Author's Note: I guess I started writing this because I think Nikola is adorable. At least when he's not being a punk and threatening Helen's life. Even then, I usually just think he's a jerk for a moment or two, then move on. I'll be trying to update regularly, though I promise nothing. Their banter is very hard to write even if it's entertaining to hear; especially as Nikola also tends to be more sarcastic and witty than I think I'm capable of constantly writing. Let me know if I'm getting it right or wrong. And I know, cheesy title for this chapter, but I just couldn't help myself.

Disclaimer: I sort of wish I owned the characters and show, but I don't and they seem to be in capable hands.

Sanctum

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Shocking

He had everything he needed, all the right tools, all the careful supplies stacked neatly near him. Surrounded in his lab by everything that was necessary for this particular project would normally fill him with a sense of cockiness. He was Nikola Tesla, after all. A vampire genius. Even among his own kind, which were so intelligent and sophisticated it made humans still look like the neanderthals they came from, he was special.

So why the hell couldn't he figure out why this damn contraption wouldn't work? One more shock and he swore he was going to toss it out the window and be done with it. It didn't hurt at all, of course. He was a vampire and could withstand voltage much, much higher than this. No, it was the principal of the matter. This thing was just being stubborn and insulting him on top of that was going too far. His tools swung with practiced precision over the complex wiring, hooking the power supply back up and tweaking the connection like it was child's play. Which to him, such a simple thing should have been, but all the lousy thing did was glow for a minute, then shock him again and die.

"Damn, bloody piece of banshee excrement!" He cursed, his eyes darkening and claws partly forming in his anger. Immediately, his vision expanded. He felt energy and strength surge through him. Growling, he scattered several instruments to the floor, feeling satisfaction at the sound of splintering wood from the edge of the table and shattering glass. Grabbing the device he had been working on, he moved to make good on his non-verbal threat by chucking it out the window, but there was a knock at the door. The unexpected sound was enough to startle him back into the right frame of mind. With a disgusted grunt he tossed the thing back onto the table and jerked open the door. "What part of 'no interruptions' did you not understand?" He snapped angrily.

The maid of the household shrunk away slightly at his tone, but squared her shoulders a little and answered in a quiet voice. "There's someone at the door for you, sir. I told her you were busy, but she said it was urgent. Said you would want to see her."

He just raised an eyebrow at that. Who on earth knew he was even here? Then again, who would he want to see, and know it? Though he had a sneaking suspicion of who it was calling at his door at- he glanced at the clock in the hall- four in the morning, he nonetheless followed the maid downstairs.

Sure enough, there leaning almost casually against a wall near the front door, dressed from neck to toe in black, was none other than Helen Magnus. As beautiful as ever.

He smiled as he approached. "Only you, Helen, would turn up to see me in the middle of the night and still have the audacity to interrupt my work."

"And only you, Nikola, would still be working at such a beastly hour of the night." She remarked with a strained grin.

Still several steps from her, he rocked to a sudden halt. He lifted his head just the slightest bit and sniffed again, just to be sure. Oh yes, he could smell it on the air like a cloak, masked at first whiff by the scent of rain and water from outside. Blood. He sharpened his eyes, his focus, on his oldest friend and realized for the first time that she wasn't so much leaning against the wall as using said wall to hold herself up on her feet. He furrowed his brow. "Helen?"

She just smiled, like she was pleased he had figured it out.

"Are you-?" He stopped.

Again, that smile that crinkled the edge of her eyes. "Sorry about this." The murmur barely passed her lips before she promptly collapsed to the floor.

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