Right! Well, it's been a while since I published a Sanctuary fic, so I decided to publish this one! Honestly, it's not very good - in fact, I have half a mind not to publish it - but I hope you can see past the awful writing. (:
Enjoy!
Thunder rumbled ominously overhead as he raced towards the image of his older brother. His feet pounded against the muddy ground, sending the dirty spray onto the legs of his trousers, yet he couldn't bring himself to care. Locks of dark, rain-slicked hair were plastered to his forehead as he sped towards his brother and friend. He was there! Dane was there in front of him! He had to go speak to him, tell him he was sorry.
"Dane!" He screamed, quickening his pace as the spectral figure grew closer. His frantic cry was met with no response, but he couldn't worry about that now; Dane was so close!
Finally! The boy stood in front of his older brother, his small frame hidden by Dane's towering figure.
"Dane! I am so, so sorry, brother! Forgive me!" The boy sobbed, falling to his knees. Tears mingled with rain as they streamed down his face, and his large, blue-grey eyes stared up at the older boy.
"Why should I, dear brother?" Dane's voice rang out, a dark undertone to his words. "It was your fault I no longer dwell among the living."
"No!" The smaller one sobbed, "I never meant to scare your horse! I was only playing with the toy that I made!"
"'I was only playing with the toy that I made!'" He sneered, lip curling as he took in the small form before him. "So proud of it you were! Proud enough that you demonstrated it, just happening to frighten my horse so it bucked me and trampled me." He laughed, though it was not the joyous sound it once was. "Your invention was rubbish, yet it still cost me my life!" "Sorry…So sorry!" The boy sobbed, thin frame shaking with the force of his cries. "Pathetic fool!" His brother snarled, aiming a kick at the boy's ribs, a sick grin twisting his mouth as his foot met his target, eliciting a pained cry from the younger one. "You were never worth anything! For you, it was all books and learning and inventing! You were useless as a farmer! You were unable to perform the simplest outdoor tasks without attempting to invent something to do it for you. Lazy dunderhead! I was the successful one! Father could rely on me! You, however, were worthless! It cost us more to feed you and appease your whims than it would to send me to school! And yet who is alive and who is dead?"
"Dane…Sorry!" The younger boy's choked cries sounded pathetic, even to his own ears.
"Damn you, fool!" The older one snarled. Suddenly, his features relaxed, and a strange glint entered his eyes. "I think, brother, I shall have my revenge."
The boy gave no response, bar his pitiful sobs.
"Yes, I know what I shall do. Anyone dear to you, I shall take from you. It is only fitting, dear brother." With another empty laugh and a last kick to the younger's ribs, Dane left, seeming to evanesce in the wind.
Everything became a whirl of colours for the young boy as the scene around him changed. Now he stood on a large bridge, looking down at the black river below. Above him, the moon cast her silvery light upon the ground as the stars winked merrily at him.
"Oh brother, how you've grown!" A chillingly familiar voice called to him. A shiver passed through the younger man as he turned round.
"Dane…" The name escaped his lips, barely a whisper as he stared at the figure before him. However, this time his brother was not alone; a white pigeon - his pigeon - was perched upon Dane's shoulder, and beside him stood James, Nigel, and the others who had been dear to him."I've made good on my promise, Nikola. I've taken those dearest to you; all except one, that is. However, I do believe she will be joining me soon."
"NO!" Nikola screamed. "You can't take Helen! You can't take her from me!" "Oh, but I can. And, as you'll soon see, I will." "NO!" A manic look in his eyes, he dove at the older man, only to pass through the spectre.
"You can't stop me, brother-of-mine. Your precious Helen will join me soon enough.""But I love her!" The words came out a whimper as he stared in horror at his brother.
"Precisely." "Dane…What have you become?" A lone tear trickled down the younger man's cheek as he watched his brother's face twist from irritatingly calm to something much darker.
"I have become your worst enemy, Nikola." Suddenly, his head snapped to the right, and a perverse smile twisted his features. "Ah! Your lovely Helen joins us at last!"
"Nikola?" A sweet voice called. "Nikola, are you there?" "Right here, my love!" Dane replied, replicating Nikola's voice.
"NO! Helen, run!" Nikola cried, but it seemed Helen could not hear him. Her eyes were focused solely on Dane. Her blonde ringlets shone in the moonlight, and her crimson dress made quiet noises as it brushed against the ground.
"Nikola, is that you?" She queried of Dane, blue eyes wide, a small smile gracing her features.
"Of course, my dear. Please, take my hand." He proffered a ghostly hand to her and grinned in triumph as she reached out to take it.
"NO! Helen!" Nikola screamed, attempting to rise. However, it felt as if an enormous weight was pressing down on him, prohibiting him from moving. He was forced to stare in horror was Helen took his older brother's hand.
It was if all the colour had drained from her person; even her dress was white as snow. The same small smile graced her pallid features as she moved to stand between James and Nigel. Her eyes, however, were blank as she gazed out into the night.
"Goodbye, brother." Dane's frightening cackle was the last thing he heard as the small party evanesced into the ether.
"HELEN!" Nikola screamed.
"HELEN!"
The cry of her name echoed through the Sanctuary halls, causing her to look up from her paperwork. Who could be yelling for her in such a terrified manner? Will never used her Christian name, nor did Henry or Kate. The voice bore no resemblance to that of her old friend's, eliminating him from her list of suspects. The only person left would have to be Nikola. Why would he call for her in such a manner, though? Normally, the vampire was suave and sophisticated. If he had need of her, he would have merely come to her office and requested her assistance. What could have gotten him so upset?
With an exasperated sigh, Helen rose from her desk, grabbed her pistol, and headed off towards the Resident's Corridor."HELEN!"
He screamed her name this time, agony clear in his tone. Worried for his wellbeing, Helen quickened her pace until she was nearly running to his room. Was he being attacked by an Abnormal? Or perhaps an experiment had gone wrong? Reaching the door to his room, she quickly threw it open, gun in hand, ready to combat whatever was harming her dear friend. However, she hadn't expected to see him thrashing about on his bead, sweat causing his shirt to stick to his chest as tears coursed down his cheeks."Helen," he whimpered, a choked sound accompanying her name.
"Nikola!" Quickly tucking her gun away, she rushed to his bedside, taking his hand in hers and pushing his dark locks back from his sweaty forehead. "Nikola, wake up!" She shook him gently, and upon receiving no response, she shook him harder, gently slapping his cheeks as to bring him back to the realm of reality.
"Helen!" He shot up in the bed, chest heaving as he tried to regain his breath.
"Nikola, are you alright?" She queried softly. With a gasp, he turned to look at her, eyes wide.
"Helen?" He whispered, his hand gently cupping her cheek.
"I'm here, Nikola."With a sob he threw his arms around her, crushing her to him as he buried his face in her hair. A continuous chant of her name fell from his lips as he breathed in her scent. She returned the embrace, slightly alarmed at the way his wiry frame trembled. Her fingers traced soothing circles on his back, and she murmured a stream of comforting words. After a few minutes, his trembling stopped, though he continued to hold her close, stroking her hair as he tried to control his breathing.
It seemed like ages before he finally pulled away, wiping his eyes with the heels of his hands, steadfastly ignoring Helen's worried gaze. He sniffled, ducking his head before he could look at her.
"Nikola?" Helen's voice was soft and concerned as she took in the form of her oldest friend. "Are you alright?"
"Fine, perfectly fine. Go back to bed." He replied quickly, still not meeting her gaze.
"Look at me." She took hold of his chin and tilted his head up until he was forced to look her in the eyes. The concealed anguish caused her heart to ache, yet she ignored it, intent on finding out what had put him in such a state. "What is it, Nikola?"
"Nothing," he muttered, "just a nightmare. It's fine; happens a lot, actually."
"Nikola, I've never seen you in such a state! Clearly, it isn't fine. Now, kindly explain to me what your nightmare was about."
He took a deep breath, then began.
"It starts off when I was a young boy; it's storming, and I see Dane in the distance." His voice broke on his brother's name, and Helen winced, but urged him to continue. "He tells me that it was my fault that he died. If I wouldn't have shown him the toy that I made, his horse wouldn't have been startled. He tells me how worthless I am, how I was a hindrance to the family, how I'll never amount to anything. Then, he tells me that he'll get his revenge by taking everyone I ever care about." He paused, then continued in a quieter voice. "Then, I'm on a bridge. He comes up behind me, and I turn and look, but he's not alone anymore; James is with him, along with Nigel and my favourite pigeon, among others. He tells me he's made good on his word, that he's taken everyone that was ever important to me, bar one. Then…you come into the nightmare, and Dane pretends to be me. I can't move; I have to watch as you take his hand and he takes you too." Another deep breath, then, "It didn't matter that I love you, he took you anyway. That's my nightmare."
All was quiet for a moment, then Helen whispered "Niko."
His bottom lip quivered as he looked at her, and he quickly bit it, desperately attempting to regain his normal demeanour.
"Niko…" Helen murmured, drawing him into another embrace, dropping a kiss into his hair as he buried his face in her shoulder. "Nikola Tesla, you listen to me. First, you are not worthless; far from it! Without your inventions, the world would still be using candles and oil lamps! Secondly, I won't leave you, Niko. I'll always be with you, even when we're far apart. Lastly, you must stop blaming yourself for Dane's death. I'm certain he wouldn't blame you if he was here, therefore you mustn't blame yourself."
"But-""No 'buts', Nikola. You were a child, showing off his new toy! It was impossible for you to know what would happen."
"I suppose you're right," he mumbled, sniffling again."Of course I am," she said with a smile.
He made a small noise she supposed was a chuckle before quieting again.
After a few moments, Helen pulled him away from her, pushing him back onto his bed, pulling the covers over him as he made himself comfortable. With a quick kiss to his cheek, she made to leave the room, but his hand on her wrist halted her movements.
"Stay with me?" He asked quietly.
"Of course," she replied. Kicking off her heels, she climbed into bed next to him, snuggling into his chest as he rolled on his side and wrapped his arms around her. His breathing evened out as sleep took him, yet his arms never relaxed their hold on her, almost as if he were unconsciously protecting her from harm.
And, as she wavered on the edge of sleep, Helen realized she just might love him too.
Well, if you've managed to make it all the way through, kudos! If not; you haven't missed much, I'm afraid.
So, did you like it? Love it? Hate it? Drop me a review and let me know! ^-^
- MP