On a Train Ride To Hastings

"You find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford."

– Samuel Johnson

London, England 1902—

A blue expanse, blinding and cloudless swept across London's morning skyline. Little icicles clung to the hanging electric lines leading into a switchboard room. A handful of commuters bustled along the long wooden platform of a London train station—their cold breaths lingering in the winter dawn as they walked down steps, beneath a sign that read, "Welcome to Paddington Station". As the new arrivals disappeared around the corner, so did the sounds of human interaction. Black iron benches sat empty against the bricked façade. Large windows with little inset glass squares, with thin wooden frames painted a dark cherry stain, stood high and wide above the ticket booths. It had been sixteen years since The Five injected the purest form of untainted vampire blood.

Helen stood alone, next to one of the iron wrought benches, her face half buried in a red scarf.

Footfalls of heavy boots behind her made her turn around. "Helen my dear you look lovelier than ever, how are you?" James leaned in to give a kiss to her cheek.

"Cold," she said pulling him into a hug. "Have you heard from Nikola?"

"Yes, his telegram was delivered to me late last night. He said he is looking forward to our visit—and to not forget to bring the wine."

She let out a giggle and reached down to lift her brown leather luggage bag. James waved off her hand as she bent down. "Let me." He insisted.

"Ever the gentlemen." Helen's blue eyes, happy and warm, kept a smile on her face as they slowly walked the long spacious platform of Paddington Station, arm in arm.

Helen sighed, a small hint of sadness in her voice. "I do wish our lives did not warrant such extremes. It has been so long since a time when we were all together."

James smiled, his hazel eyes reflecting the morning light. "You do long for the nostalgia of past days Helen. It is no wonder you have not taken to change since the spring of 1886."

Helen took in a slow deep breath, and leaned her head into his shoulder. "Do you regret it?"

James stopped walking—both turning to face each other on the quiet wooden boarding deck. "Not for a moment. I have you, do I not?"

He pulled her close and rested his chin on her head. "Helen we chose to make the choice, together. All five of us. It opened up another world. It gave us new eyes to see."

A whistle blew and a man's voice broke their quiet moment. "All aboard for Hastings. Last call for Hastings."

The man wore blue with a black square hat tightly fitted to his head, with embroidered white patches on his sleeves. Each reading, Paddington Ticket Master. He blew his whistle once more.

"Come let us take our seats and get you out of this cold." Helen held tight to his arm as they continued to walk.

The steam engine was loud—long steel beams powered by pressurized water bolted onto the large spinning wheels calmly stayed idle. Waiting for the conductor to release the pressure valve, releasing the force needed to put in motion the great machine. Steam plumed around the front of the train. The cold air and hot air of the engine materializing into white vapor clouds.

Helen sat down next to the window, and peered out at the empty train station. I never want to leave London.

James placed both their luggage bags on the seats across from them. For once it was nice to not have snares, traps, medical supplies, and guns inside a travel bag. Abnormal research was their life but it did not have to consume their every waking moment. He closed the wooden door to their cabin and sat down on the seat beside her. Helen slipped her arms back into his.

The ceiling was painted with decorative white plaster with a crown molding border along the top. A large spacious window allowed for much light to enter. The dark wood grained walls and floors reminded Helen of the walls and floors of her library.

The steam engine bellowed a whistling alarm from the release of pressurized hot air. Slowly the train started to move. Heavy steel beams urged the wheels to rotate. Paddington Station resolved into snow covered fields on either side of the tracks.

James placed his left hand over hers. "Helen, is something the matter?"

Helen leaned away from the window and nestled her head on his shoulder. "I just wonder sometimes… if we made the right choice. If I made the right choice."

James could sense sadness in her voice. "Helen, you wanted to discover the possibilities. We all did. You and me, John, Nikola, and Nigel, what is man without the courage to open new doors and windows that keep them closed inside? One cannot cross the expanse of the unknown if one does not ask questions and search for the very answers that plague the soul. I believed there were, and still are wonders to discover from this." He sighed and kissed her forehead, rocking her gently in his arms.

"James, if any one of us can find the answers it will be you. You see the world, in between every layer of humanity. You might even one day form a mathematical equation to explain it."

James laughs. "My dear, truths of humanity can only be understood by the heart. There is no math that can add or subtract the principles of compassion, love, and understanding. You should know."

Helen buried a smile into his shoulder. "So tell me Doctor James Watson, can humanity be found by means of nature or nurture in all creatures of the Earth?"

"Hmm,… I would have to say, that it is both. Take animals for instance. Cats. We domesticate them and feed them and let them live inside our homes. Yet, they will always have the wild instincts to prowl and hunt the beasts of burden. But, we show them love and some return it in little ways only to those who take the care to see it. A cat will kill its prey, even eat it, but on occasions they will leave their captured prize on the doorstep of one's home. As a gift."

James could feel her nod in understanding against his shoulder. "Therefore Helen, an animal's gesture of sharing expresses one kindness, which is another gift of humanity. I believe this is a result from nature, its predilection for survival and from nurture, a show of love. But god only knows what other creatures we will find on our travels and I too believe not all will reciprocate our humanity."

"Nor do I. But I do wait in anticipation for the discovery of more Abnormals in our future."

"As do I. But Helen, let us rest our minds from those thoughts of bagging and tagging for the time being. Now, have you spoken to Nigel lately. I haven't seen the old boy in quite some time."

"Ah yes, Nigel and Nikola have continued their ungentlemanly gamesmanship. Nikola is a betting man as we know, and he has taken a recent liking to poker nights at a pub along The Thames. Nigel stands next to the table, invisible, and whispers to Nikola which cards to play."

James laughs out loud. "You don't say," laughs again, "dear god those two are nothing but trouble. And Nikola, I would expect nothing less than that. His exploits will no doubt become well known on into the next century."

The next century. Will we all still be together in the next century? "James?"

"Yes Helen." Helen raised her head to look at his face. "Will you ever leave London?"

James leaned his head back to rest against the wood pane behind his head. "I should think not. You are here."

"But, do you have passions to see other places of the world? Far away from here."

James turns his head to look out of the window. "I do. I long to see the streets of Rome, the pyramids of Egypt, and many more countless places. And I will do so, knowing I will always return here to London, to you. You are my beacon Helen, the place that holds my very heart and no matter where I travel, my thoughts of you will never leave me. Never forget this."

James tilted his head down to hers. She leaned in to kiss him softly on the lips.

Helen wished she could stay in James' arms forever. Though she would never love another like she does John Montague Druitt. Her soul would always belong to him. And it would belong to the good, caring and loving version she will remember for all eternity.