For the loved: Part Two
Nikola Tesla glided across the room, the sound of the party going full swing in the back yard as he picked up a toy train from the hallway. He never had imagined that he would be doing this, cleaning up after his now 3 year old twins. After all, he was the world famous Serbian scientist who had invented the Tesla Coil and the only vampire left on earth. Ok, well that wasn't true. His children had the vampire gene but whether or not it affected them, he wouldn't know.
"Jonathan! A little help in here please?" Lillian called from the back yard, and with a sigh, Nikola placed the toys in the toy box and made his way outside. The truth was, he was getting used to this life, of cleaning, cooking and baking. He had become an expert at baking cookies, chocolate ones mostly. His children seemed to love them too, which was a bonus. But it scared him to find that this was all becoming just another day to him, that this was becoming a regular occurrence.
Nikola reached the back door and watched as his children ran around with cake covering their face, his wife following behind them desperately. They seemed to find it absolutely hilarious, as did the other children who were attending the birthday party. He reached out as Nick ran past him and his arms wrapped around his young sons waist, pulling him into the air. Nick let out a squeal of delight as his father started tickling him, Lillian watching with a grin as she scooped Jess into her arms, the girl momentarily distracted.
"Thanks honey," she said, kissing him quickly as she made her way past him to the small playground. Nikola grinned, freeing his son from his grip and watched as he ran towards his sister.
"I'll go get some more ice," he suggested, making his way inside to the freezer. No matter how much he loved his family, his wife and two beautiful children, it disappointed him to realize this was all it was ever going to be; Him running around after his children and secretly researching with limited resources in the dead of night. He sighed as he realized there was no ice left and called to Lillian that he was going to get more.
Moments later he was in the car, heading towards the shop.
It was a 10 minute drive to the mall from their house, but just five minutes in, Nikola spotted a Black Sedan following his car, and immediately, he knew who it was.
He hadn't had a lot of contact from the Cabal in the last year or so. He knew they were waiting for him to find something that could re-create the vampire race. He had been working on it, late at night when his family was asleep. So far nothing had come up, and he hadn't wanted to take some of Nick or Jessamine's blood to test.
It never usually bothered him when the Cabal followed him, spied on him-after all, what could he do about it without showing his family what he really was?
But this time was different. Whether it was because it was his kids' birthdays or the fact that he really didn't like their car he didn't know, but suddenly, Nikola hit the brakes so that the car lurched violently to a stop, and the Sedan ran straight up the end of his car.
He jumped out angrily, storming up to the other car, where he saw one of Dana Whitcomb's followers sitting in the driver's seat, blood seeping from a gash on his forehead.
Nikola felt his nails grow and he wrapped his hand around the man's throat.
"I am sick and tired of you people harassing me!" Nikola snarled. "You tell Dana to come get me herself, because I am ready for her." He dug his nails in a bit, blood seeping from the man's neck until he nodded in understanding.
"Good." Nikola said, turning back to his car where he got in and drove away.
The man coughed, sucking in much needed air, before he pulled out his cell phone and dialled in a number.
"Boss, it is Lewis…Yeah, I have had an accident. It involved Tesla…Yes Ma'am."
Lewis hung up and with a smile, started his car and turned drove back to his hotel.
For 3 days, Nikola heard nothing from Dana Whitcomb or the Cabal, something he found relieving. Now he could focus on his research and his family. Or so he thought.
"Daddy, I want a piggy back!" Jessamine called, running up to her father who bent down, and skillfully launched her onto his back with a smile.
"Jonathan!" Lillian laughed. "She has got to go to bed."
"I am not tired." Jess grinned from over her father's shoulder.
"Me either." Nick squealed, wrapping his arms around Nikola's legs.
Nikola laughed, kissing his wife softly, running his hand through her soft black curls.
"You're incorrigible," She smiled, and with that tone, Nikola's heart clenched as she reminded him so much of her. The woman he had been hiding from but trying to find and the woman he couldn't stop loving even when she denied him and even though he was married. It all led back to her eventually.
"How about I read you a story?" He suggested and the twins nodded in agreement.
He led them upstairs to their bedroom, and after getting them both into their beds, started his story.
"Once upon a time—" he started but Jess stopped him.
"No, we want something realistic, daddy!" She told him and he laughed, nodding.
"Okay. Well, in 1887 there were five brilliant minded scientists known to each other as The Five…"
The Cabal watched through binoculars at Nikola Tesla as he told his children a bed time story.
"…And Helen decided to go first, since she was the one to discover it and all, so Nikola injected the blood into her arm…"
Dana went through the plan with her people again, making sure they had it all memorized.
"…John loved power. He was hungry for it. And, apparently Nikola's life. See, Nikola loved Helen, but she had chosen John, thinking he was a better choice. Of course, Nikola was more intelligent than John would ever be…"
It was time, Dana decided. They would move in very soon, and then they would have him.
"…And so, Nikola Tesla died alone in his hotel room in 1943, but he is still remembered around the world for his brilliance. The End." Nikola concluded with a smile, which turned into a frown when he saw his children asleep.
He kissed them goodnight, then made his way back down to his wife who was sitting with her feet under her on the couch reading.
"They are asleep now." He said, collapsing beside her.
Lillian looked up from her book with a smile, her blue eyes twinkling.
"Good, now we can have some time to ourselves." She leant over and kissed Nikola slowly, her hands cupping his face, and he moved in closer to her, deepening the kiss.
The sound of Nick crying broke the pair's intimate session, and with a sigh, Lillian got to her feet and started towards the children's room. Then the crying stopped, and with a curious glance to her husband, Lillian kept going up the stairs.
A few moments later, Nikola heard a scream and his wife start to cry. He leapt from his chair, and raced up to the twins room, where he found Lillian collapsed on the floor, sobbing. The window was open, letting the cold air blow in and the beds were empty, the children nowhere to be seen.
Nikola felt panic shoot through him, and hysteria build up in his stomach, but he quickly regained himself, and searched the room for any clue as to who took his children. However, he already knew. It was the Cabal. They wanted him, so they would go after his family to get to him.
And sure enough, on the window sill was a note. In elegant handwriting it read,
Nikola,
if you want your children back, you will surrender yourself to us. I don't like the scene you made the other day. But I suppose thanks to that, I now have a reason to get you.
Meet me at the Hyde Park, and bring that lovely wife of yours.
Looking forward to our meeting,
Dana Whitcomb.
Nikola let out a large snarl, his teeth and fangs revealing themselves and his eyes turning black as he threw the note onto the floor. Lillian picked up the paper, reading it over slowly.
"Nikola? Who is Nikola? And who the bloody hell is Dana Whitcomb?" She sobbed in confusion.
Nikola didn't answer, just stood glaring out the window.
Lillian looked up and gasped at the sight of her husband, crawling back in fear, her body quivering as she backed against the wall.
"What the hell? What are you?" She cried, her voice shaking with tears and Nikola turned to her, watching her cower away more and he changed back, guilt clenching at his heart.
"Love," he reached to touch her but she flinched away, "Lillian, you wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Try me!" she sobbed and Nikola sighed. He had hoped that he would never have to have this conversation, and yet here he was.
"Lillian…I am a vampire." He told her, and surprisingly, she didn't lunge at him with a stake or garlic like he thought she would. "And my real name is Nikola Tesla."
There was silence as she watched him through watery eyes, fear and confusion clear on her face.
"I don't know whether to believe you or not," Lillian said, not meeting his eyes, "but my children…Our children are out there. I want my babies back." Her voice shook again and slowly she climbed to her feet, and with that they went to find their children.
