What Comes After
Summary: A look at the lives of a few officers after they've left Section D.
Disclaimer: Spooks, the characters, and any recognizable plots associated with the show belong to Kudos and the BBC. I'd like to think I'm leaving them in better shape than when I found them.
A/N: For some reason the section was originally known as Section B, and then after Series 3 it switched to Section D. I'm sticking with Section D for simplicity's sake. Please also remember that this is a work of fiction and not a representation of a belief system. You'll see what I mean soon enough.
Chapter 1 - Helen
The gardens are Helen's favorite place to visit. They're lush and warm, like the gardens in summer that she remembers from her childhood. Despite the background noise from the animals, she enjoys the peace and quiet she finds here. It's during one of these visits that she received word that someone has come to see her.
Helen smiled at the news. There was no place for sadness in this beautiful place.
Helen entered the room and was glad to see that her visitor had not yet arrived. She remembers how disoriented she felt when she arrived and there was no one to greet her. It was only a moment later when the door opened and Danny Hunter walked into the room.
She greeted him with smile. "Danny, it's wonderful to see you again. Welcome."
Danny smiled back but his eyes also showed confusion. He looked around the room, but there were no clues as to his whereabouts. "Helen? Where am I? What happened?"
Helen gestured towards a sofa that was against one wall. "Let's sit down and I'll tell you all about this place."
Danny didn't seem to want to sit, but Helen's calm demeanor was rubbing off on him so he followed and sat down, turning to face her.
"I remember how I felt when I first came through that door. There was no one to greet me right away and I was terribly confused. Eventually someone realized I was here and explained what had happened. Once I adjusted to my new situation, I decided that no one else from Section D would arrive without a familiar face to greet them. So here I am. However, that doesn't answer your questions about where you are and what this place is. Danny, this is Heaven. You've died and now you're in Heaven."
She wasn't surprised at the surprise in his eyes. She'd seen enough people arrive to know that most everyone was at least caught off guard by the revelation. It didn't really seem to matter whether they had believed in heaven while they were alive. The surprise that they were there was enough.
Danny still hadn't said anything. "Danny? Do you have any questions? You can ask me anything, I'm happy to answer."
Danny ran his hands over his head then rested his elbows on his knees. "I don't even know what to say."
"Well, let's start with something easy. Do you remember how you died?" Helen asked.
At her question, his hands started to rub the back of his head. "I was shot in the back of the head. Fiona and I, well Fiona's another officer in Section D, she and I were kidnapped. We almost escaped but we were caught, so they decided that one of us had to die. The kidnapper was on the phone to Adam, who's the Section Chief as well as Fiona's husband, telling him to choose. I knew he wouldn't do it, that he couldn't do it. Adam and Fiona have a young son, Wes, and all I could think about was that little boy not ever seeing his mother again. I had it in my power to prevent that, so I provoked the kidnapper and he killed me rather than Fiona. I hope that Adam was able to find her in time." He turned to Helen and put his hand on her forearm. "Is that something we can find out?"
Helen smiled at his request. "Yes, we can find out whether Fiona survived. In fact you'll have the opportunity to check on your friends and family."
At this, Danny knew immediately who he wanted to check on. "Zoe. I want to check in on Zoe. She was found guilty of murder as a part of an op and Harry was able to smuggle her out of the country rather than sending her to jail. She had to go to Chile."
Helen nodded. "It's common to check in on loved ones, but we really are discouraged from watching their every move. There isn't anything we can do about what happens to them, and it's best to just let them live their life and then greet them when they arrive here." She paused, letting the information sink in. "How's everyone else on the Grid? You mentioned that someone name Adam was Section Chief. What happened to Tom?"
"Harry, Malcolm, Colin, they're all good. a few months after your death, Jed transferred to another section, so I haven't seen him in ages. As for Tom, I don't know how he is. He went through a rough period and Harry decommissioned him a few months before Zoe had to leave. Rumour has it that he hooked up with a former CIA officer to start a private security firm. It's a long story and I promise to share it with you later. But first, can I ask you a personal question?"
"Of course you can," Helen responded. "What would you like to know?"
"When you… died, how much do you remember? We all read Tom's report of the events of that night, and well, it wasn't easy to read what you went through."
Helen reached out and took Danny's hand into her own. Even though he was asking about her death, she felt that he needed the comfort of another's touch.
"What I went through right before I died was painful, but thankfully the gunshot itself was quick, as you know. I don't dwell on it, and I honestly can't remember the pain of that experience, other than I know that it was painful. That's one of benefits of being in this place; you can remember bad things that happened to you, but you don't remember the pain itself, whether it was physical or emotional. I'm happy here, Danny. Life, or whatever you want to call it, is good here."
Danny was quiet for a few minutes, and Helen knew from experience that it was best to give him time to process their conversation. Eventually he turned back to her and asked what happens next.
"Well, I can show you around and generally let you know how things work here," Helen responded. "I have one more question for you, before we go, I want to ask something of you." Helen stood and walked over to a window in the room, before turning around to face Danny. "When I arrived here, there was no one to greet me. I sat in a room like this and was so confused. The last thing I remember was being in that kitchen with Tom and those men, and then I found myself here. It was only a few moments before someone found me and explained everything. Like you, what I was hearing seemed surreal and I wasn't sure if I could believe it or whether I'd wake up in hospital with a white jacket on."
Danny smiled at this. He stood up and walked over to stand near Helen, leaning up against the wall facing her.
"Once I'd really accepted what had happened, I made a vow that no one else from Section D would arrive without someone to greet them. Some people are greeted by family members or other loved ones, but it really depends upon who has died before them and whether anyone has requested to greet them. There aren't secrets here, so it's not like we can't talk about the kind of work we did, but I also know that it's easier to talk about the life we led with someone else in the same line of work. So, that's why I'm here."
Helen found herself wrapped in a hug from Danny. "Thank you for being here for me. It means a lot to me."
Helen returned the embraced, then pulled back. "Will you do the same for the next person that arrives? I can show you how to make the request. I'd like for it to become a tradition."
Danny nodded. "I'd be honored to carry on the tradition. I just hope it's not too soon that I'm back here greeting someone."
"Time here doesn't work the same way it did when we were alive, but I'll explain that to you later. I know what you mean though," Helen said. She gestured to the door. "Shall we leave? I can show you around and help get you situated." She moved towards the door.
"That would be great. I find that I'm looking forward to exploring this place." Danny moved towards the door as well.
Helen paused at the door and turned back to Danny. "Besides, you never know when we might stumble across a cricket match." She smiled as she walked through the door, as Danny followed with a similar smile on his face.