Title: A Warehouse Carol

Disclaimers: I don't own any of the characters here-in. And although I totally love 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' that belongs to the awesome Dr. Seuss. Ah, also, not all opinions of Helena G. Wells are shared by the author... Heh... :-D

A/N: What can I say. I sorta love Christmas. Or more specifically writing for the Christmas Season with Fanfic. Which, also makes me realize that I've never tried writing an original set during Christmas. Anyway, usually I do something set around the ER fandom, and around 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, but I decided to change it up this year.

Past

Helena G. Wells woke with a start. Her heart beating double time compared to the clock on the mantle. She looked around, something was wrong, but she couldn't pinpoint what. It was like she wasn't supposed to be where she was.

The former Warehouse agent put a hand over her heart as it slowed down and she looked around. She was in the Bed and Breakfast run by Leena in Univille, South Dakota, right down the street, sort of, was the Warehouse, the thirteenth one.

She reached for her locket on the bedside table, but couldn't find it and quickly snapped on the light and gasped. Standing next to her bed was of all people, her daughter. "Christina..." She reached out, but Christina moved, she almost seemed to float backwards. "Please." Helena sat up in the bed.

The young girl still didn't say anything, but tilted her head to one side and then held out a hand. Helena stared at it for a long moment and then her hand darted forward and clasped the smaller one.

In the blink of an eye Helena and Christina weren't in the Bed and Breakfast's bedroom any longer, but in Warehouse 12, a hundred years or so before. Helena looked down at Christina, "What?"

But her question was answered when she, though younger by a little bit, appeared. The younger her, HG, seemed to be doing inventory.

"Young lady, whatever are you doing? Tonight of all nights?"

HG smiled sadly at her teacher as Helena and Christina watched from their other dimension. "Cataranga, someone must do th is. And tonight the Warehouse is silent, calm."

Cataranga put an arm around HG. "It is Christmas Eve. Do you not have plans with your brother. Your family?"

HG carefully wrote on her list. "Don't fret about me lil' ole me Cataranga. I will survive."

"But, my dear, there is more to life than just enduring it."

"I-" HG looked down, then back up at Cataranga, "Tonight I need to be alone. Please."

Cataranga studied HG for a bit, and then inclined his head. "I will give you tonight then, but tomorrow I will be making you have a good time Agent Wells."

HG smiled despite herself.

Helena wasn't smiling, but looking down at her daughter. "Tell me the point. This is the past. I understand that, but why-"

Christina shook her head and pointed towards HG again. The scene had changed a bit. They were in a different aisle and Helena groaned. "Oh- past, as in, the night I started in earnest looking for a way to bring you back. When I-" She sighed as HG flipped through the hand written pages of all the artifacts in the aisle. "-went to the Dark Side. As Pete would say. You would like Pete."

She glanced down at her daughter, at their intertwined hands. "I never did like Chuck's trite serials. Nothing more than pandering to- the lowest common denominator. But-" She looked at herself, "Am I not supposed to be going to my happy childhood so I will be less evil?"

Helena didn't get an answer, instead she blinked and everything went black.