FIC: "Change of Time," Helen/James, Sanctuary, NC17
Title: Change of Time
Author: geonncannon
Fandom: Sanctuary
Pairing: Helen/James
Word Count: 3,602
Category: Romance
Spoilers: Revelations, For King and Country
Disclaimer: They don't belong to me.
Rating: NC17
Author's Notes: The title is take from the Josh Ritter song. Thanks to dustdaughter for her comment that helped inspire this!
Summary: A surprise visitor appears at the Sanctuary.
One of the residents was the first to notice the disturbance. The krolius was sensitive enough to feel when there was an unexpected presence in the Sanctuary. Once it had been reported and Henry knew what to scan for, he pinpointed the location to the library. Kate loaded up from the armory, handing off weapons as Helen stepped out of the elevator and led the way to investigate. Will and the Big Guy came from the opposite direction, armed with stunners of their own.
"Proceed with caution." Helen opened the library door and peered inside. She immediately saw the swirl of purple and blue near one of the tables. She motioned for Kate to enter the room and break to the right, letting Will go to the left. Once they were in position she entered with the Big Guy watching her back. The swirling light surrounded a humanoid form, but it was still too dim for details.
Henry arrived and kept his eyes on the disturbance as he reported. "EM shield is up, so it's not tall, bald and stabby."
The form began to solidify and Helen brought her weapon up. "Careful, everyone..."
The shimmer faded and revealed James Watson. He wore a vest and a shirt with the sleeves rolled up, his collar undone. He appeared exhausted as he lifted his head and scanned the room. His lips curled into a smile as he recognized the familiar environs. "I can't believe it. It worked." He slapped the top of the table and then turned to see Helen. "No need for weaponry, darling. I know I should have called first, but... I was..." His attention had shifted to Will, Kate and Henry. He looked at Helen again, tilting his head to one side as he examined her.
"James?" The weapon wavered in her hands, but she wasn't willing to lower it just yet.
"Something has gone... wrong." He lifted his left arm and Helen noticed the leather strap around the wrist. He looked up at her again with a look of apology. "How far off am I? There was a time element that I knew I should have had Tesla examine, but I thought that it wouldn't be an issue. What year is it?"
"2011."
James' eyes widened slightly. "Really." His voice was soft as he looked down at the strap again. "Very curious..."
"What year did you leave?"
"1961. The Ides of March."
Will glanced at Helen. "Fifty years to the day."
"To the day? Interesting." He looked at the gathered group again. "Obviously I'm aware of your hirsute manservant, dear, but perhaps it would be best if your assistants left us alone for the time being. Whether I know them in this time period or not, it would be less confusing if we weren't introduced."
"Right." She turned to Will, Henry and Kate. "We don't know how this will upset the path of history. If the path of history can truly be altered at all. Still, it would be best--"
"If James Watson and I didn't meet thirty years before we actually met?" Will nodded. He was obviously trying to figure out if James had recognized him during their first meeting. "Yeah, I can see how that would be a little awkward. We'll be nearby if you need us."
Helen nodded her thanks as they filed out of the room. Once they were alone, Helen turned to James and allowed herself a smile. "My God."
"Fifty years. I'm certain they've been interesting." He smiled, eyes sparkling in that way Helen had missed so much. She started to speak but he raised a hand to stop her. "No hints or insinuations. I still plan to find a way back to 1961 and I have every intention of living out the rest of my days with no foreknowledge of future events." His face grew slightly less serious. "Although you may answer a simple yes or no question. How have you been?"
Helen sighed and scoffed at the question. She'd been through so much in the past few years alone, how could she summarize half a century? How could she possibly explain Ashley to the man who had helped her put the embryo into stasis? "There have been good times as well as bad. But mostly good."
"I'm glad." He had been watching her face and then lowered his eyes. "I see."
"What?"
"I'm dead."
"James--"
"I guessed from your reaction to seeing me standing here, but your face now... you are overjoyed and saddened to see me. It's been a while, I assume, but I won't try to deduce how long. I knew my attempts at longevity wouldn't lead to full immortality as you and Nikola possess." He reached up and touched her cheek, brushing a curl away from her face as he brushed her skin with his thumb. "I do hope that you and I had many happy years before my inevitable demise."
Helen couldn't help but smile. "Many, James. But there could never have been enough." She brought his hand to her lips and kissed the palm. It was partly because she couldn't resist the habit, and partially so she could use senses besides sight to judge his identity. He smelled right, felt right. She was absolutely certain this was James' hand.
She opened her eyes and looked at him. "Welcome back, James."
#
They strolled side by side in the garden, James lifting his head to scan the sky. They walked in companionable silence, Helen wanting to tell him everything but her hands were tied by the causality problem. She knew that she could tell him so many things to make their lives easier. Don't look the mesra in the eye or it will hit you hard enough to break your hand. Tiko is a Cabal spy and should be subdued as soon as possible. Not to mention certain tragic world events that she knew they could have prevented given enough warning. But she couldn't. History needed to unfold precisely as it had, no matter how heartbreaking it was.
James gestured at the sky. "Pollution is worse, but not quite as bad as I would have imagined."
"The world abides," Helen said. "So are you ever going to tell me what you were doing? I remember March of 1961. You were incredibly secretive around that time, holed up in your laboratory doing God knows what. Although I assume I have a better idea now." She lifted his arm to look at the wristband. "What exactly is this supposed to be?"
James sighed. "A failed success, apparently. I was attempting to recreate John's ability to transport from one place to another. I had successfully transposed several inanimate objects, as well as a few lab animals--"
"The rabbit!" Helen suddenly remembered the day when a rabbit had mysteriously began wandering the halls of the Sanctuary. She and the Big Guy and her current protégés ran themselves ragged trying to catch the blasted thing. "That was you. You could have mentioned something when I called."
He smiled. "I couldn't risk exposing the project until I knew it was ready. It was my intention that arriving in your Sanctuary in this way would suffice. I failed to anticipate the time aspect, however. Perhaps Nikola can take a look at it... you wouldn't happen to know where he is, would you?"
"Actually, he... he's here."
James laughed. "Times have indeed changed."
Helen smiled and slipped her arm around his. "You may wish to rethink asking him to take a look at it. Nikola may be a changed man from the one you knew, but no one can change that much. I shudder to think what he could do with the power of teleportation and time travel."
"It would take a genius to figure out where I went wrong." He patted her hand. "Fortunately, I happen to know one."
Helen chuckled and leaned against him as they went deeper into the garden. She thought of the things she had wanted to say to him before he died, all the secrets she'd kept and the things she had been too afraid to admit even when he lay dying in her arms. It would be such a relief to think he already knew. That she had already told him, decades before, was an idea too alluring to pass up. She tightened her arm around his and guided him to a stone bench.
"James, there is something I must tell you."
"No information beyond 1961, Helen. As hard as it might be to hold back information that could save lives, I simply cannot in good conscience--"
"Quiet, James. This is something I could easily have told you in 1961. Why I didn't... I'm not sure. Perhaps I couldn't quite admit it to myself, even after so long. But I do love you, James. I know that we've always held that John was the love of my life, that I could never open my heart to another after what he did. But James..." She put her hand on his cheek to keep him from looking away. "You were there for me, for so long. I've never been alone thanks to your constant presence and your love. John may have been the man I loved, but you are the love of my life."
James smiled and turned his head to kiss the inside of Helen's wrist. "And you, Helen, are the love of mine. I shall keep your secret when I return to my own time. If I do return, that is. We still have to figure out where I went wrong on this blasted thing."
"We're fortunate that I have an extremely capable scientist employed here. I would tell you his name, but you really should experience your true first meeting as it truly happened."
"Was it spectacular?"
Helen considered the question and shrugged. "Parts of it were. And your eyebrows grew back surprisingly fast, considering."
James looked at her in horror, and Helen laughed as she guided him back to the Sanctuary.
#
James held the strap up to the light, examining the green glass insert. "Young Mr. Skywalker has truly earned his place in your employ."
Helen stifled her laugh and shook her head. As a matter of convenience, Helen had insisted everyone in the present day take on false names. Henry chose Luke Skywalker, while Will and Kate took the monikers Sammy Sosa and Angelina Jolie. It kept them anonymous, but it led to some rather amusing updates.
They were behind the closed doors of her office, the overhead lights off in favor of the more intimate lighting of lanterns and candles. James was sitting on one side of the couch with Helen on the other. She was watching as James turned the device over in his hands and looked at the adjustments Henry had made.
"According to... Luke... the device simply needs to be reversed. It should take you home, both to England and to the proper year."
"Do you remember?" he asked. "Was I safely returned to my own time?"
Helen thought back to 1961. It was difficult to pinpoint an exact month and year in a life as long as hers, but the Kennedy assassination helped give her a bit of perspective to work backward from. "You helped during the rough time in Cuba," she muttered without thinking. She looked up and James was pointedly ignoring her slip. "You were safe and sound in April of '61. I'm sure this will work."
"Unless this is an entirely new timeline that was created by my misuse of this device. Perhaps I never return and must live out my days here in your Sanctuary with you." He raised his eyebrow. "Wouldn't be so bad, would it?"
Helen reached out and took James' hand. "No. It wouldn't."
She thought back to 1961, when she first saw James after his long period of self-exile. A pair of Abnormals had sent distress signals from within Cuba, forcing Helen to stage a rescue attempt at the same time the United States was preparing their Bay of Pigs invasion. It had been a dangerous time, and she'd gone to James for help. He'd seemed odd during that time; lost in his thoughts, but happy enough. She remembered how he had clutched her hand while they hid in a bombed-out factory from the scouting guerilla forces.
"You made it back, James. I'm certain."
He nodded and looked down at their fingers. "I wish you had told me your feelings back then."
"It's safer now."
"Because I'm just a ghost in your eyes?"
"Yes. Does that make me a horrible person?"
James chuckled. "Of course not, Helen." He reached up and touched her cheek with his free hand.
They were too far apart to make the move natural, so they didn't even try. They leaned forward and kissed, gently and without closing their eyes before pulling back. Helen had kissed James before, obviously. He was her dearest friend, and they had been forced to feign intimacy on more than one occasion when they posed as a couple. But here, in Helen's candlelit office, when it was just them, it felt like the first time.
"If I must keep everything that happens during this brief respite, perhaps we should do something truly worth keeping secret."
Helen blushed. "James..."
He started to withdraw, but Helen closed the distance between them and kissed him again. James returned the kiss, bringing his hands up to her face as she moved closer to him. She rose, bending one knee on the couch cushion while stretching the other leg out to keep a foot on the floor as she deepened their kiss. James' hands pushed into her hair and Helen moaned, his tongue pushing into her mouth.
When they parted, close enough for Helen to smell his cologne and feel his breath wash over her face, he kept his hands on the back of her head. James kept his eyes closed and Helen kissed his eyelids, feeling the lashes flutter against her lips before she pulled back and rested her forehead against his. "We're out of our minds."
Helen smiled. "We're out of our times. This never happened in your lifetime."
"That must mean I am in Heaven."
Helen hid her blushing by brushing her cheek against his. The last time a razor had touched the stubble here was fifty years earlier. Helen parted her lips and impulsively licked him, causing James to shiver. He turned his head and they kissed again, and Helen lifted her foot off the floor to throw that leg across his lap.
"One thing you can know about the future, my dear boy..." She settled on his lap and saw him look down at her skirt. It was tight, a slit running up one side to expose her thigh. She hooked a finger under his chin and forced him to look into her eyes. "Women grow bold."
"I shall look forward to that."
Helen grinned as she kissed him again. She dropped her hands down and lifted her hips, stroking him through his pants with one hand as the other worked to open his pants. James groaned as she took him in her hand, his underwear pushed out of the way so she could guide his erection out. She licked her hand, looking down at the way it rose from the wrinkled mass of his clothes. When her palm was wet, she reached down and pushed his underwear down further to make him more comfortable. James was frozen in mid-gasp as she wrapped her fingers around him and began to stroke.
Helen kept her eyes open and locked on his as she touched him, using her fingertips to tease the head before she brushed her palm down his length. James kept his hands firmly on her thighs at the start, but then he began to move them in slow, steady strokes until his right hand moved to the inside of her leg. Helen shifted to give him room, whispering, "Yes, James," when two of his fingers reached her underwear.
They both seemed to debate whether to take the next step, but neither seemed willing to stop what they were doing to change position. James pushed aside the thin barrier and touched her, and Helen cried out and tightened her grip on him. James groaned her name as his fingers spread her open and pushed gently inside.
James closed his eyes and focused his breathing, trying to hold off on his orgasm as he gently thrust one finger into her. Helen tightened the fingers of her free hand on the shoulder of James' vest, arching her back and wishing they'd had the foresight to lose some of their clothing before embarking on this exploration.
There was no warning; Helen felt James' body tense just before she felt his ejaculation on her fingers. She tightened around his exploring fingers, spreading his come along his shaft with gentle passes of her hand, watching how it shone in the dim light. She passed her thumb over the head of the cock, gathering more before she released him and brought the hand to her lips. She looked into James' eyes as she sucked the pad of her thumb and then, biting it gently, rolled her head back and came as well.
James held her throughout her orgasm, supporting her when she fell forward into him. She rested her head on his shoulder as he ran his hand up and down her back, their breathing slowly returning to normal. He kissed her face, between the eyebrows, the tip of her nose and then her lips. Helen relaxed into the kiss, and James drew circles on her bare thigh with his other hand.
"I suppose this was intended as a farewell..."
"Mm," Helen said. She looked at the clock over the mantle and shrugged as she sat up. "The past will still be there tomorrow."
James smiled and drew her to him for another kiss.
April 18, 1961
James reached out and took Helen's hand. She seemed shaken by recent events, a small cut over her left eyebrow trickling bright red blood. Helen looked at his hand in hers, met his eyes, and smiled. It wasn't the worst war zone they had ever been in, not by a long shot, but men with guns could still kill you just as dead no matter what kind of war it was. Helen waited until the guerillas passed before she took her hand from James'. She checked the window and then motioned him forward, not speaking until she was sure they were alone.
"I am sorry I got you into this. If I'd known how bad things would get--"
"Helen... I'm happy to be here. I'd go anywhere for you." Helen smiled and started toward the chain-link fence that enclosed the property. James watched her go and smiled to himself. "You've no idea just how far I would go."
"James!" The shouted whisper coming from Helen as she held the cut in the fence open. She motioned for him to hurry and he broke into a run.
There would be time for reminiscing once they got to safety. He grinned and ran to catch up with Helen before the guerillas returned.
Present Day
Kate found Helen in her office. She crossed her arms over the back of the chair in front of Helen's desk and smiled. "Well?"
Helen looked up from her laptop. "Yes?"
"It's been a week since Sherlock went all Marty McFly. Any changes? Anything historically altered by him seeing our fancy computers?"
"James is far too intelligent to affect history in the way you're suggesting. Even if he did notice a laptop or a cellular phone, he wouldn't have attempted to cash in on the invention for his own gain."
Kate shrugged. "Sure, but what about little stuff? Like the fact he saw a future version of you and got a little glimpse of the outside world. I mean, even if he didn't mean to affect the past, he still could have. Accidentally."
Helen smiled and shook her head. "I doubt it. Besides, even if he did, we would now be a part of that altered timeline. We wouldn't remember the way the world had been before he altered it."
"I guess that's true." Kate sulked for a moment. "Me and Hank are heading out for burgers. You want one?" Helen made a face and Kate shrugged. "Just thought I'd ask. You know where to find us." She waved over her shoulder as she left the office.
Helen said goodbye and then went back to the report she had been filing. It was all true; James wouldn't affect the timeline on purpose, but there was a chance he might have done so inadvertently. Or perhaps by doing something he simply couldn't stop himself from doing. She considered their annual trips to Bruges, touring the cathedrals and canals before taking a weekend to explore one another. She treasured those days with James, locked together in a hotel room and exploring each other's bodies.
Surely it had always been that way. She couldn't imagine a scenario where James wasn't her dearest confidante, her lover... Those sojourns with him had kept her sane. But as she had said, even if time was altered in some minor way, who would be able to tell the difference?
She decided that it didn't matter; she was perfectly pleased with history as it stood, even if it was a newly minted version.
Author: geonncannon
Fandom: Sanctuary
Pairing: Helen/James
Word Count: 3,602
Category: Romance
Spoilers: Revelations, For King and Country
Disclaimer: They don't belong to me.
Rating: NC17
Author's Notes: The title is take from the Josh Ritter song. Thanks to dustdaughter for her comment that helped inspire this!
Summary: A surprise visitor appears at the Sanctuary.
One of the residents was the first to notice the disturbance. The krolius was sensitive enough to feel when there was an unexpected presence in the Sanctuary. Once it had been reported and Henry knew what to scan for, he pinpointed the location to the library. Kate loaded up from the armory, handing off weapons as Helen stepped out of the elevator and led the way to investigate. Will and the Big Guy came from the opposite direction, armed with stunners of their own.
"Proceed with caution." Helen opened the library door and peered inside. She immediately saw the swirl of purple and blue near one of the tables. She motioned for Kate to enter the room and break to the right, letting Will go to the left. Once they were in position she entered with the Big Guy watching her back. The swirling light surrounded a humanoid form, but it was still too dim for details.
Henry arrived and kept his eyes on the disturbance as he reported. "EM shield is up, so it's not tall, bald and stabby."
The form began to solidify and Helen brought her weapon up. "Careful, everyone..."
The shimmer faded and revealed James Watson. He wore a vest and a shirt with the sleeves rolled up, his collar undone. He appeared exhausted as he lifted his head and scanned the room. His lips curled into a smile as he recognized the familiar environs. "I can't believe it. It worked." He slapped the top of the table and then turned to see Helen. "No need for weaponry, darling. I know I should have called first, but... I was..." His attention had shifted to Will, Kate and Henry. He looked at Helen again, tilting his head to one side as he examined her.
"James?" The weapon wavered in her hands, but she wasn't willing to lower it just yet.
"Something has gone... wrong." He lifted his left arm and Helen noticed the leather strap around the wrist. He looked up at her again with a look of apology. "How far off am I? There was a time element that I knew I should have had Tesla examine, but I thought that it wouldn't be an issue. What year is it?"
"2011."
James' eyes widened slightly. "Really." His voice was soft as he looked down at the strap again. "Very curious..."
"What year did you leave?"
"1961. The Ides of March."
Will glanced at Helen. "Fifty years to the day."
"To the day? Interesting." He looked at the gathered group again. "Obviously I'm aware of your hirsute manservant, dear, but perhaps it would be best if your assistants left us alone for the time being. Whether I know them in this time period or not, it would be less confusing if we weren't introduced."
"Right." She turned to Will, Henry and Kate. "We don't know how this will upset the path of history. If the path of history can truly be altered at all. Still, it would be best--"
"If James Watson and I didn't meet thirty years before we actually met?" Will nodded. He was obviously trying to figure out if James had recognized him during their first meeting. "Yeah, I can see how that would be a little awkward. We'll be nearby if you need us."
Helen nodded her thanks as they filed out of the room. Once they were alone, Helen turned to James and allowed herself a smile. "My God."
"Fifty years. I'm certain they've been interesting." He smiled, eyes sparkling in that way Helen had missed so much. She started to speak but he raised a hand to stop her. "No hints or insinuations. I still plan to find a way back to 1961 and I have every intention of living out the rest of my days with no foreknowledge of future events." His face grew slightly less serious. "Although you may answer a simple yes or no question. How have you been?"
Helen sighed and scoffed at the question. She'd been through so much in the past few years alone, how could she summarize half a century? How could she possibly explain Ashley to the man who had helped her put the embryo into stasis? "There have been good times as well as bad. But mostly good."
"I'm glad." He had been watching her face and then lowered his eyes. "I see."
"What?"
"I'm dead."
"James--"
"I guessed from your reaction to seeing me standing here, but your face now... you are overjoyed and saddened to see me. It's been a while, I assume, but I won't try to deduce how long. I knew my attempts at longevity wouldn't lead to full immortality as you and Nikola possess." He reached up and touched her cheek, brushing a curl away from her face as he brushed her skin with his thumb. "I do hope that you and I had many happy years before my inevitable demise."
Helen couldn't help but smile. "Many, James. But there could never have been enough." She brought his hand to her lips and kissed the palm. It was partly because she couldn't resist the habit, and partially so she could use senses besides sight to judge his identity. He smelled right, felt right. She was absolutely certain this was James' hand.
She opened her eyes and looked at him. "Welcome back, James."
#
They strolled side by side in the garden, James lifting his head to scan the sky. They walked in companionable silence, Helen wanting to tell him everything but her hands were tied by the causality problem. She knew that she could tell him so many things to make their lives easier. Don't look the mesra in the eye or it will hit you hard enough to break your hand. Tiko is a Cabal spy and should be subdued as soon as possible. Not to mention certain tragic world events that she knew they could have prevented given enough warning. But she couldn't. History needed to unfold precisely as it had, no matter how heartbreaking it was.
James gestured at the sky. "Pollution is worse, but not quite as bad as I would have imagined."
"The world abides," Helen said. "So are you ever going to tell me what you were doing? I remember March of 1961. You were incredibly secretive around that time, holed up in your laboratory doing God knows what. Although I assume I have a better idea now." She lifted his arm to look at the wristband. "What exactly is this supposed to be?"
James sighed. "A failed success, apparently. I was attempting to recreate John's ability to transport from one place to another. I had successfully transposed several inanimate objects, as well as a few lab animals--"
"The rabbit!" Helen suddenly remembered the day when a rabbit had mysteriously began wandering the halls of the Sanctuary. She and the Big Guy and her current protégés ran themselves ragged trying to catch the blasted thing. "That was you. You could have mentioned something when I called."
He smiled. "I couldn't risk exposing the project until I knew it was ready. It was my intention that arriving in your Sanctuary in this way would suffice. I failed to anticipate the time aspect, however. Perhaps Nikola can take a look at it... you wouldn't happen to know where he is, would you?"
"Actually, he... he's here."
James laughed. "Times have indeed changed."
Helen smiled and slipped her arm around his. "You may wish to rethink asking him to take a look at it. Nikola may be a changed man from the one you knew, but no one can change that much. I shudder to think what he could do with the power of teleportation and time travel."
"It would take a genius to figure out where I went wrong." He patted her hand. "Fortunately, I happen to know one."
Helen chuckled and leaned against him as they went deeper into the garden. She thought of the things she had wanted to say to him before he died, all the secrets she'd kept and the things she had been too afraid to admit even when he lay dying in her arms. It would be such a relief to think he already knew. That she had already told him, decades before, was an idea too alluring to pass up. She tightened her arm around his and guided him to a stone bench.
"James, there is something I must tell you."
"No information beyond 1961, Helen. As hard as it might be to hold back information that could save lives, I simply cannot in good conscience--"
"Quiet, James. This is something I could easily have told you in 1961. Why I didn't... I'm not sure. Perhaps I couldn't quite admit it to myself, even after so long. But I do love you, James. I know that we've always held that John was the love of my life, that I could never open my heart to another after what he did. But James..." She put her hand on his cheek to keep him from looking away. "You were there for me, for so long. I've never been alone thanks to your constant presence and your love. John may have been the man I loved, but you are the love of my life."
James smiled and turned his head to kiss the inside of Helen's wrist. "And you, Helen, are the love of mine. I shall keep your secret when I return to my own time. If I do return, that is. We still have to figure out where I went wrong on this blasted thing."
"We're fortunate that I have an extremely capable scientist employed here. I would tell you his name, but you really should experience your true first meeting as it truly happened."
"Was it spectacular?"
Helen considered the question and shrugged. "Parts of it were. And your eyebrows grew back surprisingly fast, considering."
James looked at her in horror, and Helen laughed as she guided him back to the Sanctuary.
#
James held the strap up to the light, examining the green glass insert. "Young Mr. Skywalker has truly earned his place in your employ."
Helen stifled her laugh and shook her head. As a matter of convenience, Helen had insisted everyone in the present day take on false names. Henry chose Luke Skywalker, while Will and Kate took the monikers Sammy Sosa and Angelina Jolie. It kept them anonymous, but it led to some rather amusing updates.
They were behind the closed doors of her office, the overhead lights off in favor of the more intimate lighting of lanterns and candles. James was sitting on one side of the couch with Helen on the other. She was watching as James turned the device over in his hands and looked at the adjustments Henry had made.
"According to... Luke... the device simply needs to be reversed. It should take you home, both to England and to the proper year."
"Do you remember?" he asked. "Was I safely returned to my own time?"
Helen thought back to 1961. It was difficult to pinpoint an exact month and year in a life as long as hers, but the Kennedy assassination helped give her a bit of perspective to work backward from. "You helped during the rough time in Cuba," she muttered without thinking. She looked up and James was pointedly ignoring her slip. "You were safe and sound in April of '61. I'm sure this will work."
"Unless this is an entirely new timeline that was created by my misuse of this device. Perhaps I never return and must live out my days here in your Sanctuary with you." He raised his eyebrow. "Wouldn't be so bad, would it?"
Helen reached out and took James' hand. "No. It wouldn't."
She thought back to 1961, when she first saw James after his long period of self-exile. A pair of Abnormals had sent distress signals from within Cuba, forcing Helen to stage a rescue attempt at the same time the United States was preparing their Bay of Pigs invasion. It had been a dangerous time, and she'd gone to James for help. He'd seemed odd during that time; lost in his thoughts, but happy enough. She remembered how he had clutched her hand while they hid in a bombed-out factory from the scouting guerilla forces.
"You made it back, James. I'm certain."
He nodded and looked down at their fingers. "I wish you had told me your feelings back then."
"It's safer now."
"Because I'm just a ghost in your eyes?"
"Yes. Does that make me a horrible person?"
James chuckled. "Of course not, Helen." He reached up and touched her cheek with his free hand.
They were too far apart to make the move natural, so they didn't even try. They leaned forward and kissed, gently and without closing their eyes before pulling back. Helen had kissed James before, obviously. He was her dearest friend, and they had been forced to feign intimacy on more than one occasion when they posed as a couple. But here, in Helen's candlelit office, when it was just them, it felt like the first time.
"If I must keep everything that happens during this brief respite, perhaps we should do something truly worth keeping secret."
Helen blushed. "James..."
He started to withdraw, but Helen closed the distance between them and kissed him again. James returned the kiss, bringing his hands up to her face as she moved closer to him. She rose, bending one knee on the couch cushion while stretching the other leg out to keep a foot on the floor as she deepened their kiss. James' hands pushed into her hair and Helen moaned, his tongue pushing into her mouth.
When they parted, close enough for Helen to smell his cologne and feel his breath wash over her face, he kept his hands on the back of her head. James kept his eyes closed and Helen kissed his eyelids, feeling the lashes flutter against her lips before she pulled back and rested her forehead against his. "We're out of our minds."
Helen smiled. "We're out of our times. This never happened in your lifetime."
"That must mean I am in Heaven."
Helen hid her blushing by brushing her cheek against his. The last time a razor had touched the stubble here was fifty years earlier. Helen parted her lips and impulsively licked him, causing James to shiver. He turned his head and they kissed again, and Helen lifted her foot off the floor to throw that leg across his lap.
"One thing you can know about the future, my dear boy..." She settled on his lap and saw him look down at her skirt. It was tight, a slit running up one side to expose her thigh. She hooked a finger under his chin and forced him to look into her eyes. "Women grow bold."
"I shall look forward to that."
Helen grinned as she kissed him again. She dropped her hands down and lifted her hips, stroking him through his pants with one hand as the other worked to open his pants. James groaned as she took him in her hand, his underwear pushed out of the way so she could guide his erection out. She licked her hand, looking down at the way it rose from the wrinkled mass of his clothes. When her palm was wet, she reached down and pushed his underwear down further to make him more comfortable. James was frozen in mid-gasp as she wrapped her fingers around him and began to stroke.
Helen kept her eyes open and locked on his as she touched him, using her fingertips to tease the head before she brushed her palm down his length. James kept his hands firmly on her thighs at the start, but then he began to move them in slow, steady strokes until his right hand moved to the inside of her leg. Helen shifted to give him room, whispering, "Yes, James," when two of his fingers reached her underwear.
They both seemed to debate whether to take the next step, but neither seemed willing to stop what they were doing to change position. James pushed aside the thin barrier and touched her, and Helen cried out and tightened her grip on him. James groaned her name as his fingers spread her open and pushed gently inside.
James closed his eyes and focused his breathing, trying to hold off on his orgasm as he gently thrust one finger into her. Helen tightened the fingers of her free hand on the shoulder of James' vest, arching her back and wishing they'd had the foresight to lose some of their clothing before embarking on this exploration.
There was no warning; Helen felt James' body tense just before she felt his ejaculation on her fingers. She tightened around his exploring fingers, spreading his come along his shaft with gentle passes of her hand, watching how it shone in the dim light. She passed her thumb over the head of the cock, gathering more before she released him and brought the hand to her lips. She looked into James' eyes as she sucked the pad of her thumb and then, biting it gently, rolled her head back and came as well.
James held her throughout her orgasm, supporting her when she fell forward into him. She rested her head on his shoulder as he ran his hand up and down her back, their breathing slowly returning to normal. He kissed her face, between the eyebrows, the tip of her nose and then her lips. Helen relaxed into the kiss, and James drew circles on her bare thigh with his other hand.
"I suppose this was intended as a farewell..."
"Mm," Helen said. She looked at the clock over the mantle and shrugged as she sat up. "The past will still be there tomorrow."
James smiled and drew her to him for another kiss.
April 18, 1961
James reached out and took Helen's hand. She seemed shaken by recent events, a small cut over her left eyebrow trickling bright red blood. Helen looked at his hand in hers, met his eyes, and smiled. It wasn't the worst war zone they had ever been in, not by a long shot, but men with guns could still kill you just as dead no matter what kind of war it was. Helen waited until the guerillas passed before she took her hand from James'. She checked the window and then motioned him forward, not speaking until she was sure they were alone.
"I am sorry I got you into this. If I'd known how bad things would get--"
"Helen... I'm happy to be here. I'd go anywhere for you." Helen smiled and started toward the chain-link fence that enclosed the property. James watched her go and smiled to himself. "You've no idea just how far I would go."
"James!" The shouted whisper coming from Helen as she held the cut in the fence open. She motioned for him to hurry and he broke into a run.
There would be time for reminiscing once they got to safety. He grinned and ran to catch up with Helen before the guerillas returned.
Present Day
Kate found Helen in her office. She crossed her arms over the back of the chair in front of Helen's desk and smiled. "Well?"
Helen looked up from her laptop. "Yes?"
"It's been a week since Sherlock went all Marty McFly. Any changes? Anything historically altered by him seeing our fancy computers?"
"James is far too intelligent to affect history in the way you're suggesting. Even if he did notice a laptop or a cellular phone, he wouldn't have attempted to cash in on the invention for his own gain."
Kate shrugged. "Sure, but what about little stuff? Like the fact he saw a future version of you and got a little glimpse of the outside world. I mean, even if he didn't mean to affect the past, he still could have. Accidentally."
Helen smiled and shook her head. "I doubt it. Besides, even if he did, we would now be a part of that altered timeline. We wouldn't remember the way the world had been before he altered it."
"I guess that's true." Kate sulked for a moment. "Me and Hank are heading out for burgers. You want one?" Helen made a face and Kate shrugged. "Just thought I'd ask. You know where to find us." She waved over her shoulder as she left the office.
Helen said goodbye and then went back to the report she had been filing. It was all true; James wouldn't affect the timeline on purpose, but there was a chance he might have done so inadvertently. Or perhaps by doing something he simply couldn't stop himself from doing. She considered their annual trips to Bruges, touring the cathedrals and canals before taking a weekend to explore one another. She treasured those days with James, locked together in a hotel room and exploring each other's bodies.
Surely it had always been that way. She couldn't imagine a scenario where James wasn't her dearest confidante, her lover... Those sojourns with him had kept her sane. But as she had said, even if time was altered in some minor way, who would be able to tell the difference?
She decided that it didn't matter; she was perfectly pleased with history as it stood, even if it was a newly minted version.