A/N. Since we don't know a heck of a lot about the Five at this point, most of this fic is speculation. I really like writing pre-ship, I've found. And flashback fic. And Niko-centric fic. But it really is Teslen, I promise! Just…really dark Teslen.

After consulting with people on GW, the consensus seems to be that Helen and John never actually got married, but that their happiness was interrupted by John going all Ripper. That said, while this has Helen/John elements, it is meant to be Teslen and is for the May Challenge "Marriage." Yes, yes, I am aware that I'm obscenely late.

P.S. I haven't actually watched "Haunted", so if pieces of this don't gel with that ep, please do let me know, but don't judge. :)

Fateful Engagement

Nikola Tesla was rarely at a loss for words.

But, when faced with the sparkling diamond on Helen Magnus's slender finger, the speech part of his powerful brain fainted dead away.

"Isn't it wonderful, Nikola?"

He tore his eyes away from the ring and his gaze automatically fell on her shining eyes next. She looked so happy, bursting at the seams with joy as if she would open her mouth and light would stream out.

"Um…" Nikola managed.

The next thing he noticed was John Druitt stepping up next to Helen. Nikola automatically tensed at the sight of the man with whom he exchanged dislike freely. But he stiffened even more when the tall gentleman slid an arm around Helen's waist. She looked up at her fiancé with that blissful glow and Nikola almost threw up right there.

"Well, Tesla?" Druitt spoke, lowly, with forced friendliness.

"Yes," Nikola managed, smiling at Helen. "Yes, of course it is. Very wonderful. I'm so…happy for you both."

Helen was so excited that she did not notice his obvious lie, instead beginning to rattle off their plans for the wedding. Druitt, however, saw right through Nikola's forced cheer and the two men locked eyes, exchanging a death glare out of Helen's notice as she rambled on. But, contrary to the norm, it was now Druitt who smirked arrogantly and Nikola who seethed.

"What's this I hear about a wedding?" Watson's cheerful voice broke the moment as he entered the room and Helen turned to hold out her diamond-graced hand, glowing once more.

Her lovely hand.

Nikola quickly left the room before he did something he regretted. Druitt watched him go with a proud smirk. Their silent war over Helen was finished.

Nikola had lost.

As thrilled as she was, Helen was still Helen. She wasn't about to rush into anything—no matter how much she wanted it. This meant that the wedding was set for four months away. Plenty of time to get affairs in order.

Plenty of time for Nikola Tesla to wreak some havoc.

Nothing if not brilliant, he needed only a day to plot. A full, twenty-four hour, sleepless-night day, but still. Though the Source blood running fresh in his veins demanded he just walk over and decapitate Druitt to solve the problem, Nikola felt proud that he managed to keep his head.

The first stage was manipulation. Subtle, clever manipulation. Seeds of doubt and warning, all using only words. Seemingly meaningless to those who did not know how to use them, words would be the mortar that held this despicable plan together.

He spoke to Helen first, deftly applying pressure to her logical, cautious, and somewhat loner attitude. All of his casual rationality did nothing to her, however—not on the surface and not immediately, but that wasn't the point.

Nikola was, however, pleased to see the slightest frown cross her face when he mentioned her beloved work conflicting with a family. The frown smoothed over as she sighed and said some rubbish about loving John enough to risk it.

Clearly Druitt was the core problem here.

Again, Nikola probed with words. His questions were instantly met with Druitt's narrowed eyes of suspicion. Then that frustratingly calm smirk.

"You never know when to give up, do you?"

Nikola blinked innocently and said "I'm sorry?" while his inner self cursed obscenely in multiple languages. Because of John's slow way of speaking, Nikola was constantly underestimating the man's intelligence.

Druitt did not reply at first, instead simply standing there, still calm and unbelievably serene. Nikola stepped back just a bit—not out of fear, but so that the taller man would not completely tower over him in nearness.

But then, when he finally spoke, Druitt said the words that bit into Nikola's very soul and left scars that lasted all the way to the early 21st century.

"She's mine, Tesla. Not yours. Mine."

For the second time in his life (and in one day), Nikola Tesla was speechless. Irritation boiled up from his gut, making his gray eyes flash.

"Do you understand that concept, hm?" Druitt went on, patronizingly. "Do you know when you're beaten, Tesla? It's over. None of your plans, none of your brilliant ideas, can change that. Besides, it's your own fault. If you'd bothered to stop thinking about your desires and your work and your-bloody-self for once, your courtship might have actually worked out."

It was true, Nikola had courted Helen first. Way back at the beginning of the Five. Before the Source. Before either of them knew the name John Druitt. It was a brief but whirlwind romance that ended not badly, but abruptly. Being the intelligent sort, they were able to remain friends and put the experience behind them, all resentment gone—or so Nikola had thought. But, a few months later, at the announcement of the beginning of Helen and John's courtship, Nikola started to change.

The Five noticed right away. He started to shift from a "savior of humanity" mentality to a more focused, selfish attitude. Sometimes he would bypass intelligent debate with a biting insult, as if too bored with his colleagues to actually deign to converse about theories and hypotheticals. He stopped greasing his thick hair down, letting it muss naturally. Society began muttering about the eccentric Serbian and he stopped being invited to the proper parties.

The others of the Five had confronted him about it and he'd blamed it on the Source blood, confessing that his new vampirism made him hyper-intelligent (more so than he'd originally been, believe it or not), which just gave him a shorter temper when dealing with regular humans (despite the fact that none of the other four were "regular" in any way). And, yes, the blood was part of it, but in truth, Nikola's irritation came mostly from seeing Helen's smile of joy and not being the cause of it.

Shaking himself back to the present, Nikola realized that John's calm smile had turned to a flat-out cocky smirk. The impulsive—and disconcerting—urge to rip the man's head off rose again. Nikola was never a violent man; he was too intelligent to resort to fists. Mentally cursing the unstable aspect of the Source blood that had blessed him in so many other ways, Nikola easily relaxed, his higher mind clicking into gear. Remember the plan. By the time he grinned at Druitt, he was at ease once more.

"What are you smiling at?" Druitt asked, suspiciously.

"Nothing, my friend," Nikola lied (both about the nothing, and the "friend" bit). "You're right; I am beaten. I wish you both every happiness."

Then he turned briskly on his heel and left, glad that his back was to Druitt so the man couldn't see his half-grin, half-smirk.

*Approximately Four Months Later*

Nikola seemed to honor his acquiescence to John. Even if he did so by becoming more invisible to the group than Nigel Griffin himself. Before the announcement of the fateful engagement, Nikola's attendance was abysmal anyway. Having a very focused, very brilliant mind and obsessive tendencies, he could hardly help it. But it was so bad during that four month period that Griffin had taken to calling their group "The Four" instead.

Then, two weeks before the wedding, Nikola suddenly reappeared and acted as if nothing had happened. Almost simultaneous with his return, John started behaving strangely. He would leave late at night and not return until morning, looking haggard and tormented. Slowly, he seemed to be changing into another man entirely.

Two days before the wedding, he vanished at midday and did not return. Now, it was the evening before the big day and the groom had been missing for a day and a half. While the rest of the Five—especially Helen—panicked, Nikola was the picture of serenity; fingers steepled, sitting calmly, with the barest of smiles.

After searching everywhere, Griffin and Watson volunteered to go out once again and grabbed their coats. Helen tried to sit down, but ended up standing and pacing once again. Back and forth. Back and forth. Nikola followed her with only his eyes, moving nothing else.

"Helen, please," he spoke finally. "Sit. Drink. Calm yourself."

He held out a glass of wine and she, tempted by the promise of soothing alcohol, strode over and sat nearby, sipping more than was commonly polite. Nikola smiled and drank at his own glass.

"I'm sure they'll find him," he soothed in a low tone.

Helen set down her empty glass and gestured at the bottle. Merely quirking an eyebrow, Nikola obeyed her silent wish and refilled it. Helen lifted the glass to her lips again and finally replied.

"I don't want to talk about it, Nikola. Please let's speak on something else. You. Where did you go for so long?"

"Oh…" Nikola swirled his wineglass casually, leaning back. "Here and there, I suppose. Met some fascinating people. Some devilish monsters as well. It's amazing how one's eyes open to new things once one becomes a new thing."

"James and Nigel should be back by now, don't you think?" Helen said, clearly not really paying attention.

"I love you, Helen."

She turned her head to look at him, but he could tell by her expression that she hadn't actually heard him. Her brain knew he'd said something momentous, but she hadn't caught it.

"I'm sorry?"

Nikola set his wineglass down and leaned forward on his chair, taking both of Helen's hands in his.

"I want you to know…that if no one else is, I'll always be there for you. Always."

Helen nodded slowly, tears forming in her eyes as she gratefully squeezed his hands.

This isn't really fair, Nikola's conscience pointed out. She's too vulnerable.

Nikola couldn't help but smirk. Vulnerability was the plan.

Watson burst in, then, panting, coat open carelessly in his haste. "Helen!"

"James!" She shot to her feet in an instant.

"Griffin found him," Watson rushed the words out. "Found him…doing horrible things. We spoke with him. He wants to speak with you. Only you. But Helen…he's a monster."

Helen shook a bit, but did not move or speak. Behind her, Nikola relaxed back into his chair, picking up the neglected wineglass.

"He was…cutting on a callgirl," Watson said, his voice soft in horror. "I cannot allow you to meet him alone."

"I have to. I can get through to him."

She was already striding about the room, grabbing her father's revolver and her wide-brimmed hat. Watson clearly knew that arguing with her was pointless, but he made several attempts to open his mouth and debate before turning his frustration on the relaxed Nikola.

"Will you help me, please?"

Nikola finished his sip. "What's the point? Helen's right."

Watson swore—very unlike him. By then, Helen was fully prepared. She strode right up to the hyper-observant abnormal, blue eyes set and determined.

"Take me to him."

"At least let Griffin stay with you," Watson pleaded. "He's already concealed in the alleyway and John will never notice him."

"I can take care of myself, thank you," Helen snapped. She sighed. "But I doubt I could tell whether Nigel was there or not, so I suppose I have no say in the matter."

Watson smiled gratefully and escorted her out the door.

Nikola remained where he sat in the silent house, sipping his wine. It didn't take a genius to figure out what would happen next. Helen would try to fix John, he would resist, and she'd have to resort to force, causing John to flee from her life forever.

Nikola finished off his glass and let his head lean back on the chair until he was staring at the ceiling. A clock ticked obscenely loud to his sensitive ears, but he let it permeate his brain and synchronize itself with his heartbeat.

He smiled. A plan as brilliant as his would not see full ramifications until centuries later, but for now he had the pleasure of knowing that it could not fail. The Entity would see to that. What a curious little thing it'd been. Just waiting for him in Rome, as if it was ready to solve all of his problems. Having been on a certain energy level himself, it didn't take long for Nikola to learn to communicate with the being and discover it's symbiotic and murderous qualities.

Then it had been a simple matter of bringing his new friend home to meet John Druitt.

Nikola sat up and glanced at the grandfather clock. It was near dawn. In a few hours, Druitt and Helen would have been married. But no more. Nikola smiled as he refilled his wineglass. This called for celebration. Lifting the glass to the empty room, the lonely genius smirked.

"To the happy couple."

~fin