Doctor Helen Magnus was sitting on the sofa in her office waiting for one very old friend to arrive. In truth she was slightly nervous, the bubbling in her stomach a possible indication of the feeling she tried to keep buried. Maybe she was in denial but work would always come first. The Sanctuary was everything to her or at least that's what she told herself.
"Helen?" He stood leaning casually against the doorframe wearing one of his always impeccable tailored suits.
"Come in Nikola, wine?"
"How could I resist?" Helen shook her head. Nikola sat on the adjacent cushion, he studied her for a minute before asking, "What do you want Helen?" They had been playing these games for too long and frankly he was beginning to grow tired of the way she would string him on then act like she felt nothing, hide behind the mask of work.
"I…I wanted to talk to you. You are my friend after all." The way he had asked had made her falter, had he even lost interest in talking to her?
Nikola appeared to take a breath. "I don't think I can be anymore. I'm tired of waiting for you Helen. Tired of the way we seem to be making progress when you shut off all of your emotion. I can't do this, not now. I love you, too much to stand by your side knowing you will never feel the same way. It's killing me."
"Nikola…"
"No Helen, I need to know now. Do you love me?" The question hung in the air her silence the only answer he needs, "I will pack my things. Goodbye Helen."
As she watched him sweep out of the room Helen felt the lump in her throat growing, memories flooding through her head of the two of them together over the decades. It had all seemed so much simpler back at Oxford when it had been the five of them, even more so before the source blood. Yet the more she thought about it the more she realised just how simple was. She couldn't lose him, not again. She loved him. Why hadn't she just said it?
She stood outside his door, mind spinning. Knocking once, she pushed the door open to reveal Nikola packing almost full cases. "Nikola…"
Not even bothering to turn around he replied, "Don't bother Helen."
She walked across the room taking his busy hands in hers forcing him to face her. "No Nikola, you need to hear this." He made like he was going to interrupt again so she placed a finger on his lips, "Nikola I love you. I really do. I think in a way I was pushing my true emotions aside because I couldn't face it. Not because I didn't want to love you but because I did so much I couldn't stand the thought of losing you. What if you didn't feel the same way? I couldn't stand the thought of rejection. And tonight… tonight I should have just said it. I love you Nikola Tesla and I am truly sorry." By now tears were streaming down her face. With his free hand Nikola gently wiped them away before pulling her close to him, allowing her to cry into his shirt. Nikola sat down on the bed pulling her onto his lap and kissing the top of her head, "I love you Helen Magnus and no matter what happens I will never leave you."
