If anyone's still with me, thank you! Next chapter, order up!


Finally, her shift came to an end, and Helen walked out to her car. The door creaked slightly as she slid inside, making her flinch instinctively. Helen had hoped driving away from the hospital would help, but she still couldn't get rid of that pit in her stomach. The conversation with her mom and the long shift in the ER swirled together, effectively putting her into a haze for the drive home. Helen wondered if there was anything she could even do to help in the first place. It's not like she was up to speed on the lore, and her skills and reflexes were beyond rusty. The last time she had field stripped her gun was...months ago? Crap, is that even possible? Could I even throw a knife still? Doubt it, she answered herself. Helen grew increasingly flustered as she realized just how out of the game she was. No way I could help 'em. Actually, I'd be too busy throwing my own bacon in the pan to try to save theirs! Sighing deeply, Helen attempted a fake smile and made up her mind to leave it alone for the night. It's not like she'd do them any good worrying over what she couldn't fix, either.

They knew what they were doing…right? She should trust them.

A faint smile played across her lips at the thought. Trust? Please. That was most definitely not in Helen's DNA. (She hated admitting it, but she was so her mother's daughter. And...she had background checked her husband as soon as they were dating. She'd never admit that to her mother, though.) A few familiar chords from the radio caught her ear, so Helen turned up the volume.

So I'm gonna keep on loving youuu, 'cause it's the only thing I wanna doooo... She hummed along, willing the music to coax a better mood out into the open.

She continued driving and was about halfway home when her phone rang. "Hello?" she answered.

"Is this Dr. Helen Murphy?" Drew asked seductively. "I've got this problem…think you can help me with it?"

Helen laughed at her husband. "You know it, goofball. I'm on my way home now-do I need to pick up anything?"

"Nope, not a thing," Drew replied, "I've got dinner ready, so we're just waiting for you. And, by the way, the natives are restle-" Their sons' voices interrupted his thought. "Moooommmmyyyy! Hurry up!" Michael and Tyler yelled in the background.

Helen sighed and shook her head. She was late, after all. Not by long, but 2 and 4 year-olds don't tend to be very forgiving of any delays in food, especially not their two. "I figured they might be-sorry babe. Train wreck came in right when I was leaving, so I helped the next shift stabilize 'em before I left. I promise, I'm not even 10 minutes away now," Helen apologized. As much as she hated dumping on the next shift, any and all disappointments to the boys were like a drop-kick to the gut.

Admittedly, this was tame compared to the beginning of her residency when she would basically live at the hospital for 3 days at a time...but still.

Before she could launch into her follow up explanation, Helen heard Drew chuckling heartily. "Just another day at the office, right? Hel, come on. I get it. You don't have to apologize every time you're a few minutes late. Just get home so we can celebrate another day in paradise, ok?"

She smiled widely. "Sorry Drew, can't help it. I'm hurrying though, so you don't have to fend the natives off much longer!" she quipped. "I love you-see you soon." "I love you too," he replied before hanging up.

"'Paradise'? Ha. How the hell did I manage to end up with such an optimist?" Helen asked herself. She laughed derisively.

I don't wanna sleep, I just wanna keep on loving you... the lyrics found their way back to her, so Helen rolled with it and sang out loud. The last bit of her commute couldn't fly by fast enough; she was ready to see her boys.

Helen pulled into the garage, threw the car into park, and nearly ran into the house, grateful to be home.

"Boys, I'm home!" she yelled toward the open door. Helen remembered her bag and walked back to get it out of the car. Something felt strange, out of place, but Helen couldn't put her finger on it.

As she stepped back into the house, she realized what it was and stopped cold.

The door had already been open when she walked in the first time. Drew never left a door unlocked. ...but there could be a perfectly reasonable explanation for this time, she told herself. She cautiously crept around the corner into the hallway, but didn't see, or hear, anyone yet. She called out their names again as she walked through the home. God it's quiet. ...Maybe they're playing a game...

Even her feigned attempts to placate herself didn't land. Her hair was practically standing on end, every latent instinct in her body sounding alarms. Where the hell were they? "Drew? Michael? Tyler? I know you guys are around here somewhere!" she yelled, attempting to make her tone light. The kitchen was empty, but she could smell the lasagna in the oven.

Maybe he forgot something, ran to the store with the boys really quick, she thought. Yeah, that had to be all it was…until she remembered that his car was still outside. Damnit. That sinking feeling from earlier made an encore appearance in her stomach. As she turned into the dining room, heart pounding, Helen gasped and froze.

"We're so glad you're home, Helen. We've been waiting for you for so long," said the woman holding a large knife to Drew's throat.

Her hand flew to her mouth as she tried to muffle her scream. Drew, Michael, and Tyler were each tied to a chair with duct tape over their mouths. Michael and Tyler both had tears streaming down their faces in confusion and terror. They're just kids, you bitch! Helen yelled in her mind at the woman. What did they do to you?!

She scanned her husband's face for any indication of what had happened. Instead, she simply saw rage, as in, Lou Ferrigno Hulk-level rage. Drew was afraid, of course, but more than anything, he was pissed. No one messed with their kids, especially if he had anything to do with it. Now, he was completely helpless, unable to protect anyone. It was painfully displayed all over his face, and judging by the smile on the woman's face, it was just the reaction she wanted. It broke Helen's heart.

Helen tried to keep her composure, but she was already shaking with equal parts fear, rage, and confusion herself. Who was this girl? she wondered. The young woman smiled cruelly, clearly enjoying watching Helen panic. Helen swallowed hard and did her best to rearrange her expression into something resembling calm. "What do you want?" she asked, as her voice quavered.

"Oh, Helen… You shouldn't ask a question if you don't really want to know the answer," the woman replied.

Ok, not random. She knows my name. Not good. Helen's stomach was in knots. Drew managed to catch Helen's attention for a moment. He nodded his head slightly and made a rolling motion with his fingers. Keep her talking, right…duh Helen. What are you new? she chided herself. Her husband was so level-headed for a civilian, thank God. Helen began, "No, but I do know there's a reason why you're here. Look, whoever you are-"

The woman cut her off with a snide laugh. "You don't even remember me, do you?" The woman was visibly angry that Helen didn't recognize her, which confused Helen even further. The woman didn't look that old. Helen briefly studied the woman, searching for any hint of recognition. She was about 5'5", slight build, with shoulder-length brown hair. Her large brown eyes overtook her other features, giving her youthful appearance a more precocious look than Helen noted at first glance. Come to think of it, she couldn't be more than 18 or 19, maybe?

The woman, er, girl continued on. "You… you took…everything from me! But that wasn't even a blip on your radar, was it? Just another nest of vampires taken down to you hunters, right?!" she stammered angrily. Helen's head snapped to attention, and she felt herself go cold to her core. She did recognize her.

"Sasha?"


The story will pick up speed in the next chapters, so I definitely appreciate any feedback. Thanks y'all! -H