A/N: Well this has been one wild and crazy ride for me and probably for all of you guys too. Thanks for reading and as always, enjoy =]
Will remained frozen as Henry stood and drew his gun, but even he wasn't fast enough. Kate spun on her heels the instant she heard the first shot, gun out and fired back hitting the man once in the torso and once in the chest. He dropped to the ground instantly, gun falling lamely from his hand. Lowering her weapon she looked at the boys and was about to make some witty remark about women and guns when a strangled cry sounded from the floor on the other side of the lab table.
They all moved quickly to the other side of the table to find Helen crouching over Nikola's prone body. Helen ripped open Nikola's shirt to find two gaping holes in his torso and a third in his chest. Each one was gushing blood like a small river. Tears filling her eyes Helen used his shirt to apply pressure to the wounds. Nikola made a small gasping noise as if trying to speak but Helen quickly shushed him.
"No don't speak. You have to save your strength Nikola."
He nodded in reluctant consent but the motion only caused him sputter and cough, spraying a little blood from his mouth. Helen's eyes only grew wider in sheer terror at this but managed to keep it out of her voice saying,
"You're going to be fine Nikola. You will be. You have to be."
Then finally looking at the others cried,
"Will help me carry him to the car, you have to drive us back. "
Will instantly obliged by coming over and lifting Nikola into his arms and hurried after Helen. Henry grabbed what he could, and Kate grabbed a cooler thrust the blood into it, and then dashed off. Nikola's world was going blurry and as Will gently laid him down the back of the van beside Helen who was already opening the first aid kit and simultaneously wiping away tears. He vaguely heard the sound of the engine revving and then definitely felt the lurch of the van leaping off towards the Sanctuary. He groaned in pain as Helen began probing his wounds with a now gloved hand. Reaching up he grabbed it,
"Don't bother," he gasped out, "it's…my time."
"Nikola don't you dare start talking like that."
Nikola shook his head, coughing up more blood which Helen quickly and delicately wiped away. As she leaned over him to do this Nikola, through his fast fading vision he saw the tears glistening in her beautiful eyes. He mustered what strength he could, reached up one hand and wiped them away then told her gently,
"I would rather….die now…saving you…then have to live…the rest of my life…loving you from a far."
Nikola felt consciousness slip away from him as soon as he finished speaking. Helen burst into tears at his words and watched his head slump to the side.
They got back to the Sanctuary in record time, but he'd lost a lot of blood on the way over and was still losing it as they wheeled him into the operating room. Helen was able to extract the bullet fragments, repair the damage and stop the bleeding but it didn't seem to be in time. Nikola Tesla was really dying. Helen took off her scrubs and headed straight for her lab. The only thing that could save Nikola now was his own blood.
Nikola stood outside the chapel, thinking it strange that in over a hundred years that it had not changed one bit but then again, this was the first time he had ever gone back to his homeland to visit any part of it in all these years so how would he know what it looked like? He walked up the stone steps, swung open the wooden doors and half way down the row of pews realized that he must be dreaming. There in the first row, sat his brother Dane who had died in during their childhood.
"Dane?" Nikola called out to him.
Turning the pew Dane gave him a warm, if confused, smile.
"What are you doing here little brother?"
"I guess I've finally died."
"No you haven't. You're close though."
"Oh," Nikola said, going and sitting beside his brother, "I guess I'll just sit and wait then."
"No you won't."
It was Nikola's turn to be confused.
"What?"
"You are going to sit here a bit yes," Dane shook his head "but you will not be here long. So don't get too comfortable."
Nikola, not really sure what was going on at this point, just sat quietly beside his brother. A long couple of moments passed. Then Dane spoke.
"You came here after I died remember?"
"I've never forgotten." Nikola answered his tone full of remorse and grief.
"You came looking for some kind of forgiveness for what happened to me."
Nikola didn't answer. Dane turned to look him,
"It wasn't your fault, little brother. I am so proud of everything you've done. I love you."
Nikola looked at Dane and burst out into tears trying to say something in reply but….
Nikola's eyelids fluttered and small groan escaped his mouth as he regained consciousness. Helen picked her head up from where she had sleeping with her arms folded on the bed beside his torso, one hand in his, to look Nikola's face. He opened his eyes slowly, everything was a little blurry and then when it all came into focus the first thing he saw was the always stunning face of Helen Magnus.
"Nikola," she whispered.
"Helen."
He felt her hand in his and squeezed it saying,
"I guess it wasn't my time after all."
Helen grinned broadly at this and shook her head saying,
"No, no it was not."
"So how'd you save me this time?"
"Your blood." She answered simply.
"You mean I'm…"
"Re-vamped." Helen finished for him, "Yes."
Nikola closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had not noticed it before, but now he could feel the electricity prowling in him again and the strength of his ancestors as well. Opening his eyes again he looked deep into Helen's eyes.
"Thank you."
Helen didn't answer but just bathed in the warm way Nikola was looking at her. Both were searching for the right words to say next. Finally Helen reached up with one hand, cupping Nikola's face in her hand and lowered her lips to his gently at first. Then she ran tongue along his bottom lip and he parted his lips to let her wanting to taste more of her as well. Reaching his free hand up Nikola cupped Helen's face, pulling her deeper into the kiss, eliciting a tiny moan from her which caused the electricity to come thundering to the surface and jump from his hands to her body making her groan. In response she nipped his bottom lip playfully and he growled forcing himself into her mouth. The kiss lasted another long couple of moments. Helen pulled back first, needing air, and rested her forehead on his a moment catching her breath and composing herself a little. Then she leaned into his ear and whispered,
"Surprised?"
The laughed rumbled deep within his chest and he twisted his head to her ear and replied,
"Not at all."
Helen swatted his arm in a kidding manner and Nikola cried out in mock protest,
"Ow! Is this how you treat recovering gunshot patients? With psychical abuse?"
"Only the most insolent patients." She quipped, "Besides you're a vampire. Suck it up."
"See if I take two bullets for you ever again."
"Actually, it was three bullets." Helen told him laughing a little at the irony.
"Really?" Nikola was pensive for a moment then declared, "I officially hate the number three."
"Good, one less of your eccentricities I have to deal with now that you will be living here."
Nikola's heart skipped a beat.
"Living here?"
"Yes Nikola. You are not going to go disappearing off to goodness knows where and leave me behind to worry for half a century that I won't ever see you again."
"Sorry to disappoint Helen but I have to take a tiny trip before I live anywhere," Nikola replied seriously.
"Where?"
"Where what?"
"Where is this tiny trip too?"
Had this been a year ago, or even three weeks ago, Nikola would have thrown up his defenses and lied to Helen's face to protect himself. But this was not a year ago, or three weeks ago, this was now. He had just gone to the brink of death for her and she had kissed him and told him he was going to be living with her. So for the first time since he could remember Nikola let down all his defenses, averted his gaze and muttered,
"Home."
Helen knew instantly what he meant. It had been during their time at Oxford he had confided in her about Dane, and the nightmares. It was one of the reasons she was always so worried about him, even when she hadn't shown it. She gave him a loving and reassuring smile and told him,
"I'll go with you."
Nikola returned his gaze to Helen's searchingly.
"You want to come with me?" He asked.
"Mhm. I want to see the home of the man I love," leaning in she murmured into his ear, "and I want to be there for you when you visit Dane."
With that she gave him a swift kiss on the check, leaned back, and standing up went to leave but found Nikola's grip on her hand tightened. Turning and going back to stand by his bed she looked at him quizzically. He gestured and she leaned over him. Reaching his free hand up again he cupped her face and brought his lips to hers in the most gentle and loving kiss Helen had ever experienced. Went it was over Nikola kept his hand on her cheek and just barely breathed,
"I love you."
Leaning into his hand on her face she gently squeezed the one she was holding and said,
"I love you too."
Once again she leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Pulling back she told him,
"Now get some rest. I'll be back soon. I have to go make arrangements for our trip."
Nikola smiled back at her and watched her leave. Then he rolled on his side, closed to his eyes to sleep and whispered,
"Thank you Dane."