Author's Note: This is my very first attempt at writing at all. I've been keeping the idea about Eurovision and Teslen for a very long time. And without chartreuseian, I'm not sure that I'd ever do it. She made me sit down and write it, and her help was really priceless. I can't thank you enough, chartreuseian, you're an amazing friend and a perfect editor. Thank you! Xoxo!)
Well, as for the story, I want you to remember the first part of season 3 and to add to that the Eurovision contest. I really hope that you'll like the story as much as I do. Enjoy!)
Chapter 1
"Oh, come on, Doc…" Henry begged, "just for one day. We'll be back early morning Monday."
"No!" Helen said, denying his request for the nth time this week. "Or have you forgotten what happened to the jet during your last trip to Berlin for a rock concert?! It took Biggie a whole week to wash it off."
Kate exchanged glances with Henry and both simultaneously turned and looked at Will with sorrowful eyes, but he just shook his head. It was clear he didn't want any part of this. Seeing that, Kate narrowed her eyes and shot a glance at Magnus. Will, then understanding that resistance was useless, sighed deeply, but nodded and said, "But Magnus, give them two days, I promise I'll keep an eye on the jet and on them too".
"What do you need in Baku at such a late hour?" Helen asked with a sigh finally looking up at her team.
"Well…" Henry started.
"Because of…" Will continued.
"Eurovision!" Helen concluded.
"How…?" Henry's eyes widened in astonishment.
"Doesn't matter!" Kate interrupted him, and a hint of a smile appeared at the corner of Helen's mouth, but the young woman went on, "Well, yeah! It's a wonderful opportunity and we want to watch the grand final on Saturday night. And we'll be here in a wink and ready for a work, you'll barely have a time to become bored".
"And tickets, do you have them?" Helen asked.
Henry looked like a lost puppy, with such a perplexed look, Will had a coughing fit but Kate took a deep breath and blurted out, "We took yours!"
"Nice," Helen smiled, "and how did you know that I had them?" she asked. "Nikola!" she suddenly cried, turning to where her old friend was standing by the door. The vampire was leaning against the doorpost, fiddling with the glass of wine in his hands. When he heard his name, he lifted up his eyes to Helen with an innocent smile.
"Then, you three," Helen pointed at Will, Henry and Kate, who were standing in front of her desk, "can go and you, Nikola, get over here right now!"
"So we can go then?" Kate asked. Helen cocked her head to one side and gave her a look. It was one they all knew well and the three of them disappeared in a split second.
"I'm listening, Nikola…"
"I think you should thank me," he started smugly. "I've given you a chance to get rid of the fidgety children for a whole day, evening and night."
"Most likely, you did it not for me, but for yourself," she retorted.
"You've always been shrewd," he said with a smile.
"So…"
He put the glass on the desk and bent forward to Helen so close that she could feel his soft and warm breath, mixed with aroma of wine on her face. "Just imagine," he whispered, "you, me and some bottles of wine…mmm, and there won't be any annoying children."
"And therefore you've taken my tickets," Helen stood up, shook off his magnetism and left her desk.
"Consider it to be a little contribution to a noble cause," he said, but seeing that she remained adamant he added, "Oh, come on, Helen!"
"H'm, I've already heard that somewhere…" she rapped at her chin with her index finger, "of course, from the 'annoying children'."
"So you refuse to spend an evening with me one on one?" he asked.
"Precisely!" Helen smiled.
"Fine!" Nikola muttered and made his way towards the door, but before he could close it behind him, he popped his head round the door and said in a loud voice, "Fraidy cat!"
And with that he vanished from sight.
He knew that he would have provoked her and now she would spend all evening and night with him. The thought made his smile even wider and he headed for the cellar with a spring in his step. He needed to choose the perfect wine, and he already knew which one.
Meanwhile, Helen Magnus sat down at the desk and tried to come back to her work. A few futile attempts later she stared at the glass, left on her desk. She slid a finger down its long stem and said to herself, "They say in Russia if you want to know what your companion thinks of, drink from his glass."
"So, Nikola, what's on your mind?" she mused, looking at deep red liquid. She held the glass a little in her hand and put it back on the desk with irritation, "He called me 'fraidy cat', me…! Well Nikola Tesla, if you want to play, we'll do it, but according to my rules!" A few minutes later she was in Henry's office.
"I've found work for you," she said, and her team turned to her.
"Oh, no Doc, not today," Kate whimpered.
"What do we have to do?" Will asked.
"Pack your things, we're leaving in 30 minutes," Helen replied.
"But where are we going, Doc?" Henry asked.
"Have you forgotten that you were literally kneeling before me and begging to let you go to Baku, or have you already changed your mind?" Helen replied.
"Doc, you're super!" Kate yelled before she and Henry all but bolted from the room. Helen could barely contain her laughter at the pair.
"Yeah, thank you, Magnus!" Will added as he followed them.
Helen followed them with her eyes and gently began to laugh. Nikola might have been right calling them 'children'… But it was time to visit her hapless blackmailer so Helen made her way towards the library; Nikola was sitting in one of the leather chairs with his back to the door as he sipped red wine. He already knew that she had accepted his challenge, and not because he heard Kate and Henry discussing the forthcoming journey, he just knew that she couldn't resist the temptation and the sense of anticipation made his blood run faster, filling his chest with agitation.
Helen stood in the doorway and involuntary regarded with admiration his long delicate fingers holding the glass of wine. "Wine, again," she considered, "if he continues to drink so much he'll become an alcoholic and I'll be compelled to become a wine manufacture."
"Come in, Helen! It's rude to lurk in doorways," he said without looking up.
"Damn it, his vampiric hearing!" Helen thought, but made a few steps into the room.
"So you've permitted your little team to go to the concert, have you?" he asked softly and stood up from the armchair. He held his breath for an instant, just to calm his heart.
Helen nodded with an enigmatic smile.
He came close to her and whispered, "O, Helen, this will be unforgettable evening, trust me!"
"I'm sure of that," she replied in a low voice.
"And when are they leaving?" he asked hoarsely. He was standing in front of her impossibly close, but didn't let himself touch her. She could feel each touch of his jacket against her body, the heat of his breath, and her world narrowed until it was just the two of them, her heart beat faster when she saw his eyes darkening straight away. She practically forgot why she was there. It seemed to her that she wanted to tell him something, but what?
"In 10 minutes," Helen didn't even notice that she'd shut her eyes slightly.
"Wonderful!" he bent to her, stopped a few millimeters from her neck and inhaled the smell of her soft perfume. The intoxicating sweetness of her presence drove him crazy, and he was about to kiss her, she was more than sure of it and what was worse was that she wanted him to do it, when suddenly Biggie came into the library…
Nikola even growled at the interruption, and it gave Helen an opportunity to control herself. She took a quick step back from him and turned to her yeti with a polite smile. "Yes?" she asked.
"Magnus, your luggage is ready and I've left it in the hall," his low voice rumbled.
"Excellent! Thank you Biggie, I'm coming." She looked at Nikola, his expression was priceless. She saw his eyes widened for an instant and then realization flitted across his face. And then, for some reason, a mischievous grin appeared on his face.
"Good one, ljubav!" he whispered in her ear as he left the library. Helen heaved a sigh of relief, she wasn't sure what was between them right now, either she was losing her grip on her emotions surrounding Nikola, or … But she didn't want to think about that 'or'.
Thirty minutes later, Helen and her team were sitting at their places: Kate and Henry were discussing contestants and Will from time to time interfered in their chat but only because Kate elbowed him. Helen relaxed and closed her eyes. She heard someone take the seat beside hers and thought that it was Will, escaping from Kate.
"Don't pretend to be asleep, I can hear your heart!" someone said and Helen opened her eyes instantly.
"Nikola, what are you doing here? I thought you'd have barricaded yourself in my wine cellar by now."
"The thought had crossed my mind, but I love you more than wine," he smiled.
"But the ticket…?" she started, "of course, you've left one for yourself in advance."
"Genius, remember?" His eyes were shining with content. "Moreover, didn't you think I'd get my revenge?" he asked with a saucy look.
Helen felt her heart jump and she couldn't help but smile in reply.
