This is going to be a fairly long story, just as a warning. Also, even though Druitt isn't officially introduced until next chapter, just a warning, there will be a fair amount of Druitt bashing. Anyway, enjoy and let me know what you think.

I do not own Sanctuary, but I do own Kiri. She is mine.

There was a servant girl. She was short, only about fourteen, and had light brown hair with green eyes. She worked at Oxford, although she was not employed by the school and no one seemed to know who paid her. She started work just a month after Helen started attending classes, and she always seemed to be in the same room as Helen, and so it was widely believed that she worked for Helen's father, though Helen had never seen her at the house. The girl was respectful almost to a fault, referring to everyone as "lord" or "lady" and refusing to look anyone in the eye. Helen would look out for the girl, scolding other students when they treated her wrongly. One day, as Helen was walking towards the school, she noticed the servant girl talking to a new student just outside the main doors. Helen stopped, smiling slightly.

"Good morning. I don't normally see you out here," she greeted the girl, nodding her head. The girl let out a yelp of surprise and turned, bowing deeply.

"Good morning, m'lady. I-I was just on my way inside, I-I did not mean to offend you," she apologized, looking up worriedly.

"You have not offended anyone," Helen assured her before looking up and meeting the eyes of the new student. The girl turned as well and said something to the stranger in perfect Serbian, and the stranger replied. Then he looked up at Helen, his grey eyes seeming to take in everything about her in the one glance.

"Kiri tells me that your name is Helen," he stated, nodding his head in greeting.

"Yes, it is. Helen Magnus," she affirmed, nodding in return. She turned back to the girl, blue eyes sparkling. "So, your name is Kiri. How is it that he has learnt in a few minutes what I spent months trying to discover?" Kiri blushed, looking down.

"Because, m'lady, I have already met m'lord. Before I came to work here, I was employed by a family in his hometown," she explained, glancing up at the stranger.

"I am Nikola Tesla," he introduced himself. Kiri turned and said something to him in Serbian, and he blushed faintly, averting his gaze. Suddenly, Kiri glanced at the sky and let out another yelp of surprise.

"I must get going. I'm late. So very, very late. I am terribly sorry for disturbing you, and I hope I haven't made you late as well," she exclaimed, bowing deeply to first Helen, then Nikola, before disappearing inside so fast that by the time Helen had processed what she had said, she was long gone. Helen went through her normal day, thinking about how much she would like to befriend the Serbian, something about the way he treated Kiri had endeared himself to Helen.

The next day, Helen stepped out of her carriage to see Nikola and Kiri sitting together on a bench, feeding birds and talking in Serbian. Helen walked over to stand next to them, smiling in greeting. Kiri gasped in shock and hopped off the bench, bowing deeply.

"Good morning, m'lady," she greeted, not looking up.

"Relax, Kiri. You can stop being a servant around us," Helen told her, putting a hand on her shoulder. Kiri looked up at her with big eyes, looking shocked. Helen smiled at her, and Kiri grinned back.

"Thank you," she said, her eyes shining. Behind her, Nikola stood, a lopsided grin on his face.

"Is there an us now?" he asked. Helen smiled at him.

"I would like us to be friends," she responded. A brief look of shock crossed his face, but it was quickly covered up by a smile.

"I would like that as well, I think," he finally consented, his smile broadening into a grin. Helen grinned in reply, then set down on the bench Nikola and Kiri had just vacated. Nikola sat down next to her, looking slightly awkward. Helen seemed to sense his awkwardness, and turned to face him.

"What are you here to study?" she inquired, a genuinely curious expression on her face.

"Mostly physics," he answered, shrugging.

"Oh, are you good at physics then?" Nikola nodded, cocking his head at her. "Could you perhaps help me after class today? There are some things I don't quite understand."

"Of course. We can meet right here." Nikola smiled, then turned to Kiri. "You could come as well, Kiri," he offered. Kiri's eyes widened with shock.

"Me? But…but I am not even taking the class!" She took half a step back, then looked around almost fearfully. "Think of what people would say. I'm just a servant. To be spending time with you, and learning…" She shook her head vigorously, her face distraught. Nikola chuckled at her, and their conversation was cut short by the chiming of the bells. The three friends entered the school, Kiri disappearing to do her work.

After classes, Helen was sitting on the same bench when Nikola walked out, followed by Kiri carrying a stack of books. Helen stood, smiling at Kiri before turning to Nikola.

"Couldn't you have carried those yourself?" she demanded, reaching down to take the books from Kiri, who grinned up at her.

"I don't mind. It is my job, after all," she assured the older woman, her tone light. Nikola ruffled her hair as he passed to stand next to Helen.

"It was the only way I could convince her to come," he whispered into her ear before turning to flash a grin at Kiri as he sat on the bench. Helen joined him, and they began studying while taking turns coming up with things to ask Kiri to do so the younger girl would stay with them. This became a regular routine for the three of them, and soon Kiri began to tag along without the need for assigned tasks. She became like a younger sister to Helen and Nikola, and they both made sure that she was treated well by the other students.