AN: this was written for the March Teslan challenge on Gateworld, although I seem seriously unable to write ship; prompt was Lucky. Unbeta'd, I don't own Sanctuary or its characters. I also disclaim any medical knowledge or any knowledge of the time period this is set in - before Helen goes to Oxford. Might be AU...although maybe not. I hope you enjoy.

The Unsung Hero

Helen Magnus always looked both ways before crossing. This time was no different. The problem was she didn't look all ways before crossing. The carriage appeared suddenly from a side street just as she had started out onto the road. Helen didn't have time to blink before she was barrelled into and thrown across the street. She landed heavily, hitting her head on the curb as she did so.

Her eyes closed automatically during the fall, so after she'd landed, she took a moment to mentally assess any possible injuries she might have before reopening them.

Her head pounded: Helen thought she was probably concussed and she could feel that there was some blood trickling down her neck from her contact with the curb. All her fingers flexed when commanded, so did her toes, and her breathing was relatively normal. Her shoulder ached and she tingled everywhere, but that was it. Overall, it seemed she had been rather fortunate; although, now that she thought about it, there did appear to be an odd pressure along her length...

Helen's eyes snapped open a few seconds after the impact; the first thing she saw was a pair of gorgeous sparkling eyes.

She blinked: there was a strange man practically lying on top of her. She tried to frown but her face muscles refused to obey. Instead they smiled sweetly, receiving a little grin in return.

"Why hello there miss." Said the grin as it levered itself backwards onto bony knees.

Helen tried to get up; the grin became a frown and a hand was put out to stop her.

"Stay there, you're probably hurt."

Helen grimaced. "I know I am."

The frown became deeper, and Helen decided she preferred the smile – it complimented his eyes better. The young man leaned closer again, and Helen found herself fighting to keep her heart rate under control: even though she could no longer focus on his handsome face, didn't mean she couldn't feel his proximity.

"Where?" the frown demanded.

Helen endeavoured to gesture to her head, but her arms felt so sleepy and her eyes were slipping shut as well.

"Where? Where are you hurt!?" His silken voice sounded panicked now, his eyes frantically searching for wounds.

With what was possibly the last of her strength, Helen attempted to get up again – she wasn't sure why. Although she really didn't want to pass out in the middle of the street, even if most ladies did quite often – stupid corsets. But then again, she wasn't most ladies.

There was a soft sigh; a gentle hand snaked its way behind her head as she raised it in order to support it. Agony immediately raced through her body. Two curses were uttered: one from her own mouth, one not. There also was a prolonged gasp and some distant mutterings; Helen assumed a crowd had gathered to watch the show.

"It's okay, it's okay. I've got you, it'll be alright." The young gentleman's voice was soothing: the pain was dulling; her eyes fluttered, and then closed.

***~~~***

Nikola Tesla was new to the Oxford area. It was a lot larger and busier than anything he was used to: it was also a lot more unfriendly. Nikola sighed to himself; he was lost, and most of the people around looked like they'd gut him if he even tried to ask for directions.

He'd just given up in his search for a friendly face when he saw her. Blonde ringlets falling gently over her shoulders, delicate fingers clutching at her skirts as she prepared to cross the road: she was beautiful.

Nikola felt a piece of his heart tear itself away and attach itself forever to this vision.

Suddenly it seemed that forever would be an awfully short amount of time as a carriage hurtled full speed onto the road she was crossing, headed straight for her.

Nikola didn't think before he acted; hurtling himself through the air. He thanked whoever was watching over him that he was close enough.

He crashed into the woman just before the carriage crushed her under its wheels. They both tumbled to the side with some force; Nikola landing on top of the young lady as she hit her head on the curb, thinking that she was unconscious. This theory was quickly proved wrong when two startlingly bright eyes were abruptly locked onto his. A perfect smile – albeit a small one – alighted on her perfect face, and Nikola couldn't help but return the favour.

"Why hello there miss." He didn't know her name, but he was willing to bet it was beautiful too. All of a sudden he realised that he was lying on top of an unknown young woman – probably not even in her twenties – in the middle of the street surrounded by a load of worried people, most of whom had no idea what had just happened. Nikola didn't have to be a genius – though he was – to work out what people would be thinking. He quickly pushed himself back off of her and onto his knees.

He saw her start to get up, and put a hand out to stop her, frowning as he did so. "Stay there, you're probably hurt."

"I know I am." She grimaced: Nikola wanted her to smile again, but his concern over her statement took priority.

He leaned closer, trying to ignore how his heart beat faster, and that her eyes were unfocussed – he didn't want to have saved her just to have actually killed her. "Where?" he asked.

There was no reply save the fluttering of eyelids.

"Where? Where are you hurt!?" he couldn't keep the panic out of his voice now as he desperately searched for injuries.

Unexpectedly the young lady made another move to get up. An exasperated sigh escaped his lips as Nikola reached his hand under her head to gently lower her back down.

All thoughts of how soft her hair was fled as his hand came into contact with a sticky liquid substance. The body beneath him rippled and contorted with pain; the perfect lips uttering a foul curse which would have shocked him in any other situation. As it was, Nikola was too busy cursing himself for not noticing the blood sooner.

"It's okay, it's okay." He whispered softly, trying to pretend he wasn't lying. "I've got you, it'll be alright."

The pale eyelids fluttered once more, and then closed. Nikola swiftly shut down his wildly raging emotions and ignored his racing heart. He went to check her pulse and was surprised to find a young doctor had slipped in beside him and was already doing so. Another was slowly taking the weight of the lady's head.

Realising there was nothing more he could do, he turned to the doctor. "Will she be alright?"

"Hmmm...we'll see," the man replied. Nikola wasn't sure he'd even heard the question. The doctor continued; "Thank you for the help sir, we'll take it from here."

Nikola knew when he was no longer wanted. He took a last look at his sleeping beauty before he walked off, disappearing into the crowd.

***~~~***

Nikola prowled the newspaper stalls for days afterwards, hoping for news about the accident and its outcome. He could never find anything, and the owners started shooing him away pretty quickly.

A week after Nikola had walked away from the bleeding angel he was queuing in the fishmonger's. Two men in front of him – one with a paper tucked under his arm – were discussing the price of necessities these days. One of them suddenly turned to the other, as if he had just come into possession of some intelligence.

"I say, did you hear about old Greg Magnus' girl?"

His partner hummed in response. "Helen? Oh yes, quite a terrible affair. That carriage was driving dangerously; she's fine now, but the poor child could have been killed!"

Nikola picked up his ears.

"I suppose, although Mary swears some young chap pushed her out of the way – but I say she's just being romantic, making stuff up to have something to talk about, you know how it is..."

Nikola had stopped listening. Instead, he was standing quite still, a relieved grin decorating his features.

"Helen Magnus..." he rolled the name around in his mind, over and over. She was alive, and her name was just a lovely as he'd thought.

Someone shoved him from behind, annoyed that he was holding up the queue. Nikola turned and apologised, and then made his way forward with that smile still on his face.

It refused to go away for quite some time.

***~~~***

Helen stared at her ceiling and wandered when all the cracks had appeared. She couldn't remember seeing them before, but then again, she couldn't really recall anything from the last seven days or so.

Her father had told her she'd been knocked over by a speeding carriage and had hit her head, cutting the skin. She'd been unconscious for a few days, and then spent the next couple drifting in and out of sleep, but there had been no serious damage.

Helen had just nodded along to the explanation, not really paying attention. When she was left alone she just stared at her ceiling, desperately wishing her memories would come back. She had a feeling she was missing something important...something handsome with a gorgeous grin she could live on...

But Helen couldn't remember, so she sighed and continued staring at the ceiling.

~Fin

Wow, okay, not what I was planning at all. In any case, I'd love to know what you thought - concrit welcome :)