Watson always knew what a special woman Helen Magnus was. The first woman to attend Oxford, although not officially in the beginning, and the first woman to claim Doctor as her title were exceptional achievements in their own right. But what else she had made her possibly the most brilliant woman in the world. Well at least in his world.
Helen Magnus was her father's daughter, a woman of reason and knowledge. She was a woman of the world before the world wanted women in it. She fought for what she wanted, and she took no prisoners. A battalion in herself, the brains of a commander and the steel of a foot soldier. She was fire and earth; passion and reason, an anomaly inside herself. She was all that, and she was gorgeous.
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He'd noticed her in the courtyard at Oxford, sitting alone on one of the benches, her golden hair shining in the sunlight. He'd assumed she was the daughter, or perhaps wife, of one of the professors. The concept that she was anything more than a man's property hadn't occurred to him until she opened her mouth and enchanted him with her brilliance.
She'd caught him staring; a flame ignited behind her eyes and her posture poised for battle. In nothing short of a ridiculous display of feminist ideology, prior to it's widespread conception, Helen charged towards him.
"I believe it's rude to stare without a proper introduction," hand outstretched and a hint of menace in her voice.
Well then," a smirk on his lips as he accepted the offered hand, "I apologise for my behaviour. James Watson, a pleasure to meet such an intriguing individual, miss..."
"Magnus, Helen Magnus. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr Watson." softening slightly.
"So m'dear, what brings you to Oxford's courtyard on this sun filled afternoon?" Curiosity had already gotten the better of him.
"I was in the physics lecture this morning, and I was on my way to the biology lecture this afternoon," straight faced and prepared for James reaction.
Totally taken aback, James managed to bite his tongue just in time to prevent scoffing in her face with disbelief. "Well, I'm very impressed." Trying to keep it polite while he gauged wether this woman was taking him for a joy ride, "what do you think of Oxford so far?"
"It's beautiful, but large," Helen admitted. "I'm not entirely certain of myself; I could really use a tour. It's a shame they don't give you guides."
"Do you intend on staying, permanently," the glint in Helen's eye was all the confirmation he needed. This woman was indeed something special. "It would be my pleasure to show you around, if you'd like?"
"Would you?" her face shining like the sun.
"Come, we'll start immediately," catching her arm with the crook of his elbow and leading her towards the east building.
They'd walked the grounds of Oxford that day, and forged a friendship that laste over a century. Both somewhat outsiders, they'd forged an unspoken bond to care for one another in a society too backwards for their life styles.
Helen had because he was a brilliant man that had treated her like an equal; even if at first it had only been a curiosity. James because she was dazzling; both beautiful and brilliant. And she was one of the people that kept up with his tangents.
Together they turned the concepts of life itself on it's head; the core of the five. Together they suffered at the hands of their friend's betrayal. Together they watched as the world went on without them.
They stayed together in the hopes that they could be enough for one another after John left them, that they could be enough for each other to plug the holes their lives had left in them. James had even designed a suit that maintained his youth to avoid leaving Helen alone.
Until one day they realised they weren't enough, couldn't be enough. Helen was the one woman who brought happiness and laughter into James' life, while breaking his heart. The one woman who matched him step for step which being totally unattainable.
James was the one man who sacrificed everything for her. Not her work, or her Abnormals as her protégées did, but for her. The one man she wouldn't make live in the shadow of her former lover.
They were the best and dearest of friends they could never have what they wanted, but had gotten what they needed.
-
And for all his brilliance, he couldn't keep himself alive for her. To save her the pain of losing one more person. It ripped at his heart as he lay dying, but he left her with the knowledge that John had come back to her, and Nikola, for all his flaws, would be there for her in the end. He left her knowing that she would be loved.
And his final conscience thought was of her, and how they met, and how they changed the world. Together.
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