Ficlet: Reality
Title: Reality
Author: lanna_kitty
Rating: Pg-13; language
Pairing: Gen. Ashley and Henry friendship.
Type: Drama, Angst
Characters: Ashley Magnus, Henry Foss
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em
Summary: Scene from after The Five. Ashley makes the mistake of Googleing Jack the Ripper.
Notes: Thanks to stoicana for the swift feedback! Thanks also to kat_rowe for encouragement. Written for my prompt table.
Prompt: Reality
The insistent rapping woke Henry. He wiped at his eyes and stared into his dark room, disoriented. He wondered if he'd been dreaming when the knocking on his door sounded again. Looking at the clock as he stumbled out of bed, he wondered who was here at three am. Henry was surprised to find Ashley on the other side. She looked very small wrapped in her huge down comforter. Her eyes were wild and red-rimmed. Henry sucked in a breath. As long as he'd known Ashley, she'd never looked so terrified.
He held open the door to let her in. "What happened?" He immediately wondered if something was wrong with Magnus. That was about the only thing that he could think of that would make Ashley so afraid.
Ashley made a small noise and pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders as she entered. "Is the EM shield up?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Can you double check?" she asked, huddling into the blanket.
He watched her eyes quickly scan the dark corners of his room and nodded. She did that on missions, not while she was home. Silently, Henry woke his computer up. He blinked a few times in the bright light of the monitor as he brought up the program monitoring the EM shield. "It's still up and at one hundred percent," he reassured her as he pointed it out on the monitoring system.
She sat on the bed, sagging. "Never take it down, okay?"
"Ash? You okay?" He sat beside her.
Shaking her head, she leaned into his side. "I did something stupid." The blanket was pulled up a little higher.
"It can't be that bad. What happened?"
She was shaking as she answered. "I googled Druitt."
"Okay," he still wasn't sure what she was getting at, but whatever she'd read, it was affecting her in a way few things ever had. The hand holding the comforter clenched and unclenched, and she was searching the corners again. He reached over and was surprised when she flinched. "Hey, I'm here." Henry put an arm around her, comforter and all, and pulled her into a hug.
Ashley stared straight ahead. "There were pictures. On Wikipedia."
Her shaking voice broke his heart and it took a second for him to really get what she was saying. "Pictures?" Henry asked.
She nodded, eyes fixed on the wall. "Crime scene photos. They're black and white. It's hard to see what's going on 'cause they're old and gritty." Henry watched her mouth work for a moment as she tried to figure out what to say. "The pictures don't make sense at first." She wiped at her eyes with the heel of her hand.
The blanket had fallen a little so Henry pulled it back up and squeezed her shoulder. Ashley didn't scare easily. The fact that she was shaking and actually crying, which he hadn't seen her do since she was a preschooler, terrified him. Helpless, he didn't know what to do other than just let her talk.
Ashley took a shuddering breath. "And then the picture just...It resolved into something I could understand." She looked at him with watery eyes. "How could anyone do that to another person?"
Henry shook his head. He didn't know what to say or think. He'd never googled Jack the Ripper so he didn't know what she was talking about exactly, but he'd seen crime scene photos. He knew about that horror; when the colors and shapes in the picture suddenly became parts of a person. Unsure what else to do, he pulled her into a hug.
"I don't know, Ash. I don't know."
"I think I know why Mom didn't want me to know." She laughed once. It was a bad sound on the hysterical side and Henry held her tighter. "Why she refused to watch with us when we rented that Johnny Depp movie. It's real. People make it into movies and TV but it's real." She paused then added, "And it's inside me."
"Now, see, that's bullshit," Henry said, gripping her shoulder. "You're not a psycho."
She shuddered under his grip. "How do you know I'm not? I like hunting for Mom," she admitted in a small voice. "He said things. About me. I know he was taunting me, and I shouldn't have listened, but they were true."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Henry wondered what Druitt had said to her. Baldy had hurt some of the most important people in his life and he wanted to strike out at him. The wolf growled in the back of his head.
"No." She wiped her face on the edge of the comforter. "I don't know what to do."
"He was taunting you, Ash. Trying to get your goat," Henry reasoned. "Whatever he said, ignore him. He doesn't know you."
"But I think he does."
"Ash,"
"Promise me something?" She pushed away from him slightly so she could look him in the eyes. Hers were watery and red and her knuckles were white from gripping the blanket. Her jaw was set.
"I- Yeah. Anything." She was the best friend who'd always been there for him. She got him and he knew without a shred of doubt she'd do anything for him, too. "What?"
"If I get out of line, kill me."
"What?" Henry reared back in surprise.
"Promise me!" Ashley snapped back. "Will can't do it, Mom won't do it."
"And you think I will?" Henry grabbed her upper arm. He forced himself to calm down and shove the wolf away. "Ash what the hell did that bastard say to you?"
"I like the hunt," she told him, "I like the chase and the danger and the adrenaline rush." Her breath was heavy in the close space between them. "I like the violence, the thrill."
Henry felt his heart pound in his chest and blood sang in his ears. Part of him wanted that too, the primal wolf side he'd been pushing down for decades. He liked chasing hackers and spy programs and tracking people down for Magnus. He enjoyed the surge when he was successful, the feeling of power. Instinct told him he'd like the rush of an actual, physical hunt too.
Ashley's head tilted slightly to the side. "You get it." There was a note of something else. Maybe wonder, or recognition, or possibly both. Her eyes focused back on him, "You know I'm scary. You know people are terrified of me. If I slip, someone needs to take me down."
Henry gritted his teeth and winced . "Why me?" He looked up at her, feeling a glare creep into his eyes. "You're not the only one with a monster inside you."
"I know," she agreed and the simple acceptance of that left him feeling oddly relieved. Sometimes it was like Magnus didn't understand why he was afraid of his big, bad self.
"Ash, I can't-"
"Yes, Henry, you can. You're the only one I can trust with this."
There was no way he could do what she asked, he thought. She was Ashley. They'd stolen candy from the table at Halloween before they were supposed to and had snuck down to shake their gifts during the holidays. They watched bad zombie films together.
"Please."
Henry winced again at her voice. She sounded desperate, like she was going to fall and needed to be hauled off the edge of the cliff. He knew that feeling well enough. He let out a long breath.
"One condition," he said and it made him sick how she seemed to utterly relax now that he'd agreed to her insane plan. He knew she'd never need to be taken out, she was too damn strong to fall like that, but his inner wolf was another story.
"Okay," she said, nodding.
Henry looked her in the eyes and grabbed her other arm. "If I go big, bad wolf, you need to...return the favor ."
She blinked in surprise then frowned. "Henry."
"No, Ash. That's my condition. Do you get it?"
She nodded slowly. "Yeah."
It was probably wrong that part of him felt a little settled after getting her to agree to that. Not good, but settled because there was a net if the shit hit the fan. "Okay."
"I'm sorry I woke you up." She looked around, seeming to realize for the first time how early it was.
"It's cool. You okay?" he asked, tugging at the covers, trying for a smile.
Ashley shook her head. "Not really."
Henry's first instinct was to ask if she wanted to play some left4dead or Halo, but quickly caught himself before he could. Video game violence wasn't what she needed right now. "Want to watch bad monster movies?" he suggested.
Ashley looked at the clock. "It's almost four-thirty am," she said, sliding off the bed.
Henry grinned and followed her. "That's the best time to watch bad monster movies. Or we could watch some bad fantasy. Hey, how about that highlander movie with the guy that looks like Watson?" That earned him a small smile and finally he felt better. He pulled his comforter off the bed and wrapped it around his shoulders, matching her. "Let's go watch a movie."
Author: lanna_kitty
Rating: Pg-13; language
Pairing: Gen. Ashley and Henry friendship.
Type: Drama, Angst
Characters: Ashley Magnus, Henry Foss
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em
Summary: Scene from after The Five. Ashley makes the mistake of Googleing Jack the Ripper.
Notes: Thanks to stoicana for the swift feedback! Thanks also to kat_rowe for encouragement. Written for my prompt table.
Prompt: Reality
The insistent rapping woke Henry. He wiped at his eyes and stared into his dark room, disoriented. He wondered if he'd been dreaming when the knocking on his door sounded again. Looking at the clock as he stumbled out of bed, he wondered who was here at three am. Henry was surprised to find Ashley on the other side. She looked very small wrapped in her huge down comforter. Her eyes were wild and red-rimmed. Henry sucked in a breath. As long as he'd known Ashley, she'd never looked so terrified.
He held open the door to let her in. "What happened?" He immediately wondered if something was wrong with Magnus. That was about the only thing that he could think of that would make Ashley so afraid.
Ashley made a small noise and pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders as she entered. "Is the EM shield up?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Can you double check?" she asked, huddling into the blanket.
He watched her eyes quickly scan the dark corners of his room and nodded. She did that on missions, not while she was home. Silently, Henry woke his computer up. He blinked a few times in the bright light of the monitor as he brought up the program monitoring the EM shield. "It's still up and at one hundred percent," he reassured her as he pointed it out on the monitoring system.
She sat on the bed, sagging. "Never take it down, okay?"
"Ash? You okay?" He sat beside her.
Shaking her head, she leaned into his side. "I did something stupid." The blanket was pulled up a little higher.
"It can't be that bad. What happened?"
She was shaking as she answered. "I googled Druitt."
"Okay," he still wasn't sure what she was getting at, but whatever she'd read, it was affecting her in a way few things ever had. The hand holding the comforter clenched and unclenched, and she was searching the corners again. He reached over and was surprised when she flinched. "Hey, I'm here." Henry put an arm around her, comforter and all, and pulled her into a hug.
Ashley stared straight ahead. "There were pictures. On Wikipedia."
Her shaking voice broke his heart and it took a second for him to really get what she was saying. "Pictures?" Henry asked.
She nodded, eyes fixed on the wall. "Crime scene photos. They're black and white. It's hard to see what's going on 'cause they're old and gritty." Henry watched her mouth work for a moment as she tried to figure out what to say. "The pictures don't make sense at first." She wiped at her eyes with the heel of her hand.
The blanket had fallen a little so Henry pulled it back up and squeezed her shoulder. Ashley didn't scare easily. The fact that she was shaking and actually crying, which he hadn't seen her do since she was a preschooler, terrified him. Helpless, he didn't know what to do other than just let her talk.
Ashley took a shuddering breath. "And then the picture just...It resolved into something I could understand." She looked at him with watery eyes. "How could anyone do that to another person?"
Henry shook his head. He didn't know what to say or think. He'd never googled Jack the Ripper so he didn't know what she was talking about exactly, but he'd seen crime scene photos. He knew about that horror; when the colors and shapes in the picture suddenly became parts of a person. Unsure what else to do, he pulled her into a hug.
"I don't know, Ash. I don't know."
"I think I know why Mom didn't want me to know." She laughed once. It was a bad sound on the hysterical side and Henry held her tighter. "Why she refused to watch with us when we rented that Johnny Depp movie. It's real. People make it into movies and TV but it's real." She paused then added, "And it's inside me."
"Now, see, that's bullshit," Henry said, gripping her shoulder. "You're not a psycho."
She shuddered under his grip. "How do you know I'm not? I like hunting for Mom," she admitted in a small voice. "He said things. About me. I know he was taunting me, and I shouldn't have listened, but they were true."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Henry wondered what Druitt had said to her. Baldy had hurt some of the most important people in his life and he wanted to strike out at him. The wolf growled in the back of his head.
"No." She wiped her face on the edge of the comforter. "I don't know what to do."
"He was taunting you, Ash. Trying to get your goat," Henry reasoned. "Whatever he said, ignore him. He doesn't know you."
"But I think he does."
"Ash,"
"Promise me something?" She pushed away from him slightly so she could look him in the eyes. Hers were watery and red and her knuckles were white from gripping the blanket. Her jaw was set.
"I- Yeah. Anything." She was the best friend who'd always been there for him. She got him and he knew without a shred of doubt she'd do anything for him, too. "What?"
"If I get out of line, kill me."
"What?" Henry reared back in surprise.
"Promise me!" Ashley snapped back. "Will can't do it, Mom won't do it."
"And you think I will?" Henry grabbed her upper arm. He forced himself to calm down and shove the wolf away. "Ash what the hell did that bastard say to you?"
"I like the hunt," she told him, "I like the chase and the danger and the adrenaline rush." Her breath was heavy in the close space between them. "I like the violence, the thrill."
Henry felt his heart pound in his chest and blood sang in his ears. Part of him wanted that too, the primal wolf side he'd been pushing down for decades. He liked chasing hackers and spy programs and tracking people down for Magnus. He enjoyed the surge when he was successful, the feeling of power. Instinct told him he'd like the rush of an actual, physical hunt too.
Ashley's head tilted slightly to the side. "You get it." There was a note of something else. Maybe wonder, or recognition, or possibly both. Her eyes focused back on him, "You know I'm scary. You know people are terrified of me. If I slip, someone needs to take me down."
Henry gritted his teeth and winced . "Why me?" He looked up at her, feeling a glare creep into his eyes. "You're not the only one with a monster inside you."
"I know," she agreed and the simple acceptance of that left him feeling oddly relieved. Sometimes it was like Magnus didn't understand why he was afraid of his big, bad self.
"Ash, I can't-"
"Yes, Henry, you can. You're the only one I can trust with this."
There was no way he could do what she asked, he thought. She was Ashley. They'd stolen candy from the table at Halloween before they were supposed to and had snuck down to shake their gifts during the holidays. They watched bad zombie films together.
"Please."
Henry winced again at her voice. She sounded desperate, like she was going to fall and needed to be hauled off the edge of the cliff. He knew that feeling well enough. He let out a long breath.
"One condition," he said and it made him sick how she seemed to utterly relax now that he'd agreed to her insane plan. He knew she'd never need to be taken out, she was too damn strong to fall like that, but his inner wolf was another story.
"Okay," she said, nodding.
Henry looked her in the eyes and grabbed her other arm. "If I go big, bad wolf, you need to...return the favor ."
She blinked in surprise then frowned. "Henry."
"No, Ash. That's my condition. Do you get it?"
She nodded slowly. "Yeah."
It was probably wrong that part of him felt a little settled after getting her to agree to that. Not good, but settled because there was a net if the shit hit the fan. "Okay."
"I'm sorry I woke you up." She looked around, seeming to realize for the first time how early it was.
"It's cool. You okay?" he asked, tugging at the covers, trying for a smile.
Ashley shook her head. "Not really."
Henry's first instinct was to ask if she wanted to play some left4dead or Halo, but quickly caught himself before he could. Video game violence wasn't what she needed right now. "Want to watch bad monster movies?" he suggested.
Ashley looked at the clock. "It's almost four-thirty am," she said, sliding off the bed.
Henry grinned and followed her. "That's the best time to watch bad monster movies. Or we could watch some bad fantasy. Hey, how about that highlander movie with the guy that looks like Watson?" That earned him a small smile and finally he felt better. He pulled his comforter off the bed and wrapped it around his shoulders, matching her. "Let's go watch a movie."