"Slower," Nikola insisted, his grip tightening on Helen's hand.

"Oh leave me be," she snapped, jerking her hand free. Of course, that was a mistake and she promptly lost what little balance she had, her legs giving out in a second. Nikola was on her immediately, his hands grabbing her firmly by the waist to prevent any further injury.

"I said, slower," he muttered, exasperated. Helen had a sharp retort almost formed when Ashley jumped in.

"Can it, Vlad," she taunted from her place by the window. "You aren't her minder."

"No, but I don't want to be the one who has to bandage another sprained appendage," he snapped back, glaring at the young woman. Helen bristled slightly though whether because it was her daughter being snapped at or her vampire being taunted, she wasn't entirely certain.

"I'm fine," she put in softly, hoping to diffuse the tension. She was still uneasy around Ashley, part of her mind rebelling against the idea that it was her daughter before her. Even with the voice in her head trying to soothe the discomfort, Helen still felt on edge.

Nikola was still the only one she found she could trust completely. Even when the nightmares were so vivid she couldn't distinguish them from real life, he could calm her. Perhaps it was because no one could mimic the fangs that grew from his mouth accurately enough or maybe it was simply because his arms were strong as they held her close. Either way, she was most comfortable with him by her side. At the very least, she preferred to know he was nearby should she call.

Will had tried to transition into the role, keeping a vigil beside her bed but she'd sent him away the moment she'd had enough voice to do so. Henry too had tried and she'd been softer in her dismissal of him. John was the only one who hadn't presented himself for guard duty yet and Helen found herself comforted by the fact. Sometimes she believed he was free of 'Jack', other times it seemed just as fanciful as having Ashley back.

It was as though the universe was trying to give Helen the perfect family she'd so desired but she found it was no longer what she wanted. Not that she didn't want Ashley, she wanted to believe she was real with all her heart but a family? Helen didn't think she would ever be able to create a family in the traditional sense. Not with anyone.

"Do you want to take a rest?" Nikola asked softly, stepping a little closer to her. His hands still held her by the waist firmly, apparently certain she would fall again.

"Over protective..." Ashley mumbled from the corner, her insult trailing off. Helen half expected Nikola to turn about and snap something in reply but, aside from annoyance creasing his brow for a second, his attention remained fixed on Helen.

Swallowing at the strange ideas that gave her, Helen smiled tightly and pulled away from him slightly.

"I'm fine," she insisted. And she was. She knew her legs were better, she could feel it. Plus she refused to stay in that damn wheelchair any longer. It was demeaning and unnecessary.

Nikola's grip on her loosened and he stepped back just far enough to give her room to breathe. It wasn't, of course, far enough that he wouldn't be able to grab her if she looked likely to fall again.

Straightening up, Helen sucked in a deep breath and put one foot in front of the other. She could do it. She would do it. Her knees wobbled a little and her vision swam for a second but Helen was, without a hand to help her, walking across the room. She barely contained her bright smile of delight at the fact, turning (a little slower than normal, just to be safe) to face the others. Nikola was half beaming at her, hands on hips, flashing crooked teeth at her. Ashley seemed just as pleased from where she was now sitting in the window seat though she seemed more contained.

That was Ashley nowadays, though. Contained and restrained. Her normally rambunctious daughter now sat quietly in corners, away from crowds with only a few bitting barbs thrown about. Helen suspected it had something to do with her tenuous control over the abilities they hadn't been able to undo but she hadn't lingered on the thought. It opened up a whole avenue of worry Helen didn't want to deal with just yet.

With another smile for both her onlookers, Helen raised her head high and began a slightly faster walk back towards Nikola. However, when her toe caught on the edge of the plush rug, her smile faltered. Her legs gave out at the sudden resistance and, in slow motion, Helen felt herself pitching forwards. One had reached out for something, anything to keep her steady but, before she even had time to realise that there was nothing to grab, a pair of hands grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her back up.

"Are you OK?" Ashley said, frowning. Helen looked up, startled to see her daughter by her side. Her mind tried to piece together how she could have travelled such a distance so quickly but there was such concern on Ashley's face that Helen found her heart beating far too rapidly.

"I'm fine," Helen replied, voice tight. Carefully she stood up, trying not to rely on Ashley for support but, between her now elevated heart rate and the shock at having almost fallen, her legs were once more, uncooperative.

"Really?" Ashley said. Helen nodded and smiled meekly, trying to pull back further but, when she wobbled, Ashley's grip tightened. It was odd, Helen mused absently as her mind tried to not jump into a frenzy again, but Ashley smelt precisely the same as she always had. In fact, her skin felt the same too. It was almost as if she was back.

Suddenly tears were in Helen's eyes and she was clutching her daughter closer. Even if it was all an elaborate illusion, she didn't care. Ashley came surprisingly willingly, her arms wrapping around Helen tightly in return. Half sobbing, Helen took in great lungfuls of her daughter's scent, trying to commit the moment to memory should it not last. Ashley was whispering something against the side of Helen's head though the exact words escaped her, the sound of blood rushing to her ears drowning out most anything else.

Helen could feel her heart breaking the longer she held Ashley close but she couldn't bring herself to pull away either. Through a mess of blonde hair, Helen just managed to see Nikola as he slipped from the room, apparently giving them privacy and Helen bit her lip. A sudden rush of gratitude flowed through her and her heart swelled to think of how Nikola had been these past few weeks. Though their relationship before she left had hinted at possibly something far more romantic than platonic, he'd made no move to care for as anything more than her friend.

In fact, he was just like the man she remembered back at Oxford; kind, comforting and, above all else, her closest friend. He was all that she could count on as real.

With the same ferocious suddenness that had caused her to pull Ashley close, she was pushing her daughter away. It wasn't real. It couldn't be real.

How could any of this be real?

Limbs shaking, Helen stumbled towards the door, away from the young woman calling after her. Somehow, thanks to a miracle or two, she made it, pulling open the heavy door and forcing herself out into the cool corridor. Panting with the effort, she pushed herself to the other wall, one hand bracing her still bruised ribs as she slammed into the hard surface, grimacing with the effort of staying upright. Her vision began to swim with beautiful colours as she slumped, the brief output of energy exhausting her.

"Helen?" she heard dimly as the colours began to fade to black; the man's voice worried but soft.

Helen forced herself to focus, blinking a few times until she could make out Nikola's features above her. She smiled softly to herself, relaxing as his familiar arms came around her. She was safe. She would be safe. The dreams would stop and she would be safe.

And, finally, the blue eyes and blonde hair peeking over his shoulder no longer seemed threatening. In fact, if this was the land of delusion, then Helen was more than willing to let it come.