Chapter 2

Nikola led Helen through the winding paths and back alleys in the residential area of the Penzing district.

They reached a locked gate and Nikola pulled out a key from his breast pocket and unlocking it with ease, opening the tall wooden fence leading to a small backyard.

Helen glared at him, unimpressed.

"Who'd you steal that from?" she teased.

"I borrowed it, for real this time," he said with a smirk. "One of the locals around my current hideout rents a place out here during the summer, she was glad to give me the key for a weekend getaway."

"She?" Helen scoffed at him.

"Yes, a wonderful 82 year-old woman named Gertie. Quite attractive when she was younger but now she is just a charmer with a good wine cellar who's in need of some company," he explained, locking the gate behind them as they entered into the yard and through to the back of the house.

"I see," Helen muttered.

Nikola opened the back door and entered into the house. It was clean, and relatively well furnished. Nikola removed his hat and rose-tinted spectacles and placing them on the small table in the hall.

Nikola had the curtains drawn on all the windows, and hadn't been here long as far as she could tell.

"Would you like some tea?" he offered casually.

"Alright, time for explanations, Nikola. Who is chasing after you and why?" she crossed her arms sternly, ignoring his attempt to deflect the situation.

"I swear Helen, they found me. I was just living my new tiny insignificant life until three weeks ago these chumps show up and begin hounding my every move. At first I think, naturally, it's government. Not ours as we all know I helped stop the war," Helen rolled her eyes at his arrogance.

"Less ego more fact, please," she said with a huff.

"Well, it wracked my brain about which government could've possibly found me, my death was rather convincing…thank you for that by the way," he grinned at her but she did not return it. "Then it hit me, they weren't after Nikola Tesla at all. To them, Nikola Tesla is dead, just like he is to the rest of the world. They were after me, my new identity."

"What did you do?" Helen's glare intensified.

"I may have…published a few scientific papers on some abstract theories about electricity and it's effects on the body via certain specific area stimulation…via electric shock paper," Nikola said uneasily.

"So?" Helen coaxed him further with a steady eye.

"So, I may have mentioned that through the application of radio waves set at a certain frequency someone could possibly…affect a…brain aneurism in another person from a fair distance away without ever having to touch a body."

Helen groaned. Of course, now it made sense. They thought he was a maniac with plans to make the whole world's brain explode.

"Nikola!" she admonished. "This is your death ray weapon all over again!"

"Hey! I apologized for that…and I prefer Peace Ray, that was it's original intention," she smacked his chest with frustration. "Ow!"

"You stupid, stupid bastard!" she kept hitting him.

"It was just a theory, I never had any intention of going through with it…it was a hypothetical!" he cried as she hit him again.

"Well, you're hypothetical almost got me arrested by those goons! Thank you very much!" she hit him again.

"Stop hitting me!" he whined.

"Stop being so bloody stupid and maybe I won't have to," she growled. She should've taken him up on his offer of tea.

"I'm sorry, I had no idea that meager little paper would cause this, that's why I sent you that note! I need your help," he grasped her hands before she could hit him again.

"Give me one good reason," she growled.

"Because you love me," he grinned and she rolled her eyes at him. "Or because if you don't it could be exposed that I'm not actually dead."

Helen let out an exasperated sigh and yanked her hands out of his grip, hitting his arm one last time before relaxing.

"Fine, I'll help you, but this is the last time, I mean it!" she scowled.

"Aww, I knew you loved me," he grinned and attempted to hug her but she smacked his chest to keep him at bay.

"Oh no! You are not forgiven yet!" she let out a growl and he backed off.

He raised his hands defensively and moved farther away from her.

"It will take someone with your cunning and beautiful intellect to help with this. These guys are good…and I took the long route here," he sighed. "All my contacts have nothing on them, except that they're not government, because government would not waste their time with one silly little paper about a theory unless they had any real reason to believe the author would be radical enough to go through with it."

"And you wouldn't?" Helen crossed her arms.

"To the world I'm just a simple statistician and high school science teacher, thanks for that by the way," he scowled at her.

Helen smirked slightly.

"Now I have to cater to twenty-five spoiled brats for a bare minimum of four years while they zone out and stick gum underneath their desks," he glared at her further.

"Would you prefer to spend it in a high security prison?" she teased.

He scowled even more at her.

"Very funny," he muttered.

"Look on the bright side, the young impressionable girls are bound to get teacher crushes on you, you'll be their favorite teacher ever," she continued.

"Yah, like I haven't noticed all the dreamy sighs when I turn to write something on the chalkboard," he rolled his eyes. "I hate fan girls."

He unbuttoned his jacket and placed a hand on his hip.

Helen had to admit; with the way he dressed he was impeccably handsome, especially to young, emerging, adolescent teenage girls. Nikola was tall, slender, well-built due to his daily exercise routine, tailored, suave and very intelligent. As a high school teacher he was probably attracting more than just his female students.

"This was part of the deal, Nikola. Eisenhower gave you your freedom in exchange for your help and for a temporary change in career. Once your term is up then you can return to the shadows and continue your work full time, she moved up to him, standing mere inches away from him.

"Seems like that time may be cut down," Nikola shrugged. "They tried to get me during one of my classes, I had to give them their assignments quickly before cracking open a window and escaping around the back."

Helen softened slightly, knowing that for all his bluster he would never put his students, or anyone else for that matter, in danger; just her.

"You seriously don't know anything on these men?" she asked one last time.

"Only that they see me as a threat and they're well funded," he stated simply.

"Nikola, I think I will take you up on your offer of a cup of team. I'm going to need some to help you with this," she took a seat at the table and began to rub her temples.

"On it. Oh, and by the way, I have taken the liberty of having your things sent from the hotel to here, so, in case you're worried…"

Helen groaned again.

"I am not sharing a bed with you so you can just forget it," she sternly.

"Well, I knew that! Don't worry, there's a guest room upstairs, it's all yours," he bowed in a very condescending manner.

"Charmed I'm sure," she rolled her eyes at him.

"This will make it easier on you, Helen, this house is the only place they haven't been able to track me to…you used an alias right?"

Helen nodded.

"I did exactly like you told me over the autotype. I am Helena Heathering; my husband's name is Basil Rothford Heathering, an English businessman down in Austria on a business deal. I have references, phone numbers, and legal documents, including a phony marriage certificate, birth certificate, for both of us, and a driver's license. Does that comply with your wishes, O Lord Anal?"

"Hey, I am only anal for your safety," he said defensively. He went into the small kitchen and threw an iron kettle onto the stove.

Helen took the small reprieve to admire her surroundings. It was a very homey and neatly decorated, a tad dusty but Nikola would make quick work of that she was sure. There were some old family photos arranged on the wall, she could only assume they were people once very dear to this Gertie, who had seemed to take in Tesla in as a surrogate grandson, not knowing how old he actually was. Niokla probably enjoyed talking to someone who had lived in the same time he did. Helen understood that; they had all lived far past their normal lifetimes. James with assistance as his body wouldn't accept her blood to extend his life. John had stolen enough of it to keep him alive. Nigel refused to take anymore once he got married to Jeannette, relenting immortality to grow old with her. Then there was Nikola, the never-aging troublemaker, frozen in permanent immaturity, turning her world and everyone in it topsy-turvy chasing some unattainable dream. Lord knows what it was she highly doubted he even knew.

Helen heard him fiddle with something in the kitchen before dropping it on the floor and cursing in his native language. Nikola knew several languages quite fluently, and used them all whenever he saw fit. Helen was rather amused that he used his Serbian tongue, most of the time, for cursing.

He swore again and she pressed her lips together to muffle he chuckle as she forced back the grin threatening to break across her face. She wanted him to feel truly sorry before she gave him the benefit of seeing her smile.

Nikola came out of the kitchen holding a tea tray, gently placing it on the table/

"Tea for the beautiful lady," he said and charming as he could and she fixed him with a pointed scowl.

"Flattery won't get you anywhere, you're still in a lot of trouble," she marched up to the table and sat down brusquely.

"Yes, but come on Helen, it did make you feel a little better," he smiled one of his boyish grins at her and she rolled her eyes.

"You're not as cute as you think you are," she gave him the cold-shoulder as she began to fix her tea as she liked it.

"Can't blame a guy for trying," Nikola shrugged, he went to the small liquor cabinet in the living room and pulled out a wine bottle. The resounding pop caught Helen off-guard, causing her to spill slightly. She put her cup down and glared at him as he poured himself a glass.

"Really Nikola? Can't you have tea like a normal person?" she huffed. He sauntered over to the table and sat down across from her.

"To each of us his own, Helen," he sighed, taking a generous sip from his wineglass. Afterwards, he put the glass down with a light plunk. "So, how've you been these last few years, it's been almost…well, how long has it been? Close to the end of the war right? You snuck me away to get me out of working for Eisenhower the rest of his miserable life."

Helen drank her tea stiffly.

"I remember," she said tightly. "It wasn't exactly as simple as that but, yes that was the last time we formally talked to each other."

"Have I thanked you for that by the way?" he looked over at her, his tone portraying more honesty than condescension.

"Yes, you have," she answered dismissively.

"Well, thank you again," he said casually. "Aside from this hiccup my life's been pretty good since. I mean, I live under a pseudo-name and teach bratty little adolescents the ABC's of Physics, take care of a little parakeet named Buttons…"

Helen gave him a strange look at the mention of the bird.

"It's the name he came with, I swear," Nikola raised his hands defensively. "But, anyways, my job gives me enough free time to work on my inventions, and other stuff, and there is a lake nearby so I can continue swimming every morning…it's a quiet life but a nice one, so thank you."

Helen let out a sigh and gave him a small smile in return for his honest words.

"Nikola, you don't have to make up to me, it's alright," she patted his hand. "I'm not incredibly mad at you."

He chuckled slightly.

"So you'll actually talk to me like an old friend sometime again?" he teased.

"Maybe," she teased back. "Just a little though."

A small grin broke out on his face making him look quite cute.

"You did miss me," he chuckled smugly and Helen rolled her eyes and went back to her tea.

"See? This is why it's easier to stay mad at you," she mumbled and he laughed taking another sip of his wine.

"Face it, Helen. You could never stay mad at me."

"Just give me one good reason."

~~~~Author's Notes~~~~

Hello my wonderful little Teslenites! (Name in progress).

A new chappie! Fun for everyone! Some explanation, some banter, a little flirtyness, it's all good.

I know some have already mentioned, I don't know my German, and i also barely know my way around Austria. What i know is what i get from wikipedia. If you have some deeply routed concerns for the future of this fic, please do not hesitate to leave me a private message detailing my catastrophic failure as a researcher. I would be greatly appreciated, but leave it out of the reviews so i can pretend i'm a greater writer than I am...i'm just kidding :P But no, anywhere from Austria does not have pastry shops, to girl you need to go over your spell check, i would love to know how i can make this fic a better reading experience for you: my audience!

And for those waiting patiently for the next installment of Troublemakers, it's coming, and hopefully soon.

For this even more patiently waiting for any instalment on the Life-Long Series, well, you'll have to wait longer...i'm a bit stuck i'm afraid on how to end it properly...i hope to have some sort of brainstorm...eventually...no promises.

Anyways! Enjoy! Like I am enjoying my reading break!...which hasn't been that enjoyable so far because i caught the flu...i'm better now, but that put a damper on my vacation. But enjoy anyways! Because it's Teslen...it's an enjoyable thing.