Little white lies.
Title: Little white lies.
Prompt: Henry's Lab
Warnings: None
Summary: The first lie is always a white one. Follow up to 'Flying Monkeys'. Helen POV.
Helen Magnus never rushed through the corridors of her Sanctuary. It was her home, her world, and whenever she moved around it everyone knew that she owned the place in a way they never could. There was over a hundred years of her work ingrained in every stone, she had walked every passage at least a hundred times, and every inch of it bore her mark. Each time Helen walked the corridors the world knew she had built something worthwhile, something that would last, and she did not begrudge one resident the home she gave them.
Today though she found herself rushing. There was no emergency, no event to draw her away from the usual routine of the lab and towards the lower levels, but still she found her way to the elevator and hit the button for the first basement. Helen was rushing before he saw the flush of her cheeks, before some passing abnormal sensed the change in her pheromones and an explanation had to be given. She was rushing away from Will.
Her behavior had been completely inappropriate, and had been for a considerable number of weeks beforehand. Still, she had found herself in no mood to stop it, enjoying the attention more than she cared to even admit to herself. Helen was smiling when she exited the elevator, and ran straight into Henry.
“Doc! Just the woman I wanted to see!” he exclaimed and handed her a thick wad of paper
“Do I get to know what this is before I accept it?” she asked, taking the sheets into her hands
“Security report. I'd email it to you but I've managed to lock down my lab...”
“How did you do that?” she raised an eyebrow and waited for what was no doubt going to be a long and very complicated story about the robot he had been working on malfunctioning. As he started to speak Helen felt her mind drifting away, back to the main lab, back to Will's blue eyes looking questioningly down into hers before she pressed her lips to his cheek...
“...and so it cut the main power supply, and triggered a lock down. I know, I know, I'll fix it.” Henry threw his arms up and then paused “Doc, are you even listening to me?”
“Yes, very good. Get it fixed.” she nodded, then walked away slowly.
“Uh, Doc, one more thing,” he followed her “I may need a small hand opening the door and biggie is away. Do you think...”
“It had better be a small hand, Henry,” she turned back and started towards his lab “tell me the main power is still connected?”
“Uh, no, we went over this, main power is not connected.” Henry looked at her sideways, frowning, then opened a door for her “You okay? You seem a little distracted.”
“Absolutely.”
“Will looked a bit spaced out earlier too.” he continued, mind starting to tick over, giving her another sideways look as if to asses exactly what the situation was .
“Maybe there is something doing the rounds.” Helen pretended to consider the idea, then turned back to him “It would explain how you managed to let a robot loose in your lab after I specifically warned you about it.”
“It would,” Henry nodded, opening a door for her “I think you're probably right, Doc. Hey, maybe you should get biggie to make you some of his chicken soup. I think that cures about everything.”
“Perhaps,” she smiled, internally scolding herself for lying about something as nonsensical as a flirtation. Though it was none of Henry's business he didn't deserve to be lied to. “if not the it'll be B-vitamin shots all round I'm afraid.”
“Great.” he frowned. He had realised something was going on, but if it meant avoiding a needle Henry was more than willing to let it pass.
This wasn't like her. Helen was a creature of habit, in the truest sense. She didn't take her lovers from her staff, instead keeping her flirtations well away from those she knew well. The last man she had shared her home, her work and her bed with was James, all those years before, in a time when John was simply a sepia memory in a forever closed photo album. Then James had made her cheeks flush, he had held her hand and worked beside her while he caught her glances.
Now it was Will. Before it had even begun she was lying to her friends, hiding their brief moment as if it were something immoral. A kiss on the cheek was nothing, even by Victorian standards. She had crossed no lines, they had done nothing wrong, yet it unsettled her. Lost deep in thought she checked the door to Henry's lab as he stood worryingly silent, then smiled to him.
“We'll have this fixed in no time.” Helen told him, and stole a nearby screwdriver.
Prompt: Henry's Lab
Warnings: None
Summary: The first lie is always a white one. Follow up to 'Flying Monkeys'. Helen POV.
Helen Magnus never rushed through the corridors of her Sanctuary. It was her home, her world, and whenever she moved around it everyone knew that she owned the place in a way they never could. There was over a hundred years of her work ingrained in every stone, she had walked every passage at least a hundred times, and every inch of it bore her mark. Each time Helen walked the corridors the world knew she had built something worthwhile, something that would last, and she did not begrudge one resident the home she gave them.
Today though she found herself rushing. There was no emergency, no event to draw her away from the usual routine of the lab and towards the lower levels, but still she found her way to the elevator and hit the button for the first basement. Helen was rushing before he saw the flush of her cheeks, before some passing abnormal sensed the change in her pheromones and an explanation had to be given. She was rushing away from Will.
Her behavior had been completely inappropriate, and had been for a considerable number of weeks beforehand. Still, she had found herself in no mood to stop it, enjoying the attention more than she cared to even admit to herself. Helen was smiling when she exited the elevator, and ran straight into Henry.
“Doc! Just the woman I wanted to see!” he exclaimed and handed her a thick wad of paper
“Do I get to know what this is before I accept it?” she asked, taking the sheets into her hands
“Security report. I'd email it to you but I've managed to lock down my lab...”
“How did you do that?” she raised an eyebrow and waited for what was no doubt going to be a long and very complicated story about the robot he had been working on malfunctioning. As he started to speak Helen felt her mind drifting away, back to the main lab, back to Will's blue eyes looking questioningly down into hers before she pressed her lips to his cheek...
“...and so it cut the main power supply, and triggered a lock down. I know, I know, I'll fix it.” Henry threw his arms up and then paused “Doc, are you even listening to me?”
“Yes, very good. Get it fixed.” she nodded, then walked away slowly.
“Uh, Doc, one more thing,” he followed her “I may need a small hand opening the door and biggie is away. Do you think...”
“It had better be a small hand, Henry,” she turned back and started towards his lab “tell me the main power is still connected?”
“Uh, no, we went over this, main power is not connected.” Henry looked at her sideways, frowning, then opened a door for her “You okay? You seem a little distracted.”
“Absolutely.”
“Will looked a bit spaced out earlier too.” he continued, mind starting to tick over, giving her another sideways look as if to asses exactly what the situation was .
“Maybe there is something doing the rounds.” Helen pretended to consider the idea, then turned back to him “It would explain how you managed to let a robot loose in your lab after I specifically warned you about it.”
“It would,” Henry nodded, opening a door for her “I think you're probably right, Doc. Hey, maybe you should get biggie to make you some of his chicken soup. I think that cures about everything.”
“Perhaps,” she smiled, internally scolding herself for lying about something as nonsensical as a flirtation. Though it was none of Henry's business he didn't deserve to be lied to. “if not the it'll be B-vitamin shots all round I'm afraid.”
“Great.” he frowned. He had realised something was going on, but if it meant avoiding a needle Henry was more than willing to let it pass.
This wasn't like her. Helen was a creature of habit, in the truest sense. She didn't take her lovers from her staff, instead keeping her flirtations well away from those she knew well. The last man she had shared her home, her work and her bed with was James, all those years before, in a time when John was simply a sepia memory in a forever closed photo album. Then James had made her cheeks flush, he had held her hand and worked beside her while he caught her glances.
Now it was Will. Before it had even begun she was lying to her friends, hiding their brief moment as if it were something immoral. A kiss on the cheek was nothing, even by Victorian standards. She had crossed no lines, they had done nothing wrong, yet it unsettled her. Lost deep in thought she checked the door to Henry's lab as he stood worryingly silent, then smiled to him.
“We'll have this fixed in no time.” Helen told him, and stole a nearby screwdriver.