"Of course she's not dead."
"I saw her like an hour ago."
"How on earth would you even know?"
"We haven't seen you in ages."
"And how can you even know something like that?"
"Enough," John bellowed, holding a hand up to silence the four people standing as greeting party. "Go, fetch Helen then."
He looked to young William expectantly, waiting until he rolled his eyes and dragged out a sleek little device.
"Magnus," he said into the device. "Magnus come in. Your school chums have dropped in for a visit. And they brought you a present."
Nothing came in response.
"Magnus?"
Still nothing.
He looked to the device before glancing back between the three newcomers. John knew his barely contained anger would be evident on his face but he didn't care. Let the child be good and scared of him. If he had missed such an important piece of information such as Helen's demise he deserved all the pain John could possibly inflict on his body. And mind.
At the thought John felt a small hand land on his arm, squeezing gently the bunched muscle. Looking down he was shocked to see Rose staring up at him with a quivering lip. Her eyes were unreadable but something about the fear she was exuding helped to push his beast back into its cage. For now at least.
William, meanwhile was still bleating into the device with ever increasing panic.
"Henry," he said hastily. "Can you do a scan or something?"
The young tech nodded and started tapping on the tablet under his arm. The young blonde by Will's side put an arm around his shoulders, talking softly to him.
"I'm sure it's nothing. Just a mistake."
"This isn't a game Abby," Nikola put in angrily, taking a step towards her. "Do you think we'd come here without good reason?"
Again it was Rose's restraining hand that pulled Nikola back. For a moment she looked as if she was about to speak but quickly the look passed and she stepped back, almost shielding herself behind John's body.
"I... Uh..." Henry stammered, colour draining from his face.
"For real Hank?" Kate breathed, eyes wide. She stepped to the HAP's side, peering down over his shoulder.
"No... I... This isn't..."
Henry looked to Nikola, fear plain in his eyes as he thrust the tablet towards the other man.
"Like I said, good reason."
For a moment no one spoke, eyes riveted to Henry's tablet.
And then chaos erupted.
"Are you sure?"
"Shouldn't we go check or something?"
"But she's not..."
"This isn't a game junior."
"I can't find her on the scans."
"Are you completely sure?"
"What do you mean you can't find her?"
"She can't just be dead."
"We had a meeting this morning and she was totally fine."
"But I don't get how you know she's dead!"
"Is trust not one of the values Helen places high in her esteem?"
"Can we please just go check?"
"ENOUGH."
Rose's voice echoed around the airy entrance hall, cutting everyone off midstream.
Abby looked to Will while Kate and Henry shared concerned looks.
"We have to... This needs... I..."
John, in all his years of knowing and hating Rose had never before seen her lost for words. She was confident and self assured, even when things looked impossible. She was quick witted and even quicker with her tongue.
But not now, now her body was practically shaking. Her eyes were fixed on the floor as she stuttered through a few incoherent words before taking a stilted step forwards.
Looking over her head, John gave Nikola a concerned look, surprised to see that the other man looked just as taken aback as he felt. He would have expected Nikola to be by Rose's side by now, arm around her waist. They were always a rather touchy couple unafraid of public displays of more than a little affection. He'd sensed a change in their relationship last he'd seen them but he'd put part of that down to the influence of that vile creature who had saved him down in Hollow Earth.
He still didn't fully understand how she'd gotten him out of there, only piecing together small fragments from what she'd told him as she nursed him back to health. It was a strange sensation to have such fractured memories of the time he spent with her but he was mostly glad. The beast within him fed off of the horrid images he still retained of the victims of her mind control and try as he might, nothing could exorcise that demon.
It was why he'd stayed away from Helen in recent months. He'd watched from afar as she blew up the Sanctuary, not believing for a minute she'd take her life in such a way. A few weeks later Nikola had sent him a very discreet message containing only one word.
Spirō.
It was all he'd needed and, for a while it had helped to keep him sane. He'd wanted to run off and search for Helen immediately but not only did he know of how foolish such an endeavour would be, he hadn't a single scrap of evidence to trace.
It was part of the reason he'd answered Rose's call with such speed. That and the heart stopping dread that had flooded his body.
It was the same kind of dread that he could now see in the very tension of Rose's shoulders.
She was breathing deeply as if trying to calm herself. Her hands were balled by her sides, fists trembling but the fire in her eyes was dimmer than he'd ever seen.
It was strange, part of him rejoiced at the idea that she was suffering but the other told him it could mean nothing good. This wasn't a hoax, it couldn't be.
"Enough fighting," she breathed with a little sob. "I want to... I want to see her."
No one spoke, all eyes fixed upon her.
"Screw that," Nikola snarled. "I want answers."
"Wouldn't we all," Will drawled, rolling his eyes. John knew such a reaction was a mistake. The vampire was easily provoked at the best of times but now? He hated the thought of anyone feeling anything even slightly romantic for his Helen, it made his blood boil, but there was no denying that the Serb had always carried a torch for her. John's fists balled, fingers clenching so as to prevent himself from lashing out at either Nikola or young William.
"Can't you all just shut it!" Rose snapped tearfully, body trembling as she stepped around John to glare at both Nikola and Will. He could see her back rippling beneath the thing fabric of her singlet and took a step back, watching as the skin peeking out turn bright red.
"Is a little respect too much to ask? She's dead, she's dead and all you can do is stand around fighting! You," she gestured to Will, "have no right to be so defensive when you didn't even know she was gone and you," she gestured to Nikola, "you should... should know better! She's dead, she's DEAD."
Her last screeching word hung in the air for a second before a great tearing of fabric shattered the silence, her wings bursting forth and drawing a sob from her lips.
Abby took a startled step back but Henry and Kate immediately looked ashamed.
"Holy Hannah," Abby breathed, eyes wide.
"Marvel later," Rose snapped harshly, glaring at the other woman. "Now, show me to her body."
Again everyone was silent, eyes downcast. It was only when Henry coughed uncomfortably that they all dared to breathe again.
"I-uh, I can't..." he said softly. "I mean, I would Rosie it's just that... Well I can't..."
Rose cocked her head, obviously doing some digging before her body sagged and wings retracted as she walked towards the young tech.
"I'm sorry for scaring you," she whispered before pulling him into a brief hug. He patted her back awkwardly as she pulled away, taking the tablet from his hands. Sniffing, she tapped a few times before humming in frustration.
"It can't be right," she breathed, gesturing for Nikola to walk over to her without looking up. He did so quickly, leaving John alone as the rest of the group eyed him apprehensively. Kate and Will had nothing but hostility in their eyes but the new girl, Abby was giving him a tentative smile.
John cast his eyes up and down the young woman discreetly, almost chuckling to himself. Of course the protégé would pick her. She was just like Helen. Far less intelligent and with only a skerrick of her beauty but there was a purity about her spirit and a kindness about her eyes that he hadn't seen in over a century and a half.
And, he noted, her body was nothing to be scoffed at. She was tall without being too tall and curved without being overly so.
He tried his best to return her tenuous smile, noting that the action calmed him for some reason. He should still be in the grip of terror, heart pounding and such at the thought of his Helen being dead but she... Abby, he corrected, had some strange effect on him. She was like a tiny window to the past, reminding him of the woman he had so loved. The woman whose innocence and purity of spirit had prevented him from claiming her as one of his victims. She was not dirty. Well, at the time she hadn't been a small voice told him. Now though...
Shaking away the thought he ripped his gaze from the blonde, looking over to where Rose was bent over the tablet with Henry and Nikola by her sides.
"This makes no sense," Nikola muttered, snatching the tablet. "She can't just... not be here. It's not like this is an easy place to leave."
"You mean her tracker has stopped working?" Will asked, cutting in. "Is that why you think she's dead?" John watched as relief washed over the young man and he had to fight the urge to slam his head into the nearest wall in an attempt to clear away whatever idiocy mean that he couldn't comprehend the gravity of the situation.
"Have you lost all brain function?" Rose spat. "Of course that's not it! I know she's dead because... because... because I can't feel her anymore." The venom in her words trailed off and soon enough she was shaking again. "She's gone Will. She's just... gone."
He swallowed and Henry tried to hide a sniffle.
"Maybe she's... maybe it's just..."
"No Will," she breathed. "Gone. She's just... gone."
All right, I'm heading off for a few days so this will have to do you until I get back. I'm sure you'll be fine.
Should anyone's head explode with the sheer insanity contained in this chapter, I will have twitter so come bug me on there and I'll do my best to heal the 'splody. Same username as here :)
xx
