Summary: The Druitt/Magnus family is divided, scattered through the world. But another force will rise to bring the family back together and test the resolve of the network.
Disclaimer: I own nothing of sanctuary or the characters... except for Chase.
Rating: M
RISING TIDES:
DOWN IN THE LAB:
John had a feeling of being watched while he stood facing Ashley. For the both of them the blue liquid had stopped flowing from their eyes as a modicum of calm washed over them. He wasn't sure what was happening until alarms blared and thick metal doors began to cover all the cells on the main lab floor. Without words John and Ashley turned to survey the deserted lab, but they saw nothing and the only sound was the alarms blurring.
"What's going on?" John shouted over the din of noise.
"It's a lock down!" Ashley shouted in return as she drew her gun. 'Griffin' she thought. Slowly she lowered her gun and holstered it. Guns would do no good on someone who was invisible.
John risked a glance to Ashley. If it was Griffin who triggered the lock down then that meant they were cut off from everyone else. There wasn't even a way to teleport out. John could feel the EM shield in place. It sizzled along his skin in a silent deadly warning of what would happen should he try. Before he had a chance to tell her, Ashley moved so her back was to his. Smiling to himself John shook his head. His daughter knew what to do in a fight. Watching everything John and Ashley waited for the attack to come. It was all they could do.
INFIRMARY:
James was mixing up the medication Helen had concocted so long ago to control the hunger Nikola had to battle every single day of his life. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Tesla rocking back and forth, his arms wrapped securely around his chest, and a light sheen of sweet beading on his brow. James had better hurry before Nikola lost all semblance of control and attacked either him or Helen lying in the bed just feet away from them. Finishing the serum James put it in the centrifuge to mix it for a few seconds. Turning away from the sight of Nikola, James went to Helen and made sure she was still asleep.
Helen felt groggy, her head full of fog. The last thing she could recall with certainty was being back in her office with John and then nothing, just blackness. But now she felt as if she was somewhere different all together and someone was watching her. With all the strength she could muster Helen tried to open her eyes, to focus on the conscious world, but she was too tired. She just wanted to go back to sleep. That wasn't Helen, she wasn't to simply go back to sleep and wait for the world to pass her by. Forcing herself Helen opened her eyes and saw the one person she thought she would never see again; James. More and more of her strength returned to her. She was no able to lift one of her arms, now able to cup his cheek with her hand and whisper, "James."
"Welcome back to the waking world Helen." Leaning down James gently pulled Helen into a hug.
"What happened to me?" She asked moving out from James arms and trying to sit up. Her body still felt lethargic and full of whatever had made her sleep. But she would not fall back into the black abyss of a drug induced sleep.
"We think Griffin drugged you to temporarily take you off the field of players." James explained. There was so much more for him to say but before he could even begin to tell her all that has happened alarms blared signaling a lockdown. They hadn't even had time to get to the door before the security measured locked them in the room. Just beyond the door James could hear the heavy metal doors thud into place.
"A lock down," Helen breathed out. She moved to the edge of the bed and for the first time she set her eyes upon Nikola. He had risen from the chair he had been occupying with a hungry predatory gleam in his eyes and he was staring at Helen. She froze out of fear of her vampiric friend. "James… James," Helen called to him twice to get his attention.
James heard his name and turned to Nikola. No longer was Tesla the man before them, but the dark side of his personality; the vampiric part of his psyche. Slowly, making no threatening moves, James moved to Helen's side and watched with wary eyes as Nikola advanced on them. "Nikola, you have to stop and think." James held up his hands.
SECOND FLOOR HALLWAY:
At the last second Chase managed o get out of the way of Henry and Dawn rolling around on the ground fighting and growling at each other. Chase shook her head and then joined in the fray of male arms. She latched onto Dawn's hair and wrapped her right arm around his neck to pull him back and off of Henry. In defiance Dawn planted his elbow in her gut, but Chase refused to let go. Using her momentum she flung them back and rolled so she was standing between him and Henry. "Stop this Dawn!" chase shouted and risked a glance at Henry. His eyes had gone the eerie green of his werewolf persona. Any more fighting and Henry wouldn't be able to control the shift and then he would end up killing Dawn. "I don't want to fight you, but I will if you leave no other choice." She hissed.
"You would fight a tiger for a pathetic werewolf?" Dawn growled. He couldn't understand her. The wolf was a mongrel, nothing worthy of her and yet she defended him.
"Henry is not pathetic!" Chase shouted, trying to get a handle on her anger. If Dawn left her no choice she would kill him. She would hate herself for it later, but if it meant protecting Henry then she would willingly shed blood for that.
"Fine, then you can die with him." Growling Dawn charged again and tackled Chase to the floor. He had a second to process the difference in her before her fist was planted firmly in his jaw. He felt two of his back teeth break. He spit them out on the floor while eyeing Chase.
Dawn rolled off Chase. She fought to keep her claws from extending. Chase was still hoping to at least get him to leave without it being in a pine box. Before Dawn could come at her again alarms sounded all around them and the heavy metal door boxed them in. Someone had triggered a lock down and that meant she was cut off from her father, from her sister, and from the others. This day was not getting any better. Putting the lock down out of her mind she crouched and made herself combat ready.
Henry stayed back out of the way. He was no fighter even though his blood screamed to defend Chase and to kill Dawn. The werewolf inside howled for freedom. But he would not give into his anger. Henry would not allow the wolf free to destroy another life.
"You see Chase, he is no fighter. He could never protect you!" Dawn hissed and charged. He tackled her to the floor and sank his teeth into her shoulder. Her blood flooded her mouth and her roar of rage rang in his ears. Dawn felt flaws sink into his arms and shred the skin, but still he would not let go.
Chase roared out in pain and let her animal take over, let the Ripper free. She sank her claws into his arms and tore the flesh of his arms. When that didn't work Chase brought her knee up into his side and delivered a sharp blow. Dawn should be stronger than her, but with the Vampire blood pouring through her, she was an equal match. On thing was left Chase sank her own fangs into his shoulder and bit down hard.
MAIN LAB:
Ashley waited at her father's back for an attack to come. With Griffin being able to be invisible he could strike from very close and they wouldn't see it coming. What they needed was Chase, she at least could see body heat and Ashley was sure Griffin was giving that off. But with the lock down they were crippled and on their own.
John sensed his daughter's unease. It was the same with him. But more than that john was hurt at Nigel's betrayal. He didn't have time to dwell in the past, dwell over the pain. John had to keep his focus and listen for anything out of place that would allude to Nigel's attack. Griffin had never been much of a fighter, but being invisible he wouldn't have to be. More than hearing John felt the attack that was coming at Ashley. Quickly switching their places John felt cold metal slice into his left shoulder. Pushing the pain away John turned and looked along the upper level of the lab. Griffin was hiding up there; he knew it.
Ashley turned to her father and saw a knife lodged in his shoulder. She reached up to pull it out, but was halted when another came out of no where. Ducking Ashley focused her other senses in trying to find Griffin. She let the hunter in her take over. Using the other senses she possessed Ashley waited for just the right moment. Taking out her gun Ashley closed her eyes and fired. There was a loud thud as Griffin fell on the upper level. She knew he was dead, the hunter in her told her it was the only out come. Lowering her gun Ashley opened her eyes and saw the evidence for herself. There was one arm dangling over the ledge and it wasn't moving.
INFIRMARY:
Helen and James stayed perfectly still while Nikola boxed them into a corner. His features were no longer human, but pure Vampire. His eyes had gone black, his nails elongated, and his fangs were bared. Helen's heart hammered in her chest. The last time she had been confronted with Nikola's alter ego she had been just as scared. Two seconds ago the centrifuge had stopped and while Nikola was focused on them she used her telekinesis to prepare the vial in a needle and give it to him. As far as she had come with her mental powers she still was weak in that area. Levitation was all she could manage with certainty, which meant she would have to get close, biting range close, to give Nikola his medication. Reaching to her left she took James's hand and squeezed. She would need all the courage she could get because right now she wanted to go back to sleep. But Nikola was a threat and he was a hungry vampire staring at two humans who were really close.
She risked a glance to the counter and saw that the needle was ready. Helen had to distract the hungry Vampire so she could get it into her hand. Taking a deep breath Helen let go of James's hand and took a tentative step towards Nikola. He was more monster than man at this moment and her heart hurt to see him in such a state. "Nikola its Helen," Holding out her hand she waited to see what he would do Nikola looked from her hand to her eyes as Helen waited for what was to happen. Again she risked a glance to the syringe. The only way for her to get the needle into him was if she was very close to him. Helen didn't want to be that close to Nikola's fangs but it was the only way. Using her other hand she signaled to James behind her back to hold his ground no matter what happened.
Taking another step closer Helen gasped as Nikola yanked her into his arms and exposed her neck. She felt his hot breath at her pulse and for just a split second she let her fear run free through her body. Helen ground her teeth together and once again gained control of her emotions. For the second it took Helen to get the syringe Nikola sank his fangs into her throat. She screamed out in pain even as she jabbed the needle home in his leg and pushed the serum into his body.
SECOND FLOOR HALLWAY:
Chase tasted Dawn's blood and nearly choked. Using what strength she had, she kicked him off of her and rolled onto her side to regain some of her senses. He was not that far from her and already gaining his feet. Chase had to get up, she had to fight, and she had to kill him. Managing to get to her knees Chase didn't get that far when she felt something crash against the back of her skull. Chase saw stars and then fell into blackness.
Henry was standing off to one side as he saw Dawn bash Chase in the back of the head with one of the decorative vases. The wolf in him howled in rage. Before Henry knew what he was doing the werewolf broke free of its mental chains. The shift was seamless and without pain until all he could feel was anger and rage. Henry stood before Dawn snarling and growling. How dare the cat harm his woman? Crouching down Henry used all of his strength to lunge at Dawn and take him to the ground. The tiger could barely fight him off. Henry barely registered the claw marks that were being raked over his abdomen. One quick hard punch Henry had his hand through Dawn's chest crushing his heart.
Chase opened her eyes and shook the residual haziness from her head. It hurt to move but she had a fight to finish. Rolling over she came face to face with the lifeless eyes of Dawn. He had a gaping hole in his chest. But who did this? Regaining her feet she saw Henry huddled against the wall. He was shaking as he looked at the blood coating his left hand from forearm to palm. Going to him Chase pulled him into her arms and told him things would be alright now; that everything would work out. "You were only defending yourself." Chase whispered and kissed his temple. Henry said nothing as he wrapped his arms around her waist and continued to shake.
MAIN LAB:
John leaned against one of the lab tables as he steeled himself to pull the dagger from his shoulder. It would hurt and he wasn't sure if he had enough strength left not to keep from yelling in pain. Sucking in a sharp breath John yanked the dagger free and only uttered a sharp gasp as evidence of his pain. After a moment John let out a ragged breath and then looked at Ashley. In her eyes he saw concern for him as blood flowed freely from his wound. "I'll be fine." John whispered and offered her a small smile. His wound was starting to heal already and in a weeks time it would be nothing more than a pink scar. It was one advantage of having ancient vampire blood in his veins. Even after a century of life the blood was still potent and healing.
"Are you sure?" Ashley asked going to her father's side and peering at the wound. It was bleeding freely but the flow was slowing. All that indicated that it was clotting off and would soon stop.
John reached out and cupped Ashley's cheek, "Yes, I'll recover." He dropped his hand and then asked, "What about the lock down? Can you lift it?"
Ashley nodded and went to one of the computers. After a few minutes of muttering curses and threatening the computer with harm the metal doors lifted and the EM shield lowered. Knowing her werewolf friend Henry would have had the lock lifted in seconds and not minutes. she was a fighter, not a tech person. Leaving her father to lean on the table Ashley went up to the upper level where she found Griffin lying in a pool of his own blood. she felt nothing looking at him now. He was just one more enemy to fall under the heel of their boots; one more enemy to die. Ashley felt numb. "It's a shame you had to die." She whispered crouching down to close his eyelids. The dead, empty lifeless eyes were now covered and soon Nigel Griffin would be laid to rest like he had pretended to be for nearly half a century.
SECOND FLOOR HALLWAY:
Henry pulled away from Chase to stand. He hadn't meant to get blood on her but he knew she wouldn't mind. It's not like it was the first time Chase had had blood on her and Henry knew it wouldn't be the last. Going over to the body of Dawn Henry gazed down at the man and oddly enough he felt nothing. Henry was numb to the corpse at his feet. Dawn incurred the wrath of Chase, but it was Henry who had ended his life and he knew he should feel sick over losing control but he couldn't muster the self disgust. Dawn had threatened Chase's life and Henry had taken the measures to protect her. "Is this what it feels like after…?"
"If you feel numb, then yes." Chase said from his side. She knew what it was like to lose ones blood innocence. For many many nights to come Henry would have nightmares about what he did, about what the werewolf did, and all Chase could do was be there for him. It was partly her fault that he had to kill dawn. "Henry, I would have…"
"No, this was bound to happen sooner or later. I'm just glad that I didn't end your life as well." Henry spoke and noted that his voice sounded hollow and detached. Right now he was in shock, but tomorrow the real guilt would begin. He had taken a life. It may have been in self defense but it was still murder.
"Part vampire remember, not going to be doing any dying anytime soon." Chase spoke softly. She took Henry's hand in hers and had just leaned her head on his shoulder when the metal doors lifted. The lock down was over and it was time to get out of this hallway. She would have to get the Big Guy up here later to help her take Dawn's body to the morgue. Right now Henry needed a shower and sleep.
INFIRMARY:
Helen staggered away from Nikola as he fell to the ground. James caught her and held her close as the vampire convulsed and fought to return to the annoying human he was before losing control. She knew he would be in a lot of pain and would pass out from. For his sake Helen hoped Nikola passed out soon. Helen lifted a hand to the side of her neck and felt the traces of blood on her flesh. The minute John saw her like this he would be at Nikola's throat in an instant. Looking back to Nikola Helen saw he had finally succumbed and fell into sleep.
Sighing Helen said to James, "Help me get him to a gurney to sleep off the rest of his hunger."
James took his hands from Helen's waist and saw her sway slightly. He replaced them and then said, "You should sit. I'm sure I can get Nikola to the bed by myself." Moving back a few steps James guided Helen to the edge of the gurney she had occupied and had her sit down. Standing a blood loss were two things that did not mix well. Leaving her James moved to Nikola and helped the unconscious vampire off the floor. Nikola may look like a stick of a man but he weighed a fair share. But James wouldn't complain. It was either help Nikola or kill him. As much of a pain in the ass that Tesla was James wasn't ready to kill him, wasn't ready to let go of yet another person who knew the time they came from. Just as he had Nikola settled on the bed the lock down ended. Turning he saw two bright flashes of light and then there was John and Ashley standing in the infirmary. John had fresh blood on his shoulder and Ashley was hurrying to her mother's side.
John looked from Helen, to James, and then to an unconscious Nikola. Truly this was a day not meant to be relieved, ever. He saw blood on the corner of Nikola's mouth. Looking back to Helen, John finally saw the light blood trail down the side of her neck. Realizing what had happened he stalked to Nikola's bed intent on hurting Tesla severely when James stopped him. "It was not his fault." His friend whispered. But it didn't matter. His woman, his love, was injured and Tesla was the cause.
The only way to get John's attention to shift, James had to cause him pain. Digging his fingers into John's wound James managed to get him away from Nikola and into a chair so he could inspect the wound. "I take it Griffin did this to you?"
"Yes," John growled out through gritted teeth. Not all the pain was gone and James's probing of his wound was not doing him any kindness. All of his adrenaline was fading and now the pain was coursing through his shoulder and registering in his brain.
"It's a clean cut." James said rather in lieu of having anything else to say. Their entire lives had been turned upside down in recent weeks. Then there was the matter of ridding John, Ashley, and Chase of the bio-electrical entity that was in them. He had deduced as much before Nikola had taken him from the lab. Now that he knew what it was, James needed a way to expel the thing from then without pain.
"What about our other problem?" John asked.
"I haven't found a way around that yet. I need a few days to figure it out." James poured a little peroxide in the wound and let it bubble. John only hissed in pain as the peroxide cleaned out whatever germs had set in. James taped a temporary bandage in place and then offered John a black t-shirt that he had seen in one of the cupboards.
"Thanks," John muttered and went over to Helen. Without words passing between them Ashley moved and let him sit down where John pulled Helen into his arms and just held her. Even though James had told him that she would wake eventually John had had unfounded fears that he would never gaze into her eyes again. The thought actually made his heart stop a few times. But she was awake and she was in perfect condition, except for the bite mark that now marred her neck. John would definitely be speaking to Nikola about that.
"We'll leave you alone." Ashley muttered. She was happy her mother was awake and that he father was fine. But she had o find Chase and see what had become of her sister. Together with James, Ashley left the infirmary and went in search of Chase.
Lucky for her they didn't have to search that far because Chase was coming around the corner with blood on her cheeks, her waist, and the thighs of her jeans. "What happened?"
"Dawn's dead and this time for real." Chase drew in a ragged breathing battling her tears back at the loss of someone who had betrayed her. "He was working with Griffin . Henry and I fought him and now he's dead."
"Is Henry ok?" Ashley asked.
"He's fine. It was Henry in his werewolf form that killed Dawn." Chase sagged against the stone wall as the weight of what Henry had done for her finally sank in. He had killed to protect her. Normally it was Chase doing the killing; she was bred for it, trained to do it. For Henry to take a life seemed wrong somehow as the image of him bloody replayed in her mind.
"How did he kill Dawn?"
Ashley, Chase, and James turned to see Helen standing in the doorway supported by John. It was Chase who answered, "Dawn used a vase to knock me unconscious for a few seconds and when I came to Dawn was dead and Henry had blood on his hands."
"Where is he now?" Helen asked coming towards Chase. Her head swam and she fell back against John. The blood loss and residual effects of the sedative were warring in her mind to drag her back down into the black.
"He washed what blood he could off and now he's in my bed sleeping." Chase answered and finally breathed a sigh of relief as the latest crisis seemed to be over. But how long would it be before another enemy was barking at the gates, howling to destroy them?
LATER THAT NIGHT:
Helen, John, and James gathered in the morgue to once again look upon Nigel Griffin. He had been their trusted friend and colleague. Still that had not stopped him from trying to kill them. Helen laced her hand with John's and let a small amount of grief show. After all she had shed her tears for him long ago. John leaned close to her and whispered, "He brought this on himself."
"I know." Helen answered and rested her temple against his chin. When Nigel died Helen felt a void in her life as one of her dear friends left this world for the next. Now her memories were colored by betrayal; Nigel's betrayal.
"He was still one of us, no matter what had twisted his mind." James said, though at the moment he couldn't muster the sorrow his old friend deserved. He had been at the funeral the first time, said his good-byes and moved on with his life. Helen had done the same thing and so had john. It was one of the few times that he had actually seen Helen and John in the same space without trying to kill the other. Now didn't count. John had managed to harness the man he had been and chain the monster that lusted for blood. hopefully James would be able to rid him of his demon and give Helen back the man she loved.
CHASE'S ROOM:
Chase was stretched out on the railing of her balcony listening to the rise and fall of Henry's chest. He had been asleep since this afternoon and she was in no hurry to wake him. It was good that he get all the sleep he could before the nightmares started. Her Henry had lost his blood innocence and that made Chase fell wretched. It should have been her to deliver the death blow to Dawn, not Henry. Even though he was man Henry had this air of needing to be protected from what lurked in his blood. By rights Henry was a killer; he was a werewolf, and yet in the midst of all the death that seemed to knock at the doors of Sanctuary Henry had held on to his innocence for so long. Chase was amazed at that. Her father was the Ripper; some would say she was born guilty of having blood on her hands. She hadn't seen it that way until the Cabal had taken her, then she had had no choice but to kill to gain her freedom and to keep it.
"How's Henry?"
Chase craned her neck to see her sister, "He's still sleeping. I think he'll be out until tomorrow morning. Shifting takes a lot out of him." The minute he woke up the first thing Henry would do would go in search of food and then he would feel guilty about killing Dawn. Chase had felt the same after she came out of her shell shocked state.
Ashley moved to the railing and sat next to her sister's feet. It always amazed her that Chase could lie on the railing and be perfectly at ease while not worrying about falling. She had tried it once after Chase left and found she couldn't stay still enough. "He's going to have a real hard time coming to terms with this." Ashley commented. She had seen the damage Henry had done to Dawn; the big gaping hole in his chest.
"Yeah, don't I know it." Chase sighed and sat up. "But I'm here for him and I know what he's going through. We all do."
"If we're lucky he will be so busy working on the new security measures that he will forget all about it." Ashley suggested though she doubted that kind of luck would happen for her werewolf friend. The fates as of late had been particularly good at handing them situations that ended with people dying in order for them to survive. Her life was becoming tedious enough as it was.
Chase ignored what Ashley had just said. She knew that would not happen to Henry. He might have his work, but even then he would still think about it. "I thought you would be with Jax."
"He got a call from his sister. I got a message on my cell that said he would be back in a few days." Ashley answered and let her sister continue with the subject changes. But no other words fell from her lips as she turned to gaze out at the peaceful scene of the night while the city was bathed in lights. Chase had a feeling that life would be quiet for a little while, at least she hoped so.