#helen/james/john/nikola/ranna

[sarcasticsciencefictionwriter]

WIP Wednesday

Sneak peek of a possible fic I came up with last night! This scene would be way down the line in it, but I'm too excited not to share it because there's no way I'm getting to the fic itself for a while.

The main pairing in this fic is Helen/James/John/Nikola/Ranna.

(Word count: 1,062)

-- Chapter ? of: Isn't it Lovely? --

Helen felt her lip quiver slightly as she faced Nikola.

He made no move to come closer to her. He stayed feet away from her, hands in the pockets of his coat, staring at her warily, as if she were crazy for being here. As if she shouldn't have been here, when he was the one that shouldn't have been.

"Helen." he repeated her name, shifting.

If he turned away, Helen swore she was beat him to a bloody pulp on the sidewalk. She wanted to. She wanted him to turn away so that she had the excuse. So that she could make him hurt and bleed, to show him a fraction of the pain he had caused.

"How….how are you? How are the others?"

She swallowed, taking a breath and letting it out, trying to contain the rage and the pain that filled her now.

She thought of bloody hands and blanket forts and grief in the dark.

"You left us."

Nikola winced, his expression changing, as if she had greatly hurt him for immediately bringing it up. As if he wished that she hadn't. As if he had expected to get away with what he had done.

"You left us, Nikola."

Her voice shook and Helen wanted to tell herself that it was in anger, but it was in grief. In wanting to demand why. To scream at him and cry and release all the pain that he had added to. He hadn't been the initial cause, but he had doubled it in one night.

"I know."

"You left us!"

Since he wouldn't close the gap, she did, marching closer to him, fists balled in the pockets of her coat, though she wasn't sure if it was to stop them from shaking or to stop herself from hitting him in the face.

"I know what I did."

Nikola's voice was quiet.

"Then why did you do it?"

Nikola's shoulders curved and he looked down.

"Why?"

"I couldn't take it, Helen. I couldn't…I couldn't stand it. I had to go."

"You couldn't stand the people that love you grieving? That's why you left us?"

He flinched and Helen had to swallow a hot ball that had formed in her throat.

"It wasn't you. It was me."

"You selfish bastard."

Nikola didn't respond this, looking weary.

Tears stung Helen's eyes and she forced them back.

"How are they?" Nikola asked quietly.

"Grieving James. Grieving you."

He looked smaller at the last words and Helen felt a sick sort of pleasure at this. She wanted to tear him open, drip poison into the wounds, because there was no way that he had as many as the rest of them.

"We lost you, just after James. Do you know what it's like, Nikola, to wake up the day after the funeral and find another person gone? A bloody note on the kitchen counter? To wake up and lose another person that you love? To have to face that they chose to leave you?"

A tear ran down her face.

Nikola made a strange jerky motion, as if he were going to come closer and stopped himself.

"How are you?" he pressed, as if he were desperate for the information.

"I had to come to New York to track you down, you bastard. How do you think I am?"

Helen clenched her jaw, hardly able to stop herself from screaming the words at him.

"I never hid where I am."

"You never returned any calls either."

"Are you here to ask me to come home?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because they need you."

"Why?"

"You want to know how they are, Nikola?"

Helen stalked closer, even though there was no one else around to hear what she was about to say.

"John has been seeking….revenge for James. He comes home with blood on him. We clean him up and I stitch up any injuries, so no one knows."

Nikola's eyes widened in alarm, in shock.

"He--"

"Yes."

Nikola dragged a hand through his hair, shaking his head in denial. As if he couldn't believe that a man such as John had turned to such a darkness.

Helen no longer remembered if she had been surprised that seemingly gentle, uncertain John had become a killer, but she supposed her reaction had probably been the same.

"And…and Ranna?"

"She's carrying a child that's already lost two fathers. How do you think she is?"

Nikola cringed.

"They need you, Nikola. You may not deserve to come home, you may not deserve them, but they need you."

Her tears ran down her face freely now and Helen hated herself for it.

She was supposed to be the strong one. She was the one that was supposed to be steady, for the others. She was the one that had come to New York to bring Nikola home.

She wasn't supposed to be crying now.

He moved closer now, as if to take her in his arms, but Helen threw up her hand to prevent him from doing so.

Nikola's eyes searched her face, expression pleading.

"What about you, Helen? Do you need me?"

"What I need doesn't matter."

Nikola's eyes scanned her, lingering on her face.

"You're sick, aren't you?"

His voice was so soft it was nearly lost despite their proximity.

Helen swallowed and nodded.

Nikola's expression broke and she saw the fear and the pain.

"Do they know?"

"Yes."

"Do they know how serious it is?"

"No."

"Can you survive?"

"Perhaps."

Nikola grasped her shoulders and stared her in the eyes, terror in his.

"What are you planning, Helen?"

"Protecting my family."

She shrugged him off, seeing the tears in his eyes. That was something she couldn't stand.

"Come home, Nikola. Stop being a coward when people love you."

He kept staring at her and Helen had the impression that she had taken a hammer to the cracked world he had been living in since they had been told of James's death.

She smiled as the rain began in earnest.

Good.

He would have no choice but to come home now.

"Helen--"

Helen turned and began to walk away, ignoring him even as she kept crying.

Her mind was already far away from where they were, back in a blanket fort and warmth and safety, which was more than the man behind her could give her now.

[onceuponahappytime]

So since youre finally finished (at least I think you are) what are your Sanctuary/Stargate ships? Of are you again shipping everyone? (I didn't forget about you and Spoon Queen)

Lol. Also just for the record Spoon Queen is amazing. But yes I'm as always someone who enjoys multiple ships. Its gonna be 100% Sam/Helen ships tho. Big surprise I know.

Sanctuary

Helen & Nikola: Two brilliant sassy scientists challenging each other all the time. Chemistry is insane. Didn't like how Tesla treated Magnus at first but then the redemption arc came. Now I adore them.

Helen & James

James would've treated her like a Queen, made her feel safe. Kinda best friends turn lovers ship

Helen & Charlotte

Crazy chemistry, saved a bunch of people together and Charlotte is clever enough to keep up with Helen. Oh and she made the first move. Definitively a match for the Doctor of ass kicking.

Helen & John

Only the past/young version though. Their love was so pure. I like the present time version in some ways because its one of the few ships portrayed as unhealthy as it actually is but you still feel the love.

Helen & Ranna

Two smart boss ladies trying to protect everyone no matter what. Amanda shipped them and so do I.

Stargate:

Sam & Janet

Again two brilliant women fighting together in a man's world. Its beautiful, they are co - moms, have their back and would give a damn hot couple

Sam & Jack

The obvious ship but tbh their chemistry is just wooow. The forbidden looks, the touches, the way he proudly looks at her when she starts her technobabble & how she just gets him. Probably my fav f/m ship of all times.

Sam & Vala

They are so different that a relationship between them could be so rewarding for both of them. Also again...hot couple.

Sam & Narim

Two smart awkward cupcakes trying to navigate their feelings...its just adorable. Also again A+ for chemistry but Amanda is like Lana...there's always chemistry.

[sarcasticsciencefictionwriter]

Trick or treat 🎃

Another trick-or-treat has arrived! Welcome, and please enjoy this bittersweet snippet from "Isn't It Lovely?", my Helen/James/John/Nikola/Ranna fic.

🍬🍭🍫🍬🍭🍫🍬🍭🍫🍬🍭🍫🍬🍭🍫🍬🍭🍫🍬🍭🍫🍬

"You need to sleep." Ranna's hands squeezed Helen's shoulder briefly and Helen hunched them out of her grasp.

"I'm fine."

She sipped her tea, not moving, trying to ignore Ranna.

"You need to sleep."

John had wandered in now, face nearly as haggard as her own, but his eyes were steady as they locked on her.

"What I need is for the two of you to stop ganging up on me." Helen snapped.

"Darling, you're not sleeping." John said, reaching for her hand.

Helen yanked it away, wondering how it was that obvious. She would lay with them until they fell asleep, then she would get up and do things, dozing on the sofa or in a chair, getting just enough sleep to keep going. But she had always woken up before John and Ranna and she wondered how they had noticed.

"I am."

"Not enough." Ranna said.

"It's enough."

"Helen…"

"I don't need the two of you fussing over me. It makes my teeth itch."

She glared at them over the rim of her cup, taking a gulp of the beverage that had become a prop in keeping herself awake.

"We're going to fuss when you aren't taking proper care of yourself." John snapped, slamming a hand down on the counter.

Ranna flinched.

Helen didn't.

She just stared at John coldly, though she knew that it probably looked more tired than anything else.

She didn't want to get into this. She could have been mean and pointed out how none of them were taking proper care of themselves, not really. Ranna was, but mostly for the sake of the life she carried, not her own.

She couldn't tell them how much she could not bring herself to be in that bed. Or any of them, really. Because James and Nikola were everywhere, they had always been there, but they weren't anymore and it was something that she couldn't stand.

Their scents lingering, but reaching out for them and them not being there. it was too much.

Helen stood, glaring at the two of them.

"I'm going for a walk."

She went out before either of them could protest, tell her that it was too late for such a thing.

The fresh air didn't do much to clear Helen's head. It just sent all the thoughts swirling. It made her want to cry, made her think of James and Nikola for no good reason. It was a bloody bed. She should have been able to sleep, but she couldn't and she couldn't explain it either.

Her shoulders had curled as she walked and she forced herself to straighten them, finding that her thumb was running over her ring, tracing the spirals obsessively, hard enough that she was leaving a sore patch on the pad of her finger.

Helen forced herself to stop, biting the inside of her cheek hard enough for her to taste blood.

She had no real idea how long she walked before she went home.

Walking into the house, she found that most of the lights were off, except some ambient lights in the living room, meaning that John and Ranna had probably given up and gone to bed without her.

Helen loathed herself for the fact that was exactly what her goal had been with her walk.

If they gave up and decided to get some sleep, she didn't have to talk to them. She didn't have to argue with them, she didn't have to face them. She didn't have to force herself to stay still in the bed that made her want to scream until she could get up and go anywhere else.

She started to trudge towards the kitchen, thinking that maybe she could make herself more tea in an effort to stay awake, though she knew that she needed to sleep, whether she liked it or not. Whether she could actually manage it or not.

"Helen."

The sound of her name made her jump and she turned to see that John was standing in the doorway of the living room, watching her with eyes that shone darkly with concern.

"What?"

"Can you come here, please?" John's voice was so soft and gentle that it nearly worried her. "We have something to show you."

Helen couldn't imagine that she wanted to see anything that they had to show her, supposing it was probably something to do with taking care of herself, but she had to be nice. She couldn't keep shoving them away and she didn't want to keep shoving them away when it came to everything.

"All right."

She trailed him into the living room, seeing that Ranna was sitting on the ottoman, hands slotted between her knees, looking anxious.

Helen saw what they wanted to show her without having to be told.

The chairs and sofa had been rearranged, except for James's preferred seat, blankets strewn over them.

In the space underneath, blankets, pillows, and cushions had been laid out, the string of fairy lights that Nikola had hung from the ceiling on her last birthday now repurposed to decorate the interior.

A blanket fort.

Helen stared at it blankly before looking at the other two.

"Do you like it?" John asked.

"What he means is that we made it for you." Ranna cut John a look, not moving from her position.

"Why…."

Helen trailed off, hugging herself, because she knew the answer.

"You don't want to sleep in the beds. So you don't have to. But you need to sleep."

John moved to stand beside Ranna, squeezing her shoulder. So tightly that his knuckles went white, but Ranna simply grasped that hand, as they both stared at Helen.

Helen didn't know what to say to this. She didn't know how to reaction, because this was so absurdly sweet there didn't seem to be a protocol for it.

They had noticed. They had realized why she wouldn't sleep and they had made her a blanket fort to sleep in.

She might have burst into tears if Ranna hadn't gotten to her feet and wrapped her in her arms, cradling Helen's head against her neck.

That embrace was what stopped Helen from falling apart completely, oddly enough, though she knew that Ranna was giving her permission to let go.

John came forward and wrapped them both in his embrace, a final layer of safety and Helen took a few deep breaths, because if she started crying now, she wasn't going to be able to sleep and she desperately needed to sleep.

When they finally let her go, Helen crawled into the fort after them once she had gotten rid of her shoes, feeling distinctly childish, but not caring.

The layers of blankets over what Helen suspected were the camping mattresses Nikola had insisted on purchasing if they were going to make him 'rough it' was more than enough to make sure that they wouldn't regret sleeping on the floor in the morning.

The amount of blankets told her that they had raided the linen closet for the spares and winter bedding, but it was cozy and the lights made it even more so.

John and Ranna settled on either side of her and Helen burrowed against John's chest, Ranna's warmth a comforting weight against her back.

"Was it that obvious?" she asked into his shirt as he massaged her back gently.

"Not until we started talking about reasons." John kissed the top of her head and she felt him take Ranna's hand behind her back, drawing her closer.

"You two don't have to sleep here if you don't want to."

"We miss you, Helen." Ranna rested her chin against her shoulder, breath tickling her hair. "We don't want you to be alone and we don't want to be away from you." Helen felt so raw that she was surprised that the tears weren't coming, especially with how much she was hurting, how exhausted she was.

But this--them--was enough of a balm to stop the tears, even though she was now scrabbling for words, trying to figure out what to say.

Because she needed to say something. She needed to express how this made her feel, because it was so ridiculous yet so sweet and she needed to tell them that, she needed to tell them that this was probably the best thing that they could have done for her, but the words wouldn't come.

She lifted her head and looked at John, then twisted to look at Ranna, feeling helpless with her lack of words.

Ranna kissed her softly.

"Just sleep. You don't need to say anything."

Helen nodded, swallowing, feeling the heavy weight of her emotions finally giving out beneath her exhaustion as she curled up in the blanket fort, nestled safely between the only two people she had left.

[sarcasticsciencefictionwriter]

🌹🌹🌹🌹 four roses for four sentence’s : )

Thank you so much! Sorry it took so long to get to this!

Have four sentences from my WIP 'Isn't it Lovely?' because I adore this story.

She didn't know how to react, because this was so absurdly sweet there didn't seem to be a protocol for it.

.

But this--them--was enough of a balm to stop the tears, even though she was now scrabbling for words, trying to figure out what to say.

.

While it was oh so very James to sit here reading a book and pretending that their childish antics were beneath him, Helen wasn't going to let him get away with it for too much longer.

.

They both laughed when John seized Nikola, who shouted out some rather impressive profanity in Serbian, and gave him the same treatment he had Ranna.

(From this ask game)

[sarcasticsciencefictionwriter]

Obsessing over the detail in my fic Isn't it Lovely? that I have Helen, James, John, Nikola, and Ranna all wear the same ring, which is basically just simple a gold band that has five spirals to represent all five of them.

[sarcasticsciencefictionwriter]

Sanctuary + Text Posts 6/?

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

(Fourth picture of this post may need to be zoomed in on/clicked on to be read)

[sarcasticsciencefictionwriter]

Hi! A, B, K, O, and U for the ask game please : )

Hiiii! Thank you!

A - Ships that you currently like a lot. (They don’t have to be OTPs because not everyone has OTPs.) Friendships, pairings, threesomes, etc. are allowed.

Helen/Ranna Helen/John/James Declan & James (or Declan/James) Sanctuary Family as a whole (platonic).

I mean, I guess Teslen? But that's just kind of always there, along with Magnitt. B - A pairing–platonic, romantic or sexual–that you initially didn’t consider, but someone changed your mind.

Helen/Abby. I never considered it, to be honest, especially since I like Abby/Will well enough, but @tinknevertalks definitely changed my mind on that, especially after I read her Slumber Party. It's a very interesting ship and she definitely changed my mind to it.

K - What character has your favorite development arc/the best development arc?

Uhh....I don't know, to be honest.

If I had to pick, I guess I would say Nikola? Because other contenders were kind of screwed at the end of their arcs.

But he changed significantly from when he was introduced in The Five to Sanctuary For None Part 2.

O - Choose a song at random. Which ship or character does it remind you of?

I hit shuffle on my music and wound up with Buzzcut Season by Lorde.

Which is my Helen/Ranna song, especially for my AU where they're living on the abnormal island together.

Especially this part:

The men up on the news They try to tell us all that we will lose But it's so easy in this blue Where everything is good

And I'll never go home again (Place the call, feel it start) Favourite friend (And nothing's wrong, when nothing's true) I live in a hologram with you We're all the things that we do for fun (And I'll breathe, and it goes) Play along (Make-believe it's hyper real) But I live in a hologram with you

U - Three favorite characters from three different fandoms, and why they’re your favorites.

Helen Magnus (Sanctuary). I don't know if I can really say why she's my favorite, other than she is? I love everything about her character and she's so compelling and I just love her so much.

Clarice Willow (Caprica) She's a bad guy. That's one of the reasons, to be honest. I think she's a very compelling character with her secretly a villain thing, it makes her all the more interesting. She also seems more fleshed out than a lot of the other characters.

Sam Carter (SG-1) Because she's smart and badass and human. A lot of my favorite characters fall into the 'awesome (in my opinion) female category' and Sam definitely fits in there.

[sarcasticsciencefictionwriter]

For the emoji asks!

💖 🎥 (for Enigmatic Confections) 🙌🐸

Thank youuuu! 🥰 (Sorry this took so long to answer!)

💖 Which of your fics is your pride and joy?

It changes. It changes, you can't make me choose. Right now Enigmatic Confections is high, high on that list. I am so proud of myself for it, because I think it's some of my best writing, I am not dropping it in the middle, and I'm keeping true to what I wanted it to be.

It is the biggest fic I've ever written (take that FB I wrote at 19!) and I'm still not done!

I love it and right now it is my biggest pride and joy. :D

🎥 Pick a fic and I'll tell you the song I imagine playing during its movie trailer.

Oof, Enigmatic Confections. Is there a song that says 'we've hated each other for misunderstandings for over a decade and are slowly falling for each other?'

Dog Days Are Over by Florence + The Machine.

I have no clue why, but it's certainly better than what I've been listening to to write it lately.

Now I kind of want to make a trailer for it. Does anyone even make trailer for fics anymore?

🙌What's a line or paragraph of yours that you're proud of?

Oh, that changes all the time, considering what I've just written or what I've reread.

This is from my Helen/Ranna WIP and I'm quite proud of it:

"Ranna... "Do you want more women to waste their lives here, die here? Do you want that for our daughter? Do we deserve that? Just so you can remain queen of your precious island?" Ranna stared her down, but her upper lip was trembling. It did not escape Helen's notice that Ranna had drawn a line and placed them on opposite sides. She had divided everything into everyone else and Helen. "I do not want them killed." she snapped. "I do not want our daughter to be killed because she came from here and we never let a father claim her." Tears pricked her eyes, but Helen clenched her jaw, refusing to let them escape. "You're afraid, Helen. Too afraid of losing everyone to realize you've already lost us."

🐸 If you incorporated your OTP into a Disney movie plot, which would it be?

Okay, I deserved that one. And I'm suddenly forgetting every Disney movie that has ever existed. My knee-jerk reaction is Helen/John in Beauty and the Beast, but that seems to be the one to put Sanctuary into. It could work, though, with John being the beast and Helen making a deal to save Gregory. (but you and Elysandra have now made me feel that Helen would be good as the beast...)

I actually am planning on past Helen/John in Encanto (he's dead, but there's flashbacks and it's important) that has turned into Helen/Nikola/James....

[sarcasticsciencefictionwriter]

💚 , 💖 and 💕 for the unpopular opinion asks

Thank you! :)

💚: What does everyone else get wrong about your favorite character?

Um..... I don't know? My favorites character is Helen and for the most, the fandom is pretty solid with her.

If I haaaaaad to say something, maybe how dependent she is/would be on Nikola?

(come at me, fellow Teslen shippers, I'm pretty sure I've been guilty of this once or twice. You all are great, I just have a peeve.)

💖: What is your biggest unpopular opinion about the series?

Will is a good character.

Yes, Season 4 Will was a mess, but he was pretty solid for the first three.

💕: What is an unpopular ship that you like?

Helen/John. Helen/James. John/James. Pretty much anything with James in it is not popular, to be honest.

Throwing Helen/Ranna and Ranna/Gregory in there too.

I actually also like Helen/Will, depending on the author.

Yes, I ignored a unpopular ship.

[sarcasticsciencefictionwriter]

Okay, naming 10 characters at once is kinda hard haha, but here, Sanctuary squad for that 10 characters ask: Helen / Ranna / Henry / Nikola / John / Will / Abby / Kate / James / Nigel <3

Thank you! 🤍 (Yes, ten characters at one is hard!) Hard list!

Marry: Helen. It's Helen, I don't think I need to elaborate.

Drink Tea With: James. He likes tea and we could have a nice conversation.

Party With: Kate. She'd be a good buddy to have at a party.

Kiss: Abby. Don't have a reason on this one.

Go out on a date with: Ranna. She's here because I don't know where else to put her. 😂

Push down the stairs: Nikola. He'd be fine and he's a (lovable) bastard.

Slap: Will. (He deserves it after season 4)

Invade the dreams of: Nigel. Could be interesting and he'd probably find it fun.

Take a nap with: Henry. Platonically, of course.

Rob: John. Yes, I'd rob Jack the Ripper, thank you very much.

[sarcasticsciencefictionwriter]

For the unpopular opinions asks!

💚🖤💖💔

Thank you!! :)

lanistas already asked three of these. 😅 I'll give you the answers too, though.

💚: What does everyone else get wrong about your favorite character?

My favorite character is Helen and I think the fandom is pretty solid on her for the most part.

If I absolutely had to pick something, it would be how dependent she is/would become on Nikola. (I'm really, really sorry fellow Teslen shippers. 😫)

🖤: Which character is not as morally good as everyone else seems to think?

Nikola. (I mean the fandom already covers Will and John. XD )

He tricked Helen into the catacombs and was actively going to harm her for not helping him, nearly killed John (I can't remember why??? But John nearly killed him, so it works out), made teenagers vampires to rebuild his species, joined SCIU.

Also, I think he let Afina's boobs and vampirism seduce him far too easily, but I can let that one slide. 😆

💖: What is your biggest unpopular opinion about the series?

That Will is a good character. Yes, he was a mess in Season 4, but he's still valuable to the story and other characters were allowed redemption the fandom doesn't allow him.

💕: What is an unpopular ship that you like?

Helen/John, Helen/James, James/John. Anything with James in it isn't popular, honestly.

Throwing in Helen/Ranna and Ranna/Gregory, along with Helen/Will. (The last one depends on author)

[sarcasticsciencefictionwriter]

✍️ , 🖋️ , ❤️ and ❗ for behind the scenes writing asks <3

Thank you, thank you! I love getting asks from you. 🥰🤍 (I'm putting the last question first because of the context it gives)

❗"how many WIPs do you have?"

Oh my god, it's 28, counting the ones I've published chapters of. This is why chapters are slow. 🙈😅

✍️ "when did you get started writing?"

I've been writing since I was...nine? Eight or nine and now that makes me feel old. 😂

As for fanfiction writing, I started seriously writing it last year, after I played with one a few years prior and gave up.

🖋️"what inspired you to write your WIPs?"

Oh gosh, lots of things. Mostly just love of my favorite shows and exploring different scenarios and thrusting characters into different situations. Prompts and things too. Anything and everything can and will be an inspiration if it catches my attention.

❤️"what are your favorite scenes from your WIPs?"

*coughs in 28 WIPs* Rather than go through and list a favorite scene from each WIP, I'm just going to share two scenes that I've been obsessing over since I wrote them, to spare everyone. 😂

From my James Watson + Fatherhood WIP:

The scene where I have James with little Henry days after he was found on the moors. Henry has a nightmare and James takes him to comfort him so he won't wake Helen. James is awkward, but cuddles Henry and ends up giving him his name.

From my Helen/Ranna WIP:

The flashback scene I have from Helen's viewpoint when she's pregnant with Ashley and she and Ranna are cuddling and talking. Helen is feeling conflicted because of her relationship(s) with John and Nikola, one of whom is Ashley's father. Ranna points out they wouldn't have a child without that and that she's always known and approves/given her blessing. Ranna doesn't understand why Helen is feeling the way she does and Helen becomes frustrated and annoyed and they end up talking about it and their relationship.

(For clarity, Helen is polyamorous, Ranna's not, but doesn't mind)

Thanks so much! ❤️