Chapter 9

As Helen's eyes fluttered open she could not help but smile at the sunlight streaming in through the window. She couldn't remember the last time she had been able to wake up naturally. Rolling over she stretched out her arm, hoping to feel him in the bed next to her. Realising that he wasn't there she felt her heart starting to race…not again…in a panic she jumped out of bed before feeling like a complete fool as she saw him sat on the window seat. His fingers tracing patterns on the glass. "God Nikola don't do that…I thought…" She trailed out as she thought about what exactly she had thought.

"You thought I'd left you…" Nikola laughed a little. "If only you knew." Nikola rested a hand against the window. He had been up several hours already with thoughts running through his mind. Turning round he looked at Helen. God she was still beautiful first thing in the morning with no make up on. He couldn't help but smile a bit. No wonder most women seemed to take an automatic dislike to her.

Helen walked over and wrapped her arms around his shoulders before placing gentle kisses on his neck. She realised that something was wrong when he didn't respond to her touch. "So did you want to talk about it? Or are we not doing that anymore?" She pulled back from him and gently folded her arms.

Nikola sighed before turning around to look at her. He loved the way she became defensive as soon as something frustrated her. The look on her face was a perfect mixture of annoyance and stubbornness. "Why Helen, anyone would think that you had a control issue."

Helen sighed. "Why do you always have to make these things a joke?" She turned around and walked away from into the en-suite pushing the door to a close behind her.

Watching her go Nikola gave himself a mental kick. It was true, making jokes was his was of coping with situations he felt uncomfortable with, but there was no doubting how much trouble it generally got him into. He walked over to the en-suite and pushed the door open. Helen was stood in front of him, both hands rested on the sink as she hung her head slightly.

"I don't get it Nikola…I was sure this was what you wanted…" She paused to take a deep breath. "I thought that us was what you wanted, and then I wake up to find you unresponsive again…" She turned her head to look at him, a glistening of tears coating her eyes. "I can't deal with you running again…so please just make up your mind." It was times like these that she hated having emotions, the last thing that she wanted was for Nikola to know quite how much this was hurting her.

Nikola shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere…" This time it was Nikola's turn to take a deep breath in preparation for what was coming. "I can't lose you again Helen…"

"I'm not going anywhere Nikola, I came here to find you…"

"You don't get it Helen…coming round to find that everything we had was…well that it was a dream…that nearly broke me." Nikola smacked a palm into the door. "God I hate even admitting it…nothing meant a thing anymore…all I could think about was how to get back to what we were…to what we had."

"I get that it was hard Niko…I had to come back too."

"But what if none of this is real…what if…" Nikola couldn't even bring himself to continue with the sentence or the thought, he knew that his voice and emotions were coming close to cracking.

It was then that Helen realised. "You mean that you ran in case this was all a dream…" She cocked her head slightly as she looked at the man she had known well over a century. Even now there were things that amazed her.

Nikola nodded. "I wasn't sure I could do it again…and everything went so well with the date that…well I didn't want to believe that it could be real…that us could be real."

Helen didn't say a word this time. Instead she simply walked over to Nikola and took his face gently in her hands. "So what if it is…lets make the most of it…" She placed a gentle kiss on his lips. When she finally pulled away she looked at him. "I must say, if this is a dream. Then I want one every night." She grinned at him before kissing him again.

Nikola snaked his hands around her waist. "Do you still remember…well anything from back there?" He knew that his memories were fading from the alternative reality, but he was pleased to say that they were still there. He wasn't sure he would ever be able to forget the sight of Helen in her wedding dress, or the beautiful curve of her pregnant stomach.

Helen gently nodded. "They're fading though…they seem more like memories from a fresh dream rather than actual events…" Helen couldn't figure out what she thought about the 'memories' of course she loved having them and what they meant, but at the same time she couldn't help but think hanging on to something couldn't be good for either of them.

"We could always re-enact them, I mean you love me, and I know that I love you…" Nikola shrugged towards her.

"Nikola Tesla…if that was your shabby excuse for a marriage proposal then I suggest that you go and find a dummies guide." Helen wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. True it had been completely Nikola…but still, they were after all in Vienna.

Nikola laughed. "You can't seriously be expecting one knee…" His face fell as his recognised the stormy expression spreading across Helen's face. It was time to make a quick exit before she exploded.

"So help me Nikola…" Her voice was lost as he scooted out of the room and she heard the door close behind him. Helen was left stood there feeling frustrated. Truly it was nothing to do with the atrocity of the proposal, and more frustration with herself that she couldn't stay mad at her spiky haired idiot for much more than a minute.