Chapter 10

~~~~Mignight, Outside of Oregon~~~~

Helen sat in the parking lot of the abandoned gas station, her fingers tapping furiously on the wall. She checked her watch for the third time, and let out an audible sigh.

Kate sat beside her in the passenger seat eating a big of Doritos and Henry was sprawled out in the back napping. Helen checked the rear view mirror and the side mirrors for any sign of headlights, then checked her watch again.

"Where is he?"

"Cool it Doc," Kate mumbled. "They're not even late yet."

"I know I'm just..." Helen sighed. "Nikola was terrified."

"It wasn't Nikola, it was Peter, it was just like Nikola's memories on steroids. I mean, I know Nikola is a brat and all but he doesn't actually act like an eight year old. Despite showing some Tesla like qualities Nikola did act a little bit like a child, even I noticed it."

Helen but her lip and nodded. "There were some behavior and mannerisms more akin to a child than to Nikola's special brand of immaturity."

Kate sniggered. "Yah, like drinking chocolate milk, I think Nikola would hang himself before subjecting his delicately refined tastes to such an obstruction." Kate mocked. "Or wearing sneakers."

Helen chuckled.

"I have never seen him wear sneakers, nor do I ever think I will."

"And what about having to wear Will's clothes?"

The two ladies laughed. Henry mumbled and turned over in his sleep.

"Has he...has he ever worn anything besides a suit?" asked Kate, a real curiosity coming over her.

Helen had to think about that momentarily.

"Once or twice, very rare and usually only as a disguise. Even then, he always dressed nice. Even when we were in Egypt under the blazing sun, full suit. Not that I ever minded it."

Kate grinned at Helen.

"You were checking him out?" Kate accused.

"What? No! I merely noticed how he looked day to day, it happens when your work closely with someone."

"Admit it! You were checking him out! Come on! Ass and all, you were!"

Helen laughed.

"Fine, maybe a little bit. But if you ever tell him, so help me..."

Kate waved her off. "Please, I don't want to go near that ego let alone stroke it."

Helen sniggered again and checked her watch.

"Ok, now they are officially..."

"A minute late, Doc, I hate to break it to you but not everyone is as punctual as you are."

Helen sighed. "I know, it just...until he's here, until I'm looking at him in his true form I'm going to feel...like I abandoned him back there. He was helpless, and Peter or not, he truly believed he was Nikola, and I was the only person who could save him and I left him there without a single thought."

"That's not true."

"It is. I weighed the options and I made a decision. He practically begged me not to go and I didn't care to listen. I just...I just hope I made the right decision."

"Well they did have coordinates for you to follow, so far it seems like they've kept their word."

"A part of me can't help but feel we've walked straight into a trap. They know my weakness now Kate. However you choose to look at it Nikola is a weakness of mine."

Kate nodded her head wordlessly.

"We'll get him back. No matter what happens."

"That's what I told myself when they kidnapped Ashley."

Kate looked at Helen, her mouth open slightly. There was no response to a statement like that. Before she could say anything though a van drove into the parking lot and parked. Two men jumped out of the side door and dragged out another body with a bag over his head and pushed him out on to the pavement before jumping back in the vehicle and speeding off.

Helen, in a flash, jumped out of the car, the sound of her car door slamming jarring Henry out of his snooze. Kate hopped out of the car too, following close behind Helen, her gun poised, just in case.

Helen ran over to the body. He sat on his knees, his hands tied behind his back. His shoulders shook with the dank cold, all he wore was a set of hospital scrubs, white and thin, his small frame practically swimming in it.

"Nikola!" Helen reached him and yanked off the black bag covering his head. Relief washing over her as familiar blue-grey eyes blinked back at her.

"Helen?" Nikola blinked.

Helen smiled and grasped his head gently.

"It's me, I'm here," Helen smiled widely.

"Where am I?"

"It doesn't matter, we're going home," Helen pressed a kiss into his forehead.

"I..."

"We'll talk about it later, let's get out of here," Helen grabbed one of his arms.

Kate tucked her gun into her waistband and helped with the other arm, hoisting Nikola to his feet.

"My head," Nikola groaned slightly.

"It's okay," Helen cooed softly as they gently helped him to the car. "Everything is going to be ok."

~~~~Earlier~~~~

Nikola watched as Helen turned around on her heels and walked briskly out.

This was it. She'd finally done it; she'd abandoned him for the greater good. He always thought this would happen but never...never truly like this. Nikola's heart felt like it had sunk to his shoes.

He would never forgive her for this.

"Peter..." Sandra called sweetly.

Nikola turned with a scowl.

"You're not my mother!" he growled.

"Peter, that's enough!" scolded Paul.

"You're not my father either! I am one-hundred and fifty-eight years old! I was born in Serbia in my family home, with my sisters aiding the mid-wife! I am Nikola Tesla! This man is a fraud!"

"Oh Mr. Addison, what's wrong with him?" pleaded Sandra, grabbing Greg's hands in hers. "He was acting like this before he disappeared. I don't know what to do. He's not acting like my Peter!"

"Because I'm not! I am not Peter!" Nikola cried.

"Enough Peter!"

"Don't worry, this is just an unforeseen side effect to the treatment. My specialists know how to fix it, if you'll excuse us. My secretary will take care of all your needs." Addison looked at Nikola. "Come Peter, I have something to discuss with you."

Nikola glared at Addison warily. There was a subtle threatening look in his eyes that told Nikola not to push him too far in front of the innocent couple. Though anyone who would trust their beloved child in the hands of someone so obviously ambiguous qualified as an ignorant fool in his mind.

"Fine," Nikola ground out through gritted teeth.

"Just relax," Addison smiled at the couple. "Peter will be all right. I assure you."

Sandra nodded and Paul gave a stiff jerk of his head, taking his wife's hand and leading her to the couches.

Nikola grumbled and walked past them and past Addison into the stairwell. Addison followed, directing Nikola to go up the stairs.

The ascent up to the third floor was quiet and tense, it drove Nikola almost to insanity. His fists were clenched hard and he was biting so hard on the inside of his cheek he was sure he would draw blood.

As they reached the third floor landing Addison stopped and turned to the eight year old coolly.

"You truly are too harsh to the people who so obviously care about you, Peter," Addison grinned.

"You may have convinced Helen that I am Peter but I'll believe it when I see it," Nikola crossed his arms. "I don't buy it, not for a second."

"You don't trust me?" Addison acted mock-offended.

"Hah!" Nikola scoffed. "I've worked for you remember. I know what you're up to."

"What is that exactly?"

"I don't know the fine details, but I do know that your little spiel downstairs about repairing minds and real world applications was complete bull. You don't care about changing the world any more than I care about changing my tailor."

Addison laughed.

"You are highly perceptive for an eight year old."

"I'm not eight!" Nikola growled.

"I assure you was completely honest with your Dr. Magnus. Come," Addison unlocked the door and opened it, gesturing for Nikola to enter. "Come see the future at work."

Nikola glared at Addison but did as he was told.

Upon entering the room he could see it had been recently retrofitted into a workable lab. He immediately recognized the Doctor standing in the middle of the room.

"Dr. Coates," Nikola sighed, his scowl deepening. "I should've known. Old grudges die hard."

Dr. Coates cleared her throat. "Nikola."

"You know what they say, never date your coworkers," Nikola mocked. "You'll wake up one day with your brain in the body of an eight year old."

"Nice to see you again, Nikola."

"Oh yes, I'm sure," Nikola mumbled bitterly. "So, what do you want me to do? Lie down, let you pick me apart or what have you?"

Nikola looked over to the other body on the table.

"If you could just..." Dr. Coates started awkwardly.

"Fine, let's get this over with so we can prove the validity of Addy's promises."

Addison smirked slightly, trying to suppress a chuckle.

Nikola immediately marched over to the table and gestured to Coates to aid him onto it. She awkwardly picked him up from under his armpits and sat him atop the gurney. Nikola looked over, once again, to the body lying opposite him.

"Wait...that's not me," Nikola pointed at the body. "You said you were returning me to my body. You said that you were telling the truth to Helen!"

Addison's smirk grew. "I was...mostly." Addison gestured to Coates. "Send him in."

Coates nodded and left through a separate door, returning moments later followed by a familiar face.

Nikola stared into his own eyes, his real eyes, dumbfounded.

"That's me."

"It is indeed," clapped Addison.

"Then who is that?"

"An employee of mine," Addison answered vaguely, his smirk still growing.

"What is going on, Addison?" Nikola barked.

"Everything I said about the Psychworm and the mind-weaving is completely true. And yes, even the idea of its real world applications itself was not a complete lie. I just failed to mention our true intentions. We've been planning this ever since the knowledge of the Psychworm came into our hands. How do we get someone behind enemy lines? We couldn't recruit an abnormal, too unpredictable, no loyalty. We couldn't fake it either. Why not someone that the great Dr. Magnus trusts implicitly?"

"Me?"

"Yes. You were the perfect test subject."

"This...this wasn't about me at all, was it? You were after Helen, you were always after Helen."

"He's catching on."

"And he's..." Nikola pointed at his true form now standing blankly in front of him.

"The perfect under cover operative. Fueled by your own mind. He'll have access to your memories, your habits, your likes and dislikes, maybe even your love for Helen, all the while he will be secretly feeding us information. And you...you will go back to fueling Peter's mind. He will consume your mental strength until he is strong enough to think on his own and he will truly live a long happy life as himself, with only a faint hint of the great Nikola Tesla in his brain. And Carl here, well he is a trained spy, a volunteer, he has no family, no wife, no children, he will undoubtedly have a hell of time living for another 150 years in your shoes."

Nikola saw himself smile wryly. His stomach twisted as a wave of dread washed over him.

"You can't do this!"

"For the greater good, I certainly can. You abnormals are a scourge and the only thing stopping me from wiping every last one of you out is your miraculous properties. The power to read people's minds, control people's actions, shape-shifting, flame-throwing, flying and longevity! Why do you get these powers and we don't? What makes you so special?"

Nikola sneered. "I was just born that way."

Addison laughed heartily.

"Ah yes, the immortal vampire. But you weren't born that way. Yes it was in your genes but you did not come tearing out of your mother with claws and fangs, you were human just like the rest of us. It is through pure chance; a chance encounter, a chance friendship, a chance experiment that has made you the way you are."

"Chance or not I'm still a better scientist than you," Nikola huffed.

"If the Cabal hadn't destroyed that source blood we'd be having a different discussion."

"You're right, because I would be destroying it," Nikola hissed.

"For what purpose? For Helen's little girl?"

Nikola's mouth moved up and down wordlessly at the accusation.

"She's not even yours Nikki, why do you care...ah yes of course, it's because of your love for Helen. A sad little love that she doesn't even return," Addison snickered. "Why do you try so hard for a woman who will never love you?"

Nikola glowered at him and clenched his fists.

"The deal is simple Nikola. You cooperate and I will never touch Helen, she, and her Sanctuary, will live on. Your replacement will be nothing more than a set of eyes and ears so I can keep tabs on her but she will never be harmed, you have my word."

"Your word is meaningless," Nikola spat.

"I swear to you, this time. He will replace you in every way, she will never know the difference and she will continue on happily, thinking she has won. I'll even stay clear of her path for the most part. In exchange for that you become Peter, you live Peter's life and when the time comes...I'll have use for you again. When you inherit your father's legacy."

Nikola averted his gaze momentarily.

"How do I know you aren't just telling me this to get me to do what you want?"

"Because if you don't I'll have him kill her, and I will let you watch helplessly as your own body takes her life."

Nikola's fists clench tighter.

Addison smiles slightly.

"What's the harm, Nikola? As I said, it's not like she loves you, this way you are doing her a favor. Isn't that what you've always wanted...to be her hero?"

Nikola met Addison's eyes with a fierce glare then suddenly he let out a defeated sigh. "What do I have to do?"

Addison smiled. "Dr. Coates here will lead you through everything. I must go downstairs and talk some more with the Ingolls, pertaining to your treatment. I'll be back when you're finished. I also have a gift I need to send to your beloved Helen. Come!" Addison waved over the man in Nikola's true form. The two of them left, exiting through the stairwell.

Nikola felt like lungs were tightening in his chest. He knew Helen should never have left him here, he knew they shouldn't have trusted Addison. Nikola should've sliced Addison into ribbons the moment the slimy toad approached him offering him a job a year and a half ago. Now he was stuck. If he refused Helen was in danger, but if he allowed it to happen she still could be at risk. This was all his fault.

"Remember our plan."

Nikola's fists clenched again.

"Nikola, if you would just..." Dr. Coates started and Nikola shot a glare at her.

"You are better than this!" he hissed at her. "Is this all because I spurned you?"

Coates jumped a little at his biting tone.

"This was not my choice. I had to prove my loyalty and this was the way to do it."

Nikola scoffed, swinging his legs on to the gurney and lying back.

"We were never going to work," he muttered bitterly.

"I know," Coates sighed.

"You are against everything I stand for."

"This is my job, Nikola! God, after what you did to me I deserve to have some kind of loyalty, some kind of honesty!"

"Oh yes, Addison, the epitome of honesty!"

"At least he never used my feelings for his own personal gain!"

"I didn't...it wasn't like that."

"You let me believe that you cared for me, that there could have been a future for us and then suddenly, "poof"! You disappeared, without a word, running back into the arms of the one you truly cared about. Not even an apology or explanation for what you did."

Nikola looked away.

"I'm even the bigger fool for thinking that you might come back for me. I should've known, the way you talked about her, the way you acted when she was around. I was a poor imitation wasn't I?"

Nikola sighed. "Beverly...you have to understand...I've known Helen for over a century. I try to forget her because...because he's right, my love for her is a one-way street. I tried to forget her and fall in love with some one else, someone who I could talk with on an intellectual level, someone who could possibly fill a growing void within me. And I'm sorry Bev...it wasn't you, but I never used you, I never pretended to like you, I did like you, you were a wonderful distraction...but Helen...I've loved Helen for so long...you don't forget about something like that easily."

Nikola sat up and took Dr. Coates hand hesitantly.

"If I'd had time I would've told you, they discovered my deeds quicker than I had anticipated, but I had always intended to come clean to you, but they were on to me and I thought it best that...that you were mad at me to because then they wouldn't punish you for what I did."

Beverly looked at him for a long time, her expression unreadable.

"Say what you want, Nikola. I'm still going to do my job."

Nikola nodded. "I know." Nikola laid back. "Just make sure Addison keeps his word."

~~~~Author's Note~~~~

Muahaha! The plot thickens. Addison is a devious mother trucker ain't he?

Is this the end for Nikola! Has he truly lost...I don't know yet, I haven't written that far! You'll just have to wait and see!

Read and enjoy my lovelies!