Will had been loathe to use the man but he had to acknowledge his expertise. The Tokyo Sanctuary had even gone so far as to request Tesla by name to help them install their new green energy power generator. At least the troublesome Serb would be out of his hair for the next few days. He was also enjoying the thought that Tesla wouldn't get the chance to investigate the giant Oriental hornets that had just arrived. The scientist had expressed interest in their ability to generate solar power with their exoskeletons. With any luck, the pigeon-sized insects would be back in Madagascar before he returned.

Helen had taken to the hornets with surprising enthusiasm. Despite Sunny having no background in animal science, medicine or even biology, Helen had chosen her to help feed, sedate and groom the deadly insects, removing the mites that seemed to be causing their sluggishness. Unfortunately, despite their best efforts, the hornets' condition had not improved. Tanya had been of no use. She refused to work with the rather dangerous creatures with the excuse that she had no experience or background in entomology. Predictably, Helen had more than a few choice words about that before going back to the hornets' enclosure and turning up the sunlamps in an attempt to help them generate more energy.

A knock at the door caught his attention. "Yes?" Henry opened the door. "Hey, have you noticed anything screwy with your laptop? I just detected a signal surge from the wireless router and now there's some kind of electromagnetic interference and these random glitches are happening all throughout our whole system. It's worse than any virus I've ever seen!" Just then Will laptop crashed. "Shit! I was right in the middle of-" Henry grabbed the computer and took it away. "Damn it! I better turn the whole system off. How did this happen? I already turned the router off…"

As he was leaving Helen came in. "The wasps are flying! Sunny's idea to turn the sunlamps up higher worked! After a while they started shaking their wings and then they took off!" She seemed so like her old self that Will couldn't help but be caught up in her joy. "That's wonderful! You cured them!" Gradually, their mutual happiness faded into an awkward silence. Helen cleared her throat softly, "There were all kinds of crazy readings on my Pad right after. I think that there must have been some sort of overloading of the system. The sensors are malfunctioning." Will hummed, "Henry was just in here saying the same thing. The whole network is having problems. You better take your Pad to him and have him look at it too." Helen furrowed her brow rather cutely. "I'll have to get Nikola's Pad too." She turned on her heel and walked briskly out. Will sighed to the empty room, "Yes, of course that's her priority."

…

Henry groaned as he found another weird bug in the computer system. The contents of several folders were impossible to sort out. It was almost like someone reached in and scrambled them. Half the sensor readings were showing up in the file for surveillance recordings. "What the hell…?!" He was overwhelmed and mystified. "What could have possibly done this?" he muttered then decided he would need assistance to tackle such a huge problem. "Big Guy could at least look through the PADs and see what's in the wrong place…"

"Talking to yourself isn't a good sign." He turned to find the Sasquatch at the door. "Oh, you're just in time. Take Tesla's Pad and look through the sensors' files. See if there's other kinds of data in there, okay? I haven't had time to check his yet, but it's probably like the others…" He trailed off as he got reabsorbed into his work. Big Guy sighed and ambled away toward the sitting room. He figured he might as well be comfortable while doing such tedious work.

…

Will rolled into the sitting room to find Big Guy looking at a PAD with a strange look on his face. "Is that Tesla's?" He asked idly. Big Guy looked up casually. "Uh huh. Henry asked me to look through the files because something is moving the data around…" He trailed off, obviously considering his next words. Will did his best impression of attentive psychologist and nodded encouragingly. Finally, the Sasquatch asked, "Uh, humans do mate like other mammals, right?" Will chuckled nervously then tried to smooth it over by saying seriously, "Yes, though face-to-face is more common than with other animals. Why, did you find a bunch of porn on Tesla's Pad?" At the furry abnormal's nod he scoffed and shook his head. "Typical."

Big Guy continued, "I opened what was supposed to be sensor readings from the chimera's enclosure and a video with him and Helen came up-" "It has Helen?!" Will was outraged and disgusted. "Uh huh. At first they were talking…It was-" The Sasquatch seemed bewildered. "Why he would say things like that…Well, I really don't understand humans sometimes, so maybe you should look at that. That made no sense. And then they started…mating, I guess. I'm not sure Tesla knows how to do it right." He snorted out a short guttural laugh, handed Will the Pad then got up to leave. Will scrunched up his face awkwardly. "Hey man, grab a magazine or something and cover up, okay?" Big Guy glanced down at himself, shook his head and grabbed a book. "Humans." He muttered as he left.

Will held the Pad gingerly, grossed out by the thought of what was on it, in both the digital and physical sense. He caught himself looking around furtively, then decided this was probably something he should investigate in the privacy of his office.

The trip down the hall was a blur. He quickly locked the door and took himself over to his desk. After a moment of mental preparation, he firmly pressed the home key only to be confronted by the shocking sight of Tesla's cock pumping in and out of Helen's mouth. "Oh god!" He turned it off and threw the Pad on the desk, then held his head in his hands and wished he could still pace. "Goddamn it!" He yelled and slammed his fist down on the armrest of his wheelchair. It felt like the pornographic image he had glimpsed was burned into his eyes. The naked buttocks flexing, anus clearly visible, the dangling testicles slapping against her wet face, thrusting…

Will whined, horrified by the vision. "Why? Why him? How could you…?!" He took several deep breaths, trying to calm himself as he realized he had to see what Tesla had said. Big Guy had seemed disturbed by what he had heard, which seemed out of character for someone who had such a naturalistic view of sexuality. He steeled himself and turned the screen back on.

Helen was lying on her back, head hanging off the edge of the bed, as Tesla fucked her mouth brutally. Will found himself riveted to the sight of her helpless face, her blue eyes…The camera was too far away from her to be able to read any emotions in them. He could hear Tesla's voice faintly, turned up the volume slightly, wary of anyone overhearing the sloppy wet sounds, and held the Pad closer to his ear only to hear that hated voice crooning, "This is what you're good for. Your mouth is another hole you've offered to me, willingly, for me to use this way. What a good, sweet girl you are, giving me so much pleasure-"

Will gagged, "Ugh! That disgusting, perverted…!" He moved the Pad away from his face, then reluctantly touched the screen and rewound to before they started. He reached the beginning of the clip, pressed play again and quickly realized that he would have to turn the volume up fully in order to hear their conversation. Glancing anxiously at the door, he pressed the volume key.

"Helen Magnus…" Tesla hissed in his habitual scornful tone as he circled his wife. She stood there completely nude while he was fully clothed in one of those ridiculous suits. "Philanthropist, crypto-zoologist, doctor." He stopped behind her and leaned over her shoulder to whisper in her ear. Will growled frustrated at the inability to hear whatever that bastard said that put the distressed look on Helen's face. The Serb slid his arms around her and rested his hands around her waist. "Hm, getting a little beefy here, are we?" he said archly then reached for her ample bosom. His long fingers spread over and squeezed the tender flesh, reminding Will of the talons of a bird of prey.

"A bit lacking here though." He laughed when she protested inaudibly. "Yes, yes, I know you'd like to think that you're more than a body, but since the accident…" Helen shook her head, but Tesla continued. "You know that you're stupid now. Brain damaged. Useless. I let you do the make-work you've found for yourself. All that cooking and cleaning. I know you do it to make yourself feel like you're still worth something, like you still have something to contribute." Helen protested inaudibly again until Tesla shushed her. "Be quiet. You know that the only thing you excel at anymore is spreading your legs. Unfortunately, I've been getting a little tired of that loose pussy of yours lately."

She audibly protested, "No it's not!" Tesla covered her mouth with his hand. "So many, many men have had it. What a dirty, horny thing you were. Always enjoying a ride. Nigel was the only one you left out. Admit it!" He released her with a little shove, pushing her toward the bed. She looked down shamefacedly but said nothing. "That's right. Too ashamed to even say what a lustful tom you were." "Please, don't call me that! You know I hate it!" Tesla hesitated for a moment then continued, "Alright, I apologize, but only because you are different now. You are only for me now. You want only me. To please only me." Helen nodded, "Yes, darling. Please let me…" He let her reach for his tie and begin undressing him.

Once he was as naked as her, he pushed her down on the bed and crooned patronizingly, "My good, obedient wife. I think I will show you exactly what you can do to best prove your worth to me…"

Will quickly shut the screen off, already knowing what was coming next. For several long silent moments he just sat there, directionless, his thoughts swirling in conflicting directions. 'It's really true…some part of me didn't want to believe it…how can she bear it? I guess, she really doesn't know any better, with the way he's mindfucked her-ugh, more like literally…so disgusting, what kind of sick freak would do what he's done?! God, why does she let him…? She must believe she actually deserves this. Who knows how much psychological damage he's done…Why didn't I put a stop to this earlier?' The phone rang throwing him out of his reverie. He picked it up and answered reflexively only to experience a sensation like cold water being dumped on him when he heard Helen's voice.

"Will, do you have Nikola's Pad? Henry has been asking for it and Big Guy said he gave it to you." Will stuttered, "Did I see-I mean, yeah. I have it. Did Big Guy tell you-um, uh, anything?" "What? No, he just said you have it. Why, did he want to tell me something?" Will laughed nervously, "No, no. I'll get the Pad to Henry ASAP. Big Guy must have got tired of it. He's really not interested in technology. I don't know why Henry was having him look at it!" Helen replied with a doubtful tone, "Uh, I guess so. Just, make sure it gets back quick. I don't want Nikola to have to worry about any problems with the system when he returns." She hung up with a click, not even bothering to say goodbye.

Will shook his head disgusted by how well Tesla had her brainwashed. Abruptly, he decided on a course of action and pulled open a desk drawer to get a cable. He quickly opened the file and downloaded it onto his laptop then deleted the original. "There. No reason for Henry to have to see what I've seen, and now I have proof. Fuck that bastard." He muttered to himself, then wheeled his way to the door, the Pad in his lap.

…

"I'm so glad you're home!" Helen exclaimed with an ecstatic smile as she embraced her husband. "How was Tokyo? I heard it was very hot there." Nikola nodded, "It was like stepping into a steam room it was so humid. Worse than here anyway." Helen took her husband by the arm and guided him to the car. "Did you have a good time setting up their generator?" He nodded absently as he opened the passenger door and held it open for her. She let go of his arm, shook her head at him with a little smirk then walked around to the driver's side and got in. Nikola huffed with amusement then got it the passenger's seat.

"Enjoying driving this marvel of electrical engineering?" "Ha ha. Yes, I've been doing a lot while you were gone. We were able to cure those hornets you were so fascinated by-" "Are they still around? I really think there's a lot I could learn about electrical generation from a biological example like that-" "Sorry, they went home to Madagascar already, but they left behind an even more interesting abnormal. They had some parasites that fed off their bioelectricity-that was why they were so sluggish-and they ended up getting into our wireless network through the sensors."

Nikola's eyes widened, "Really? What sort of effect did they have?" Helen scoffed, "They screwed up every computer and Pad in the Sanctuary. Scrambled the files mostly-" "Did we lose data?" She shook her head, "No, just made a bunch of work for Henry, putting everything back where it should be." Nikola relaxed and placed his hand on her knee. "Am I going home to the drudgery of helping him, or has it already been taken care of?" Helen patted his hand then casually moved it a little further up. Nikola grinned roguishly and squeezed her thigh. She hummed distracted, "Ah, yes, it has. We even put the little beasties in containment…"

She glanced at him sidelong, giving him a flirtatious look. "After such a long flight, I bet you can't wait to get back to your own bed." Her husband slid his hand a little further up. "I'm not sure I can wait…" She slapped his hand away playfully and laughed, "I'm driving!" He hummed seductively and leaned into her space, "There's a good spot to park just up there…"

…

"Come on Helen…It was such a long trip…" Tesla was whining as the couple made their way down the hall from the elevator. Will curled his lip as he overheard yet another example of the man's long running sexual harassment of Magnus. With effort he managed to wipe the look of contempt off his face long enough to pass them in the hall. Tesla didn't manage to hide his look of annoyance fast enough when he had to step aside to let Will's wheelchair pass. Helen greeted him with stilted politeness while Tesla merely gave a curt hello.

After returning Helen's greeting Will got right to the point. "You're back. How did the work go?" The older man rolled his eyes and sighed, "Well enough I suppose. Installation went flawlessly. I worked nonstop and had it done in three days, then Onryuji made me stay for the rest of the time, just in case there were any problems. I don't know if he was just being overly cautious or if it was some sort of passive aggressive criticism-" Will snorted, "Probably the latter. Doing it that fast probably looked negligent to him. The way everything is always about your own convenience…" He scoffed smugly, "One day some careless move is going to jump up and bite you." Tesla raised one brow, stared down his long nose archly and replied in a voice dripping with sarcasm, "Thank you for that pearl of wisdom."

Helen sighed annoyed by the pissing contest. "Well, now that you're all caught up, I'm sure Nikola is jet lagged, so goodbye Will." She grabbed her husband by the arm and pulled him toward their door. Will crinkled his nose as he heard Tesla's voice trailing down the hall, "Ooh, can't wait, can you!" He was only able to relax when he heard the click of door closing. As he wheeled toward the elevator he muttered, "when the time is right…"

…

"What did you do during the extra four days you were stuck there?" Helen took off his coat and hung it up for him. The inventor loosened his tie and smiled at his wife. "I saw the sights…found a bit of a red light district-" She guffawed, "Of course you did! Sex addiction is just over the horizon, you know." He came up behind her and put a book in front of her face. She took it from him and started thumbing through the glossy photos of women of various ethnicities tied artfully with jute rope. "They turn everything into an artform it seems…" she mused as her eyes ran over a particularly fancy leg bind. The ropes made an exquisite herringbone pattern as they bound shin to thigh, forcing the model's legs wide open. "It looks like a lot of work." Nikola produced some rope with a jaunty smile. "Want to help me practice?"

…

Helen straightened her posture as the first candidate came in for interviews. Will sat behind the table on her right side, slightly too close for comfort and looked at her pointedly. Apparently, he wanted to put her on the spot a little for making him find a new veterinarian to replace Tanya. She cleared her throat nervously and gestured for the middle-aged man to sit down across from them.

"I'm Helen Magnus and this is Will Zimmerman. It's good to finally meet you Mr. Buga-Bugayis-" "Bugajski." She smiled wanly, "Ah yes, Bugajski. Now, it says here that the majority of your background was in Animal Science, especially livestock, then you decided to change to small animal veterinary practice. There you worked with not only mammals, but also lizards and birds. This certainly makes you a strong candidate for the position, but I must ask, have you any experience in entomology, microbiology and paleontology?" The slightly balding fellow, smiled excitedly, "Yes, amateur paleontology has been my hobby for quite some time, and we often got tarantulas at the clinic, so I was forced to pick up some entomology. As for microbiology, I've had the standard training that all veterinarians go through."

Helen smiled at him more genuinely and began asking him how he became aware of the existence of abnormals. As he told his story of working with the Sydney Sanctuary due to having many abnormal clients, she carefully took in his expression. When she asked about his coworkers a microexpression of annoyance flashed over his face. He tried to make light of various office conflicts with veterinary assistants, but she was starting to get a bad feeling. Carefully masking her suspicions, she thanked him for his time and sent him on his way. By his broad smile as he left it seemed that he thought he had the job in the bag.

The moment the door closed she turned to Will and asked, "What was your impression?" The young man immediately answered, "He seemed imminently qualified. Has all the qualifications we're looking for, an interest in learning more, close and trusted relations with another Sanctuary-" Helen raised one brow archly and looked down her nose at him. Will frowned at the familiar expression on her face and added, "and he probably abuses his staff somehow." Helen smiled and nodded, "Good, you caught it. Now why you let Tanya slip through…she's a troublemaker and shirker. You know that. Why would you pick her?" Will sighed, "There just wasn't anyone I could picture filling your shoes."

When she scoffed and rolled her eyes, Will's gaze softened and he smiled slowly. "You…You know you're becoming more like your old self. Have you been noticing any changes with concentration, attention span, that sort of thing?" Nonplussed by his sudden change in topic and the personal nature of his queries, Helen replied, "I haven't thought about it. Really, that is a matter for me to discuss with my doctor-" Will nodded sagely, "Yes, you should make an appointment and be assessed. Who knows how much you've healed without noticing. Maybe it is time you resumed your studies and-" She frowned with annoyance. "That's really none of your business Will." "But it is. If you're going to be taking a more active role in the Sanctuary again-"

She leaned away from him, exasperated by how he was leaning into her space intrusively. "Will, stop. You're making me uncomfortable." He just huffed with amusement and leaned back a bit. "Sorry, I'm just happy for you. You'll see the neurologist soon I'm sure. Tesla has probably booked your appointment already." His smirk had a hint of malice as he turned back to the papers on the desk. Helen was disturbed by his poorly hidden hatred and abruptly stood up. Will's head shot up. "Where are you going? We should go over these other applicants and pick the next one to interview." Helen shook her head. "Call the German next. Have her come tomorrow afternoon. I have a good feeling about her."

Turning on her heel she left the room, heels clicking confidently on the hardwood floor until she closed Will's door behind herself. She shook her head sadly, not sure what to feel about the way Will was acting. The young man was proving to be a disappointment to her. Her journal entries were filled with compliments, comparing him to her dear friend James. Though he had the same talent for observation he didn't seem to know what to do with his knowledge. In her entries she had always attributed it to inexperience, but now she wasn't so sure. Was he so sure of his powers of persuasion that he was willing to settle for people who weren't the best?

Alone in the elevator, she allowed herself a moment of weakness and cried a few tears. The expectations he put upon her, to get better and go back to being the old Helen Magnus, had been very painful. She knew she was not that person anymore. Time reading various books and journals in the library had confirmed it. So far as she could tell the damage was permanent. There would be no miraculous recovery of her intellectual prowess.

She sniffed and wiped away her tears as the elevator neared its destination. Tossing her hair over her shoulder she comforted herself with the knowledge that her physical energy and skills were returning. Sunny had been reluctant to spar with her at first, but soon enough was having trouble keeping up. The only thing Helen hadn't regained yet was her marksmanship, but with some time on the shooting range, she was confident that it would come back to her. Yes, she could be a strong, confident Helen Magnus once more.

…

"Darling, it's not too tight for you is it?" Nikola asked solicitously as he pulled on the single column tie around her ankles, bringing them toward her throat, forcing her knees apart to expose her crotch. "I'm a bit breathless…" she gasped out and he hurriedly loosened the binding a bit until she commented, "That's okay." Her husband carefully tied off the ends of the rope into a quick release knot then stepped back to admire his handiwork. Helen's arms were folded neatly behind her back and tied securely to the rope that was artfully coiled like a harness around her back and chest. Her legs were folded and bound tightly to that same harness, letting him see everything. "This really is the sweetest part of you. I love having you displayed like this, your pretty pussy spread and ready. What a lovely position this is, so accessible."

He was enjoying teasing her while she was bound and helpless, but her sharp words put an end to that. "Yes, I'm sure it's wonderful for you. But, didn't the book say this was originally a form of torture? It certainly is uncomfortable enough." Nikola sighed and broke character. "Yes, the shrimp tie is supposed to be painful, but I didn't fold you up in half like that, so you feel alright don't you?" Helen wiggled her toes cutely. "For now, but I don't think I can stay this way for very long…" Nikola nodded, "Well, just let me know if you have any pain, numbness or tingling. Now, where is that vibrator..." He showed her the new toy. "The Hitachi Magic Wand, the reliable workhorse of the-" "Hurry up and-" "Very well, my impatient pet-" "Nikola!" He smirked evilly as he turned on the massager and pressed it against her clit. He was savoring her uninhibited moans, filling his eyes with the hypnotic sight of her flushed red face so close to her glistening sex, when there was a knock at the door of their suite.

Helen had a pained look on her face and whined, "Ignore it. Please, I'm so close…" Nikola huffed annoyed by the interruption then turned the vibrator off and yelled toward the door. "This better be an emergency!" He gave Helen's pussy a little pat then shut the curtains of their bed in her outraged face. "What?!" she squealed as he left her there momentarily and walked out of the bedroom to answer the door. Helen fumed but could do nothing, tied and naked, forced to wait there on the bed for her husband to return. She tensed her thighs and flexed her buttocks, feeling the throbbing ache of her swollen pussy. She had been right on the edge, why hadn't her husband just finished her off, then gone to answer the door? It was obvious he was enjoying torturing her while he had her helpless. After several moments passed her arms began to ache. No longer able to ignore her discomfort she called out for her husband, "Nikola! I need you!"

She heard the door slam and the hurried steps of her husband approach the bed. The curtains whipped apart to reveal his worried face. "Do you need me to untie you?" She nodded and curtly agreed, the pain becoming rather intense. He quickly pulled the slip knot and began untying her rapidly. She whimpered softly as he moved her arms away from her back to unwind the rope from around her forearms. Once he freed her, he carefully straightened her limbs, running his hands softly over the rope indented flesh. "Are you okay?" he whispered anxiously, looking over her body carefully. Helen waited for a while, letting the sensation of pain fade. "I-I think so…" She sat up slowly and flexed her fingers. The right hand seemed normal but the left felt weak. There was lingering numbness on the back of her left arm. She attempted to extend her left wrist and found herself unable to do so. "Huh." She tried to do a thumbs up and that was a no go as well. "Um, Nikola…I think we compressed a nerve…" Her husband cursed a blue streak, grabbed her clothes and threw them on the bed next to her. "Come on, I'll help you get dressed. We better go see Dr. Hughes."

…

"Wrist drop is a common enough injury. Tennis players get it. Sometimes it's called honeymoon palsy because you can get it from your spouse sleeping on your arm all night. Just wear the brace, do the physical therapy and you'll be right as rain soon enough." Nikola found Dr. Hughes' no-nonsense manner reassuring. Helen just nodded. She seemed unalarmed and cheerful at her good prognosis.

After they returned to their suite Nikola was deeply apologetic. "A little knowledge really is a dangerous thing. How could I be so careless? I can't tell you how sorry I am-" Helen waved it away with a gentle smile. "I know. I guess this means the suspension bondage is out-" "Oh my god, Helen. I don't want to hurt you-" She laughed, "I'm just rubbing it in a little, how incompetent you've proven to be. Why don't you make all this up to me by giving me that orgasm you owe me?"

…

"What happened to your arm?" Will asked the moment she sat down next to him. She stilled for a moment, thinking of an appropriate response. "Oh, it's silly. Dr. Hughes called it honeymoon palsy." Will examined her suspiciously. Her expression was the perfect mask of honesty as usual. Apparently, she had regained her skills at deception, but the light rope marks on her other arm gave him all the evidence he needed. "Did Tesla hurt you?" Helen scoffed and picked up the next candidate's CV. "Don't be ridiculous. It's caused by someone sleeping on your arm all night." Will pointed to the faint indentations in her skin. "I'm pretty sure that wouldn't leave you with rope burn." Helen frowned, annoyed by him not taking the hint. "And I'm pretty sure that you have crossed the boundaries of a professional relationship Dr. Zimmerman." They stared tensely at each other until there was a knock at the door. Helen abruptly smoothed her expression into polite professionalism and called, "Come in."

…

"Ms. Hoffman certainly seems qualified. An excellent zoologist accomplished in both research and applied veterinary medicine. Highly conscientious and agreeable." Will nodded in agreement, "Yes, yes, she is the best candidate yet, I'm sure. If you want to hire her then just say so." Helen sighed, "Are you even trying at this point? You seem a lot more invested in my personal life than in doing your job-" "My job means I have to protect the interests of the Sanctuary, and the safety and wellbeing of our staff-" Helen picked up her paperwork and tapped it neatly on the table, put it away then got to her feet. "I saw the doctor and he said I'll be fine-" "Maybe you have him fooled but I know your husband is abusing you. You don't have to accept it. Marital abuse is illegal-" "Nikola doesn't abuse me-" "It's practically rape-" "Oh my god! What is wrong with you?!"

Helen started for the door but stopped in her tracks at Will's next words, "I've seen the videos. You don't have to submit to…that sort of treatment-" "What on earth are you talking about, videos? I really don't-" Will put up a hand, and asked seriously, "Tesla's videos of you two together. Didn't you know about them?" Helen stood there frozen, unable to process what he was saying to her. "I-I really don't know what you're talking about…" she muttered, frowning with confusion. The psychologist let the words hang in the air between them for a long moment, letting a look of deep disappointment cross his face. "Oh. I see." He looked down at his folded hands. "Well, remember the computer problems we were having because of those electrical parasites infesting the system?" Helen nodded absently. "They scrambled a bunch of files on everyone's devices, including Tesla's Pad…and, well, it was brought to my attention that he had some personal videos of you two on there. Anyway, I erased it...but, I have to say that the way he treats you-" Helen cut him off with a raised hand and a cry. "Stop!"

She took a step toward him then stopped bewildered, angry tears in her eyes. "You mean to say that he's been recording me, recording us?!" Will nodded once then watched Helen's fury grow. "That! That fucking bastard! And he was keeping it on his fucking Pad!" Will sat there awkwardly in his wheelchair as she raged. "I'll…I'm going to wring his neck!" "Helen-I-" She screamed and threw up her hands. "Shut up!" Will watched eyes wide as she turned on her heel and stormed out of the room, wincing as she slammed the door behind her. In the ringing silence that followed he snorted out a laugh. "Glad I'm not him."

…

Nikola was enjoying a hot bath when he heard the door to their suite boom open and his wife's voice scream his name. Believing the Sanctuary was under attack he jumped out of the tub a bit too fast and slipped, landing hard on the floor. "Ah, shit!" he yelped, his hip stinging as he sprawled there naked on the floor, momentarily stunned. That's how Helen found him when she threw open the bathroom door with a mighty bang. "You son of a bitch!" she screeched, eyes alight with an avenging wrath. She lunged toward him and kicked him in the stomach. The sharp toe of her shoe jabbed the air out of him with a wheeze. He reflexively curled up in a ball and put his arms around his head as she tried to take aim first at his testicles and then his face. "Wha-Why?!" he managed to shout out once he was sure he wouldn't vomit. "You! You recorded us having sex and left it on your Pad! You fucking asshole!" He winced as she kicked him hard in the shin, then tried to scramble to his feet when she started to circle him to aim for his kidney.

A long-nailed hand seized him by the hair and pulled him around to face her. "What the hell were you thinking?! Do you know how I found out?!" Nikola's eyes teared up involuntarily as her merciless grip started to rip hairs out by the root. He gave up resisting her and shrank in on himself, feeling small and ashamed. "How?" he whispered, brow creased with worry. At these signs of remorse Helen softened her grip slightly, then pushed him away with a disgusted growl. "Will saw it on your Pad when we were having those computer problems. Ugh! Can you imagine-He kept saying, 'You don't have to take the abuse!' or something like that. I can't believe-!" She rounded on him again and he cringed and closed his eyes, waiting for her to slap him.

When the hit didn't land he carefully opened his eyes again to find his wife staring at him strangely. He followed her gaze and saw that he was half hard. Embarrassed, he covered himself with his hands, "I'm sorry." They stood there in an awkward silence until Helen let out a disappointed whine. "Why? Why are you like this? Is that it? You get off on me…" She huffed and turned toward the door saying simply, "This isn't…enjoyable." Nikola groaned, "Please! I-It was stupid! I'm so sorry! It was encrypted, I swear!" Helen looked at him over her shoulder, shooting him a look of pure disgust, "How can you be such a liar? What kind of man are you?" then left him there to think about what he had done.

…