Fandom: Sanctuary.
Pairing: None.
Season: Doesn't matter, but preferably season 3.
Notes: This is not my first fiction in English. However, this is the first I ever had the courage to post anywhere. But as I was so nicely asked to translate my Sanctuary fanfiction, I could not let you people down, could I? English is not my mother language and I tried my best to provide you a nice reading. Be nice, please? =)
Summary: Nikola Tesla was a genius. But nothing prepared him to what he was going to find at the Sanctuary that night.
Cookies & Confidences.
Nikola was a genius. At least, that's what he likes to tell people. He was able to comprehend any physical principle and apply the Newton's laws with the most utter could easily pull up a particles reactor while Helen waited for her nail polish to dry. McGyver was a boy scout compared to him.
Nevertheless, neither his genius nor his wit couldn't prepare him to what he'd find this night.
He had to stay at the Sanctuary to work on the nucleon generator he had such troubles with. He knew - he felt - he was so close to find the solution. Nikola had only left his lab to sneak up into the kitchen, wherein he hoped to find some victuals... oh, a box of cookies would be perfectly fine, even if he knew he'd leave crumbles everywhere. He'd ask Biggie to take care of the floor cleaning later. There was no harm done.
As he left the kitchen to take his way up to the corridor and onto his room, he abruptly stopped when he saw a small figure emerging from the decor. Just in front of him was a small girl. She couldn't be more than seven years old. She sucked on her tiny thumb, looking at him with pleading eyes while holding her stuffed bunny in her left hand.
Nikola took a look around, noticing they were alone. At least, he knew there wouldn't be any witness to acknowledge what he was going to do.
-"What is the reason for a young lady to wander alone in the middle of the night?" he asked, not quite sure the kid could understand his Victorian English. He surprised himself though. His voice didn't contain any irony and was, in fact, quite soft.
At first, the little girl didn't reply but instead, came closer to him. Nikola froze, his breathing becoming elaborate.
For God's sakes! You are the great genius Nikola Tesla! Why should you be afraid of a kiddo? he thought, trying to relax his muscles. He eyed the kid like she was a great threat to him. What kind of threat could she be, exactly? To that, he had no answer but he didn't feel comfortable at all.
-"Tatie Kate's gone." said she while sucking on her thumb. Nikola thought of a Kate, his mind finding only one person wearing that name. Freelander. The kid was a Freelander. How great.
The scientist thought about his options. He could try to find Bigfoot and ask him to keep an eye on the child. But then, he remembered Biggie and Bootie were on mission in the middle of Nepal's mountains. Dear William and Heinrich? Unavailable. And Helen had left and joign Declan in London for a urgent and kind of "top secret" mission. Ugh. To summarize, the Sanctuary was empty from any living soul, except his and the kid's ones. Holy Mother...
He looked at the helpless child for one second.
What the...? It's not your problem, Tesla. Get a grip! thought he before turning around and walking a few meters, leaving the child behind. As he marched, he couldn't help but feeling guilty. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the little body began to shake. The girl only wore a light pink nightgown, her bare feet probably freezing on the cold marble floor. Nikola considered himself lucky to be alone with the child. At least, none would laugh of him. Reaching out, he told her:
-"Come on, let's move."
The child joined him and walked by his sides until they reached his quarters. His inventions could wait a bit longer...
Once in his room, Tesla hastened himself to put the cookie box on his desk. The girl went to the Victorian sofa, in seek of some kind of comfort. The vampire pulled out his chair and grabbed a file he intend working on.
-"Whatcha doing?" asked she from the nearby sofa, apparently interested in Nikola's activities. He barely responded, only grunted like a bear putted out of hibernation.
-"There are pillows. You should take some rest."
But the child didn't intend to sleep. She got up, leaving her stuffed bunny on the sofa and paced towards the scientist.
-"Not tired" she babbled.
Nikola rolled his eyes and sighed loudly. Reaching out for the cookie box, he took one before handing it to the little girl.
-"Here, you may have one cookie. Then, you shall leave me in peace, shall you?" said he without looking at her, keeping himself focused on his probability sheet. When he heard loud cracks, Nikola took a look at the child. "Don't you eat like a pig! You are getting crumbles on the carpet!" lamented he. But, of course, the kid wasn't paying any attention to his discomfort. Nikola got back to work (or at least tried to do so) when, after a few blessed seconds of silence, the kid started to talk to him.
-"Whatcha doing?" asked she again, for the second time that night.
-"I'm TRYING to solve the problem that causes my nucleon generator not to work."
The small one pouted and Tesla had to admit she was cute.
-"Sounds like no fun."
-"It's not the point either."
They were wrapped up in comfortable silence. Tesla didn't pay any attention to the small child not leaving his sides by his desk. Peering from the corner of his eye, he saw the stern gaze the little girl's eyes were bearing.
-"Oh, what now?" winced he.
-"Tell me a story. Tha's fun..."
Wha...? She didn't ask him a story, did she? Not to him, Nikola Tesla? As he was ready to launch himself into a litany, his eyes dropped onto the child's face, holding her gaze. He couldn't seem to resist her little brown eyed pleading him, requesting a story. Vanquished, he stood up and took the cookie box with him - just in case - before sitting on the sofa. The child joined him, smiling at her acolyte. Before he would begin, he served himself a glass of Pineau Noir, just to confer him some strength. She inquiringly touched the shaped glass, her hand soon repulsed by Tesla's indignant one.
-"I believe you are way too young for such delight. Take a cookie instead."
Nikola fell silent. He tried to collect his memories as to come up with a story. He found none.
-"So, what kind of story do you want to hear?" asked he, contrite.
-"A princess story!"
He should have bet on this one. None of the story he'd heard in during his childhood in Smiljan were about princesses. His mother never told him stories. And his father was far too concerned about his work to pay any attention towards his son. Nikola was left with only one solution: improvisation.
And then, the most brilliant idea he'd had in days smacked him.
-"There was a woman..."
He was interrupted by the child pulling at his silk shirt's sleeve.
-"Nah, you don't do it right. It's 'Once upon a time'..."
Nikola was slightly annoyed by now. Very well, she wanted a story, she would have her story.
-"Once upon a time was a woman, a bright star among the sky. She had lovely blond hair, which reflected sunrays like a mirror. And her blue eyes were as rich and deep as the ocean. Nonetheless was she beautiful but she was also very intelligent. Since her childhood, her only dream was to become a scientist, like her beloved father. But her dream was forbidden..."
-"Why?" asked the little girl, focused on what Nikola told her.
-"Have you not learn not to interrupt people?" replied Tesla, annoyed. Watching her pretty little face, he softened. Now silent, the girl waited for him to continue. "... She lived at a time when women were not supposed to be heard nor estimated. For most of them, their mediocre lives were quite sufficient. But not to her. She would only dream of experiences and discovers."
Taking a sip of his Pineau Noir, he found the girl carefully listening to him.
-"To her delight, she could finally enter a prestigious University wherein she met her closest friends. They rapidly formed an unbreakable bond. For the first time in her life, Helen found the respect she was seeking in men."
-"That's her name? Helen?"
Nikola shook his head. There was no point in trying to discipline this child and it wasn't his task, anyway.
-"The more days came by, the more she made great discoveries. Things able to change men's ideals, to turn the World's face. Her work meant so much to her she had forgotten about her private life. She didn't see what a beautiful woman she were and how everybody around her thought so. Between her closest friend was this young lad whose name were Nikola..."
-"He fell in love with her?" asked the child, suddenly becoming more and more interested. A slight smile crossed Nikola's lips. Lost in his own thoughts and memories, he absently took a sip of wine.
-"Oh yes, he fell in love. Madly in love with her, indeed. He couldn't think about anything else, his world revolving only around her. She became his little obsession but she was way too hard working to even notice it. He'd never been a shy man but she'd changed him. So he waited for what seemed an eternity before gathering the courage to admit his love for her. One day, in the Oxford's garden, he decided to meet up with her so he could tell her how he felt. He had first bought her a lovely necklace and had written a passionate letter. But when he arrived in the garden, Nikola saw she wasn't alone."
-"What happened next?" asked she, more and more enthralled. Nikola finished his glass and poured himself another one. He, somehow, needed alcohol's help to reach this part of the story. The most painful and unforgetable part.
-"She left with her best friend, John. He made her believe he was deeply in love with her and promised her many things. She believed him until he betrayed her, leaving her alone with her heart broken."
An uncomfortable silence fell between them. The child reached out to the cookie box, taking one of them. Nikola waited for his heart to stop beating furiously at the memory of John and Helen kissing in Oxford's gardens. The vampire had witnessed the scene before storming out of the University, furious and crushed. He, at the time, hadn't the pride he liked to wear out at the present day. He'd cry a lot that night. For himself, for his lost love. He cried for Helen, afraid she might end up dead in such a criminal's hands. Since then, his heart remained closed. Of course, he was not a stranger to the flesh's temptation. But his heart remained sealed, given to one woman only.
-"How does it end?"
-"Helen and Nikola found each other again many years later. He waited a few more years to finally admit his love towards her. But after all this time, she didn't take him seriously. So he promised to not bring the topic up ever again, but would continue to love her in silence."
The little girl didn't seem quite happy, if not happy at all, by this version of the story.
-"But... but no! Why didn't he fight for her?" asked she, agitated.
Nikola had tears in his eyes, reliving this painful moment when he'd told Helen how much he cared about her and felt nothing more coming from her than repulsion. However, there was no way on Earth he would have cried in front of someone.
-"Because he knew she didn't share his feelings. And that she never would."
He still was surprised and thankful at the same time when he heard the child say:
-"That's rubbish! If he loves her, she'd know. And she'd fall in love too."
If things only were that simple... Of course, they weren't. But this was a childish conception of his story, after all. He couldn't really blame her.
-"Tell me, young lady... Are you not hearing the irresistible call of sleep?"
She tried to deny it, but she really was tired by now and could barely refrain herself from yawning. Nikola tenderly smiled but before he could tell her to get some rest, the little girl came to snuggle him, resting her head on his right flank. The vampire noticed, to his own surprise, that he wasn't afraid of such contact anymore. His muscles were loose and he felt strangely serene.
Taking the lithe body into his arms, he carefully set her down onto his bed. He then pulled the blanket over her, putting her stuffed bunny in the hollow of her arms. Still keeping his eyes on her, his right hand slipped into his pocket to pull out a small box he always carried with him. Opening it, he rested his eyes on the golden necklace it contained. The letter he'd written a hundred years ago still accompanied it. Taking the chain in his hands, he couldn't help but smile tenderly. His only dream was to be able to fasten the golden necklace around Helen's perfect neck, who'd accept it as a lover's token and not only a friend's gift. He knew he would never get tired of telling her how much he loved her, how perfect she was to him. For the first time since what seemed an eternity, he felt hopeful.