A/N: Sorry this took so long to get out there. I have been really busy with college, and it is so much better than high school ever was! Please let me know what you think.
Two days later found Helen still sitting next to Ashley. In that time, she hardly ate or slept. Every three hours she would have Big Guy bring her more tea. John came and went. He spent most of his waking hours with her. Will visited occationally, but he was preoccupied with his duties with the abnormals and picking up Helen's slack. Henry came by once or twice to ask Helen about new security protocols.
"Helen, what are yout going to do when she wakes?" asked John.
She felt her throat constrict painfully. "The truth is, I have no idea," she admitted softly.
"What if she's like me?"
"What if she isn't?" replied Helen. She sighed. "There are so many what-ifs to consider. I am chosing to focus on the fact that she survived. She might not be the same Ashley, but I've got a second chance with her, which is more than I deserve."
"Not too long ago, you told me that you two were fine without me," said John. "Tell me Helen, who did you pretend Ashley's father was?"
"Percy Granger," answered Helen.
"And yet I was under the impression that he was what the youth of today call a raging homo," chuckled John.
"I can think of worse sires," Helen replied.
"So she knew while growing up of your longevity," guessed John.
"When she was old enough to understand, I told her."
"What will you tell her of me?" John asked.
"That is for you to decide." She turned to him. "I do want you in her life, John."
"Well, you will have to forgive me for any parenting mistakes I may make."
Silence lapsed between them. After a while, John got up and walked out of the infirmary. Shortly after he left, signs of life were returning to Ashley. Her hands twitched. Her breathing accelerated. Her heartrate increased. Her eyes fluttered open.
"Ashley! Thank God you're awake!" cried Helen. Her eyes were bursting with tears of relief. She pulled her daughter into a tight embrace. "Everything's going to be alright."
Ashley stiffened. She tried to push Helen away. Her claws extended and in the frenzy, she gave her mother several gashes along the arms and shoulders.
Helen gasped in pain. She moved quickly to lock the doors, preventing Will and John from getting in. "Ashley please, don't you remember me?" Her daughter just stared at her. "Its me, Ashley. Its Mummy."
"Magnus!" shouted Will from the other side of the glass.
"Helen, let us in!" commanded John.
"You're home, Ashley," Helen continued. "In the Sanctuary. Don't you remember anything?"
Ashley stared at her claws. Her expression was nothing less than horrified. "You were trying to hurt me," she choked.
Helen felt her heart breaking at Ashley's words. "No," she murmured, shaking her head. "No Ashley, I was trying to protect you from those bad men. You're safe now. And as far as those claws, with time you can learn to control them. So, what do you say?" She slowly extended her hand.
Ashley looked at her with wide, fearful eyes. She slowly took Helen's hand. Her claws slowly retracted.
A small smile crossed Helen's lips. "It seems that you already have some control." She pulled her daughter into a hug. I'll do things right this time, she pledged to herself. "Shall we go meet everyone?"
Ashley reached up and touched the gashes that she left. She frowned. "I'm sorry Mommy," she sobbed, burrying her face into Helen's thighs.
Helen was taken aback for a moment. She almost lost her balance. She patted Ashley's hair affectionately. "You remember me?"
"A little," Ashley squeeked. "What happened to me?"
"Its nothing to worry about," murmured Helen. She lifted Ashley up, careful not to agitate the scratches. They were already starting to heal anyway. She opened the door.
"Helen, what were you thinking?" John sounded pained.
"She didn't mean any harm, John," snapped Helen. "She was just frightened, and she had every right to be." She shifted Ashley's weight. "Ashley, this man is your father."
Ashley peeked out at John. She then spotted Will. "Mommy, who's he?" she asked, pointing at him.
"That's Will, sweety. He works with Mummy."
"Mummy?" laughed Will. "Do you want me to get you the toilet paper so that you can be all wrapped up?"
If it hadn't made Ashley start giggling, Helen would have had him knocked to the ground in two seconds flat, while still holding Ashley. As it was, she glared at him. Ashley squirmed and Helen put her down. Her daughter walked up to Will.
"Could you?" she asked innocently.
Will stammered. "Well, I-I was only poking some fun at your Mummy." He snorted.
"And now you are going to round everyone up to my office," said Helen.
He nodded and laughed as he walked away.
"Men these days," Helen grumbled, rolling her eyes.
"Yes, he certainly does have a way with words," said John. "Perhaps that is something he learned from you."
"No, that's a trait that he had long before meeting me for the second time," corrected Helen. She reached for Ashley's hand. "Ashley, do you remember what Mummy does for work?"
Ashley looked up at her. "You capture monsters."
Helen nodded. "But some of them are safe, do you remember?"
She shook her head. "I'm sorry Mommy," she murmured.
Helen knelt down to Ashley's level. "There's nothing for you to be sorry for." She blinked away the tears.
"Mommy, why are you sad?" asked Ashley.
"Its nothing. Mummy is just fine." She forced a smile as she caressed Ashley's cheek. "Now come along. I want you to meet everyone." She held her daughter's hand as they both walked through the halls. John tagged along behind them.
"Mommy, you told me that Daddy was lost in heaven," squeeked Ashley, taking both Helen and John by surprise. Her parents both froze.
"I just found my way back," explained John. He knelt beside Ashley.
Ashley pulled herself away from her mother and went to embrace John. "I'm happy you're back," she whispered. "Maybe now Mommy won't look so sad all the time."
John forced a smile. "She looks happier already." He glanced up at Helen as he squeezed Ashley in his arms. He lifted her up and carried her to Helen's office. She wrapped her arms tightly around her father's neck. She burried her face in his shoulder as they walked into Helen's office.
Helen stroked Ashley's hair tenderly. She avoided eye contact with John. She feared that if she looked at him now, she would see her John. She she waited quietly for everyone to assemble in her office. They all filed in: Will, Tesla, Kate, Henry, and Big Guy. None of them looked too pleased about the situation, except for Will, and Henry just looked nuetral.
"That is one violent package you're letting Druitt handle, Helen," stated Tesla.
"Afraid Nikola?" taunted John. He grinned in a very hungered manner.
"Really you two?" Kate frowned. "In front of a child?"
"I agree," snapped Helen.
Ashley whimpered. She was staring with wide eyes at Big Guy. She clung tightly to John. She cringed when she heard her mother's anger. "He's so scary looking," she whispered.
John's grip tightened around Ashley protectively. He twisted so that he could be between her and Big Guy.
"John." Helen looked him in the eye. In that brief contact, he knew to set Ashley down. He had to gently remove her arms before standing back up.
She ran to hide behind Helen. Her tiny heart was racing. She could feel her mouth getting harder and harder to close. Everyone was staring at her with frightful expressions. The tears were impossible for her to stop. She looked down at her hands. The claws had already extended.
"Everyone, OUT!" ordered Helen.
Kate and Henry were the first to leave. Tesla followed after them with Will close at his heels. Big Guy grunted as he left. John shared a single look with Helen before walking out.
Helen fell to her knees. She searched Ashley's face before pulling her beloved daughter into a tight embrace. She winced with Ashley got her arms with the claws. "Ashley, please," she whimpered softly.
Ashley squeezed her eyes shut. "Mommy." Her claws and fangs began to retract. She fell into Helen's lap and began crying.
"Its ok, Ashley," Helen swore. Instict told her to check on her wounds. They were deep, and she was losing a lot of blood. "Ashley, Mummy needs to leave you with Will for a while. You like Will, right?"
Ashley nodded mutely. She fell into Helen's lap.
Helen took out her cell phone and dialed Will's number. He picked up after three rings. "Will." She supressed the pain from her voice the best she could.
"Magnus, are you alright?" He sounded worried.
"I'm fine," answered Helen. "I need you to watch over Ashley for a couple hours."
"Alright. I'll be there in five." He hung up.
Helen looked down at Ashley. She was grateful for this second chance with her daughter. But there was that bitterness toward the Cabal for what they turned her into. Ashley's second chance would be incomplete and dangerous.
Just as he promised, Will was there in five minutes. He rushed to Helen's side. "Magnus, what happened?" he demanded.
Ashley's eyes snapped open, but they were dark amber instead of blue. Her fangs and claws were already fully extended. Helen winced when her claws cut her legs. She gasped in pain. The small child turned on Will and slashed his chest in a frenzy. She managed to cut him deep.
"Will!" cried Helen. She got up and grappled Ashley until she returned to normal.
"Will?" Ashley squeeked, horrified with what she had done. Tears trailed down her cheeks.
"I'm fine," groaned Will. "Magnus?"
Helen's vision blurred. She heard an annoying ringing in her ears before passing out on the floor.
"Magnus!" Will rushed passed Ashley to get to Helen. She had lost a lot of blood, and so had he.
Ashley looked down at Helen, absolutely terrified. "Mommy? Mommy?! Mommy! Will, what happened to Mommy?"
"She'll be ok." He hoped that he was right, for Ashley's sake.
The door opened. John ran in. He must have heard the commotion. He immediately lifted Helen up and ran out with her. Ashley chased after him.
Will fell to his knees. His breathing was growing heavy and his vision was blurring in and out of focus. He fell into the darkness, knowing that the Ashley that he had known was gone forever and replaced with some ghost.