Blame it on the time of year, blame it on me watching Chimera too many times... but I had to write a Teslen Christmas fic. I just had to do it. There will be sappy moments and angsty moments... but not too angsty don't worry.
The title is mainly because I suck at titles...and it started with a 'T' so I thought I'd roll with it for lack of better option.
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"Ack," Will groaned. It seemed a rather angry marching band had taken up residence in his head sometime during the night.
He slowly sat up, and with great difficulty, looked around. Something was on top of him, well someone's leg to be more precise. He followed the course of the offending limb to find its owner sprawled out near him, Kate. She was snoring loudly, never quiet even in sleep it seemed.
He looked to his other side to see Henry in the most unusual contortion. The werewolf was half-laying on the couch, with the rest of his body – his torso – laying off the side and his head resting on a pillow on the floor. It looked weirdly comfortable. Even still, Henry was going to have one hell of an ache when he woke up.
Will groaned out loud when he turned his head in an effort to clear it of the grog currently residing like a thick mist up there when his eyes settled on the Christmas tree in the corner. He didn't remember the fairy lights as being quite so obnoxious last night. Or perhaps their increasing obnoxiousness was more to do with the significantly lessened volume of eggnog in the crystal punch bowl on the table than he remembered there being last night. Will blinked in an attempt to ward off the fairy lights in all their irritating glory.
He didn't know how much brandy Magnus and Tesla had put into the concoction, but was fairly sure it was well above the recommended amount. Damn immortals who had high alcohol thresholds – or immortals who had no alcohol thresholds whatsoever in the vampire's case.
He really needed some aspirin, and a good hangover cure. How had they managed to get so thoroughly drunk? The last thing he could remember was Magnus sitting at a piano playing old-timey sounding Christmas songs in a Victorian Era dress, with Tesla standing beside her singing along in a terrible accent – also in Victoria Era styled clothes. Wait, that couldn't be right... He must have had way more to drink than he thought. He had vague memories of sliding across the frozen over lake, and a lot of mistletoe.
He tried to remember more but his mind, and stomach, screamed out in protest at the exertion. All he could remember was that it was most definitely Tesla's fault. Yes, that seemed right. But where was the pesky vampire, and where was Magnus?
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The previous day, mid morning...
"I swear one day I'm just going to..." Henry said in frustration but trailed off. Nikola smirked in amusement.
"Do what, Tiny Tim?" Nikola said, "Vampire, remember? I hardly think you could do me any damage."
"Nikola," Helen said in exasperation, for what was quite possibly the twentieth time in their staff meeting, "Please."
"What about Tiny Tim there? Or did you miss his pathetic attempt at a threat?" Nikola said.
"Can you tell him to stop calling me 'Tiny Tim'?" Henry said. "It doesn't even make sense."
"Nikola, as apt as the name is for the season," Helen said, and Nikola smirked, "Please refrain from using it to refer to Henry."
"Your wish is my command, mistress," Nikola said, with a wink.
"How many times have I told you not to call me that?" Helen sighed. They were getting nowhere in this meeting. It wasn't just Nikola's disruptions, though, her whole staff seemed to be in a particularly distracted mood. She had it pegged as the holiday season, Christmas was but a few days away and they were all getting restless. They needed some joviality after the year they'd had.
"I believe your exact words, ljubav, were 'Nikola, don't call me that in public'," Nikola said with a toothy grin.
"I said no such thing," Helen said. Christmas always seemed to have this affect on Nikola.
"Not out loud, perhaps, but don't you know I can read you by now?" Nikola said.
It was going to be a long day, and she was not feeling particularly up to dealing with them right now. Especially not her dear, if sometimes incorrigible, old friend.
"That's it," Helen said, standing up from the couch in her office, "You're all behaving in an utterly preposterous manner this morning and we are not getting any work done."
"Magnus..." Will said. She silenced him with a held up hand.
"I'm sick and tired of your childish bickering, and yes you are included in that remark Nikola," she said, "Will, if you're in such an energetic mood perhaps you wish to complete all of those reports you owe me. Kate, as glad as I am you've decided to extend your stay up here for the holiday season, you could help with the daily feedings. Henry, stop provoking Nikola."
Nikola smirked triumphantly in the direction of the scowling young werewolf. It wasn't a long lived smirk, however, as Helen decided it was his turn for a tongue-lashing.
"As for you," she said, "I don't know why you've so suddenly decided to turn up, but I'm in no mood to deal with your antics right now. Try to make yourself useful if that's at all possible for you, Nikola."
"Where are you going?" Will said, standing as Magnus made her way pointedly to the door.
"That is none of your concern, Will," Helen said, "I'm sure you can handle holding down the fort for a few hours, you all seem to think you're on top of things enough not to need a staff meeting."
"Helen..." Nikola said, but she was gone.
"What the hell was all that about?" Kate said. "I thought Christmas was supposed to be a happy time and all that jazz?"
Henry shrugged.
Nikola ignored Helen's children as he watched the doorway where she had vanished from seconds ago thoughtfully. He had no idea what was bothering Helen so much, but something was definitely up with her. Christmas had always been her favourite holiday.
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Helen slammed the door to her bedroom with much more ferocity than strictly necessary. It wasn't as if her employees could hear, even if they could it was juvenile and petty, but she felt she should on a matter of principle. She'd just been so riled up by their antics, so fed up.
She knew she should apologise to them for her appalling behaviour, it wasn't their fault, not really. She shouldn't take her bad mood out on them. But she was still feeling a little petty and so decided to let them wonder for a while.
She walked over to the little sitting area on one side of her room, and sat down on the floor in front of the coffee table, a photo album already open there. She should have known better than to look through the album, should have known the effect it would have on her, but she hadn't been able to resist. It was a nostalgic time of year.
Christmas had always been her favourite holiday. There had always been something so magical about it. Christmases in England were always her favourite, with the white snow covering the streets with a frosty decadence and the dainty snowflakes falling like crystals. There had always been significant Christmases in her long life, many of which were the fondest memories.
As a young girl, she recalled spending Christmas with her father in their London home. Christmas Eve, Gregory would allow his daughter to stay up late as they drank hot cocoa and talked, and he would tell her Christmas stories. Christmas morning had been solely theirs, before the obvious societal obligations would kick in for the day. They had been among the handful of times she'd been allowed to join her father in the drawing room in her nightclothes and dressing gown in the early hours of the morning. Later in the morning, they would rug up in their winter coats and gloves and take a walk about the park, as the city hummed into life. They would eat roasted nuts to warm themselves and stay out until her nose and cheeks were rosy with chill. Her heart ached when she thought of those times, of her father.
Then there had been her Oxford Christmases, her father was still there, but so too was Nikola. It had felt so natural to let the Serb into her Christmas traditions with her father, especially considering the man himself was so busy with work those days. Christmases with Nikola were all nights by the fire singing silly Christmas songs and drinking eggnog until they both fell asleep, or decorating the tree – despite the servant's protestations. Or deliberately getting caught under far too many sprigs of mistletoe than strictly necessary and stealing what were undoubtedly much more than just chaste kisses.
Then there had been the rest of the Five, and she had fond memories of those times. Even of John, before the Ripper and everything had gone so wrong. She'd been surrounded by all of the men she loved so dearly.
After the fallout with John, and Nikola's departure to make a name for himself, Christmas had never been quite so magical. Yes, she had James and Nigel and her father on occasion, but it was never quite the same.
It wasn't until Ashley that Christmas had become such a wonderful time again. The little girl's eyes had lit up in a way that James had always said were the spitting image of herself so many years ago at Oxford. Ashley had loved spending Christmases in London with her Uncle James, much to the delight of her mother, and Helen had started rekindling her old Christmas traditions with her daughter. They would stay up late on Christmas Eve drinking hot cocoa, and take a stroll in the park on Christmas morning. Helen would revel in having old-fashioned Christmases, teaching her daughter about the day, instead of just exposing her to the commercial practice it has become to many.
Helen adored the memories of so many Christmases. Yet her heart ached to think of all those times, all those Christmas days so many years ago, with those she held most dear. Now her father was gone, her daughter was gone.
She was so tired. She had spent so many years fighting to protect others, to save those who were sidelined and shunned by society, and had lost everyone she loved for it along the way. Christmas was a time when those losses were the hardest to cope with. She wouldn't get to spend the day with her father, with James, or with John, or Nigel or Ashley. Even Nikola had gone and joined SCIU.
She picked up a photo nestled amongst the ones of her daughter, an old photo that was worn. It had been taken on Christmas morning, years ago at Oxford. James had been messing around with the old camera he and Nikola had made. She had been so livid when he had discreetly handed her the image, saying she had better not let John see it. It had been perfectly innocent, she and Nikola had fallen asleep curled up together in front of the fire after a few too many drinks of eggnog and James had snapped a shot of them candidly. It wasn't until a little while later she realised James had been giving her a gift of sorts. Now, she wondered how she had never noticed James's knowing glances towards herself and the vampire. Perhaps she hadn't wanted to see it, because then she would have had to admit to there being something more than friendship between herself and Nikola.
"Oh, Nikola, whatever happened to those old Christmases?" Helen sighed, "Life was so simple then...how did we manage to mess it up so spectacularly?"
Nikola watched from the doorway of her room as she gazed longingly at some old photographs, and caught a glance at one in particular. He remembered it but was surprised she had one. James was a sly old thing. He had thought the detective had only given himself a copy of the image, but apparently he had been playing matchmaker with both of them. Nikola had treasured the image for years, but had never known Helen to have the very same one.
His heart almost broke when he heard her words. He hated that he was such a coward for never telling her how he felt, for never being strong enough to risk their friendship, to risk rejection.
He would make it up to her though. He was going to make sure she had the kind of Christmas her heart yearned for, even if it would only make her forget the pain for a little while.
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Helen shook her head and placed the photo back in its place in the album. It would do her no good to be so nostalgic. Besides, she really ought to offer an apology to Will, Kate and Henry for her appalling behaviour. It wasn't their fault that she was upset, that she was feeling, well home-sick, for the white Christmases of London or Oxford back when everything had been so simple.
She closed the album and replaced it on her shelf.
Helen headed back to her office, it was late afternoon by now and she had a lot of paperwork to catch up on. Perhaps immersing herself would help her forget.
She found a note on her desk when she arrived, however, in Nikola's familiar erratic yet elegant scrawl.
'Kitchen, now. Don't even try to argue, or you'll force me to come down there and drag you there myself. You know I'd enjoy that far too much.'
She smiled and shook her head. He was truly a pain in the ass at the best of times. But he had managed to make her smile. She knew better than to take his threat as an empty one, having made that mistake before, so she decided to give in and see what chaos he was cooking up in the kitchen.
She made her way to the kitchen, feeling a bit nervous as she got there. She really wasn't in the mood to deal with one of Nikola's elaborate schemes right now. But as she entered she was pleasantly surprised to see it lit only with candles, and Nikola sitting at the table, two mugs of cocoa in front of him and a grin on his face.
"Nikola..." she said.
"Helen, please," he said, standing, and ushering her over, "Just...take a moment to relax. I don't know how long it's been since you last had your traditions but I think it's high time they were reinstated."
She smiled at him brightly and sat, he joined her at the table and slid one of the mugs to her.
"It's not spiked is it?" she said, eyeing him suspiciously. He grinned.
"I did consider it," Nikola said, "But the better part of me reminded me of why I was doing this."
"That part of you exists?" she teased.
"Ah, you wound me," he said, placing a hand dramatically over his heart. She laughed, despite herself. Then something in his words occurred to her.
"Nikola, why are you doing this?" she said, more soberly.
He remained silent for a moment, his eyes finding hers and holding their gaze for a moment, conveying his sincerity.
"Because I too wonder what happened to those old Christmases," he said, echoing her words from earlier, "And even though we messed it up so spectacularly – well, would you expect any less than spectacular from us? – it's never too late to make it right."
She had to look away, his words so sincere and so laden with emotion. He reached out to grab her hand.
"But not tonight, Helen," he said, "Tonight is just about bringing back those old Christmases you loved so dearly."
The corners of her lips twitched upwards, the promise hanging in his words sending a tingle through her body and warming her more than the cocoa ever could.
"Well, then, we'd best whip up some eggnog and scour the house for some mistletoe, hmm?" she said. He grinned.
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"Does anyone know what this is all about?" Kate said, as they walked towards the rec room, "Because if this is just to tell us off again I'd rather make myself discreet..."
"No idea," Will shrugged. "Magnus just radioed to say we were all required."
"Sounds serious," the Big Guy grunted.
"She didn't sound worried," Henry shrugged, "In fact, she sounded kind of... excited?"
"I think that's scarier than the alternative," Kate said. "I mean, we all know the kind of stuff that excites Magnus usually involves slime or creepy abnormal eggs that look like they're props from the movie Alien or something..."
The conversation fell short when they reached the rec room, pushing the door open, to be surprised by the sight of a large Christmas tree decorated with fairy lights and baubles and a fire blazing. What was more surprising though was the two occupants of the room, or rather their attire. Helen and Nikola were both dressed in Victorian Era style clothing. Magnus in a long bodiced crimson dress, her hair pinned up elegantly, and Tesla in a dark brown suit and vest.
"Uh... are we going carolling?" Henry said. "Because if this is a punishment I swear I'm sorry for whatever I did!"
"Relax, Henry," Helen said, with a smile, "This is not a punishment. Nor is it a reprimand. I wanted to apologise for my behaviour earlier and Nikola and I have cooked up an impromptu Christmas celebration. A sort of night-off I suppose."
"Isn't it a little early?" Will said.
"Dude," Henry said, "It's never too early to celebrate Christmas."
"Okay, but I do have one question," Will said. Magnus smiled at the young man.
"There's no Christmas like a Victorian Christmas, protege," Nikola remarked.
"Call it nostalgia if you will," Helen offered, with a small shrug.
"Wait we don't have to dress up, do we?" Kate said, eyeing Helen's dress. It wasn't that Magnus didn't look completely amazing in it, because she did, but Kate wasn't so sure she could deal with the whole corset-bodice thing.
"Not if you don't wish to," Helen smiled.
"So, what did the Victorians do to celebrate Christmas then?" Will said, shrugging as they all entered the room more fully.
"Let's start with some eggnog, shall we?" Magnus said. "Be careful though, Nikola made it, and he tends to add more brandy than strictly required."
"Hey, where's the fun in child friendly eggnog?" Nikola said, innocently.
"Well, that's a bit obsolete coming from someone who is unaffected by alcohol," Helen pointed out.
"You were the one who let me make it, you should know by now that leaving me to my own discretion usually means copious amounts of alcohol," Nikola said. "Or need I remind you of a certain Christmas in 1887?"
"Nikola, we didn't let you make the eggnog," Helen said, "You snuck into the kitchens with a flask and took it upon yourself to 'touch it up'."
"You still drank it," he pointed out.
"Yes, well we only realised you'd spiked it when we got far too merry after only one glass," she said.
"Your cook wouldn't let me near the kitchens after that," Nikola said, "Kept swatting me away with that damn saucepan of hers. Strong arm that one too." He said, rubbing his arm at the unpleasant memory.
"Perhaps that's because, thanks to your eggnog, both Nigel and James decided to get a mid-night snack and ended up completely ruining the delicate order of her pantry," Helen said.
"Hey, I didn't tell them to go and wreck the woman's pantry!" Nikola said.
"Whoa," Will said, making a face, cup of eggnog in hand. The others had taken it upon themselves to try the drink while their boss and the vampire bickered.
"Nikola," Helen said, in exasperation, "Really?"
"What?" Nikola said, innocently, "Your cook isn't around to beat me half to death with a saucepan. I see no problem with making the eggnog properly."
Several glasses of Nikola's special eggnog later, they were all much merrier than before. Even Nikola's spirits were high, but that was more to do with the beautiful twinkle in Helen's eyes. He could watch her smile all night, and see that spark in her eyes, and that giggle – oh, he always knew that giggle would be the death of him.
"Come on," Helen said, taking him by the hand, "I have an idea."
Nikola didn't argue, just following as they left her half-inebriated employees to their own devices, as Helen led him out of the room.
"Are we going to find a dark, narrow corridor?" Nikola grinned.
She flashed him a smile.
"No, I have a better idea," Helen said.
"Better than you and me in a dark, narrow corridor without the children?" Nikola said, leaning in towards her.
"Nikola," she scolded, pushing him back with one hand.
But she smiled as they came across the supply closet she'd been looking for.
"Oh, Helen, a supply closet?" he grinned, "This is better than a dark, narrow corridor."
"Nikola, could you please drag your mind out of the gutter for a minute moment of time?" she said.
"Helen, you drag me away from the children, through dark corridors to a supply closet," Nikola said.
Helen shot him an exasperated look and opened the closet door, flicking the light switch on – she couldn't really trust herself in the dark with him, not when he was looking at her like that. A brilliant smile lit her face as her eyes fell on the object of her search and Nikola finally got what she was planning.
"Really, Helen?" Nikola said. "It's dark and cold outside..."
"Oh, come on, Nikola!" Helen said, with that mischievous spark in her eyes that always meant trouble, "You're a vampire. Besides, I thought we were having a proper Victorian Christmas?"
"Yes, but we generally went ice-skating during the day," Nikola said.
"Come on, Niko," Helen said, grabbing several pairs of the bladed boots and nodding at him to do the same.
Saucy little minx she was, using his old nick-name so innocently. She knew exactly what she was doing to him with her bright eyes and pet names. He never could resist when she called him 'Niko' and looked at him like that. He wasn't even sure she was aware she was doing it, it had seemed more like a slip of the tongue. But it had been such an effective old habit he suspected she was doing it unconsciously.
"Oh alright," Nikola grumbled, picking up several more pairs of boots. "But we're both going to put them away when we're done... I do like spending time in intimate supply closets with you."
They returned to the room where her employees had started singing Christmas songs rather loudly.
"Alright, everyone up," Helen ordered, "Coats and gloves on please."
"You're so sexy when you get bossy," Nikola whispered right in her ear. She couldn't ignore the shiver through her body as she felt his breath on her neck. She hadn't realised he was standing so close.
"Ice-skating!" Kate said, getting up excitedly.
"Who would have guessed Booty would become so peppy whilst under the influence?" Nikola commented in amusement. Helen couldn't help but he disappointed that he had put a little distance between them.
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The small frozen over lake in the Sanctuary gardens was a perfect place to skate under the moonlight. It was rather lovely.
She looked over at her friends in amusement. The effects of the eggnog was clearly showing, and though she had probably drunk just as much, she was much less inebriated than they. Kate was a decent skater and Helen suspected she may be fairly good when completely sober. But right now the young girl was dragging a petrified Henry around the ice, the pair of them frequently falling over when Kate attempted to do a spin. Will had given up on the skates and was taking to simply sliding along the ice in dives. She couldn't help but laugh out loud at the image of her protege sprawled on the ice with a look of such child like glee on his face. The Big Guy had opted to stay off the ice, but was watching in what Helen could tell was much amusement. He was mostly unaffected by the alcohol as it took a lot to render him inebriated.
Nikola broke her out of her reverie as he skated up behind her and grabbed her by the waist.
"Nikola," she gasped as he twirled her.
"Your children need to learn to skate," he said, "They're horrible."
"Play nice, Nikola," she said.
"Doesn't this take you back?" Nikola said, grabbing her gloved hand as they skated leisurely along the ice together.
"Yes, it does," she said with a small smile. "You used to tease me for trying to catch the snowflakes on my tongue as we skated."
"Only on a matter of principle," he said. She laughed.
"Thank you for tonight, Nikola," she said. "It really was what I needed."
"I know," he said. "It was...what I needed too."
She smiled, both of them coming to a halt on the ice, facing each other. Nikola removed something from his jacket pocket.
"Don't think I forgot this little tradition, did you?" he said, holding the sprig of mistletoe above their heads. She smiled as he pulled his closer, her body easily sliding to his on the ice.
"Well, we wouldn't want to forsake tradition, would we?" Helen said, leaning in so their faces were mere centimetres apart.
"No, we most certainly would not," Nikola said, bridging the agonizing distance a bit more with a hand around her waist.
Their lips touched in a soft kiss, but Helen's heart was pounding so fiercely against her chest she wondered if Nikola could hear it. It was a gentle kiss, both of them taking a moment to recall the taste of each other's lips. Helen felt Nikola's tongue urging her lips apart, and she was too enamoured with his lips on hers after so long to fight it. He drew her body closer as he deepened the kiss and Helen moaned. It really was just like their old Christmases now.
"Hey, that's cheating!" Henry's voice broke through their little bubble. "You can't hold up mistletoe like that!"
Helen broke away from Nikola guiltily.
"Quiet, wolf boy," Nikola said in annoyance.
"Maybe we should go back inside," Helen suggested, suddenly feeling inexplicably shy around Nikola. He regarded her quizzically but nodded in agreement.
They all made their way back inside, where Will announced he was going to play Christmas tunes on the piano. After several minutes of horrible key-bashing, Helen finally commandeered control of the piano from her protege, who then decided to sulk underneath it as Helen began to play Christmas tunes. Nikola soon joined in singing with Helen, doing a Serbian accent, to which she smiled brightly. Soon Kate and Henry had joined in, and even Biggie hummed along. Will started yelling about pianos falling on his head until Biggie dragged him out from under the instrument, where he sulked for a few minutes before forgetting why he was upset and joining in the singing.
A few hours later, Helen gazed over the sleeping forms of her young employees with a soft smile. They were going to feel bad in the morning, but until then, she would let them rest.
"Looks like it's just you and me," Nikola said.
"Mmm," she said.
"I think that means we can finally finish a tradition we were so rudely interrupted in on the ice," Nikola said, nodding upwards. Helen looked above them to see a sprig of mistletoe hanging above them.
"How is it you always seem to manage to get me under mistletoe?" she said, shaking her head in amusement.
"I'm a genius, remember?" he said.
"Oh, how could I forget with your constant reminders?" she teased.
"You're avoiding the mistletoe, Helen," Nikola said.
"How very bad of me," Helen replied, "However, I believe there's also some mistletoe in a nice little supply closet that we could rectify that... away from the children."
"We wouldn't want to exclude that mistletoe," Nikola said.
"No, of course we wouldn't, that would be selfish of us," Helen said, with a grin, as she pulled him by the hand to the door. "In fact, I think we should ensure all of the mistletoe around the house has been properly utilised. For tradition's sake of course..."
He'd been wrong, perhaps he laugh wouldn't be the death of him. Perhaps it would be the woman herself with that devilish smile under the mistletoe.