Because I was very good and churned out two chapters for the third of this trilogy, y'all get this today instead of Sunday. Plus I'm being needy and want reviews. Apparently updating two other stories within 10 hours of each other does not bode well for reviews :P

*huggles to all who are heartbroken* We shall solider on. We are, after all, Teslen Troopers!

xx

"My god," Helen breathed, stepping away from John as they rematerialised in the cavern.

The stone floor was littered with the bodies of vampires, eyes staring up at them unseeing. Henry, Will and Kate were all sitting on the floor, crouched around one of the bodies, not saying a word. They looked up at their boss with unseeing eyes, Kate biting her lip as Henry's jaw stiffened. Then Helen noticed the rather familiar boots sticking out, her heart stopping as she rushed forwards.

Rose was lying on her back, wings spread wide to cushion her body. Her eyes were closed, a peaceful smile dancing on her lips.

"Magnus, I'm sorry," Will choked out, stepping away to give her more room. "She's alive but..."

In half a second Nikola was by her side, pushing Helen away as he carefully lifted her from the floor, hands flitting over her face to push away a few strands of hair. Helen reached out, taking the younger woman's wrist to check for a pulse but the second they made contact a strange feeling overcame her, like a wave of pure exhaustion that sapped her strength. She sagged momentarily before looking up at Nikola. His gaze flicked to hers for a moment.

"You felt it too?" he asked curtly.

"What was it?" she asked, feeling for a pulse.

"I don't know," he all but snapped, his eyes focused on Rosie's serene face.

"Whatever she did," Henry said weakly, "whatever it was knocked all these guys out and it worked on the ones that had me cornered too."

"What exactly happened?" Helen asked, looking up at Kate as she tried not to think about what her lethargic pulse could mean.

"It was something straight out of a sci-fi movie," Kate supplied quietly, unable to look away from Rose as she lay limp in Nikola's arms. "Just after you three left she pulled Will and I towards closer together, telling us to keep shooting no matter what."

"She was behind us," Will continued, "so we didn't get a good look at what happened but she kind of growled. It filled the whole room and everything started to shake. Then she screamed and..."

"And what?" Helen pressed, trying to keep her voice steady as her grip tightened on Rosie's wrist.

"Then there was this light," Will choked out, "bright blue, almost white and it... it was warm."

"And then?"

"When we turned around she was... she was like this," he finished.

No one spoke for a while, all simply staring at the young woman who was still yet to move.

"Niikkki," Rose whispered, her voice echoing off the high walls.

"Rose," he breathed, cupping her cheek as he shifted her high in his arm so that she was almost sitting.

"I've never... fallen asleep... in someone's... arms... before," she huffed weakly, eyes rolling behind closed lids, the corner of her mouth twitching upwards. "I think... I could... get... used to... it."

And with that she fell silent once more, letting loose a low hum of pleasure before her face fell slack again, the only sign of life her slowly rising chest.

"Let's get out of here," Nikola said quietly, slowly shifting Rose in his arms until he was able to lift her off the ground, her wings hanging down, swaying with each gentle motion as he got to his feet. Without so much as a look at the other's he walked to John's side, staring dead ahead as he waited for the others to gather their things, his usually expressive eyes cold and cut off, sending a bolt of fear through Helen. She had to fix this, she simply had to.

"Get her to the infirmary," Helen ordered the moment they touched down in her office. Stepping away from John as quickly as she could she headed for the door, already running through the myriad of test she'd need to run.

"No."

Spinning on her heel she was shocked to see Nikola standing still as he looked at her coolly.

"What?" she asked, stunned. "This is no times for games Nikola, we need to get her there now. She could be in serious danger."

"Can't we put her in her own bed?" he asked, his voice disturbingly neutral. "For the sunshine."

Helen stopped, gazing into his eyes for a moment. As guarded and closed as he could be, Nikola had never been able to hide his emotions from her totally and she could always read him by his eyes. Today they were clouded, swirling with hundreds of emotions that made Helen dizzy but one stood out. Fear. He was just as scared as she was.

And, she realised with a sigh, he was right. They knew so little of Rose's abilities and the way she worked internally but the one thing they did know was that she survived mostly off sunlight. She'd always risen with the sun to get the most of the rays so it only made sense that she should stay in her room, the sunniest in the Sanctuary.

"Of course," she said with a nod but Nikola said nothing, instead walking out of the room without a look at any of them.

"I'll go down to the infirmary and grab what I need. Kate, Henry, you go with Nikola and keep an eye on her. If anything changes let me know."

"Helen," John began as the others started to disperse.

"Will," she continued, not looking at John. "I need you to go start a clean up mission. Call in a few favours and get the place sealed off. We'll need to retrieve one of the bodies for study but the rental car needs to be returned and our gear secured."

"I'll get right on it," he said quietly, leaving the room as quickly as he could.

"Helen," John tried again but she turned away, striding towards the door. In a few long steps he was by her side, holding her arm tightly as he tried to get her to face him.

"Let go of me," she hissed, eyes flashing dangerously.

"I'll go if that's what you want Helen but you have to know I only did what I thought was right," he said quietly, loosening his grip but not releasing her fully, determined that she should hear him out. "You trust Rose, implicitly," he continued. "You trust her with your life and for once I followed your lead, I did as you do and trusted her."

Helen said nothing, head bowed as she waited for him to release her.

"She told me to take you and Nikola here, to not return for thirty minutes and I did as she said. You can't hold that against me."

"She sacrificed herself," Helen growled, jerking her arm free as she glared up at him. "You allowed her to sacrifice herself for us, you saved our skin rather than fight alongside her."

"And what good would have come of you dying?" he asked furiously, stepping closer and making her flinch. "She knew the risks, clearly and she knew that you'd never leave willingly."

"Of course I'd never leave," she yelled. "My life is no more important than anyone else's."

"Your life is a hundred times more important than most," John replied, his voice dropping as he implored her to understand. "Rose knew that and she saved your life Helen, it was not me who made the decision. I followed her orders as you would have done in my place and you cannot blame me for trusting the girl you've always trusted."

Helen swallowed, glaring at him for a moment before she spoke again, her voice barely more than a menacing whisper.

"You will not leave John, not until I tell you to. Is that clear?"

"Perfectly."

With one last shaky glare in his direction, she left the room, striding down the corridor as fast as she could, only allowing a sob to break free as she stumbled into the elevator. She knew she shouldn't be mad at John, he'd done only as he was told and, considering his history with Rose, that was impressive but Helen couldn't very well be furious at the woman who lay upstairs, unconscious. It was easier to pin her anger on John, he was a living, breathing target who deserved most of the anger directed his way.

But she knew it was wrong. John didn't deserve her anger, Rose didn't deserve her anger, she didn't even deserve the anger she felt towards herself because the truth of it was, Rose had done the right thing. She'd saved them all with minimal loss. She'd destroyed the enemy whilst protecting her men. She'd done the right thing and strangely it made it even harder to not be angry at her.

"It barely took two minutes," Nikola said quietly, not leaving his perch on the edge of the bed. His voice was still quiet but now there was a tinge of excitement.

"And you're saying her wings just retracted without any help?" Helen asked, cocking her head at the peaceful figure lying under several thick blankets. She looked so small and helpless, her mouth parted slightly as she breathed in and out, a steady, even rate. After the wings had disappeared they'd changed her into an old pair of sweats stolen from Kate's cupboard and now she looked distinctly human, as serene as any sleeping child.

"She seemed to wince slightly but nothing more," he said, finally looking up at Helen. "It means there's hope."

"There was always hope," Helen said quietly, smiling at him. "Hope only disappears when you give up."

Oddly appropriate finishing line considering yesterday's news.