AN Long time no update, sorry RL is super busy. But I just watched awakening and couldn't help writing. What an AWESOME episode!
Edit: Whoops mixed up this chapter a little when uploading, hope its all fixed now

Chapter 20

John knelt beside her. Today was the day. He had argued so hard, even threatened to tell Gregory. Helen had argued back, but in the end it didn't matter how many heated words they had exchanged. Helen's mind was set; as the unspoken leader of The Five it was her prerogative.

"Helen.." He murmured.

Helen flushed unexpectedly at John's closeness and familiarity with her being displayed in front of the rest of The Five, they knew of course, but Helen tried to keep that part of their relationship separate from their work. The couple worked on snatched kisses and brief words of affection and intimacy when they were allowed time alone.

Helen was not swayed. Her idea, her responsibilities, her fault if it failed.

"No John." Helen said, not meeting his eyes, instead she followed Nikola's movements as he prepared the source blood.

John sighed and he too turned his attention onto the Serbian.

Four sets of eyes sat on Nikola as he drew the serum out of the vial into the needle. The tension was palpable now, all this work, the months of seclusion, of sacrifice, this was the time.

Nikola hesitated as he looked at the needle, this could be the instrument of Helen's death. Or it could show them all as the brightest and most daring minds of this generation.

He made his way over to Helen.

"It's ready." he murmured, his words barely audible.

Nigel, John and James had all argued intensely against this. Nikola had not tried to convince her since last week. Even now minutes away from the taking of the source blood serum James and Nigel made one last attempt

"You don't have to go first!" Nigel snapped "John or I could have a go to start."

" He's right, no need for unnecessary heroics. The side affects are completely unknown" James added.

Out of the corner of her gaze Helen saw Nikola roll his eyes, only his concern for Helen held his tongue. It was an inane statement. They all knew the risks.

In her quiet resolute way Helen replied "Thank you gentlemen, but this experiment was of my design, I should be the one to prove its worth."

"Helen.." John said, taking Helen's hand, one last ditch effort. "You're certain?"

"We've risked too much to turn back now. We need to know." Helen couldn't keep the nerves from causing her voice to waver but she would not change her mind. The decision was made.

It didn't stop her heart beating hard and fast in her chest.

Nervous as she was she didn't even chide John of the closeness he was displaying, he worried for her and their relationship was getting serious. Helen just didn't like the relationship paraded about, again her decision, not his. Too much her own woman to accede as much as John wished. But caring for him too much to put him off also.

Helen looked up and met Nikola's eyes, concern was written all over his face but he didn't say a word against what was to come.

"You may proceed Nikola"

Now he too knelt, and rolled back her sleeve. At the last moment he looked up, searching Helen's face for a trace of doubt. Not finding it he lowered his gaze to her exposed arm.

When the needle pierced her skin there was a sharp pain, barely a second later the cold hit her, at first it was just where the needle pierced her skin, she gasped involuntary as the cold swept up her arm. Her arm felt numb and for moment Helen thought all was well. Then the burning started, it followed her veins, making its way up her arm into her chest, in a matter of seconds every drop of blood in her body was burning.

Next her skin started tingling, unpleasantly at first but then painfully, waves of heat and coldness flashed from the tips of her toes up her legs, spreading out through both arms and up her neck.

Now she could feel every single hair follicle on her body, each was a needle of pain. She cried out again, she searched for Johns face and his unsure gaze gave no sign he could help.

She snapped her eyes closed as the pain moved to her eyes, her eyeballs feeling hot and heavy in her eye sockets.

It stayed like this, needle point pain throughout her body, waves of hot and cold and eyes that no longer wanted to focus for what seemed like an age. Helen sat in the chair gasping, one hand grasped with Johns the second crushing Nikola's in her pain filled vice grip.

She could hear voices but they made no sense, even James's urgent yell could not pierce the veil of this pain.

An unbearable pain now developed in her stomach, like hunger but a thousand times worse, the pain radiated through to her back and instinctually she felt her body curl into a ball. It felt like it lasted an eternity, and Helen was powerless to do anything but feel it.

Helen tried to tell the others to do something. Her tongue felt limp in her mouth and Helen couldn't tell if she was speaking or just moaning.

Curled up, wracked by spasms of pain, the strange tingling over her skin; Helen was lost.

Through the haze Helen felt strong hands grip her shoulders, urgent voices tried to break through but comprehension alluded Helen.

The pain lessened but Helen still couldn't focus, she tried to look around the room but everything was a blur, she cried out in both pain and fear.

She felt more pain, at the site of the injection, an ache this time rather than stabbing. Darkness clouded her vision and Helen realised someone was leaning over her.

She felt this needle go in, it hurt so much more than the initial prick of the source blood and Helen moaned in agony.

It didn't take long for the glorious blackness to take her.

Nigel looked green, he seemed on the verge of being sick. James paced the room casting terrified glances at Helen. John still knelt beside her, looking lost.

Helen moaned again. Two hours, no improvement, clearly she was in pain. Nikola balled his fists. She was in so much pain. He was the cause.

"Nigel" Nikola's voice seemed to echo in the terrible silence left in the room, his voice gravelly with worry. Nigel glanced at Nikola

"Yeh?"

"Go get Gregory." Nikola directed quietly.

"What?" Nigel looked dumbfounded at Nikola.

"Get Helen's father. Now. We need him."

Nigel looked at James then back to Nikola "Helen asked us not to tell-"

"I know what she said" he snarled. "She isn't getting better. We need-" Nikola's voice cracked and he fell silent his eyes resting on Helen who flinched as another spasm of pain wracked her body.

"Do it." James said quietly. "Go Nigel and fast, we are out of our depth."

Nigel snatched his coat and fled the room.

Another groan escaped Helen's lips and John let out a sound akin to a sob. "James is there nothing we can give her?"

James spread his hands in front of him, "I have no idea what can interact with the source blood."

"She is awake and in pain James-"

"Can't we wait for Gregory-"

"He could be days away." Nikola stated.

James hesitated before nodding. "Morphine I think" He filled another syringe and John held her shuddering body still as James injected her. In a matter of minutes the spasms had lessoned. Helen's eyes closed and her breathing became more regular.

Nigel arrived back with Gregory the next day. To say Gregory was angry would be to call hurricane force winds a wee bit breezy.

Luckily he managed to old his temper in check as he strode into Helen's bedroom. After the first day they moved Helen to her own room. There was still no improvement.

He entered the room, Nigel following like a puppy with his tail between his legs. John rushed over to Gregory "Gregory -thank you for-"

"Do not thank me for coming to help my own daughter when you risked her life in such a way." Gregory said sharply. "I expected better from you John. Nigel, John get out. I need to tend to my daughter and yell at these too fools."

Nikola stayed where he was in the corner of the room. He expected to be held at least partially unaccountable for letting Helen act so foolishly.

James had been sitting at Helen's bedside taking her pulse. He moved out of the way as Gregory approached.

"Her condition?"

"Stable, we currently have her on morphine. She.." he hesitated before squaring his shoulders, finally looking Gregory in the eye. "She was unresponsive yesterday after taking the blood. We left her for two hours before giving her anything but.. she was in pain."

Gregory nodded. "Go get my medicine bag from my lab."

As James left Gregory turned his attention on Nikola. "Helen is brilliant, smart, courageous and honourable. She is also headstrong. I should have known she would insist on being the first. I did not think the rest of you would let her. Especially you Nikola. My daughter could have died."

"She still could." Nikola whispered.

"No, I believe the danger has past. Her life is no longer at risk. Now its just a matter of time to see what permanent damage has been done."

The relief that had be so clear on Nikola's face when Gregory said she might not die wavered when he considered the other consequences. Brain damage, paralysis.. She might not be Helen again.

"Damn it Nikola! How could you let her do it?"

A thousand excuses came to Nikola's mind. Helen was a grown woman, she made the decision fully aware of what could happen. Short of physically restraining her how could he stop her?

"I don't know." Nikola said, his eyes on Helen's peaceful face.

He wanted to say more but James re-entered the room.

"Leave now Nikola, James and I have work to do."

Nikola fled.

They took turns sitting at her bedside, Gregory bustled in an out for hours. By the time it was Nikola's shift it was dark.

Nikola was half asleep when he heard movement. He opened his eyes to see Helen her eyes blinking as she looked around the room.

"Hi" he said quietly.

"Hi" Helen replied, her voice raspy with lack of use.

"How are you feeling?" Nikola asked.

"Fine"

"Fine as in' oh I can now lift half a building' or 'fine I don't feel any different'?" Nikola said, a smile playing on his lips. Helen was alive, speaking even!

Helen grinned "About the same actually. How long?"

"Nearly two days actually. After some time we ah.. Sent for Gregory."

"Oh dear." Helen said.

Nikola nodded unable to wipe the smile from his face. He hadn't killed her. His scientific curiosity ached to ask more, to run tests but at this point he was fairly certain Gregory would kill him himself if he did.

"Angry?"

"Oh yes."

"Oh dear."

"Can I get you anything?"

"Thirsty." After getting some water Nikola fetched Gregory.

He was ushered from the room while her father checked on Helen's condition and, Nikola presumed, had a good chat about how foolish she had been.

Nikola made his way to the drawing room where John, James and Nigel were waiting. Nigel was laying on the couch with his eyes closed, but like the other two, when Nikola entered he sat bolt upright waiting for news.

"She's awake, she's talking. Same old Helen." The four men broke out in grins.

"Did she mention anything about feeling different?" James asked?

"Oh yeah was all that worth it?" Nigel chimed in.

"Nothing as yet. I'm sure we will see it in time."

It took two months. Helen reported nothing more than an ability to stay awake longer than before. She still ate like normal, had no special abilities, couldn't fly, lift buildings or shoot water from her fingers. She was just Helen.

Thanks to Gregory's veto on more human trials they were back to examining the source blood and trying to figure out what went wrong.

Nikola sighed and stretched his back, he had just gone through the equations again with Helen and James. It was disheartening, they could not figure out what was wrong. On paper it should of worked Helen should have gained some useful ability.

Helen was reading through some of her fathers papers hoping to find some insight previously missed.

James had taken Nikola's position in front of the window looking out onto the Oxford courtyard, lost in thought.

Nikola, never good at doing nothing, pulled out some samples of the Source Blood serum and started looking at that under the microscope.

"James, can you bring me Helen's blood sample from two weeks ago?"

"Please?" James pointed out despite moving to get the samples. Nikola's only reply was a sneer.

Nikola finished looking at the serum samples. They were fine. Nothing new, nothing unexpected. He snatched up Helen's samples that James had left on the desk.

"James if I say please can you bring me the right blood?" Nikola snapped. His temper had not been well under control of late, Helen was spending most of her time with John and the source blood project was going nowhere. Nikola didn't like to fail.

Helen looked up "Nikola.." she said warningly.

"I did bring the right blood Nikola." James replied impatiently, not even bothering to turn to face Nikola.

Nikola rolled his eyes. "I meant the blood from two weeks ago, this is too recent I didn't want the stuff you took this morning."

Helen's brows furrowed as she looked over at Nikola.

"You're wrong Nikola," James said as he glanced at Nikola too "I haven't taken any blood samples from Helen today."

Nikola resisted the urge to double check. He knew what he saw. This blood was recent.

"I beg to differ."

Both James and Helen where interested now. Helen came over, checked the name, date and details of the sample before looking in the microscope.

"This is odd, it looks like the blood hasn't aged at all."

James double checked, he agreed.

The three looked at each other in nervous excitement.

"So... It worked?" James said.

Nikola laughed "It worked! Helen.. is what immortal?"

"No she can get hurt.. can't you?" James replied.

Helen quickly found a scalpel and made a small cut on her finger.

"Ow!" She muttered in surprise.

"It's not healing." James stated.

"I can see that thanks James." Helen's sarcasm bit this time.

"So not immortal but unaging?" Nikola posited.

"We need to take more samples, test it each day, in comparison to ours. See the differences." James said, his mind already at work planning the tests.

It took a further month to prove. Helen aged much slower. That was her gift, her power, her abnormality. They ran the tests and experiments past Gregory. He agreed.

The decision was made. The next of The Five was due to take the source blood.

Nikola, James, Nigel and John drew straws.

Nikola sulked when he got the shortest. He would be last.

Next up was James.