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Four years previously - Gramercy Park

Helen sat on a freezing bench, watching the clock slowly tick toward midnight. A sense of embarrassment began to fill her as she sat alone. She'd given up looking around for the mess of hair that would indicate her date had arrived. Instead she let a small, cold tear run down her cheek as she watched happy couples around her dance to the upbeat music in the private park. Dancing had changed so much in her time, but the essence of being close to your partner was something that would never be lost. As the music slowed, people held each other close. The park wasn't crowded, and it was so rare for New Years Eve to have an event held in the private park. Times were certainly changing, she mused.

Ten

Helen stood from her bench and looked around one more time. He'd always been selfish, but he'd never been so cruel as to stand her up.

Nine

Drinking the last of the wine in her glass and the wine she'd poured for him in anticipation, she threw the bottle into her oversized handbag, not caring what it crushed.

Eight

The crowd was loud, chanting the countdown.

Seven

A pair of hands grabbed her waist roughly, spinning around and giving her fresh hope. Helen's heart dropped as she was met with an unfamiliar face. She pressed her sharp heel into the man's foot; he yelped and dropped his hands from her before scurrying away.

Six

Her hand grasped his note, reading it over again in desperate hope she'd made a mistake and he was waiting for her elsewhere.

My Cinderella,

Meet me at midnight.

I promised once and I promise again.

I am yours forever.

There was no mistaking the writing, and but one man had called her Cinderella. He promised he'd be here forever in this spot over a hundred years ago.

Five

Four

Three

Helen squeezed through the crowd, tears falling unashamedly.

Two

One

Helen's heart shattered as midnight struck. Her back against the passenger door of her car, her body shook with sobs. A small cry escaped her lips as she wrapped her arms around her stomach. She slid down, mutter his name, willing herself to hate him. So many years of nothing, she'd barely allowed herself to hope his nondescript letter was true. However sitting on their bench, she'd found herself secretly counting the minutes until she could tell him he'd better never leave her alone again.

The cold of melting snow stuck to the hem of her dress as she walked to the driver's side of the car and started the engine through a haze of tears.

"That utter, absolute bastard!" she screamed out, hitting her hand against the steering wheel angrily. She wanted to shoot him. She wanted nothing more than to cause him the amount of pain he'd caused her time and time again.

Nikola ran desperately toward the spot he hoped she still was. The bench was empty bar two used wine glasses. He picked one up, smelling the delicate aroma. She'd been here. He was too late. She was gone.

Eleven months and Twenty Five Days Later

Nikola sat on the bench, throwing bread crumbs to the pigeons absentmindedly. His eyes were glued to the home made Christmas card in his hand. It was sprinkled in the most disgusting glitter that stuck to his suit, but his detest of the tiny particles was outweighed by the longing he felt looking at the photo of his Helen holding a tiny baby in her arms. In the adjoining photo there was Helen, looking radiant as ever, with a blonde girl standing next to her. The girl looked to be perhaps twenty two. Helen's eyes were filled with joy in both photos, and Nikola reminisced to the last time he'd seen her that happy.

1896 - Gramercy Park

"Nikola... We shouldn't be in here." Helen's voice was hushed as they climbed swiftly over the fence around Gramercy Park.

"Really, Helen." He held her hand and stood but inches from her face. "Don't you trust me?" he whispered huskily.

Her body shuddered before she responded "Not in the least."

Nikola smirked at that and continued leading her, not releasing her hand. His heart soared slightly when she made no attempt to remove it from his grasp. They walked together in silence for a few minutes before coming to a stop in front of a sitting bench. Nikola reached under the bench and pulled out a basket. Opening it he pulled out a bottle of Bordeaux and two crystal goblets. He laid a blanket on the ground in front of the bench, and spread out a selection of fruits and cheeses. He put a hand on the small of Helen's back, making a sweeping gesture over the spread with the other.

"Care to join me for a picnic, my love."

Helen didn't miss his use of the term 'my love', however made no objection.

"It's near midnight, Nikola..."

"I'm well aware of that. Think of it as a late supper, an early breakfast, a midnight snack." Nikola grinned at her, and Helen relented, sitting on the blanket and picking up a piece of apple.

She nibbled on it while watching Nikola pour out two glasses of wine. Helen heard the church bells ring from down the cobbled road and she smiled inwardly.

Nikola handed her a glass and held his up in a toast. "To you, my wonderful Helen. Happy birthday."

Helen held up her glass, not able to contain a smile as joy filled her, looking at Nikola's still boyish grin. No matter what happened between them in the past, and what their long years would bring, he still had an air of innocent arrogance around him. It was one of the things that made her love him so dearly one moment, and want to shoot him the next.

Three glasses of wine each later, and Helen was slowly beginning to feel a tiny buzz from the alcohol. Her source blood reduced the effects of alcohol on her, but she was certainly not immune. Another bottle was pulled from the basket, and Helen slowly edged her way closer to Nikola under the pretence of retrieving more of the wonderful liquid he was pouring. He smelt amazing, a mix of sweet and almost burnt spices. He had shaved off that damned moustache that she'd loved to hate so much. Her head tipped to the side, lying on Nikola's shoulder. His breathing hitched, and his body was rigid for a moment before regaining his composure and enjoying the smell of her hair so close.

"I missed you..." Helen said softly.

Nikola turned his head and placed a soft kiss on her hair. "I missed you too," he whispered as he wrapped his arms around her. They let their bodies lay back, and Helen placed her head on his chest. Nikola ran his fingers softly through her hair as they looked through the trees to the night sky. The night was clear, the stars bright. Nikola felt a calm sweep through him like he hadn't felt in over ten years. He felt his breathing fall into step with Helen's, he could feel her soft heartbeat, and smell the delicate aroma of fruit and wine that surrounded her.

She turned her head, and he propped his up to look into her eyes.

"I love you, my Nikola."

Nikola looked deep into her eyes. She knew all too well how he felt about her. That he loved her with all his being. She'd professed her love for him many times as well, only a different sort of love. She loved him as a best friend, as a shoulder on which she could cry when Johnny boy broke her heart. Nikola was desperate for more, but had no idea, no means with which to convince her to be his. "I am yours, forever. I can't promise you much but I can promise you that," he said simply.

Present Day - New Years Eve - New York Sanctuary

Standing in front of the mirror, Helen scrutinised her form before flicking a small piece of fluff from it before slipping her delicate feet into the far-too-high-to-be-practical-but-incredibly-sexy footwear she'd chosen. Crouching, she fastened the buckles around her ankles before taking one more look in the mirror. Her figure hugging little black dress grabbed her hips accentuating her toned form, and cut off 3 inches above her knees. The length was sexy, while still leaving something to the imagination. Her heels made her already long legs look endless. Smirking, she certainly hoped there was someone who took her interest tonight.

A knock on the door made Helen jump and quickly regain her composure.

"You ready?" Henry poked his head in tentatively. "Wowza. Nice."

Helen smiled, "Thank you Henry, I am. Are you, Erica and the others ready?"

"They sure are," he grinned before turning and jogging downstairs excitedly. The whole gang never went out together, so when Helen herself had suggested that perhaps they should take a break this New Years Eve and do something fun, the idea was well received. She herself was well and truly tired of spending New Years alone.

"So tell me, Doc." Henry looked at her from the front passenger seat of the SUV Biggie was driving. "Exactly how did you manage to get us all invited to a private party in one of the most exclusive private parks in Manhattan?"

"Oh Henry... That would be telling now, wouldn't it?" she answered with a conspiratory grin. There really wasn't that much to it, but it was fun letting the team try to muddle it out between them. She had a long history with the park and all it had taken was a quick email.

1896 - Gramercy Park

Helen's breath caught at Nikola's promise. She wasn't sure when it had happened, but something had changed between them. Somewhere between her discovery that John was indeed Jack the Ripper and the official parting of ways for the Five, Helen had found herself thinking of Nikola in a way that she'd thought she'd never manage after John crushed her so completely. She knew that Nikola loved her. She thought it was a passing feeling, that he would change his mind, find someone who could love him now.

"You mean that, don't you?" she managed after a few silent moments.

Nikola's hand swept a stray piece of hair from her face and his finger trailed softly down her cheek. His hand rested gently on her neck. He didn't speak, but Helen could see the answer in his eyes.

"Will you wait for me?" Helen knew it was an unreasonable request. She knew she was asking more of him than any man could be expected to give to a woman. Yet she still hoped desperately that Nikola would wait for her to be ready for him. She loved him, she truly did. She needed time to be her, to build her Sanctuary, to learn what it was to truly be free of the oppressive man's world she'd been raised in. Even with her father's forward thinking, and her gradual acceptance as a daily occurrence at Oxford, Helen had still never had the freedom to do as she wished. Times were slowly changing around her, and she wanted to be a part of it.

"I will always wait for you, Helen. Months, years, decades, lifetimes. We have time."

Helen snapped back to the present just in time to hear Abby say "Earth to Magnus?"

Helen shot her a forced smile. "Sorry, I was just thinking about the 2am feedings back home. Time difference and all that. What did you say?"

Abby furrowed her brow, shooting a look to say she knew that Helen was lying.

'Bloody over perceptive women...' she thought to herself while willing the memory of Nikola to leave her be for just one night. She hated her subconscious - or more often her conscious mind these days - for stopping her from having fun, perhaps even a relationship with another man. She knew that it was more than that though; she knew that aside from casual sex, there was only one man who could hold her for any extended period of time.

Henry and Will began bickering between themselves about something to do with sport while Abby and Erica rolled their eyes and began a conversation of their own. Helen listened to it all for a few minutes before watching out the window. The air was visibly cold, and snow lay thick on the ground. Winter hadn't always been her favourite season; she'd only begun to enjoy it after Ashley was born. Playing with her daughter in the snow on Christmas day, building snow men and Ashley always ending up initiating a snow ball fight. This was the first time since Ashley's death that she'd allowed herself to so much as entertain the idea of enjoying the holiday time.

As Biggie pulled the car to the side of the street, Henry opened the door and jumped out excitedly, before remember his manners and holding out his hand to help Erica down. Abby got out before Will, leaving just Helen and Biggie sitting in the car. "Are you sure you don't want to come with us? If you pull your coat hood up no one will notice..." Helen tried to encourage.

"No," Biggie grunted. "Parties... not my thing."

Helen smiled and leaned in placing a kiss on his cheek. "Alright, well I'll call you when we're all ready. Be good!"

"I should be saying that to you," he drew out his words. He'd known Helen long enough to know that something was amiss. He simply was unsure as to exactly what it was.

Helen slipped from the car, closing the door behind her. Glancing at the clock tower in front of the park, she saw that the time read 10:28pm. The night was still young.

Nikola looked at the glowing red numbers on the alarm clock. He was lying on the floor, ignoring the fact there was a perfectly good bed next to him. As it his 10:30 he pulled himself up from his self imposed depression and look a look in the mirror. Groaning, he walked into the en-suite and stripped off his suit and stepped under the shower head, flicking the water on hard cold. He stood there for a moment, before stepping out again and running a towel roughing over himself before wandering back to his closet. He looked through his vast array of different suits before settling on one that looked exactly the same as five others.

Within five minutes he was out the hotel apartment door and wandering down the ice covered side walk. He approached the gates of the park and nodded at the bouncer who ticked his name off the list without saying a word and opened the gate for him. He wandered in, looking around before spotting Helen and the children quickly. He briefly toyed with the idea of going up to them before changing his mind and wandering over to the make shift bar. The best part about exclusive parties? The selection of fine wines was exceptional.

Nikola stood against a tree, watching Helen and the group intently. She didn't appear to be with anyone, but the way she was dressed... A shiver ran through him as he raked his eyes over her. The dress hugged every curve, and he couldn't help but imagine her with naught on but those heels.

"Damn it," he twisted slightly, adjusting himself as he tried to think of something far less attractive than Helen's naked body hovering above him.

"Hi..." an overly high pitched voice assaulted his ears. Nikola turned around to see a blonde girl standing in front of him. She couldn't be over twenty years old.

"Hi," he said with as much interest as he could muster.

"You like wine?" she asked motioning to his wine glass.

You've got to be kidding me... he thought bitterly while nodding curtly. If he wasn't so worried he'd be booted from the park (which he normally wouldn't have cared about but he didn't want to make a scene and bring Helen's attention to him) he would've made a snarky remark and left the girl standing there. However, noting that she was the youngest here she was most like the mayors daughter, he thought better of it.

"I like Moscato," she said chirpily, stepping far too close to him for comfort. He tried to step back finding himself backing against the trip. "Would you like to try some of it?"

Moscato? Really, what did I do to deserve this punishment?

"Oh, no." Nikola held up a hand to stop her. "I... had a terrible flu recently and would hate to give it to you."

The girl pouted but didn't relent.

"My name is Stacey."

"Nikola," he said while trying to shuffle away from the tree that she was now all my pressing him against.

"Nikola, isn't that a girl's name?"

Fighting back a snarl, he went to speak before they were interrupted.

"Excuse me darling, I think you're trying to bed my boyfriend."

Nikola looked over the girls shoulder in confusion before smiling gratefully at the face he saw. The blonde huffed before walking away sulkily.

"Thank you," he said, truly meaning it. He wasn't sure how much of that he could endure - the stench of her perfume was starting to make him feel physically ill.

"That's alright. I never thought I'd see the great Nikola Tesla looking so desperately uncomfortable. And don't worry, Henry told me to come over here. We won't tell her you're here, by the way."

With that the dark haired girl skited back to Heinrich's side. He liked her, he decided quickly before going to the bar and getting an entire bottle and making his way to their bench. The clock struck 11:30, signalling it with a few rings of the bell. Sitting, Nikola poured out a glass and relaxed back into the chair.

It was time for her to see him here.

Helen smiled graciously at the gentlemen who offered her a drink. He was the fifth this evening, and the fourth she'd turned down. The one she accepted she regretted immediately when he brought her a glass of possibly the most vile wine she'd tasted. Unfortunately it made her heart ache a little bit knowing that he would never have made that mistake. The man persisted however, and she stood there talking to him for a good ten minutes. It wasn't that he was unintelligent, or that the topic was uninteresting to her. It was that this man was possible the most narcissistic man she'd come across, and she'd met a few in her time.

As the man finally left her to roam the party, perhaps picking up on the fact that she just wasn't interested in going home with him, Helen felt a familiar tingle. Helen's heart skipped a beat as she saw a mess of hair out of the corner of her eye. She spun around, hand on her concealed gun. He was here. The bastard had the audacity to be here, tonight. It wasn't as though they hadn't worked together recently, and they'd even flirted shamelessly. It was the fact that every time she thought they were getting close again he left. Neither of them had mentioned the night he'd left her sitting there like an idiot as he stood her up. Growling lowly, she made her way over to the bench. To their bench.

"You absolute bastard," she spat at him.

"Hello to you too," he said as he stood to greet her. Before he could say anything else he felt her fist connect with his jaw. His eyes darkened, and his talons grew. He took control of his body quickly, retracting them but his eyes stayed black. Grabbing Helen's wrist he stopped her from pulling it away from him.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed.

"Absolutely nothing," he used his free hand to rub his already healed jaw. "Although I may need a doctor to help with that, do you know anyone good?" his voice dropped and he looked at her suggestively.

She shivered, her body reacting to his hand on her bare skin. It had never taken much for him to affect her, but right now all she wanted was to get out of there without crying.

"You're a vampire Nikola, remember?" she said dryly.

He grinned at her and released her wrist. "If you must know I came here to... apologise."

Helen was dumbstruck. "Apologise?"

Nikola nodded and sat down, motioning next to him for her to sit as well. She looked at him apprehensively before taking the seat offered. The sat in an awkward silence for a minute, watching people as they made their way past them.

"I didn't mean to..." Nikola was the first to speak. "I truly meant to be here... I just got so caught up in what I was working on, that by the time I got here, it hit midnight and you'd already left. In my defence I was here on the stroke of midnight."

Helen took it all in, slowly realising that she'd left just seconds before he'd arrived. She wanted to kick herself, but at the same time, anger coursed through her. "Yes well, that's always been it for you hasn't it. Your stupid bloody plans for world domination have always and will always be your first priority," she said bitterly as she snatched the wine glass from his hand and drank the rest of what was in his glass.

"Really?" he asked incredulously, looking at his now empty glass.

"Oh please Nikola," Helen said exasperatedly. "We've known each other for over a hundred years, and had much more contact than that, and you're worried about my germs on your wine glass?"

Nikola shrugged. "I was actually referring to the fact you just skulled a glass of wine that cost more than you pay Heinrich a week."

Helen rolled her eyes. "Nikola, can we please get back to what you want so that I can get back to my night?" Helen's mind was screaming at her to stand up and walk away, that it wasn't worth the effort. Her heart was tired of breaking and trying to piece itself back together.

Nikola toyed with the glass in his hand. "I am sorry, Helen. I had planned on coming, I had a spiel about how I should've made you mine, I even wrote notes."

Helen's heart fluttered, the nervous Nikola in front of her reminding her so completely of the Nikola she'd first met back at Oxford.

"I hate Christmas, you know that."

Helen looked at Nikola, confused. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"You sent me a Christmas card. You sent me one every year we were apart. You know I hate Christmas."

"Oh. Well... I suppose it's a tradition I've held onto through the years. Sending letters and cards to the people I care about over Christmas. I stopped after Ashley..." Helen's voice wavered and she stopped talking, tears filling her eyes.

Nikola couldn't think of the right thing to say to comfort her, so instead he continued. "That night, Helen. I thought I'd figured it out, I thought I'd finally figured out Wireless Energy Transfer. I know that it isn't an excuse, and I am truly sorry. I have never meant to hurt you, despite the number of times I have."

"We all hurt the ones we love..." Helen quoted him meekly.

"That doesn't have to be true. I can try."

Ten

The crowd began chanting as the music quietened and the countdown began the large outdoor screen. Without thinking, Nikola moved closer to Helen so their knees touched. He took her hand.

"I meant it, when I said I love you."

"Yes, right before you tried to kill me."

Nine

Nikola smiled meekly. "I didn't mean that?"

Helen couldn't help but laugh a little. With each word they spoke she felt like her heart was becoming lighter.

Eight

"Yes you did. We've always been dysfunctional at best."

Seven

Helen stood, and Nikola followed suit. Standing in her way. "Helen, don't leave."

The desperation in his voice took her aback. His face was pained.

Six

"Nikola..."

Five

"My Cinderella..." Nikola's hand swept over her hair and he took a step close to her. He was but an inch from her face, reading the emotion running through Helen's eyes.

Four

Helen's heart fluttered as she felt Nikola's breath on her lips.

"Happy ever after was unavailable, I'm still thinking of those yesterdays when I was Prince Charming and you were Cinderella beautiful..." Nikola muttered.

Three

"Thank you, for the cards."

Two

Helen smiled, no words could make their way past the lump in her throat. She wanted nothing more than to close the tiniest of spaces between them.

"Helen," Nikola spoke again. She almost wished he'd just shut up until he said "I'm going to kiss you now, please don't punch me."

One

Nikola pressed his lips to hers, Helen responded immediately wrapping her hand around the back of his head pulling him hard against her lips. Nikola snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her entire body against him, desperate to feel more of her. He'd waited for far too long to do this, and he didn't want it to ever end. She moaned against his lips as he ran his tongue along her bottom lip. Her lips parted and he lost himself in the last of her. He couldn't even begin to describe her exquisite taste.

Nikola growled slightly as Helen pulled away from him. Her cheeks were flushed and her breath came in short bursts.

"I swear to God, Nikola. If you disappear in the morning, I will hunt you down and I will find a way to kill you."

Nikola grinned. "Oh Helen, I would expect nothing less of you. I have no intentions of leaving. I love you, and before you start questioning me - I mean that." Nikola leaned in and pressed his lips to hers again, gently this time, savouring the moment.

"I love you too, Nikola," Helen murmured against his lips.

Nikola froze. Helen pulled back. Helen's heart dropped. "I thought that..."

Nikola looked at her confused for a moment. "No... that's amazing, and you can say that as much as you want. We're being watched."

"Really? You can tell?"

"Vampire, remember."

Helen peaked over Nikola's shoulder to see four shocked faces staring at the two of them. Helen ducked back and tucked her face against his chest. "Just how heated were we just now?" she asked shyly.

"Well... I can safely say that I may just die if you don't accompany me home tonight. Does that answer your question?"

"My team is watching us."

"Damned children..." he muttered.

Nikola turned and stood next to Helen, not relinquishing his hold on her hand.

"Dude, I told you it was Nikola!" Henry exclaimed hitting Will on the shoulder before coughing and looking back at the pair of them awkwardly. "Sorry..."

"Um we'll... call Biggie... You two right to..." Will stammered awkwardly.

"We'll find our own way home, thank you Will."

Erica and Abby shot Helen a grin before turning around to follow the boys who were now scuttling away, arguing between themselves. Helen saw money exchange hands and rolled her eyes.

"Shall we?" Nikola motioned toward the makeshift dance floor. "I think after that kiss I at least owe you a dance before I bed you..."

Helen coughed, an uncomfortable wetness quickly forming as Nikola's hand rested on the small of her back, stroking small circles.

"I'd actually prefer..." Helen stepped close to him, her body pressing against his, "to leave. I'd love to take these shoes off get off my feet." She gave him a suggestive look, biting her bottom lip. The arousal and anticipation she felt at the thought of the rest of the night was nearly unbearable.

He leaned in, and whispered in her ear. "Too bad for you, I happen to think you look incredibly sexy in those heels. You're not taking them off anytime soon."

Helen could feel Nikola's arousal pressed against her. Her body shivered .

"If you like the heels, wait until you see the lingerie."

Nikola growled and pulled her hard against him roughly. "That. Is. Not. Fair."

AN - there will be a sequel AFTER the reviews have been tallied. You do have til the 28th of January to make your review count. Come one guys - make us broke.

Just a quick thank you because we couldn't do this without the amazing readers who are... amazing. ASTOUNDING even. I less than three you all very much.