Coughing I raised my head to gauge my surroundings. White overpowered me, glaring and so bright my eyes watered. This defiantly wasn't the café I worked in, or even the flat I lived in, or the homes of any of my friends. I tried to think back but a pain grew between my eyes, I went to raise a hand to massage my temples only find it strapped to whatever I was lying on. Okay this was definitely a very very bad day; I thought my mind spinning in pain and confusion. My vision normalised and I frowned, this places almost looked like a hospital; big flashing screens, the over powering white walls and stench of TCP, the cannula in my arm and the fact I was lying on a hospital style bed. If I ignored the wrist and ankle restraints I could almost pretend I was in a hospital. The pain in my head died down and I recalled the men storming the café, shooting at anything that moved, I remember being unable to fend them off, they took me by such surprise, I really thought I was safe there.
I allowed a growl to escape my lips as I tested the restraints once more, whatever they were pumping me with was lessening my strength dramatically, I was practically too weak to move. The doors opposite my bed opened and a women who looked to be in her thirties walked in with a smug look on her face followed by five people in white coats.
"All scans are back and do not be fooled 307 is not human, do not release it," She barked at the people following her, seeming to mean it more specifically to the smallest one. I looked to them in turn as they busied themselves with the monitors. Not human? What the F do they mean not human? I was fucking human alright!
"It's awake," One of them said looking down at me, roughly widening my eyes and peering into them with a torch. A snarl escaped my lips making the person jump away in shock.
"Shall we sedate it," Another suggested.
"The boss wants this one awake," The smug woman said.
"Oh really? Whys that?" I croaked locking my gaze on her. She turned to me and chuckled.
"It can speak, fascinating," She breathed sauntering over.
"It can do more than that and unless you let me go you will be sorry," I hissed shaking the restraints.
"Tighten the restraints," The woman barked, "Up the drip dosage," I growled at the smallest person who moved towards the drip driver.
"You know they are poisoning me," I whispered to her mentally, "They are killing me," The person jumped and made eye contact with me, "Release me…and I wont hurt you," This person was obviously female even with most of her face covered you could see her wide eyes, it wasn't like I could actually hurt her…but hey she didn't know that.
"I am sorry," The person whispered and pressed a button three times. I screamed as the fluid burned me.
The people left, they came and tested me every few days and before long I became feral and violent. They injected me with something that changed me, I don't know how but I could feel it, I was not the same. I lost track of the days, weeks and perhaps months. In all my nineteen years of existence I had never been in pain like this, they continued my half sedation. They didn't feed me, whatever was in the drip somehow kept me alive.
My eyes shot open as I heard sirens screaming intruder and flashing lights blaring outside my door. The door to my room flew open and I saw a face swim in front of my vision.
"Calm yourself…we are here to help…to take you away…" I heard a soothing womans voice, I realised I felt anger; I ran my tongue over my teeth that where in points and whimpered in fear.
"What's happened to me?" I sobbed and another face swam in my vision removing my restraints and monitoring equipment. Their voices where fuzzy and I felt so hungry it was maddening. A large man who I could have sworn was covered in hair lifted me into the air and we ran. I felt consciousness leaving me; I fell into darkness and felt relief at last.
I didn't know how long it was before I awoke but when I did I groaned in pain.
"Good morning," Said a posh accented woman. I slowly opened my eyes and groaned again the light hurting my eyes.
"Where am i?" I croaked sitting up slowly. I was in what seemed to be another lab but this one didn't feel evil.
"You are in Old City, America in a place known as the sanctuary. We aid Abnormals…" The woman said with a smile, she had long brunette hair and looked to be around middle aged, "My name is Dr Helen Magnus,"
"The sanctuary…I thought that was in London," I muttered rubbing my eyes.
"There is one in London…I didn't think you would know of us," The woman seemed surprised but somewhat relieved.
"People who came into where I worked used to talk about it," I said slowly still trying to stop my head spinning, "Why did you come for me? Who were those people…what did they do to me?"
"They were a faction known as the Cabal, a group we thought to be thought destroyed. They injected you with a fluid known as Source Blood that activated dormant DNA making you…"
"Abnormal?" I finished cutting her off, a smell hit me and my mouth watered, "How abnormal?"
"You are something known in modern day terms as a vampire," She said and I balked, "One of only two known to be alive,"
"A vampire? As in suck your blood, sleep in coffins, lay off the garlic bread type of vampire?" I said incredulously looking at Dr Magnus like she had two heads.
"Yes and no…I have asked my friend to come and try and help you adjust. He should be here shortly," She said looking sympathetically at me.
"Your friend? The other vampire?" I said with a gulp. She nodded.
"Don't worry…he is looking forward to meeting you," She said with a soft smile.
"What is the date," I said changing the subject, realizing I had no clue how long I had been missing.
"May the 1st," Dr Magnus said after a moments silence.
"Six months," I muttered stunned, "I've been gone six months,"
I spoke with Dr Magnus for a while longer, she told me all about how she came to be part of the sanctuary – she was born in 1850 and was somehow over 270…I think her maths is slightly out! – and about the others here in Old City. She told me about how they came to hear about me, the cabal boasting about their vampire experiment. I sighed and took it all in and then jumped when the door slid open.
"Hello Helen," An attractive man in a designer black suit said, his ice blue eyes studied me with a smirk; if this wasn't the vampire I didn't know who was. The whole look said master of the undead but he looked so familiar I couldn't place it; it was as if I knew him.
"And you must be the cabal vampire I've heard so much about…" He said cutting Dr Magnus off as he walked over to look at me, "I am Nikola Tesla…" I could have died at that moment when I saw his face closer and heard his name; he really was Nikola Tesla…inventor of the radio and father of electricity.
"Bethany Falk," I said slowly just staring at him. He raised an eyebrow at me when Dr Magnus finally spoke.
"Bethany was a Physics student at Oxford University," Professor Tesla laughed slowly.
"I see…You recognise me," He stated but I nodded anyway, "What area of Physics where you studying?"
"Mechanical and Electrical engineering…masters degree with prospects of doctorate," I spoke carefully, his eyes lit up.
"Oh Helen I do like it when you bring me toys," He said snarkily, turning to wink at the woman who just rolled her eyes.
"Help her Nikola!" Dr Magnus said curtly and walked away. He muttered something about being underappreciated and turned back to me.
"Are you hungry?" He said with a sigh suddenly serious, he must have noticed the pain in my eyes, I nodded in reply. He pulled a vile from his pocket and popped the cap.
"Drink this…" The contents where clear and he held it out to me. I studied it frowning.
"It is animal plasma…if you don't drink it you will go on a murderous rampage and I will have to stop you and I am not in the mood to play baby sitter," He said firmly taking my hand and putting it in to it. I took it and chugged it in one, surprisingly it tasted quite good in a disgustingly gross sort of way.
"Excellent now let's find you something other than that atrocious hospital gown and reconvene this talk in my lab," Professor Tesla said stepping back to allow me to get out of bed. I stood shakily and followed him out of the room and through the bright corridors; after a ten minute walk in silence he opened a door to his left and stepped in.
"This is to be your suite, you will find everything you need in the wardrobe and bathroom…my room is next door, knock once you are done and I shall be available to answer all your questions," He said and then left me to it.
The room was modern and painted duck egg blue with white detailing, I had a small living area leading to a large white Japanese style paper screen behind which was a large four poster bed and a door to a bath room. I stripped off the robe and showered, it felt so good. I must have stunk something chronic and looked like a real stunner, I decided not to look in the mirror. I shampooed and conditioned my hair twice and completed the pain staking task of brushing all the knots from it. I then dressed in a navy blue mid-thigh frilled skirt and a white low v neck t-shirt and put on some white wedge heels and light make up before going to knock on Professor Tesla's door.
"Come in," He called. I opened the door, his room looked modern and painfully clean and organised, I remembered reading somewhere that he was obsessive compulsive with a severe phobia of germs. I spotted him sitting at a desk typing away on a laptop; he looked me up and down and smirked.
"Now this I can work with," He muttered before standing gracefully and walking over to where I hovered in the doorway.
"If you follow me I have work to do, we can talk whilst I work," He said leading me once again through the bright corridors.
Everywhere looked the same; I feared I would never find my way around here, but I felt that even lost I could spend hours happily walking the beautiful corridors.
"So what do you wish to know," He said after a few minutes silence.
"Does sunlight really kill us?" I blurted out before thinking seeing the vast number of windows. He looked at me like I was an idiot, and to be honest I suddenly felt that way.
"No it doesn't…neither does crucifixes and Garlic will simply give us bad breath and if you are staked in the heart it will just hurt a lot," He said flatly.
"Ok what can we do?" I asked him as he led me into a warehouse of a room full of different machine. I squealed in excitement and ran straight in, looking at everything half forgetting the real reason I was here, or the fact one of the worlds greatest physicists was behind me. It was like Christmas.
"Just don't touch anything," He called seeming amused by my excitement. I looked back at him; cheeks flushed and walked back over to where he was leant against a desk.
"Sorry…" I said quietly, "I've always…well…you're the reason I became interested in physics," He smirked at me; I would quickly learn not to stroke his ego.
"Well once we have the vampire discussion over…I shall consider continuing you education…" He said and I squealed, forgetting myself and jumped around, refraining from hugging him as I knew he hated it.
"Thank you Professor Tesla! I promise I will not disappoint," I said as his smirk spread wider.
"Please call me Nikola…Professor was something I was a long time ago," He said and moved his left hand, I watched as a metal chair moved across the floor and he motioned for me to sit.
"Did you? Can I do that?" I said hopefully and he shrugged.
"I doubt it…but you are superfast, super strong with heightened reflexes and senses and you are immortal…so I wouldn't be too disheartened," He said folding his arms across his chest and studying me. I blinked a few times.
"Then what did you do?" I said talking about the chair I was now sat on.
"I used to control electricity…after a misjudgement on my part I ended up having to be turned into a vampire again and now I control electromagnetism," He said seeming happy to talk about himself endlessly.
"What happens about blood?" I said with a frown.
"Helen has a suppressant…like what I gave to you earlier. It means we need not feed from humans," He gave me a stern look, "You must swear never to feed from a human," I looked at him hurt.
"Six months ago I was human! Why would I want to ever harm one?" I said coldly. He smiled and pushed off of the desk and offered me a hand.
"Shall I show you my lab," He said with a smirk, I jumped up to take his hand eagerly, but instead took hold of his arm and calmed myself.
"I can just follow if you prefer," I said with a small smile. He chuckled and led the way with me on his arm.
"You have read about me haven't you…I am better than I was," He said lightly.
He asked me what I thought every machine was, he would remove the side and get me to tell him what I thought they did from the innards alone. Most I was close and he seemed impressed, there was neatness to his machines that other inventors I had studied didn't have.
"You seem to be an intelligent child," He said after a few hours. I straightened up and looked at him with a frown.
"I am nineteen," I said slowly.
"I am one hundred and fifty six…" He said pointedly with a tilt of his head and I nodded with a small smile, to him I guess I was a child, "I shall teach you…you have more promise than Helen's wolf boy…" I looked at him slightly confused and then turned back to the computer screen which displayed the schematics for an energy weapon.
"Did you ever finish your death ray?" I said quietly and looked up to him, he slowly nodded.
"Yes…but humans are greedy and war mad," He said solemnly, "And they won't award me my nobel prize," I smiled to him.
"Wouldn't you have had one if you and Thomas Edison would have shared?" I said and he looked at me shocked.
"Me? Share with that worthless excuse for a human being…never!" He turned on his heel and started writing equations down again on the white board behind him. To my amusement he was overly…camp…perhaps he was Dr Magnus's gay best friend. I started to think about how amazing it would be to have Nikola Tesla as a gay best friend; the boys back at Oxford wouldn't be able to call me stupid then.
A dark haired man with facial hair walked in.
"Ah Heinrich…what do you want," Nikola said to him as the man stopped and looked at me. He was slightly taller than me with dark hair and designer stubble.
"Magnus asked me to show Miss Falk around, as long as you had finished talking with her," The man said before turning to smile at me, "I am Henry Foss,"
"Finished talking to her? Never…she is someone who recognises my brilliance…" Nikola said but the man ignored him and so did i.
"Please call me Bethany, You are a HAP?" I said slowly trying to remember what Dr Magnus said, "You are a programmer slash maintenance man," Henry shrugged and nodded.
"I do the things that need doing…" He said with a smile.
"Call me Bethany? Call me Bethany? You never said that to me," Nikola said with a frown.
"You automatically called me Bethany…" I said flatly to him, he turned back around and I smiled to Henry and nodded him following him.
"So you are a vampire? And you are stuck with Tesla for a mentor…I feel majorly sorry for you," Henry said as we walked around the building and he showed me where everything was, not that I would ever remember any of it.
"Why? He seems nice enough…" I said with a frown.
"As nice as an evil mad scientist who wants world domination can be," Henry said and I looked shocked.
"What?" I said my voice conveying worry.
"Nah just joking…but he has almost killed us all here numerous times before trying to revive his species with some hair brain scheme or other. How Magnus trusts him I don't know…but I guess now he has you he'll be slightly happier," Henry said shrugging. A tall hairy man walked towards us and I stopped momentarily to study him.
"You must be Bethany Falk? The blood sucker?" He…or what I assumed to be he…said.
"Biggy this is Bethany…Bethany this is Biggy," Henry introduced us.
"Hi," I said feeling slightly offended by the term blood sucker; I hadn't sucked anyone's blood and was under threat never too.
"Hi…" Biggy said and then walked off.
"He'll come round…he isn't too good with new people," Henry said and led me through to his lab.
It wasn't anywhere near as impressive as Nikola's. I sat on a swivel chair and watched as Henry ran around showing me things.
"So Dr Magnus said you were studying physics at Oxford," Henry said sitting eagerly in front of me.
"Yes I was…Nikola said he would teach me now though…" I said in excitement.
"Tesla is going to teach you? And you are excited?" He said in confusion, "It won't be a week before you are in tears…"
"What do you mean?" I said with a frown.
"He is addicted to his work and I hate working with him," Henry said flatly. I tilted my head to one side.
"Why does that mean he'll have me in tears?" I said and then stood up. Henry opened and closed his mouth a few times as I walked around looking at things.
Soon a man called William Zimmerman turned up to do my psycho analysis.
"So why don't you tell me about your childhood," He said as we sat comfortably in his office. I shrugged.
"I was raised an only child in devon, england. I was a girl guide though never had many friends my own age as I found them unintelligent and hard to communicate with. I busied myself with study until I was able to go to university. My parents are you average parents; mother is a nurse, father an accountant. Both overly thrilled to have their child at oxford, but unfortunately died recently in a car crash," I said evenly.
"And what about your private life," He said, "Any boyfriends or girlfriends,"
"I am heterosexual dr Zimmerman and no I haven't had an intimate relationship. I feel that should be saved for someone I can connect with on a level more than physical," I said and then pushed my mind into his, "And the boys I grew up with didn't take the biscuit," He seemed shocked when my voice echoed through his mind.
"A new gift?" He said regaining his composure.
"I have always been able to do that…I guess that makes me Abnormal doesn't it?" I said keeping my composure. He didn't reply.
"Helen said you reacted to seeing Tesla…can you explain what you felt?" He said reading from a piece of paper.
"I felt what anyone would feel if they found out that the person they found most interesting in history would be their mentor," I said with a small smile. He pushed something across the table at me; a sickening feeling grew in my stomach.
"You have been in my dorm room? Really?" I said surprised, a photo of my notice wall in my dorm was on the paper, a poster of Nikola Tesla in the centre surrounded by equation sheets.
"What is this?"
"It is a poster, and my theory sheets. I cannot see what importance this has?"
"You have a poster of Tesla that is not normal for a teenage girl,"
"Yes it is…I am a physics student…studying Mechanical and electrical engineering…my friend who is studying quantum has Einstein on his wall. It is something for us to aspire to, Nikola Tesla was…is an inspiring physicist doing ground breaking research. Research which my studies where built from," I studied his face, he was thinking hard.
"You are a logical thinker," He stated.
"I would fail at my chosen area if I wasn't,"
"You can go…you are mentally sound," He said with a smile. I refrained from saying 'I could have told you that' and forced a smile.
"Thank you Dr Zimmerman," I said stiffly standing up.
"Please call me Will," He said standing to go and open the door.
I managed to find my way back to Nikola's lab and knocked on the door.
"Come in Bethany," He shouted, I opened the door and walked in.
"How did you know it was me?" I said and he stood from his desk and crossed his arm chuckling.
"You are the only one here who would knock," He looked me up and down and smirked, "Huggy bear got to you?" I guessed he was talking about Will.
"He said I am mentally sound and sent me on my way," I said dryly. Nikola smirked and watched as I sat down, careful not to disturb the items on the desk.
"You should have shown your true form, he would have ran for the hills," Nikola said with a dark look crossing his face. I looked at him confused and then almost fell off the chair backward when his eyes turned black and slanted slightly, his teeth turned to points and his nails elongated face contorting.
"Like this," He said in a deep voice. I slowly nodded just staring, not knowing where to start. He lurched forward and I felt my pulse rise, raising a hand I saw my nails in points like his. I touched my face noticing it a different shape.
"How…" I started my voice ethereal. His face changed back and he touched my shoulder, I watched as my nails receded.
"You are a wonderful thing," He said to me softly. I looked up at him, feeling a blush creeping onto my cheeks.
In the weeks to follow I would spend the morning with Nikola, learning how the different machines worked and slowly learning more about our kind. Nikola was a good teacher, not exactly patient but I was a fast learner so he generally didn't have to repeat himself. I found I liked Nikola a lot, he made me laugh in a way others couldn't. He watched me closely to begin with, constantly drinking wine with that infuriating smirk on his face that got my blood pumping. When I asked him about his alcoholic tendencies he said he enjoyed the taste and we couldn't get drunk because of our metabolism before offering me a glass which I accepted. Well if I couldn't get drunk I levelled it to drinking Ribena all day.
To the surprise of the others in the Sanctuary Nikola was very caring towards me, Henry seemed to think his interest would lessen over time. I got on well with Henry and spent my afternoons helping him in his lab whilst I let Nikola get on with more important things…what those things where I would never find out. Henry was glad for the assistance. Come evening I would usually spend time with Kate or Biggy who grew on me. Nikola would stay in his lab or pester Helen who I learnt he was romantically interested in but the feeling was not returned. So much for gay best friend.
I was wary of Will, he seemed nice enough but it was as if he had his own agenda. After learning he was EX FBI I kept my distance, not that he seemed to mind. I think he didn't much liked Vampires.
I unfortunately have developed a school girl crush on my mentor and found myself day dreaming things less than appropriate as he showed me his instruments…scientific instruments. I watched as his lean figure moved as he scribbled on his black board. My eyes shot up seconds before he turned to look at me.
"You seem distracted," He said with a frown, crossing his arms over his chest and tapping his chin. I smiled cheekily and thought 'yes you are very distracting' but kept it to myself.
"A little…but don't worry I'll pay attention now," I said innocently and mentally added to myself 'or I'll try'. He turned and carried on his lecture in his make shift class room. I struggled to stop myself mentally undressing him but managed…well almost.
"Bethany are you sure you are ok? Perhaps you should go out for a day," He said an hour later as we sat drinking wine. I hadn't left the sanctuary since we arrived, and oddly didn't feel the need to. Henry had turned up with boxes full of my stuff from London so it wasn't as if I needed to buy anything.
"Why? Where would I go?" I said with curiosity.
"Do something normal teenagers would do…go out and see film or go shopping," He said and I sighed.
"With what money?" I pointed out, Helen said she would prefer me to complete my education and then would in a few years once I had settled into the life style here she would hire me…for something or other…maybe to babysit Nikola. This meant that I had next to no money and didn't want to waste it on silly things. He drew a wallet from his jacket and pushed it across the table. I looked horrified and shook my head.
"I will not take your money," I said firmly pushing it back at him. He frowned at me, ice blue eyes calculating.
"Why not? Think of it as my treat," He said with a smirk, "One afternoon won't hurt…I am sure Henry can manage without you and Kate and the Hairy thing are out on a mission…" I still shook my head.
"I won't take your money Nikola," I said softly but with enough emphasis to make it final. He stood up and grabbed his jacket.
"Then I shall take you myself," He said, "My treat…you cannot complain about it if I am the one spending money,"
"What! Don't you have things to do," I said, "I don't want to hinder you," Nikola put on his jacket and smirked leaning over the table at me.
"You are not a hindrance…I could do with an afternoon off also…If Helen wants to complain she can do her worst," Nikola said literally dragging me from the chair.
When we reached the garage, a place I hadn't entered since the tour, Nikola led me over to a posh Mercedes sports car and motioned to get in.
"So what shall we do…shop…see a film?" He looked at me in interest, "What do you teenagers do for fun now days," I shrugged.
"I don't mind what we do…I'd be happy just walking through a park," I said flatly. He smirked and drove out of the garage.
He drove like a maniac; I clung to my seat the entire way. If I were human I would have whiplash and broken ribs from him breaking alone. He parked next to a park and I happily removed myself from the moving death trap.
"This is Main square…lets walk," He said and offered me his arm. I took it and we walked. It was pleasant to feel the sun on my skin, I still half expected myself to burst into flames…or sparkle… but we didn't. A meandering path wondered through acres of green grass and trees, pretty little flower beds in full bloom scattered artistically. I was laughing and joking with Nikola, feeling carefree and normal for the first time in months. Nikola seemed to actually be enjoying himself…you'd never have thought he was over 150 years old, he teased me constantly and I returned it just as much.
After half an hour we saw a man selling balloons and he asked if I wanted one.
"Why would I want a balloon?" I said confused but unable to remove the smile from my face.
"That's what little children like isn't it?" He said and walking over and buying a large pink and blue foil flower balloon before I could protest. I rolled my eyes as he took my hand and tied it to my wrist.
"There now you can't wonder off!" He said smiling so wide he showed all his teeth, he looked like the Cheshire cat from alice in wonderland.
"Next you'll be putting me in a push chair and insisting I have a nap…but then again don't old men nap in the afternoons? Do you need to rest your old legs?" I quipped with a sly smile. He scoffed.
"Young people these days have no respect," Nikola said taking my balloon free hand in his and continuing to walk down the path.
After another hour I felt a hand on my shoulder.
"Oh my god it is you…Bethany Falk!" I heard a boy say. I turned quickly and saw five men standing staring at me…five men I recognise.
"What…" I said to the one touching my shoulder, it now registering their plan to come to Old City in summer break.
"Is everything ok," Nikola said to me looking at the boys.
"Yes…" I said, not really believing myself. I spoke as if testing the word in my mouth.
"You disappeared! It was all over the news…armed robbers kidnapped you from work," Tyler, the one still touching my shoulder, said. The others staring in shock. Nikola glared at Tyler.
"Perhaps we should keep our voices down," Nikola said pointedly glancing at all the people around. Tyler glared back at Nikola and went to punch him in the face; Nikola caught his hand pushing it away with ease.
"I suggest you don't try that again," Nikola said flatly as Tyler drew back slightly.
"What the hell happened," Another boy, called Ben said.
"I can't remember," I lied, clinging to Nikola, "I don't know who you are…I woke up in a hospital here in New city a month ago…I am very sorry I don't know who you are," I put a hand to my head and pretended to go faint. Nikola caught me, seeming to know what I was doing and played along.
"Mae? Mae are you ok?" Nikola said, using my middle name.
"Oh Nick I don't feel well," He pulled a face at me calling him Nick but it's the first thing I could think of and I couldn't risk someone recognising him.
Soon I was sat on a bench.
"We have to take you back to England…you had everyone worried," Tyler said.
"Dude she had amnesia," Ben said and sighed.
"She doesn't have to do anything," Nikola said firmly, I was sat tucked under one of his arms.
"She is an illegal immigrant," Another boy called Sam said.
"We can legalise her stay if she wants to stay," Mike, the tallest of them said.
"Who are you anyway," Josh the last boy said looking at Nikola.
"I am Nick…when they couldn't ID Mae…or Bethany as you call her…I took her in," He said and then smiled to me in a way I had never seen.
"Oh dude he loves her," Sam said with a laugh. I scowled at Sam.
"I am staying," I said firmly, "It isn't like I have anyone to return to…do I?" I pulled a face and looked to Nikola apologetically and then buried my face into his neck. I knew he hated being touched but I would be dragged back to England if I wasn't careful.
"You have to come back," Tyler said.
"No she doesn't…" Nikola said again.
"She doesn't have a visa and no one is going to give her one," Tyler said, clutching at straws.
"Well she could like marry him and then she'd be legal," Ben said stifling a laugh.
"Well she can't get a work visa…no degree," Josh said.
"So will have to be marriage," Mike said finally.
"Better do it now," Sam said with a smirk looking to the little chapel across the park. I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me. I could feel Nikola getting agitated.
"Can you not see you are causing her undue stress…she doesn't remember you…if you actually know her," Nikola said, standing me up and leading me back to the car.
"Wait you are kidnapping her," Tyler said running after us.
"No he isn't! Can't you see I am happy here? Nick is a good man…he takes care of me! My parents are dead…there isn't anything left for me in England…" I said before climbing into the Mercedes quickly and Nikola drove us away.
"That was close," Nikola said looking at me as he drove, "But call me Nick again and your immortal life will be short one,"
"Sorry Nikola…I didn't want to explain why I was walking around with a 156 year old vampire Serbian-American physicist…" I said coldly. He gingerly placed a hand on my knee.
"Calm yourself…no one will come looking for you here. No one will listen to five teenage boys…they will think they were high or drunk if they go to the police," Nikola said as we pulled into the garage.
"I guess…but they have a point…I am an illegal immigrant," I said with a frown, I'd never done anything illegal before.
"No you aren't I sorted that with the government before Helen brought you here, they owed me a few favours," Nikola said with a smile. My heart rose and I could have kissed him, but restrained myself to only give him the most adoring of looks.
"Thank you Nikola…so much," I said, my eyes brimming with tears. He looked awkward, unsure as what to say. We exited the car and to my surprised he pulled me into a hug.
"When we are alone…you can call me Niko, we have eternity ahead of us and I guess we shall mostly stick together," Nikola said softly into my ear, "The last of our kind," I tentatively wrapped my arms around him, it felt so nice to be held close.
"Niko?" I said questioningly.
"It is what my mother used to call me…" He said pulling back slightly, "But only in privacy…Not even Helen calls me that," I smiled at him, feeling so much at home in his arms. He allowed me to take his arm and we walked back into the main building.
"Where did you go?" Henry said as I walked into his lab a little while later.
"Out with Nikola," I said with a shrug. Henry looked confused.
"Out? With Tesla? Where?" He said in bemusement.
"We went to the Main Square…and I ran into a few friends from Oxford…" I said lightly looking at the computer screen over his shoulder.
"Wait? They would think you are still missing," Henry said.
"Well not anymore…I feigned amnesia and made out I woke up in the hospital here and Nikola took me in and I don't want to leave…" I said with a shrug, "I thought Nikola was going to beat them into the floor when they started trying to drag me away," Henry laughed.
"Is that why you two where so cuddly in the garage," Henry said waggling his eyebrows up at me. I went bright red and bit my lip.
"You saw that?" I said with a nervous smile. He nodded slowly.
"Yeah so spill…what is with the hugging…I thought Tesla only wanted to be touchy feely with Magnus," Henry said as I sat down next to him.
"He said as we had eternity ahead of us…and we were the last of our kind," I said slowly.
"What you are with him?" Henry said incredulously. Giving him a look that said stupid idiot I shook my head.
"No but there isn't much point for formality…we're immortal…and this planet isn't that big" Henry nodded slowly and carried on typing.
"So why did you go out?" Henry said after ten minutes silence.
"Nikola said I should go out and do something a normal teenager would…when I pointed out I had no money he tried to send me off with his wallet,"
"Wait Tesla gave you his wallet? I was wondering if he actually owned a wallet! He must actually like you…" I ignored his comment.
"When I said I wouldn't spend his money he insisted on taking me out…then we ran into people and then came back," I said with a shrug soldering a Taser circuit. Henry looked at me in a calculating manner and chuckled.
"What?" I said frowning at him over my safety specs, which I apparently didn't need but wore out of habit.
"Its just Magnus commented on how Tesla hadn't made on crude remark at her in over a week," Henry said. I knew where this was going so I bid Henry good bye and strolled back down to Nikola's lab, where I wouldn't be interrogated.
"Beth?" Nikola said as I walked in, he was using one of the larger machines that I had yet to work on.
"Henry was being a bully…" I said childishly and shut the door behind me. I didn't knock now, I was the only one Nikola didn't complain about just walking in.
"A bully? Really?" He said turning back to the machine with a smirk.
"He said you haven't been harassing Dr Magnus," I said stiffly, "And he happened to be watching the cctv in the garage when we came back," Nikola made a O with his mouth and the shrugged turning to continue with his work.
"Anything I can do," I said looking around bored.
"You can do whatever you wish…as long as you don't break anything," He said observing the log screen with a frown.
"Me? Break something? Really?" I said with a smile, it wasn't like I had broken something I was lucky enough not to be born a clutz.
Hours later Dr Magnus walked in and looked at us confused. Nikola had given up work and had decided to teach me to waltz. The sheer look of confusion on the doctors face as we glided around the little open space in the lab.
"I am not even going to ask," Magnus said as we slowed to a halt.
"I said I would educate her…what sort of man would I be if I let a young lady out into the world with two left feet," He said before bowing to me, I dropped to a curtsey and we parted.
"And does she have two left feet?" Magnus said flatly.
"Bethany is a wonderful dancer…" Nikola said before crossing his arms across his chest and tapping a finger on his chin, "But to inquire about her dancing skills is not why you are here…"
"The boys who saw her today are in the entrance hall…Biggy found them lurking around the entrance gate," Magnus said with a sigh, "They want to know she is safe…Biggy is leading them down," I groaned inwardly and sighed.
The five boys all looked surprised when they walked in. The classical music was still playing in the back ground as they were led over.
"Bethany," Tyler said seeing me and ran over to hug me, only to recoil when my eyes went black.
"What do you think you are playing at! I told you I didn't want to go back," I bark, voice altering. I leapt at the boy, suddenly feeling an overwhelming urge to kill, nails extended.
"BETHANY!" I recoiled at Nikola's voice, suddenly remembering myself. I looked shakily at my hands, nails retreating.
"Oh my…"I burst into tears, soon finding myself nestled against Nikola's chest, a gentle hand stroking my hair.
"I suggest you take them through to my office…I shall bring Beth through when she is more herself," Nikola said to Helen unhappily.
"I am so sorry," I sobbed, "I don't know what happened…I felt so…so…"
"Angry, confused…" Nikola listed, "I know it is hard to stay in control…you are young and will learn…" I looked up to him, my green eyes meeting his blue and to my surprise he pressed his lips to my temple.
"Now let us go scare these young men away," He said offering me his arm, which I took and followed through to the office.
Tyler looked terrified.
"What did you do to her," He said jumping to his feet and shouting.
"Unless you want to be skinned alive I suggest you quieten down," Nikola said firmly, "As you can see some changes have occurred and Bethany wishes to stay here…where she is understood…"
"You are keeping her as a pet," Same piped up. Nikola began to laugh, his voice deepening as he morphed.
"We don't have any pets," He said, his voice causing them to lean away.
"Nikola," Magnus warned.
"Oh my god! You are Nikola Tesla…DUDE! Bethany had like a total crush on you…she had your poster on her wall," Josh said, seeming the least fazed by the turn of events…maybe the six and a half foot sasquatch did it. Now…I truly wanted the floor to open up and swallow me.
"Really…" I could hear the smirk in Nikola's smug voice before he turned to look at me, "That explains a lot," I rolled my eyes at him.
"You can tease me later…" I said with a sigh, "All I want is to be left alone,"
"Right…either you boys leave and don't contact Bethany again…or you can go and take a young and confused blood thirsty vampire woman with you and probably die before the week is up," Nikola said with a big smile. The boys looked between themselves and Tyler spoke.
"Bethany wouldn't hurt us," Tyler said looking to me.
"I beg to differ…" I said flatly, "Actually I am feeling rather peckish now…aren't you Nikola?" Nikola laughed darkly and flashed them his teeth.
"Now you mention it…I am rather hungry…and it has been so long since I had something so young and fresh," He said rubbing his hands together. The boys left without another word leaving me and Nikola to laugh hysterically. Unfortunately the doc didn't share our sense of humour.
"We shall discuss this later," Magnus said before storming out.