Alright, here's a little story about five times Helen was asked to Dance. Each chapter can stand alone. i apologize ahead a time for any grammatical mistakes. Enjoy :D

*Disclaimer: I do not own Sanctuary or any of it's characters :(

Helen didn't mean to work so late again. She had promised both Ashley and Henry that she would play a game with them tonight, however one of the more dangerous abnormals had escaped from the London Sanctuary, meaning that there would be no game of Candyland this evening. It pained Helen knowing that her long days and late nights, often meant she couldn't spend as much time with her children as she would like.

Just as the thought of her own childhood and the amount of time her father spent consumed in his work crossed her mind, she heard little feet running down the hall towards her office. She could hear Henry telling Ashley to shut up and not say anything.

Ashley came bursting through her office door, completely out of breathe, closely followed by Henry who continued to try to keep Ashley from telling something.

"Mommy! Henry told me to shut up!" was the first thing Ashley said. Somehow Helen did not think this was the thing Henry was so worried about.

"Yes, I know. I heard him." she said. "Henry I've told you I do not like it when you use those words. It does not solve anything. Why don't you tell me what it is you don't want me to know?"

"Henry's got a girlfriend!"

"Do not!"

"Do to!"

"Not!"

"Do!"

"Alright! That's enough you two" Helen sighed.

"But I really don't have a girlfriend" He looked up at her with his puppy dog eyes begging her to make Ashley stop teasing him (which was no easy task).

"He does so, I saw him in his room dancing with a broom and calling it Jenny!" Ashley looked very proud that she had managed to tell her mother exactly what Henry didn't want her to know.

"She's not my girlfriend. There's a dance at school and I-" Henry stopped his sentence short. Helen had the feeling they had gotten to the reason Henry was so upset.

"Go on Henry it's alright, Ashley won't say anything to you. Will you?" Helen gave Ashley a stern look that she saved only for situations like this. Ashley looked at her mother and quickly shook her head back and forth.

"I don't know how, how t-to ask a girl to" he paused and looked down at his feet. "I don't know how to ask a girl if she will dance with me." He looked up at her as if ashamed of himself and Helen's heart melted.

"Oh Henry, it's not hard to ask a girl to dance with you. You just walk up to her and say something along the lines of "would you like to dance with me?" Then the choice I hers. Never take it personally if a girl says no" She smiled at the 11 year old boy. He still looked very nervous until he took a deep breathe, walked to where Helen stood, held out his hand, and in an almost steady voice "would you like to dance with me?"

Helen was a little surprised at first and it must have shown in her face because Henry's hand went back by his side and he went back to looking at his feet. Without hesitation Helen said "I would be honored to share a dance with you Mr. Foss." His head snapped back up. His face had a questioning look as if to say 'really?' Helen nodded her head slightly and held out her hand.

Henry took and carefully put his hand around her waist. She placed her hand on his shoulder and they began to sway back and forth. Ashley, who had been quiet (never a good sign) suddenly turned the tape player to a slow waltz. Helen continued to dance with her son until he gently pulled away and bowed to her. She curtsied and thanked him for the dance, wondering where he had learned to dance.

"Mommy and Henry sitting a tree K-I-S-S-I-AM-T." Ashley started chanting. She was only 6 and hadn't quite mastered her spelling yet. Henry told her to stop, she stuck her tongue out at him, and off they went. Ashley running and Henry trying to catch her.

Helen rolled her eyes and yelled after the pair "It's time for bed you two! Don't make me get the Big Guy!" That always worked. While her old friend was soft at heart, he always had a way of making her children listen. She heard Ashley squeal, followed by the sound of two doors slamming shut. Helen waited a few minutes and then went to tuck her children in.

She opened Henry's door and peeked in. "Goodnight Henry. Sweet dreams." She had just turned to leave when she heard him say "wait."

"I just wanted to say thank you for helping me."

"Of course Henry, you know I'll always help you with anything you ever need."

"I know. Goodnight. I love you."

"I love you too, Henry."

Helen left Henry's room and moved to her daughter's room. She opened the door and walked in the room. "Goodnight Ashley. Sweet dreams."

"Goodnight. Sweet dreams."

Helen gave her a kiss and pulled her blankets up so she would be warm. She turned on her nightlight before starting to leave her room. She paused slightly waiting for the one thing that made everyday worth living; "I love you mommy." She closed her eyes and gently said; "I love you too, my sweet girl."

Helen went back to her office and continued the paperwork from the London incident. She had been working for about 20 minutes when she once again heard the sound of little feet walking down the hallway. She watched as the door knob to her office slowly turned and one big blue peeked through the crack.

"Yes, Ashley. Is something wrong?" Ashley slowly pushed the door all the way open and walked into her office.

"I just wanted to know if girls can ask boys to dance, or if it always has to be boy who asks a girl?" Helen looked at her daughter for a moment and smiled.

"Of course a girl can ask a boy to dance. In fact, I think it's better that way." Helen winked at her daughter.

Ashley walked over to her and, in a very soft voice said; "Mommy, would you like to dance with me?" Helen looked at her as she felt her heart gush with affect. She took her hand and said "it would be my pleasure."

Instead of dancing in a traditional stance (like she had with Henry) Helen picked up Ashley and swayed with her back and forth, spinning ever once in while, until finally Ashley placed her head on her mother's shoulder and slowly closed her eyes. Helen slowed her sway and just rocked gently with her daughter wrapped securely in her arms.

These were the moments that made Helen wish her work did not consume so much of her precious time. She walked the sleeping Ashley back to her room and laid her in her bed. She then climbed in to the bed next to her and before she knew it, she too had fallen asleep, her piles of paperwork forgotten on her desk.