Sanctuary FanFic - Your Future is My Past (1,000 words)
Title: Your Future is My Past
Author: sentient_mist
Pairing: Helen/Will
Category: AU
Rating: PG-13
Warnings/Spoilers: None
Summary: She's been lying to him.
Author’s Note: Written for the sfaflashfic challenge "challenges." This was inspired by a combination of sheikah and ceilidh, specifically her fic. For the purposes of this story, Ashley is male.
Disclaimer: Sadly, I still don't own them.
She nearly jumps when he breaks the silence, his eyes narrowed in her direction.
“John’s not his father, is he?”
She’s careful to keep her tone neutral, not wanting this to go any further, not wanting him to know the truth. “I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Still, she answers too quickly, the slight tensing of her posture giving her away. It’s all he needs to confirm his suspicions.
“I think you do,” he continues, undaunted by her carefully masked defensiveness. “At first, it made sense. You were engaged, happy, and then he became a serial killer and everything just…fell apart.”
His voice has gone quiet, filled with growing confidence as he leans forward in his chair, fingers pressing into her desk.
***
His fingers dig into her ribs. He’s subtly commanding, impossibly gentle, and she’s not above begging. She wants what he can give her.
“Will, please,” she gasps.
Warm lips brush her forehead. “I can’t.”
This is as far as they ever go, as far as he’ll allow.
He dips his head, planting a kiss between her breasts, and her fingers tangle in his hair, toying with the strands. “I’m no longer promised to another man, Doctor Zimmerman,” she murmurs.
Pressing his cheek to her chest, he lets his fingertips trail along her ribcage, the feather-light touch making her ache for a deeper connection.
“Please, Will.” Her voice is quiet, pleading.
When he finds her eyes, they’re glistening, tears threatening to fall.
“This isn’t supposed to happen,” he whispers guiltily.
Closing her eyes in bitter disappointment, she pushes his head back down. He will still be there when she falls asleep, but she knows, by morning, he’ll be gone again.
***
Despite her growing agitation, he pushes on.
“But when I looked closer, the pieces didn’t quite fit like they should, and I realized you must have lied to me. I couldn’t figure out why you would do that.” Falling back in his chair, he adopts a relaxed posture, a thoughtful expression flitting across his features. “But I think I get it now.”
“Really?” she finally manages, forcing herself back to the present.
“Mm.” Clasping his hands in front of him, he drops his gaze to his lap. “Because Ashley isn’t John’s.”
***
“Will, please, talk to me.”
When he looks up at her, his eyes are haunted, clouded with fear. “This, this was never meant to happen. This could change…everything. I never should have, God, I’m so sorry.”
Smiling softly, she steps closer, hand finding his cheek. “Do not apologize. This is as much my doing as yours. If you truly believe it is for the better, no one will ever have to know. James will help us.”
He shakes his head in confusion, “Helen, how are they not going to know? This can’t happen. This isn’t supposed to happen!”
She flinches, pulling her hand away, but he catches it. “I’m sorry. I just, I don’t know what to do.”
“I fell in love with you, Will. Why do you believe I should regret it?”
Bending, she kisses him tenderly. “I’ll tell them it’s John’s. No one will have reason to question it.”
“Helen, this is wrong.”
Smiling, she shakes her head, disagreeing. “No, Will. I have no desire to change the course of events that brought you to me. I’ll take care of it.”
***
He seems to regain his courage, meeting her eye across the desk as he finishes slowly. “He’s mine.”
She laughs harshly. “Will, that’s absurd. You know as well as I do that simply isn’t possible.”
“Stop it! Okay. Just stop it.”
He softens his tone as shocked hurt flashes across her face.
“Stop lying to me,” he says softly, “Look at him. I study people. It’s what I do, Magnus!” Restless, he stands, pacing the office, gesturing wildly as he talks. “I’m not blind. My hair, your eyes. He’s our son. Yours and mine.” Running a hand through his hair, he sighs in frustration. “I can’t even begin to understand it, but I am not wrong about this.”
***
“I’m not ready to lose you.”
He brushes away a stray tear with his thumb as he kisses her gently. “You’ll find me again.”
His confident reply does little to ease her mind. “What if I can’t? What if too much has changed?”
“This isn’t forever, okay?”
She watches him walk away before murmuring to herself, “No, it’s so much longer.”
James moves to stand beside her, and she grasps his hand tightly. “I already miss him.”
***
Standing, she nods, swallowing her tears, forcing them down as she crosses to stand in front of him.
“You aren’t wrong, Will, but we can never speak of it. This ends here,” she confirms, voice quiet, firm.
“What? I find out I’m somehow, impossibly, the father of your son, a son who’s nearly as old as I am, and that’s it? You just bury it, and we all get on with our lives. Is that it?” he asks incredulously.
“Yes.” She’s still staring steadily into his eyes, and his resolve begins to weaken.
“How can you do that?” he asks quietly.
“I made you a promise, Will. I intend to keep it.”
“You made me a promise,” he repeats, “This is impossible.”
Even as the words leave his mouth, he knows they’re wrong. If the Sanctuary has taught him anything, it’s that the impossible is the everyday. He is still trying to wrap his head around the idea when she steps closer, caressing his cheek.
“It may be your future, Will, but it’s my past.” He sees something unreadable flicker in her eyes as she watches him. “I’d prefer to keep it intact.”
He manages a nod, his sole focus on the warmth of her hand and the depth of her gaze.
Leaning forward, she kisses him slowly. “We were good together,” she murmurs against his lips.
Before his stunned brain can process her words, what they must mean, she’s gone.
Author: sentient_mist
Pairing: Helen/Will
Category: AU
Rating: PG-13
Warnings/Spoilers: None
Summary: She's been lying to him.
Author’s Note: Written for the sfaflashfic challenge "challenges." This was inspired by a combination of sheikah and ceilidh, specifically her fic. For the purposes of this story, Ashley is male.
Disclaimer: Sadly, I still don't own them.
She nearly jumps when he breaks the silence, his eyes narrowed in her direction.
“John’s not his father, is he?”
She’s careful to keep her tone neutral, not wanting this to go any further, not wanting him to know the truth. “I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Still, she answers too quickly, the slight tensing of her posture giving her away. It’s all he needs to confirm his suspicions.
“I think you do,” he continues, undaunted by her carefully masked defensiveness. “At first, it made sense. You were engaged, happy, and then he became a serial killer and everything just…fell apart.”
His voice has gone quiet, filled with growing confidence as he leans forward in his chair, fingers pressing into her desk.
***
His fingers dig into her ribs. He’s subtly commanding, impossibly gentle, and she’s not above begging. She wants what he can give her.
“Will, please,” she gasps.
Warm lips brush her forehead. “I can’t.”
This is as far as they ever go, as far as he’ll allow.
He dips his head, planting a kiss between her breasts, and her fingers tangle in his hair, toying with the strands. “I’m no longer promised to another man, Doctor Zimmerman,” she murmurs.
Pressing his cheek to her chest, he lets his fingertips trail along her ribcage, the feather-light touch making her ache for a deeper connection.
“Please, Will.” Her voice is quiet, pleading.
When he finds her eyes, they’re glistening, tears threatening to fall.
“This isn’t supposed to happen,” he whispers guiltily.
Closing her eyes in bitter disappointment, she pushes his head back down. He will still be there when she falls asleep, but she knows, by morning, he’ll be gone again.
***
Despite her growing agitation, he pushes on.
“But when I looked closer, the pieces didn’t quite fit like they should, and I realized you must have lied to me. I couldn’t figure out why you would do that.” Falling back in his chair, he adopts a relaxed posture, a thoughtful expression flitting across his features. “But I think I get it now.”
“Really?” she finally manages, forcing herself back to the present.
“Mm.” Clasping his hands in front of him, he drops his gaze to his lap. “Because Ashley isn’t John’s.”
***
“Will, please, talk to me.”
When he looks up at her, his eyes are haunted, clouded with fear. “This, this was never meant to happen. This could change…everything. I never should have, God, I’m so sorry.”
Smiling softly, she steps closer, hand finding his cheek. “Do not apologize. This is as much my doing as yours. If you truly believe it is for the better, no one will ever have to know. James will help us.”
He shakes his head in confusion, “Helen, how are they not going to know? This can’t happen. This isn’t supposed to happen!”
She flinches, pulling her hand away, but he catches it. “I’m sorry. I just, I don’t know what to do.”
“I fell in love with you, Will. Why do you believe I should regret it?”
Bending, she kisses him tenderly. “I’ll tell them it’s John’s. No one will have reason to question it.”
“Helen, this is wrong.”
Smiling, she shakes her head, disagreeing. “No, Will. I have no desire to change the course of events that brought you to me. I’ll take care of it.”
***
He seems to regain his courage, meeting her eye across the desk as he finishes slowly. “He’s mine.”
She laughs harshly. “Will, that’s absurd. You know as well as I do that simply isn’t possible.”
“Stop it! Okay. Just stop it.”
He softens his tone as shocked hurt flashes across her face.
“Stop lying to me,” he says softly, “Look at him. I study people. It’s what I do, Magnus!” Restless, he stands, pacing the office, gesturing wildly as he talks. “I’m not blind. My hair, your eyes. He’s our son. Yours and mine.” Running a hand through his hair, he sighs in frustration. “I can’t even begin to understand it, but I am not wrong about this.”
***
“I’m not ready to lose you.”
He brushes away a stray tear with his thumb as he kisses her gently. “You’ll find me again.”
His confident reply does little to ease her mind. “What if I can’t? What if too much has changed?”
“This isn’t forever, okay?”
She watches him walk away before murmuring to herself, “No, it’s so much longer.”
James moves to stand beside her, and she grasps his hand tightly. “I already miss him.”
***
Standing, she nods, swallowing her tears, forcing them down as she crosses to stand in front of him.
“You aren’t wrong, Will, but we can never speak of it. This ends here,” she confirms, voice quiet, firm.
“What? I find out I’m somehow, impossibly, the father of your son, a son who’s nearly as old as I am, and that’s it? You just bury it, and we all get on with our lives. Is that it?” he asks incredulously.
“Yes.” She’s still staring steadily into his eyes, and his resolve begins to weaken.
“How can you do that?” he asks quietly.
“I made you a promise, Will. I intend to keep it.”
“You made me a promise,” he repeats, “This is impossible.”
Even as the words leave his mouth, he knows they’re wrong. If the Sanctuary has taught him anything, it’s that the impossible is the everyday. He is still trying to wrap his head around the idea when she steps closer, caressing his cheek.
“It may be your future, Will, but it’s my past.” He sees something unreadable flicker in her eyes as she watches him. “I’d prefer to keep it intact.”
He manages a nod, his sole focus on the warmth of her hand and the depth of her gaze.
Leaning forward, she kisses him slowly. “We were good together,” she murmurs against his lips.
Before his stunned brain can process her words, what they must mean, she’s gone.