This is my first fanfiction on here (although I have several scattered around the internet in various places) so it's sort of a debut for me. It's my first finished Sanctuary fic, and first Teslen, so sorry if I get the characterizations wrong or whatever. And this fic is perfect proof of how I never really know where my writings are going to end up when I start them. Originally, this was going to be set this year and they would be all reminiscent and stuff. And then some angst came and forced its way in. And then every thing else. Also, the dancing lights were only going to be the one hallway and then I changed my mind... Anyway, let me know what you think and enjoy.
Sanctuary is not mine, never has been mine, and never will be mine.
Christmas Memories
A fresh snow had fallen when Henry's computer alerted him that someone had entered the front gate. He grabbed a gun sitting on the desk next to his computer, and he went to the front door. When he opened the door, he found Nikola Tesla grinning and holding a bottle of wine adorned with a bow.
"Heinrich, is Helen around?" he asked immediately, walking inside. Henry turned, trying to follow Nikola's movements. He seemed especially nervous tonight.
"Yeah, Magnus is in her office," Henry finally replied. Without another word, Nikola walked away, heading towards Helen's office.
Meanwhile, Helen was sitting at her desk and had just taken a file off of a stack of about a hundred files when there was a knock at her door.
"Enter," she called without looking up. Nikola walked in, one hand behind his back as he closed the door with the other.
"Helen, you really should take a break," he remarked as he took in the stack of paper work on her desk. Helen gave him a small smile before turning back to her paper work.
"I have too much work for that, I'm afraid," she told him. Nikola walked over and dragged her chair away from the desk.
"Helen, it's almost midnight on Christmas Eve. Just this once, give yourself a break," he instructed, taking her hands and pulling lightly.
"Nikola, I need to get this done," Helen protested, though she allowed herself to be pulled into a standing position.
"You can do it after Christmas. Come with me and we'll have Christmas," Nikola pleaded gently, pulling again. Helen sighed, pulling away and turning. She took a few steps away, remaining silent.
"How can I celebrate, Nikola?" she finally whispered, so quiet he could barely hear her words. He furrowed his brow slightly in confusion, then realization hit him and he stepped forward to take her hand.
"Oh Helen, now more than ever you need a friend," he told her gently, his voice unusually sincere. Helen locked his eyes with hers, trying to read what he was planning, and found nothing more than concern and love. She smiled gratefully and allowed him to embrace her, tucking her head under his chin as she finally allowed herself to break down. He kissed the top of her head, and they stood that way for several minutes before she pulled away.
"Thank you, Nikola. I haven't felt this bad on Christmas since-" Helen began, stopping herself short as looking down. Nikola furrowed his brow and placed a finger under her chin, lifting her eyes to look at him.
"Since when?" he asked quietly, noticing Helen's faint blush and she dropped her eyes again.
"Since you disappeared," she whispered, her blush darkening. She looked up at him, expecting a smirk, but instead finding his eyes full of guilt. He tightened his hold on her, and she pressed her face against his chest, breathing in his scent. He rubbed her back soothingly as he guided them backwards to the couch. He held her as she gradually fell asleep, then he picked her up and carried her to her room, where he tucked her in and kissed her forehead lightly.
When Helen woke up the next morning, she sat up to see Nikola standing next to the window in a new suit with a glass of wine in his hand. When he heard her moving, he spun around, grinning.
"Merry Christmas, Helen," he said, walking over to hand her the wine glass. She cocked an eyebrow, ignoring the glass.
"It's a little early for wine, Nikola," she remarked, a hint of laughter in her voice.
"No, my dear, it is a little late for you to be waking up," Nikola corrected, indicating the window. Helen looked outside and noticed that the sun was far to the West, within about two hours of setting.
"What time is it?" she asked, trying to see around Nikola, who was sitting in front of her clock.
"Just after three. You must have really needed that sleep," he replied, taking her hand. She stared at their joined hands for a few seconds before looking up at him.
"That was the best sleep I've had since….thank you, Nikola," she finally told him, smiling. She finally pulled herself out of bed, looking down with some surprise when she noticed that she was still in the same clothes as last night. Nikola caught the look and feigned offense.
"You didn't really expect me to undress you while you were asleep, did you?" he inquired, standing up.
"I'd be less surprised if you had," Helen responded as she smirked.
"Helen, I'm hurt." Nikola walked over to her and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her out into the hallway.
"Where are we going?" Helen asked after she had allowed Nikola to lead her into the elevator.
"It's a surprise, Helen. Now close your eyes, you wouldn't want to ruin it," he answered. Helen narrowed her eyes at him, wondering if it was a trick. When the elevator doors dinged open, Nikola sighed in mock exasperation and wrapped his hand around Helen's eyes, blocking her view. He led her into the hallway, and leaned over to press a button and Christmas music began blasting through the Sanctuary. Nikola led Helen back to the elevator, still not letting her see, only uncovering her eyes once the doors were closed again. The doors opened again, but this time Nikola let Helen keep her eyes open. He merely took her hand and led her down the hallway to an old dining room that was rarely used anymore. Helen noticed that every curtain in the hallway was drawn and tied shut, blocking out any view of the outside.
"Nikola, why are all the curtains closed?" she asked curiously.
"You'll see tonight, Love," he responded. He reached out and opened the door to the dining room, revealing a room decorated beautifully. On the table was a full Christmas dinner, lit by candlelight and the soft glow of Christmas lights that lined the molding around the top of the walls. Helen gasped, her eyes wide in surprise and wonder. She turned to Nikola, who was grinning.
"Did you do this?" she questioned, awe evident in her voice.
"As much as I would like to impress you by saying yes, I had some help. I told Will and Henry what I was planning and they assisted me," Nikola told her. He took her hand and led her over to a chair, pulling it out and letting her sit down. He took the seat across from her and they began to eat. Helen had not been done more than five minutes when the music changed from upbeat to slower, almost ballroom style music. Nikola stood up and walked over, bowing slightly to Helen.
"Would m'lady care to join me for a dance?" he inquired formally, smiling. Helen giggled, taking his hand.
"But of course, m'lord," she said, imitating his formal attitude. He pulled her up and into a waltz, spinning her around the dance floor easily. The song ended and Nikola pulled her close, bringing his mouth close to her hear.
"I believe the second part of this evening is just about ready," he whispered, his breath tickling her ear. He pulled back and took her hand again, leading her back to the elevator. As the elevator sped upwards, Nikola pulled Helen closer, as though reluctant to let her get too far away. When they left the elevator, Nikola led Helen through yet another hallway with all its curtains drawn tightly, into a long dis-used study. Inside was a tree that reached the ceiling, decorated in a million different colors with lights and garland peeking through from between branches. Under the tree was a single present, the size of a jewelry box and wrapped in silver wrapping paper. Nikola bent down and picked it up, handing it to Helen.
"Merry Christmas," he whispered. Helen took the present, glancing at Nikola in slight confusion. "This is generally the part where you unwrap your gift," he told her, smiling. Helen carefully took off the paper, revealing a velvet jewelry box. Glancing at Nikola, she opened the box to find a silver necklace with a pendant in the shape of a heart, studded with diamonds. Helen gasped, looking up at Nikola with a smile on her face.
"Nikola, it's beautiful," she whispered, still looking shocked. Nikola stepped forward and took the necklace, clasping it around Helen's neck. She turned and hugged him, pecking him on the cheek.
"It looks better on you," he whispered, smiling adoringly.
"Thank you so much, Nikola," Helen responded, tightening her hold.
"As much as I would like to stay here like this, we have one more thing to do," Nikola remarked after a few seconds. He pulled away, took Helen's hand, and once again led her to the elevator. This time they got off at the ground floor, and Nikola had Helen close her eyes again. He held her hand tightly and pulled her outside to stand just inside the front gate of the Sanctuary. He pulled a remote control out of his pocket and pressed a few buttons. He finally let Helen uncover her eyes, revealing a magical scene in front of her. The entire Sanctuary was lit up with Christmas lights. All the lights were flashing in time to the music still blasting around the area. Snow was slowly drifting down in huge flakes, giving the entire scene a snow globe-like feel. Helen turned to Nikola, her eyes shining.
"This is beautiful," she told him, grinning.
"I thought, given everything you've gone through lately, that maybe you deserved to be spoiled. And that maybe you'd want a friend around," he remarked, suddenly looking insecure.
"Oh Nikola, surely you must realize you're more than just a friend to me. This is exactly what I needed," Helen assured him. With that, she turned to him, grabbed his lapels, and pulled him into a deep kiss. The kiss lasted until they had to break for breath, then Helen snuggled into Nikola's arms, pressing herself against him. He held her tightly, a grin of happiness on his face.