Hi guys, I am so very sorry it's been so long since I last updated! My muse kinda left me high and dry for a while there but I'm hoping to coax her back with the promise of chocolate:) As ever let me know what you think, I'd love to hear from you:P A big hug and thanks goes to Tashah2109 for betaing this and for having the sense to berate me if I haven't written anything in a while:) Enjoy!

As usual I don't own anything Sanctuary or Disney related...confused? Ha, read on it'll become clear! xxx

Part 10

Nikola looked at Helen before looking down at the spreading red stain on his shirt. "Helen Magnus...do you know how rare that vintage is..." His face was a mixture of confusion and disgust. "Could you at least restrain yourself from throwing something quite so rare...?"

Helen looked at the man she had falling in love with. "Nikola Tesla...you have just revealed to the network that I am pregnant with your child...and the first thing you worry about is the wine..."

Nikola looked at her before shrugging. "Habit..." He looked down at his feet. "I didn't mean to..." What was it about her that could quite quickly make him feel as though he was five again? "I just couldn't bear the thought of them trying to send you out...I couldn't stand the thought of losing you..." He was finally starting to reveal the fear he felt inside.

Helen looked at him. She was starting to realise that the reveal hadn't been due to him being selfish, but due to the fear he felt about losing her. "Let's go and get you changed out of that...I might even join you in the shower..."

Suddenly Nikola's face lit up. He grinned at her before picking her up in his arms.

'Nikola, what on earth do you think you're doing?' Helen couldn't help but giggle at his antics; he could be such a romantic at times!

'I am giving you no chance of escape'. Nikola winked at her. He planned on it being very long night indeed.

The next day Nikola joined Henry in his lab. The young HAP could see instantly that the vampire was in a very good mood and didn't want to spoil it by saying something that would set Tesla off on a rant at how incompetent he thought youngsters were these days. Henry didn't mind admitting, to himself, that the vampire's opinion mattered and when he said something disparaging it cut deep. So he waited for the vampire to speak and when there was no biting comments he couldn't resist saying, 'you sure you're ok there Vlad? It's just you usually have a lot to say about my work and how wrong I'm doing it! Though on second thoughts don't even tell me!' Knowing from the look on Tesla's face he was thinking of the doc and he really didn't need that image in his head. For all intents and purposes the doc was his mother, the only one he'd ever known, and thinking of her with the vamp in that way well it was eewwwww…

So in an effort not think of that particular image in his head, Henry continued to read the blue print that Nikola provided. He looked at all the metal pieces that needed to fit together and he was stuck, like totally stuck! Where in the world was this piece supposed to go? This Autotype was to be tiny and how was his hands supposed to manipulate these tiny pieces he'd never know! Not cool, not cool at all! He was brought out of his slump by the vampire. 'No, no, no! That's all wrong, Wolf boy!

Henry gritted his teeth and said 'it's easy for you to say you know how to build the damn thing! Stop fantasising over the doc and get over here and help me with it then! Shocked into silence, Nikola complied and sheepishly said 'the fact that I was fantasising does not go beyond the two of us and this room, got it?

'Yes sir! Loud and clear, Henry was delighted to have flustered the vampire and knew not to push it with putting voice to the thought that came to mind when Tesla said 'fantasising'!

'You were reading the print wrong, Heinrich. I designed the print to read backwards like that other genius before me, Da Vinci. You'll need to bring that Maglite closer and a mirror would be quite useful too.' Nikola looked quite smug and Henry could not help the now obligatory eye roll when Tesla talked about his projects. But the young HAP made no audible objection and gathered the materials required. His curiosity was piqued.

'Awesome! That's awesome dude, Henry couldn't refrain from exclaiming when the Autotype was finally pieced together and Nikola had stopped being gooey-eyed over the doc.

'Quite right, awesome is certainly an apt description for it if I do say so myself. But I trust, Heinrich, that my secret is still safe with you?' Nikola all but glared at the young man. He had enough experience, thinking of the Edison affair and shuddering at the recollection, of secrets being betrayed and he did not relish another such circumstance.

'Oh don't worry Vlad, your secret's safe with me. Besides I wouldn't relish the dressing down I'd get from the doc if I ever let it slip! It was Henry's turn to shudder. At the look on the young man's face, Nikola chuckled and replied, 'Point taken.' He himself thinking of the numerous times he had been on the receiving end of Helen's infamous acerbic tongue and did not blame Henry for avoiding the possible situation.

/\\\\\\\\\\\

In her bedroom, Helen was preparing for sleep. As she crossed the length of the room to her bed, she caught a glimpse of herself in the floor-length mirror. Apart from the glow of her cheeks and the slight thickening of her waistline, you would never know that she was pregnant. Helen thought as she examined herself from behind, looking over her shoulder. As she turned to face the mirror she was caught with a sense of déjà-vu and her breath hitched in her throat. She had done the same thing when pregnant with Ashley.

Ashley. Oh how I wish your big sister was here right now, Helen spoke softly as she smoothed a hand over her now slight pot belly. She would be so happy to meet you, you know. She'd probably give me a stern talking to for getting involved with 'the vamp' as she affectionately called Nikola. But ultimately I think she would have been delighted to have another brother or sister to boss around, Helen smiled fondly as she remembered how Ashley had Henry wrapped around her little finger and only needed to flash her baby blue eyes at him to get him to do her bidding! Do you know, little one, that your big sister had a beautiful singing voice too? She loved to sing songs and ditties when she was happy, more so when she was little, I could never get her to stop once she started. Helen was now laughing at the remembrance as a tear made its escape and travelled down her face.

Nikola had been ready to march into Helen's bedroom and tell her that he and Heinrich had finished making the small Autotype when he heard her speaking. It was her tone that stopped him in his tracks and as he listened to Helen speaking of her daughter to their baby, he felt a wave of sadness wash over him. Though he himself did not know Ashley well, he knew what she meant to Helen and he fervently wished she was here for Helen's sake.

Leaning against the doorway unobserved by Helen, Nikola took in the scene before him. There she was the love of his life looking so effortlessly beautiful with her hand on stomach and she was softly singing. Nikola strained to hear the words. 'Baby mine, don't you cry. Baby mine, dry your eyes. Rest your head close to my heart. Never to part, baby of mine'. As hard as he fought it, Nikola couldn't prevent a tear of his own from falling listening to those words.

When she finished the lullaby, Helen glanced up and the unguarded look of pure love in her eye warmed Nikola's heart. 'Hello darling, how long have you been standing there?' Helen asked, a faint blush spreading over her cheeks.

Nikola smiled affectionately at her and answered, 'long enough to hear that beautiful lullaby, Helen. One of these days I must get you to sing another just for me'.

Helen laughed wholeheartedly at that. 'Any time darling, any time. That was one of Ashley's favourite lullabies and I think she must have worn out the video she watched that movie so often.' Helen explained as Nikola crossed the room and leant in to give her a kiss. 'My wonderful singing voice isn't all that has you grinning though is it? Helen smiled up at him knowing he was bursting to tell her whatever it was.

'No', Nikola excitedly said as he drew his hand from behind his back. Grinning from ear to ear, he showed her the small Autotype and said in quiet voice, you know that Heinrich is a quick study Helen I only had to show him once and he understood. Helen could hear the quiet note of pride in Nikola's voice and told him as she kissed him, 'don't worry Nikola I won't reveal to Henry what a fine job you thought he did.

Nikola pretended to look shocked. He of course knew that Helen would pick up on his meaning and was glad of it at least this way Henry would know and Nikola would be spared having to say it to the young man. Instead Nikola said, 'I wanted to test the machine and wanted you to do it with me just like the last time', fondly remembering the excitement he felt the first time round with the Autotype.

'Alright Nikola, whenever you're ready send your message', Helen stated as she waited behind the desk in her office. Nikola, having dragged her out of bed and down the hall to her office, insisted she stand where she was so that her view of him and the Autotype in his hand was obscured. Helen was puzzled by this insistence but went with his whim anyway. She needn't have puzzled for the reason he insisted became clear as the Autotype began to spell out three little words… I love you.