Helen breathed evenly out of her nose, ignoring the sweat that was making it's way down her back and chest. She paused for a moment to wipe her forehead across her arm before squaring her shoulders and starting again. Left, right, duck and weave, a steady rhythm that allowed her mind to wonder. It had been weeks since there had been time, since she had any space to herself for this and her body was paying for it. She pushed past the aching muscles and kept going. After forty minutes, she stopped and sat on one of the low benches. She took a long drink of water, trying to catch her breath.
"Sorry I didn't know you were here"
Kate paused at the door, towel in her hand. Helen offered her a smile as she tried to roll the ache from her shoulders.
"Normally you wouldn't. But I had some time today"
Kate moved deeper in the room and stood in front of Helen, stretching her arms over her head.
"I didn't know you boxed."
"A little."
"Who were you taught by?"
Helen raised her eyebrow.
"You really want me to answer that?"
Kate smiled.
"Now I do"
Helen laughed.
"Fine. Ali"
"As in Mohammad Ali?"
"Yes."
Kate let out a low whistle.
"Wow. You must have a pretty good form"
"I do ok."
Kate sighed and took a seat beside her.
"All things considered, you would think that you would be down here more. You know, needing a punching bag"
"I have a habit of using myself for that"
"Well, you and me both"
The women sat in silence for a moment before Kate spoke again.
"Will used to tell me about when you first found him, how you promised complete honesty as he required it"
"Yes, that was the deal. And harder to keep up then it sounds."
"That I believe. I was wondering if I could ask the same thing"
"Of course. What do you want to know?"
Kate shifted in her seat, chewing her lip, weighing her words and wondering what kind of answer she would get.
"It's personal"
"For me or for you?"
"You"
Helen nodded slightly. Did she really want to risk opening herself up like that?
"Ok. What is it?"
"What's the story with you and John Druitt? Not what goes with Chinese whispers but the truth"
Helen sighed. She hated this part. She hated remembering even though it sat fresh in her mind, as if it all happened moments ago rather then an entire lifetime ago.
"We met at Oxford"
"I know that part"
Helen nodded.
"John got my attention immediately. He wasn't like the others"
"The others?"
"I was a woman at a University. That was not heard of in those days and I was looked down by everyone, treated differently because of it. They thought that I didn't deserve to be there"
Kate nodded slightly, understanding where Helen was moving with the story.
"He didn't see that"
"Exactly. He saw who I was and what I was from the moment our eyes met. He knew that I could take on any one of those men and leave them feeling ashamed. He knew that I had the power, the knowledge to change the world. And to be that young and to have a man, other then your own father, see who you were as a person, not just as a woman, it's a heady feeling"
"I can imagine"
Kate frowned.
"So how did it all start?"
Helen smiled slightly.
"Same way as any other romance does. He offered to take me to a play. To be honest, I don't remember much about the play. We spent every second talking in low hushed tones. And it just went from there. We fell in love and then he proposed."
Kate shifted again, her eyes dropping.
"Then you found out the truth"
"And it destroyed me."
"Yet he keeps coming back"
Helen nodded and stood, heading back to the punching bag. Kate joined her, holding the bag in place.
"He's seeking redemption and he's using me to locate it"
"How so?"
Helen grunted and punched the bag hard, shifting on the balls of her feet.
"Good deeds Kate. When he comes here, it's either with bad news or to offer it because he thinks it will change things for us"
"But you saved him. You could have let him die"
"Like I said Kate, it's more force of habit."
"A habit to save him?"
"You could say that."
Helen paused and pushed the hair from her face.
"We started out as The Five and now, there are just the three. Both Nikola and John are important to me. They are - "
"If you say friends, I'm going to get the dictionary so you can see that definition"
Helen chuckled.
"John and Nikola are the only people who know me and are caught in the same way that I am."
Kate nodded slowly.
"I get that. Not many people know or understand what you can do"
Helen offered her a small smile.
"You make us sound like superheroes."
"You kind of are, aren't you? I mean it started with The Five, you get endowed with 'powers' and 'abilities' and now you live in a 'research facility' hidden but supported by the Government. Oh and you fight bad guys."
"Well when you put it that way.."
"Can you think of a way to put it that does not make you sound like some sort of Wonder Woman offshoot?"
"Hole in your argument, right there. Wonder Woman had powers, I don't"
Kate rolled her eyes.
"Small difference. I'm sure, given enough time.."
"Believe me, powers would make my life so much easier."
Helen frowned, quickly correcting herself.
"Then again, maybe not"
Kate shrugged.
"After working for you, I have decided that powers are overrated."
"Agreed."
The women fell into silence again as Helen turned her attention bag to the task at hand. For ten minutes, Helen boxed and weaved, pausing only when Kate spoke again.
"Can I ask another question?"
Helen raised an eyebrow.
"Depends. Am I going to regret this honesty policy?"
Kate smiled widely.
"Nothing too personal, I promise"
Helen punched the bag a few more times before dropping her arms to her sides.
"Fine."
Kate and Helen quickly switched places. Kate took a deep breath before she started slamming the bag with a surprising amount of force. It was a while before she spoke again.
"I'm starving. Lets do lunch while we talk"
Helen nodded and the two women headed to the kitchen. This was one part of the building that Helen loved. While the rest of the building maintained most of the original features and structure the kitchen was the one place that Helen didn't mind changing. As a child, her favourite place, other then her fathers study, was the kitchen. Whenever she couldn't sleep, she would sneak down and have a midnight snack, usually chocolate cake that the cook always left for her. She would sip tea and eat by the window, watching the stars and moon. It was made better when her father made his way down too. It developed into one of their little routines, one of many that she treasured. So, in a rear moment of childhood memories, she had the kitchen modelled on the one that helped her think. The two ovens sat in the centre of the room, the benches, sinks and cupboards forming a large "U" around it. Kate was in the fridge, pulling out bread, ham, lettuce and cheese, while Helen started the kettle.
"I love this kitchen"
Kate was looking around the room while she sliced the cheese.
"Thank you. I love it too"
"There is something distinctly wrong with a small kitchen. I always hated the one I had growing up. You couldn't even leave a damn pot on the bench without it looking trashed"
Helen laughed.
"Biggie would last five minutes in a kitchen like that"
"True"
The women lapsed into a comfortable silence as they set about their tasks. They sat down at the polished breakfast bar and started eating before Helen broke the silence.
"So what was the question?'
Kate nodded, chewing her mouthful before answering.
"Right. Why me?"
Helen frowned.
"Sorry?"
"Why me? Why am I part of this team?"
"Bit late to ask that now isn't it?"
Kate shrugged.
"Never really questioned it before. Never really felt a need too"
"Then why now?"
"Kind of been doing that personal evaluation thing that William is always going on about. I hate how he gets into my head"
"Well that is his job. At least he's good at it"
"True"
"So why the need for evaluation?"
Kate pushed aside the crust from her sandwich and wrapped her hands around her cup of tea.
"It's been happening for a while now. I'm just trying to trim the burnt stuff off, you know? Getting rid of the crap that I don't need."
"It's healthy to do that"
"So William tells me. But I don't like it. At all."
"Why?"
Kate sighed as she fiddled with the butter knife on her plate.
"I've never been in the habit of evaluating who I am outside of situations. And I'm seeing things in myself that I'm not proud of."
"We all have those parts of ourselves."
"Yeah well, I still don't like it."
Helen wiped her mouth with her napkin before folding it neatly and putting it back on her plate.
"So do you want me to answer your question?"
"Please"
Helen leant back in her seat, crossing her legs.
"I saw myself in you"
Kate paused.
"What?"
Helen lowered her eyes.
"When I first met you, I wasn't really in a position to pay attention to what was going on outside of that situation."
Kate nodded. When they had first met, they were trying to find Ashley and Kate had been caught in the crossfire.
"I get that"
Helen chewed on her sandwich before continuing.
"Then I saw how you handled the abnormal situation with Henry. Despite the fact it was promoted by selfish reason's, the result was still a positive one"
"So that's what did it?"
"A number a small things. You attitude, your unwavering dedication and alliance. But more importantly, the way you fitted with the rest of the team so quickly. But then there are the parts that surprised me"
Kate raised her eyebrow.
"I surprised you? Is that even still possible all things considered?"
Helen laughed.
"Occasionally it happens. You know that you are a big softy when no-one is looking."
"I try not to let anyone know that"
"I know but we see it. And it makes you….endearing."
Kate coughed.
"I have never in my life been called endearing."
"Well there you go then. It's a day of first's for you"
They finished their lunches and cleaned up after themselves before heading back to the workout room. They resumed their workout in peaceful silence and Helen could see that Kate was picking over her words, checking them out and comparing them to what she thought of herself. Helen wasn't worried though. She had made the right decision all those months ago. Adding Kate to the team had been a benefit to them all. And Helen knew that in the process, they had saved Kate too.