(FIC) Sanctuary_The Angel's Guardian 1/3
Title: The Angel's Guardian
Author: rubystandish
Rating: PG13
Characters/Pairing: Mainly Helen, Henry, and Nikola, with guest starring Will and Biggie. Also a OC of my own making.
Warnings: None
Spoilers: There's no real spoilers to any episode but it takes place somewhere between Season 2: Episode 2 and Season 2: Episode 10.
Word Count: Altogether 10,401
Author’s Notes: Thank you to viviantanner for proofing my story for me as well as doing some artwork for it. Also I would like to say that my Muse actually had more planned for this story but I didn't have time to write it all, so this is just the beginning of a series that I will be working on.
Disclaimer: I do not own Sanctuary in any way, shape, or form and am not getting paid for this story...unless you count the fun I had writing it.
Summary: Helen Magnus has many friends but who knew she had friends in a convent; a convent that's been home to a beautiful winged Abnormal, Glenda, who is now on the wish list of a black market dealer. Wishing to keep her safe, the nuns send her to live with Helen at the Sanctuary but will the walls of the Sanctuary be able to keep this 'angel' safe
Part One
Nikola signed staring at the other side of the van where he sat in the back. Helen sat in the front passenger seat reading over some files; Henry was in the driver seat, his eyes staying on the road. Nikola glance towards the front, when he found that no one was looking he sighed again, this time a little louder as he dropped his head back against the van's wall.
"Do you have to do that?" Henry asked.
Tesla grinned, at least he got someone's attention, although it wasn't really the person he was hoping for. "I don't know why I came along on this little mission of your anyway." He could see the young Abnormal shooting glances at him in the rearview mirror.
"You came because Doc asked you to, although I don't see why."
"Perhaps she couldn't be without my charming personality," Nikola answer giving a teeth fill smile.
"Oh please." Henry rolled his eyes as they pulled up to a stop light, "Where to from here Doc?"
Helen finally looked up from the files she’d been reading, after scanning the area she pointed ahead, "You want to turn left at the next light Henry." Lowering her head she went back to reading, "And I asked him to come because I think he might be able to help."
Nikola leaned forward between them, getting a low growl from the HAP as he took up some of Henry's arm space; taking no noticed he looked ahead to where Magnus had pointed. It was a tall brick building with different wings branching off of it, also made out of brick. The main building had a vine covering one hold wall going up and all but taking over the bell tower. It was an old building and Nikola didn't need to ask to know what it was. "Really Helen you’re taking me to a convent? I hardly believe that I'll be of any help here."
Helen smiled closing the folder with the files in, "On the contraire, I think you'll be of great help."
Nikola huffed in frustration dropping back into his seat, crossing his arms.
"Oh come on Nick, don't tell me there's truth behind the whole vampires and churches myth." Henry laughed pulling into the packing lot and taking a spot in the shade of the tower. "You're not going to burst into flames are you?"
"Now now Henry," Helen stated, the beginning of a smile pulling at her lips.
Nikola shook his head climbing out of the van, "I have no problems with the churches themselves young one; however, the inhabitants are another story." He shut the door to the back moving to open Helen's door and help her out. "They always seemed to have a sixth sense of what I am."
"Perhaps it's your charming personality," Helen said flashing him a smile.
He just smiled back at her as she walked away, it was her way to show that she was listening to him, even thoough it may not have seemed like it. Nikola looked over the church as Helen talked to Henry, wondering why she had asked him to come along on this mission. First because it wasn't like Helen to have him come on these trips to begin with and second because she knew of his love for churches. It wasn't like the myths of vampires and Holy places were true but after he was injected with the Source Blood and he got the bloodlust under control, they've always seem to make him uneasy.
This one was no exception, the whole lot of land was surrounded by a tall iron gate covered in vines and bushes. The main gate was open right now but Nikola was sure that it would probably be closed at night. The only way into the convent that he could see were through large double wooden doors leading into the main hall of the church, a brick wall shooting out from both sides to keep people out of the inner rooms and he guessed the courtyard was where he was seeing the trees over the top of the wall.
"Nikola?!" Nikola's thoughts were pulled back by Helen's voice, "Are you coming?"
He found that they would already half way to the main the door, sighing he rolled his eyes starting to follow. Getting to the doors Nikola took the steps two at a time, studying the doors, they were large and made from what looked like a dark cherry wood; they also seemed to be the newest thing on the church. Looking to the sides he noticed two lamps but instead of two light bulbs staring back at him, he found two oil lamps. "Don't they believe in modern living?" He asked.
"They've updated where they had to by law but the sisters of this church wish to keep as much of the history of this place that they can," Helen answer. Holding the folder with the files that she was reading in the van, Helen opened the door and started in only to turn back so fast that Henry and Nikola actually took a step back. "The Mother Superior is an old friend of mine, so I want you two to be on your best behavior."
"And you bought him?" Nikola and Henry said at the same time pointing to each other.
Helen just smiled turned to continue inside, followed by Henry and then Nikola. It was a Tuesday afternoon so at the moment there was no one in the church, making the only sound their footsteps echoing on the stone walls around them. Nikola had thought that the church was old from looking at the outside but there were no doubts once he got inside. It looked like one of those old medieval churches that he saw in the movies that they watched at the Sanctuary. There were only ten rows of wooden benches; each row had two benches making a total of twenty with a walkway down the middle. Up in the front there was four steps leading to an upper level and on that stood a stand but behind the stand is what caught Nikola's eyes. It was an old organ that took up the hold wall, the pipes were a mixer of newer ones and older ones that were starting to get rust on them. Looking up there were six wooden beams going across the width of the room, on three of them hung an old iron chandelier each one in the shape of a circle holding ten candles.
"Hum Helen," Nikola asked getting closer to her. "Just how old of a friend is she?"
Helen smile, "Be nice Nikola."
"Oh you know me Helen," he stated as she headed towards a small door located to the left of the organ right before the steps, with Henry stepping around him to follow her. He grinned, thinking of a comment about how the young HAP followed Helen around like a lost puppy but thought better than to say it out loud. Instead he turned to the other side of the hall where there sat two wooden boxes next to each other, looking like the photo booths that were in the malls now a days. He moved to them for a closer look, Nikola guessed that they were the confession booths and open the one of the left to look inside; the walls that touched each other had a small window going between them.
Leaning half in-half out, he was running his hand over the bench inside when he suddenly felt as if he was being watch, the hairs on the back of his neck were standing up, and he was certain that the eyes didn't belong to Helen or Henry. He turned quickly hoping to catch whoever it was that was watching but there was no one there and like he thought, Helen and Henry were on the other side of the room not even looking at him. He glanced up into the roof but there was nothing but shadows up there and most likely dust. Hearing talking coming from the other side he looked to find Helen talking through a window in the door to someone. He did one more check of the roof before moving over to join them.
As he got closer he realized that Helen was talking to a young woman, maybe somewhere in her early twenties and she was wearing one of those outfits of a nun that hasn’t fully taking her vows yet. She seemed to be okay with Helen but the moment Henry and Nikola got closer to the door so she could see them she went quiet and backed away from the door. Helen turned to look at them and then back, “It’s okay, they’re with me.”
The girl stared at them for a few seconds before nodding her head before disappearing into the room behind the door. Nikola leaned forward looking through the small window but the girl was gone, “Well how do you like that?”
“Relax Nikola,” Helen chuckled taking a seat on the first row of benches, “she just went to get the Mother Superior.”
“Did you see how she looked at us?” Henry asked sitting next to Magnus.
“It’s like I said, they seem to know an abnormal when they see one and without being told.” Nikola stated standing in front of them.
“She didn’t look at Doc that way.”
Helen laughed, patting Henry’s knee, “It got nothing to do with being abnormal Henry, Sister Florence is just shy around men.”
“Oh, okay,” Henry said lowing his head as if he had done something wrong.
Nikola just nodded having a feeling that Helen knew the reason behind the shyness of the young woman but he didn’t ask. He turned in a circled stopping on the organ, strolling away from them he headed up the steps slowly with his hands behind his back, he studied the instrument. Some of the pipes were shiny golden bronze showing that they’re currently been replaced but most of them still had tarnish on them from old age. He eyed the keys wondering if they were re-toned when the pipes were replaced or if the notes were as random as most organs that he’s heard in churches. Keeping one hand behind his back he lightly ran the other over the keys from the high C to the middle G and back up again before actually hitting one of them. The note rang out from the pipes filling the church’s empty hall, echoing off of the wall and back at him. He played the next note before the first had time to fade away, his fingers picking up speed, moving down the keys playing a small scale not giving silence time to settle in the room.
He was moving back up the scale when the sound of a throat being cleared caught his attention back towards his friend. The door was now open, an elderly woman now stood in the partway. She was somewhere in her sixty if Nikola had to guess and she was watching him with a blank face but hard eyes. Nikola smiled moving his hand from the keys and started down the steps, he could already tell that she was going to be a “fun” one to talk to and she didn’t disappoint.
“Sister Florence told me that bought some gentlemen but I don’t see any with you Sister Helen.” The woman said the moment Nikola moved in behind Helen.
“Sister Mary Marie please, these are my friends, this is Henry Foss and Nikola Tesla.” Helen pointed to each in turn, Henry gave a small wave but Nikola just stared back giving the same cold stare that she was giving them. “Gentlemen, this is Sister Mary Marie, my dear friend I was telling you about.”
Nikola knew that this sister didn’t care for Henry or him and this time is had nothing to do with the fact that they were men. This seemed to be the look that he got when people knew what he was and were still forced to work with him even those they didn’t want to. He glanced at Henry who seemed to have gone into that shy kid mode he seem to have when he didn’t know what to say or how to act.
“I asked them to come in hopes that they might be of some help,” Helen stated. “Giving the nature of the case I thought it would be best to been two other legendary abnormals to help with another legendary abnormal.”
Nikola stared between the two women, “Just what did you think we could help with Helen?” True there were many different kinds of abnormals out there but only a few of there have every made it into stories but human, myths and legends. Nikola was only half-vampire but as far as he knew the only one still alive and Henry was HAP, the closest thing to a werewolf although he didn’t like the ‘w’ word. Going through every story that he could think of, Nikola couldn’t think of any kind of abnormal that a convert of nuns could be keeping safe.
“Not sure what help they’ll be with Glenda but I trust my faith in you Sister Helen.” Sister Marie looked them over one more time and then headed into the room, “This way, she’s in the garden, it’s the first time that she’s been outside since she was spotted. We’re lucky that that young man didn’t get any clear pictures of her.”
Nikola allowed Helen to follow first, then Henry, and then he took up the rear entering the room and looking around. It was a small room, some kind of study or office set up like Helen’s but without the fireplace. It was most likely Sister Marie’s and it also seem to be the only way into the living area of the convert within the brick wall unless there was a gate somewhere that Nikola couldn’t see yet.
She led them through halls upon halls of cells, there was a kitchen, a wash room, and even what looked a library to Nikola. The door was open as they walked by, Nikola stopped to steal a quick glance inside and found nuns sitting at tables going over old leather back books and even a few scrolls. He was little socked to that beside a lamp or two most of them were reading by candlelight.
“This place is as beautiful as I remember it being the last time I was here.” Helen stated as they rounded yet another corner, Nikola was beginning to think that Sister Marie was trying to get them lost in here.
“When was that Doc?” Henry asked.
“Sister Helen was here when I was but a nun just taking my vows, she was here as a favor for my Mother Superior, Sister Seare.”
“Sister Seare’s blood sister passed away leaving behind a daughter which happen to be an abnormal. She knew about the Sanctuary and gave me a call she didn’t want to send her niece away so I came here to talk to her about what she was getting into taking care of an abnormal. I stayed in touch with them as often as I could but I wasn’t able to come by as much I wanted to.” Helen explained as they walked.
“And we thank you for everything that you’ve done for Glenda as well as the convert itself but I’m afraid she is just getting too big to live here anymore. She wants to see the world, things that we can’t show her here and as much as I would love for her to take her vows and stay here, it’s just not in her heart.” She stopped in front of a door that looked like it would lead to a castle’s dungeon and turned to eye them one more time. Nikola was sure that she stared at him longer than she did Henry but he just smiled at her getting a glare from Helen.
“You have my word Sister Marie, you can trust them,” Helen said looking back to the nun.
“Very well.” She turned unlocking the door and started through without waiting for them to follow her.
Nikola thought of just going back to the van and waiting for Helen and the mutt there. He was tired of the looks he was getting and there was once a time when no one would even think about looking at a vampire like that. He may only be half-vampire but even he didn’t deserve to take it but his curiosity was getting the better of him.
Stepping through the door he could see and smell for that matter, why Henry had a hand covering his nose. It wasn’t a bad odor but the thousands of roses that they walked into even had him covering his nose and the HAP’s sense of smell is two times that of a normal human. It was beautiful though, roses of every color covered the area; there were bushes and even some of those trees with roses on them. As they walked through the garden Nikola could see more nuns caring to the plants and he had admit that it was very well kept, even the walkway that they were using to get wherever it was that the sister was taking them.
As they walked he even caught a glance of Sister Lawce from a far before she jumped to hide behind a tree as she came from around a corner that Sister Marie was headed for. “Here she is,” Sister Marie said rounding a blood red rose bush, “she’ll be happy to see you.” She took Helen’s arm in hers and led her around the roses, out of view from Nikola and Henry.
“What are we? Chopped liver?” Nikola asked starting to get irritated with the nun.
“Fine with me,” Henry huffed out, moving to follow the two women, “better to be ignore, then to feel like you’re…”
Nikola followed, curious as to what had caught the young abnormal’s attention, as he rounded the corner, the sight even made Nikola Tesla himself, speechless.
There surrounded by even more rose bushes was a clearing, and in the clearing was a beautiful marble water fountain, a big one with four levels to it. The water that ran through it was very clear, the sunlight reflecting off of it casting rays of light onto the surrounding plants. It was not the fountain itself that had Nikola memorized but the magnificent creature sitting on it. Nikola smiled now knowing why Helen had brought him along.
Sitting on the edge of the fountain was an abnormal that he had long given up hope of ever seeing, he’d even started to believe that they were only myths and nothing more. She was looking away from them, her head bent down towards the water, her face hiding behind locks of wavy hair, the color of golden wheat. Her legs were pulled up under her wrapped in the white dress that she wore. Nikola was sure it were look like something a Greek goddess would wear, although the back of the dress came only to the small of her back, making room for the two large white wings coming from between her shoulder blades.
Nikola took a step into the clearing, forgetting that the others were there until he heard Sister Marie calling out a name. The abnormal turned and Nikola was awestruck; her skin had a pale complexion, only standing out more against her gold hair framing her face, falling to about her waist; she had a beautiful smile as she greeted Helen, jumping to her feet to give her a hug. Her wings unfolded out behind her, the wingspan was big enough to hide the fountain from view. It was however, the color of her eyes that held Nikola the longest; they were the brightest blue that he had ever seen before in his life and that was a long life. Looking her over from head to toes he realized that she wasn’t wearing any shoes and that the dress was indeed design after the Greek or Roman making.
“She’s beautiful.”
Nikola glanced to the side, Henry had move to stand by him, the HAP’s eyes were wide and his mouth was almost hanging to the ground. He grinned at the werewolf. “Careful, you don’t want Sister Marie to catch you looking at her prized possession like that.”
“She’s not a possession,” Henry shot back staring at him.
“Why else would she be held in this place?” Nikola waved his hand around, trying to make a point.
“To keep her safe dude”
Nikola shook his head, taking a step forward but was stopped by Henry’s hand on his shoulder, “Maybe we should wait for Doc to call us over.”
Nikola rolled his shoulder, thankful that Henry got the picture and removed his hand; he wanted to get closer but for once he had to admit that the kid was right, so he held his ground, satisfied that he was at least here to see her.
Few knew about it, truthfully the only one still alive that knew was Helen, but while they were at Oxford when he wasn’t helping the other with Source Blood, he was studying about angels. It was a hobby that he had, there was just something about them that made he want to find out everything that he could about them. He was studying them before he met Helen and the others, so when Helen had told him about Abnormals, he was sure that there might even be one out there that was an angel, or at least look like one. After the injection of the blood and finding out what he was, he turn all of his researching towards vampires, although ever now and again he would read a book here or there about the celestial beings from above.
Together they stood at the edge of the clearing watching as the three women talked, smiled, and laughed. Then the Abnormal saw them, Nikola saw the change at once, her eyes fells on him and Henry and the smile was gone; her head dropped down hiding her face behind her hair and her wings pulled in close against her back as she jumped behind Sister Marie. Nikola didn’t move, not even to turn when he felt Henry taking a step behind him; sometimes it was hard for Nikola to believe that this shy young man, who still acted like a kid half the times, was the big bad scary werewolf from so many stories. The nun turned that cold stare at them, as Helen said something to the Abnormal and then started back to them.
“Is there a reason you’ve been keeping her to yourself?” Nikola asked her.
“Be nice Nikola,” Helen said, stepping in front of them blocking their view. “I want you two to please keep in mind that Glenda was very young when her mother passed away and she came to live here, so she’d never met a man before.”
“What about her father?” Henry asked.
Helen gave them a sad smile, shaking her head. “Sadly, her father wanted nothing to do with her, he left her mother the moment she was born and he saw her wings.”
“And they call us monsters,” Nikola commented, his hands going behind his back.
“Yes, well, just be careful, she might be shy at first.”
Helen started back to the nun and girl, Nikola kept his hands behind him, while Henry kept his in front of him. As they moved closer, Sister Marie’s stare never changed, if she was an Abnormal herself, Nikola believe she would some kind of power with ice. The look on Glenda’s face though was a confused one; as if she didn’t know whether to be scared and hide behind the sister, or to come over to them.
“Glenda, these are my friends,” Helen said stepping between the two of them. “Henry Foss and Nikola Tesla.” She placed a hand on each of their shoulder, giving a smile towards the girl, “They work with me at the Sanctuary.”
“Hello,” Nikola said.
Henry gave a small wave and a simple, “Hi.”
Glenda didn’t move at first, staying behind Sister Marie, glancing between the three of them. “It’s alright, they’re very nice.” Helen moved beside the girl, offering her hand, “I promise, really they don’t bite.”
Nikola grinned, out of all of the Abnormals that Helen could say that about and she says it about a werewolf and a vampire. It seemed to work though as Glenda moved from behind the protection of the ice cold nun, she wings giving a small flap as she moved her look of fear slowly changed to a look of awe as she got closer. She moved to Henry first, slowly walking around him as if he was some artwork to admired she stopped between them her back to Nikola, and he had to stop himself from reaching out and touching her wings, which were only mere inches from him.
Next she turned to him, doing the same thing as she did to Henry; slowly walking around him, he felt her blue eyes moving over him, for a moment he even felt as if he was on trial. She stopped in front of him, her head moving from him to Henry, and then she leaned in so close to Nikola, he was forced to take a step back. He smiled when she reach out and lightly poked his chest, “Oh yes, Helen, very shy.”
Helen only shrugged, and it was clear that she was trying not to laugh as Glenda went about studying them. Glenda went around him one more time, stopping once again in front, her wings gave another fluttering behind her.
“You’re men?” Glenda asked.
Nikola, and Henry it seemed, were too shock to say anything.
“Yes, Glenda, they’re male.” Helen got out between trying not to laugh.
Glenda looked from Helen back to Nikola, “I’ve never met a man before.”
“Yes, and I hoped that you never would.” Sister Marie said shooting Helen her cold stare as if this was all her fault.
“I’ve heard about men, from the other sisters, I’ve read about them in books, and I’ve seen them from far away but I’ve never met one before.” She leaned forward again and Nikola couldn’t help but feel like a test subject that the scientists were studying. He drew the line though when she reached up to touch his cheek, grabbing her wrist to stop her. She pulled back with a gasp, “I’m sorry, I should have asked first. I…” she stopped tilting her head, her eyes narrowing as she stared at him. “You’re…you’re like me,” she said looking between him and Henry. “You both are.”
“You’re nothing like them Glenda,” Sister Marie argue.
Helen stepped closer placing a hand on the nun’s shoulder, “I think Glenda means that they’re abnormals. Isn’t that right Glenda?”
Glenda nodded to Helen.
“You can tell that, just by looking at us?” Nikola asked
She smiled, “Not just by looking. When you touch me, I felt it.”
“Glenda has a unique ability to sense the genetic makeup of anyone or anything only by touching them or by being touch.” Helen said.
“You couldn’t have told me this earlier?” Nikola asked.
“I’m sorry.” Glenda dropped her head down, looking to her feet, “I don’t get out that much so I’ve never met any other abnormals before. In fact, I believe Miss Magnus is the first one that I met, she helped raised me, along with my aunt and Sister Marie.”
Nikola got the feeling that when the young girl says ‘don’t get out much,’ she’s really trying to say that she doesn’t get out at all. He pictured the nuns her keeping her locked up in the church, thinking that she was a gift from God and they didn’t want anyone else to see her. He questioned if she’d even used her wings before.
“That seems to be Doc’s thing, she pretty much raised me too,” Henry said giving a smile towards Helen.
Glenda folded her hands behind her, “I hope you don’t mind, but what kind of abnormals are you? Helen has told me about some of the different species that live in the Sanctuary.”
Henry seemed to become shy at her question, so Helen answer, “Actually Glenda, I think that that would best be told over a nice warm cup of your rose tea, we can also talk about the reason on why we’re here.”
“Of course”
Nikola and Henry had to step back as her wings flew out behind her as she turned to Helen. “Oh, I’m sorry. Sometimes I forget how big they are.”
“It’s alright,” Nikola said waving her worries away. “Now, Helen said saying something about rose tea?”
“Yes, it’s something my aunt taught me how to make. I use the roses from the garden,” she said stepping between them. She took hold of each of their hands and started leading them out of the garden, to a different door than the one that they had entered through. “I can’t wait to hear all about the Sanctuary.”
Nikola could only smile as he was led away by this young girl who started asking thousand of questions; in a way, she kind of reminded him of Helen back at Oxford, wanting to know everything there was to know about something. He was a little concern though, if Helen has been coming to see Glenda for some time now. Why all of a sudden would she bringing Henry and himself to meet her? He couldn’t believe that it was because Glenda was getting too big, like Sister Marie said; no, there had to be something else behind it.
Glenda led them through more halls and around more corners until they came to another private study; this one though, was covered from corner to corner with bookshelves, each one with thousands of books. There were even piles of books about the ground, giving them very little room to move around in. There were two doors; one was close, the other was open to a bedroom
“Please come in, feel free to grab a seat….” Glenda looked around, quickly moving across the room knocking books over as she went, “here.” She picked up some books from some chairs and carefully placed to them the side.
Nikola chuckled, guessing that this was Glenda’s study.
“What’s so funny?” Helen asked.
He leaned closer so only she could hear. “Come now Helen, doesn’t she remind you of someone from our younger days?”
She smiled, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“No, of course you don’t.” Nikola smiled, holding the back of a seat offering it to Helen as Glenda moved to another chair clearing it of books, her wings were knocking books over as she moved about not really caring. Nikola glanced at the covers trying to catch some of the titles. There were quite a few different kinds, anywhere from fiction to research books, there were even a few romance novels in there and he was sure that she didn’t get those from the sisters. “I see that you like to read.”
Glenda pursed in setting some books down, glancing over her shoulder and under her wing to look at him, “I love to read, Sister Helen gave me my first book when I was only ten, I’ve been reading ever since.”
“Which one?” Nikola asked eyeing Helen.
“A Tale of Two Cities of course,” Helen answered giving a smile.
“I’m go make the tea,” Glenda finished moving books around and then disappeared through the closed door before anyone could say anything.
They sat in silence; Henry was looking around at the different books while Helen and Nikola sat having a staring contest with Sister Marie. When the young HAP started shifting in his chair, Nikola broke the tension by asking, “So Helen, why did you bring us here?”
Helen sighed, “Sister Marie believes that it’s time for Glenda to leave the church.”
“It was her aunt’s wish that she didn’t leave here for her life, not mine.”
“We agree that it would be best for Glenda to come and live at the Sanctuary for a while, maybe few months at least. So she can use to being around other abnormals and well…men.” She added the last part with a grin.
“That’s a great idea, I’m sure Will and her will get along great, since they both love to read.” Henry said.
“Yes,” Nikola studied Helen, there was something she was hiding. “That’s all well and good but what is the real reason on why she’s being sent to the Sanctuary?”
Helen and Sister Marie exchanged a look one that Nikola knew from his friend all too well Henry even seemed to feel the changed in the mood in the room. “It was about two months ago, there was a young man that came by. He was asking for permission to enter the rest of the convent to take photos, he was a student at the collage in photography and wanted them for a class, we of course turned him away telling him that only sisters were aloud in those areas. Two days later we found him in the garden taking pictures, he had climbed over the wall, and sadly we didn’t catch him before he found Glenda and had taken some pictures of her. We thought that we got all of them but we missed some. We didn’t find this out until a month after that during Sunday Mass; sometimes Glenda likes to hide in the shadows up in the roof and watch, that day there was a gentleman that none of us had ever seen before and he wasn’t paying attention to the service at all, instead he was looking around up towards the roof.”
“Three days later he showed back up demanding to speak with the Mother Superior of the convent,” Helen jumped in finishing the story. “I was here visiting Glenda and Sister Marie, so needless to say I invited myself to sit in on this meeting.”
“What did he want?” Henry asked sitting forward in his seat.
“Do you really need to ask that?” Nikola knew where this was going and he didn’t like it.
“He wanted Glenda, and he was willing to pay anything for her.”
“But she isn’t an item.”
“That’s what we told him, he went as high as three million dollars but he wasn’t going to get her.”
“Let me guess, he didn’t kindly to that answer.” Nikola said folding his hands in his lap.
Helen shook her head, “No, I’m afraid not.”
“He left here, saying that he would do anything to get her.” Sister Marie lowered her head, “I hate to see her go so soon but Sister Helen insist that you’ll be able to keep her safe at the Sanctuary.”
Glenda picked that moment to enter carrying a tray with a blue willow tea set on it, “I hope you all don’t mind sugar, I’m afraid I’m out of cream.”
“Sugar is fine Glenda, thank you.” Helen said moving the books from the small table between the chairs.
Glenda moved about the small space pouring and serving tea to them, once she was sure that everyone was happy with their drinks she pulled a stool from the corner of the room over next to Helen and sat down, the end of her wings span out over the floor. Nikola didn’t know what was in Rose Tea but he had to admit, it was good, even though he really wasn’t a tea person. He caught her watching them from over the brim of his cup; she seemed to be waiting for something, for someone to say something.
“So you wanted to know what we were,” Nikola said setting his cup down, not being able to take the silence, Glenda nodded.
“Henry is a hyper-accelerated protean life form,” Helen said.
“A what?” Glenda asked looking to Henry.
“A werewolf.”
“Oooh”
“And Nikola,” Helen went on, a smile on her face, “is a half vampire.”
“Don’t let the half part fool you.” Nikola said.
“Wait, a werewolf and a vampire?” Glenda asked, her head moving between them as if she was watching a ping pong game, “Like in Twilight?”
TBC...
Author: rubystandish
Rating: PG13
Characters/Pairing: Mainly Helen, Henry, and Nikola, with guest starring Will and Biggie. Also a OC of my own making.
Warnings: None
Spoilers: There's no real spoilers to any episode but it takes place somewhere between Season 2: Episode 2 and Season 2: Episode 10.
Word Count: Altogether 10,401
Author’s Notes: Thank you to viviantanner for proofing my story for me as well as doing some artwork for it. Also I would like to say that my Muse actually had more planned for this story but I didn't have time to write it all, so this is just the beginning of a series that I will be working on.
Disclaimer: I do not own Sanctuary in any way, shape, or form and am not getting paid for this story...unless you count the fun I had writing it.
Summary: Helen Magnus has many friends but who knew she had friends in a convent; a convent that's been home to a beautiful winged Abnormal, Glenda, who is now on the wish list of a black market dealer. Wishing to keep her safe, the nuns send her to live with Helen at the Sanctuary but will the walls of the Sanctuary be able to keep this 'angel' safe
Part One
Nikola signed staring at the other side of the van where he sat in the back. Helen sat in the front passenger seat reading over some files; Henry was in the driver seat, his eyes staying on the road. Nikola glance towards the front, when he found that no one was looking he sighed again, this time a little louder as he dropped his head back against the van's wall.
"Do you have to do that?" Henry asked.
Tesla grinned, at least he got someone's attention, although it wasn't really the person he was hoping for. "I don't know why I came along on this little mission of your anyway." He could see the young Abnormal shooting glances at him in the rearview mirror.
"You came because Doc asked you to, although I don't see why."
"Perhaps she couldn't be without my charming personality," Nikola answer giving a teeth fill smile.
"Oh please." Henry rolled his eyes as they pulled up to a stop light, "Where to from here Doc?"
Helen finally looked up from the files she’d been reading, after scanning the area she pointed ahead, "You want to turn left at the next light Henry." Lowering her head she went back to reading, "And I asked him to come because I think he might be able to help."
Nikola leaned forward between them, getting a low growl from the HAP as he took up some of Henry's arm space; taking no noticed he looked ahead to where Magnus had pointed. It was a tall brick building with different wings branching off of it, also made out of brick. The main building had a vine covering one hold wall going up and all but taking over the bell tower. It was an old building and Nikola didn't need to ask to know what it was. "Really Helen you’re taking me to a convent? I hardly believe that I'll be of any help here."
Helen smiled closing the folder with the files in, "On the contraire, I think you'll be of great help."
Nikola huffed in frustration dropping back into his seat, crossing his arms.
"Oh come on Nick, don't tell me there's truth behind the whole vampires and churches myth." Henry laughed pulling into the packing lot and taking a spot in the shade of the tower. "You're not going to burst into flames are you?"
"Now now Henry," Helen stated, the beginning of a smile pulling at her lips.
Nikola shook his head climbing out of the van, "I have no problems with the churches themselves young one; however, the inhabitants are another story." He shut the door to the back moving to open Helen's door and help her out. "They always seemed to have a sixth sense of what I am."
"Perhaps it's your charming personality," Helen said flashing him a smile.
He just smiled back at her as she walked away, it was her way to show that she was listening to him, even thoough it may not have seemed like it. Nikola looked over the church as Helen talked to Henry, wondering why she had asked him to come along on this mission. First because it wasn't like Helen to have him come on these trips to begin with and second because she knew of his love for churches. It wasn't like the myths of vampires and Holy places were true but after he was injected with the Source Blood and he got the bloodlust under control, they've always seem to make him uneasy.
This one was no exception, the whole lot of land was surrounded by a tall iron gate covered in vines and bushes. The main gate was open right now but Nikola was sure that it would probably be closed at night. The only way into the convent that he could see were through large double wooden doors leading into the main hall of the church, a brick wall shooting out from both sides to keep people out of the inner rooms and he guessed the courtyard was where he was seeing the trees over the top of the wall.
"Nikola?!" Nikola's thoughts were pulled back by Helen's voice, "Are you coming?"
He found that they would already half way to the main the door, sighing he rolled his eyes starting to follow. Getting to the doors Nikola took the steps two at a time, studying the doors, they were large and made from what looked like a dark cherry wood; they also seemed to be the newest thing on the church. Looking to the sides he noticed two lamps but instead of two light bulbs staring back at him, he found two oil lamps. "Don't they believe in modern living?" He asked.
"They've updated where they had to by law but the sisters of this church wish to keep as much of the history of this place that they can," Helen answer. Holding the folder with the files that she was reading in the van, Helen opened the door and started in only to turn back so fast that Henry and Nikola actually took a step back. "The Mother Superior is an old friend of mine, so I want you two to be on your best behavior."
"And you bought him?" Nikola and Henry said at the same time pointing to each other.
Helen just smiled turned to continue inside, followed by Henry and then Nikola. It was a Tuesday afternoon so at the moment there was no one in the church, making the only sound their footsteps echoing on the stone walls around them. Nikola had thought that the church was old from looking at the outside but there were no doubts once he got inside. It looked like one of those old medieval churches that he saw in the movies that they watched at the Sanctuary. There were only ten rows of wooden benches; each row had two benches making a total of twenty with a walkway down the middle. Up in the front there was four steps leading to an upper level and on that stood a stand but behind the stand is what caught Nikola's eyes. It was an old organ that took up the hold wall, the pipes were a mixer of newer ones and older ones that were starting to get rust on them. Looking up there were six wooden beams going across the width of the room, on three of them hung an old iron chandelier each one in the shape of a circle holding ten candles.
"Hum Helen," Nikola asked getting closer to her. "Just how old of a friend is she?"
Helen smile, "Be nice Nikola."
"Oh you know me Helen," he stated as she headed towards a small door located to the left of the organ right before the steps, with Henry stepping around him to follow her. He grinned, thinking of a comment about how the young HAP followed Helen around like a lost puppy but thought better than to say it out loud. Instead he turned to the other side of the hall where there sat two wooden boxes next to each other, looking like the photo booths that were in the malls now a days. He moved to them for a closer look, Nikola guessed that they were the confession booths and open the one of the left to look inside; the walls that touched each other had a small window going between them.
Leaning half in-half out, he was running his hand over the bench inside when he suddenly felt as if he was being watch, the hairs on the back of his neck were standing up, and he was certain that the eyes didn't belong to Helen or Henry. He turned quickly hoping to catch whoever it was that was watching but there was no one there and like he thought, Helen and Henry were on the other side of the room not even looking at him. He glanced up into the roof but there was nothing but shadows up there and most likely dust. Hearing talking coming from the other side he looked to find Helen talking through a window in the door to someone. He did one more check of the roof before moving over to join them.
As he got closer he realized that Helen was talking to a young woman, maybe somewhere in her early twenties and she was wearing one of those outfits of a nun that hasn’t fully taking her vows yet. She seemed to be okay with Helen but the moment Henry and Nikola got closer to the door so she could see them she went quiet and backed away from the door. Helen turned to look at them and then back, “It’s okay, they’re with me.”
The girl stared at them for a few seconds before nodding her head before disappearing into the room behind the door. Nikola leaned forward looking through the small window but the girl was gone, “Well how do you like that?”
“Relax Nikola,” Helen chuckled taking a seat on the first row of benches, “she just went to get the Mother Superior.”
“Did you see how she looked at us?” Henry asked sitting next to Magnus.
“It’s like I said, they seem to know an abnormal when they see one and without being told.” Nikola stated standing in front of them.
“She didn’t look at Doc that way.”
Helen laughed, patting Henry’s knee, “It got nothing to do with being abnormal Henry, Sister Florence is just shy around men.”
“Oh, okay,” Henry said lowing his head as if he had done something wrong.
Nikola just nodded having a feeling that Helen knew the reason behind the shyness of the young woman but he didn’t ask. He turned in a circled stopping on the organ, strolling away from them he headed up the steps slowly with his hands behind his back, he studied the instrument. Some of the pipes were shiny golden bronze showing that they’re currently been replaced but most of them still had tarnish on them from old age. He eyed the keys wondering if they were re-toned when the pipes were replaced or if the notes were as random as most organs that he’s heard in churches. Keeping one hand behind his back he lightly ran the other over the keys from the high C to the middle G and back up again before actually hitting one of them. The note rang out from the pipes filling the church’s empty hall, echoing off of the wall and back at him. He played the next note before the first had time to fade away, his fingers picking up speed, moving down the keys playing a small scale not giving silence time to settle in the room.
He was moving back up the scale when the sound of a throat being cleared caught his attention back towards his friend. The door was now open, an elderly woman now stood in the partway. She was somewhere in her sixty if Nikola had to guess and she was watching him with a blank face but hard eyes. Nikola smiled moving his hand from the keys and started down the steps, he could already tell that she was going to be a “fun” one to talk to and she didn’t disappoint.
“Sister Florence told me that bought some gentlemen but I don’t see any with you Sister Helen.” The woman said the moment Nikola moved in behind Helen.
“Sister Mary Marie please, these are my friends, this is Henry Foss and Nikola Tesla.” Helen pointed to each in turn, Henry gave a small wave but Nikola just stared back giving the same cold stare that she was giving them. “Gentlemen, this is Sister Mary Marie, my dear friend I was telling you about.”
Nikola knew that this sister didn’t care for Henry or him and this time is had nothing to do with the fact that they were men. This seemed to be the look that he got when people knew what he was and were still forced to work with him even those they didn’t want to. He glanced at Henry who seemed to have gone into that shy kid mode he seem to have when he didn’t know what to say or how to act.
“I asked them to come in hopes that they might be of some help,” Helen stated. “Giving the nature of the case I thought it would be best to been two other legendary abnormals to help with another legendary abnormal.”
Nikola stared between the two women, “Just what did you think we could help with Helen?” True there were many different kinds of abnormals out there but only a few of there have every made it into stories but human, myths and legends. Nikola was only half-vampire but as far as he knew the only one still alive and Henry was HAP, the closest thing to a werewolf although he didn’t like the ‘w’ word. Going through every story that he could think of, Nikola couldn’t think of any kind of abnormal that a convert of nuns could be keeping safe.
“Not sure what help they’ll be with Glenda but I trust my faith in you Sister Helen.” Sister Marie looked them over one more time and then headed into the room, “This way, she’s in the garden, it’s the first time that she’s been outside since she was spotted. We’re lucky that that young man didn’t get any clear pictures of her.”
Nikola allowed Helen to follow first, then Henry, and then he took up the rear entering the room and looking around. It was a small room, some kind of study or office set up like Helen’s but without the fireplace. It was most likely Sister Marie’s and it also seem to be the only way into the living area of the convert within the brick wall unless there was a gate somewhere that Nikola couldn’t see yet.
She led them through halls upon halls of cells, there was a kitchen, a wash room, and even what looked a library to Nikola. The door was open as they walked by, Nikola stopped to steal a quick glance inside and found nuns sitting at tables going over old leather back books and even a few scrolls. He was little socked to that beside a lamp or two most of them were reading by candlelight.
“This place is as beautiful as I remember it being the last time I was here.” Helen stated as they rounded yet another corner, Nikola was beginning to think that Sister Marie was trying to get them lost in here.
“When was that Doc?” Henry asked.
“Sister Helen was here when I was but a nun just taking my vows, she was here as a favor for my Mother Superior, Sister Seare.”
“Sister Seare’s blood sister passed away leaving behind a daughter which happen to be an abnormal. She knew about the Sanctuary and gave me a call she didn’t want to send her niece away so I came here to talk to her about what she was getting into taking care of an abnormal. I stayed in touch with them as often as I could but I wasn’t able to come by as much I wanted to.” Helen explained as they walked.
“And we thank you for everything that you’ve done for Glenda as well as the convert itself but I’m afraid she is just getting too big to live here anymore. She wants to see the world, things that we can’t show her here and as much as I would love for her to take her vows and stay here, it’s just not in her heart.” She stopped in front of a door that looked like it would lead to a castle’s dungeon and turned to eye them one more time. Nikola was sure that she stared at him longer than she did Henry but he just smiled at her getting a glare from Helen.
“You have my word Sister Marie, you can trust them,” Helen said looking back to the nun.
“Very well.” She turned unlocking the door and started through without waiting for them to follow her.
Nikola thought of just going back to the van and waiting for Helen and the mutt there. He was tired of the looks he was getting and there was once a time when no one would even think about looking at a vampire like that. He may only be half-vampire but even he didn’t deserve to take it but his curiosity was getting the better of him.
Stepping through the door he could see and smell for that matter, why Henry had a hand covering his nose. It wasn’t a bad odor but the thousands of roses that they walked into even had him covering his nose and the HAP’s sense of smell is two times that of a normal human. It was beautiful though, roses of every color covered the area; there were bushes and even some of those trees with roses on them. As they walked through the garden Nikola could see more nuns caring to the plants and he had admit that it was very well kept, even the walkway that they were using to get wherever it was that the sister was taking them.
As they walked he even caught a glance of Sister Lawce from a far before she jumped to hide behind a tree as she came from around a corner that Sister Marie was headed for. “Here she is,” Sister Marie said rounding a blood red rose bush, “she’ll be happy to see you.” She took Helen’s arm in hers and led her around the roses, out of view from Nikola and Henry.
“What are we? Chopped liver?” Nikola asked starting to get irritated with the nun.
“Fine with me,” Henry huffed out, moving to follow the two women, “better to be ignore, then to feel like you’re…”
Nikola followed, curious as to what had caught the young abnormal’s attention, as he rounded the corner, the sight even made Nikola Tesla himself, speechless.
There surrounded by even more rose bushes was a clearing, and in the clearing was a beautiful marble water fountain, a big one with four levels to it. The water that ran through it was very clear, the sunlight reflecting off of it casting rays of light onto the surrounding plants. It was not the fountain itself that had Nikola memorized but the magnificent creature sitting on it. Nikola smiled now knowing why Helen had brought him along.
Sitting on the edge of the fountain was an abnormal that he had long given up hope of ever seeing, he’d even started to believe that they were only myths and nothing more. She was looking away from them, her head bent down towards the water, her face hiding behind locks of wavy hair, the color of golden wheat. Her legs were pulled up under her wrapped in the white dress that she wore. Nikola was sure it were look like something a Greek goddess would wear, although the back of the dress came only to the small of her back, making room for the two large white wings coming from between her shoulder blades.
Nikola took a step into the clearing, forgetting that the others were there until he heard Sister Marie calling out a name. The abnormal turned and Nikola was awestruck; her skin had a pale complexion, only standing out more against her gold hair framing her face, falling to about her waist; she had a beautiful smile as she greeted Helen, jumping to her feet to give her a hug. Her wings unfolded out behind her, the wingspan was big enough to hide the fountain from view. It was however, the color of her eyes that held Nikola the longest; they were the brightest blue that he had ever seen before in his life and that was a long life. Looking her over from head to toes he realized that she wasn’t wearing any shoes and that the dress was indeed design after the Greek or Roman making.
“She’s beautiful.”
Nikola glanced to the side, Henry had move to stand by him, the HAP’s eyes were wide and his mouth was almost hanging to the ground. He grinned at the werewolf. “Careful, you don’t want Sister Marie to catch you looking at her prized possession like that.”
“She’s not a possession,” Henry shot back staring at him.
“Why else would she be held in this place?” Nikola waved his hand around, trying to make a point.
“To keep her safe dude”
Nikola shook his head, taking a step forward but was stopped by Henry’s hand on his shoulder, “Maybe we should wait for Doc to call us over.”
Nikola rolled his shoulder, thankful that Henry got the picture and removed his hand; he wanted to get closer but for once he had to admit that the kid was right, so he held his ground, satisfied that he was at least here to see her.
Few knew about it, truthfully the only one still alive that knew was Helen, but while they were at Oxford when he wasn’t helping the other with Source Blood, he was studying about angels. It was a hobby that he had, there was just something about them that made he want to find out everything that he could about them. He was studying them before he met Helen and the others, so when Helen had told him about Abnormals, he was sure that there might even be one out there that was an angel, or at least look like one. After the injection of the blood and finding out what he was, he turn all of his researching towards vampires, although ever now and again he would read a book here or there about the celestial beings from above.
Together they stood at the edge of the clearing watching as the three women talked, smiled, and laughed. Then the Abnormal saw them, Nikola saw the change at once, her eyes fells on him and Henry and the smile was gone; her head dropped down hiding her face behind her hair and her wings pulled in close against her back as she jumped behind Sister Marie. Nikola didn’t move, not even to turn when he felt Henry taking a step behind him; sometimes it was hard for Nikola to believe that this shy young man, who still acted like a kid half the times, was the big bad scary werewolf from so many stories. The nun turned that cold stare at them, as Helen said something to the Abnormal and then started back to them.
“Is there a reason you’ve been keeping her to yourself?” Nikola asked her.
“Be nice Nikola,” Helen said, stepping in front of them blocking their view. “I want you two to please keep in mind that Glenda was very young when her mother passed away and she came to live here, so she’d never met a man before.”
“What about her father?” Henry asked.
Helen gave them a sad smile, shaking her head. “Sadly, her father wanted nothing to do with her, he left her mother the moment she was born and he saw her wings.”
“And they call us monsters,” Nikola commented, his hands going behind his back.
“Yes, well, just be careful, she might be shy at first.”
Helen started back to the nun and girl, Nikola kept his hands behind him, while Henry kept his in front of him. As they moved closer, Sister Marie’s stare never changed, if she was an Abnormal herself, Nikola believe she would some kind of power with ice. The look on Glenda’s face though was a confused one; as if she didn’t know whether to be scared and hide behind the sister, or to come over to them.
“Glenda, these are my friends,” Helen said stepping between the two of them. “Henry Foss and Nikola Tesla.” She placed a hand on each of their shoulder, giving a smile towards the girl, “They work with me at the Sanctuary.”
“Hello,” Nikola said.
Henry gave a small wave and a simple, “Hi.”
Glenda didn’t move at first, staying behind Sister Marie, glancing between the three of them. “It’s alright, they’re very nice.” Helen moved beside the girl, offering her hand, “I promise, really they don’t bite.”
Nikola grinned, out of all of the Abnormals that Helen could say that about and she says it about a werewolf and a vampire. It seemed to work though as Glenda moved from behind the protection of the ice cold nun, she wings giving a small flap as she moved her look of fear slowly changed to a look of awe as she got closer. She moved to Henry first, slowly walking around him as if he was some artwork to admired she stopped between them her back to Nikola, and he had to stop himself from reaching out and touching her wings, which were only mere inches from him.
Next she turned to him, doing the same thing as she did to Henry; slowly walking around him, he felt her blue eyes moving over him, for a moment he even felt as if he was on trial. She stopped in front of him, her head moving from him to Henry, and then she leaned in so close to Nikola, he was forced to take a step back. He smiled when she reach out and lightly poked his chest, “Oh yes, Helen, very shy.”
Helen only shrugged, and it was clear that she was trying not to laugh as Glenda went about studying them. Glenda went around him one more time, stopping once again in front, her wings gave another fluttering behind her.
“You’re men?” Glenda asked.
Nikola, and Henry it seemed, were too shock to say anything.
“Yes, Glenda, they’re male.” Helen got out between trying not to laugh.
Glenda looked from Helen back to Nikola, “I’ve never met a man before.”
“Yes, and I hoped that you never would.” Sister Marie said shooting Helen her cold stare as if this was all her fault.
“I’ve heard about men, from the other sisters, I’ve read about them in books, and I’ve seen them from far away but I’ve never met one before.” She leaned forward again and Nikola couldn’t help but feel like a test subject that the scientists were studying. He drew the line though when she reached up to touch his cheek, grabbing her wrist to stop her. She pulled back with a gasp, “I’m sorry, I should have asked first. I…” she stopped tilting her head, her eyes narrowing as she stared at him. “You’re…you’re like me,” she said looking between him and Henry. “You both are.”
“You’re nothing like them Glenda,” Sister Marie argue.
Helen stepped closer placing a hand on the nun’s shoulder, “I think Glenda means that they’re abnormals. Isn’t that right Glenda?”
Glenda nodded to Helen.
“You can tell that, just by looking at us?” Nikola asked
She smiled, “Not just by looking. When you touch me, I felt it.”
“Glenda has a unique ability to sense the genetic makeup of anyone or anything only by touching them or by being touch.” Helen said.
“You couldn’t have told me this earlier?” Nikola asked.
“I’m sorry.” Glenda dropped her head down, looking to her feet, “I don’t get out that much so I’ve never met any other abnormals before. In fact, I believe Miss Magnus is the first one that I met, she helped raised me, along with my aunt and Sister Marie.”
Nikola got the feeling that when the young girl says ‘don’t get out much,’ she’s really trying to say that she doesn’t get out at all. He pictured the nuns her keeping her locked up in the church, thinking that she was a gift from God and they didn’t want anyone else to see her. He questioned if she’d even used her wings before.
“That seems to be Doc’s thing, she pretty much raised me too,” Henry said giving a smile towards Helen.
Glenda folded her hands behind her, “I hope you don’t mind, but what kind of abnormals are you? Helen has told me about some of the different species that live in the Sanctuary.”
Henry seemed to become shy at her question, so Helen answer, “Actually Glenda, I think that that would best be told over a nice warm cup of your rose tea, we can also talk about the reason on why we’re here.”
“Of course”
Nikola and Henry had to step back as her wings flew out behind her as she turned to Helen. “Oh, I’m sorry. Sometimes I forget how big they are.”
“It’s alright,” Nikola said waving her worries away. “Now, Helen said saying something about rose tea?”
“Yes, it’s something my aunt taught me how to make. I use the roses from the garden,” she said stepping between them. She took hold of each of their hands and started leading them out of the garden, to a different door than the one that they had entered through. “I can’t wait to hear all about the Sanctuary.”
Nikola could only smile as he was led away by this young girl who started asking thousand of questions; in a way, she kind of reminded him of Helen back at Oxford, wanting to know everything there was to know about something. He was a little concern though, if Helen has been coming to see Glenda for some time now. Why all of a sudden would she bringing Henry and himself to meet her? He couldn’t believe that it was because Glenda was getting too big, like Sister Marie said; no, there had to be something else behind it.
Glenda led them through more halls and around more corners until they came to another private study; this one though, was covered from corner to corner with bookshelves, each one with thousands of books. There were even piles of books about the ground, giving them very little room to move around in. There were two doors; one was close, the other was open to a bedroom
“Please come in, feel free to grab a seat….” Glenda looked around, quickly moving across the room knocking books over as she went, “here.” She picked up some books from some chairs and carefully placed to them the side.
Nikola chuckled, guessing that this was Glenda’s study.
“What’s so funny?” Helen asked.
He leaned closer so only she could hear. “Come now Helen, doesn’t she remind you of someone from our younger days?”
She smiled, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“No, of course you don’t.” Nikola smiled, holding the back of a seat offering it to Helen as Glenda moved to another chair clearing it of books, her wings were knocking books over as she moved about not really caring. Nikola glanced at the covers trying to catch some of the titles. There were quite a few different kinds, anywhere from fiction to research books, there were even a few romance novels in there and he was sure that she didn’t get those from the sisters. “I see that you like to read.”
Glenda pursed in setting some books down, glancing over her shoulder and under her wing to look at him, “I love to read, Sister Helen gave me my first book when I was only ten, I’ve been reading ever since.”
“Which one?” Nikola asked eyeing Helen.
“A Tale of Two Cities of course,” Helen answered giving a smile.
“I’m go make the tea,” Glenda finished moving books around and then disappeared through the closed door before anyone could say anything.
They sat in silence; Henry was looking around at the different books while Helen and Nikola sat having a staring contest with Sister Marie. When the young HAP started shifting in his chair, Nikola broke the tension by asking, “So Helen, why did you bring us here?”
Helen sighed, “Sister Marie believes that it’s time for Glenda to leave the church.”
“It was her aunt’s wish that she didn’t leave here for her life, not mine.”
“We agree that it would be best for Glenda to come and live at the Sanctuary for a while, maybe few months at least. So she can use to being around other abnormals and well…men.” She added the last part with a grin.
“That’s a great idea, I’m sure Will and her will get along great, since they both love to read.” Henry said.
“Yes,” Nikola studied Helen, there was something she was hiding. “That’s all well and good but what is the real reason on why she’s being sent to the Sanctuary?”
Helen and Sister Marie exchanged a look one that Nikola knew from his friend all too well Henry even seemed to feel the changed in the mood in the room. “It was about two months ago, there was a young man that came by. He was asking for permission to enter the rest of the convent to take photos, he was a student at the collage in photography and wanted them for a class, we of course turned him away telling him that only sisters were aloud in those areas. Two days later we found him in the garden taking pictures, he had climbed over the wall, and sadly we didn’t catch him before he found Glenda and had taken some pictures of her. We thought that we got all of them but we missed some. We didn’t find this out until a month after that during Sunday Mass; sometimes Glenda likes to hide in the shadows up in the roof and watch, that day there was a gentleman that none of us had ever seen before and he wasn’t paying attention to the service at all, instead he was looking around up towards the roof.”
“Three days later he showed back up demanding to speak with the Mother Superior of the convent,” Helen jumped in finishing the story. “I was here visiting Glenda and Sister Marie, so needless to say I invited myself to sit in on this meeting.”
“What did he want?” Henry asked sitting forward in his seat.
“Do you really need to ask that?” Nikola knew where this was going and he didn’t like it.
“He wanted Glenda, and he was willing to pay anything for her.”
“But she isn’t an item.”
“That’s what we told him, he went as high as three million dollars but he wasn’t going to get her.”
“Let me guess, he didn’t kindly to that answer.” Nikola said folding his hands in his lap.
Helen shook her head, “No, I’m afraid not.”
“He left here, saying that he would do anything to get her.” Sister Marie lowered her head, “I hate to see her go so soon but Sister Helen insist that you’ll be able to keep her safe at the Sanctuary.”
Glenda picked that moment to enter carrying a tray with a blue willow tea set on it, “I hope you all don’t mind sugar, I’m afraid I’m out of cream.”
“Sugar is fine Glenda, thank you.” Helen said moving the books from the small table between the chairs.
Glenda moved about the small space pouring and serving tea to them, once she was sure that everyone was happy with their drinks she pulled a stool from the corner of the room over next to Helen and sat down, the end of her wings span out over the floor. Nikola didn’t know what was in Rose Tea but he had to admit, it was good, even though he really wasn’t a tea person. He caught her watching them from over the brim of his cup; she seemed to be waiting for something, for someone to say something.
“So you wanted to know what we were,” Nikola said setting his cup down, not being able to take the silence, Glenda nodded.
“Henry is a hyper-accelerated protean life form,” Helen said.
“A what?” Glenda asked looking to Henry.
“A werewolf.”
“Oooh”
“And Nikola,” Helen went on, a smile on her face, “is a half vampire.”
“Don’t let the half part fool you.” Nikola said.
“Wait, a werewolf and a vampire?” Glenda asked, her head moving between them as if she was watching a ping pong game, “Like in Twilight?”
TBC...