On the ninth day of Christmas my true love sent to me...

Nine Ladies Dancing

Humor/Romance

Old City Sanctuary, 2011

It may have been nearly Christmas, but that didn't mean things were slowing down at the Sanctuary. As usual Helen Magnus was in her office, burning the midnight oil, rolling her shoulders to eradicate the crick developing there. Just one more week, and she'd barely had time to discuss decorations, or write Christmas cards or… anything remotely festive. She sighed, scanning the structure of the room as if committing it to memory. 113 Christmases, remembering them every year, looking forward to the day she'd be back here… and it would all be over so soon.

In truth however, Helen had felt as though she were walking through ghosts ever since she'd gotten back. It just didn't seem real, and as the nights drew in the sensation had only worsened. Even the pictures on her desk, the skull her father had sent her from Africa – the first week back had almost been as perturbing as that first day back in 1898, when she'd seen it sat fresh in the box.

She closed her eyes with a sigh, when her computer beeped an access code. She turned around, going over to the workstation to check who it might be. They hadn't expected Kate back just yet, or perhaps Will had been out with Abby? Magnus was surprised to see her own code flashing back at her, frowning tiredly and checking the front-door cameras, suspecting she knew exactly who'd just arrived. Sadly the cameras didn't pick anyone up so, unless the Griffin family had risen from the dead to haunt her like A Christmas Carol, she could only go down and open the door.

Rolling her eyes she picked up her gun automatically and headed downstairs. Just in case. She could be wrong of course, and if she wasn't, well… weapons were always very convincing tools of persuasion. To her chagrin, when she opened the front door there was absolutely no one there. She stepped onto the porch with a disparaging sigh, crossing her arms against the cold as she let her eyes get used to the dark and scanned left to right. Oh joy, a game of hide and seek. She really didn't have time for this!

Annoyed she closed the door, heels clipping rather irately across the stone floor as she headed to the labs. Better safe than sorry. An intruder with access to their systems was just as dangerous as leaving Nikola Tesla to his own devices there.

Henry's lab was already covered in tinsel and old decorations he knew she and Big Guy wouldn't miss. It looked even more cluttered than usual, but there was no sign of their security breach – nor down in the main lab, or around the habitats.

The Cellar. Helen headed down, half expecting the lock to be cracked and the door wide open, but no. Her wine stores, it seemed, were intact. Perhaps it hadn't been Nikola after all? She frowned. This would be so much easier if she could check the Cameras.

Suddenly music started playing from somewhere on her person. Okay, last she checked she hadn't set her ring tone to… Santa Baby? Oh it was definitely Nikola. If the rest of the residents weren't trying to sleep she'd have shouted for him. As it was she turned her phone off entirely and made a bee-line for her office so she could scan the building for him. She swung through the door, realising the room was a lot warmer.

The fire was roaring, the big curtains at the open entrance were closed, she glanced at the desk again, a half-smile developing despite herself. The chair was turned round the wrong way, but she could see the top of his head even so, now that she was paying attention.

"Nikola? This is a surprise," she wandered a little bit closer, with every intention of getting him out of her seat and away from what she'd been working on before she'd been so rudely interrupted. It wasn't particularly incriminating, but it was another clue – and there were two, maybe three people in the world who she worried about finding enough of those to work out what was going on. "Isn't it the SCIU Christmas Party tonight?"

That made him spin around, glass in hand – of course. She could tell she'd hit a nerve, but he was hiding it behind that undiscouraged, shark-toothed smile that still had a hand to play. "Could the Sanctuary even afford one of those these days?"

She made a face, and he straightened himself to his full height, picking up a second glass and coming around to her side of the table. As it brought him away from the open book she didn't move, not even when he was standing almost against her, with that incorrigible leer.

"Besides, I've always preferred more private parties," He said offering her the second glass.

She eyed him sceptically as she accepted the proffered drink, "Oh. I see. So you're not here hiding from Dr Coates' mistletoe?"

He almost did a double-take and she realised that, funny as it was to tease him about the whole 'Nikki' thing she was showing her hand more than she realised. He clearly was nowhere near as bothered by the situation as she had been surprised – and just a little, disappointed. Not because she didn't expect him to… more that… well damn it – in his time line it had been less than six months since she'd revamped him. For some reason even through all those years traipsing through history she'd almost believed that might, change things, the next time they met. Evidently not.

Then he raised an eyebrow and that cockiness returned, "I knew I forgot something. Don't suppose you have any lying around?" He swung slightly on the spot with that irascible grin, unable to stay still.

She made an unconvinced sound, "Not a chance."

The grin got wider for a moment at the expected rebuttal, "Aw come on, surely Huggybear's got a sprig spare?"

She narrowed eyes at him, pretty sure he meant Will but feeling like she'd missed whatever exchange had resulted in that particular insult.

He sighed dramatically anyway, before she could respond.

"Oh well," he moved, as if his strength to keep up the age-old banter was slipping, meandering towards the window and taking in the view with a hand on his hip.

"I should throw you out, you know," she smiled slyly, resting her backside and free palm against the desktop, watching him.

He met her eye, clearly having expected that one too. It was an expression that challenged the very notion that she'd throw out an old friend for so silly a little thing like being on opposite sides. Or that she'd succeed.

"But I suppose it is Christmas…" she admitted, tipping her glass at her lips.

"The time for giving," he leered cheekily, more hopeful than her kindness had entirely merited.

"Hmm," she swallowed her sip of wine, "I'm not sure the other Sanctuary Heads would approve though – midnight meetings with SCIU directors. Off the record…"

He bristled at the reminder of their divergent responsibilities, before putting on that bright, blank façade with a light airy sigh, "And with nothing to show for it." He settled into the same place on the window seat he'd taken up last time, taking another sip.

"I can't imagine your superiors would be too happy to hear of it either," she reminded, slowly tugging on her bottom lip with her top teeth.

"Oh please, they've only just worked out that you and Enrico showed up for your little field trip and that was months ago."

She half-laughed at that, shaking her head and coming over to join him on the window seat, making sure to leave more than enough space between them. Even so he was smiling.

"Ah. Well then," she replied, "I suppose they must be happy with all those abnormal experiments your scientists are conducting on your prisoners… or, wait. Maybe not." She maybe was enjoying the sour expression he was shooting her a little too much, but in her opinion it never hurt to remind him, at every turn, of what he'd signed up for. She made a show of frowning in uncertainty, "You did say they weren't doing that – right?"

He eyed her disparagingly, "Do we really have to-"

"No," she blinked away, "You're the one who signed up to SCIU," oh she could not have gotten more venom into that word if she tried. "I'm just reminding you." She smarted with a smug twist of lips, a meaningful tip of the head, "Of where your loyalties lie."

She could tell from the level gaze he wouldn't remove from her that she'd hit the mark, the same one she had in his laboratory as they'd worked on shutting down the rift nodes. Now, in the calmer Christmas air, with the clarity of the last few months to work from, she knew he really had taken her words, that argument, to heart. He just never bloody thought about anyone but himself, did he? About his angle, whether it was worth what he might gain. A value judgement where he had taken their relationship entirely for granted.

"And when has that ever gotten in the way of a quiet drink between friends?" he managed bravely, with a devious turn to his mouth and conspiratorial eyes.

She laughed disbelievingly, eyes lighting as she shook her head. It was rediculous. That they found themselves here again. That she still had faith in him, doing the right thing. Really it defied all logic, but she did. He was one of her oldest friends and it didn't matter where or when, she knew he cared about what she thought of him.

Out of the corner of her eyes she could tell he was fiddling with something out of his pockets.

He sighed, again, a little more comfortably this time, "Maybe I shouldn't give this to you after all," he mused, toying with what appeared to be a memory pen. "You're right." He eyed her mockingly, heavy on the sarcasm, "I could lose my job."

Her attention flitted cautiously between the drive and his face, hardly sure she could believe the most likely explanation. "Why? What is it?"

He gave her a look for playing dumb, a smile which was far too self satisfied. "Oh, enough to keep you busy well into the new year I expect," he handed it to her. A few terabytes of Classified SCIU information, all in one tiny place, "It is just amazing how easily government employees misplace government hard drives. They go missing - all the time."

He finished with a grin that she couldn't help but partially return, it was just so joyful.

"It's not going to infect our systems with another Praxian Nanite is it? Or some SCIU spywear?" She teased, knowing full well that the former at least was an impossibility and turning the device over in her hands.

He leaned forwards, smiling back, and she realised they'd come much closer together.

"Well, maybe don't open it on the general network," he smirked, "just in case."

There was a spark in his eye, a closeness to his voice that did more than make her smile. Her eyes wandered to his lips before could stop herself.

She should be saying thank you, she thought, but not... like that. She bit her bottom lip self-consciously, resisting the urge to kiss him. It would just blur the lines too much. She couldn't afford to make this more difficult than it already was, and his uniquely spanner-throwing timing had already changed her initial intent to involve him in her plans. Once things had settled down of course, she'd always planned to bring him into this once the dust had settled. She should've known he'd be one of the people kicking the dust up in the first place.

Oh, but he knew why she hadn't said anything yet, saw the self-control she was exercising. She could tell from that ridiculous grin.

"Thank you," she finally offered.

"What, no kiss?" He dared.

"Huh," she fronted, "you'd be so lucky. Consider it reparation for the never-ending trouble you put me through."

"Aw, come now, what's life without a little trouble to keep things interesting?" He turned his head slightly as if he were imparting some secret, "It's why you love me."

She hid her expression in her glass, in case it gave her away. Because she did, love him... in a fashion. Enjoyed his company, his unbridled enthusiasms, his brilliant mind and ridiculous, frequently arduous, ego. She had difficulty imagining a world without him in it... somewhere. Plotting something guaranteed to fly in the face of convention, ethics and all sanity.

Shaking her hair to settle elsewhere on her neck she smiled quietly with a shrug, "Maybe."

The shift in his expression was somewhat miraculous. A coyness, an uncertainty like she'd seen the last time they were sat here. He shook his head, as though denying a nascent hope from taking root. "Helen Magnus." There was that look in his eye, that respect of which he'd spoken in Rome. "Taking on the world with a smile, and a gun, and her band of Merry Abnormals."

She laughed abruptly at the almost romantic description. "Because she was too blind to see it would always come to this," she reminded him gently, still smarting on that revelation after all this time. God only knew where they'd be if she hadn't had 113 years to plan her next move. Struggling, she suspected - a good deal more than they already were.

Nikola hadn't responded, she realised belatedly. Glancing towards him she could tell he'd been thinking, wondering what she wasn't telling him. He'd avoided her gaze as soon as she'd looked his way, leaving them in a companionable silence. They both looked to their glasses, all-but simultaneously taking a mouthful.

There was an unusual sense of peace in that pause. Space for their thoughts to dissolve into simply, being. A peace that spread between them, and had no need to be filled. Like that time, when they'd sat on the roof amongst the pigeons... and he'd had no idea it wasn't his Helen at his side, but her. She thought he didn't, couldn't possibly remember. But he did.

In the end, the silence didn't last too long. Nikola broke it with some ridiculous, over-flirtatious comment that soon had them back to their usual, somewhat nostalgic banter and idle commentary, but it had been there. That comfortable understanding of two, exceptionally old, friends, looking back, looking forwards, and knowing full well there was no getting rid of each other now.

Author's Note: Nine Ladies Dancing represents the 9 Fruits of the Holy Spirit which I covered in the following order: Forbearance, Kindness, Goodness (which apparently can take the form of reminding others of their sins either directly or by example), Faithfulness, Joy, Self-control, Love, Gentleness (which historically had the connotation of remaining humble) and Peace. All the qualities which Helen shows towards Tesla not just here but in the show too :P

Roughly speaking I set this after Chimera but before SFN. I like the idea that Chimera wasn't the only time he swung by during his tenure at SCIU. :)

Also, I don't know why, but the last couple of chapters I've really struggled a little to keep them in Character, so let me know if you think they've gone OOC. Maybe I'm running out of ways to describe things. lol - too much Teslen?! Nah!