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sarcasticsciencefictionwriter · 5 months ago

Note

Also for the 50 random starters, “Touch that and I will hit you with a spoon.” Sounded funny, especially if Helen’s saying it. I’m unsure of who she would be saying it too though so whoever you feel fits best. : )

Hi and I am sorry that this took so, so, so long for me to get to!

This is mostly gen fluff with a bit of Teslen.

Also on AO3.

_____

The kitchen was empty, except for Helen, but she knew that it wasn't going to be that way for long, whether it would be residents coming in for a snack or a member of her team hunting her down for whatever reason.

Even if she was supposed to be having the day off, a concept that felt incredibly foreign to her, she knew that she was going to be disturbed sooner rather than later.

With that in mind, she kept mixing the frosting she had in the bowl in front of her, wondering if she needed to add in another drop or two of food coloring, or if this would make more than enough of a mess without her going in for extra effort.

She heard the footsteps before they even reached the kitchen and didn't look up, staying focused on her task as they approached her.

A hand reached out towards the plate beside her.

"Touch that and I will hit you with a spoon." she said mildly, now looking to see Nikola's annoyed expression at her statement, hand still poised over the partially frosted cake.

"I was only going to sample the frosting."

"It's not for you, Nikola." she said, pausing in her stirring and giving him a look.

"I thought birthday cakes were meant to be shared?" he questioned, withdrawing his hand and moving closer to her.

"They are, but this is for Alice."

Nikola eyed the small cake that Helen had spent the morning baking and tilted his head thoughtfully.

"She's just going to destroy it, you know."

"Of course I do."

Helen had been through the same thing with Ashley. While she fully believed in sugar in moderation, she also didn't think that there was any harm in allowing a child a treat on their first birthday.

She had made a small cake for her daughter on her first birthday, and yes, most of it had been smashed to pieces and ended up on her rather than it her, but it had been Ashley's birthday and she had certainly enjoyed it.

"But it's her birthday, Nikola, and she's a baby. She's allowed to enjoy things and, yes, destroy the cake if she wants to."

"Seems like a waste of time."

"I don't see it like that."

She went back to stirring the frosting, which had the consistency she wanted now and reached for her spatula to spread it.

Nikola watched with interest as she spread the pale green frosting over the cooled sponge, not making any snarky comments until he turned around and saw what was on the counter behind her.

"More decoration? She's a baby."

"That's to write her name."

"She doesn't care."

"No. But I care. I am her grandmother, Nikola. I am allowed to care and make an effort when it comes to her."

Nikola muttered something that she didn't catch, but Helen ignored him.

"Shouldn't Mummy-Wolfie be doing this? Or Daddy-Wolfie?"

"There's no should or shouldn't. I have time and I wanted to, it's as simple as that. Henry and Erika can spend time with Alice instead of being in the kitchen."

And neither of them were very good bakers, but Helen didn't see why she would need to add that into the conversation.

Nikola was silent as she smoothed the frosting over the cake, leaning back as if he didn't have a care in the world.

"It's sweet." he said eventually. "For you to think of them like that."

Helen paused for a few moments at this.

"Why wouldn't I?"

Nikola didn't answer that one and Helen scooped up more frosting and finished covering the cake in the thin layer, satisfied with how it looked.

Small, with tiny tiers, and covered in a layer of pale green frosting because even at this age Alice was already favoring it.

Most people would have gone with a cupcake for a one year old, but Helen liked doing something a little fancier, a little more special than the entire batch of cupcakes it would take to make one for the baby.

And there wasn't much of a sugar difference either.

Nikola had the other frosting in a piping bag when she turned around to reach for the bowl and Helen arched a brow, because she had neither heard him do it nor expected him to.

Her eyes raked over his mouth, convinced that he had sampled some of it because she hadn't let him have the other, but there were no smudges of color and Nikola grinned at her, showing his teeth as if he knew what she was thinking.

"It's a lot of fuss over someone that doesn't know what the big deal is, though." he said as she took the bag.

Helen rolled her eyes.

"You would understand if you had a child, Nikola."

He snorted, though Helen had no idea what the sentiment behind it was.

"You have enough children for me to piggyback off of."

She smiled at this and turned back to the cake to write Alice's name.

Footsteps made her look up as she dotting the i and saw that Henry was coming in. He perked up when he saw what she was doing.

"Aw, that looks great, Doc. Thanks so much for doing it."

"I just hope Alice will like it."

"Of course she will!"

Henry scooped a finger through the frosting in the bowl and Nikola made an indignant noise as Helen shook her head and Henry popped his finger into his mouth.

"Why doesn't he get the spoon threat?"

"Because he didn't try to take it off the cake."

"Are you sure it's not nepotism?" Nikola snarked, making Helen her roll eyes as she set the used-up piping bag aside.

Henry snickered, but he insisted on cleaning up since she had made the cake.

Helen let him, putting the teapot on to boil after she had placed the cake in the refrigerator, and then leaning against the counter beside Nikola.

He bumped her with his elbow gently and Helen looked at him, but she refused to do anything else when Henry was in the room.

Nikola wandered away from her over to Henry and she narrowed her eyes slightly, wondering how much he would harass him while she was in the room.

But he didn't do anything. He helped Henry and when Henry loped out of the room after giving her a peck on the cheek, Nikola turns to her with a grin.

She narrowed her eyes slightly at him, but they both knew it was for show more than anything else.

"Why are you being nice?"

"Because you're sad."

Helen immediately started to protest, but Nikola shushed her. He didn't say anything, just gave her a look that told her she wasn't going to get out of this by not talking about it. She sighed lightly.

"Not in a bad way. It just reminds me of when Ashley was this age. And that I never got to go through this with Henry."

Nikola's expression changed and it was clear that he didn't know what to say to that. So Helen just squeezed his hand and gave him a smile.

"It's not a bad thing, Nikola. I am simply feeling a little nostalgic."

"Mmm."

Helen gave him a kiss now that they were alone and he kissed her back, wrapping his arms around her as if to draw her in for a deeper one.

Instead, she broke it off and placed her hand on his chest.

"There are a few more things that I need to do."

Nikola's brow creased slightly and he looked a little confused, a little annoyed.

"It's supposed to be your day off."

"Technically I'm only supposed to be off for making the cake and the little celebration later."

His nose wrinkled now.

"Really? When you could spend the day off with me instead?"

Helen chuckled and placed her hand on his cheek.

"Considering that I've already had to threaten you with a spoon, I've clearly made the right choice."

Nikola pouted lightly at her, though that did absolutely nothing to deter him from following her around as she made her rounds and checked on things that she needed to get done before they celebrated Alice's first birthday.

Of course, Alice didn't know that and probably couldn't have cared less about the celebration, though she certainly appreciated the attention that was being given to her.

Their small group was gathered in the kitchen, Alice sitting in her height chair, seeming quite pleased to be the center of attention.

The small gathering may have seemed a little big for the definition, even if it was just the members of their family in attendance. Her old friend had insisted on putting out snacks and things for the adults and Helen leaned back against Nikola, smiling already.

Alice was babbling as Erika set the tiny cake in front of her and Henry lit the candle.

As soon as the candle was lit, Alice went still and stared at it. Before any of them could stop her or warn her, she grabbed the top of the candle, putting out the flame.

"Jeez!"

Henry already had Alice's hand in his and a look of shock on his face.

Helen moved forward as Henry pried open Alice's fingers open. Both parents' expression suggested they were expecting quite the injury, but Alice seemed more bothered by the grip on her hand than the mark on her fingers.

Helen bent close to look at the damage, but there was hardly any and Alice seemed not to notice, trying to grab the candle out of Henry's free hand instead.

"She's perfectly fine." Helen said, straightening up and giving both Henry and Erika a smile to reassure them. "Ashley did the same thing on her first birthday."

She heard her old friend make a sound at this and she knew that he remembered it as clearly as she did.

Helen moved back and leaned against the counter with Nikola.

"All your hard work." he remarked as Alice poked at the cake with curiosity and then realized they were going to let her tear into it in any way that she wanted.

"It's what it was meant for, Nikola." she reminded him, smiling.

Erika took a picture of Alice as she finally crammed some cake into her mouth and Nikola wrinkled his nose, as if he had never seen a baby with a cake before. And he probably hadn't, now that she thought about it.

Alice continued to play with the cake, most of it ending up all over her, the height chair, and the floor as the rest of them lingered and talked, all of them enjoying having a break from the usual chaos of the Sanctuary.

Helen wasn't surprised by Alice's interest in the cake. She was a HAP, after all, and even though Henry had been older when he had come to her, he had practically attacked any food he could for the first few months.

They all began to drift away as Alice grew bored with the cake and Erika hauled her up out of the height chair, smiling at Helen as she did.

"I believe she quite enjoyed that. Thank you."

"Of course." Helen said, waving a hand.

Alice giggled and reached towards Helen with hands that, while wiped off, were still messy.

"Oh no, young lady, you need a bath before you go grabbing anyone." Erika scolded gently.

Helen chuckled and waved her fingers at Alice as Erika carried her out of the room, leaving Henry to clean up the mess his daughter had made.

Nikola was standing beside him, chatting about something to do with something they had been working on in the labs, offering absolutely no help.

"Nikola." Helen chided, walking over with a roll of paper towels.

"What? I'm not getting that mess on my suit."

He adjusted his jacket theatrically, making Henry roll his eyes as he accepted the paper towels.

Helen reached down to the tray and scooped a bit of icing Henry hadn't gotten to yet up with her finger, then slowly and deliberately dragged it across Nikola's cheek.

"Helen."

"You wanted some earlier, didn't you?" she said cheekily, making him smile faintly and shake his head at her.

She kissed him lightly and let him kiss her back before she released him.

"Help Henry."

"Or what? You'll hit me with your spoon?"

"Don't tempt me."

Helen patted Nikola on the chest with a smile and then turned, leaving him to help Henry with the clean up.

#helen magnus #nikola tesla #alice foss-myers #teslen #sanctuary #my writing #fanfiction #my fanfiction #fanfic

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