Disclaimer: I own only what is mine. Which is relatively little.
Chapter Six: A Chance in Hell
Tesla strode into Helen's office. "If you want to take my clothes off again, you better do it now. I may not be coming back."
Helen looked at him with complete bewilderment. "What?"
He walked around her desk until he stood beside where she sat. "I'm serious, Helen. This is the last chance we could ever have," he said with his typical smirk.
She stood and narrowed her eyes at him. "What… Where are you going?"
"Not so much where as when," Tesla replied.
"The time machine," Helen said, still looking solidly at him. Suddenly her eyes widened. "No. You're not… You're going to get vampire blood from the source aren't you?"
Tesla grinned. "Wish me luck." Before Helen could respond, he grabbed her by the shoulders and kissed her. Then he turned and left the office.
Helen stood shocked for a moment before hurrying to follow him. "Nikola, wait," she called after him.
Tesla rushed into the lab, where Alice stood waiting by the time machine.
"Time to go," he said.
Alice held out a small black bag. "Here's all the stuff you asked for. Are you sure you don't want me to come with you? I mean, I have a lot more experience with the machine."
Tesla took the bag and shook his head. "Not a good idea. You'd look like a tasty snack to a bunch of vampires."
"So would you," Alice said. "Or have you forgotten that you're human now?"
Tesla grimaced at the word. "I'm willing to take that chance. Besides, I've still got traces of the source blood. Maybe they're recognize me as family."
"And what if you don't make it back?" Alice asked. "Not to sound selfish, but I'd be stuck here."
Tesla grabbed a piece of paper off of the table and scribbled something on it. "Provided the time machine withstands the ravages of time, this is where it will be," he said, pressing the paper into Alice's hand. Then he stepped up to the machine, checked that the dials where set properly, and pulled the lever.
When Helen burst into the room a moment later, she found Alice alone, looking at the scrap of paper in her hand.
"How could you let him do it?" Helen demanded.
The younger woman looked up at her. "I've owed him this for a hundred and twenty years. So now I guess we're even." She looked back down at the piece of paper.
"What's that?" Helen asked.
"It's where we'll find the time machine if he doesn't come back," Alice said, holding the paper out to Helen.
She took the paper and read the single word scrawled upon it. "Dear God."
Bhalasaam.
A/N: Very short chapter, I know, which is why I'm uploading this one along with the next one. I'm not that mean.