Spoilers for all seasons.

Just to explain my reasoning – Ashley died in the second episode of season 2. Therefore I took it that the first anniversary of her death was early season 3 and the second anniversary early season 4 after Helen had lived out her 113 years.

Year 2

He had been coming and going for the past year, usually creating havoc but for some reason Helen didn't seem to mind so much anymore. After 113 of not being able to contact him she had come to the realisation that she felt far more for Nikola Tesla than was probably wise. So it came as no surprise when he once again turned up the day of the anniversary.

"So have you come to create havoc again to take my mind off today?" She asked with a hint of a smile.

"Saw through that one did you?"

"You are about as transparent as cling wrap Nikola."

"And yet you still don't believe my declarations of unending love for you." He declared dramatically.

"Let's just say I don't dismiss them completely anymore." Helen said quietly. She wasn't sure what he honestly felt for her but she knew he cared a great deal and who knew, maybe that was all he was capable of. More confusing though, were her feelings for him, but today was not the day to be pondering those, she doubted if she had another 113 years of seclusion whether she would be able to come up with an answer.

Nikola looked up in shock at her response, it was far more than he ever dared hope for. "I can live with that – for now."

Helen grinned at him. "So if no havoc, then why are you here?"

"I have a plan but it requires you to have complete faith in me." Nikola declared.

Helen knew it probably wasn't wise to have blind faith in anyone, but this was Nikola and he knew it was the second anniversary of Ashley's death and while he could be arrogant, insufferable and thoughtless she knew that deep down today of all days he wouldn't do anything to hurt her.

"Okay" she said simply.

It took a few seconds for her response to process. "Okay, that's it, just okay? No demands to know where we are going and what we are doing? No excuses about how much work you have on your desk? Just okay?" Nikola asked incredulous that it could be this easy.

"What can I say Nikola, I am a woman of many moods."

Nikola grinned widely. "Well then, grab a coat and let's go."

Less than half an hour they were strolling through a park by the river. Helen was enjoying the simplicity of the moment, and the fact that she was outdoors and not chasing down some abnormal. She casually tucked her arm through Nikola's and he looked down at her surprised and lightly squeezed her arm.

"I used to bring Ashley here when she was little." Helen said quietly.

Nikola looked at her, mortification written all over his face. "I'm sorry. I didn't know. I didn't want today to be about bringing up any more sad memories than you already have."

Helen smiled gently at him. "These are good memories Nikola, the ones where I get to remember what she was really like not what they turned her into. She loved to come here when she was little to feed the ducks." Helen laughed at the memory. "Of course she then chased them until they wouldn't come near her, no matter how much food she offered them."

"I wish I had seen you as a mother." Nikola said seriously.

"Really?" Helen looked at him in surprise. "I always imagined you never married and had kids because the domestic life was far too mundane for someone of your intellect." She teased.

"You know as well as I do the reason I never became domesticated is because the woman I loved was ensorcelled with a psychopathic killer."

"Ensorcelled? Really?" Helen chose to ignore his declaration of love.

Nikola grinned at her and shrugged. "I would give just about anything to have seen the great Helen Magnus dealing with a hormone riddled teenage girl. And I'm sure she would have had your stubborn streak – would have made it that much more entertaining."

Helen laughed. "I will confess, Ashley's teenage years were not some of my finest mothering moments." She became sombre again. "I would give anything to have that time back."

"I know." Nikola said quietly, giving her arm another gentle squeeze. "If I could, I would make it happen for you." They walked in companionable silence for a while before Nikola spoke again. "I am fascinated by the mother side of you – tell me more."

Helen began to speak and once she started she couldn't seem to stop. She told Nikola stories of Ashley's youth and the mischief she got up to. She told him of how difficult being a single mother had been at times but mostly she spoke of the joy Ashley had bought to her life.

"Would you want to do it all again? If the right man came along that is?" Nikola fished.

Helen was lost in thought for a while. "I truly don't know. I loved being a mother, I love children and when I was young I always imagined myself with lots of children but things change, I've changed. I know I couldn't survive losing another child. I guess the answer is that my life would have to be dramatically different to what it is currently before I would even contemplate it". Helen briefly thought about the plans se had in motion and what she had built and realised that in a few months time her life would be dramatically different. The temptation to tell Nikola about her plans was almost overwhelming but she knew secrecy was of the utmost importance.

Helen hadn't realised she had been contemplating her future for so long until Nikola guided her to a secluded table in one of the riverside restaurants. Once they had placed their order she reached over and took Nikola's hand in hers. "Thank you."

Nikola looked at her quizzically. "Thank you for listening today. You really are my dearest friend."

"Is that all I am?" He asked. Helen couldn't quite place the tone but she did recognise his genuine desire to know his place in her life.

"I don't know. I know I love you as a friend, I know I can't imagine you not being in my life, I know you drive me crazy and I know I miss you when you aren't around but I don't know if I feel…more."

Nikola squeezed her hand knowing today was not the day to press her about her feelings towards him but he knew the day was coming and she was going to have to face her feelings, he'd been waiting for over a hundred years, he could wait a little bit longer.