So, as some of you smart cookies may have realised, I change the character designation on this one. Basically I was just reading it through the other day and realised, while it's not shippy and fluffly like most of my stuff, even once others begin to make an appearance in this one, Nikola and Helen are very much at the centre of this twisted little piece I've come up with... But to those who can't stand the thought of them, don't worry, there will be no super smexy fluff/romance in here between them :P

Anyway, before I depress the Teslen shippers any further, I'll go and hide! (Just wait 'til the third story guys! I'll make it up to you, I swear :P)

xx

When Helen awoke, it was early, even by her standards but she couldn't shake the feeling that she needed to be awake. With a sigh, she rolled out of bed, grabbing a dressing gown to throw around her shoulders before heading out in search of the only thing that could clear her head at this hour; tea. Rolling her shoulders, she slipped into a pair of embroidered slippers before padding down the hallway.

By the time she was halfway to the kitchens, Helen had already planned out half her day. After grabbing some tea, she'd head off to find Rose for a proper greeting. Then she'd dash back to her room, change into the tailored black jacket and pants she'd been saving for a day that involved minimal abnormal goo and then see if she couldn't get a few more reports churned out before everyone arrived for the morning meeting. After that she had a teleconference to discuss the clean up still happening in Mumbai after their rather large security malfunction. Then she'd look at the reports Declan had sent over before having a quick lunch followed by the resorting of the myriad of tasks set out by the papers on her desk.

With a sigh, Helen pushed open the door the kitchen only to be greeted with mingled laughter. It took a moment for Helen to reconcile the musical titter of Rose and the deep chuckle of her old friend and manservant with the early hour.

"Morning Helen," Rose sing-songed with a startling smile.

"Glad to see some things never change," Helen replied with a smile. Rosie let out a soft giggle at the slightly sleep muddled mind of her old friend. Helen Magnus not functioning at peak performance was always a sight to be cherished, if only for the complete serenity her face exuded at that point.

"That's not much of a greeting," Rose chided as she spun to look at Helen.

"And that's an awful mess you've made," Helen said, appraising the flour covered body of her friend. There was a smear on her cheek, a dab on her nose, several hand prints on her hips and a light dusting over her hair.

"It's not my fault someone here dropped the flour," she muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Hey, don't blame me. You're impression of Henry was priceless," the Big Guy grunted, shoving the girl with a flour-covered hand. Rosie stumbled but laughed before shoving him back lightly.

"But why exactly are you cooking?" Helen asked as she slid into a chair, pleased to find a mug of steaming tea on the bench. Without looking, she took a deep swing before making a face. Something this sweet and this strong had to be Rosie's. She gently put down the mug and pushed it away from her.

"Breakfast," Rosie answered, not looking away from the lump of dough on the bench in front of her. "For you. Don't tell me you've lost your taste for scones?"

"Never," Helen promised, laughing lightly at the other woman.

"Told you so," Rose said, sticking out her tongue, a wide smirk on her face. A smirk, Helen decided, that looked far too much like a certain vampire's. The thought was somehow unsettling and Helen had to take a deep breath to shake away the feeling. When she finally managed to clear her head, Helen noticed that the room was a little too silent. Rosie was staring at her, a rather tortured look on her face. The Big Guy was looking silently between the two friends. With a rumble, he stepped away from the bench and headed towards the door.

"I'll see you later," he grunted, nodding at Helen.

"Make sure you write out that recipe for me," Rosie called after him and he waved a hand at her before the door swung shut behind him, leaving the two women alone.

"I've missed you," Rosie said after a beat.

"It is lovely to see you again," Helen responded with a wide smile. "It's been too long."

Rose's face fell at the words and her brow furrowed.

"Don't," Helen said, recognizing the look of guilt on her old friend's face. "I didn't mean it like that. It was only an observation."

"And a true one at that," Rosie said, suddenly serious as she slid into the chair nearest Helen. "I meant to come back after I realised what happened, I did. I just… I couldn't. I know it was incredibly selfish of me. I owed you both better than that." Her words tumbled out quickly and the remorse was clear in her eyes.

Helen reached out quickly, covering one of Rose's floury hands with her own.

"It's O.K," she assured the other woman, noticing it did nothing to alleviate the guilt in her eyes. "I didn't try and contact you because I knew you'd come when you could. I know you loved Ashley and you know she loved you."

"I could have come much, much sooner Helen. You and I both know that. But thank you for trying," Rose said, patting her friends hand before grabbing up her tea and leaning back in her chair. Helen said nothing, just smiling softly at the young girl who carried her age in her eyes. The two lapsed into companionable silence for a few moments, the weak sunlight filtering through the windows.

"I did 'seek my revenge' though," Rosie said suddenly with a mischievous smile at Helen as she propped her feet up on the table. "I contemplated delivering Dana Whitcomb's head to you on a platter but I remembered your dislike for the dramatic and refrained." Her voice was dry but Helen could hear the sorrow in it. Ashley and Rose had always been close, acting like sisters regardless of the relationship Helen had with Rose.

"You mean…" Helen left her statement open, unsure of what to make of it.

"You didn't really think Jacky Boy and Nikki could do it all on their own, did you?" Rosie asked sarcastically. "They are only children after all." Helen flinched at the words.

"I thought I asked you not to use that name?" she asked quietly, eager to stop discussing the gaping hole that Ashley made when she'd saved her mother's life. Even if it meant discussing her ex-fiancé.

"And I chose not to heed your warning. I'll call Mr. 'tall, bald and homicidal' by the name he, if you'll pardon the pun, carved out for himself," Rosie answered curtly, her eyes flashing dangerously.

"Why do you always do that?" Helen asked, exasperated.

"You know damn well why!" Rosie exploded. "He hurt you Helen. He hurt so many people but he hurt you most of all." Her voice trailed off as she spoke, and she pushed away from the table. "Do you know what the worst part is?" Rose asked, her voice hollow and small. "The worst part is that he will do so much worse. He is going to cause so much more damage and you still want him, monster or otherwise. He may have been the love of your life but Helen, you're going to live so many lives. You already have. He was the love of another life, not this one. And certainly not the next one either."

Rosie finished her quiet rant without so much as a look at Helen's shocked face. She stood, arms folded, staring out the window onto the neatly trimmed gardens of the Sanctuary but Helen could see the heartbreak on her face. Although it had been many years since the two women had shared more than a phone call or unanswerable letter, Helen was certain she knew the cause of that heartbreak and it had nothing to do with John and whatever betrayal she'd seen. Rosie was complicated in the extreme and her love life was no exception. Helen knew she wasn't the only person Rose had loved and was certainly not the one giving her the most trouble at this point in time.

"You're almost too smart for your own good some days," Rosie said weakly, turning to give Helen a sheepish smile.

"You really do love him, don't you?" Helen asked, feeling something invisible tighten around her heart as she waited for the answer.

"As you do."

Helen floundered for a moment, uncertain of how to play this.

"I don't," she said firmly, hoping the tone of her voice hid the uncertainty she felt at the mention of herself and a certain last of a species.

"Do too," Rosie said calmly, deadly serious regardless of the immature turn of phrase.

"Rose," Helen warned.

"Helen," Rose chided in a matching tone.

Both women broke into smiles and Rose flopped down into her chair with a laugh. Again, a companionable silence fell and Rosie let out a sigh.

"Did you really go after the Cabal?" Helen asked. As much as the thought of that abhorrent organization disgusted her, she had to know. At least this way she could be certain that an uprising of left over Cabal agents wasn't on the agenda. After all, Rosie never left a job unfinished.

"I didn't really have a choice. Your boys aren't very good at clean up jobs," Rose said with a grimace. "Though I will admit my job was made considerably easier by their help."

"Please don't tell me you killed them all," Helen said, a little worried. She'd seen Rosie's vengeance in action before and it wasn't pretty.

"Only those who should have known better."

Helen looked her over before letting out a breath, unable to feel completely upset at the idea of the end of the Cabal.

"I'm not a murderer Helen," Rosie said, her words soft but something about her tone was curt.

"I know," Helen replied. "It's just…"

"I know," Rosie said, her eyes brimming with sympathy and understanding. They were silent for a few moments but, just as Helen opened her mouth to talk again but was cut off when Rosie raised a hand and sprung out of her chair. Helen watched as the girl grabbed a tea towel before opening the oven and grabbing a tray loaded with golden scones that made Helen's mouth water just looking at them. Rosie let out a smug chuckle before putting them aside to cool.

"Tea?" she asked, looking over her shoulder.

"Please," Helen readily agreed.

In no time at all, the two were again seated at the table, a plate of scones sitting next to their mugs of tea.

"This is hardly a nutritionally sound breakfast," Helen commented as she grabbed the biggest one from the pile. Rosie scoffed as she grabbed one for herself.

"At least I didn't break out the cream," Rose quipped, snagging the pot of jam before Helen could. Helen rolled her eyes but remained silent as she drummed her fingers along the wooden table.

Impatient.

Just hungry, Rose.

Surely you can wait your turn.

*sigh*

You haven't changed one bit, darling.

In the 6 years since we've seen each other, I'd think not.

*sigh* You know what I mean, don't play coy.

You haven't changed either. Rose: the eternal flirt.

Takes one to know one…

Rose…

Oh, I love it, don't worry.

Helen rolled her eyes again and Rosie pushed the pot of jam towards her, mischievous smile in place.

"Oh don't pretend to be so prudish, it doesn't suit you," Rosie said, breaking off a chunk of scone before leaning back and crossing her legs.

"I was born in 1850, I have Victorian sensibilities," Helen sniffed before taking a dainty bite of the still warm treat.

Rosie snorted at that, almost doubling over with laughter.

"Rude," Helen retorted softly, a twinkle in her eye.

You have to admit it was rather funny.

Only to you.

That's because I know that even in the 1880's you were most certainly not a prude.

…. Shut up.

Rosie let out one last chuckle before sighing heavily.

"What's wrong?" Helen asked, knowing that sigh could only mean trouble.

Rosie pulled a face and Helen instantly knew what was going on.

"Oh," she said quietly, averting her gaze. Nikola. A bolt of something uncomfortable shot through Helen and she tried very, very hard to not think about what the something was or why she was feeling it. But, judging by the pitiful gaze of Rosie, Helen figured she hadn't done a very good job of hiding it.

"Go," she said softly, trying for a smile. "Mustn't keep him waiting." The quip fell flat and Helen could see the regret and guilt swirling in Rosie's eyes.

"Helen," she said, leaning across to take her hand. Rose waited until they were looking each other in the eye before giving her old friend a watery smile. "I… I…." she started. "I have no excuse. I keep hurting you and believe me, that is not my intention."

"It's fine," Helen said, withdrawing her hand, looking anywhere but the guilty looking girl in front of her. "I don't even know what's wrong with me," she added quietly, flashing Rosie a quick, sheepish smile.

"Liar," Rose accused playfully. Helen let out a soft chuckle before sighing and sitting back in her chair. Rosie looked thoughtful for a moment before letting out a low grumble , her face darkening as she pouted.

Helen raised an eyebrow as she took a sip of her tea, just a tad sweeter than she normally liked it. She was immensely glad that Rose, although she had undoubtedly delved into her mind to figure it all out, was willing to let it drop. For now, anyway.

"We're about to be interrupted," she said, disappointed. She looked so much like a child that Helen had to let out a laugh which earned her a dark little glare. "As much as I love your team Helen, it's been far too long since you and I have had the chance to catch up. But, alas I'll leave you to their inquisitive minds," she said, standing up and smoothing out her dress.

"What do you mean?" Helen asked, shifting in her seat, apprehensive.

"They have questions. About me. Lots and lots and lots of questions," Rosie said with a smirk. "And I sure as hell am not going to be answering them."

"What could they possibly want to know that you haven't already told them?" she asked. As much as she loved their enthusiasm, fielding questions about Rosie wasn't exactly her preferred way to spend the morning. Mostly because she knew so little about Rosie's abilities that the questions usually led to more of her own that were always shot down with quick, cold logic that showed the pain and suffering Rose had endured.

"Oh, the usual," Rosie said dismissively, leaning against the table next to Helen. "Just evade and deflect," she advised, pushing off the table with a smile.

"Wait!" Helen said, putting her hand on her arm. Rose stopped and leant her hip against the table, crossing her arms as she waited for an explanation. "Why are you here Rose?" she asked seriously.

"I was wondering when that would come up," she said softly. "I'll tell you later, it's a story I don't want to have to tell five times."

Helen shook her head and let out a breath.

"Fine," she said, knowing she wasn't going to get anything out of Rose until she was well and truly willing to share. Rosie smirked, her eyes twinkling mischievously. So quickly Helen didn't have time to react, Rosie ducked down and threw her arms around Helen's shoulders.

"I've missed you," she whispered as Helen raised her arms to hug her back.

They pulled away from each other and Rose gave Helen her biggest, brightest smile.

"It's nice to be back," she said with a grin.

"It's nice to have you back," Helen said honestly, squeezing her friend's hand.

Rosie smiled once again before leaning in to brush her lips against Helen's in a chaste kiss.

"Bye," she said with a wink, straightening up and skipping across the floor. Helen could hear her light laughter floating down the corridor and she couldn't help by smile. Rose was like a breath of fresh air some days and she'd missed that. Taking another sip of tea, Helen leant back, listening to the footsteps that were beginning to echo off the walls of the corridor. Letting out a sigh, Helen toyed with the idea of trying to escape them but she knew the curiosity Rosie provoked was a powerful thing and, having been on the receiving end a few times, she understood it.

"Hey Magnus!" came Kate's cheerful greeting, distorted a little in the middle by a yawn. As the girl sat down, closely followed by a sleepy looking Henry, Helen could see the questions in their eyes. With a small smile, she prepared to answer the unanswerable.