Chapter 13 - Will Helen agree?

"And if you want I can be there when you talk to her? Be there to back you up and to help her see you don't need to be hidden." Will said.

"You would do that for me? Why?" She asked.

"I believe you have lost a lot in your life with not being able to life as your true self, I think that needs to change. I will help you in any way that I can, if that's what you would like."

"Thanks Will, it means a lot. But I think I need to do this alone." She was now feeling a lot better with asking her mom for her freedom. With that she thanked Will for listening to her and made her way out, she had to go speak to her mom before she chickened out again. Will watch her go hoping that she would get what she deserved. He would follow in a bit to make sure things didn't go wrong and he could step in if needed.

….

Natalie made her way to her mother's office taking the longest way possible, even though she wanted to get this over and done with she still wasn't ready for it. She arrived taking a deep breath before entering, Helen was there working at her desk when she got the feeling of being watched so she looked up to see her daughter there standing in the doorway. Judging by the look on Natalies face she could tell her daughter needed to talk to her about something important, with that she closed the files she was currently working on and got up to move towards the couch.

"Natalie, there you are. Are you ok?" Helen said while pointing for her daughter to join her. Natalie didn't say anything but made her way to where her mother was pointing, Helen could see that there was something bothering her daughter,

"Honey are you ok?, you can talk to me if you need or even Will if that would be easier." Helen told her daughter hoping to ease whatever tension Natalie had.

"Ah, I actually just came from there. He really does give good advice doesn't he." She tried making a joke trying to ease the apprehension she had to begin the conversation she really wanted to have.

"So he found you then, thats good. Did he help with whatever has you so worried?"

"Well sort of, he just had to look in the right place, that was his own office. I knew that by going there he wouldn't look there straight away, in which gave me the time I needed to be ready to speak to someone. And yes I think he did help a little with what I've been worried about."

"Thats good, is there something I can help you with as well? Is that why your here?"

"Kind of?" Natalie said before jumping right into the real reason she was there.

"Actually your the reason I've been so worried recently." Upon hearing this Helen frowned, what could she have possibly done that had worried her daughter. It couldn't have been their latest mission was it? No surely Natalie wouldn't have agreed to do it if that was the case.

"Me? What has made you so worried about me?" She asked her daughter trying not to push. She could see how whatever it was, it was hard for her daughter to tell her.

"It's not anything you've done…." She paused trying to get the right words together.

"It's that I have a question I need to ask you, but I'm worried about how you will react." This threw Helen a little bit, what question could her daughter possibly ask that would have her so worried about her answer. Does she think her question will hurt her feelings, or make her angry Helen thought.

"Are you worried that I may be angry with your question?" Judging by the look that she received upon asking this she could tell that this was what it was.

"Will it help if I promise not to get angry, and to hear you out before giving you my answer?" She asked hoping this would allow her daughter the freedom she needed to ask whatever it was.

"You promise?" Natalie asked, Helen could see in her eyes that she was really worried about how she could possibly react.

"I promise." She told Natalie giving her most sincere look to prove she would. She watched as Natalie took a deep breath, this was it.

"I don't want to hid anymore." Natalie almost screamed, not at her mother just so that she would finally say the words she has been dying to tell Helen for so long. She looked to her mother gingerly hoping that she would keep her promise and not be mad, when she did see her mothers face at first all she could see was shock, then confusion.

"Ok so let me get this straight…. What you are asking me is that you would like me to stop keeping you a secret right?" She said as passively as she could, she did promise that she would not get angry and hear what her daughter had to say. Mind you it did slightly make her angry as her daughter knew as to why she had to stay hidden.

"Yes, look I understand your reasons as to why you have done this. But can you please explain to me why we have to continue now that he's gone? I mean as far as I know he was the only reason as to being hidden. But he is gone now why can't I now be me?" Natalie looked to her mother, needing the truth as to why Helen was so afraid for the world to know of her other daughter. It slightly frightened her when her mother stood up and began to pace, she thought for a second that her mother was going to start yelling at her. But this did not come,

"Be you? You are you aren't you?" Helen asked.

"You know what I mean, please don't avoid my question?" Natalie pleaded trying to not get angry herself at her mother avoiding her question.

"You're asking a lot Natalie, you do know what people will do to you if they know your my daughter?" Helen was fighting back tears as the memory of how Ashley was taken from her flash into her mind.

Kate had been walking nearby the office when the mumbled conversation conversation hit her ears, it sounded like a heated exchange was about to take place so she moved towards the office to investigate. Will who had come down to keep an eye on what was going on noticed that Kate was now within earshot as she approached, he had to let Natalie know of this. So he cautiously looked around the door to see if he could get her attention, luckily he was and lucky he had a notepad with him so he could tell her about Kate without interrupting their talk. Upon seeing the message from Will, Natalie quickly starting speaking to her mother in another language,

"I know you are referring to what happen to Ash mom." This sudden change in language shocked Helen, who looked to her daughter confused as to the change.

"If you don't want others to know what we are talking about until this discussion is finished I suggest going along." Natalie explained to the language change and nodded to the fact she knew that Will and now Kate where outside the door where they couldn't seen. Helen nodded that she understood but also knew that this meant her daughter was not willing to let this conversation go with it being finished, she wanted an answer. So she also started speaking the new language one that she had learnt and taught her daughter to use so that the could keep their conversations private.

"And yes I was referring to Ashley, can't you see that after what happen to her I want to keep you as safe as possible. I believe the best way to do that is to make sure that know one finds out about you, that way that can't use you to get to me like they did with Ashley." Helen explained.

"So you're just trying to protect me? Aren't I now old enough to make that decision for myself? Yes I know of the possibility of people using me to get to you, just like what happened last year remember? And how did that turn out mom? Things turned out fine, I am fine he isn't. I can handle myself mom, just like you taught me. And I can use the skills I've learnt from hiding and use them in a way to protect myself. Plus with letting people know the truth will mean more people that will have my back if things go wrong." She had begun yelling at her mother but not in anger, but because she was becoming quite emotional trying to prove her point. Just then Helen said something that surprised her,

"But I'm scared." Helen said, almost in tears. Natalie saw this and ran to her mother to hug her, she pulled back so she could look into her mothers eyes.

"It's ok to be scared mom, but I've spent 27 years living in secret, I just can't do it anymore. Please mom, please let be me, the real me." Natalie continue to look at her mom awaiting her answer.

"Alright fine, but we need to discuss this further as to when and how we will do that. But not today." Helen agreed to let her daughter live her life with no more hiding. It hurt to possibly put her daughter in harms way due to this, but seeing how happy this made Natalie was what mattered most. She had to put her daughters needs ahead of her own selfish needs of trying to protect her. They both shared and emotional embrace and both started to cry, tears of relief for Helen that her daughter was no longer hiding from her and Natalie for finally being able to speak with her mom and get what she had been wanting for so long. They pulled apart with Natalie asking,

"We good?." She asked Helen in English as to give Will the hint that it was now safe to enter and things were fine.

"We'll always be good Natalie, nothing can come between us." Helen told her daughter as she watched as Will, Kate and now even Henry who had also turned up looking to ask Helen a question when he heard the yelling entering the room.

Kate was the first one to speak, as she was the only one to not know why Helen and Natalie would be arguing with each other,

"I don't know about you guys." Referring to Will and Henry, "But what the hell was going on between you two." She said pointing between Helen and Natalie. Natalie looked to Helen to give an explanation as she knew it should be up to her mom to if they told Kate the truth just yet, Helen appreciated this and decide that this would be a good start but couldn't find the right words to explain. Thats when Will jumped in understanding what had happened between the two women,

"May I?" He asked, mainly to Magnus as he cold see that Natalie was letting her mother set the pace. Magnus couldn't speak but nodded allowing Will to release her secret. With that Will explained,

"Well you see Kate, that was an argument between a mother and daughter. One that ended with both agreeing to the request which was being made, despite one not entirely ready to." He said while trying to leave open areas for either Magnus or Natalie to jump in and explain more, which neither did, but they weren't given the chance either when Kate questioned again.

"What could two people who barely work, let alone live together possibly have to argue about?" She asked, thats when Helen finally found the words and the nerve to explain,

"Oh there is quite a lot that we could argue about." Helen began while smiling to her daughter and grabbing her hand to show she was ready, "But this one was about how a selfish mother was putting her own needs ahead of her daughters, a daughter who made some really good points which I suspect had a lot to do with you." She pointed at Will, who just grinned back at her glad he was able to help. She continued, "a daughter who deserves the right to be who she truely is." Helen finishes while sharing a moment with Natalie.

"Mother? Daughter? Are you an adoptive daughter, kind of like Henry here? Because as far as I've heard Magnus only ever had one daughter and she's dead." Kate had to ask.

"Here let me." Natalie said to Helen, "Actually, wait! Hang on a second." Natalie said las an idea cam to her, she began to look around the office, she needed some of the alcohol wipes she knew her mother kept everywhere, as you never really knew when you might need them. Kate watched on confused, still not understanding what was happening. After finding what she was looking for Natalie made her way back over to the group while beginning to remove the makeup she was wearing, before also pulling off the wig she had on. She then looked to Kate saying,

"Nope, definitely not adoptive. Otherwise this.…" Natalie said referencing her appearance. "This wouldn't make any sense." Upon seeing what Natalie really looked like Kate was shocked.

"What! I mean what! How has no one even known about you. Your like identical, are you sure your her daughter and not her twin sister." This made everyone in the room laugh, that's when Will jumped in.

"So is this what I looked like when I found out? He asked Helen.

"You knew about this?" Kate asked Will, who just nodded and explained how he had only found out earlier this year just after Ashley died. Kate then went to Henry,

"Did you know about this too?" She wasn't really liking the idea that she was the only one here that didn't know the truth.

"Of course I did, she was here when Magnus found me, We grew up together for the few years before she went away." Henry told her.

"Went away?" Kate was still so confused as to what had just happened, that's when Will offered to step in and explain all that he could. Just as he was about to begin Natalie's phone went off. She looked at it a little puzzled, but she needed to take it. She quickly excused herself, Henry also need to leave as he still had some work that he needed to get back to. This left Will, Kate and Magnus so they got to explaining fully to Kate what was going on and what this meant going forward. After telling her how she had to keep her daughter hidden, and how she had only just agreed to changing this, Helen told Kate how she still couldn't tell anyone unless ok-ed by her or Natalie. That way the could control how people found out so there would be less backlash as to her motives of hiding her own daughter from the people of the Sanctuary. She knew there would be a few people who wouldn't agree to what she had done and would try to challenge her authority.

Kate and Will left Magnus's office about an hour later with everyone agreeing that they were not to speak of this, at least not yet. With everyone now gone Helen finally notice that her daughter had been gone for a while, it must of been a very important call. She hoped that it wasn't so important that Natalie would have to leave an head home so soon, luckily she didn't have to wait too long before that question was answered as it was only another ten minutes later that Natalie was walking back into the office.

"Everything all good?" Helen asked as she sat at her desk watching as her daughter entered the room.

"Oh yeah, that was just Matt. We just had a few things we needed to discuss and work out." Natalie replied sitting in the chair on the other side of the desk to her mother. Matt was Natalie's partner, very few people knew of their relationship as Matt had a very public job and wanted to keep his personal life out of view. The two of them had been together for 10 years now, but due to the stress of each of their work they had just decided to put their relationship on hold. As much as it hurt it made things easier for Natalie for being able to move back closer to her mother, and with Matt also deciding to move from Atlanta to LA, she didn't tell her mother about this just yet.

"So how much longer do I get to have to have the pleasure of you being around?" Helen asked.

"Actually about that, what would you say if I told you that it is completely up to you?"

…..