"I... I don't understand," Helen breathed. She tightened her grip on Nikola's hand, looking up to him in askance. His free hand went to her cheek, smoothing back a flyaway curl.

"We talked about this," he replied calmly. "Remember what I said about Rose?"

The DNA. Yours and Johns.

Helen started at the voice in her head, strange yet familiar all at once. There was so much she simply didn't understand.

She shared so many of your genetic traits.

"Helen? Are you all right?" Nikola asked, frowning.

"Where is Rose?" she asked, cocking her head. Nikola's face creased and he swallowed heavily. It was a simple question, Helen thought. Especially considering she was near enough to be communicating. Well, sort of. It wasn't... normal. Something was off.

"Rose is gone," he whispered kindly, squeezing her hand tighter. "She brought you Ashley though, remember."

He gestured to the hospital bed in front of her and shifted in his seat.

Helen's gaze returned once more to the lifeless body of her daughter. Her breath caught in her throat, her heart beating furiously in her chest and she pushed back against the uncomfortable chair she sat in.

"No," Helen whispered, panic rising within her. "No."

"It's all right," Nikola said again, moving closer. "Helen, look at me. Look at me now, it's all right. You are safe. Ashley is safe. We are all safe."

"I don't... I don't understand," Helen breathed, eyes prickling with tears. "How long?"

"Since Ashley?" he asked. "Only a few days. Do you remember the garden? The party? I carried you home. You murmured something to me as we drove back here. Remember?"

The garden. The light. Ashley. John. Rose. Nikola. Fighting.

"I... I think..." Helen turned back towards Ashley and reached out with her free hand. Her fingers closed around her daughter's wrist and a small sob worked its way out between her lips. Bowing her head, she squeezed gently while Nikola moved closer, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"She's fine," Nikola said softly, his lips pressed to the back of her head. "She's just sedated. They're going to help her, Helen. We've been working around the clock to help her."

Helen merely nodded.

"John wants to try and help her too," Nikola added after a beat. "He thinks... he thinks he can understand what she might go through. We don't know yet but it seems most the abilities the Cabal awakened are intact. How lucid she is though... Well, we'll figure that out as we go."


I am going to cry. Damn politics. Someone hold me/let me live on their couch?