Sanctuary - Brandy and Tears Part 5
…..John teleported back into the flat he'd been keeping. The evil voice within him sated for the moment by the pretty young whore whom he had just violently bedded. And then even more satisfying to the rage within him, he had slowly slit her throat. He walked to the basin on his bedside table to wash the blood from his hands when he suddenly froze. Helen. He could feel her gaze. He drew in a deep breath taking in her scent. He would know it blind folded. "Its rude to break and enter my Dear." he said whilst washing his hands.
"Hello John." she replied in a not quite so steady voice. Once he dried his hands John stuck a match a lit the wall gas lamp lighting the room with flicking shadows. Inhaling in a deep breath filling his senses with her scent again, he turned towards her and sucked in a shocked breath.
The women before him was a not the Helen he knew. For one thing her hair was darker and she was attired in a shirt and trousers and holding a gun he did not recognise on him. Desire slammed into him. Whoever this Helen was he wanted her as much as ever. He was quick to hide his reaction.
"Well this is a new look for you Helen." he quipped taking his time looking her up and down and noting the effect it had on her. Her hand now not quite so steady.
"John…" Helen began but he stopped her holding his hands up.
"Where or should I say when are you from?" he asked casually.
Helen drew in a deep breath. She should have known it would not take him long to figure it out. She almost forgotten how gorgeous he looked with his long hair tied back, used to her John's sexy baldness. It made her want to run her fingers threw it just one more time. It was so good to see him. Even if he was already possessed by that thing. She was trying hard not to reach out touch him, love him. It had been so long since she had the pain of it choking her. Now more than ever knowing that not a hour ago back in her own time her John had died. Helen took another deep breath battling to control herself.
"The future." she replied sharply. "It doesn't matter how far."
The future. His mind whirled at implications.
"Well future Helen what bring you to my humble abode?" he asked never taking his eyes off hers. His unreadable in the flickering lamp light.
"Have you come for a chat and a walk down memory lane or have you come to end this unending dance of ours?" he asked bitterly.
"I've come to help you John?" she replied as calmly as she could.
He laughed mockingly. "Well that obviously worked well the first time round my Dear as you're here from the future to try again" he said suddenly making a lunge for the gun and knocking it out of her hand. The gun clattered to floor and John advanced upon Helen backing her up against the wall. He moved so close that their bodies touched from hip to breast. He leaned down and breathed in deeply. "How I missed your scent Helen. You have a smell that is uniquely you, you know." John breathed looking down into her eyes.
Helen tilted her head back to look him in the eyes. "I know what's wrong with you John. I can help you." she said ignoring his comment and trying to focus on what she had to tell him.
"What if I'm happy in my madness what if I don't want to be helped." he almost growled at her. The voice inside stirring.
"But you do want help" Helen replied huskily taking in his scent as he had hers. He also had a unique smell that was all John (not that she'd ever tell him that) and it was bringing back memories Helen had spent two lifetimes trying to forget. " Your not mad John. Nor has the source blood made you a killer." she breathed. Then laughed at herself mockingly. 135 years and she was still trying to save John Druitt.
John frowned down at her moving back a little to let the lamp light fall on her face to better see her eyes.
"What's so funny" he queried.
Helen stopped laughing and drew in another gasp of air. She looked up into his eyes. "Your possessed by an energy elemental abnormal. It latched onto you during one of jumps not long after you first started to teleport and it has been driving you slowly mad ever since with its blood lust!" she managed to get out in a rush.
John just continued to look down at her. His penetrating gaze never leaving hers reading the truth in her eyes. She could see him going over what she had told him. See it beginning to make sense to him. Finally knowing what was wrong with himself and accepting it. All this she read in his eyes.
"You can get it out of me?" he asked as he leaned in close again.
Helen could feel John's desire pushing against her even with them both fully clothed. She drew in a deep breath to help concentrate on why she was there.
"Yes. No. Not me. Your Helen." Helen took another deep breath. "She can help you. You have to go to her John and tell her. Tell her about the elemental." Helen sighed. "Let her save you." she whispered.
John looked down at her. And smiled menacingly. "Why have you come to me with this. Why not tell Helen?" He queried challengingly.
"Maybe I have" Helen's hunger for him making her snap back defensively.
"No. No you wouldn't have told us both. Whatever your reason for being back here in he past I'm guessing your time is too precious to go round doing things twice. You came to me for reason." He paused thoughtfully.
"This is a test isn't it Helen. To see if I truly want to be rid of thing in me."
He leaned closer again not even oxygen between them now and looked deep into her eyes.
Helen closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. They would always know each other like this - know the other's thoughts. She prayed there was enough of John left inside to fight for control for long enough to let her younger self help him. That this time she wouldn't spend two life times alone. When she opened her eyes she saw John's face just inches from her own. She finally gave in to the urge she had since he had appeared in the room and ran her hands threw his hair drawing his head down for a kiss. She kissed him long and hard until neither of them could breath. Then she shoved him away from her and moved quickly away towards the door. She turned to take a last look at him in the lamp light. John was leaning against the wall breathing hard. He smiled tauntingly at her.
"Definitely not my Helen." he murmured slowly liking his lips.
Helen turned back to the door and pulled it open. As she was about to step through it he asked "Why did you laugh?"
She turned to look at him. This man she has always loved. The excruciating memory of losing her John fresh in her mind. Knowing that once she had done what she came here to do she would be no more so this was a last chance to say goodbye. She memorised his features for the last time and smiled wistfully. Looking deep into his eyes she said "For all eternity" as she turned and walked out closing the door behind her…
…. John looked between mother and daughter after he finished his version of what had passed between him and the future Helen. Helen had heard it before and was lost in the memories that followed that night but Ashley was just beginning to understand.
"Oh my God." she said. " You have a insane parasite inside you. Trying to control you. That's awful." The unimaginable horror of it making her shudder with understanding. The torture of what John must have gone though every day for over a hundred years. Was still going through. "But if its a parasite that means we can find a way to get that thing out of you. Give you some peace. Let you be you again." she said hopefully looking between Helen and John. She was so like her mother. Quick to understand and then her first thought to help. To help save a stranger.
"Your mother cured me. I'm free of the creature." John told his daughter. His self loathing at what he had done in past though clear in his eyes. His gaze travelling to Helen's face. She was looking at him. He could see the pain, guilt and self disgust in her eyes. "You did save me." he reiterated trying to comfort her and wipe out the pain in her eyes.
Helen squeezed his hand "Not soon enough." she whispered wretchedly.
Torturing herself with knowledge of what he had had to do to gain enough control to be able to teleport back to her a second time.
Ashley watching the two people in front of her realised she was far from understanding all that had transpired between them but the one thing she was sure off Helen Magnus and John Druitt had some way un-finished business to sort out between them.