Strolling through the Sanctuary at this time of day when he hadn't been up all night was his favorite thing to do. The coffee was hot against his lips and tongue, but it slid smoothly down his throat. He was taking his time, step by step the dark hallways being light by the rising sun. He moved passed the first library door and saw his boss' old friend cleaning and tidying up. Moving further down the corridor until the next door, he decided to enter.
The Sasquatch didn't stop moving while the young man entered taking another long sip. Will looked around before his eyes landed on the old leather bound book that hairy hands were adjusting on the table. "What's that?" His eyes lifted to Biggie who shrugged in response. Turning the book once more so that it was right in front of Will and angled so that the protégé could read the non-existent title Biggie picked up the cloth he was dusting with and left with silence.
Will stared for a moment longer before reaching out and running stubby fingers over the worn brown leather. Sipping at the warmed mug in his left hand he contemplated whether to open the book or not. Once more, his fingers skimmed the material and he instinctively knew that whatever he was looking at was intensely private and well used. It wasn't unusual to find a book in the library, gods knew Magnus had millions of them lying around the entire house, but this one was different. It was smaller, there was a faded azure ribbon threaded through the pages, and string wrapped tightly around to bind it all together.
Drawing air into his lungs he took one more sip before setting the mug down and picking up the bound book. There was no embroidery on the front so when he slipped the string away and the cover open the neat printed handwriting immediately set warning bells off. His stomach dropped and his eyes lifted to see if anyone else was in the room. Haphazardly, Will swung his arm out to pull the chair so he could sit while his eyes roved back to the book and remained glued to the words as they formed.
Skimming the page he realized that it wasn't simply a diary, it was letters. Hundreds and hundreds of letters from the woman in the office sitting at her desk two floors up and three doors down on the left. It took him minutes to feel comfortable reading through any more. The Big Guy had obviously given him this for a reason and would run interference with his boss, years working in that environment had taught him that.
He was halfway done with the pages before he glanced at his watch and noted the time. He had cautiously turned each page as if he would leave a remnant of his prying eyes in his wake. Setting the book down he grabbed for his cold mug of coffee and made for her study, it was time for the staff meeting.
Three days passed, emergencies came and went. She left and returned and Will remained quiet and watchful. He had never gone back to read the rest of the letters, they were far too personal, but he was intrigued by where they had come from. He read through more than twenty years, some were thin with little pages filled and others were flooded with words from frustration and love. The emotions and feelings that he found there were far more complex than he expected. Sitting on the yellow couch he watched with careful and studious eyes. She was sitting at her desk, eyes glued to something lying on the wood and her hair pulled over one shoulder.
He heard her take a deep breath, watched as she stood and strode over. Sitting next to him on the sofa, her leg brushing his Magnus kept her chin facing down. Will didn't dare move. He held the air tightly in his lungs until he heard the hitch in her throat. Glancing up her eyes filled with tears, her voice slid over him like warm honey. "I was going to give it to her… when the time was right." She looked up toward the ceiling, her hands tightly wound around each other. "I just never expected… I never thought that the time would never happen."
Will found his hand moving over hers and resting gently on her skin. Brushing his thumb over her knuckles, he locked eyes with her. "You can't dwell in what happened. There's nothing you could have done to change it."
"I know." She nodded and closed her eyes. Tears slipping from the corners fell onto her skirt. Will raised up a hand and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "It's just—she'll never know how I felt."
"Helen," he started, realizing that it was the first time he had properly used her name. It was odd, but it felt appropriate this was not colleagues talking, this was friends and confidantes. "Ashley knew exactly how you felt. She knew that you loved her, that you still love her. She knew that no matter how much she pissed you off, how annoyed or anger with her you got that you always would love her. And that's all those letters say."
Her head bobbed slightly and she took in a sharp breath. Licking her lips she slid her fingers against his where they rested on her cheek. "Thank you, Will."
"She didn't need to read it to know all that. You showed her, every day." Once more Helen nodded and Will slid back against the cushions knowing that the moment was passed. "Biggie?"
Magnus chuckled softly, "Henry."
"It's a conspiracy." Will muttered it with a smirk before glancing back over at her.
"Everything always is." Her eyes were twinkling and the soft smile on her lips gave him reassurance that she was coming to a resolution. Ashley may have been dead for three years but that didn't mean the stark reminder that she was gone disappeared. Every year on this day, Will would sit in Magnus' study and offer silent comfort or whatever it was that she needed. She patted his leg gently. "Care for some wine?"
"Absolutely."
A/N: So sorry I haven't written in a long time! It's been a crazy month (I'll only be home for ten days of it). Anyway...here is a story!
Also still doing the donations for every review! This month it is $1 for every donation (August 2012) because I've been slacking in my writing. Not your fault, mine. So please, read and review!
~~Arones