Chapter 18:

A/N: This is the end of Ashley as a young child, but by far not the end of Second Chances. Thank you so much to those of you who have chosen to grace me with your wonderful reviews. And to the people who make Sanctuary happen. Once a week, I can escape reality for an hour and immerse myself in the world of Sanctuary. I am sorry that my updates have been so slow. College got in the way, but I am free to write until the end of September, which will bring about another hiatus from fan fiction. Without further delay, here is the next chapter. The purpose of the last one was to set this one up.

"What really happened, Ashley?" Helen asked when she finally regained a grasp on her anger enough to not frighten her daughter.

"I'm really sorry, Mommy—I tried to walk away from them, but when Cain shoved me to the ground, I couldn't stop it!" Ashley blurted out quickly.

"Ashley, you could have killed him!" yelled Helen in her frustration. She pulled into the garage. "You're grounded—now, go to your room." She did not look up as Ashley got out of the car and slam the door.

She ran through the Sanctuary, not even stopping when she saw her father, Will, Kate, or Big Guy. She ran straight to her room and slammed the door before running to her bed. She threw herself down and cried into her pillows.

"What was that all about?" John asked as Helen came into the Sanctuary. His eyes were full of worry as he stared at her defeated form.

"Ashley had some trouble at school." Helen sighed heavily. "She's grounded until further notice."

"What happened?" asked John darkly, following Helen through the halls. He struggled to keep up with her.

She sighed heavily as she opened the door to her private office. She sat down before looking up at John. "She used her powers on a boy."

"And?"

"He was brought to the hospital by ambulance," replied Helen curtly. "Henry had the video evidence wiped."

"Did anyone see the incident?"

"Not that I know of."

"Do you know the details?" He sat in the armchair across from her and leaned back.

"No—I will wait for Henry to get back to get a full report."

"I will go have a word with Ashley then." He stood, watched Helen work on her computer for a moment, and left his ex-fiancé to her work. As he walked through the halls of the Sanctuary, his thoughts were surrounding Ashley and her abnormalities. His blood boiled as he thought about what the Cabal had done to her, had turned her into. Despite having taken care of Danna Whitcomb, he still felt that his business with the organization was incomplete.

He sat at the café just outside of Paris, where he had tracked her down, with a little help from Nikola. As he read the newspaper, in French, he bided his time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to present itself to make Danna pay for her crimes against his daughter and ex.

He watched as she sighed heavily and got up to leave. When he was certain that she would not notice him, he put his paper down with a satisfied smirk on his face. He grabbed his sword cane, the same one he had used on the whores in the alleys of Scotland Yard so many years ago, and followed after her at a distance. He followed her into a backstreet, where it was doubtful that no one would see or hear them, but he had to be more cautious than that. Forensics had after all gotten better since the late 19th Century.

He stalked her until he was certain he had her before grabbing her by the shoulders and throwing her up against the wall of the nearest brick building.

"Bonjur, Mademoiselle Whitcomb." He stared at her fiercely, waiting for her to scream.

She stared back at him, eyes wide with fear. She tried shrinking away from him, but his firm grip held her in place.

He grinned before teleporting them away. They rematerialized in a dark room that appeared to have been abandoned for many years. The door was sealed, making the air taste stale.

"Where—where have you taken me, you monster?" Danna demanded as she scurried away from him.

"Somewhere that no one will find you, Whitcomb." His voice took on a harsher tone. He had allowed the true monster to surface, and it used his anger as a source for its power. He took the blade out from his cane and knelt next to Danna. "Tell me, Danna, how did it feel to take my daughter away and use her against Helen and I?"

"You got what you deserved!"

He slashed his blade through the air, cutting into Danna's cheek. Blood now smeared her face. "Wrong answer." He stood and circled around her. "Why did you do it?"

"To ensure the survival of the human race."

He grabbed her by the front of her jacket and slammed her against the nearest wall hard enough to make her eyes water. "YOU DON'T THINK THAT HELEN WAS DOING THE SAME THING WITH HER SANCTUARY?" His face was warped with rage.

"You came here to kill me, didn't you? To make me pay for what I did to your Sanctuaries—to your precious Ashley?"

John threw her across the room. She landed with a crack, and she could no longer stand on her own. "I am going to break you for what you have done."

"You're no better than me," retorted Danna, spitting out a mouthful of blood. "You killed—what was it, eight whores in Scotland Yard? I'm sure those whores had family who cared about them."

He stepped on her hand and put his weight into it until she cried out. "No one can here you down here, Danna. You're mine until I see fit to end our little fun here." He looked down on her with disgust. "You see, this bunker we're in was used during WWII. I spent many hours down here at one point, torturing James Watson. You remember him, don't you? I count you responsible for his death too." He slowly cut across her collarbone. "Or perhaps I should hand you over to Helen. Lets see what happens when you get in the middle of a mother bear and her cub, and then kill the cub."

"Helen Magnus doesn't have what it takes to kill," spat Danna.

"I would not sound so confident about that." John knelt over her and sliced down her clothes before ripping them apart.

His work was slow, and every cut he made brought him one step closer to feeling the satisfaction of killing the woman who tore Ashley away from Helen and him. He relished in Danna's last breath. When his work was complete, he was covered in her blood. He stayed with the body for a few hours before leaving the bunker and going to find one of his many safe houses where he could dispose of the bloodstained clothes and put fresh, clean ones on.

"Whoa—!" Will dodged out of the way after nearly bumping into John. He looked up when John seemed to have snapped out of his thoughts. "Hey—you feelin' ok, Druitt?"

"I am fine, Zimmerman." John forced a smile before continuing down the halls to Ashley's room.

He stopped at the door when he heard the sobs coming from the room. He stood there, blinking for several minutes before knocking. "Ashley?"

"Go away!" she shouted.

He tried the doorknob, but it was locked. "Ashley, open this door!"

"Really nice tactic, Johnny."

He cringed when he heard the voice. He looked up to find Tesla standing against the wall, looking at his extended claws. "Nikola—where did you slither off to for the past few months?"

"Unlike you, I come and go as I please. I got a call from Heinrich about some issues he needs help with. And if I were you, I would not go and anger your daughter any further." He stalked away.

John felt his jaw clench as he watched him leave. He forced his muscles to relax before teleporting. Seconds later, he rematerialized into Ashley's room. His eyes widened as he felt a burning sensation across his chest. He looked down to see that Ashley had appeared in front of him, but when he looked at her, he did not see the little girl; he saw the thing that the Cabal had turned her into. "Ashley," he grunted, falling back to the wall.

Her cold eyes looked up at him as she prepared to strike again. When her eyes met his, she hesitated. Her eyes reverted back to their natural blue. She cried out in pain, as though she was fighting for control. She threw herself to the far wall, grabbing her wrist with her clawed hand. She teleported and rematerialized next to John. She slashed at him three more times: along his collarbone, across his left side, and again down his right shoulder.

The burning made him hiss. He looked up at his daughter, unsure of why he did not simply teleport out of the room, knowing that if he did not, she would likely kill him. "Ashley—I—I'm so sorry," he chocked out in a near sob.

"Daddy? Oh no, what have I done? MOM! WILL! KATE! SOMEONE HELP!" She threw herself to the floor next to John, her eyes completely back to normal, and her fangs and claws retracted.

It was a few minutes before she heard hurried footsteps rushing toward her room. She unlocked the door in a hurry, and was nearly knocked over as her mother rushed in to kneel next to John.

"Dear God, John—what happened?" She searched his pale face; glad to find that he was still conscious.

"Helen—ah, sweet Helen." He reached up to caress her face.

"Let me get you to the infirmary to patch you up." Her eyes softened as she felt his soft, gentle hand brush across her cheek. She gently helped him to his feet and supported his weight as she led him down the hall.

Ashley stood there, watching the exchange with a stony expression. Her mind was numb as she went over what just happened in her head. Her body shook as her monstrosities settled in. When she snapped out of her dark thoughts, her parents were gone, but the bloodstains were still on her wall. She ran out to the hall, and found that they had not gone far.

"Mom!"

Helen stopped and looked back at her daughter. Her eyes widened when she noticed how frightened Ashley looked.

"I'm sorry—I really didn't mean to do it." She squeezed her eyes shut.

"Your father is going to be fine. I just need to stitch him up, and he'll be back to normal in no time. Wait in your room until I'm done, Ashley." She watched as Ashley retreated back into her bedroom before continuing to lead John to the elevator.

"Magnus—what happened?" Will rushed to John's other side, dropping the clipboard in his hand.

"We had another incident." Helen swallowed the bile as she said the words. "Could you help me get him to the infirmary?—Then I want you to work your magic on Ashley."

He frowned as he noted each of the gashes on John's body. He also took note to John's paleness. He nodded as he helped her get John into the elevator.

They took the elevator down into the infirmary. Will helped Helen get John into the nearest bed. "Are you sure you'll be ok?" he asked.

"Will—all I'm doing is simple stitches." Helen sounded exasperated. First dealing with Ashley's school's principal, and then John. The weariness was starting to show. She heard him leave, and sighed her relief at having silence once more.

She worked fast to do a quick wash of her hands and put gloves on. She reached into the drawer for sutures, gauze, and antibiotic cream. "John—I know you're awake," she said impatiently as she neared him.

He opened his eyes. "It wasn't her fault, Helen—she had her door locked, and I teleported inside. I think that the Cabal have programmed her to protect herself against any possible threat."

"Really—you've only now figured that out," she chided as she removed his shirt. Her breath hitched as she saw his bare chest and the toned muscles. She had seen it many times before, but this time something seemed to awaken from deep within her that had been asleep since the 1880s. She shook away her impure thoughts before setting to work to clean the cuts.

"I mean to say that if she ever feels threatened, and we're not there—who knows what sort of chaos can come from it. The Cabal designed her to make normal humans feel threatened by abnormals."

Helen frowned as she began stitching the first wound, the one on his right shoulder. She gave him a reproachful look as he hissed. "I cannot keep her locked up in the Sanctuary forever, John."

"No—of course not." He clicked his tongue. "Perhaps someone here at the Sanctuary is capable of creating a device to monitor her adrenaline levels? I want to see if that has any correlation. And if it does, perhaps you should medicate her."

She sighed heavily as she tied off the first set of stitches. "I will put Henry on it when he returns from the school."

She worked silently for the rest of the time. When she was done, her hands did not leave John's chest. She trailed her latex covered fingers over the skin lightly, smirking when he groaned.

"Helen—don't." He looked up at her, his eyes clouded with lust.

"And why not?" she whispered in his ear before capturing his mouth in a sudden, but heated kiss. Her lips sparked to life in a way they hadn't since her early days as a doctor, when John had to steal a kiss from her here and there while they strolled the streets of London.

"When this is over, we shall begin our dance anew," he had once told her.

"I do not want you to regret it," he said when she had finally pulled away. He looked deep into her eyes, and saw a longing there that was stronger than he had ever seen it.

"Montagu—John—Druitt," she said between light kisses, "I am one hundred and fifty-eight years old. I know what I am doing." She searched his face.

He sat up, nipping at her bottom lip as he repositioned her so that she straddled him, and he held her against the nearest wall. He grinned when her arms and legs wrapped around his neck and waist tightly. His hands slowly went to work to unbutton her blouse. "I preferred the dresses of Victorian times," he growled as he bit down on her neck.

She gasped when he found the spot behind her left ear. "John—!"

He smirked against her skin and pulled her white bra down, so that her breasts popped out. He bent down to take the right nipple in his mouth while he toyed with the other one with his hand. He nipped and sucked alternatively, making her moan and gasp. He thrust his hips forward, making her feel his strained pants.

The door opened. "Magnus, Henry is back." Kate stopped in the doorway, staring wide-eyed at Helen and John. Her face went red before she ran out.

"Bloody Hell!" growled Helen.

"You should have locked the door." John bit down on her nipple, hard, before pulling away. "You probably should go." He kissed her again on the lips as she hurried to get her clothes straightened out.

"They're going to lock me up like the abnormals downstairs, aren't they?" Ashley sobbed, sitting on her bed with her face hidden by her hands.

Will stood against the wall. He ran a hand through his curly hair. "No, Ashley, no one's going to lock you away." Even as he said the words, he did not believe them.

"But I attacked a kid at school, Will!" She looked up at him with red, puffy eyes.

"I saw the video footage—you were just defending yourself, Ashley," replied Will softly. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to feel safe, Ashley." He recalled the conversation he had with Alexi two years ago. "I promise you, I will do whatever I can to help you control this more." His eyes took on a fierce flame. He almost felt sorry for anyone in the future who would try to harm Ashley because not only would they have to deal with the dangerous abnormal in front of him, but everyone at the Sanctuary who was willing to protect her.

Helen looked up when she entered her office. Henry and Tesla were already waiting for her. She walked to her desk briskly; her cheeks still red as she thought back to her heated moment with John.

"You wanted to see us, Doc?" Henry asked.

"Yes. I want the both of you to create a device to measure adrenaline levels. I want it to send readings to every computer within the Sanctuary."

"Is this for Ashley?"

Helen nodded solemnly. "I want to see if her vampiric nature is related to adrenaline levels in her body. If so—Nikola, I want you to come up with a drug to control it. That way, Ashley will need to want to become what she is." She looked up at her friend. "Now, I am sure that you both have a lot of work ahead of you." She took a folder of paperwork and flipped through it. It was a request to handle a gnome infestation in Seattle.

When she looked up again, Tesla was still there, staring at her intently. Her eyebrows rose. "Don't you have work to do, Nikola?" she asked impatiently.

"Johnny boy left a hickey on your neck—Helen, are you having relations with Jack the Ripper again? He's a monster, Helen!" He looked repulsed as he thought about what they had done.

"Nikola, I am a grown woman, fully capable of making my own choices. I believe that I have set a task for you to get done. Go and do it before I have my butler remove you from my office." She glared up at him until he left.

After several minutes of sitting there, she sunk into her chair, eyes closed and body heavy. She needed more help with the Sanctuary; she knew that more than ever now. The first time she had raised Ashley; it had not been this chaotic. As she thought about her daughter, her eyes snapped open. She had grounded Ashley, and when John had gone to speak with their daughter, she had accidentally attacked him. Helen could not comprehend how afraid the young girl was now. She got up and hurried to Ashley's room.

She found her daughter sitting on her bed, still crying; and Will was standing against the wall, doing his best to comfort Ashley with words. She nodded to Will before making her way down to the kitchen.

She cooked up a pot of Mac & Cheese, remembering how much Ashley had liked it before. Tears suddenly flowed freely down her cheeks. With all that had happened since Ashley's funeral, she had not had proper time to mourn the daughter she had lost. She wiped away her tears when the Mac & Cheese was finished. She scooped it into a giant bowl, and carried it up to Ashley's room.

Ashley was still crying, and Will was sitting on the bed next to her. He was holding her and rubbing small circles on her back. He looked up at Helen, and immediately his face went red.

"Ashley, I have to get back to my work—I'll see you in the morning." He planted a gentle kiss on her golden hair before prying himself away. He nodded to Helen as he passed her.

Helen walked forward, slowly and carefully. She sat on the bed and frowned when Ashley did not look up at her. "Ashley—I made you some Mac & Cheese." She kept her voice soft.

Ashley looked up with hurt eyes. It tore at Helen to see her daughter this way. She took the Mac & Cheese and began eating it.

"Ashley—I want to apologize for my reaction in the car. I should not have yelled at you for something you can't control."

"Does this mean I'm not grounded anymore?" squeaked Ashley.

"No, you're still grounded—but that only means no TV for a week, no video games for a week, and no visiting Jane for a week. What you did to that child was still wrong, even though you were trying to defend yourself. You need to exercise extreme control. As it is, I will probably have to pay for his medical expenses—and if the doctors are smart enough to figure out that the wounds you left on him were not from normal fingernails, there will be some serious questions to answer." She pulled Ashley closer to her and held her daughter there. "I love you, Ashley—don't you ever forget that."

"I know, Mom. I love you, too." She closed her eyes as she leaned against her mother.

A/N: Yes, this is the end of really young Ashley. This story has been split into three different sections. Within the next couple weeks, there will be a timeline of events posted on my profile between this chapter and the next one. Keep checking.