Non-Fiction

Chapter 1

The fire-place crackled its usual crackle. The familiar sound of heels on the wooden floor echoed through the Sanctuary library, breaking the four in the morning, it was unusual for Helen to see movement on the long leather couch in front of the fire-place. Knowing the previous day was quite exhausting for her and Will after crashing into the oil rig, it was expected. I just gave Will medicine; he should be in bed. Helen knew very well it was not Will. She knew who it was the moment she realized she was not alone. She sensed his presence from a distance, and often. She missed him. Yet, she always hoped she imagined it, and right now, she was hoping the same. The great Helen Magnus held her breath as the truth hit her. He was really there this time. The man who stole her heart many years ago at Oxford, and her only weakness - that he himself never knew about - Nikola.

"Nikola? What are you doing here at this ho-"

She was cut off as she came around the couch to see him, and his normal attire, drenched in blood. Helen lost her ability to move or speak as she stared at Nikola in fear. Bloody Hell.

His eyes met hers, his heart pounded against his chest. He always had control, unless he was with Helen of course. He saw the worry and fear in her giant blue eyes as she stared at him.

"It's not my blood, Helen."

She let out a breath she hadn't known she held, allowing the fear of him dying to fade.

"Nikola, you need to get out of these clothes. I will show you to your room where you can take a shower and clean up. We will talk when you return."

He watched her as he followed, focusing on how gracefully she took each step and how she moved. It had always fascinated him how comfortable she was in her own skin, even before The Five had come together at Oxford. How will I tell her? He thought.

Helen sat in her office, trying to get some of the work done that she fell behind on during recent events. Her mind kept wondering back to John then to Nikola.

Why is Nikola here? And covered in blood? Where is John? I haven't seen him since Ashley's memorial. Helen's thoughts were interrupted when a hot tear ran down her cheek.

She lifted her hand to wipe the tear away, but she felt a soft nudge push her hand down. Her chair turned as he took her hand and held her. The warmth of his body, the feel of his beating heart was all she needed. Being over a hundred years old, all she needed was Nikola to hold her so she could let her composure shatter and allow herself to fall apart in his arms. He was the only person she allowed to see her this way, and she was only this way because he made her weak, and oh, how he knew it.

When he had come to her office door , before making his presence known to her, he decided to watch her for a while. He took in how her long hair fell below her shoulders and how it curled into perfect locks. Her hair had always fascinated him; it was the first thing he noticed when he met her, that and her blue eyes.

How a woman with so much beauty and generosity could handle so much pain was a mystery to him. He had seen her shoulders shake and heard her breath shake too.

She had started crying. His heart broke, seeing the woman he so desperately loved, love someone else was heart-breaking. But holding her, feeling her fall apart in his arms , knowing he could not kiss her to take away the pain, was complete and utter torture.

When Helen woke up she didn't remember much after she had been pulled into Nikola's embrace and had cried even harder. She had calmed down now, and her breathing was back to normal. and found herself on the yellow couch in her office. The sun had risen, even though the weather was groggy, she could tell it was around mid-day. How long have I been asleep?

Noticing the cold weather outside, Helen found herself pressing herself farther into Nikola's warm body as his grip tightened around her waist *

She looked up at him, he looked as though he was sleeping, for a vampire, he is peaceful. At that thought, she was reminded she had found him in the library covered in blood. She looked up at him again and smiled. She would bring it up later, and they would discuss who the blood belonged to. But not now, he needs his sleep. Helen tightened her hold around him and fell back into a blissful sleep.

Chapter 2

Helen was in the library reading one of her favourite books when she heard Nikola behind her.

"Helen, there is something I urgently need to discuss with you."

Startled by the firmness of his voice, Helen turned to him as he took a seat next to her.

"Yes, Nikola, we need to discuss this morning. I need to know why you were covered in blood ." .

Nikola looked at Helen, the concern in her eyes made his heart drop. He had to tell her now; she would find out eventually. Helen's eyes fell onto Nikola's lips as he licked them. Not now, Helen, this is a serious matter that needs to be discussed, and focusing on kissing Nikola will not help the situation at hand in any way.

Nikola noticed the way Helen's eyes lingered on his lips before she quickly lifted them to meet his gaze.

"I am not proud of my actions, but I do not regret them. I did what was needed to be done."

"What have you done?"

The worry in Helens voice shot through him, and he had an urge to kiss her right there and then.

"I killed a man, and not for his blood.

Helen was shocked. She loved not one killer but two. Hot fresh tears burned the back of her eyes. She forced herself to breathe. Nikola? A killer? He is a vampire, and for him, to kill someone is inevitable. She was furious. She wanted to reach out and shake Nikola and ask him if he knew that by killing someone he was no better than John. Helen knew she would regret loving another murderer. Instead of doing what her body screamed, she inhaled deeply, locked her gaze with Nikola's.

"Why?"

She was thankful her voice did not break.

Nikola knew what she was thinking. He knew her heart was breaking and she thought The Five, once a dedicated group of scientists, had become a group of abnormals who killed people.

"It wasn't out of blood lust."

He took her hand in his and held it, without breaking eye contact.

"I walked into your room to find you, surprise you, but as I entered I heard movement. As my vampire senses came to life, I found him. He looked at me with those eyes that had taken so many lives before and I knew why he was there. You were going to be his last victim. I saw the blade in his hand, and I could not let him hurt the woman I love or treat her like one of his prostitutes."

Helen looked at Nikola, wide eyed and motionless. Nikola was not even I sure if she was breathing. He decided to continue.

"I allowed my vampire instincts to take control when he said 'I see we are here for the same reasons, old boy. You see I always loved her, but I saw how she looked at James and at you. I love her, and the only way I can avoid sharing her, old friend, is by killing her.' thought I don't remember anything until you found me here, on this very couch, covered in his blood. He tasted terrible, Helen. I remember why I vowed to never drink human blood."

Helen stared at him. She couldn't bring her mind to fully understand what he had said. Did Nikola kill John to save me? Does he loves me? John is dead?

Helen did the one thing she never imagined herself doing in both her lifetimes, She took Nikola by the back of his neck, pulled him closer, and kissed the murderer of a man, whom she will always love.

Nikola looked at her blue eyes, fearing what would happen next. Is she going to pull out her gun? Is she going to shoot me? Will I be just as dead as John then? Nikola was pulled away from planning how to tell Helen where his will is before she killed him, by the feel of her soft lips pressing against his.

Helen moved away from Nikola, blushing. Her gaze met Nikola's. She smiled her gentle, beautiful smile at him, before pecking him lightly on the corner of his mouth.

Nikola looked at Helen, falling harder.

"I take it I am not in trouble?"

Helen couldn't keep a smile back.

"Take it as a thank you. You're still in trouble for killing John."

Nikola saw the sadness in her eyes and knew there was only one way to make her smile, even if it was for a short while

"Do you remember Vienna in the springtime?"

*End*