Fic: For I Have Fallen From The Sky. Sanctuary - Gen.
Title: For I Have Fallen From The Sky.
Author: Lopaka Tanu
Disclaimer: I do not own Sanctuary.
Characters: Helen, Nikola, Adam, Henry, Ashley.
Words: 1200
Fandom: Sanctuary
Pairing: N/A
Rating: General
Warnings: Language, Angst.
Summary: Had Helen been too slow, and failed to stop Adam in 1898, what might it have cost her and history?
______________________________________________________
1902
They were speaking, but the words were hard to make out through the thick walls of the steamer trunk. Funny, she used to love these cases and was utterly dismayed when they fell out of fashion.
"Are you Mr. Zimmerman?"
She froze. Dear, god, no. Please, not this.
"Why, yes, how may I be of service?
"Sorry for this, chap, it's nothing personal."
Helen flinched at each of the half-dozen explosions that filled the post master's office. Her eyes burning, she fought against the tears that threatened to blur her vision. There was nothing she could do to stop what had already happened, but if she were to survive this, she needed her senses and wits about her. Needing something to do, she kept at worrying the rope at her wrists.
Adam had learned not to use shackles after their last tussle. It couldn't have been labeled a fight, that bloody stunner gave him the advantage every time.
"That was easier than I thought. Yet, it was no less satisfying."
Something soft and heavy hit the floor, thumping hard enough to cause an echo under the wooden slats.
Grunting in surprise, Helen's resolve shattered. Scalding tears ran down her cheeks, stinging at the chilled flesh. Lowering her head, she rest it on her knees.
"Ah, here you are. I thought I smelled a roach with a distinctive cockney accent. You know, the stench really is quite overpowering, even from a mile away. It's probably made worse by the fact people started bathing again, I don't know if you've heard about that."
Her eyes shot open. That voice. It couldn't be!
"What are you..." Adam trailed off with a wet grunt. This was quickly followed by another body hitting the floor.
"Sorry, I didn't catch that." Pausing, Nikola made a noise of amused questioning that was loud even through the wood. He was really very good at that. "What's the matter, you don't have the heart to finish your question? More's the pity. Oh well. Now, let's see what you have in here, as if my above-excellent sense of smell couldn't tell me it's a Helen shaped surprise."
Light, sudden and blinding, filled the steamer trunk. Flinching from the dazzling display, Helen tried to bring her hands up to cover her face. She only managed a few inches before her bindings halted the action.
"Oh, my. Well, if this isn't the best birthday present ever. You do know how I like my surprises."
Teeth biting into her cloth gag, Helen blinked to clear her vision. It was completely unnecessary as she could glare at him by judging from voice location alone.
***
1985
There was nothing here. Tracks, skin flakes, blood trails from prey, all the previous signs she had used to track it the first time were missing. Then again, she shouldn't be surprised.
Drawing the leather jacket tight 'round her waist, Helen tugged her hat down. Taking in the empty living room one last time proved to be of no more help than the first time. Only the cobwebs and a rolled rug at the foot of the hearth remained. No one had lived in the house in a very long time. No one she knew ever had or would again.
She glanced to the stairs, tracing them to the top landing. It had been the thinnest of hopes.
***
2010
Water dripped from several points, pooling in the heart of Henry's old lab. Moonlight shown through the massive hole in the ceiling, brightening the entire sanctuary. From her perch on the main floor, she saw the entirety of her life's work laid bare and open for the world to see.
Breathing was almost as difficult as seeing this. She had heard, but seeing for herself had been so much more devastating. Six months had done nothing to dull the pain.
It had been a stupid plan. She was an utter fool to let things play out as they may. The timeline had already been altered, what more harm had she thought she could do? At the very least, she should have been here when it happened. It would have been better to die with her family than to...to linger on here, a distant specter in a world that had forgotten her.
Glancing to the ceiling, she numbered the stars with roll of an eye and a scoff. She had always been accused of a touch of the dramatic. With a sniff, she took in the scorched smell, then flinched. Phosphorus.
She smiled at the memory it evoked. Henry's little self-destruct bombs. He had been so proud and insistent that they place them, just in case. If they had been detonated, the destruction was a command decision as they couldn't be accidentally set off.
It fit. With everything she had been able to glean from the net and her sources, the other her had destroyed the sanctuary, taking the Cabal with her.
A tumbling of loose cement and brick pieces came from the behind her. Helen glanced over her shoulder back up the hallway she had come. That was one of her trip alarms! Someone was coming. With but a second to think, she decided to press against the wall and see who it was.
Their footsteps were overly loud, an obvious hesitation in their gait. The trap had been triggered by someone especially clumsy, it seemed.
"And I'm telling you, it's a new street resident. That wasn't a natural collapse, and those sticks were definitely put there to catch someone. I just happened to be the pathetic pup they caught."
Helen closed her eyes, enjoying the smile that crept up. She would recognize that pained, growling whine anywhere.
"Oh, please, Henry."
An ache in her chest struck Helen breathless. It couldn't be, she was imagining things. A century's grief and loss had finally taken their toll, leaving only madness. That was the only explanation she was hearing her speak.
"Even if there was someone here, you're klutzy antics has no doubt scared them away." Brash, arrogant, completely uncivilized, that voice could only belong to one person. "Still...Come out, come out, wherever you are. We won't hurt you. Well, I won't. I can't make any promises for the fur face. He likes boners."
Henry's mock gasp bordered on hysterical. He was no doubt trying not to laugh. "Hey! That's a slur! I'm shocked, I didn't know you could be such a racist."
"Relax, I said boners. Big difference." As she spoke, they entered the corridor Helen was hiding in, flashlights swinging haphazardly about.
Unable to hide her relieved smile, Helen stepped out of the shadows and into their search lights. "Children, what have I told you about fighting?" Both flashlights instantly focused on her face. Helen found herself blinded and had to raise a hand to protect her vision. "You mind getting those damn things out of my eyes?"
"Mom?"
The crack in her daughter's voice gave Helen pause. Taking a shuddering breath, she nodded. "Ashley, I..." The next moment, she was interrupted by the sudden weight of her daughter against her. Finding herself wrapped up in two rib-cracking embraces, Helen let herself close her eyes and believe this might be real. It had cost so much, but, maybe, she might be home.
THE END.
Author: Lopaka Tanu
Disclaimer: I do not own Sanctuary.
Characters: Helen, Nikola, Adam, Henry, Ashley.
Words: 1200
Fandom: Sanctuary
Pairing: N/A
Rating: General
Warnings: Language, Angst.
Summary: Had Helen been too slow, and failed to stop Adam in 1898, what might it have cost her and history?
______________________________________________________
1902
They were speaking, but the words were hard to make out through the thick walls of the steamer trunk. Funny, she used to love these cases and was utterly dismayed when they fell out of fashion.
"Are you Mr. Zimmerman?"
She froze. Dear, god, no. Please, not this.
"Why, yes, how may I be of service?
"Sorry for this, chap, it's nothing personal."
Helen flinched at each of the half-dozen explosions that filled the post master's office. Her eyes burning, she fought against the tears that threatened to blur her vision. There was nothing she could do to stop what had already happened, but if she were to survive this, she needed her senses and wits about her. Needing something to do, she kept at worrying the rope at her wrists.
Adam had learned not to use shackles after their last tussle. It couldn't have been labeled a fight, that bloody stunner gave him the advantage every time.
"That was easier than I thought. Yet, it was no less satisfying."
Something soft and heavy hit the floor, thumping hard enough to cause an echo under the wooden slats.
Grunting in surprise, Helen's resolve shattered. Scalding tears ran down her cheeks, stinging at the chilled flesh. Lowering her head, she rest it on her knees.
"Ah, here you are. I thought I smelled a roach with a distinctive cockney accent. You know, the stench really is quite overpowering, even from a mile away. It's probably made worse by the fact people started bathing again, I don't know if you've heard about that."
Her eyes shot open. That voice. It couldn't be!
"What are you..." Adam trailed off with a wet grunt. This was quickly followed by another body hitting the floor.
"Sorry, I didn't catch that." Pausing, Nikola made a noise of amused questioning that was loud even through the wood. He was really very good at that. "What's the matter, you don't have the heart to finish your question? More's the pity. Oh well. Now, let's see what you have in here, as if my above-excellent sense of smell couldn't tell me it's a Helen shaped surprise."
Light, sudden and blinding, filled the steamer trunk. Flinching from the dazzling display, Helen tried to bring her hands up to cover her face. She only managed a few inches before her bindings halted the action.
"Oh, my. Well, if this isn't the best birthday present ever. You do know how I like my surprises."
Teeth biting into her cloth gag, Helen blinked to clear her vision. It was completely unnecessary as she could glare at him by judging from voice location alone.
***
1985
There was nothing here. Tracks, skin flakes, blood trails from prey, all the previous signs she had used to track it the first time were missing. Then again, she shouldn't be surprised.
Drawing the leather jacket tight 'round her waist, Helen tugged her hat down. Taking in the empty living room one last time proved to be of no more help than the first time. Only the cobwebs and a rolled rug at the foot of the hearth remained. No one had lived in the house in a very long time. No one she knew ever had or would again.
She glanced to the stairs, tracing them to the top landing. It had been the thinnest of hopes.
***
2010
Water dripped from several points, pooling in the heart of Henry's old lab. Moonlight shown through the massive hole in the ceiling, brightening the entire sanctuary. From her perch on the main floor, she saw the entirety of her life's work laid bare and open for the world to see.
Breathing was almost as difficult as seeing this. She had heard, but seeing for herself had been so much more devastating. Six months had done nothing to dull the pain.
It had been a stupid plan. She was an utter fool to let things play out as they may. The timeline had already been altered, what more harm had she thought she could do? At the very least, she should have been here when it happened. It would have been better to die with her family than to...to linger on here, a distant specter in a world that had forgotten her.
Glancing to the ceiling, she numbered the stars with roll of an eye and a scoff. She had always been accused of a touch of the dramatic. With a sniff, she took in the scorched smell, then flinched. Phosphorus.
She smiled at the memory it evoked. Henry's little self-destruct bombs. He had been so proud and insistent that they place them, just in case. If they had been detonated, the destruction was a command decision as they couldn't be accidentally set off.
It fit. With everything she had been able to glean from the net and her sources, the other her had destroyed the sanctuary, taking the Cabal with her.
A tumbling of loose cement and brick pieces came from the behind her. Helen glanced over her shoulder back up the hallway she had come. That was one of her trip alarms! Someone was coming. With but a second to think, she decided to press against the wall and see who it was.
Their footsteps were overly loud, an obvious hesitation in their gait. The trap had been triggered by someone especially clumsy, it seemed.
"And I'm telling you, it's a new street resident. That wasn't a natural collapse, and those sticks were definitely put there to catch someone. I just happened to be the pathetic pup they caught."
Helen closed her eyes, enjoying the smile that crept up. She would recognize that pained, growling whine anywhere.
"Oh, please, Henry."
An ache in her chest struck Helen breathless. It couldn't be, she was imagining things. A century's grief and loss had finally taken their toll, leaving only madness. That was the only explanation she was hearing her speak.
"Even if there was someone here, you're klutzy antics has no doubt scared them away." Brash, arrogant, completely uncivilized, that voice could only belong to one person. "Still...Come out, come out, wherever you are. We won't hurt you. Well, I won't. I can't make any promises for the fur face. He likes boners."
Henry's mock gasp bordered on hysterical. He was no doubt trying not to laugh. "Hey! That's a slur! I'm shocked, I didn't know you could be such a racist."
"Relax, I said boners. Big difference." As she spoke, they entered the corridor Helen was hiding in, flashlights swinging haphazardly about.
Unable to hide her relieved smile, Helen stepped out of the shadows and into their search lights. "Children, what have I told you about fighting?" Both flashlights instantly focused on her face. Helen found herself blinded and had to raise a hand to protect her vision. "You mind getting those damn things out of my eyes?"
"Mom?"
The crack in her daughter's voice gave Helen pause. Taking a shuddering breath, she nodded. "Ashley, I..." The next moment, she was interrupted by the sudden weight of her daughter against her. Finding herself wrapped up in two rib-cracking embraces, Helen let herself close her eyes and believe this might be real. It had cost so much, but, maybe, she might be home.
THE END.