A/N: A more Henry-centric chapter. I apologize for making him a more background character in this story, but he will have a bigger part in the chapters to come. So will Kate.
Helen and John got back to the Sanctuary late that night. John left her standing on the front porch before teleporting away again. Helen stood there, looking at where he had just been, dumbfounded at his odd mannerism. Back in the 1880s, she would have thought nothing of it, but now, it left her with a sense of dread. Would she wake up to find more bodies with unsolved murders? The thoughts sent shivers down her spine.
She gathered her turbulent thoughts before pushing the front door open. Everything was as she left it, much to her relief. She walked down the hall to the elevator, which she took to the residential level. As the elevator began its slow ascent, she thought over the day. It was more normal than most. She gave a presentation on humanoid evolution. John had brought her to a Chinese restaurant that he had heard about for dinner before bringing her back to the Sanctuary.
She walked to Ashley's door, quietly opened it, and looked in to see her daughter sleeping with her blanket on the floor. Chuckling softly to herself, she walked across the room, and tucked the child in properly. She leaned in to kiss Ashley's forehead before leaving the room.
She nearly bumped into Will. "You're up late, William," she said tersely.
"Yeah—couldn't sleep I guess. There are odd noises coming from Henry's room." He scratched the back of his head when Helen smiled knowingly.
"I am sure that there is nothing to worry about. Henry is a big boy, and can take care of himself."
"Debatable," Will grumbled under his breath.
"I assume that everything at the Sanctuary was fine while I was away."
"Uh—yeah. Nothing out of the ordinary." He swallowed a hard lump in his throat when Helen gave him a stern look. "Um—I mean, it was quiet. I took Ashley to the park, so that she could get rid of some of that extra energy she had. And someone left a message for you." He reached into his pocket, where he had placed the folded envelope, and handed it to her.
"Thank you, Will."
"Do you know what it is about?"
"I have my suspicions."
"Care to share with the class?"
Helen smiled at the old joke. "Not tonight, Will. I do find myself quite exhausted."
"Uh—I should let you rest then. Hey—did Druitt come in with you?"
"No. Why?"
"It's nothing. I just wanted to ask him if he was the one to give Ashley sugar."
"Oh, you noticed?" Helen cracked a smile.
"That's an understatement…" Will walked back to his room.
The following morning, Henry woke up to find a note posted on his door from Helen to go to her office. As soon as he showered and got dressed, he made his way to her office, whistling "Spiderman's Theme" as he went. He knocked on the door to Helen's office.
"Come in," he heard.
He opened the door and slid in. He found Helen at her usual morning post of filling out unfinished paperwork, or possibly writing out a report—something of that nature. "You wanted to see me, Doc?"
"Yes. Sit down, please."
He quickly sat across from her. "So—what is it? Do I get to go into the field again?"
"Sort of. I need someone at False Creek Elementary that I can trust."
"Ok, but would you mind telling me what all this is about?"
"I am enrolling Ashley into school, and because of her sometimes unstable nature, I need someone there who can deal with a situation should anything happen."
"Why not send Will?"
"I thought of that, but he just got a call from a friend in Texas who needs his help with a case, and because I believe that it has to do with an abnormal crime lord, I sent him on an early morning flight. I do not expect him back for at least three weeks, which is after this job closes."
"Ok. What do I have to do?"
"Teach a class of third graders. It is only temporary while the teacher is on maternity leave."
"Wait—third graders? That's Ashley's grade, right?"
"She'll actually be in the second grade."
"Ok. What's my next step?"
"Here's your application and résumé. I have already sent them off, and they would like to interview you at 3:30 today."
"And what if I can't pull this off, Doc? I'm not exactly the most qualified guy to teach a bunch of Elementary kids."
"According to your history, you are. And you will be doing this only until their winter break."
"Why couldn't you have me do something like teach computers?"
Helen forced a smile. "Henry, you would teach these children things that would have your skills questioned by the administration."
"What if they notice how Ashley acts around me? I doubt she would conform to the normal student-teacher relationship."
"You are her uncle, who moved up here with her because you couldn't stand the thought of being away from her."
"Wait—who's brother am I going to have to pretend to be?" He appeared to be a bit panicked.
"My younger brother."
"And what if they ask about last names? Foss and Magnus are not exactly what two siblings last names would be."
"I'm impressed, Henry. You've thought about just about everything that could go wrong in my little scheme."
"Thank you." Henry did that little smile of his when he knew he was right.
"As for the differences in last name, we are half-siblings. My father died in a hunting accident when I was little, our mother remarried, and had you."
"That is so not original," Henry grumbled.
"Pardon?"
"But it will work nicely!" he amended quickly.
"I am glad to hear that. Oh, and here are the directions to the school. You'd better not drive that bloody van either. It will look bad."
"Alright. I should finish getting ready then. Gotta shave the beard and all." He ran his fingers through the thick hair growing on his face. He got up, grabbed his paperwork, and walked out of the office.
On his way back to his room, he nearly bumped into Kate. "Has it ever occurred to you to watch where you're going?" he snapped before he was fully aware of who it was.
"Jeeze, Hank. I thought last night would loosen you up a bit, but I see even a little fun can't cure that stick up your ass," replied Kate sarcastically.
"Oh, sorry Kate." He scratched the back of his neck. "Hey—weren't you supposed to check on a lead about the world-walker in Washington with the Big Guy?"
"Magnus has one of her other associates there. What are you doing?"
"The Doc wants me to work undercover at Ashley's school as a teacher."
"Wow—good luck with that, Hank. Elementary kids make Magnus Jr. look like a walk in the park."
Henry suddenly went pale at the idea of someone being harder to handle than Ashley. "The Doc owes me for this one—big time."
Kate shrugged. "I'm sure Magnus feels like this'll build character for you."
"Then why doesn't she send you? You could use some serious character building."
"But I would shoot the little shits before they even opened their mouths."
"Oh yeah. I forgot. You're the shoot first, ask questions later type."
"It's the reason I survived this long, Hank. See you later—if the little brats don't kill you first." Kate walked down the hall past him.
Henry walked back to his room. Everything was a disaster. His bed was scattered all over the floor, as were his clothes. He went about to clean up and reorganize his belongings. When he was finished, he looked in his closet for more appropriate attire for a job interview. He found a suit that Magnus had bought him several years ago. It was also the one that he wore to Ashley's funeral. The memories of that day made him frown. He put the thoughts to the back of his mind before getting dressed. Satisfied that it still fit him, he left his room.
He arrived at the school fifteen minutes early, thanks to Big Guy's driving. As he walked through the corridors to the main office, he grumbled something about never again letting Big Guy borrow his copy of 'Burnout Revenge'. He stopped outside the office, adjusted his tie, and walked in with false confidence. He forced a smile at the lady sitting at the front desk, who returned the gesture.
"Good afternoon. How may I help you?" she asked.
"I'm here for an interview," replied Henry.
"Name?"
"Henry Foss."
He waited while she typed something into her computer. His eyebrows shot up when he got a close look at the machinery. So archaic, he thought.
"If you'll just have a seat over there, Ms. Smith will be with you shortly."
"Right—thank you." Henry nearly tripped over his feet as he backed up to a rather short chair. As he waited for Ms. Smith to come for him, he twiddled his thumbs. It wasn't long before a woman with slicked back blonde hair called him into her office. She was short and well fed. Henry followed her into her office. "Ms. Smith?"
"Yes," she replied tersely. "And you must be Henry Foss. Tell me, why do you want to work here?"
Henry stared at her for a long moment. "Why I want to work here—right. I believe that children are the foundation to our future…as a community, and a nation. This school is also close to where I live."
"Right. Why did you move here?"
"Well—you see, my sister and her daughter moved here not too long ago, and they're all I have left, so I followed along."
"So you're not independent, despite being nearly 30?"
"No—no, that's not it at all! I just want to look out for my sister's well-being."
"It says in your résumé that you worked at a school in London recently."
"Yes. That's where my sister and I moved from."
"Well—I can tell you that the school systems over here are very different from some school in London."
"That is perfectly fine by me."
"Is it?"
"Yes, ma'am, it is."
"Well—you might have some potential after all. The first day of school is September 1st. Show up, or I will give the job to someone else."
"Thank you so much, Ms. Smith!" Henry exclaimed with false enthusiasm. "Now—where will my room be?"
"You will take Mrs. Bekmambetov's room. Now, if you will excuse me, I have a lot of work to do, Mr. Foss."
Henry nodded quickly, and could not get out of that office fast enough. As soon as he was out of the building, he took out his cell phone to call Helen.
"This is Magnus."
"Doc! Hey—I got the job!"
"That's great, Henry!"
"Yeah—though, I have to speak with you when I get back to the Sanctuary."
"Alright. I'll wait for you to get back."
He waited while Big Guy brought the car around. As he slid into the passenger seat, he turned the radio to a classic rock station.
"Why do you listen to this crap?" Big Guy grunted.
"It isn't crap!" replied Henry defensively. "This is the classics, man." He looked up when the Big Guy grunted. "Hey, at least I don't have Kate's taste in music!"
"Fair enough. How did your interview go?"
"Oh, real great, if you take into consideration that the principal is a real bitch!"
"That good, huh?"
"I'll let you wait for all the juicy details until I talk with Magnus."
"Oh, this should be good."
They arrived at the Sanctuary minutes later. Henry wasted no time in walking to Helen's office, where he found her reading a book. "Oh—I didn't mean to interrupt anything."
Helen looked up from her book, and smiled. "Nonsense. What were you so eager to talk to me about earlier over the phone."
"Uh—it's that principal at the school you're sending Ashley to."
"What about her?"
"She's a real nasty piece of work. Her report might say otherwise, but she seems like a man-hating feminist who only cares about her job."
"Henry, I'm surprised at you," Helen gasped, feigning shock. "I thought I taught you better than to judge others. Especially someone who is going to be your boss for the next few months."
"Yeah—well, I'm more concerned for Ashley's well-being. I'm not going to allow some know-it-all bitch ruin Ashley's life…no matter how much of a monster she can be at times."
"Henry, I am sure that everything will be fine. Now, I suggest that you get ready for this evening. We are having guests later tonight."
"What sort of guests?" Henry asked cautiously.
"The sort that it would be a good idea to dress nicely. I had John go out to pick out a suit for you. He should be back any moment."
"Wait—are you saying that we're having a party?" He gaped at his boss.
"And if we are?"
"What about the abnormals?"
"Proper arrangements are being met. Kate is taking care of them. I am sure that she wouldn't mind some help dealing with some of the—less cooperative guests."
"Right—I'll be leaving now."
"Mom, why do I have to put on a dress?" Ashley pouted.
"Because, sweetie, Mummy is having some dinner guests over, and we have to look nice." Helen continued to struggle to get Ashley to put on the lavender dress that John had brought home earlier that evening.
"Why though?"
"Henry got hired as a teacher at your school. We are celebrating his success. I've also got a surprise for you, but only if you get into this dress your father went out of his way and bought for you."
That got Ashley into her dress. She smiled sweetly at her mother. "Now can I see this surprise?"
"In a bit, Ashley."
"Helen. The guests are here." John stood at the open doorway, dressed in a pinstripe suit with a top hat and cane.
She looked up at him, and nearly lost all breath in her lungs. Her entire world stopped as she looked into his light blue eyes. They were not the eyes that she had fallen in love with over a century ago, but they had regained some of their light. She forced herself to look away, and she pretended to finish getting Ashley ready. "Alright. Could you take Ashley, so I can get ready myself?" Her words were stiff. She stood up, and handed her daughter off before walking briskly down the hall to her room.
Fifteen minutes later, she emerged from her room, wearing a small black dress that she had bought for herself on one of her summer trips to her villa in Italy two years back. She found herself surprised that she still fit in it because, even though it did not show, she had put on some weight since dealing with the Cabal situation nearly a year before. She found John waiting for her at the head of the staircase that led down to the main hall, where the party was to be held.
"I see that the years have done nothing to your loveliness," John murmured in her ear as they descended the stairs together.
The words caused Helen to blush lightly and her heart to flutter wildly. "John, you really should focus on behaving yourself," she snapped.
They went silent again as they walked into the party. Many guests had already filled the room. Helen shot a sudden glare at John. "Where's Ashley?" she hissed.
"I left her in Kate's care."
Her eyes widened fearfully: not that she did not Kate with an abnormal, but she was definitely useless when it came to children, especially abnormal children. She cornered Henry first chance she got.
"Hey Doc, what's up?" he sounded oddly cheerful.
"Is the EM field up?" Helen asked in a low whisper.
"Up and fully functional," he reported. "Why?"
"Have you seen Ashley?"
"Yeah. She's with Kate. I just saw them by the punch bowl."
"Ok. Thank you, Henry." Helen smiled as she walked away to be next to her daughter. She grunted softly as a small girl with blonde hair collided with her. "I hope you are behaving yourself, Ashley."
"I am!" she announced proudly.
"Don't worry, Magnus," said Kate as she came up behind Ashley. "She's being a model citizen."
"I'm glad to hear that, Kate. Could you excuse us? I do believe that I owe Ashley a surprise."
"Yes! You promised!"
"Alright, but do you really want Magnus Jr. getting all hyper at one of these gatherings?" Kate said as she walked away with her hands up in the air.
Helen smirked as she watched Kate walk toward Henry. "This way, Ashley." She led her daughter through the now crowded chamber to a small corner where Jane was waiting with a rather discontent looking Declan.
"Jane!" Ashley squealed, earning several disapproving stares from some of the guests. She ran up to her friend, and collided full force with the other girl, but caught both of them before they could tumble over.
"Magnus, can I have a word with you—in private?" Declan asked in a hushed whisper.
"Certainly. Girls, behave yourselves."
"We will," they both chimed simultaneously.
Helen followed Declan into a secluded corner, where they could avoid any unwanted attention. "What is it that you want to discuss?"
"Are you sure that it's wise letting Ashley mingle with a young child, who has no way of defending herself in the event that Ashley reveals her true nature?"
"I assure you that I have been taking precautionary measures to ensure that doesn't happen," replied Helen in a very crisp tone.
"But what if it does? Magnus, I understand that you love this girl just as you loved the Ashley we are all familiar with, but the Cabal altered her. She's a powerful abnormal, and unchecked, she could become very dangerous—even for you."
"I have her on a similar medication I had Tesla on to manage the vampiric condition they both share."
"I just hope that it's enough."
"Is that all, Declan?"
"It is, Magnus."
A/N: Long update time. Started a new job, so I sadly won't have as much time to work on this. Still got quite a few chapters left, and there might be a sequel. That all depends on the response at the end, and how I'm feeling. If there is one, however, I will be taking some time off. Hope you guys are all looking forward to the continuation of the third season as much as I am.