The Facility - Sanctuary/WH13 Crossover - Pt 9 - Secrets and Truths, Blood and Bone
Title: The Facility Series Part 9 - Secrets and Truths, Blood and Bone
Archive: Just ask
Author: Fox - madfoxzz
Disclaimer: I don’t own them, I just like to fiddle with them. I don’t claim to speak through any official channels for either show, or the production company, and there is no profit being made. Dr. Sierra Mawer and the Facility are mine all mine! Get your own Nordic immortal and a place to keep her.
Pairings: Helen Magnus/OFC (Sierra Mawer) - Myka/HG Wells
Fandom: Warehouse 13 and Sanctuary crossover
Rating: MA
Spoilers: Takes place after Warehouse 13 S2 and Sanctuary S2
A/N: Thank you to Nadezehdast, stargate_sg1sg1 and others who suggested I try a crossover, this is fun! Also thank you Fitful_fire!
A/N2: *finds plot, picks it up and dusts it off holding it up triumphantly* Found it!
Previous chapter: Part 8 - Well Met
The next morning as Sierra walked down the hallway, raised voices met her ears. Turning into the lab she asked, “What are you two making so much noise over?”
Both H.G. and Helen looked up and said, “Nothing,” in a way that made Sierra suspicious. She glanced over at Myka who was reading in the corner, trying to hide a half smile behind her book.
“I assume it’s for the good of all human kind?”
“Absolutely,” H.G. said. The comment was true as far as Mawer could tell, but there was still a hint of duplicity in the statement and in both scientists. That was unusual for Helen, but standard operating procedure for H.G. who often fibbed just to avoid spending more time explaining her theories and inventions than working on them.
Sierra decided to drop it, “Just keep it down ok? I’d hate H.G. to get Tesla-ed again because of a twitchy guard.”
Helen and Myka both looked aghast at H.G. who shrugged, “All in a days work. At least they no longer carry guns.”
Sierra turned and left. After she was gone H.G. stopped Helen with a hand, “She can’t know the runestone that gave her those abilities is the power at the core of this device. She’ll know I stole it from the Warehouse.”
“Agreed,” Helen smiled at her friend, and they resumed their work.
#########
Later that day Sierra received a summons and went back to the lab. H.G and Myka looked up as Mawer walked into the lab. H.G. smiled and greeted her, “Sierra, glad you could come.”
“What’s up?” Sierra asked.
“What if I told you I’ve found a way for you to leave the facility?” H.G. replied.
“What like Magneto’s helmet? Pass, I’m not running around with a bucket on my head.”
H.G. looked at her strangely, clearly not understanding the reference, Myka stifled a giggle. H.G. continued, “No it’s small, it could be a charm on a necklace.”
“Do you understand the danger? What if I lost it? Or if it were stolen?” Sierra argued.
“You worry too much,” H.G. said, that mischievous smile tugging at her lips.
“You don’t worry enough. ” Sierra countered, still serious.
“So we put it somewhere you can’t lose,” H.G suggested, waving her hand.
“That won’t work, my body rejects anything foreign. It’ll grow right out of my skin.”
H.G. fingered a scalpel, “We could anchor it to a bone.”
The color drained from Mawer’s face and H.G. could see her jaw clench. In the year they had known each other H.G. had never seen her this upset, even after being mashed to a bloody pulp or witnessing other people die needlessly. Sierra would be annoyed or angry, but not like this, this was fury born of fear.
“H.G. you are not going to make me your guinea pig,” she said through clenched teeth. She tried to remind herself that she could trust H.G, that her friend wasn’t out to hurt her, but she couldn’t fully control her anger and fear.
H.G. watched her warily, “This will work the first time with few adjustments. There is no need to experiment on you.”
Sierra felt a soothing presence near her and a hand placed on her back - Helen.
Helen felt Sierra trembling and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Sierra took a deep breath and forced a smile. “Thank you for the sentiment, but I have to go - do - something.” She took Helen’s hand and squeezed it before backing out of the lab and retreating down the hall.
#########
Helen was waiting on her couch reading when Sierra came in to her rooms.
“Is that your blood?”
Sierra winced, “Ah no. Well it wasn’t, but it is now…” she joked lamely, then continued, “It’s not a big deal.”
Helen could see right through Sierra’s stoicism. She knew there was a bigger issue Sierra was going to try to avoid so she took it up head on, “Why did you react like that earlier?”
Sierra wouldn’t look at her, “I didn’t - let me just clean up.” She said and retreated down the hall.
She came back a few minutes later having showered, wearing blue patterned sleep pants and a black tank top. She collapsed limply onto the sofa facing Helen.
“Do you own any shirts that are not black?” Helen pulled at the material.
Sierra paused to think, “Um, two.” She said slowly.
“Will you answer my question?”
“First will you answer one of mine?” Sierra hedged.
Helen steeled herself, “Yes.”
“Ok.” Sierra thought for a moment, then continued, “In your work with abnormals, have you ever - ever,” Sierra gave her a hard look, “been tempted to experiment on them? To hurt them to find out how much they could take or how far they could go?”
Helen felt an uncertainty and judging from the way Sierra sat back and looked away from her, Mawer sensed it. “I suppose that would depend on your definition of experimentation. I’ve never knowingly hurt a being simply to satisfy curiosity.”
Sierra crossed her arms and actually appeared to shrink a bit. “Oh no, there’s always the conviction that there’s a higher purpose,” she said softly.
Helen wanted to reach for her, to comfort her, but for the first time in Helen’s eyes, Sierra looked fragile. The blonde appeared as if she might shatter under the weight of a fingertip so Helen simply continued, “I try to help all who come to me. That’s in my nature. If a being is sentient and asks me to try a number of different treatments to alleviate pain or help them control a power then yes, by that definition I experiment. But I consider myself a healer first, and a researcher second. I would never knowingly harm an individual who wasn’t out to harm me. I’ve had my own experiences with the kinds of people I think you are referring to, and believe me when I tell you, I am nothing like them.”
Helen’s face had gone hard and her eyes were cold and distant. Sierra watched her and sorted through the mix of feelings. She was relieved to find that everything Helen had said she believed. She was sorry that she had brought up something painful for Magnus, but she had had to know. “I’m sorry.” Sierra said, “I don’t doubt you, I just - I have dealt with those kinds of people too. Rationalized under a ‘helping’ façade they will do some terrible things.”
Helen met Sierra’s eyes again and softened, “They experimented on you?”
Sierra nodded, “For six years, after the facility was moved here. I would have been perfectly happy never knowing my full capacity, but they were not. I can’t die Helen, I know because I tried and they tried. They tortured me, starved me and deprived me of water, air, and movement. I also know I’ll never have another child because of them.” Sierra’s jaw clenched and worked for a moment before she went on, “I can suffer though. Thankfully they reached the limit of their funding before they reached that limit.”
Helen felt her stomach drop. “Here? When was this?” Thus far the facility had seemed to her generally more set on rehabilitation than imprisonment, or torture.
“Nineteen o four through nineteen ten,” Sierra answered looking down.
“Eugenics,” Helen bared her teeth at a memory of that time. “Looking for the perfect human genetic stock.”
“Mengele and Hitler’s ideas didn’t appear out of nowhere.” Sierra said.
Helen looked hard at her blonde haired, gray-eyed companion, “Surely you don’t hold yourself accountable for their doings?”
“No,” Sierra said looking at the floor, “but I can’t categorically say the world is a better place for my being in it either.”
“Piffle,” Helen announced loudly, making Sierra start and look up “You make this place better for all within its walls each day. I see it and I’ve barely begun to scratch the surface here.” Helen paused to gather her argument, and then continued, “You know H.G. isn’t trying to hurt you or experiment on you. I helped her with that project. There may need to be some adjustments made, but it will work.”
“I believe you. I can’t help how I feel though Helen. Six years - a long time ago yes, but it broke me for a lot longer. When the experiments stopped I did my job, but I became as self-destructive as a person who can’t die can be. I made poor decisions and people around me were hurt and nearly killed. The Regents never knew what happened in those cases, but I did.” She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Helen studied Sierra, her eyes tracing the tan line over her shoulder from a sundress worn so long ago. Her body had not changed, but she had been through so much.
“As much as I want to see you breath free,” Helen said, “I would never ask you to do anything you didn’t want to do. If you feel like you are comfortable under your own grow lights like your plants, then that is your decision. But make it a conscious decision, not one based on reflexive fear.” She reached out and touched Sierra’s knee. Sierra watched Helen’s hand gently squeeze and then slip down to her foot. Helen’s hand was warm, full of life. Helen’s hand had touched a skyscraper, driven a car, and had swum in the ocean, all things Sierra had never done. She unclasped her hands and rested one loosely on Helen’s wrist, caressing the skin with her thumb.
“I’ll think about it.” Sierra said finally.
############
“Are you two getting anything done or are you just making out?”
Myka looked up and H.G. twisted her chin over her shoulder to see them come in the doorway. Myka had H.G. pinned against the lab table her hands halfway under Wells’ shirt.
Myka looked embarrassed and began to pull away but H.G. stopped her and replied, “Just ‘making out’ as you say.” She then tugged Myka close before she could move and stole one more kiss. Myka’s cheeks reddened further, probably from her and Helen watching Sierra guessed, but neither woman looked away. Sierra also noted that while it was easy to block out Myka’s emotional response, blocking H.G.’s was getting a bit harder than it used to be. H.G. released Myka’s lips, but entwined her fingers with Myka’s, then turned. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” She asked conversationally.
“I want to try,” Sierra said to the floor, “I want to see if this thing works.”
“It should probably be somewhere closer to your head, perhaps your collar bone?” H.G. said carefully. “And we will have to use acid to keep the flesh open long enough for me to work.”
Helen kept her eyes on Sierra. The taller woman was taking long measured breaths to calm herself, despite which a tremor would periodically ripple through her body. She placed her palm on Sierra’s cheek and kissed her gently. Sierra immediately relaxed a little.
“When can we do this?” Sierra asked still looking at Helen.
“Immediately if you wish. Since we don’t have to bother with anesthetic or sterilization we can do it right here.” H.G. said
“Ok.” Sierra agreed. She took a deep breath and walked over to the chair H.G. had indicated. As she pulled off her shirt and bra, Myka looked a little embarrassed again. Sierra looked at her, “Sorry, I’ve gotten used to the fact that the vast majority of people around here have seen me in some state of undress or another. Until someone invents self repairing clothing to go along with my self repairing body, that’s the way my life is.”
Myka winced as H.G. took up the scalpel and cut a hole in the skin of Sierra’s shoulder and chest seemingly large enough to drive a truck through. Then she watched as H.G. picked up a glass pipette and used it to drip acid around the perimeter of the wound.
“Ouch,” Sierra grumped and looked at the ceiling blinking rapidly.
“Seriously?” H.G. questioned, focusing on her work. As the acid ate away at the healing skin H.G. went to work. Taking a small polished metal instrument, wider on both ends than it was in the middle, she deftly wired it down behind Sierra’s collarbone. Soldering the end of the wire to the rest of the loops she finished by taking a pipette out of another bottle and dripping the wound with a fluid neutralizing the acid.
“Done,” H.G stepped away wiping the blood off her hands onto a rag. Sierra didn’t move, continuing to simply blink upward until her flesh finished healing. Myka looked at H.G. wide eyed, tipping her head toward Sierra. Having been unaware of the extent of Mawer’s ability she was unnerved. H.G just smiled as she washed her hands then took Myka’s wrist and kissed it.
“I don’t feel any different,” Sierra said finally looking back at H.G.
“You wouldn’t would you? That was the general idea. To allow you to handle what you already can and block out the rest.”
Sierra swallowed and looked around the room, “So what now?”
H.G. looked at her with compassion and shook her head saying “We wait.”
Archive: Just ask
Author: Fox - madfoxzz
Disclaimer: I don’t own them, I just like to fiddle with them. I don’t claim to speak through any official channels for either show, or the production company, and there is no profit being made. Dr. Sierra Mawer and the Facility are mine all mine! Get your own Nordic immortal and a place to keep her.
Pairings: Helen Magnus/OFC (Sierra Mawer) - Myka/HG Wells
Fandom: Warehouse 13 and Sanctuary crossover
Rating: MA
Spoilers: Takes place after Warehouse 13 S2 and Sanctuary S2
A/N: Thank you to Nadezehdast, stargate_sg1sg1 and others who suggested I try a crossover, this is fun! Also thank you Fitful_fire!
A/N2: *finds plot, picks it up and dusts it off holding it up triumphantly* Found it!
Previous chapter: Part 8 - Well Met
The next morning as Sierra walked down the hallway, raised voices met her ears. Turning into the lab she asked, “What are you two making so much noise over?”
Both H.G. and Helen looked up and said, “Nothing,” in a way that made Sierra suspicious. She glanced over at Myka who was reading in the corner, trying to hide a half smile behind her book.
“I assume it’s for the good of all human kind?”
“Absolutely,” H.G. said. The comment was true as far as Mawer could tell, but there was still a hint of duplicity in the statement and in both scientists. That was unusual for Helen, but standard operating procedure for H.G. who often fibbed just to avoid spending more time explaining her theories and inventions than working on them.
Sierra decided to drop it, “Just keep it down ok? I’d hate H.G. to get Tesla-ed again because of a twitchy guard.”
Helen and Myka both looked aghast at H.G. who shrugged, “All in a days work. At least they no longer carry guns.”
Sierra turned and left. After she was gone H.G. stopped Helen with a hand, “She can’t know the runestone that gave her those abilities is the power at the core of this device. She’ll know I stole it from the Warehouse.”
“Agreed,” Helen smiled at her friend, and they resumed their work.
#########
Later that day Sierra received a summons and went back to the lab. H.G and Myka looked up as Mawer walked into the lab. H.G. smiled and greeted her, “Sierra, glad you could come.”
“What’s up?” Sierra asked.
“What if I told you I’ve found a way for you to leave the facility?” H.G. replied.
“What like Magneto’s helmet? Pass, I’m not running around with a bucket on my head.”
H.G. looked at her strangely, clearly not understanding the reference, Myka stifled a giggle. H.G. continued, “No it’s small, it could be a charm on a necklace.”
“Do you understand the danger? What if I lost it? Or if it were stolen?” Sierra argued.
“You worry too much,” H.G. said, that mischievous smile tugging at her lips.
“You don’t worry enough. ” Sierra countered, still serious.
“So we put it somewhere you can’t lose,” H.G suggested, waving her hand.
“That won’t work, my body rejects anything foreign. It’ll grow right out of my skin.”
H.G. fingered a scalpel, “We could anchor it to a bone.”
The color drained from Mawer’s face and H.G. could see her jaw clench. In the year they had known each other H.G. had never seen her this upset, even after being mashed to a bloody pulp or witnessing other people die needlessly. Sierra would be annoyed or angry, but not like this, this was fury born of fear.
“H.G. you are not going to make me your guinea pig,” she said through clenched teeth. She tried to remind herself that she could trust H.G, that her friend wasn’t out to hurt her, but she couldn’t fully control her anger and fear.
H.G. watched her warily, “This will work the first time with few adjustments. There is no need to experiment on you.”
Sierra felt a soothing presence near her and a hand placed on her back - Helen.
Helen felt Sierra trembling and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Sierra took a deep breath and forced a smile. “Thank you for the sentiment, but I have to go - do - something.” She took Helen’s hand and squeezed it before backing out of the lab and retreating down the hall.
#########
Helen was waiting on her couch reading when Sierra came in to her rooms.
“Is that your blood?”
Sierra winced, “Ah no. Well it wasn’t, but it is now…” she joked lamely, then continued, “It’s not a big deal.”
Helen could see right through Sierra’s stoicism. She knew there was a bigger issue Sierra was going to try to avoid so she took it up head on, “Why did you react like that earlier?”
Sierra wouldn’t look at her, “I didn’t - let me just clean up.” She said and retreated down the hall.
She came back a few minutes later having showered, wearing blue patterned sleep pants and a black tank top. She collapsed limply onto the sofa facing Helen.
“Do you own any shirts that are not black?” Helen pulled at the material.
Sierra paused to think, “Um, two.” She said slowly.
“Will you answer my question?”
“First will you answer one of mine?” Sierra hedged.
Helen steeled herself, “Yes.”
“Ok.” Sierra thought for a moment, then continued, “In your work with abnormals, have you ever - ever,” Sierra gave her a hard look, “been tempted to experiment on them? To hurt them to find out how much they could take or how far they could go?”
Helen felt an uncertainty and judging from the way Sierra sat back and looked away from her, Mawer sensed it. “I suppose that would depend on your definition of experimentation. I’ve never knowingly hurt a being simply to satisfy curiosity.”
Sierra crossed her arms and actually appeared to shrink a bit. “Oh no, there’s always the conviction that there’s a higher purpose,” she said softly.
Helen wanted to reach for her, to comfort her, but for the first time in Helen’s eyes, Sierra looked fragile. The blonde appeared as if she might shatter under the weight of a fingertip so Helen simply continued, “I try to help all who come to me. That’s in my nature. If a being is sentient and asks me to try a number of different treatments to alleviate pain or help them control a power then yes, by that definition I experiment. But I consider myself a healer first, and a researcher second. I would never knowingly harm an individual who wasn’t out to harm me. I’ve had my own experiences with the kinds of people I think you are referring to, and believe me when I tell you, I am nothing like them.”
Helen’s face had gone hard and her eyes were cold and distant. Sierra watched her and sorted through the mix of feelings. She was relieved to find that everything Helen had said she believed. She was sorry that she had brought up something painful for Magnus, but she had had to know. “I’m sorry.” Sierra said, “I don’t doubt you, I just - I have dealt with those kinds of people too. Rationalized under a ‘helping’ façade they will do some terrible things.”
Helen met Sierra’s eyes again and softened, “They experimented on you?”
Sierra nodded, “For six years, after the facility was moved here. I would have been perfectly happy never knowing my full capacity, but they were not. I can’t die Helen, I know because I tried and they tried. They tortured me, starved me and deprived me of water, air, and movement. I also know I’ll never have another child because of them.” Sierra’s jaw clenched and worked for a moment before she went on, “I can suffer though. Thankfully they reached the limit of their funding before they reached that limit.”
Helen felt her stomach drop. “Here? When was this?” Thus far the facility had seemed to her generally more set on rehabilitation than imprisonment, or torture.
“Nineteen o four through nineteen ten,” Sierra answered looking down.
“Eugenics,” Helen bared her teeth at a memory of that time. “Looking for the perfect human genetic stock.”
“Mengele and Hitler’s ideas didn’t appear out of nowhere.” Sierra said.
Helen looked hard at her blonde haired, gray-eyed companion, “Surely you don’t hold yourself accountable for their doings?”
“No,” Sierra said looking at the floor, “but I can’t categorically say the world is a better place for my being in it either.”
“Piffle,” Helen announced loudly, making Sierra start and look up “You make this place better for all within its walls each day. I see it and I’ve barely begun to scratch the surface here.” Helen paused to gather her argument, and then continued, “You know H.G. isn’t trying to hurt you or experiment on you. I helped her with that project. There may need to be some adjustments made, but it will work.”
“I believe you. I can’t help how I feel though Helen. Six years - a long time ago yes, but it broke me for a lot longer. When the experiments stopped I did my job, but I became as self-destructive as a person who can’t die can be. I made poor decisions and people around me were hurt and nearly killed. The Regents never knew what happened in those cases, but I did.” She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Helen studied Sierra, her eyes tracing the tan line over her shoulder from a sundress worn so long ago. Her body had not changed, but she had been through so much.
“As much as I want to see you breath free,” Helen said, “I would never ask you to do anything you didn’t want to do. If you feel like you are comfortable under your own grow lights like your plants, then that is your decision. But make it a conscious decision, not one based on reflexive fear.” She reached out and touched Sierra’s knee. Sierra watched Helen’s hand gently squeeze and then slip down to her foot. Helen’s hand was warm, full of life. Helen’s hand had touched a skyscraper, driven a car, and had swum in the ocean, all things Sierra had never done. She unclasped her hands and rested one loosely on Helen’s wrist, caressing the skin with her thumb.
“I’ll think about it.” Sierra said finally.
############
“Are you two getting anything done or are you just making out?”
Myka looked up and H.G. twisted her chin over her shoulder to see them come in the doorway. Myka had H.G. pinned against the lab table her hands halfway under Wells’ shirt.
Myka looked embarrassed and began to pull away but H.G. stopped her and replied, “Just ‘making out’ as you say.” She then tugged Myka close before she could move and stole one more kiss. Myka’s cheeks reddened further, probably from her and Helen watching Sierra guessed, but neither woman looked away. Sierra also noted that while it was easy to block out Myka’s emotional response, blocking H.G.’s was getting a bit harder than it used to be. H.G. released Myka’s lips, but entwined her fingers with Myka’s, then turned. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” She asked conversationally.
“I want to try,” Sierra said to the floor, “I want to see if this thing works.”
“It should probably be somewhere closer to your head, perhaps your collar bone?” H.G. said carefully. “And we will have to use acid to keep the flesh open long enough for me to work.”
Helen kept her eyes on Sierra. The taller woman was taking long measured breaths to calm herself, despite which a tremor would periodically ripple through her body. She placed her palm on Sierra’s cheek and kissed her gently. Sierra immediately relaxed a little.
“When can we do this?” Sierra asked still looking at Helen.
“Immediately if you wish. Since we don’t have to bother with anesthetic or sterilization we can do it right here.” H.G. said
“Ok.” Sierra agreed. She took a deep breath and walked over to the chair H.G. had indicated. As she pulled off her shirt and bra, Myka looked a little embarrassed again. Sierra looked at her, “Sorry, I’ve gotten used to the fact that the vast majority of people around here have seen me in some state of undress or another. Until someone invents self repairing clothing to go along with my self repairing body, that’s the way my life is.”
Myka winced as H.G. took up the scalpel and cut a hole in the skin of Sierra’s shoulder and chest seemingly large enough to drive a truck through. Then she watched as H.G. picked up a glass pipette and used it to drip acid around the perimeter of the wound.
“Ouch,” Sierra grumped and looked at the ceiling blinking rapidly.
“Seriously?” H.G. questioned, focusing on her work. As the acid ate away at the healing skin H.G. went to work. Taking a small polished metal instrument, wider on both ends than it was in the middle, she deftly wired it down behind Sierra’s collarbone. Soldering the end of the wire to the rest of the loops she finished by taking a pipette out of another bottle and dripping the wound with a fluid neutralizing the acid.
“Done,” H.G stepped away wiping the blood off her hands onto a rag. Sierra didn’t move, continuing to simply blink upward until her flesh finished healing. Myka looked at H.G. wide eyed, tipping her head toward Sierra. Having been unaware of the extent of Mawer’s ability she was unnerved. H.G just smiled as she washed her hands then took Myka’s wrist and kissed it.
“I don’t feel any different,” Sierra said finally looking back at H.G.
“You wouldn’t would you? That was the general idea. To allow you to handle what you already can and block out the rest.”
Sierra swallowed and looked around the room, “So what now?”
H.G. looked at her with compassion and shook her head saying “We wait.”