Author Introduction: The following short stories are one shots I wrote in my earlier years here on FF Net. Some I had taken down, mainly because I wanted to rewrite them and felt the original fics were too OTT fluffy, and too sweet for HR; and some I simply took down because I wanted to de-clutter my FF account and place into one whole collection fic. My plans for major rewrites on the first few stories - such as this one - will still go ahead, of course, and each will be very different to how they were originally envisioned, but I felt I ought to re-post the originals. Mainly so that people can see how much my writing style has improved over the years, but also because I did feel a little bad for taking them down. People did like them. :) I have to point out, my writing style is much different now. I'm more concerned in a greater accuracy in character than I used to be, even if I still like to write fluff. :) These are mainly here for historical reasons, and as a contrast to the new rewrites/re-interpretations. The only thing I did with these was correct grammatical/punctuation errors, since that is important in writing. The first one shot here is my very first story, which I was strangely proud of at first. The rewrite of this story is also nearly finished. ;) Enjoy! Please review. :D

PS - I don't call Pinhead by that unflattering moniker in my newest stories, but back when I first joined this site, I did. Yet for historical purposes I've decided to not correct that here. :)

Summary

A fan alternative take on the infamous scene from 'Hellraiser II: Hellbound', in which Kirsty reminds Pinhead of his humanity. As well as presenting him with photographic evidence of his human past, Kirsty decides to reawaken his slowly burgeoning humanity with something no one has ever dared to attempt before with him...a kiss! Could this ever possibly work? Much sweeter and tender than the film version.

Rated: T

Genre: Romance/Angst

Characters: Kirsty/Pinhead/Channard

You were Human Once

Pinhead could only watch on helplessly as his loyal Cenobitic minions were slaughtered and reduced to their human forms at the moment of death. He glared at the murderer; Hell's newest Cenobite...the former human known as Doctor Channard; a man obsessed with the Lament Configuration and Hell in general. His lust and greed had led him to this moment, and he desperately wanted more.

"I'M TAKING OVER THIS OPERATION!" the Channard Cenobite growled in a horrid and arrogant voice, demanding dominance.

While this new addition to their realm had fully embraced his new life as a Cenobite, Pinhead, however, was in the opposite direction. Just moments before Channard had entered the room, the human female Kirsty Cotton had handed him an incredibly old photograph. This photo was the key to Pinhead's past, and Kirsty knew it. In the photo stood a tall, debonair, brave and dashingly handsome army officer, and Pinhead had thought he recognised him; but where from?

Was he someone who had escaped Hell, like Frank Cotton? No. Kirsty Cotton was adamant that the man in the photo was him...Pinhead!

"I...remember." he had said following a few moments of gazing really hard at the photo, while Kirsty looked to him in sympathy and concern, with her fear of him melting away bit by bit. The seconds ticked by as she stared into his now sad, dark eyes she could sense a new feeling taking over in her heart; it felt different to anger and hatred. Kirsty didn't know for sure what this feeling was, but she had an idea.

'I can't be,' she thought to herself as she examined the feeling more closely. 'I can't have feelings for him. I just can't! It's not right.'

"You were all human!" Kirsty finally trembled, ripping her gaze from Pinhead and acknowledging the other Cenobites; they were once just as human as Pinhead.

"Why are you doing this, child? Why must you help us?" Pinhead queried suspiciously, but with a tinge of nervousness lacing his voice.

Kirsty chose to say nothing. Instead, she moved closer to him. Bringing a hand up, Kirsty slowly and gingerly placed it to the side of his cheek, then stroked the tips of her delicate fingers along it tenderly.

Those deep, dark eyes fell upon her hand curiously. "What is the meaning of this?" he asked confusedly.

Kirsty smiled slightly. "I'm helping you to remember more of your humanity." she whispered.

Pinhead stood perfectly still, straightening himself up to his full six foot frame, rooted solid to the spot as Kirsty, without warning, leaned herself up, bringing her face to his.

Tilting her head to one side so his pins didn't puncture her tender skin, Kirsty closed her eyes and pressed her ruby lips against his contrasting pale lips softly. Initially unresponsive, Pinhead finally began to relax into the kiss, allowing his human instincts to flow freely, and eventually closing his own eyes and bringing his hands to cup her cheeks, while her own hands slid down and settled on his chest.

A thousand memories of kisses with many lovers, girlfriends, hookers, and the occasional harmless Christmas kiss bombarded Pinhead as their lips brushed hungrily together. He finally remembered what it was like to taste the sweet lips of a beautiful woman, and it felt good...it always did. And it felt good to kiss Kirsty Cotton, despite the fact they were from two separate worlds.

A minute ticked by and Kirsty finally broke the kiss and pulled away, looking deep into his sad pain-ridden eyes. She was positive now, the butterflies in her stomach and her rapid pulse confirmed it; she had fallen hopelessly, desperately and insanely in love with him. But why?

Could it have been the recent tragedy in her life and his past human life full of war and death that had brought them together? Bonded them on some subconscious level that they were both unaware of until now?

It was possible.

Kirsty was amazed when a slight childlike smile slid across his lips.

"Kirsty," Pinhead murmured, "I feel...unusually fond of you."

Kirsty's mouth dropped wide open as she heard him speak such sweet words. She'd never have thought this creature would ever feel anything for her and then tell her so. She smiled for a brief second before shrinking away, her brown eyes still locked onto his onyx ones. She was about to reply to his confession, perhaps tell him she felt the same, but it was never meant to be.

The Channard Cenobite, the real evil one in the equation here, had breezed into the room and interrupted them. Moments following the kiss, Kirsty had been pushed into the sidelines for her own protection by the humanised Pinhead, but the Cenobites had fallen - one by one in their attempt to protect her and Tiffany, and their home. Now only Pinhead remained left following in the wake of the tragic deaths.

"AND YOU GIRLS WILL BE MY FIRST PATIENTS!" Channard growled menacingly at Kirsty and the young mute girl Tiffany, whom Kirsty had befriended and was now desperately trying to protect herself.

Pinhead could see the desperation and fear in Kirsty's eyes. He knew that neither she nor the other girl would survive an attack by this Channard creature. He had to step up here and protect Kirsty, protect both girls, at the cost of his own life. He simply no longer wished to see them suffer, not at least Kirsty.

It all happened so fast. One minute he was the villain, with Kirsty as his sweet and innocent victim. Now, he was the hero and Kirsty was his damsel in distress.

"I won't let you hurt them!" Pinhead snarled at Hell's newest, craziest power hungry Cenobite as he stepped out in front of them, blocking Channard's way to the girls.

Channard murmured not a word. Instead, he raised his hands and a brilliant crackle of electricity shot from them, engulfing Pinhead's face.

Kirsty watched on from the shadows as another shot of the brilliant, bright light bathed the head of the pinned Cenobite.

'What's happening to him? What is that monster doing to him?' Kirsty thought worriedly.

After about five shots, Kirsty had realized that Pinhead had been stripped of his pins, the grid-like pattern and unnaturally pale tinge of his skin melting away to reveal his human features. The man who now stood before them was now completely human. Turning his head slowly around to face her, the human Pinhead's breath was instantly took away as he absorbed her angelic features, while Kirsty took in his boyishly handsome, clean-cut looks. His soft and kind blue eyes twinkled at her, and she felt herself falling ever deeper for him.

For what seemed like a lifetime, Kirsty and the former Cenobite just simply stared transfixed at one another; neither saying anything, just merely smiling sadly to each other in mutual understanding.

But now, Kirsty's heart felt like it would break as she noticed how he was signalling for her to leave at once. She knew what this meant; he was going to sacrifice himself to save her.

"No! I can't leave you!" Kirsty cried as she stepped out of the shadows and made her way slowly toward him.

Pinhead turned fully around as he noticed her moving closer to him. "You must, Kirsty. Please, leave this place at once. You're not safe here."

Kirsty remained defiant, still walking toward the man she had grown feelings for, and listening to his voice as he spoke to her, noticing the difference. She felt a lump forming in her throat as she heard how human he sounded. She thought of how lovely his voice was as she drew just mere inches from him, placed her hands atop his shoulders and staring deep into his piercing blue eyes, pleadingly, begging him for one last moment, for one last kiss.

"Please, kiss me." she whispered tenderly, while human Pinhead glanced nervously at Channard who, not surprisingly, seemed impatient, but then a weird smile crept upon his ugly face.

"VERY WELL. I DON'T SEE WHY YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE ONE LAST MOMENT TOGETHER, BEFORE YOU DIE!" Channard growled, cackling fiendishly.

Pinhead turned to face the young woman he had fallen in love with and smiled sadly, and he took her by the waist, pulling her to him gently, kissing her lips once again, but only this time more passionately, in the absence of the pins.

Eventually, Kirsty could only grudgingly pull herself away from Pinhead's loving, tender embrace, her lips slowly tearing from his.

Smiling briefly, Pinhead suddenly turned deathly serious as he looked into her eyes.

"I'll be fine. We'll meet again. Go, Kirsty...NOW! Save yourself!" the human-Pinhead instructed her while she painfully tore herself from his oddly warm hands and darted toward the door, grabbing Tiffany's arm and pulling her along with her.

But, as Tiffany ran up ahead, Kirsty stayed behind, hidden behind the door and watching through the cracks, unknown to her would-be lover and could only watch on helplessly as the blue-eyed man's throat was slashed by Channard's tentacle knife. Blood poured profusely from the gaping wound and down his chest while he gasped for breath.

A tear came to Kirsty's eye as she watched him fall backward and hit the floor. She had hoped he would prevail over Channard, but no. He was dead and he wasn't even given a chance; a chance for life, a chance to love, a chance to defend himself with better efficiently, and it wasn't fair.

Kirsty was heartbroken. But for now, all she could do was be thankful for the kiss they shared, take away a mental picture of him and feel comforted by the fact that now he was free and no longer a brainwashed Cenobite. He could now finally, after seventy-odd years trapped under a spell, rest in peace.

The End