Here's the next chapter. It contains spoilers for S2E2 End of Nights Pt2. Enjoy.

Italics = memories/flashbacks

Disclaimer: I do not own Sanctuary or any of its characters.

Chapter 2:

(An Unused Section of the New Sanctuary - 2009)

Suddenly, there is clarity. Ashley Magnus grabs the wrist of the female super abnormal about to slice through Helen Magnus. She turns to look at her mother, her blue eyes clear for the moment.

"Ashley, please," Helen cries.

Ashley knows that her control is slipping. Soon she will be trying to rend her mother, again. She looks into Helen's pleading eyes and says the only thing she can get out, "Mom."

With the last of her control fading, she turns, pulling the other girl with her into a teleport. The normal red plasma flames end in an explosion of real fire, as the two women disappear. The pain so completely engulfs her that she cannot even scream.

With a start she wakes. Every part of her body aches with a pain she cannot quite explain. It is as if she is burning and freezing at the same time, but not exactly. Opening her blue eyes she finds another set of blue eyes staring back at her. She is startled by the realization of who those eyes belong to. Sure, her hair color has changed, but she is undeniably the same person.

"Talia."

"Welcome back, Ashley," Natalija replies, smiling. She returns to working on the I.V. machine next to the bed.

Ashley's confusion is evident, "Am I dead? I should be dead!"

"Well, yes. You should be, but we weren't about to let that happen. Now were we?" a male voice answers from the other side of the bed.

Ashley turns to see her other old friend, Mir, standing next to, what appears to be, a dialysis machine. She becomes fascinated watching the blood flow through the tubes on the machine. She follows the line of red back to her own arm. Startled, she looks back to Mir, then Talia.

"It's ok, Ashley," Natalija reassures her, laying her hand on Ashley's arm. "It's a bioartificial liver device. We need to flush all the drugs, they pumped into you, out of your system as quickly as possible. This is the easiest way."

"We were hoping to wait for your body to do it naturally, but you brought your friend along," Mir indicates a young light-skinned black woman lying unconscious on another bed, also hooked up to an I.V. "After a week of it though, Natalija has nearly reached the limits of her abilities trying to keep the two of you… stable. Good thing we had a backup plan."

"Abilities?" Ashley questions.

"Yes, my dear. I'm a telepath," the other woman responds.

Ashley looks up at her friend in shock, "You never told me that."

Natalija sits on the edge of the bed carefully and sighs, "There were so many things we were not able to tell you, at the time, Ashley. Bloody hell. We had to sneak away just to see you."

"But why?"

"Because Mother would not have approved," Vladimyr tells her.

Abruptly Ashley tries to get up, "Mom!"

Natalija and Vladimyr restrain her as gently as possible, holding her down until she stops struggling. All of a sudden, she feels extremely tired. She tries to fight it, but finds it harder and harder to think clearly.

"Sleep now," Natalija soothes her, "There will be plenty of time to talk later. I promise, dear sister."

"SSissterr?" Ashley slurs as she slips into the darkness of sleep.

Natalija tries to stand up only to slip to the floor. Her brother rushes around the bed to help her to her feet. He places an arm around her waist, walking her over to the nearest chair. Vladimyr knows this is taking a toll on his sister, but he also knows she won't give up.

"I think you may actually need to sleep, when this is all over, my darling sister," he quips. She smiles weakly at him and he realizes just how pale she is. Patting her hand he says, "Maybe some medicine will help, for now."

"Perhaps," she aswers, sliding down further in the chair.

Vladimyr goes over to one of the cabinets in the room to retrieve what appears to be an I.V. bag filled with a reddish liquid and a drinking glass. Upon returning, he opens the bag with his teeth and fills the glass. Natalija gladly takes the glass from him, when he holds it out to her. After she downs the contents, he empties the rest of the liquid into the glass. His sister drinks the second glassful more slowly. He is happy to see a bit of color return to her cheeks. Taking the glass from her hands, he sets it and the now empty bag on the nearby counter.

When he turns around, he finds Natalija staring intently at Ashley, "We really did it, Vladimyr," she whispers, "We saved her."

"Yes. Yes we did, Natalija," he replies, walking over to stand by her.

His sister faces him, her eyes filled with uncertainty, "What if I cannot repair the damage the Cabal did to her mind?"

Vladimyr takes her hands in his, "You will. I have faith in you. Remember I've seen what you can do."

"But," she breathes in a shaky breath, "what if I cannot?"

"Then, sister dear, we go from there," he states with a reassuring smile, "After all, there's no going back now."

She nods her agreement and they both return to watching their sister sleeping peacefully.


Ok, I know it's probably not exactly what anyone was expecting, but they did save Ashley. Tell me what you think. Thanks for reading. Until next time.