Update time lovely people. Again I apologise for the sad times ahead…I have to admit that it will probably get a little bit worse before it gets better. Thank you for sticking with me and reading it. Shouts to agrainne24 for being amazing… Love you all for reading and reviewing. Big hearts. Xxx

Chapter 9

'Helen…' The voice whirled around the disturbed dream she was going through. 'Helen..' There is was again, she could feel her body thrashing through the dream, but she was fighting against opening her eyes…she couldn't face it…the idea that he wasn't there.

'No…' The word was a sob as she fought against him. Then there was a hand running through her hair, trying to calm the speeding pulse running through her body. 'Please…I can't do this…'

Then there were hands on both of her cheeks and a finger running across her lips. She could feel the breath against her hear. This time the voice was louder. 'Wake up for me my darling. I need you to wake up.' Then there was the pressure of his lips against hers, the familiar sensation was too much and she felt her eyes opening.

She looked into the blue eyes that were a shade brighter than her own. 'Please don't be a dream…I don't think that my heart can take it again…' She felt her hand being taken in his and watched as it was raised to rest on the cheek she loved the touch of.

'Promise.' Carefully he slipped gently into the bed next to her and lifted her body so she rested flush against him, only then did he feel the sobs beginning to shake her body. 'I'm here my darling…I'm here.'

Gently she looked up at him and took a careful hold of his head so he could pull her lips towards his. She kissed them with every part of her that had craved him, with every part of her that had ached for him. 'My love…' The words were a whisper but firm. 'My Nikola.'

Eventually through the calming motions he ran across her back he had finally sent her into the deep sleep she craved, he had promised to be there when she woke, and that was a promise he planned to keep. He wouldn't leave her, not again. He wasn't sure there were any words to describe how lost he had been, or how much he hated himself for what had happened.

'You stayed…' Her words were quiet and filled with sleep as she gently moved in his arms. She had to admit that part of her questioned whether any of this had been real. There was no question that she had wanted this so hard that she didn't trust her mind not to play tricks on her.

'I promised.' Leaning down her kissed her before wrapping his arms tight around her and holding her close into him. 'I never wanted to leave you in the first place darling.' He trailed his finger up and down her bare arm before gently squeezing the skin.

'Things have changed Nikola…' Turning around in his arms she wriggled an arm free in order to bring it up to his face. 'Something's happened my love…' She felt a tear swell in the corner of her eye as she thought about the events of the previous night. She couldn't stop the tear spill down the side of her cheek before her body shuddered with the memory of the previous nights pain.

'Helen…what is it my love?' He took her face in his hands and ran his thumbs across her cheek. 'Tell me darling…please?' At that moment his head came up as the bedroom door flew open and John stood looking at the couple lying in the bed in front of him.

'Well well. Caught in the spiders web…' John let out a dark chuckle as he walked into the room and shut the door behind him.

'What is the meaning of this John, have you not learnt to knock on the door to a ladies chamber.' He quickly sat up from where he lay at the same time as pulling the covers fully up and over Helen.

Looking down at Nikola he let out a small chuckle. 'Oh Nikola, I don't think you have any right to take that tone with me. Not since I know your sordid little secret.' He walked over to the fireplace and picked up one of the delicate ornaments stood there. Holding it in one hand he turned to face them, he took in the confused expression on Nikola's face before realising that he had no idea about what he was speaking. 'Oh Helen, you haven't told him…'

Helen looked towards him with a steady stream of tears rolling down her cheeks. 'Please John, I haven't had a chance…please let me do this…' She knew before she spoke that what she requested wouldn't happen, that John had already decided on how to proceed.

John laughed. 'My dear woman, you have had all night, surely that was enough time to discuss a matter such as the loss of a child…' He looked towards Nikola. 'Oh…wasn't I meant to mention that.' He placed the ornament back on the shelf before speaking again. 'Never mind…you are both immortal now after all, you'll have plenty of time to discuss this all later.' With that he left the room, but in a final moment before walking out of the door her turned around. 'Oh and Helen, do not forget our agreement, or I may forget what it is that people ought not to know.' After speaking the final words he turned and left the room leaving Nikola and Helen looking after him. Both feeling as though there worlds had suddenly been destroyed around them.

'Why didn't you tell me?' Nikola reached to take hold of her hand flinching himself as he watched her pull away before rolling onto her side and away from him. 'God Helen, what did he do…what does he mean?' Gently he came around to the other side of her and gently took both of her hands before turning her so she had no choice but to look at him. 'Helen…I need you to talk to me darling.'

She opened her eyes fully to look at him. 'Last night…I didn't even know Nikola…God I should have known, what's the use in being a doctor…when…' She broke off, her mind going back to the previous night. No matter how hard she tried, she already knew that it was one memory she would never be able to wipe away from her mind. 'I lost a baby Nikola…James called it a natural rejection…' She had hoped that using the scientific name James had given it would somehow make it easier, how wrong she had been.

'My God…I should have been here, are you ok…I mean of course your not…oh my Helen, my sweet Helen.' He pulled her closer and rocked her body next to his as the refreshed sobs wracked through her body. As they finally slowed he kissed the top of her head. 'I'll never leave you again, I can control this…a concoction of animal blood and vitamins…it may not taste great, but it'll be worth it…for us…' He kissed her again. It was only after waiting for a moment that he realised she was not responding to him, he could hear her breathing, but she spoke no words. 'Helen? Is there something more?'

Helen looked up at him. Oh how she wanted to take his hand and run, to tell him that everything would be ok…that they would have the wedding they planned, and the family they both dreamed of. 'He knows Nikola…the baby…John knows, and he…' She couldn't carry on, what was there to say.

'Then we deal with it my darling, surely it doesn't matter, we are engaged to be married.' Nikola squeezed her hand. 'You are the one I have chosen to spend my life with. I don't see how it matters…' He trailed off, scared about what was to come next.

'He threatened to ruin me Nikola…to out me as a tainted woman…' She turned her head away. 'He said…that he would make sure my work was ruined…unless…'

Nikola looked at her. 'Come on Helen, what is it…surely we can deal with it?' He hated this…it was as though he had done this to her.

'Unless I marry him Nikola…he will tell the world that I am a tainted woman unless I marry him…' She dropped her head into her hands crying once more at the realisation of what her words meant... 'I'm so sorry Nikola…'

'No…I won't let him do this Helen…I won't let this happen.' He bought a fist crashing down on to the bed, the anger flowing through his body equivalent to nothing else he could bring his mind to.

'I don't think we have a choice Nikola…what's done is done.' She gently shrugged with the forced acceptance. She looked towards him, there was no way of her telling him how much this was hurting her. 'We knew when this started that there was a chance…' She paused, hating how final this was sounding. 'We knew that there was a chance this wouldn't work my darling…' She turned her head, not wanting him to see the tear rolling down her cheek, this wasn't the time to let emotions run away.

'How can you even think about taking him Helen…you don't love him…' Nikola too was trying to keep his emotions in check, but by God was it hard. The only woman he had ever loved was telling him that she was marrying another man…and not any other man…John Druitt.

'There are times Nikola…when love quite simply isn't enough.'