The sequel
A week passed after the night they had slept together. The tension between them was no longer a secret from everybody inside the Sanctuary, just the cause. Henry tried to question Will about what had happened between him and Magnus, but got no response. The Big Guy respected his boss' intimacy asking only if she was all right. Helen had looked at him with sad eyes and lied with a low "of course I am". It was enough for the Big Guy to understand she did not want him to pursue the matter further.
Will had still hopped that after a couple of days he could speak to Magnus, but she continued to shut him off at every attempt. She was so angry and Will didn't care anymore if she was angry at herself, at him or both. He wanted her so much, he fantasized about clearing things up with her and then having her willingly again in his bed. He couldn't stand the situation anymore; he couldn't stand having just a dry employer – employee relationship with her. There were no more talking at night in her office on the sofa in front of the fireplace, no more small talk about the current day, no more flirting, cheeky remarks and stirring smiles. He missed her so much. After a week, he decided it was time to face Magnus one last time and set up an appointment with her.
Helen was furious, better yet had been furious for the last week but couldn't quite pin point the source of her anger. She had too many things going on in her head and she felt like another friend had died. In a way, she was right: the friendship between her and Will had died that night. It should have been different, it should have been a good memory, not a memory she resented and not a bad dream she continued to wake up from with cold drops of sweat on her forehead. She did fantasized sometimes about kissing Will and making out on the sofa after their long talks at night, but even in her fantasies she imagined stooping everything before sleeping with him. She found the foreplay much more exciting than sex itself; she definitely enjoyed the thrill better. For her, sex came much later when the sexual tension became unbearable. Therefore, sex was always intense and satisfying. She didn't have that with Will, the games they had played were too subtle and mostly too innocent to feel the sexual tension rising, they were both very careful to keep it at bay. She never thought it would come to that. She was angry at herself for ruining her relationship with Will in such a degrading and totally undignified way. Why didn't she put a stop to it? Maybe because she expected Will to understand that that wasn't what she wanted, but for once he didn't. Actually, it was entirely her fault. She had gone to his room at night to talk to him and had responded to his kisses. But that's all she had wanted, not sex. Instead he had read the signs and continued. She had just allowed him to satisfy his desire turning everything into a bad memory. She could have stopped him. More internal torment; she found it fitting for her character.
Will went in Helen's office.
"I can't go on like this" he began abruptly. "I miss you, I want you, I want a chance to rekindle our relationship. You made it clear that you won't give me that chance and I can't be around you; work with you acting like we've just met. I need more."
"I can't give you more". Helen was surprised by his determination.
"Do you think you will be able to get past what happened between us and try to forgive me?"
"I can't promise you that".
"I have run out of ways to make up for that night. I can't live here knowing that I have hurt you, that you didn't want to sleep with me. You needed comfort and I misunderstood."
"Will, it was entirely my fault. I should have stopped you. I am sorry it has gotten to this."
"I am sorry also. I will be leaving tomorrow. I have one more report to finish and you'll have all my papers by tomorrow morning on your desk."
"You are leaving. Are you sure it is the best resolve for you?" Helen didn't expect that news. It hurt her badly but her pride didn't let her try to change his mind. If that was what he wanted she wouldn't stand in his way. But she knew he didn't want to leave, he was leaving with a guilty conscience because of her and he just needed a flicker of hope from her that they would eventually be fine and he wouldn't leave, except she wouldn't give him that. She tried not to show her surprise.
"It is the only resolve I could find." Will looked at her. "Thank you, Magnus, for opening my eyes to a new world".
They stood in silence for a couple of minutes, Will looking at Helen for one last time as if taking in her face, her body, her hair, her perfume, memorizing every wrinkle, every shadow of makeup, the way her clothes revealed her forms. It should be a good memory. Helen was looking back at him torn between anger and distress. She wanted to react to his decision, but she didn't find the right way. For that moment, asking him to stay wasn't an option. Will left her office with a sad smile and a soft-spoken "goodbye"; he knew she wouldn't say anything. And she didn't.
The next day, Will had his entire luggage in the lounge. The Big Guy and Henry were waiting for him.
"You really are leaving!" said Henry with a disappointed look on his face.
Will shook his had, gave him a quick hug and turned to the Big Guy. He smiled. He had spent almost two years at the Sanctuary with them, enough time to change his image of monsters into the image of extraordinary people. The Big Guy smacked him on the head and helped with the luggage.
"Aren't you waiting for the boss?" Henry finally realized that Magnus wasn't there.
Will smiled sadly.
"She won't be coming; we've already said our goodbyes"
Helen stood on the rooftop looking at Will leaving. His taxi was waiting at the gate. Tears were running freely down her face but she was glad he couldn't see them. She had let him walk away. It was the end of another chapter of her live, a very short one, in which she had honestly believed after all those years of shutting down that she would have been able to develop another lasting friendship with someone who hadn't judged her and had understood her. She had been so wrong. She didn't know how to open up to others anymore and, maybe, she didn't even want to.
Will stopped and turned around looking on the roof top. She knew he would turn around. He stood there watching her for a few seconds then turned and left. Goodbye, Will,she sighed and wiped her tears.
