Chapter 1: tonight

It was a cold quiet evening, nothing like normal at this house. It was almost too quiet and that made her worry, and she is not one to worry. She got up and walked carefully and quietly over to the door leaving her office. If it were a normal night she would have heard some movement coming from outside her door. Will would have been in his office, Kate would have been.. well doing whatever she does when she is not working, Tesla would have been either in the library or in the lab depleting her wine cellar and cursing at some toy he was tinkering with, Henry would have been in his lab working on, fixing or have been upgrading some weapon of his, and her manservant would have most likely been in the kitchen grunting at something or may have been cleaning the sanctuary. But there was no sound and no one in sight so that made her worry, and Helen Magnus was not one to worry.

Since she didn't see anyone around her first thoughts were to check on the abnormals to see if they knew or saw anything that was out of the ordinary well by sanctuary standards. They knew nothing and Sally as Henry and Will liked to call her tried to reassure her that everything was ok. She tried to calm down but after everything that had happened in the last year it was hard to calm down.

Her daughter had sacrifice herself to her. Something in her had changed from the monster the bloody Cabal had made her to her daughter that she loved. Something had changed and Ashley realized what she had to do to save and protect her mother so she teleported away with that other monster that the Cabal created. And then John was gone too. He was helping her rescue some telepathic people from a shipwreck and then something in him made him kill one and Magnus went to figure out what happened and he attacked her kicking her in the ribs. Kate had heard gun shots and had come running down the hall to help and Druitt had knocked her down sending her gun tumbling to the floor Helen grabbed it and shot John with it until he lay on the ground dead. She had ordered Kate to help her get him to the infirmary to revive him. When she did the elemental that had been in him went into the Sanctuary because of the shock Helen gave John. When he came to he claimed he felt calm and peaceful, free even. Ohh how she wanted to believe him but she couldn't she had told him 'It's easy to blame something other than yourself for your actions' but the truth was she wanted with all her heart to believe him because she still loved him and wanted to blame that creature for his actions as much as he did. But the creature had taken over the Sanctuary and was planning to kill everyone and everything here by poisoning the air and the only way to stop it was for John to teleport in there and take the creature in him once more. She didn't want that not after just getting him back so she pleaded with him to wait they could find another way but he knew they wouldn't in time so he had asked Henry to put down the em field and turned and looked at her and said 'I love you remember that…. For eternity' and with that he teleported in and took the creature in him once again. She tried to help him but he shot back at her with anger in his voice 'I don't need your help.' What he need was to get away. She had asked 'John where are you planning to go?' His answer still plays in her mind 'I have no destination in mind.' And with that he teleported away from her leaving her emotions all mixed up.

She stood back in her office now it was 3 months after he left her. 3 agonizing months later. She still remembered those words he had said before teleporting into the lab 'I love you.. for all eternity.' She had wanted to say she loved him back and before she knew it she had said them aloud in her empty office.. well she thought it was empty "I love you John Druitt.. for all eternity." And then she felt the arms around her. She started to pull away but then she realized who it was and she just let him hold her. " John.." she whispered. Trying to collect her thoughts. She started again more loudly but only slightly " John, how did you get in here? Why are you hear?"

" The em shield was down. I simply teleported in here my love. And as to why I am here. I am here for you of course. I know how I left you and for that I am sorry. I just had to get away before I hurt anyone before I hurt you Helen." He stopped talking and turned her towards him. He looked into her eyes. Even when she said no words her eyes always told him what he wanted to know. And oh how he had missed those beautiful blues eyes. And now looking into them he could see she was scared, worried, sad, and trying to figure out what to do next.

" I hadn't the heart to raise to em shield after you left. To be honest I hoped you would return. I didn't care if you had that creature in you or if you were you again I just wanted you back John. I loved you, still do and always will love you John" then she reached her arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss. A long needed kiss. And in the moments when she was in his arms she forgot all about her worry bout her home being too quiet. The only thing that seemed to exist was her and John. She forgot all about her sadness.

"Helen, what were you worried about?" john asked after he pulled away for a moment.

" It's just that the house was too quiet no one was around and I couldn't hear anything or anyone." She said a little embarrassed. He always knew how she felt she could have hidden that from anyone else but not him he always knew her.

With a smile on his face he said "I think it is safe to assume that they are all out at a party, a costume party, well all but Tesla." He only knew this because he saw an email in her inbox from all of them.

"John how could you possibly know that and be so sure?"

"I could say because I have been watching them.." he said with a devious smile on his face but then added " but that my dear would be a lie. They sent you an email."

"oh."

" yes so it seems we have the whole house to ourselves.." john said still with that smile on his face. He also noticed Helens slight hesitation and quickly added " but only if the lady wishes" he said putting on his most charming smile and gestured towards her.

"I wish.. that I knew what I wish. What is it that I wish Mr. Druitt?" she said in a playful voice.

"I don't know, what do you wish Miss Magnus?" he said playing along.

"I wish that you," she said pointing to him then continuing "were right here," she said pointing right next to her on the couch. "with your arm around my shoulder so that I may stitch you up so that you do not drop anymore of your precious blood over my carpet Mr. Druitt."

"As the lady wishes," he said mock bowing at her before doing what she requested. He went and sat beside her on the couch lifted his arm to lay across her shoulder so that she could get to his wound on his right side. As she touched it he felt peace just being close to her. She was his only way to get peace from the creature in him. And he hadn't seen her in 3 months. But he was here now and she was willingly letting him put his arm around her shoulder so that she could stitch him up even though his arm most defiantly did not need to be on her shoulder.

" there." She said as she finished. "Good as new." She said with a smile and then kissed his side where the wound was.

"what was that for?" John asked surprised.

" Why to make it better of course" she answered and without giving him time to think of something to say she kissed him on his lips this one was not like the other. This one was passionate, had meaning, it told him more than any words could have told him.

" I… love… you… Helen." Was all he could say which was more than she could say. All rational thought was to hard for her to do at this moment. The only thing she could think to do was keep kissing him and never let him go. Never let him leave her again.

The stayed like that for a while longer until the quiet was no longer. They both heard footsteps and laughter coming towards them from the hall. John was about the teleport away when Helen grabbed his arm and said "John.. Stay. Don't go. Stay here. Don't leave me again. Please. I don't think I could handle that not knowing if you're ok. I don't care if you have that bloody creature inside you still. I want you to stay. I need you to stay. Please don't leave. John I'm scared or maybe just fearful.. for you when I don't know where you are." She pleaded with him

"as the lady wishes." He said and kissed her again and sat down next her just in time to see her team stroll into her office. They all had looks of surprise, and suspicion.

"Before any of you say anything.. he is staying here and there is nothing any of you can do. Is that clear?" Helen said.

" ya sure boss.. you are the boss anyways. Just one question. Is he.. does he still have that creature in him?" Kate said

"yes he does but he has control over it and that's that." She said declaring she was dropping this subject once and for all and walked out of her office. Stopped at her office door and looked back at John sending him an unspoken message that he received loud and clear. He got up did a quick bow in the direction of her team and she had to hide the smile threating to come out. He followed her without asking any questions up to her room.

Her team was just left in her office to think. Yes she would have to deal with them later but right now she didn't care. She had John back her John and that was all that mattered right now. In the morning she would wake up and try to find a way to cure him of that creature. She promised herself that she would find a way. But that was tomorrow and this was tonight so she stopped thinking and acted on impulse.

In the morning she may or may not regret her decision but that was tomorrow not tonight.