Chapter 11

"No, we can't tell her!" John's voice was ominous.

"Why not?" Henry questioned.

"John, she has the right to know." Will spoke.

Helen stood quietly outside of Will's office door. What were they debating about? She wondered. Her heart hoping for the best but her mind prepared for the worst.

"Will is right." Henry tried to sound brave.

"We are not going to tell her!" John growled angrily.

"Tell me what?" She said opening the door deciding that it was best to intervene. Plus she wanted to know whether it was good or bad. There was a unnerving silence so she cleared her voice, "Tell me what?" She repeated.

Henry looked at John; he was so happy Helen came in. He knew for sure the cold blooded killer wouldn't dare harm him. Sure he was a HAP but this man was quick much quicker than him. "Umm…Nikola…umm."

"Nikola what?" Helen asked trying to keep her voice calm.

"He called your cell last night, Henry answered." Will said looking at Henry then back at his boss.

"What he said." Henry gestured to Will.

"Why didn't you wake me?" Helen asked then walked towards Henry. "Why were you in my room?"

John sat down with a glass of brandy. "This should be interesting."

"Well…I was checking on you." Henry started looking away from her and giving John a nasty look. "He told me not to wake you."

Helen sighed "Did you-"

"Yes and yes, we were able to track him to a small village a few miles from the blast site." Henry said hoping that his quick acting decisions would bring her comfort.

"Only problem Helen is he has the child." John said with a menacing tone. "If Will is correct and that child is part of what made you so ill then…she is powerful." John smirked at the short lived horror on Helen's face. "He is probably figuring out how to manipulate her powers."

"John, you don't know…" Helen stopped; thinking of the child that made her relive her darkest moments her blood ran cold.

"But neither do you." John said reassuring his point.

"Look Doc, if he planned on doing something evil like that why would he call?" Henry tried to reason.

Will looked at Helen. John was jealous that Helen was concerned at Nikola; it was clear. He was demonizing the vampire every chance he could. "Magnus, why don't you and I go find him."

Helen nodded. "Henry will you be okay with John?"

"Umm…sure…"

"WHAT?" John's shout echoed.

"If anything happens we need a quick escape." Helen said.

John finally shrugged unpleasantly. He could not hide his disapproval of this search and rescue. Henry took a seat and began to type on his tablet. There were few words spoken from John who was finishing his brandy. Will leaned over his desk with Helen as they talked about the possibilities. Helen looked back at Henry who cursed violently.

"Henry what is it?" Will asked.

"The coordinates are gone, and I can't lock on to his phone." Henry whimpered in defeat.

"Try calling his phone." Helen offered.

"Tried that earlier…" Henry sighed, and then explained how he got the track on Nikola's phone in the first place.

"We can still go there and look." Helen said to Will.

"Helen…" John said "be reasonable he is probably long gone by now."

"But it's-" She started.

"Nikola is good at hiding remember?" John barked anger clutching his chest.

Helen turned away from the men. "Henry keep trying." She ordered before leaving the room.

-0-0-

Nikola sat on a plane with Lily. He was thankful that he still had his connections. He was Mr. Howard Hughes and he was traveling with his daughter. Lily was getting sick. He had noticed this for some time now. She was losing her cooler and dark circles formed under her eyes.

This was their last flight before they would land in Old City's airport. Nikola could only hope that bringing this small child to the Sanctuary would benefit her. She needed the nurturing care that only Helen's work could give.

"Lily?" Nikola said looking down. She was white, and her small body was trembling.

"Hung-ee." She whimpered to him.

"Soon you can feed I promise." Nikola said stroking the child's hair.

What was taking so long to get there? Nikola's worry was controlling his anger. Lily was seemed sicker by the minutes. He looked at his watch two more hours. He thought about letting her feed but the emotions she brought to surface would easily make him vamp-out. He couldn't risk that. Maybe he should have had one of his connections bring him to Old City and give them an IOU.

Lily's small cold, trembling hand took his as she laid her head on him. Shit, she was running a fever. His heart was pounding with nerves. He zoned out listening to the throbbing sound in his chest. His mind concentrated on getting Lily to Helen.

It was the stewardess' voice announcing they would be landing soon that brought him to reality again. Lily was sleeping, her fever still present and her trembling was worse. It was not long after the plane land that Nikola escaped with Lily in his arms. He hurried through the lobby to the street corner calling a taxi's attention.

-0-0-

Henry hurried down the hallway. He had been running scans when Helen's security code for the tunnel came through. It had to be Nikola. Henry took a right and knocked on Helen's office door. Damn there was no answer; she must be in her room. She was depressed after John's continuous bashing of Nikola. Henry grabbed his walkie.

"Doc you might want to come to the front door." Henry said as he walked into the large greeting room.

"What is it?" Helen's voice cracked over the device.

"Your security code was used to access the tunnel." Henry informed her.

"I'm on my way."

There was a knock and Henry slowly opened the door. Nikola stood holding to the small child he had seen in the Cabal lab. Henry could sense the worry from Nikola. She was obviously very ill. Nikola walked in as Henry moved.

"Nikola!" Helen's voice rang from the hallway on the left.

"Helen…Help her." Nikola said as he walked to her with Lily.

The child in his arms brought back a cold chill in Helen body. Still, she needed help. Helen tried to push the dark thoughts that the child fed from. She was just a pawn in the Cabal's evil web. Helen closed the distanced and took the child from him.

"Dear God, Nikola she is burning up." Helen said concern flooding her. She looked at her vampire and nodded hurrying to the elevator.

The shaking from the child reminded her of those seen with withdrawals. She pieced the little bit she knew together. Nikola stood silently as he watched Helen check her vitals. The doors opened and Helen looked at Nikola. She started to name things she needed as she placed Lily on a bed. Nikola gathered the items and went to Helen. Helen was quiet only speaking to tell Nikola what she needed him to do.

"Her blood pressure is leveling out." Nikola said looking at the screen. Helen smiled slightly as she placed ice packs around the child to help her temperature drop. "Her pulse is slowing."

"I think we have her stabilized." Helen said relieved. She pushed the blonde strand of hair from the girls face. "Why didn't you let Henry wake me?"

Nikola sighed. He had tried to prepare for this but everything sounded wrong. "I didn't know how to tell you that I had Lily with me."

"Lily?" Helen questioned. She had never heard Gabe call the child a name before.

"That's what I call her." Nikola moved to Helen's side. "I had to know that she wasn't a threat to you."

"And?" She raised her eyebrow.

"She depends on whatever energy it is that our emotions give off." Nikola's hand covered Helen's. "She hasn't fed and that is why she is like this." Nikola offered his opinion.

Helen nodded giving his hand a gently squeeze. "I was so worried about you." She whispered after a moment of silence.

Nikola pulled Helen into his arms. He held to her resting his head on hers. He had never meant to make her worry, but had Lily truly been dangerous he wouldn't not have come back. Helen would of course had believed John crazy lies and would had forced his way back into her life. Nikola's train of thoughts derailed and he quickly looked down at Helen. She was crying…over him. He pulled back enough to lift her head.

"Helen, are you okay?" Nikola asked wiping a tear from her cheek.

She nodded. "It's just so much has happened."

"Ljubavi," Nikola whispered in her ear. "I should have never let you go."

Helen shook her head before she buried her face in his chest. "You came for me that's all that matters."

"Ljubavi I would walk through hell for you." Nikola assured her with a hushed whisper.

Nikola walked her over to a chair and sat down pulling her on to his lap. His arms wrapped around her and he began to whisper a Serbian lullaby to her. This woman was all he ever wanted. Sure he had lovers before. But none of them ever made him feel like she did. None of them really knew him. Helen saw passed his ego and craziness. He shrugged maybe overlooking the craziness was something that came from dating Jack the ripper.

-0-0-

Cold blue eyes stared up at the two in the chair. The eerie feeling of being watch alerted Nikola. Lily was still pale and the circles under her eyes were even darker. Nikola moved the shoulder the Helen's head rested on waking her. Helen looked up at Nikola before looking at Lily. Fear gripped Helen's heart as she remembered all the things that the child had been made to do.

"Hung-ee." Lily whimpered. Her small body trembled.

Nikola released Helen from his lap. "Helen let her feed from me." Nikola offered. "You will need to strap me down." His mind wanted to jump into the gutter but he forced himself to behave.

"Nikola…are you sure." Helen asked.

"Helen she needs to feed, and you have been through so much." Nikola stroked Helen's cheek. "Plus I brought her here."

Helen nodded. This was only necessary till she could find a treatment for the girl. Helen strapped him down with her vampire proof material. Lily stared at Helen. There was a look of horror on the child's face. Helen wondered the girl was worried for Nikola.

Nikola called the girl to him. Helen watched as he talked to her. Who knew Nikola could have a way with children? The thought warmed her and it was the first pleasant feeling she had since falling asleep in his arms. Helen checked the straps and nodded.

"Nikola how could you! I trusted you!" Helen was so angry.

"Helen I swear to you I never…" He tried.

"You liar!" She raised her voice.

"Helen I never told him. Had I done so…"

Helen watched as Nikola's eyes turned black and his nails grew.

"And because I love you." Nikola said. He reached out for her and in disgust she pulled away. His thought faded into another.

"Nikola No!" The fear and sadness in Helen's eyes ripped through him. He would die for her and maybe in death she would see that he did truly love her. He sealed the door shut.

"Good-bye…Ljubavi" He whispered as the blast threw him back.

Lily continued to feed a moment longer before she stopped. She laid her head on him and looked to Helen. Nikola was morphing back to himself and his breathing stabilizing. Lily reached out for Helen, and with caution she approached.

"Ljubavi." Lily whispered to her.

"Yes." Nikola panted. "Ljubavi."

Helen smiled and unstrapped him. She felt childish fearing Lily. Her arms slipped around the girl and lifted her from Nikola. Lily looked healthy and the trembling had stopped. Nikola stood feeling in a daze, he flexed and attempted to vamp out but nothing happened.

"Helen, I can't change." He stated trying not to sound alarmed.

Helen had sat Lily down and looked at him. "Bloody Hell."