Tesla prowled his cell restlessly. It was five in the morning and sleep had eluded him. Without a lab he really couldn't examine any of his theories further and now that the Sanctuary was silent and everyone asleep – well, except those that didn't sleep, and they weren't the sort of company Tesla usually kept – he had no outlet for his energy. Idleness and frustration caused him to pace back and forth like a caged tiger.
"Nikola, you're awake." Helen walked into the Shoe. He stopped pacing and came to stand facing her.
"Helen, you're awake." He echoed in reply.
"I'm glad you're up. I think I have something." Helen's faced glowed.
"Shall I call my cobbler and alert the Fire Department or roll up my sleeve and find a vein?" Nikola asked, eying her warily.
"Vein, I'm afraid." Helen said sympathetically. "I've found a way to synthesize your cellular proteins – the healthy ones – to adhere to and enhance your living cells' ability to withstand the effects of the electromagnetic energy they're creating. It will need to be a maintenance drug because it eventually breaks down."
"Perfect, as soon as I stop taking my vampire drugs I'm on magnet drugs." Nikola said wearily.
"If it works over the next several days, I'll try to create a version that can be taken orally. I strongly suspect that one of the side effects of this treatment is going to be strengthening your body cells to the point that they will resist penetration."
Now Nikola looked intrigued. "Really? Needles won't puncture? Bullets will bounce off of my chest? I always hated being shot." He mused.
Helen smiled. "We'll see."
"Well even if I don't turn into Superman, I'll be…" Nikola paused, seeing Helen's eyebrows rise. "What? Of course I know who Superman is! What do you people think I do when I'm not here? Sleep in a coffin under a church? When did I get this reputation for being out of touch with the times? I created the times!"
Helen was laughing aloud now. She held up a syringe and shook it a little. "Do you mind?" She asked.
"Not at all, my bloodthirsty darling. Please come in and stab me." Nikola beckoned. She pressed the release button for the cell door and stepped in. It closed behind her. Nikola removed his jacket and unclipped his right cufflink, neatly rolling the miraculously unwrinkled linen of his sleeve up to his bicep.
Helen uncapped the syringe and gently pressed the inside of his elbow until she found a vein. "This may sting a bit." She warned in a teasing tone, swabbing the area with an antibacterial wipe.
"Do your worst." Nikola retorted with bravado leaning into her with a smile. "Just like old times." He murmured in her ear with a smirk. Then his face changed, blanked. The air in the room suddenly seemed to hum and several light bulbs shattered overhead. "Helen, get out of here." He said in a hoarse voice. She blinked. He grabbed her arm and an electrical charge shot through her, causing her hair to stand on end. "Go!" He shouted the command, releasing her arm and backing away from her with visible effort.
She scrambled – still holding the syringe – for the keypad at the door. Not fast enough. Nikola pinned her against the clear wall, whirling her to face him, his arms wrapping around her waist and ribs in a bruising embrace. His eyes were wild, his pupils mere pinpoints in the light irises. He bent and kissed her roughly as she struggled against him. She freed her right hand, still gripping the syringe, and jabbed it into his side, depressing the plunger. For several long and terrifying moments he was frozen, crushing the breath from her lungs. Then, his arms loosened and his lips – still pressed against hers – gentled. He pulled back from her and met her gaze with a puzzled expression, his pupils adjusted to normal as he blinked. He looked down at their clinch and slowly smiled.
"Brilliant girl." He whispered in admiration. He glanced at her swollen lips and his eyes darkened with intent. He tilted his head and kissed her again. The hand at her waist moved to tangle in her dark hair and his lips coaxed hers until she sighed and softened her mouth beneath his. They melted together, lips tugging and breaths merging. Her hands rose from her sides to skim over his trim waist and sides, dislodging the syringe in the process and causing him to jerk at the brief pain and loosen his hold on her.
"Doctor, I'm afraid your injection technique needs work…but your bedside manner more than makes up for it." Nikola murmured huskily, brushing back a fall of her dark hair. Helen's face colored and she ducked her head. Nikola caught her chin and lifted her face to meet his darkened gaze. "No no, don't hide from me, Helen Magnus. You can't just kiss a man in a fish bowl for all the world to see and then play the blushing maiden."
"Nikola." Helen said in a chiding tone.
"Mm." He hummed, inspecting her. "The blush really is lovely though. There was a time when your blushes forced me from a room."
She frowned without comprehension.
"All that blood, darling. I wanted to eat you so badly." He smirked and wiggled his brows. "There was only one thing I wanted to do to you more…"
"Saucy." Helen rolled her eyes.
"Call it what you will. My partiality, of which you are doubtless aware, for your lovely…person…has saved your lovely life more than once." Nikola chuckled. "Am I free to go, Doctor?"
"I want to run some tests on your blood."
"Words that couldn't fail to warm a man's heart." Nikola declared. He released her and quickly smoothed his ruffled clothing, unrolling and linking his sleeve and donning his jacket. He offered his elbow to her. "Shall we then to your lab, my love?"
"Tesla? What brings you here?" Will said with surprise three days later when he walked into his office to find the man in question sprawled gracefully in a chair.
"Helen suggested I pay you a visit. I'm keen on pleasing her, you see, because I depend on her to unlock my door in the morning for the foreseeable future."
"Is there…something you wanted to talk about?' Will asked cautiously. "How are you feeling?"
"Oh, feeling? Yes, let's talk about feelings, young man. How do you suppose I'm feeling? I might be a ticking time bomb. I'm being locked away at night. I'm in mourning for the lost mighty race of the Vampires." Nikola sat up smoothly and brushed at some invisible dust on his sleeve.
"You're being flippant but I think a mourning period is appropriate. The vampire qualities, the strength, the speed, the...manicure, you're going to have to live without now." Will said.
"Even with the incredible physical advantages of my vampire self, I was still more brain than brawn. I'll survive." Nikola said dismissively. Then he huffed out a breath of realization and pressed a hand to his stomach. "I'm going to have to start exercising again or my clothes won't fit."
"Welcome to America." Kate said wryly from the doorway. "Home of the Whopper."
"My dear, how do you feel?" Nikola gave her a charming smile filled to the brim with concern and contrition. Kate gave him a sour look and moved into the room with the careful pace of someone who is in pain.
"Like I was shoved through a plate glass window by a psychopath." She replied.
"I apologize for that, of course. I wasn't myself." Nikola said with an expansive gesture for her to sit.
"Whatever." Kate said. She sat on the couch gingerly. "You seemed more like yourself than ever, Magneto."
Nikola sighed in disgust. "You are an appalling creature." He said. "All female and no lady."
"Thanks." Kate said smugly.
Nikola's teeth snapped in a fair imitation of their former vampiric way and he cast her a bloody glare but held his tongue. Relaxing back into the chair cushions he languidly crossed a leg over his knee and ignored her, saying to Will, "I think we've made progress, don't you? If this dainty pearl of femininity and grace isn't enough to cause me to explode like Chernobyl - which, by the way, was an accident - then I think Helen's treatment must be working."
"We still haven't established what actually caused the rages." Will reminded him. "They seemed to be unprovoked."
"How can one not be provoked by her?" Nikola waved a hand at Kate testily. Will gave him a level look and Nikola relented. "Fine, fine, look into my mind, Doctor Helpless, help me overcome my guilt or forgive my mother or whatever it is that you do here."
"What was your relationship with your mother like?" Will asked, latching onto Tesla's idle remark.
"You're trying Freud with me? You know he was a humorless quack who couldn't get a date? My mother! Honestly! I told Helen this was a waste of my time." Nikola rose sleekly to his feet. "I have better things to do before the white lab coats take me back to my prison for the evening." He pivoted on his heel and strolled out the door with a grace that belied the swiftness of his movements.
"Mommy issues." Kate whispered with certainty. Will cast a warning glance at her, but ruined it by smiling.
"I heard that." Tesla's voice came from down the corridor. Will and Kate laughed out loud.