Hello everyone! Here is my final oneshot for the Olympic challenge. I want to apologise for how late I am in posting this. To cut a long story short, 2 weeks ago I went to England for a visit. I was to bring my USB key with me to upload the story the next day as it turned out I had forgotten to pack it, *facepalm*. So Tashah2109 told me not to worry and that I could post it the following Monday when I got back. However, I still can't find the thing and had to write another story. It's taking me this long because work and RL interfered! So again my apologises and I hope you like this. Emmy1512 is next and will be writing around Poseidon, god of water and horses. Emmy will be posting ASAP because of my lateness! So you get two stories this week instead of one, yay!

I was given the task of writing around Artemis, god of hunting and childbirth. Enjoy xx

Capri

The Island of Capri near Naples – May 2014

In Belvedere di Tragara.

The fog had descended over London very fast tonight. Nikola could not see so much as his hand in front of his face. He knew in order to return to his hotel he needed to place one foot in front of the other and carry on. He did not like the feeling of being out of control nor did he like the ominous vibe he was getting from the city tonight. Something was about to occur of that he was certain. He could feel eyes on the back of his neck and he shivered. Even with his abilities he could not for the life of him pinpoint where that someone was situated. He continued to walk across London until he recognised the Whitechapel area. Out of the corner of his eye he saw movement and heard a snigger, one that made his blood run cold. He knew that snigger. He would know it anywhere; it was so often directed at him at Oxford. Druitt. He was here, why? A moment later, a woman's voice rang out "It ends here, John." Oh no, Helen! Suddenly a bloodcurdling scream sliced through the air. Nikola sprang into action. Helen was in danger. He was running but he couldn't see anything in the fog! He must get to Helen before it's too late!

"Nooooooo Helen! Where are you?!"

Again the snigger rang out. This time accompanied by John's voice. "She is mine now, Tesla. She will never be yours!" There was a loud crack and a flash of red and…

Nikola awoke from his nightmare with a start. He was shaking from head to toe. The nightmare had been too realistic for his liking. Looking across to his bed companion he breathed a sigh of relief. She was safe and it had never happened. As if to reassure himself of the fact he reached across and stroked her cheek ever so softly. She stirred a little at the touch and let out a contented sigh. His Helen was happy and all was right again in his world. He decided to get up and go for a walk to clear his head and his heart of the foreboding that was still clinging to it in a vice like grip.

'Going for a walk' in Nikola's book meant a walk to the kitchen to get last night's bottle of wine out of the larder. After the nightmare he felt it was needed. He would never admit to anyone especially Helen how much that nightmare had shaken him.

Armed with his glass of red Nikola found his way on to the veranda. The view from here was spectacular in the early morning light. Dawn was just breaking over the horizon and it spilt a myriad of colour across the ocean. The dawn chorus sung its morning welcome as the rest of the island began to come to life. Standing still he closed his eyes and let the sun and the birdsong soothe his soul. His mind would not let him rest however, as thoughts of time gone by began to unfold before his eyes. It seemed every mistake he had made in relation to Helen was determined to make itself known just to torture him. The nightmare had brought to the surface his carefully buried fears that Helen would someday realise that she made a mistake in starting a relationship with him.

He and Helen had always a flirtatious banter ingrained within their friendship. Though he would have liked to have pursued a relationship he was also afraid of her possible rejection. She on the other hand, he knew, grew comfortable with nipping the innuendos and salacious remarks in the bud. All with a smile and an exasperated shake of her head. His fear meant he could stay close to Helen and be her friend without openly admitting his deep rooted feelings or if he did it was always tempered with a suggestive remark and a waggle of his eyebrows he knew she would dismiss as Nikola not being terribly serious. He would then breathe a sigh of relief because the admission didn't mean he would lose her as she didn't feel the same. She for instance, did not think him serious when he declared he loved her in Rome. Granted he, in his excitement at the rebirth of his race, almost killed her because she would not join him. Added to that excitement was the adrenaline he felt coursing through his veins just for being in her presence again after sixty long years. He was drunk on love. That was his excuse. It was after Rome that their flirtatious back and forth had reasserted itself. Out of necessity on his part. He needed to be around her, he had to be around her. So, he devised little schemes of genius in order to get her attention and to show her, in his imitable way, that he loved her still. So on rolled his hare brained schemes, narrowly averting disaster at times thanks to Helen's considerable intelligence and quick thinking. His Mexican clinic for latent vampires involving his billionaire Trust Fund 'patients' quickly came to mind; oh yeah that went real smooth! Helen could barely look at him after that. As these memories played out before his eyes, Nikola got increasingly angry with himself. He could not fathom how or why Helen stuck by him after all his antics and selfishness. Of one thing he was certain, he'd spend every day of the rest of their lives ensuring she knew just how much he loved and adored her. This decision he reached as he turned back into the house. He had forgotten the instance in SCIU headquarters at Area 51 where he had saved Henry from certain death and had secretly given Helen all the information she'd need to fight SCIU on an even keel. Thus turning Helen's affection for him into something more. Something like love. Though he was not to realise this until later. If he had remembered this he would have seen that he had redeemed himself in Helen's eye and there was no need for the anger he felt towards himself in that moment.

Helen woke to find Nikola gone. This in itself was not unusual; he very rarely needed sleep thanks to his vampiric DNA. What disturbed her was the fact that she knew he had fallen asleep last night, why then was he gone from their bed so early? Constant questions flitted through her mind as she pondered his whereabouts. They had only arrived in Capri last night and Nikola had never been there before. Not because she didn't want him here but for the fact that life had gotten a little crazy since the old Sanctuary had been blown up and of course she had to be careful about being seen topside now that she was supposed to be dead; buried in the rubble of her home. Capri was perfect for this reason hidden away as it was. This morning she had planned a surprise for him. She smiled at the thought of his reaction.

Walking into the kitchen she found him seated at the table sipping a glass of wine and reading today's newspaper. Helen smiled at the domesticity of the scene before her. Though she would never dare voice that opinion to him!

"Good morning, Nikola."

"Helen!" A smile of delight graced Nikola's face as he saw her. He crossed the room in seconds and gathering her in his arms; he kissed her fiercely.

"Oh! What on earth was that for?" Helen was a little shell shocked and weak at the knees, if she owned the truth, at the welcome.

"Nothing. Just that I love you."

"I love you too."

They stood together in each other's arms until Helen broke contact and looked at him, a question in her eyes. With a quirk of his eyebrow he silently asked her what the question was.

"What's your plan for the day?"

"Oh nothing much, drinking wine and spending lots of time with you!"

Helen laughed at him. There was nothing subtle about the way he said those words.

"Good because I have something to show you. And before you say anything, she told him as she saw him open his mouth to respond, it is not anything remotely suggestive!"

"Aw I'm a little disappointed already!"

"Oh I've a feeling you might be biting back those words very soon, Nikola. Follow me." Helen asked of him as she turned and left the room.

"Put this over your eyes, Nikola. I don't want you peeking and spoiling all my fun!" Helen said handing him a blindfold as they arrived at an old oak door. One that looked strangely familiar to Nikola though he couldn't figure out why.

"As the lady wishes". Nikola answered causing Helen to roll her eyes affectionately at his theatrics.

"Ready?" Receiving a nod of his head Helen opened the door.

A cacophony of smells hit Nikola's nostrils as the door swung open. He was sure he had died and gone to heaven. Even from under the blindfold Nikola knew they had entered a cellar. He could practically taste the wine on his tongue. Breathing in deeply he took in his surroundings. All at once it hit him. She never…she couldn't have…how?

As Nikola swung around and tore the blindfold from his eyes, Helen dissolved into laughter at the look of shock on his face. He was standing in the old Sanctuary cellar. It was the very same right down to the last brick and wine rack.

"Helen, how have you done this? When did you do this?" Nikola could not keep the incredulity he felt from seeping into his voice.

"I have had years of planning this, Nikola, remember? And what are paid contractors for? I had everything dismantled and shipped here before Caleb and his Hollow Earth cohorts paid me that final visit. Now I have a hunt of sorts for you. There is another surprise hidden among the racks. Let's see how long it takes you to find it."

Helen looked on amused as Nikola wound his way between the racks. Occasionally he would stop, breathe in and almost caress the bottles in the racks. With each rack he dismissed, Helen began to worry Nikola might not find the prize. She needn't have doubted him because she felt her breath hitch as he rounded the corner towards the 1900's rack. Here we go…

"Helen, that's never the bottle of Chateau Margaux we drank in Vienna that spring, is it?" Nikola innocently asked knowing the answer she would give.

"Why Nikola you're the genius, you figure it out!"

"Ha – don't give me that glib answer, Miss Magnus. I know for a fact there were two bottles from that memorable evening and I always wondered to where the second one disappeared."

"Well now, Nikola you have your answer!" Helen grinned cheekily at him.

XxxxxxxxxOOOxxxxxxxxxxxX

Why Helen?" Nikola asked her much later.

"Whyever not? I know how much you've missed the old cellar. There's also a small laboratory tucked away in the back for your use. I also figured you'd like a place you can retreat to when things get too much once our little one has entered the world." Helen told him with a smile glancing down as he placed his hand lovingly on her ever expanding tummy. "And don't tell me you won't need to because I distinctly remember your disgust at the birth of Henry's little girl."

Nikola shuddered at the memory of that birth. He never wanted to see Helen in that much pain, ever! He was shocked by the whole experience. He had been relieved when shortly after the birth Erika seemed to forget the pain. Nikola sincerely hoped that would be the case when it came to Helen's turn!

"It wasn't disgust, Helen. That was pure fear. I never want to see you in that much pain. Not when I can't do anything to prevent it."

"Aw, Nikola it's just part of the whole birth experience. Believe me when I tell you this I won't feel a thing once our baby is placed in my arms. It will all be forgotten. I'll be too happy."

Satisfied, Nikola pulled Helen into a hug and felt the remnants of his nightmare begin to fall away to nothing. As he kissed Helen he silently answered Druitt's taunt.

"Oh John how wrong you were, Helen is mine and I am hers for all eternity."