Disclaimer: Sanctuary clearly isn't mine. If it were, Helen would be wrapped in a sheet with sex!tousled hair at least once every ep.
A/N: Written last minute for the International Day of Femslash 2010!
One.
Movie night in the Sanctuary, however rare it may be, had always been a particularly boozy affair. Whether it be shots, tumblers full of whatever liquor was on hand, or occasionally those jell-o shooters that Henry and her daughter had always been so fond of. This time however, it happened to be good old beer for the boys and four bottles of well aged wine from the cellar for herself and Kate, and after a few hours of laughter and popcorn Helen found that things were beginning to get a little... fuzzy.
One second she'd been giggling at something that Kate said, both of them having volunteered to restock the snacks for their third and final feature, and the nextshe found herself pressed against the the door of the refrigerator, completely surrounded by a tiny feminine frame.
She should have been alarmed, feeling the sudden intrusion of her personal space, for she'd never been an extremely tactile person. But with little more than lips pressed sweetly against her own and soft hands slipping under the hem of her skirt, she couldn't quite bring herself to care. It had been far too long since Helen had found herself in such a position, an opportunity to feel the soft curves of a woman against her own once again. It was dangerous and heady, and she quickly found herself responding in kind, falling easily back into the languid rhythms she'd once favored with past female lovers.
Arms wrapped around the girls neck and fingers tunneled through dark locks as she tugged at the girl's bottom lip with her teeth, deepening their kiss. She heard Kate moan, the soft rumble rolling through her chest, the sound making Helen's body shiver and warm in all the right places.
Perhaps if she'd been a little more sober, or if those sneaky hands weren't sliding up the outside of her thighs and over her hips, her skirt rising indecently high, she could've put a stop to it. After all, Kate is her employee, her friend. And with over one hundred years of practice, she should've been able to control herself, right? Not as much as you'd think. Even she has needs, no matter how proper and uptight she might come across as on occasion, and sometimes just couldn't ignore it.
Helen rolled her hips impatiently against the younger woman, flicking her tongue teasingly across the one that had so eagerly begun dueling with her own. There was only one thing on her mind, need and desire coiling tightly low in her belly. So when Kate broke their kiss, just as fingertips had fluttered daringly between her legs from behind, Helen whimpered in confusion and arched against the fleeting touch.
Her eyes popped open, the room spinning slightly around her as she focused on the girl's hooded eyes and playful smile.
"I knew you weren't wearing any panties under there," she chuckled triumphantly, "Will wouldn't believe me. Dude totally owes me five bucks..."
Helen's cheeks heated, unconsciously tugging her skirt back down, left momentarily speechless as her hazy brain tried to process the information. They'd had a bet on whether she was wearing knickers or not? She'd expect Kate to get up to that kind of hijinx, but certainly wouldn't have guessed that Will would actively participate in such nonsense. What was the world coming to that they had to resort to such entertainment?
"Aw, don't be embarrassed," Kate cupped her flushed face between small palms and leaned forward, laying another brief, yet thorough, kiss upon her lips, "You have no idea how hot you are, do you?"
Helen gaped.
"I'm not the only one around here who's wanted to kiss you lately. Tonight was just the first time I actually had an excuse to go for it," she winked cheekily, wobbling slightly on her feet as she turned and bent down to grab the full cooler on the floor.
Kate sent her one last smile before leaving the room, and Helen found herself releasing a sigh of relief, still leaning against the fridge in a state of shock. Her lips were kiss swollen, legs shaking the barest bit as wanton desire still itched beneath her skin.
She was getting far too old for this.
Twenty minutes later, Helen made her way back into the lounge carrying a large sack full of snacks. She'd taken the time to change into more comfortable clothes- sleep pants and a camisole, topped by one of her silk robes. She rarely let anyone see her in such a state, but if she was going to make a point, she better make it good.
Realizing that nobody had seen her yet, she set everything down and made her way over to the couch where Will was sitting. Bending down right beside him, she whispered in his ear, giving him quite a view down the front of her shirt.
"If you don't pay Miss Freelander according to your agreement by tomorrow," leaning back, she stared directly into his widening eyes, "I'll know."
"Magnus, I'm so sorry. I didn't think she'd actually ask you..." he stuttered out an apology.
She didn't want it.
"There are other ways to inquire on such a subject, Will. And I assure you," Helen smirked, "she didn't ask me anything."
Sashaying across the room, she was acutely aware of her protege's eyes tracking her. Feeling them burn a wide trail down her body as she made her way toward Kate, where they'd previously been sitting together in a very large, round wicker chair, padded with luxurious materials and feather pillows.
Locking gazes with her, Helen slid down beside her before resting a palm casually on Kate's knee. The smaller woman snuggled into her, not hesitating for a second, even though her actions were quite out of the ordinary.
"What did you say to him?" Kate asked quietly, glancing over at the obviously gobsmacked man.
Running her fingertips lightly along the inner seem of Kate's jeans, Helen licked her lips and squeezed the toned muscles beneath her hand, "Nothing that the poor chap won't be dreaming about for years to come."
Kate giggled, leaning her head against Helen's shoulder as Henry started the next movie, cradling her wine in one hand, "Wait. Does that mean I'm actually getting my five dollars?"
Helen rolled her eyes, alcohol still floating happily around in her system. Tomorrow was certainly going to be interesting.
Two.
Kate was so embarrassed.
They'd been following the same men for nearly two weeks now, just her and Magnus, tracking a band of gangsters who'd been capturing and selling abnormals on the black market. Up until then, luck hadn't been on their side, unable to get close enough to gather any intell. But as they sat across the street from a grungy strip joint called the Cherry Bomb, huddled together in a beat up car to stave off the cold, Magnus suggested that they take their chances and head inside, try to blend in.
What she hadn't known at the time is that 'blend in' really meant putting on the skimpiest clothes that she'd ever seen, right before she was forced into gyrating on display and then taking off said clothes. It also meant that Magnus was posing as a customer. A customer who was watching just a little too eagerly from the front row, only ten feet away from the men they were after.
As the end of the song approached though, Kate found herself crawling provocatively across the stage toward the older woman, clinging to the comfort that a familiar face brought to her. She desperately wished that the ground would swallow her up whole, never wanting to re-live this experience ever again. But Magnus seemed to have other ideas, leaning forward in her chair, her head tilting cockily to the side as she waved a few folded tens between her outstretched fingers.
Kate smirked. Now this, flirting, she was comfortable with. So, she played the role. Arching her back, letting her arms press her bare breasts together enticingly, spreading her legs as she dipped low and rolled over onto her side. She made sure that all of her focus was on the woman in front of her, crooking a finger toward her, calling Magnus forward so that she could slide that money beneath her lacy, emerald panties.
She laid there, with her head propped up in her hand, keeping their eyes locked as the other woman knelt on a chair in front of her. The men around them began cheering, techno music still blaring in the background, but she didn't hear it. All she could feel was the gentle flutter of fingertips sliding over her hip. Sensation washing over her as the waistband of her panties was held up and two bills slowly slid inside.
Without thinking, Kate caught Magnus' forearm and stopped her from heading back to her table, leaning forward to press their mouths together in a slow and sensual kiss. At first, Magnus froze, lips immobile beneath hers. But when Kate squeezed her fingers a little too tightly around the woman's wrist, she seemed to spur into action- gasping quietly, letting her inside.
All too soon though, the song ended and so did their kiss. Kate panted softly, grinning shyly at Magnus before chancing a glance at the men that they'd followed in. She was pleasantly surprised, and simultaneously disgusted, to find that every single one of them couldn't take their eyes off of her.
"Looks like we just found a way in," she whispered, looking up at her from beneath hooded lashes.
Magnus smiled, "I'll see if I can get us an invitation back to their headquarters while you get dressed. Will you be alright on your own?"
"Of course," Kate released her arm, pausing mid-turn as she attempted to climb off the stage with as much pride as possible, "You do realize that I'm totally getting a raise for this though, right?"
"We'll see."
Sighing, she began making her way backstage toward the dressing rooms, laughing to herself when she heard Magnus working her charm on the bad guys.
'We'll see' was way better than a 'no.'
Three.
Helen hated mistletoe. It was a hideous weed and she'd be happy if she never saw another sprig of it again as long as she lived.
Every year, for the last decade or so, the Big Guy had somehow managed to hide the damn stuff all over the Sanctuary without her knowledge. She was terrible at dodging it, always finding herself under it with somebody else when she least expected it, which of course resulted in many awkward kisses over the years.
This holiday was different though. Kate was there, taking the heat off of her temporarily, distracting the boys from their usual game of 'let's see how many times we can kiss Magnus before she decides to haul off and whack us upside the head.' And, thank God. That's all that she could say. It may be fun for them, a 'tradition' they called it, but it was really starting to become old hat in her eyes.
Time passed slowly for Helen, just as it always did in December. But somehow, perhaps having become more adept to their tactics, she'd managed to dodge their attempts much more easily than usual. Which is why she was surprised when, two days before Christmas at the break of dawn, she suddenly found a pair of soft lips pressed tightly against hers.
The tea that she'd been drinking fell to the floor, thudding dully against the carpet as the smell of spicy perfume swirled around her, filling her senses. Helen shivered, feeling a tiny hand cup one cheek and nudge her head to the side, deepening the contact. She's not sure why- why this time, why now, questions that would probably remain unanswered- but she allowed it to happen. Leaning into Kate and swiping her tongue tentatively along a full lower lip.
"Dude, no way!"
Helen startled, jumping away from the younger woman, finding Henry and Will standing in the doorway with matching, gaping jaws.
"I'm not dreaming am I?" Henry stage whispered, his eyes still glued on her and Kate, "Please tell me I'm not dreaming..."
"Not dreaming, wolfboy," Kate smirked, shrugging innocently as she went over to the table nearby and grabbed an apple out of the fruit bowl before pointing above Helen's head, "Mistletoe."
Looking up, she confirmed that it was there, a heavy sigh escaping her before she could stop it. Maybe that damn weed wasn't quite the villain that she'd made it out to be.
Four.
The first time that Henry mentioned Ashley's name, it'd been nearly three months after Kate arrived. It took another two for her to figure out that this Ashley woman had been more than just a colleague, she'd been family. Magnus' family to be specific. And three more for her to finally realize, after accidentally overhearing Will and the Big Guy reminiscing, that she hadn't just left or disappeared, she'd passed away.
After that, Kate had taken to paying more attention to her boss. Making sure that she was settled and taken care of, even though there was very little that she could do without seeming condescending. It's just, she knew what it was like to lose a family member. To grieve for that kind of loss and keep it locked up inside. No one should have to live with that.
That's how she found herself in the library late one night, almost one year after she'd started calling the Sanctuary home, with her arms wrapped around Helen Magnus' shaking body. She'd found the poor woman sobbing in an old leather chair, clutching a crumpled picture of a pretty blonde girl to her chest. Kate's heart broke at the sight, silently pulling her into a comforting embrace. Soothing damp hair off of her face until she relaxed against her, and the tears began to slow.
"Is that Ashley?" she whispered.
Magnus' fingers tightened their grip in the front of her shirt, clinging to her as she nodded into the crook of Kate's neck.
Gently prying the photo from the woman's tense hands, she smoothed out all of the wrinkles as best she could before holding it up to the light, "I always thought she'd look like you- beautiful and strong. I bet she had just as much of an attitude, too..."
"I beg your pardon?" she outraged weakly, trying to pull away from her.
Kate held her tightly and ran a palm down her back, rubbing circles into the tense muscles that she found there, "Chill, Doc. I meant no disrespect. Just- a woman like her, like you, has no problem expressing her opinions. And on occasion, she might do it loudly. I kinda dig that."
"She was quite sassy," Magnus conceited between shuddering breaths.
"See?" Kate grinned, squeezing her affectionately, "I knew it... You think we would've gotten along, she and I?"
The woman in her arms sniffled softly, inching closer, "Absolutely. She would have loved you, especially with the way that you pick on poor Henry. Those two adored one another, but were constantly at each other's throats..."
Kate chuckled, "Like brother and sister, huh?"
"Growing up, certainly," she agreed, "but in the last few years... I'm not quite sure."
"You think they would've gotten together?"
"I don't know. I'd hoped that they would," she mused, calming now almost to a state of normalcy.
"Well, if it's any consolation," Kate offered, tunneling her fingers through a mass of tangled hair, "I think they would have. Sometimes, I can just look at him and know that he's thinking about her. He gets this look on his face- sad, regretful, happy. It's hard to describe."
Magnus sighed, "I miss her."
Cupping the woman's cheek, Kate tipped her head up until their eyes met, "I know."
"I can't believe she's gone."
"She's not really gone, you know," ignoring the woman's furrowed brow, she let her palm trail down Magnus' neck and press flat against the exposed skin of her chest, right over her heart, "She'll always be right here."
She looked like she was going to cry again, her eyes shining with unshed tears, and for a minute Kate thought she'd said the wrong thing- been just a little too cheesy. But then Magnus surprised her, tilting her head up until their mouths hovered together, not quite touching. Kate's breath hitched, her lashes fluttering shut, waiting patiently for the other woman to close the gap between them.
It didn't happen right away though, she hesitated. Seconds passed. Warm breath puffed over her chin and their noses bumped together, letting Magnus wage whatever inner battle was going on inside of that extraordinarily large brain of hers. Absently, Kate's thumb began caressing the pale skin over her collarbone, swaying dangerously close to the older woman as fingertips dug into her ribs and she heard her release a breathy moan.
It seemed to be the last straw, because the next thing she knew, Magnus surged forward and finally kissed her. All lips and tongues and tears. Tasting of salt and berries, bittersweet and tragic. Nothing lasted too long though, and with one last lingering peck, the older woman pulled away.
Kate whimpered at the loss, but didn't protest otherwise. Instead, she was content to sit there for hours in the silence, holding the grieving woman cuddled up in her arms, waiting for dawn to come. If this was the only form of comfort that she could offer, if it was the only time that she was allowed provide it, she'd understand.
At least this time, the fourth time that she heard Ashley's name, she's pretty sure that it left Magnus' broken heart a little less shattered... and that, she could live with.
End.