Mycroft had been distant since the shape-shifter incident two days ago. Whenever I would try to talk with him, he would make his excuses and leave the room. I was becoming more and more frustrated as well as angry with him as he distanced himself. I also had a hard time sleeping, and this made my emotions unstable. So I took to attempting to sleep in my old room, as he wasn't sleeping in his anymore.
"You can't kill me Helia." I looked to see two Mycroft's in front of me. "How do you know which one is really your Mycroft?"
"Helia, love," the other Mycroft pleaded with me, causing me to point the gun I was holding at the first one.
"You can't shoot me Helia!" the first one protested. "I love you! I'm not the fake one, he is!"
I kept switching the gun around, trying to mentally figure out which one was which. Which one was the real Mycroft and which one was the fake. The only thing was, I couldn't tell.
"Do you know?" Mycroft number two taunted me. I shook my head frantically, trying to figure it out. "You'll kill the wrong one! I'm telling you, he's the fake!"
"The real Mycroft, Helia. Come on, shoot one of us. Which one is it?" Mycroft number one sneered at me. Shaking my head, I raised the gun at the second Mycroft and fired. He fell to the floor. Looking at the first one, he shifted, leaving his skin, Mycroft's skin, oozing everywhere. "Now you are mine." I screamed, realization setting in, as to what I had done.
"HELIA!" I woke up screaming and thrashing. I looked up at Mycroft who was sitting on the edge of my bed. "Sh. You're alright." Mycroft pulled me into his arms in an attempt to soothe me. I started to sob, pressing my head into his throat. "Shh."
"I killed you, My. You instead of it." I managed after several moments of being held in Mycroft's arms. My hot tears were streaking down my face, soaking into his crisp white dress shirt. He hummed, the vibration soothing as I could feel it running through my own body.
"I'm right here, love. You didn't kill me." Mycroft soothed, stroking my hair with his hand. My sobs began to lessen, until they stopped completely, leaving me hiccupping.
"I'm sorry," I mumbled into his chest.
"Don't be. It's alright." Mycroft said softly. "You've had a few stressful days."
"Why were you avoiding me?" I asked, making light doodles on his arm, which was exposed as he had rolled up his sleeves. He shivered at the motions.
"I wasn't trying to." Mycroft finally said. "It definitely wasn't intentional on my part. I had no wish to make you feel like I was avoiding you."
"But why did you?" I asked, my fingers still making their circles on his arm.
"I didn't want to upset you," Mycroft admitted, after a few moments of silence. "You killed the shifter who looked like me. I didn't wish to upset you further by reminding you of that."
"My." I sighed, grateful for his explanation. His fingers curled in my hair, stilling for a few moments.
"I didn't want to remind you of what you had to do," Mycroft said, resting his chin on my head. We sat there in one another's embrace for a while, until I broke the calming silence with a yawn.
"I better go," Mycroft said, shifting me off his lap and getting up. My breath hitched and I was like a little kid, not wanting my source of comfort to leave me.
"My, please," I pleaded in a small voice. "Stay?" Mycroft finally acquiesced and slid underneath the covers with me after he kicked off his shoes. I sighed and snuggled into his chest as he wrapped an arm around my waist.
The next morning I was awoken by Mycroft's slow and exaggerated movements. Opening my eyes I was greeted with the sight of Mycroft, in his now crumpled dress shirt and pants, sitting on the edge of the bed. He was rubbing his back. I giggled which caused him to turn and look at me.
"I thought I was being quiet Helia." Mycroft said, while frowning at me good-naturedly.
"And you forget my father was marine. I am also a Hunter so light sleeping is kinda what I do." I grinned up at Mycroft who nodded at his information.
"Well tonight we are not sleeping on this mattress." Mycroft announced, wincing as his back popped quite loudly. "Actually I will contact a company and get a new mattress. Dear God, I don't know how you've been able to sleep on it!"
"Uh, well, you've seen the kind of hotels that I used to sleep at." I stated, sitting up and letting the covers pool at my waist. I yawned and stretched, my red tank riding up as I did so, exposing my stomach.
"Unfortunately," Mycroft said dryly, standing up, after he grabbed his shoes from the side of the bed.
"So where are we sleeping tonight?" I asked innocently, raising my eyebrows at Mycroft. He swallowed nervously.
"Uh, well, my room I suppose, that is if you want to move back in." Mycroft said. I smiled widely at him.
"As long as you sleep in it." I fixed him with a pointed look.
"Anything for you, Helia," Mycroft smiled, finally relieved that the tension was gone. "However you know that I won't be able to sleep all the time with you." I nodded, eager to continue the life we had before the skin-walker incident. He kissed me before exiting the room, to get ready for work.
I laid back on the bed and smiled widely. Finally I felt like smiling after all the stress of the last few days. Now that Mycroft's distance had been explained, my whole body felt lighter. My cheeks were hurting by the time I joined Mycroft in the dining room for breakfast.
"Ugh! They are all idiots!" Mycroft snarled, snapping his newspaper down. By now I had gotten used to both Mycroft and Sherlock's random outbursts, so I didn't even flinch, just took another sip of my orange juice.
"Who are My?" I asked, setting the flute down.
"Parliament!" He snapped, eating his grapefruit and eggs.
"What have they done now?" I asked, before lifting the forkful of eggs to my mouth.
"I have to talk with a friend about this situation." Mycroft shot up from his chair. "Don't wait up for me tonight. Inform Eva to have a plate put up for me." He kissed me roughly before I could reply.
"Alright - " By this time Mycroft was gone. I blinked before finishing my breakfast. Then I informed Eva of Mycroft's wishes. She nodded.
"Miss Winchester?" She called from the foyer as I ascended the staircase.
"Helia, preferably Lia, Eva," I teased as I stopped and turned around to face her. She smiled.
"Mr. Holmes requested me to alert you to an envelope that is on the bedroom desk, specifically for you." I nodded before rushing up the stairs, wondering what was in the envelope.
All but running to the desk, I looked at the wooden surface. Mycroft had laid two white roses tied with a velvet ribbon on top of the envelope. I smiled as I opened the envelope, using not my finger but the cleverly laid silver and gold inlaid letter opener. It sliced right through the crisp, expensive paper.
My dear Helia,
I am leaving you a credit card. No limit so buy anything your heart desires, my dear. The only thing I request is that you buy an outfit for our date on Friday at the Landmark on the Marylebone Road. Please pick out a dinner dress my dear, as well as the necessary accessories, however, I will provide the jewelry.
Apologies on my behalf for not being able to spend the day with you, as well as being unable to tell you of our engagement on Friday in person.
All my love,
I smiled as a black credit card fell into my hands. I went into the bathroom, applied my make-up and brushed my teeth, before choosing an outfit. Deciding I needed to dress in something more than my jeans and cropped band tee, I opted for something a little different.
I chose a flowy black and white dress. I paired it with a pair of black wedges, added a blazer and an onyx necklace and bracelet. I smirked as I looked at my reflection in the mirror; Mycroft constantly complained about my lack of wearing the clothes he bought for me.
I snapped a quick picture of myself with the cell phone and sent it to Mycroft. Then I picked up the letter, credit card, and my knife, before shoving it all into a black clutch along with my phone. I took off down the stairs to have Eva there, at the door, waiting for me.
"Miss Winchester, there is a driver waiting to take you whenever you please." I nodded at her, this whole concept of a driver and housekeeper still so foreign to me.
"Eva, don't bother preparing lunch for me, as I probably won't be back to enjoy it." I smiled at her before getting into the waiting black Mercedes.
"Are you ready Miss Winchester?" The driver asked once we were underway.
"Yes, sir," I said before my phone alerted me to a new message. I pulled it out of the clutch to find a message from Sherlock.
~If you need help, let me know. – SH
"We're here." The driver announced before opening his door and making his way to open mine. Dropping the phone back into my clutch, not having answered the text, I got gracefully out of the sleek machine. Directly in front of was Harrod's and I looked back at the driver panicked.
"Why did you bring me here?" I asked him, feeling my heart beat wildly. This wasn't a store a Winchester dreamt of entering, let alone buy clothes in. This was a seriously expensive store!
"Mr. Holmes specifically requested it," the driver said, looking confused as to why I was reacting that way. My phone rang and I numbly picked it up.
"Helia, what seems to be the problem?" Mycroft's soothing voice asked me.
"Mycroft this is Harrods! I was expecting like a Topshop or Macy's, not this store! This is like the holy grail of expensive!" I hissed at my boyfriend, still standing on the sidewalk.
"Well the restaurant we are going to, requires fancy dress. Go into Harrod's and find a dress!" Mycroft told me in his firm voice. I shook my head frantically, knowing that he probably had his cameras on me so he could see. "Go on Helia."
"Mycroft I can't!" I pleaded with him, desperately.
"And why ever not?"
"Because I'm me. And I don't have the money to go buy a dress in a place like Harrod's." I sighed. "Especially not in Harrod's."
"Helia, you don't have to have the money. I do, which is why you have the unlimited credit card on your person. Plus you are mine, so go into Harrods." Mycroft reasoned with me, he was being gentle. "Go on now Helia. Try at least for me?"
"Alright." I assented to this request.
"And no sales rack. Don't pay attention to the prices. If you do I will have to have Anthea visit you." Mycroft said sternly.
"That's not a bad idea." I told him before hesitating in front of the doors. "A woman's opinion would be nice."
"I'll see what I can do." Mycroft said warmly. "Have fun and by the way you look lovely."
My experience at Harrod's wasn't as daunting as I expected. Anthea showed after I had been there for about an hour. Choosing a dress was harder than I anticipated. Finally, I was down to a red and clear gown, a short black and purple gown, a blue bandage gown, a satin or silk and velvet gown, a beautiful blue gown, and of course a short black dress.
"Which do you like best?" Anthea asked me after writing something on a piece of paper.
"The black and purple dress as well as the black dress." I told her. She nodded.
"Get them both." Anthea said as if that finalized everything. I shook my head.
"And that's over a thousand pounds just in two dresses!" I disagreed. "That's not even adding in purses, shoes, etc!" I cried out.
"And that's why you have the credit card." She gave me a smirk before handing both to the salesclerk who had followed us around. Our own personal shopper. The girl took them along with the name to the front desk, where they would be waiting for me to pay once I was through shopping.
Anthea took me to the shoes departments, amongst other departments, where I found a gorgeous pair of purple heels to match the dress. I added those without looking at the price tag, before making a detour to the men's department. Browsing through the dress shirts I found a deep purple for Sherlock and a royal blue one for Mycroft.
Finally I was done there, with plans to visit a shoe store named Office on Oxford Street. I ended up spending almost five thousand pounds, but I just smiled and handed the clerk the card, while inwardly I was panicking. Then we were taken to Office where I found Rough Diamond black and green heels. There was only one pair of those left which I got along with a couple other pairs of shoes.
After paying for the whole ensemble, we left, Anthea to return to the office and I was carted back to the Manor. I thanked Anthea for her assistance as we all loaded up the bags into the boot of the car.
The next day I was reading a book, when my phone rang. It was a lovely day, no rain, so I was lounging by the pool. Mycroft had left early this morning, so I was all on my own.
"Hello?" I ground out, flipping another page in my book. It was brother Dean. "Alright. See you Friday." I went back to reading my book.
"Helia?" A shadow fell across me. Looking up I saw my boyfriend in just a checked dress shirt and his trousers, standing beside me. "How long have you been in the sun?"
"Like you don't already know, My," I teased my stoic boyfriend.
"Four hours." He admitted, sitting down beside me. Thankfully, Mycroft had enclosed the pool in a glass building which was heated. This way I could enjoy swimming and sun bathing year round. Granted Mycroft did have it put in before he knew me, but he didn't have much leisure time to enjoy it.
"Spot on," I smiled, before closing my book. "You're home early."
"I was able to conclude the majority of the crisis' and work from home." Mycroft kissed me gently. I stretched feeling much like a cat. His eyes eagerly roved over my bathing suit clad body.
I was wearing a red bikini. It had extra straps though that drew attention to my smallish waist. One of the other things I had splurged on while Anthea and I had shopped at Harrod's.
"I knew you'd like it." I grinned at Mycroft. He snorted and shook his head. "Anyway my brothers are coming."
"Oh?" Mycroft quirked an eyebrow, obviously interested in this answer.
"Yeah. I told them they could stay here?" I said, more questioning than telling Mycroft that.
"Are you asking or telling me, dear?" Mycroft was clearly amused. I blushed and fought back the urge to hit him with my book.
"Mycroft!" I hissed to my impossible boyfriend. He shook his head before putting a hand on my stomach.
"It's fine Helia. Just fine." I tried to focus on anything but his warm hand. I failed miserably and then he began to stroke the skin. I swear I purred just like a car. "Looks like my girlfriend is a cat though." I blushed and batten him away before getting up from my spot.
"So did Anthea already tell you the colors of my dress, so you could co-ordinate your outfit?"
"Yes, she did. Plus I have some item to get for you, so - " I laughed.
"Of course Mycroft. Of course."
I was a nervous wreck by Thursday. Mycroft noticed when he came home from the office. I paced the whole of his study until dinner. And at dinner I tapped my fork as well as fidgeted in my seat.
"Whatever is the matter?" Mycroft finally asked, before taking a sip of Claret.
"I'm just nervous, I guess. I mean I want you to hit it off with my brothers. And I want them to like you as well!" I ground out, stabbing the chicken cutlet on my plate with more force than necessary. Mycroft winced at the resulting sound, but stayed silent.
"My dear, I'm sure I will get along with your brothers - ' I never found out what he was going to say because Castiel chose that moment to interrupt our little heart-to-heart.
"Cas?" I looked at him flabbergasted. Mycroft had no idea what to make of him either and just stayed silent.
"Helia. Good." He strode around the table and grabbed my arm. In a flash of light we were gone and then in the middle of a dark, dimly lit kitchen. Hoping not to hurl, I closed my eyes for a moment.
"Cas?" My brother's voice rang through the kitchen. "What are you doing here?"
"Dean?" I asked quietly. Opening my eyes I met the green eyes of my older brother, who was seated at the table.
"Helia!" I threw myself into his arms. Sobs wracked my body. Dean just soothed me, running a hand down my hair. "I'm here now. Shh."
"So, you didn't do too bad." Looking over Dean's shoulder I saw Sam with another guy.
"Sam," I breathed. My little brother looked up, his face serious until they caught my eyes and then his face lit up.
"Helia!" I broke away from Dean to find myself in the tight embrace of my little brother. Well he towered over me by like a foot, but he was still my little brother. I breathed in his scent which smelt like musk cinnamon, and citrus. Dean always smelled like musk, grease, gunpowder, leather, and pine.
"How'd you get here?" Sam asked, leaning back to look me over. I blushed under his intense gaze. I was wearing a blue dress with jean leggings and a pair of steel toed black boots.
"Cas, brought me. I thought y'all were coming tomorrow?" I raised an eyebrow at my brothers, not paying mind to the unidentified male in the room.
"Yeah well a - " Dean stopped and grimaced before continuing. "A situation came up."
"What kind of situation?"
"Uh." Sam looked as helpless as Dean right about now. "Uh – let me introduce you to Adam."
"Our half-brother." Dean finished. I just stood there gaping at my brother. I felt like I had been socked in the stomach. All my air was gone.
Meanwhile in London, Mycroft was a figure of controlled rage. His eyes glittered like sharp shards of ice as he paced the whole of the dining room. He took a deep breath before striding out of the room.
He made his way down the hallway to his office where he made a call to his personal assistant Anthea. She was quick to give him the answers he sought and even quicker to stay silent after he snapped at her. Disconnecting the call, he had to steady himself before making an important call to someone he was sure would have the answers he sought.
"Agent Willis," the man answered on the fourth ring.
"Let's not start with lies. Both you and I know you are not a real member of an intelligence agency, so please spare me." Mycroft said coldly to Bobby Singer, who sat stunned for a moment.
"Now wait just a damned - "
"Robert Singer, just answer my question. Where is Helia?"
"How do you know my name?" Bobby sputtered.
"Forget that. Where is she?" Mycroft hissed. Bobby sighed.
"Now look here. I don't know who you are or why you think I have that information- "
"Stop playing games." Mycroft desperately wanted to bang his head off his desk. Now he was not quite as keen to meet his girlfriend's family if this truly infuriating man had helped raise her. "My name is Mycroft Holmes and I am the bleeding British Government. Now give me the common courtesy and let me know where I can find my girlfriend at?" Mycroft's face was an interesting shad of purple by the time he was finished. Some might say it was puce.
What everyone knew was that Mycroft's doctor would not have been pleased. His blood pressure was elevated, he was shaking, and on top of all that Mycroft Holmes had a pounding headache.
"Alright ." Bobby said after a few moments of contemplative silence on his end. "Did you call her?" Mycroft Holmes exhaled audibly and fought the urge to have bodily harm done to this man. As it was Bobby Singer would find a visit from one of Mycroft's personal acquaintances in the near future.
"Do you not think that I would have done that if Helia had not left her cell phone on the table in the living room?" Mycroft sneered at this man whom he considered to be mentally incompetent. Well he deemed everyone a goldfish, but this man seemed to be exceptionally dim.
"Ah, that idjit!" Bobby Singer sighed and Mycroft could hear the sounds of him sitting down. "Why don't ya start at the beginning? Then we can figure out what happened and where she may be at."
"Mycroft agreed and began the story of meeting Helia from the beginning. He even included their plans for tomorrow. Then he finally concluded with the arrival of a strange man in a trench coat. He added Helia seemed to know the man and called him Cas.
Bobby was silent on the other end for a moment before letting out a stream of colorful curses. Mycroft simply shuddered at the coarseness of this man, but tolerated him because he was Helia's family. And Bobby would help him find Helia and hopefully bring her home.
"Damn those boys." Mycroft perked up. "What have they got themselves in to?" And dragging her into it as well. Give me your number and I'll call you back."
"44 5555555556." Mycroft intoned.
"Alright. Look I can't promise I'll find out what's going on, but I'll try alright?" Bobby sounded tired as he told Mycroft this.
"That's fine. Let me know what you find out." Mycroft said just before the line went dead. He set the phone back before getting up from his chair. Mycroft Holmes stared out onto the lawn of his house, before turning and pouring a glass of scotch.
"What?" I looked between my brother's hoping that this wasn't some kind of practical joke they were trying to pull on me.
"Yeah. Apparently Dad took him to baseball games, fishing, and even got him birthday gifts." Dean said bitterly.
A cold, hollow feeling was steadily growing inside of me. I felt sick, and like I wanted to run from this situation. I was in shock and I felt a pair of hands lower me into a chair. Then that person knelt in front of me.
"Helia?" I felt like I was listening through water. Everything was going in and out of focus, but I was quickly grounded when someone forced whiskey, from the taste, down my throat. I coughed, feeling the liquid fire burn through my whole body.
Everything became clearer and Dean's worried face came into focus. I quickly assessed myself and pressed my trembling hands together. But that was for nothing as my whole body was shaking.
"Helia? You ok?" Dean's hand tightened on my shoulder. I forced myself to nod before my focus turned to my newfound brother.
"Lia, I know it's a shock - " Sam began before I began to laugh blandly at his choice of words.
"A shock?" I raised an eyebrow at my brother. I barked out another laugh. "Bloody hell Sam. I'd say a little more than a shock. Another brother I didn't even know about?"
"Spending a little too much time in London, sis?" Dean smirked, sitting back on his heels.
"And you!" I rounded on Dean. "Don't even get me started on you." I turned my green eyed gaze onto the guy that was the newest member of my family. "So what makes you so special?"
"Huh?" Adam blinked at me, bemused. "I don't understand."
"Well it's just that the dad who was around for us, wasn't very often a father." I stated coldly. "He left Dean in charge of us, and if I'm going to be honest, I'm the person I am today because of Dean."
"Click flick moment, Helia." Dean complained, but he looked touched at my comment.
"Shut up Dean. And I am a chick!" I looked back at Adam. "Dad treated us like soldiers. We were expected to do as he bid. Dad never once showed up for one of Sam's school functions, never cared about an interest of mine, and always placed the blame on Dean."
"Dad was never like that - "
"Well the man you knew of as Dad, is a delusional version of the strict Marine who ran our lives." I shot the kid a glare. "I lived in terror of disappointing the man or receiving another punishment. But in this lifestyle you have to be willing to sacrifice your own happiness."
"What punishments?" Dean looked at me sharply. Sam seemed interested as well, but Adam was looking at the ground. I just shook my head. Dean dropped it but murmured 'later' at me.
"So why am I here?" I asked, just as Dean was about to answer, his phone rang. Holding up a finger he moved out of the room, talking animatedly to whoever was on the other end.
Bobby Singer sighed as he hung the phone back up. He wondered what those crazy kids of his were doing now. Since John's death, Bobby had taken on a more central figure in the Winchester offspring's lives.
He had been happy when Helia informed him of her new life in London. Although she was still hunting, she had a life outside of the supernatural. For that, Bobby was happy. As well as what help she was to the hunters of the United Kingdom.
So that made him pause as to what had happened. Obviously Castiel had come to retrieve Lia, but why? What purpose did he have in taking her to her brothers?
His frown grew deeper as he thought of all the reasons Castiel would have in order to rip Helia from her life. He grabbed his cell phone off the desk and rolled down his list of contacts. Pausing at Dean Wincheser, he let out a sigh and pressed the green button to connect with Dean.
"Dean Winchester," Dean's gruff voice came through. Bobby paused.
"Dean is Helia with you?" Bobby finally asked his young protégé.
"Yeah, Bobby. Cas brought her so we could have extra help on this case," Dean finally said, his tone screaming reluctance.
"Put your sister on the phone please." Bobby finally said. He listened to the muffled voices.
"Hey Bobby. What's up?" Helia's voice finally came across the line.
"Jesus Christ, Lia, ya idjit! Do you know how worried that Myft feller is? And how worried I was when he called me?"
"Mycroft Bobby, and I'm extremely sorry for worryin' y'all. Castiel just kinda drug me here, ya know?" Helia's accent became more pronounced as she talked with her mentor.
"My apologies." Bobby spit. "Did ya even think of callin' him? Lettin' him know ya are alright?"
"Well, it crossed my mind, but I've been busy trying to figure out this creature Bobby." She sounded sincere.
"Well never mind that now." Bobby sat back in his chair. "I've promised to give him a call back, so anythan' ya want me to say?"
"Tell him sorry, I'll see him soon, and that this definitely isn't Harrod's." She said.
"Alright. Ya take care of yaself and those two idjits ya hear?"
"Of course, Bobby, loud and clear. Love ya too." Then the line went dead. Bobby got up and poured another whiskey, before picking up the phone to give a certain Mycroft Holmes a phone call.
Meanwhile, I hung up on Bobby and handed the mobile back to Dean. He slipped it in his back pocket as I listened to Sam regale Adam with stories of us hunting monsters. I smiled before turning to face my oldest brother, who was scowling.
"What's wrong, Dean?" I asked softly. He shook his head, not wanting to reveal his emotions. He had been convinced via Dad that to do so would be a weakness.
"He shouldn't be like us." Dean finally ground out. "Dad kept him from this life for a reason. I mean Dad even took him to a freakin' baseball game! And now Sammy is just handing him this life on a silver platter!"
"Dean," I attempted to soothe my irritated brother, but he just turned away.
"Nevermind!" He snapped. I went to say something else only to freeze in my seats at my younger brother's next words. It was the same speech my father gave Sam. The same speech that forced Sam to leave and not come back.
"Being a Hunter isn't a job, Adam. It's life. You're pre-med. You've got a girlfriend, friends? Not anymore you don't. If you're really gonna do this, you can't have those kinds of connections – ever. They're weaknesses. You'll just put those people in danger – get them killed. That's the price we pay. You cut 'em out and you don't look back. There's only one thing you can count on – family."
"Sam?" Dean and I both stood up. "Can we talk to you?" Sam got up and left Adam to study the book while following us into the hallway.
"What the hell was that?" I hissed, wondering if my little brother had lost his mind or not.
"What?" Sam looked confused as to why we were so angry.
" 'Hunting is life. You can't have connections'." Dean spit out, looking at Sam as if he had grown another head.
"Dad gave you exact same speech remember Sammy? It was just before you ditched us for Stanford!" I exclaimed.
"You hated dad for saying that stuff, and now you're quoting him?" Dean and I had equal looks of disbelief on our faces.
"Yeah well, turns out Dad was right." Sam said.
"Since when?" We both chorused.
"Since always." Sam stated. "Dean, Helia, when I look at Adam, you know what I see?"
"A normal kid?" Dean snapped.
"An innocent?" I cut in.
"No. Meat." Sam stressed. "Because to all the demon's and monsters out there, that's all he is. I hated Dad for a long time, I did. But now I think I understand. So we didn't have a dog and a white picket fence. So what? Dad did right by us. He taught us to protect ourselves. Adam deserves the same."
"Listen to yourself, man!" Dean protested.
"You think I'm wrong?" Sam asked. I understood Deans reasoning as well as Sam's. I did the same thing to Ray when I got to England. He was normal, even though he had the training. He didn't deserve to spend it as a hunter. Adam though – more difficult. He was a Winchester, so he would need to have the knowledge to protect himself.
"I think its too late for us. This is our life." Dean stated. "This is who we are, okay? And it's fine. I accept that. But with Adam, he's still got a chance man. He can go to school. He could be a doctor."
"What makes Adam so special?" Sam demanded. With a jolt, I realized Sam was jealous. He wasn't jealous per se of Adam, but of his opportunities.
"What, are you jealous?" Dean asked incredulously, finally catching on to Sam's real reason behind turning the kid into a hunter.
In some twisted way, this was Sam's revenge. Revenge on Dad for never allowing him the same opportunities. It had been a bloodbath for Sam to be able to go to college. Dad never went to any of Sam's soccer games. Dean and I had never gotten into the whole extracurricular activities the school had offered. Not enough time, especially having to take care of Sammy. Bobby tried to make the three of us normal.
"Are you? Dean all this, isn't real. The Dad Adam knew, wasn't real. The things out there in the shadows – they are real." Sam stressed. "The world is coming to an end- that's real. Everything else is just part of the crap people tell themselves to get through the day. Dad didn't have a choice with us, but with Adam he did."
"Adam doesn't have to be cursed" Dean said, desperate.
"He's a Winchester. He's already cursed." Sam said.
"No." Dean suddenly exclaimed. "No. Whatever's hunting Adam I'm gonna find it."
"You already looked everywhere Dean!" Said said.
"Dean, please," I begged softly.
"Well then, I'll look again!" Dean snapped.
"Let me come with you." I followed Dean into the kitchen where he grabbed his jacket and gun.
"No. Stay here in case whatever is after Adam comes back." Dean smiled at me, his face softening. "Be careful, alright Lia."
"You too, Dean."
After Dean left the three of us boarded up all the vents and salted the windows and doors of the house. It was hard work, but finally we had finished. We only left the floor vent in the master bedroom, not boarded.
"All right." Sam said. "We've closed off every other way into the house."
"If this whatever it is, is coming, it has to come through here." I stated looking down at the vent. Then we heard a door creak and Adam looked at us.
"You were saying?" Sam and I exchanged looks.
"Adam! Adam! Adam!" I watched as my little brother's face changed to shock.
"Mom?"
"NO!" I cried.
"MOM!" Then he took off.
"ADAM!" Sam primed the shotgun and we followed him down the stairs.
"Mom!"
"Wait!" I cried out, helplessly.
"Adam, wait!" Sam said coming up behind him.
"It took me, but I got away!" Adam embraced the blonde woman from the photographs.
"It's ok." Adam soothed.
"I got away," she sounded slightly hysterical.
"Adam step away from her!" Sam had the shotgun pointed at the both of them.
"Sam what the hell?" Adam looked at the both of us confused.
"She's not your mother!" Adam put some space between them.
"Adam, who – What is going on?" His mother asked confused. At this point, I was confused as well. I had no idea what the creature was. It couldn't be a demon, since it was able to cross over the salt lines. Not a ghost either. I couldn't think of what this creature was. It was so frustrating!
"Get away from him!" Sam yelled.
"What is going on?" His mother demanded.
"You listen to me!" Sam discretely shielded me, as my weapons were not on my person at this time.
"It's really her, okay?"
"There was too much blood!" Sam yelled. "Your mother's dead!" He tried to pull Adam away, but he pulled the shotgun off of Sam. "There was too much blood in the vents!" I put my hands up to show I wasn't a threat.
"Adam!"
"Shoot it!" I screamed.
"He's crazy! It's me!" Adam was panicked, not knowing what to do. "Look! Adam its me!"
"That's not our mother!" Sam yelled.
"Shoot it!"
"It's not human!" Sam insisted.
"I know." Adam said before he slammed the butt of the shotgun into Sam's head. A split second later, it was heading towards my face, and connected.
When I finally regained consciousness, I tested my hands and feet. They were tightly bound. Feeling the warm, hard surface beneath my clothes, I figured that I was bound to a wood table. Turning my head I saw my brother, tightly bound to a chair. He was still unconscious.
I was struggling against the bonds that held me to the table. Suddenly the faces of Adam and his mother came into view. They were smirking and I let out a groan at what all Sam had taught Adam. The woman was cleaning her fingers with a silver knife.
"Silver. No wonder my brother's didn't figure out what you were, based off the tests. You're ghouls." She stopped.
"You know, I find that term racist." I let out a low chuckle and my brother began regaining his consciousness. The mother started sniffing me!
"Fresh meat. So much better than what we're used to." She smiled.
"I should have known." Sam groaned.
"Figured it out, brother dear?" I asked.
"Ghouls." Sam grunted. "The fresh kills were what threw me."
"Yeah, confused me as well." I conceded.
"Usually they are just scavengers, going after the already dead."
"Well we wanted revenge for our father." Adam said with a smirk, before he drew a knife across my forearm. I yelped and sucked in my breath before I grit my teeth.
"Leave her alone!" Sam thrashed against his bonds. The woman and Adam both grinned before the lady began to suck the blood from the wounds. "You're monsters!"
"You know you use that word a lot Sam." Adam plunged the knife he was holding into the table by my head. "But I don't think you know what it means. Our father was a monster? Why? Because of what he ate? He never hurt anyone Sam and Helia. Living, anyway."
"No." The woman started as Adam pulled the knife out of the table. "He was no monster. But the thing that killed him was. A monster named John Winchester." I grit my teeth as I felt the edge of the blade run over my chest. Adam suddenly plunged his knife in my side, causing me to cry out.
"Leave her alone! Let me take her place!" Sam insisted. Adam's knife was replaced with his fingers which he began to twist around inside the wound.
"Thanks to your daddy, my brother and I grew up on our own. At least we had each other." I tried to focus on the woman's face, but the pain was blurring it a little.
"Like you and your brothers; inseparable." Adam said, after he sucked my blood off his fingers.
"Actually it was hard to get the youngest on his own." She sneered at Sam. "So we had to take the both of you."
"Like you said Sam, the only thing you can count on is family." The woman began to feed on my arm again.
"And for twenty years, we lived like rats - "
"Graveyard after graveyard, all that stinking flesh." Adam and she began circling around me.
"So we thought, 'hey why not move up to fresher game?'," I was trying to focus, but was failing miserably.
"And we knew just where to start." Adam dug the tip of his knife into the wound he had created earlier. I screamed.
"HELIA!" Sam yelled.
"Revenge – its never over is it?" Adam was still digging in my arm.
"First it was John's cop friend. Then his slut. And then his son." She sneered at us.
"Then I called John, but he was already dead." Adam grinned.
"So I guess Sam and you will have to do instead. Maybe Dean if we get lucky." She ran her hand down my face and I flinched away.
"Dean won't interrupt us this time." Adam leaned over until he was near my face. "We're going to feed on you nice and slow. Like we did with Adam."
"NO!" Sam was fighting against the ropes.
"Oh and by the way, he really was the two of you's brother. You should know that." She sneered. I tensed, trying to fight my bonds.
"He was still alive when we took our first bites."
"And he was a screamer." Then they both drew their knives over my forearms, piercing the maze of arteries and veins beneath the skin. I screamed and then tried to fight.
"Helia, the more you struggle, the faster you're gonna bleed out. So you might as well lie back and relax." Adam gave me a tip. I could hear my blood hit the bowls located on the floor.
"HEY!" Dean came bursting into the room and shot at one of them. I moaned, feeling woozy and seeing blackness on the edge of my vision.
"Dean. . . ghouls!" Sam's voice was floating now. "Come on!" He sounded slightly panicked. "Helia! Don't . . . close . . . me! Come . . . e on!"
"Alright, here we go." The bonds released me and Dean pulled me upright. "Jesus, Lia." I was dazed and swaying. Dean pressed something on my forearms. "Keep . . . on!" Then he got Sam undone and they were helping me out of the room.
When I awoke I was lying on a bed in a familiar black and blue room. I heaved a sigh of relief until I tried to push myself upright. The pain was overbearing and I let out a cry of pain as I collapsed back onto the bed. Within a few moments, the outer door opened and in walked Mycroft Holmes.
I let my eyes feast on the familiar sight of my boyfriend. The powerful aura surrounded him and I instantly felt just a little bit safer. He looked calm and collected, though I noted the dark circles underneath his eyes and his shirt was slightly wrinkled, as if he had slept in it.
"Helia, thank God you are awake." Mycroft spoke, his voice heavy with emotion. He strode across the room and sat on the side of the bed.
"Mycroft. Am I dreaming?" I asked, taking his hand. He let out a chuckle.
"No, darling. This is no dream." Mycroft raised his free right hand to brush the hair back from my face.
"What happened? How did I get here?" I asked, still confused.
"Your brothers brought you here. You were quite delirious and that angel, Castiel, couldn't stop some of the bleeding or heal you completely." Mycroft kissed me gently.
"Oh." I was getting tired. "Dean and Sam?"
"They will be back. Giving your brother a 'Hunter's Funeral'. They said you would understand." I nodded tiredly, and he noticed. "Sleep Lia. They will be back." He ran his hand through my hair and I felt my eyes drift close.
"Him Sam?" I heard my eldest brother argue.
"Dean, just be happy for our sister. Please?" Sam begged. I stirred a little and immediately all noise ceased in the room.
"Lia?" Dean asked. I opened my eyes and looked at my brothers.
"Dean? Sam?" I asked, my mind still a little groggy.
"We're here baby." Dean's voice was soft as it used to be when I was little and ill. I must have really scared them.
"What happened?" I asked, trying to sit up. Dean gently helped pull me into a sitting position, while Sam adjusted my pillows.
"Do you remember the ghouls?" Sam sat down on the bed. I nodded.
"Things kind of got a little blurry after they cut my arms." I admitted.
"Well, Dean ended up coming in - "
"Guns a blazing!" Dean butted in. Sam gave a faint smile.
"Of course, I forgot that little relevant piece of the story. Anyway I warned Dean that they were ghouls and he took care of them."
"Head shots!" Dean said cheerfully.
"Sounds gruesome." Mycroft's voice came from the doorway. I smiled, though Dean frowned, and Sam looked amused.
"Of course I am Helia." Mycroft stepped into the room. "I'm only here for a few hours. Then I have to return for a meeting I have to have with the leader of South Africa."
"Oh, good!" I exclaimed. "You know my brothers, Sam and Dean?"
"Of course. We've made our acquaintances." Mycroft said quite stiffly. My eyes narrowed and I had a feeling I missed something very important.
"Hmmmm." I pinned Dean with a stare, when he grimaced. "Well I'm glad you are all getting along."
"Well, I'm finding Mycroft's library very enlightening." Sam grinned, trying to diffuse the tension.
"Figured you would." I smirked at my little brother. "And did you happen to see the books I've been adding?"
"Yeah!" Sam nodded. "A couple of those are out of print and difficult to find."
"Nerds." Dean snorted, but settled back on the bed with a fond smile.
A week later I was feeling loads better. Dean and Sam both were back in the States. I was sitting in the study, reading the newspaper, when Mycroft walked in.
"Ah, Helia." Mycroft gave me a quick kiss before moving to sit at his desk. "How are you feeling?"
"Better. Still getting dizzy, but a lot better than a week ago." I said, fingering the gauze wrapped around my forearms. Mycroft had paid a doctor so he would come to the house as well as keep silent about the manner of the injuries. People would think they were self-inflicted, which was not the truth.
"Good. You are still pale, but that is to be expected. You have lost a substantial amount of blood." Mycroft said thoughtfully. "How would you feel if I took you out to dinner tomorrow?"
"That would be lovely." I said with a soft smile. Mycroft smiled back before he picked up the phone and placed his reservation at the Landmark tomorrow night at 8.
I was ready for our date by 7:00. I was wearing the black and purple dress I had chosen for our original date, almost twelve days ago. I only changed that I was going to wear a cropped, black silk blazer with it, only to cover the noticeable bandages.
Mycroft watched me descend the staircase. He was wearing a black suit and had both the undershirt as well as the handkerchief match my own outfit in purple. I smiled as I took in the sight of him and he stepped forward with two velvet boxes.
"I promised you I would chose the jewelry." I opened the longer box to expose a diamond choker necklace. He put it on then I opened the next box. A diamond bracelet. He as well, fastened that onto my wrist before pressing a kiss to the palm of my right hand.
"It is gorgeous, My. I don't deserve you." Tears were prickling the back of my eyes. Mycroft shushed me and pulled me into his arms.
"Hush my darling. Do not cry. You will only succeed in ruining your make-up." I laughed and pulled away from Mycroft. He smirked and grabbed my coat from Eva. He helped me into it before slipping on his own coat. Then he led me outside to the car.
"My?" I asked hesitantly as we sat in the midst of traffic. He turned towards me.
"What is it, my dear?" Mycroft asked warmly.
"Are you angry with me?" I blurted. He looked bemused.
"Why would I be angry?" Mycroft asked. "Is there a reason that I should be?"
"NO!" I said quickly. I didn't want him to think that I had cheated on him or something like that. "I just wondered if you were because of what happened these past weeks."
"Nonsense! None of what occurred was your fault at any rate." Mycroft hummed then as we pulled up in front of the Landmark. We walked in and the desk clerk took our jackets. "Holmes. Party of two."
"Right this way, sir." The hostess led us to a seat near a window. They left us with the wine list and I just looked at Mycroft, feeling lost.
"I'll order the wine darling." Mycroft said and when the waiter came back he told him. Saint-Emilion 2001 or something similar. "Helia, I was never mad at you."
"Oh?" I breathed as we continued the conversation from the car. "Somehow, it feels off."
"I know. I was angry when you left with Cas." Mycroft admitted. "Then worried when Bobby Singer had no idea where you were."
"Wait you called Bobby?" I asked incredulous. He nodded and took a sip of the wine he ordered.
"Yes. He is a very interesting person to say the least." Mycroft stated with a look of distaste on his face. I laughed and nodded.
"Yeah Uncle Bobby is definitely interesting." I agreed before taking a sip of the wine. It was divine.
"Then I was concerned when you appeared semi-conscious and blood soaked." Mycroft frowned. "I thought you were dead and that I would never have the opportunity to - "
"Are you ready to order?" A waiter interrupted us. I frowned at him.
"Yeah, dear, do you wish for an appetizer?" Mycroft blinked, frowning due to the interruption. I nodded.
"I'll start off with the broccoli soup."
"And I will have the Orkney Hand Dived Scallops." Mycroft said.
"And do you know the rest of your order?" The waiter asked, pad poised. "So that I might have everything ready when you are finished with the first course."
"Yes, that would be lovely." I smiled at the nervous boy. "I'll have the sirloin."
"And what two sides, madam?"
"The smoked garlic mash and the mustard glaze carrots."
"And for your main dish sir?" He asked Mycroft.
"The Cumbrian Lamb."
"And are you partaking in dessert?" He asked, still writing.
"Why not?" Mycroft exclaimed. I raised an eyebrow – he was always on a new diet.
"Alright." I agreed. "The Opera Gateau for me."
"And I'll take the Hot Blackberry Soufflé." The waiter took the menus and disappeared.
"So, what were you afraid you wouldn't get the opportunity to do?" I asked, sipping the red wine. Mycroft gave a slight quirk of his lips before leaning towards me.
"Helia Winchester, I have never been as close to a person before as I have been with you." Mycroft took a large drink of his wine. "I have never thought it possible to find someone I would be willing to tolerate before."
"Thanks My." I gave him a smile. Of course you had to know Mycroft in order to fully understand his form of a compliment.
"What I'm asking, is if you Helia Winchester will do me the honor of joining me in matrimony?" Mycroft pulled a small velvet box from the confines of his suitcoat. He opened it and I gasped as the reality hit me.
"Yes, Mycroft Holmes, I will marry you and be forced to put up with you for the rest of our lives." I smirked at him and he slid the ring on my finger.
"Now you understand why I am partaking in dessert?" Mycroft said gravely. Oh how I wanted to hit him at that moment. My fiancée.
"Well, at least you proposed properly this time." I snapped back. He smiled as our appetizers came and we began to enjoy our meal. The beginning of a truly lovely night.
