Disclaimer: I do not own or make any inference that I own Being Human UK or any of its characters.

"Should we let her in?" asked Michael.

"What? A strange young girl wants to be let into our house, and we just do it, asked a stunned George, have you got short term memory loss or something? No, we most certainly do not let her in…"

Unfortunately, Nina had opened the door before George could finish.

"Hello dearie, fancy letting me come inside?"

"Who are you? Did you need some help?" asked Nina

The outer door area was filled up with George immediately and all the rest joining behind. Annie had gone quiet and tried to hide behind Tom. She was more confused than afraid as some strange memory was forcing its way into her thinking. She was back in Mitchell's room, seeing images of Mitchell and herself laying in his bed; they were cuddling, kissing, and then sleeping. She hadn't slept in four years, it was strange to see herself with her eyes closed as if that was just what she was doing…sleeping in Mitchell's arms.

"I don't really have to ask permission, but I thought it would be better if we all began as friends… Annie knows that I can undo this barrier. Don't you Annie?"

Four sets of expectant eyes turned towards Annie…

"Huh? No, I don't know what she's talking about. She must be some young vampire sent here by Wyndham to play tricks on us…"

"Mitchell said you could be stubborn, said the young girl, alright, shall I tell you how? Of course that would mean, anyone who could hear my voice would know as well…"

"Mitchell… asked George, how do you know Mitchell?"

"Annie knows that as well… Look, I'd say we have about 15 more minutes before this block is covered with vampires, would someone please, invite me in?"

A sharp sensation shocked Annie, she didn't feel pain, but it forced her to close her eyes as if she had, she was back hovering above the bed, above the sleeping her and Mitchell, words were filtering through her confusion, she was remembering something…

"Annie, are you alright?" Tom asked.

Looking down at the bed, Annie could see Mitchell moving her hair aside so that he could whisper in her ear. Now, she could clearly hear the words he was speaking, "Annie, I'm going to ask for help. I'm going to send one of the old ones to you. She's dangerous and powerful, but you've got powers as well, so you shouldn't fear her." Annie reached out her hand, she wanted to touch Mitchell, but she couldn't get close, she noticed that he was now looking up at her and that he was moving his lips, he was saying something to her, not her sleeping form. "Come in," he stated. She turned her head trying to understand but Mitchell only continued smiling at her and repeated, "Come in." Annie moved her lips, she began mimicking his mouth, and then the words slowly came out, "Come in."

"Annie… No!" yelled George, Tom and Nina.

"Finally," their young visitor said as she crossed over the threshold.

Annie was startled out of her subconscious; she turned to her friends and noticed they were joined by another.

"Mitchell told me about you, she said, you're an old one."

"Yes, petal, he told me about you as well. As a matter of fact, he wouldn't stop talking about you."

"You're here to help us."

"My name's Hettie, I wish I could say it's nice to meet you all, but that's still to be determined..."

Hettie looked around at all the stunned faces; she moved past Nina and George and sat down nice as you please on the nearest sofa.

"I hope you all don't mind if I sit down, been traveling for days now…"

Tom and Michael still holding their stakes looked over towards George and Nina. Annie had gone to sit on the sofa across from Hettie and Nina elbowed George in the ribs, prompting him to say, "No…no, please, have a seat, as you're already in the house."

"So, Nina said, Mitchell sent you…Are you here to help us?"

"I ignored him at first, Hettie said to the group, but once he knew how to speak to me, he wouldn't go away. I'd shut him out then he'd find a new way in, our Mitchell was always good at getting my attention, softening me up, and then he invited others to have a word as well…"

"Others…"Annie asked.

"A Gilbert and a Mr. Hennessey at first..."

"Mr. Hennessey…?"

"Yeah, he was some kind of psychic involved in an exorcism, said he was a friend of yours, tried to help you pass over once."

"Yes, of course, I remember Hennessey, but why would Mitchell be speaking to him and to Gilbert?"

"It was more a matter of them speaking to him. You've got a lot of friends over there Annie, well enemies as well, but mostly friends and admirers. They weren't pleased at all with Mitchell leaving their Annie, the way he did, so they made a nuisance of themselves to him and he in turn made a nuisance of himself to me."

George made his way over to Annie and sat down next to her with Nina following along. "Ummm, so you told him you would come and help us? George interrupted.

Hettie looked over to George, "Well, no…"

"Excuse me, did you just say No…"George asked about to stand. Tom and Michael were rising as well to stand in front of their friends…

Hettie looked at them all one by one again and began to laugh, "Oh calm down everyone. I'm here aren't' I? You're very lucky I came at all."

"But Mitchell sent you…" said Annie.

"He asked me to come, Hettie said pointedly, a hundred times, and I refused a hundred times. I can't believe the cheek of him to come to me and ask for my help. You don't just pick up the phone and ring the old ones, especially after he killed our Herrick."

"Herrick was evil." Nina said as she looked back towards the play-pen where baby Mitchell was sleeping.

Hettie swung her gaze back to Nina, for a moment Nina felt a real coldness from her, but within seconds it was gone.

"Herrick was effective. He was a bit power-mad, but weren't we all at one time or another?" Hettie asked before she remembered who she was speaking too.

"Wyndham certainly is…" said Michael

"Awww, so the Mitchell look-a-like speaks…"

"I'm not Mitchell, Michael said with some anger, I'll never be Mitchell."

"It's not just your looks that have Wyndham foaming at the mouth to recruit you," Hettie said as she let her glance wander down to Michael's hands, noting the firm grip they had on the stake.

"Mitchell, loved killing, and so will you once you begin staking vampires. That's in your DNA as well. You didn't know it until Tom here put a stake in your hands. It felt right, didn't it? Hettie asked rhetorically. It felt like you mattered, you finally felt powerful."

"That's not true." said George before Michael could respond.

Hettie watched as Michael dropped the stake he was holding onto the bar. She noticed the near look of contrition on his face, but she also noted that he didn't drop or move the stake very far.

"Oh isn't it, and you would know this how?"

"I mean, that Mitchell loved killing, it tormented him. He died every-time he had to give in to the vampirism."

"Oh George, I may look young, but I haven't been a baby for about 463 years. Mitchell loved killing, he was going through a Mid-Life crisis but eventually, he would have come back to loving it again."

"A Mid-Life crisis…?"Annie asked before George's temper could get out of hand.

"All vampires go through it when we reach about 70 years old or so, it usually lasts until we're about 150 and then we're all back to normal."

"I'm sorry, Nina spoke up, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying, if you were recruited as a young person, those first years are heaven, pure bliss. You have supernatural strength, you're killing, feasting, and recruiting at will, you feel great…then at about, 70 years or so, you are confronted with deaths that actually mean something to you. My parents died when I was young of course, but even I went through it when my Aunts and Uncles died. For others, it's their parents, brothers, sisters, wives, husbands, and children. That is, if you hadn't killed them yourself by that time."

"You think Mitchell was suffering with a Mid-Life crisis? I think I've heard it all…" Nina said.

"No Nina, you haven't heard it all. I'm sure there will be much more that I have to say that you won't believe, but this is your world now pet, I'd have thought you would have come to terms with that by now."

"What about this crisis of Mitchells?"Annie implored Hettie to continue.

"Well, as you already know, Mitchell and his mummy were very close. When he turned 70, she died. She died after he'd visited with her, still looking as if he were 24 years old. When vampires are especially close to their human family, they sometimes are deeply affected when one of them dies naturally. Mitchell wanted to offer her eternal life. She could finally be with him again, but she was too faithful, she had her "bags" already packed and was impatiently ready to sit face to face with God, if you know what I mean, Hettie smiled as she continued, she tried instead to turn him back with their religion and prayers, she was hoping beyond hope to reach that alter-boy he was in his youth..."

"But it didn't work…" George said a bit mournfully.

"No, it didn't work. It was never going to work, but he humored her all the same. After she passed, he did what many others try to do, he stopped killing, he stopped feeding, and same as the others, he failed. The difference with Mitchell, is that like a few rare others, he kept trying and sometimes for years on end, with success, eventually though, Hettie said with full confidence, he would have stopped trying. One of Mitchell's best friends Karl, and a few others past their 150th year are the only ones I know of who are still fighting against their true nature, but none of them have succeeded longer than 10-15 years maximum before they begin feeding again."

Hettie looked over to Tom, sitting on a stool at the bar, "I would have liked to have recruited you."

Tom looked up and tightened his grip on his stake "It's too bad I like killing vampires too much then isn't it?"

"Yes, Hettie laughed and said, nearly six feet tall and all muscle, just the thought of all the humans you could have killed, makes me sad McNair got to you first."

"And I feel just the opposite…"Tom stated firmly.

"Oh lamb, McNair didn't do you a good service. The wolf wants to kill, I can hear him in you, George and Nina, I can hear him so loudly… Don't you care that you're all making him very angry? If for now, you want to satisfy the last bit of human in you with the killing of vampires who offer the wolf nothing, then go right ahead, but one day, and I say this most especially to Nina here, one day, the wolf will break free. You, George, and even baby Mitchell over there will be covered in blood, and it won't be from frozen chicken."

"Ok, it's time for you to go."George stood up in a furious temper.

Hettie scooted back as far as she could on her sofa, "Don't you know, once invited in, a vampire doesn't have to go anywhere."

"Hettie please, Annie said quietly, Mitchell sent you here to help us with Wyndham, just tell us how we can get close enough to this thousand year old vampire to stake him and then you can go back to wherever you came from…"

"No, I will not tell you how to stake Edgar. This is not why I came here…"

"But you said that you came here to help us."

"No, my dear, I never…"

"Then as I said before, George spoke, please leave."

"The reason I took two planes from Bolivia, and another to Wales, a train to Barry Island and walked the rest of the way to Honolulu Heights, was not so that you could kill yet another one of my family."

"Then what did you come for…" said Annie

"I came to see you, Annie, because after all these years Mitchell actually fell in love with a supernatural. Someone who didn't have a drop of blood in her veins and who was made to be his partner until eternity, unfortunately for me, being recruited at 14 years old, means that I sometimes can be a lovesick child. When it comes to my boys, I always want a happy ending."

"But we didn't get a happy ending…"

"Oh, I'd say you two are very well-matched, very determined and stubborn when it comes to the one you give your hearts…well, metaphorical hearts too. Mitchell's been in purgatory nearly twenty years now…"

"Uh, no he hasn't…"said George.

"Purgatory, Nina huffed, he's probably in Hell more like…"

Annie refused to look over at Nina, and Tom was shocked Nina would say such a thing out loud.

"Nina, Hettie spoke in kinder tones now, you have lot of anger in you. The wolf knows this and he's bidding his time. Nothing that you say, can hurt Mitchell, or me, but as you love Annie and George, I think you should consider their feelings over all others before you speak so ill of their friend."

Nina was immediately chagrined over causing Annie and George any distress, she meant what she said, but she didn't ever want to hurt either of them, "Annie, I'm really sorry." Nina said as she thankfully, felt her hand being clasped by George.

"I know Nina, it's alright, even if you don't speak it, I can read your aura."

"What's this about Mitchell being in Purgatory for 20 years?" Michael asked.

"Well, time moves very differently from here to the other side. To you all, Mitchell has been gone for four or five months, but on the other side nearly twenty years has passed. Our lad has many years of killing to atone for…. He and Annie will be with one another when the time is right. I may be lovesick sometimes, but on this I am certain. Mitchell could ask to go right to Hell, if he wasn't baptized or if he requested, but he's fighting so he can spend time with his Mum, others he has loved, but more especially so he can, once again, be with Annie."

"And what about you?" asked George.

"Oh, I expect to be here long after the humans have wrecked the place and made it inhabitable for themselves. Unfortunately, Hettie sighed, we'll have a keep a few humans for breeding purposes so the blood doesn't run out, but you take the good with the bad, I guess…"

"You're serious…" Annie asked as she wrinkled up her nose at Hettie.

"If, I tell you no, will that make you feel better? Hettie asked with a sweet smile.

"Ummm, No." everyone said in unison.

"So, let's get down to business…" Hettie motioned for George, Nina and Annie to once again have a seat.

"Wyndham…"George said.

"Firstly, Edgar is not 1000 years old."

"What?" Nina asked

"No, while he is an old one, he's only just turned 700. Mitchell knew he wasn't 1000 years old, but I guess since he was on his path to suicide by friend, Hettie held up her hand to stop George and Annie's objections, I suppose he didn't think it was important to point that out."

"Then why did he tell us that he was so old?" asked Annie.

"Goodness, Hettie said, I would have thought the suits from Savile Row and all that hair pomade would have given his intentions away…seeing that her words drew only quizzical looks, Hettie trudged on, he said it for the drama. If there's one thing about megalomaniacal vampires, they love to dress to impress and they live to be dramatic."

"Well, it worked, he is pretty scary." George said just above a whisper.

"You know, Hettie said to the group, I'm really ashamed of you all actually, I know, the wolf must be horrified by your lack of awareness and knowledge of other super-natural beings. It's fine to be scared, but Mitchell hasn't been reliable for a few years now, did you never think that you would have to figure things out on your own?"

"We're working on that…" George replied.

"My dad and I are excellent hunters…"said Tom

"I can read auras…" said Annie

"Oh my lovelies, Hettie said with a vein of dismay in her voice, I can see now why Edgar is taking his time and waiting you out. He has but to pick you off one by one, when you either grow weary of each other's company or when you venture out to transform at the next full moon. I suppose the plan was to leave Michael here with the baby…"

"I can protect us." Michael spoke up…

"No, you can't." Hettie said matter-a-factly.

"Alright, said George, since you're not here to help us, and you want to keep Edgar from being staked, what kind of plan do you have?"

"I don't need a plan. You're going to fight, just as some of you seem to want…"

"I'm sure Mitchell, didn't want us to fight." Annie said confidently.

"No, he didn't, Hettie said as she looked around herself and over the other's shoulders, but as we can see, Mitchell's not here."

Unlike Annie, Nina and George, Hettie saw the look of satisfaction that passed from Tom to Michael.

"Even-though you are all ignorant to yourselves as well as other super-naturals, your little group is very well known. George here has quite the reputation. He was already talked about when he killed Herrick once, but now through unfortunate means, he has managed to kill Mitchell as well, two very powerful and respected Princes in our family. Herrick, of course, remembered the resurrection spell and came back, but that's still two great big check-marks beside your name. Mitchell's staking, of course, was out of love, but believe me; you're as big as Madonna."

"Madonna…?"George asked in his most squeaky voice.

"The singer, not the Virgin Mary…" Hettie clarified.

"No, no, of course, not the Virgin Mary..." George responded with a silly grin.

"Oh, that makes you happy does it? You do realize what that means?" Hettie asked.

"Well, no…" George answered as he looked at his friends.

"It means Hettie rolled her eyes; you've got a humongous dart board on your back. Edgar is only the first to come and try his luck in taking you down. If you somehow manage to defeat him, you'll have vampires the world over lining up outside your door. Your blood is pretty horrid, but they'll drain you dry nonetheless, and then they'll take out Nina, the baby, and Tom. I'm sure they will all want to recruit Michael, for nothing more than sentimental reasons. Even worse than killing Edgar will be some lesser vampire managing to harness Annie's powers and then keeping her as their prize pet."

"Blimey, Sir Bobby Robson's got nothing on you." Nina said sarcastically.

"I was just going to say the same thing…"said George.

"How many times must I say, I'm not here to fire you up or to encourage you? You're to keep your hands off Edgar and I will, for Mitchell, make certain no one puts their hands on Annie or Michael."

"I'm sure Mitchell didn't send you here simply for our personal safety," said Annie a bit embarrassed.

"Annie, Mitchell's going to finish his time, and I have no doubt he will be forgiven, but how long after that will he be allowed to stay and wait on you? This is what I'm talking about people; there is the possibility that Annie could be stuck here on earth performing tricks for vampires? Let's say, they don't kill baby Mitchell, let's say they keep him, wait to see what he turns into while they torture him, do you think you could handle that, or would you do anything they ask, just so the torture would end?"

"So, what do we do?" asked a frustrated and scared Nina.

"You take the lead off Tom, and let him and Michael do what they are chomping at the bit to do."

"And the rest of us, should we wait at the cemetery gates to stake everyone who rises from the dead?" George remarked half-seriously.

"You see, this is what I am referring too, Hettie said with some frustration of her own, there is a rather large were-wolf pack living in the Shetland Islands, you should all know this, or was this yet another thing only Mitchell knew about? George, Nina and the baby should try and make their way up there and seek shelter. Baby Mitchell, may be the greatest leader of all Were-Wolves, or he may be the most feared killer, whichever, he needs protecting so that he can grow into his potential. You all need the protection of the pack. Tom and Michael can stake any vampires who try and stop you, and Annie will take care of Edgar."

"I will…?" Annie questioned Hettie.

"Yes, you will. This is the only way, I can assure you both stay alive…or dead…or you know… unharmed."

"There's no way, we're going to leave Tom." Nina said.

"Nina, please, let Tom be as human as he can be with whatever years he has before the wolf breaks free. McNair trained him to fight and to kill, how long do you think you will be able to keep him as a play-mate to baby Mitchell?"

"As long as it takes…" Nina said with still some remaining obstinacy.

"I won't go, Tom interrupted firmly, I've been looking for a pack all my life with my dad, but if I can save any human from being turned into a vampire, then I will, and gladly. I'm tired of hiding."

"I don't want to be wrapped in cotton wool either said Michael, I've been living in fear all my life, but you're right Hettie, I finally feel as if my life has some worth. When I first held McNair's carved stake in my hands, I knew that I'd found my calling. I want to stay and save as many people as I can, as well, and give them the opportunity at a happy life, which Annie has given to me. I want to fight for my cousin Mitchell, someone who I secretly never wanted to claim, but who I now finally know as a decent human being, even if he was a notorious vampire. I want to fight for my nephew so that he and his mum can finally stop running. If Tom needs watching over, then I'll gladly sign up for the job."

"So, they fight and we run…"George said as he picked up a waking baby Mitchell.

Hettie looked at George's slumping shoulders, "There is no shame in surviving. I too am interested in baby Mitchell, now that we know he has a wolf pup growing within, it will be incredible to see which survives, will the pup out grow the human, or will the human learn to also suppress the wolf and chase frozen chickens around the forest floor? I think you will both have your hands full raising Mitchell's name-sake."

"Well, that may be, but we're not going anywhere until Annie defeats Wyndham, and then she's coming with us." George responded.

Hettie re-directed her attention back to the ghost sitting quietly next to Nina…

"I don't want to hide either George. I think that's the whole point, we need to stop being afraid for each other, so that we can finally live the lives we are meant to live."

"Good girl..." said Hettie

"Come on Annie, George implored, you know that Mitchell would want you to come with us."

"George, I think it's more important to save baby Mitchell. I'm dead, but I want to live as well. I want to travel and meet other ghosts. I want to help whoever needs that extra bit of courage or confidence as they prepare to walk through their door. I want to hold their hand and tell them words of comfort. I've got so much love to give. I'm not scared anymore. You've got Nina and the baby, Mitchell wanted you to be happy and so do I…"

"So you're going to be a globe-trotting ghost whisperer… eh? George said with intended but softened snarkiness.

Annie smiled as she put her arm around George's waist and gave him a tight squeeze, "I'm tired of people telling me that I'm so good when I haven't really done anything to earn that... before I go and lose myself in Mitchell again, I want to do good for more than just my friends and family. Owen stole my life away from me, here is my chance to get it back. Tom, Hettie, and Michael will protect me while I'm dealing with Wyndham. First thing tomorrow though, we're getting you, Nina, and the baby out of this house and onto the first flight to Scotland."

George looked over to Nina…

"I think, Nina said slowly, that should give Tom just enough time to whittle us up a few more stakes."

George smiled as he grabbed Nina into a hug with himself, the baby, and Annie.

"It's a good thing I bought a new baby sling; I can't imagine the cost to hire a baby-sitter at this late hour."

To be continued…

Disclaimer: All credit to TobyW for Ivan's line to Daisy (Series2 Ep7), "Listen to them…wrecking the place." There are some lines that stay with you and that was one for me. I love Ivan and I love that line (pinched it for Hettie in this chapter of mine.)