

"How can you say that?" He roared, so suddenly Magnus flinched, "How is anything ever going to be alright?"

Magnus was so close she could reach out and touch him. She wanted to. She longed to pull him into her arms and soothe him until he felt safe. She longed to save him from the thing that made him so terrified of himself.

She needed him to stop hurting. Seeing him this way, in such total agony, it was almost too much. Magnus kept her hand at bay by sheer force of will. Invading his personal space would do nothing but upset him in his current condition.

"Because I will make everything alright, Henry." she said softly, "I promise."

"You can't, Doctor Magnus! You can't stop me from being what I am. You can't stop it from… from taking over." he snarled, his hands twisting his hair into knots. He was shaking, choking air in and out in short, breathless sobs. "I'm a monster. I nearly hurt Ashley…"

"Ashley is completely safe. In fact, she's rather upset that you haven't left your room to play with her." Magnus had to smile in spite of the situation, "No one blames you, Henry."

"Just go away." he whimpered, "You shouldn't let me anywhere near Ash. I don't want to be near her! Or you! Maybe the Big Guy, because he's the only one who I couldn't kill if I got upset!"

"Henry Foss you listen to me," Helen said sharply, "You are not a danger to any of us. You must stop thinking like that at once."

"Stop treating me like I'm human!" Henry growled, suddenly springing up and clenching his hands into fists, "I'm not! I'm -" He groaned, his eyes flashing black and his canines sharpening. He sank to his knees, ripping at his hair.

Deciding the soft approach wasn't working, Helen gripped his shoulders in her hands and stared him down. His eyes returned to their normal colour, but his teeth stayed the way they were. "Henry," she said firmly, "Stop."

Tears filled his eyes, and his shoulders began to shake again. "I'm so sorry." he whispered, "Please don't throw me out. I promise I won't let it happen again."

"I would never do that." Helen promised, "Oh, Henry, I'm the one who should be apologising. I should've warned you earlier." She pulled Henry into her lap and stroked his hair. He was sobbing loudly now, curling back into that tight, vulnerable ball again.

"It hurts." he whimpered, "Why does it hurt so much?"

A number of reasons passed fleetingly through Helen's mind, all of them scientific and none of them comforting, so she settled for a much simpler response. "You're rejecting the change, so it causes your body pain."

"I don't want to have to change."

Helen stroked his cheek. "I will look for a way to stop it, if that's what you want. But you should remember, Henry, that this is a part of who you are. No one resents you for it."

"Monster." Henry whispered, more tears leaking from the corners of his eyes. He squeezed them shut, rocking back and forth in Magnus' arms. "Bad. Evil. Animal. Monster."

"You are none of those things, Henry. I promise you."

"You're lying."

"I've never lied to you before Henry, I don't intend to start now."

"How can you say I'm not," his hand tightened around his shirt, right above his chest, "when this thing is inside me?"

Helen smiled. "Because you're my Henry. My wonderful, intelligent, human Henry. Just because you're a little different to regular humans, just because you have something inside of you that you can't control yet, that doesn't make you any less human than it did before. Honestly, I'm over a century old. But you still think of me as human, don't you?"

He nodded slowly. "Will I ever be able to stop it from taking over me?" Henry asked, his voice small yet a little steadier. Magnus nodded.

"I have faith in your strength. You will control it, I know you will." She told him. Henry sniffled.

"I can feel it… so close to the surface…" he winced, "Make me safe again, please."

"I will do whatever I can to make you feel safe, Henry. But you must understand that you are not a danger. I promise you that."

Henry didn't respond, so she began humming the lullaby she used to sing to him as a child after she'd rescued him from the moors. It had always worked wonders when she needed to calm him down. Later, it had become Ashley's lullaby, but it had never had the same affect on her as it did Henry. His eyes were closed almost immediately, and Helen could feel his little heartbeat slowing to a steady pace. His canines receded back into human teeth, and she smiled even though her heart was aching.

Helen had calmed him down for today, protected him as was her duty, but how long until it happened again? Already she was putting together a solution in her mind, but there were so many risks to consider. Magnus had no idea what the affect it would have on his system, or whether his body would reject the drug she had in mind. Perhaps she could work out some form of surgical method of removing the beast, but she wondered if that was the best thing for Henry.

She had always tried to teach him to be accepting of who he was in preparation for this day, but Magnus hadn't anticipated such a strong, guilt-ridden response from him. She'd expected anger, obviously, and perhaps questions about his origins. But then again, she mused, Henry never reacted exactly like she expected. Magnus kept humming.

His reaction may also have been stemmed from the circumstances. He and Ashley had been fighting about something childish - as children do - and he'd simply… snapped. It had been so quick. His body had transformed in a matter of seconds, and his teeth had almost closed around Ashley's neck before he'd regained control of himself.

He'd always been aware of his abnormality, but this was his first time making the change. He was hitting puberty - of course she should've been prepared for this happening. But she wasn't. His pain was entirely her fault.

Magnus closed her own eyes and wrapped Henry tighter in her arms. He yawned and was soon snoring lightly, his body obviously exhausted from the day's events. This wouldn't be the last time Henry would have to deal with the issues of being a Lycan. This wouldn't be the last time he would hurt over what he was, what he might possibly do… Helen leant down and brushed a kiss against his forehead, content to simply sit and hold him. She would be here each time, ready to wrap him in her arms and stay with him until the pain went away.

After all, it was a mother's job to keep her children from falling apart.