FIC: "When Men Burnt Women," Helen Magnus/The Morrigan
Title: When Men Burnt Women
Author: geonncannon
Pairing: Helen/Tatha, Helen/Danu, Helen/Caird
Word Count: 1,432
Prompt: Witches (Abnormal)
Medium: fic
Rating: NC17
Spoilers: Fata Morgana, End of Nights, Eulogy, Kali
Disclaimer: They don't belong to me.
Warnings: The Morrigan are sisters, so while all three are sexual with Helen there's no funny business between the three of them. Dark AU ending.
Author's Notes: Written for my sanctuary_bingo card.
Summary: With the Cabal broken, Helen finds herself with three new emissaries declaring their allegiance to her.
The first one arrived in the night, after Helen had collapsed from exhaustion. She was on top of her blankets, mostly dressed except for her shoes and blouse. The tears had dried on her face, but her expression was distressed. She murmured a name in her sleep, her fingers curling in the bedclothes as she tried to save the one who had left her. Even in her dreams she couldn't change the outcome, so she saw the horrible end over again.
She was only vaguely aware of the warm body joining her in bed, the gentle arms wrapping around her from behind. It was comfort, and human connection, and she closed her hands around the other woman's to keep her from retreating. She felt a kiss on her neck, just below her ear, and she felt the tension and grief lesson ever so slightly, like a balm had been applied to her soul, and she drifted off into a dreamless and quiet sleep.
Helen woke to find Tatha in her bed, watching her sleep. Tatha kissed her lips and thanked her, and Helen returned the kiss as a thank you of her own. They made love before Helen questioned her presence, and Tatha explained what had brought her and her sisters back to the Sanctuary.
John Druitt and Nikola Tesla were on a rampage, cutting a swath through Europe unmatched by any other two men in history. They had no army, no soldier to do their bidding, but the destruction was devastating. The Cabal, an institution that had survived the Crusades and countless wars, fell at their hand. Tatha and her sisters had been imprisoned in a facility near Salthill, and they were freed when Druitt assassinated their keepers. They assured him that they would cope on their own, and he disappeared in a flash of pink vapor to his next target.
Helen was in the shower when the second one arrived. Caird stepped into the tub behind her and Helen turned, surprised but not offended by the intrusion. The young woman smoothed down Helen's hair and then drew her closer for a kiss. She bathed Helen's body and then lowered her to the tub to bring her to the second orgasm of the morning.
When she dressed, she found Danu - the final sister - waiting in her bedroom with Tatha. She was the one to finish explaining their presence. For centuries they had lived under the thumb of their Cabal handlers. They were used as weapons until they forgot their true purpose. Their arrival at the Sanctuary had opened their eyes and revealed their true potential. Helen had not only opened their eyes, she had kept them in line. She treated them fairly, but was unafraid to use force when necessary.
"We needed Morgan le Fay. Now we have her once more. We are yours to do with as you please."
Helen refused to be their mistress. She saw no reason for them to remain in anyone's control so long as they could govern themselves and their powers wisely. She promised they could remain at the Sanctuary until they found someplace else to call home, but she utterly refused to become their empress. The sisters agreed, and Helen began arrangements to find them rooms.
The Morrigan were there for a week before Danu found Helen in her office. Helen was unable to focus on her work, too busy staring at photographs and finding herself lost in the past. Danu thanked Helen for her hospitality and once again requested a permanent place at the Sanctuary. Before Helen could refuse, Danu expanded her explanation.
Powerful women had always been more feared than any man. A man could quietly gain power until he became unstoppable, whereas powerful women were labeled as witches as soon as they dared rise above their station. They were tied to stakes and burned, or surrounded and pelted with stones until they were dead. A powerful woman who enjoyed physical pleasure was called a slut and dismissed for her weakness. Women with power were bound and thrown into rivers while townspeople cheered. Men built armies without the alarm being raised, and the destruction they waged was unimaginable.
Women with power were still the most feared thing in the world, and men with power were still allowed free reign.
"My sisters and I require a Morgan le Fay. If you take that role upon yourself, we will become your army. We will defend you against those who would take your power simply because you are a woman."
Helen reluctantly agreed to Danu's proposition, if only on a trial basis. The purpose of the Sanctuary was to provide a home to those Abnormals who were unsafe anywhere else. The Morrigan were dangerous to have running free, and at the very least she could keep an eye on them. Danu was grateful and sealed their arrangement with a kiss.
The first year was rocky. The Morrigan insisted on providing Helen with security in dangerous situations. They wore identical black suits to help "blend in," and soon everyone at the Sanctuary knew to expect the triad of bodyguards to follow Helen wherever she went. Will came to Helen more than once to voice his concerns, but Helen couldn't help but see him as yet another man trying to exert his influence over her.
She had built the Sanctuary from the ground up. It was her project. She was more than a century his senior; what right did he have to tell her the best way to run things? She kicked him out of the office with admonishment to send all future queries through one of the Morrigan. She didn't have time to deal with his childish concerns.
By the time Wexford attempted a sloppy coup, Helen was prepared for him. She dispatched Caird and Tatha to New York. They returned days before Wexford's body was discovered in the catacombs of his Sanctuary.
Will found Helen on the parapet, dressed all in black. Her skin looked pale; she rarely left the Sanctuary except to oversee the dirty work she sent her charges to do. She turned to face him, her hair wild in the wind. She told him her news; he would be the new head of the New York Sanctuary. Will asked if he was being sent away, and Helen affected a dangerous smile. "Not at all. I simply require someone whose loyalty I can trust implicitly. Someone I know will never turn on me."
Will told her that it sounded like she was threatening him, and Helen simply turned back to look at the city. Her city. As he started to leave, Helen called him back almost as an afterthought. She told him to begin preparations to leave immediately, and to tell Henry he was going as well. Just to help ease the transition, she said. She and Kate could handle things while he was gone and, if he decided to just stay there, she would allow him to transfer permanently.
Helen breathed deep as Will left. A few minutes later, Tatha, Danu and Caird arrived and stood behind her on the roof. She reached back with one hand, and one of the girls took it in hers. She squeezed and smiled.
"My girls."
The Morrigan holding her hand bent down and kissed the knuckles. "Our liege," Tatha said.
With Will and Henry gone, the only male in her coterie was the Big Guy. He would stay silent, or he would be dealt with as she had dealt with the others. The mercenary, Kate, was also a brilliant addition to their group. She was bloodthirsty, skeptical of those in power, and she was easily manipulated to doing whatever Helen desired.
Declan Macrae had been in line to take over the UK Sanctuary when James passed away, but Helen passed over him for Clara Griffin. She was a legacy, after all. The daughter of Nigel Griffin had survived the attack on London, and Helen rewarded her with the position as soon as she was able. So far the arrangement had worked well.
Helen stepped down from the brick and stepped between Tatha and Caird. The women fell into step behind her as she returned to the Sanctuary.
Ashley's death had opened Helen's eyes; she would not stand idly by and allow anything else to be taken from her. Men would still burn powerful women if given enough incentive. Men would stone powerful women and take their strength for themselves.
Sometimes the only way to stop men like that was to burn them first.
Author: geonncannon
Pairing: Helen/Tatha, Helen/Danu, Helen/Caird
Word Count: 1,432
Prompt: Witches (Abnormal)
Medium: fic
Rating: NC17
Spoilers: Fata Morgana, End of Nights, Eulogy, Kali
Disclaimer: They don't belong to me.
Warnings: The Morrigan are sisters, so while all three are sexual with Helen there's no funny business between the three of them. Dark AU ending.
Author's Notes: Written for my sanctuary_bingo card.
Summary: With the Cabal broken, Helen finds herself with three new emissaries declaring their allegiance to her.
The first one arrived in the night, after Helen had collapsed from exhaustion. She was on top of her blankets, mostly dressed except for her shoes and blouse. The tears had dried on her face, but her expression was distressed. She murmured a name in her sleep, her fingers curling in the bedclothes as she tried to save the one who had left her. Even in her dreams she couldn't change the outcome, so she saw the horrible end over again.
She was only vaguely aware of the warm body joining her in bed, the gentle arms wrapping around her from behind. It was comfort, and human connection, and she closed her hands around the other woman's to keep her from retreating. She felt a kiss on her neck, just below her ear, and she felt the tension and grief lesson ever so slightly, like a balm had been applied to her soul, and she drifted off into a dreamless and quiet sleep.
Helen woke to find Tatha in her bed, watching her sleep. Tatha kissed her lips and thanked her, and Helen returned the kiss as a thank you of her own. They made love before Helen questioned her presence, and Tatha explained what had brought her and her sisters back to the Sanctuary.
John Druitt and Nikola Tesla were on a rampage, cutting a swath through Europe unmatched by any other two men in history. They had no army, no soldier to do their bidding, but the destruction was devastating. The Cabal, an institution that had survived the Crusades and countless wars, fell at their hand. Tatha and her sisters had been imprisoned in a facility near Salthill, and they were freed when Druitt assassinated their keepers. They assured him that they would cope on their own, and he disappeared in a flash of pink vapor to his next target.
Helen was in the shower when the second one arrived. Caird stepped into the tub behind her and Helen turned, surprised but not offended by the intrusion. The young woman smoothed down Helen's hair and then drew her closer for a kiss. She bathed Helen's body and then lowered her to the tub to bring her to the second orgasm of the morning.
When she dressed, she found Danu - the final sister - waiting in her bedroom with Tatha. She was the one to finish explaining their presence. For centuries they had lived under the thumb of their Cabal handlers. They were used as weapons until they forgot their true purpose. Their arrival at the Sanctuary had opened their eyes and revealed their true potential. Helen had not only opened their eyes, she had kept them in line. She treated them fairly, but was unafraid to use force when necessary.
"We needed Morgan le Fay. Now we have her once more. We are yours to do with as you please."
Helen refused to be their mistress. She saw no reason for them to remain in anyone's control so long as they could govern themselves and their powers wisely. She promised they could remain at the Sanctuary until they found someplace else to call home, but she utterly refused to become their empress. The sisters agreed, and Helen began arrangements to find them rooms.
The Morrigan were there for a week before Danu found Helen in her office. Helen was unable to focus on her work, too busy staring at photographs and finding herself lost in the past. Danu thanked Helen for her hospitality and once again requested a permanent place at the Sanctuary. Before Helen could refuse, Danu expanded her explanation.
Powerful women had always been more feared than any man. A man could quietly gain power until he became unstoppable, whereas powerful women were labeled as witches as soon as they dared rise above their station. They were tied to stakes and burned, or surrounded and pelted with stones until they were dead. A powerful woman who enjoyed physical pleasure was called a slut and dismissed for her weakness. Women with power were bound and thrown into rivers while townspeople cheered. Men built armies without the alarm being raised, and the destruction they waged was unimaginable.
Women with power were still the most feared thing in the world, and men with power were still allowed free reign.
"My sisters and I require a Morgan le Fay. If you take that role upon yourself, we will become your army. We will defend you against those who would take your power simply because you are a woman."
Helen reluctantly agreed to Danu's proposition, if only on a trial basis. The purpose of the Sanctuary was to provide a home to those Abnormals who were unsafe anywhere else. The Morrigan were dangerous to have running free, and at the very least she could keep an eye on them. Danu was grateful and sealed their arrangement with a kiss.
The first year was rocky. The Morrigan insisted on providing Helen with security in dangerous situations. They wore identical black suits to help "blend in," and soon everyone at the Sanctuary knew to expect the triad of bodyguards to follow Helen wherever she went. Will came to Helen more than once to voice his concerns, but Helen couldn't help but see him as yet another man trying to exert his influence over her.
She had built the Sanctuary from the ground up. It was her project. She was more than a century his senior; what right did he have to tell her the best way to run things? She kicked him out of the office with admonishment to send all future queries through one of the Morrigan. She didn't have time to deal with his childish concerns.
By the time Wexford attempted a sloppy coup, Helen was prepared for him. She dispatched Caird and Tatha to New York. They returned days before Wexford's body was discovered in the catacombs of his Sanctuary.
Will found Helen on the parapet, dressed all in black. Her skin looked pale; she rarely left the Sanctuary except to oversee the dirty work she sent her charges to do. She turned to face him, her hair wild in the wind. She told him her news; he would be the new head of the New York Sanctuary. Will asked if he was being sent away, and Helen affected a dangerous smile. "Not at all. I simply require someone whose loyalty I can trust implicitly. Someone I know will never turn on me."
Will told her that it sounded like she was threatening him, and Helen simply turned back to look at the city. Her city. As he started to leave, Helen called him back almost as an afterthought. She told him to begin preparations to leave immediately, and to tell Henry he was going as well. Just to help ease the transition, she said. She and Kate could handle things while he was gone and, if he decided to just stay there, she would allow him to transfer permanently.
Helen breathed deep as Will left. A few minutes later, Tatha, Danu and Caird arrived and stood behind her on the roof. She reached back with one hand, and one of the girls took it in hers. She squeezed and smiled.
"My girls."
The Morrigan holding her hand bent down and kissed the knuckles. "Our liege," Tatha said.
With Will and Henry gone, the only male in her coterie was the Big Guy. He would stay silent, or he would be dealt with as she had dealt with the others. The mercenary, Kate, was also a brilliant addition to their group. She was bloodthirsty, skeptical of those in power, and she was easily manipulated to doing whatever Helen desired.
Declan Macrae had been in line to take over the UK Sanctuary when James passed away, but Helen passed over him for Clara Griffin. She was a legacy, after all. The daughter of Nigel Griffin had survived the attack on London, and Helen rewarded her with the position as soon as she was able. So far the arrangement had worked well.
Helen stepped down from the brick and stepped between Tatha and Caird. The women fell into step behind her as she returned to the Sanctuary.
Ashley's death had opened Helen's eyes; she would not stand idly by and allow anything else to be taken from her. Men would still burn powerful women if given enough incentive. Men would stone powerful women and take their strength for themselves.
Sometimes the only way to stop men like that was to burn them first.