A/N: Just a small idea oneshot that wouldn't leave me alone because Helen and Ashley kept talking to me to write it.
Helen Magnus shifted back in her chair as she rose a cup of tea to her lips to take a sip as she looked over the two neatly stacked piles of paperwork on her desk. The cell phone buzzed and reverberated against the wood as the screen lit up with a text message. Helen placed the tea back on the desk, and saw that the message was from William. She unlocked the phone, and read the short text; Red lister. Docks. 2100 hours. Helen tapped back a quick reply of I'll be there and then turned the display off but not before checking the time which showed as 1900 hours.
"Enough time to finish the tea," She said to herself picking up the china cup and taking another slow sip of the liquid. As she was placing it back against the desk, Helen looked up to a shadow in the door way thinking it was Henry arriving for what he claimed was his weekly tech check; something he had been doing regularly since he had outfitted the new Sanctuary underground with the updated hardware. Helen knew that he was doing it to keep from worrying about Erika's prolonged pregnancy. The last few months had not gone well, and Erika was now on bed rest by Magnus' own orders. The situation had started to cause some unwariness for both of the couple, as Henry wanted her to rest and Erika wanted to do something. Anything. She wasn't use to just sitting around.
"I'm just heading out to a supplier, Got a new case of weaponry in that I want to try out. Could come in useful for the new digs," Ashley said addressing her mother as walked across to the desk.
Helen grabbed the pistol sitting within reach near her and pointed it, "Who are you?" Helen called out with the pistol squarely aimed at what looked like her daughter.
"Mom, "Ashley said holding hands up, "It's me. What are you doing?"
"My daughter died. 3 years ago," Helen said calmly at her as she held the weapon firm to the one pretending to be her daughter.
"Remember?" Ashley began trying to jog her memory, "I came back about two weeks ago. We looked into it? Even with all your connections we couldn't find out how? But someone just left me unconscious outside the remains of the old Sanctuary?" Ashley raised her eyebrows questioningly as if it would help bring the memory up for her mother. Helen thought about it, eying up this person and scanning them using her centuries of experience to check for lies. She found nothing but some flashbacks entered her thoughts of Ashley lying on a gurney in the new Sanctuary medbay. Another flash of the video recording Henry had shown her with Ashley lying beside the wreckage of her old home.
Helen lowered the gun and reset the safety before placing it in the drawer beside her, "Forgive me," She added closing the drawer, "Clearly suffering fatigue that's affected my short term memory," Helen walked around the desk, and embraced her daughter with a hug which caught Ashley a little off guard before she accepted it, more to get it over with than anything.
"Woah, Mom, Everything ok?"
"It's fine," Helen said releasing her daughter. She didn't cry but she was aware of the happy feeling behind her eyes that almost made her.
"As I was saying, Got a shipment to check out. So I'll be late back," She turned to leave.
"Unless you want to help Will and I with a red list shipment, just like old times," Helen told her with a smile.
Ashley stopped and thought, although for that excitement she never had to think long, "Watch Will try to deal with red listers, or check out some new weapons? Huh, tough choice. Ok red listers it is," She said shrugging her shoulders but with a smile.
"William has been through a lot since you last worked with him you know. He can handle these shipments a lot easier,"
"Well, I would hope so," Ashley smirked, heading for the door, "Ok, shall we go? Gotta have enough prep times for the guns,"
"Ashley, this is a simple containment mission,"
"Come on, Mom," Ashley told her back, "When have our lives ever been simple?" With another smirk she left the room and Helen Magnus couldn't help but let out a laugh at that. Especially after all she had been through after Ashley's death. What with spending another 100 years re-living her history because of Adam Worth's time experiments, and mad quest to save his own daughter. The abnormal uprising that caused her to destroy her beloved home. No, it was never simple, she thought as she walked back to get the gun from the drawer again. Slipping it into the waistband of her trousers she headed out of her office and down the hall towards the garage entrance.
Ashley was already there loading a van up with weapons as Helen entered, "Ashley," She stated sternly, "How many guns do you think we'll need?"
"Never can be too prepared, " Came the reply as Ashley loaded a couple of shotguns into the rack on the inside of the van which was already filled with an assortment of other weaponry.
"That should do the basics," She told her mother as she closed the back door of the van which shut with a small bang and the pair climbed into the front seats. Ashley was already jumping into the drivers seat before Helen could make a move for it, so Magnus stepped into the passenger side. She closed the door and the two drove out as Helen was placing her seat belt on.
"So, where are we heading? Docks?" Ashley asked focusing against the road.
"Yes, Will said 9 o'clock tonight it was scheduled to come in. So we have time,"
"Gotcha,"
The van arrived at the docks around 10 past 8. They still had plenty of time. They both looked around for Will as they drove through the gates, after a friend of Helen's let them through for only a nominal fee from the Sanctuary bank that Helen had promised to transfer tonight. Ashley drove between the containers while they kept an eye out and headed towards slip 15 which was the usual spot for red list dealers due to it being the only one at the farthest end of the dock.
Ashley turned another corner near the slip and as she was straightening up the van skidded sideways as something made contact with it's side. The van spun and the front corner of the vehicle smashed into a nearby container. A large tentacle was the last thing Helen saw looking up as her vision started to turn black. Magnus slipped away as Ashley called out, "Mom! Mom!" and the push against her shoulder faded.
Helen Magnus opened her eyes to a hospital bed. She tried to focus and realised even behind blurred vision she recognised the new Sanctuary med bay, "Ashley!" she called out still not able to see well. She felt sick, weak, like something had drained life from her. An arm grabbed her and she felt herself steady. She smiled, "Ashley." She said softly looking up and realising it was Will holding her arm and steadying her.
"Where's Ashley?" she asked, her eyes regaining a bit more sight.
Will looked over the side of the room puzzled, and Helen saw Henry standing there. The two men exchanged what she made out as confused glances.
"What happened to Ashley? Is she alright?" Helen asked again.
"Magnus," Will began trying to lower his voice register to a calming tone, "Ashley's been dead for 3 and a half years,"
Helen shook her head carefully, as she still felt groggy, "No. She was here. We were looking for you to wait for a red list dealer at the docks. We got hit and…"
"Red list?" Will repeated back to her, "Magnus. You've been unconscious for two days after a Hollow Earth Cephalopod attached itself and began feeding off your unique DNA."
"No, that can't be. I just saw her… We…." Helen trailed off as flashes of memory came to her of finding the ancient vampire cave system in Hollow Earth, and the Cephalopod discovery.
"I'm sorry, Magnus," Will said, "But it's true. We had to keep you unconscious for Tesla to do his work to save you. We'll let you get some rest and come back later," He said and the two guys walked out of the room.
Helen lay back against the pillow on the bed, realising it had been her mind creating the illusion of Ashley in her subconscious. She closed and opened her eyes slowly. A tear rolled down her cheek as she realised she didn't have her daughter back. Her Ashley.
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