Chapter 8

Nikola had no idea what time it was, or even how long he'd been out for. He was locked in what looked like an old army bunker; this room must've been a storage compartment of something at one point, now it was his prison.

The walls were bare and grimy, as well as the chair he was chained to. With his vampiric strength he could easily break through his bonds, but that wasn't the plan, he was to wait here until Helen came back for him, or a maximum of five days if she didn't.

Nikola cracked an eye open. He had no concept of time it was but he'd already begun counting.

He cracked his neck, sleeping in a chair was hardly pleasant on the joints but it wasn't like he could request better accommodation, he just hope Helen faired better than he did.

~~~~Elsewhere~~~~

Helen sat across from Neil in the small sparse room. Neil was talking to one of his men in a hushed voice about something. Helen didn't really care; she was more engrossed in her own thoughts than in Parson's secrets. She wanted to see him; it had been only about six hours since they had parted company, both playing their parts brilliantly, but now she worried. She wondered if Neil had lied to her, if Nikola was even nearby, if he was hurt…she didn't know, and she didn't like not knowing.

She only had a brief sleep when she arrived to this old war bunker last night; she spent most of the night pacing and roaming to all the places Neil said she could go. So she searched, feigning nervousness and anxiety for Neil when in actuality she was marking all the exits and passageways, planning her and Nikola's escape when the time came.

There was one vent that led to a tunnel that possibly led to a sewer, as Neil had explained to her; there was the main entrance that led up into the forest, and there was a network of tunnels below them led into the heart of Vienna.

Helen favored the first two routes as opposed to the third, but she made plans to use all three in case one or both of the first exits were blocked from them.

Neil finished chatting with his man and waved him off dismissively.

Once he was gone Neil turned to Helen.

"You've been awful quiet Helena," he said softly.

"I'm sorry," Helen blinked. "It's hard not to be a bit daunted by all this."

Neil nodded.

"I know, but we won't be here long, I promise," he took her hand gently. "Once we have the go ahead to proceed with the right information from our friend, we'll be out of here and headed back to America."

Helen squeezed his hand gently then released it.

"It's going to take awhile for me to get used to all this, I've never done something so…so scandalous before," Helen forced a blush. "I can't even fathom what my mother would say."

"My mom would probably say "Good on ya, honey," but she was a flapper in her youth so she is biased," Neil joked lightheartedly.

It was a shame really, Neil really was a nice guy, it was just too bad he marred it all with his evil schemes.

"Can I see him?" asked Helen. "I want to…it's ridiculous but I feel I need to…please?"

Neil bit his lip slightly.

"Helena, he's dangerous, I wouldn't trust him to take to your presence kindly."

"I know but…I think he need to hear it from me…it would ease my conscience a little knowing I told him myself why I did what I did…after that maybe I can…put this all behind me and accept my new life…with you."

She visibly saw him melt at her words.

"Helena, I…"

"Yes, Neil," she forced a sweet smile. She hoped it would be enough to draw out some information from him.

"I haven't been completely honest with you," he looked down sheepishly. "I'm not really supposed to…I did it for your own protection but I'll protect you now so…and at the time I didn't know you'd so quickly become so…important to me."

"What is it Neil?" she asked.

"I'm not really military…I was…and I work for a top secret faction of the military…military scientists and all. With what's going on with Russia, they've been rounding up some of the best minds in the country, and people with special skills…unique and extraordinary skills to keep the Americas as the power holder in the world. Your friend, he's one of those people we want, but he's also very dangerous…he had a mind like Nikola Tesla's, and with his ties to Serbian heritage and lackluster loyalty, it was my prerogative to get him under control before he began working for the other side. He masqueraded as a high school teacher in Colorado before we caught on to him, and he's been running ever since. I don't know who he thinks we are, and running to Vienna makes him quite suspicious. That's why we're questioning him here first, in case he's a security risk."

"I see," Helen bit her lip thoughtfully. "I appreciate your honesty Neil, thank you."

"You deserve as much," he smiled kindly to her.

"Let me see him, I'm sure I could get him to tell me something, let me help," Helen grasped his hand tightly. "If he still loves me he'll tell me something, anything, just give me the room alone with him, no bugs, no cameras, I'll get you answers."

"You have no training for such a thing," Neil scoffed.

"I was a teenage girl once Dr. Parsons, I know how to get boys to give me what I want…it's called flirting. If you ask me there's a fine line between flirting and interrogation."

Neil laughed.

"Oh Helena, you are remarkable."

"Please, let me see him, he won't harm me, I know it."

"Alright, I'll give you twenty minutes, after that I'm coming in to get you."

Helen nodded.

"Without any eyes or ears?"

"Not a one, I promise."

Helen leaned over and pecked his cheek.

"Thank you, Neil."

She swore he blushed a little at the action, so she just sat back downand smiled again. He was playing right into her hand.

~~~~Later~~~~
Neil led Heen further into the bunker.

It wasn't heavily guarded which was a good thing, but it was dark and cramped.

Helen clung to Neil, more so not to get lost than out of fear. He led her right to a dark corridor with a large steel door.

"This it it," he mumbled.

"No eyes or ears as promised?" she asked.

"Just go in and disable them," sighed Neil. "You have twenty minutes with him, and that's it, then I barge in,"

"Where are they?" she asked.

"There is a camera on the wall by the door, see?" he pointed out the two cables coming out of a hole in the wall. "And three microphones, just follow the cables. I figured if he saw you disable them he'd be more trusting."

Helen nodded.

"Good idea," she smiled softly.

"Be careful," Neil grasped her hands gently. I couldn't forgive myself if he hurt you."

"He won't, but I will…be careful," she pecked his cheek again.

It really was a shame he was working for the bad side.

Neil opened the door.

"I'll be right here, just bang on the door if anything happens," said Neil as he unlocked the door.

Helen nodded her thanks before hesitantly making her way inside the room.

Her eyes fell on him. His arms were tied behind the back of the chair, his head slumped forward, a patch of dried blood on his collar, the top three buttons torn. His chest moved in and out raggedly with each breath, and Helen could just see from this angle that his nose had been broken. It pained her to see him all battered and bruised; despite his acute healing capabilities she'd have to reset his nose for him for it to heal properly.

She firstly disabled the cameras and microphones and double-checked that they were the only ones in the room before making her approach over to him. He was still unconscious as far as she could tell.

She came up to him and gently grasped his nose in her finger before snapping it back with a loud sickening crack.

Nikola sprung awake with a muffled yelp.

His eyes met hers with a small appreciative smile.

"Helena?" he said, maintaining character, though his eyes betrayed him.

Helen smirked.

"It's just us Nikola, no one's listening," she reassured.

"Oh thank god, I don't know how long I could keep that up, it's so sappy," he sighed. He wiggled his nose and then snorted, a single shot of blood firing out of his nostrils and on to the floor by Helen's feet. "Thank you, by the way."

Helen looked down, unimpressed, at the spot of blood then back at him.

"Charmed, I'm sure," Helen reached into Nikola's pants pocket.

"Oh Helen, not here they might hear us," Nikola teased and batted his eyelashes playfully.

Helen pulled out his spare handkerchief and held it up for him to see with a roll of her eyes before using it to wipe his face with.

Nikola grinned but accepted the face cleaning with appreciation.

"Thank you, darling," he mumbled as she finished.

"How've they been treating you?" she asked.

"Splendidly, I have room service coming in an hour, and a German massage scheduled at three. What do you think?" Nikola muttered sardonically. "And I could ask you the same question."

"Well the food isn't five star but it's far from horrible, and Neil all but proposed to me. He's fixing his story, adding more truth…he's waiting outside," she lowered her voice slightly.

"How long have I been here? I've lost track," Nikola lowered his voice as well.

"6 hours, give or take, it should be past midnight by now," she looked down at her watch.

"Really? It felt longer than that."

"How long have you been unconscious?"

"I don't know, I've been wavering in and out between sessions," he answered.

"How many of these sessions have you had?" she asked.

'Three…no two…no three, first one was kind of the orientation, then came the questions, followed by some fist work from your boyfriend, by the way, he may look like a small man but he hits like a gorilla."

"Are you alright?" she ran her hand up through his hair affectionately and he inhaled sharply, his head moving against her hand to maintain contact.

"Mmm, I missed you," he growled in the back of his throat and Helen rolled her eyes.

"I was moving your hair," she huffed.

"Sure you were," he winked which earned him a frown.

"Would you like me to break your nose again?" she glared at him.

"No, I'm fine," he shrugged. "But you could untie me, this position is making my shoulders ache," he whined.

"I can't, Neil will he here any moment and I can't have you giving me away," she warned.

"So you're not busting me out?" Nikola looked at her a touch lost.

"Not this time, I'm afraid. I wanted to make sure you were ok, as well as plan out an escape route," Helen kept her voice low.

"Will you divulge your plan to me, my love?" he grinned facetiously and she glowered at him.

"Not here," she sighed. "Not now."

"So how do you suggest we go about it?" he looked up at her expecting an answer.

"Can you cry?" she asked.

"Only if you break my heart," he answered jokingly and Helen humphed at him in response, then poked him in the eye.

Nikola yelped.

""Why would you do that?" he whined, his eyes squeezing shut and watering over.

"Oh look tears!" Helen proclaimed innocently.

"That hurts you know," he mumbled trying to blink his eyes causing more water to fall down his cheeks.

"Good now keep that up and act a bit more betrayed, I just used your affections to turn you over for Pete's sake," Helen instructed.

"You poked me in the eye!" he accused.

"Only to get the tears started, now cry man, cry, or I'll poke the other one!" she threatened.

"Well what are we looking for? Sobbing mess? Pathetic heartbreak? Or simple sad face?" offered Nikola.

"Someplace between pathetic sob and simple sad face," Helen shrugged. "You're the one who slept with the actresses not me."

"Only three of them, and one was technically a cabaret dancer, and boy could she dance. She did this things with her leg, she'd have it wrapped around my-"

Helen poked his other eye.

"Ow! Why?" he cried.

"That's not helping!" Helen rolled her eyes. "The last ting we need is for you to be aroused and sobbing.

"Good point," Nikola mumbled blinking both eyes.

"And by the way," she leant down and pecked his cheek. "That's for being so brave."

She smirked at him and he eyes her through his squinted eyes.

"Oh yah, and that helps with the crying," he mumbled sardonically.

Helen rolled her eyes at him again.

"It's your own damn fault, if you'd just stayed under the radar instead of showing off and attracting the intentions of some pseudo-military branch who want to use brilliant minds and strange creatures as a method to beat the Russians, none of this would've happened, and you would be off cavorting with the school teacher instead of being tied up in a German war bunker."

"I am aware of that," Nikola kept blinking.

"So you agree with me?" Helen asked condescendingly.

"Only because you'll hit me if I don't," he gave her a sardonic smile.

"Good, now tears," she ordered.

"I'm working on them," he grumbled.

"Work harder," she demanded.

"Fine," he muttered and closed his eyes, as if meditating.

"What are you doing?" Helen groaned.

"Searching my soul for sadness," he muttered back.

"Oh good lord…" Helen rolled her eyes.

Nikola opened his eyes and Helen's eyes were stopped mid-roll.

It was ridiculous, but her heart knew that look, several times in fact. She'd seen it before in the near century they'd known each other, more than once, in the few times he'd allowed himself to be honest and vulnerable with her.

She stood stunned, her heart twinging at the sight of those two blues eyes, swirling with what she could only describe as a dark, hurtful sadness. Nikola didn't bring fake tears and loud sobs, just a look that made her feel like she had ripped out the heart of a child and stomped it under her boot.

Helen's own eyes, strangely enough, began tearing up, and her vision blurred and before she realized she was crying Neil burst in on the tense moment.

Helen broke away first, a mix of emotions, not really understanding why it affected her so much.

"Oh…Neil," she sniffled and quickly wiped her eyes.

"Is everything all right?" he asked.

Nikola shot his gaze down, playing his part; he was always just playing his part.

"Yes, we're…we're done now," she eyed him out of the corner of her eyes, subtly signaling him one last message before letting Neil lead her out of the room.

As they went out two heavy-muscled goons stepped and cracked their knuckles. Nikola instantly turned off the façade and looked up at them.

"Please," he begged. "Not the face."

~~~~Elsewhere~~~~

Helen got out into the hall, and Neil shut the door behind them.

"Helena, are you ok? Did he hurt you? Did he…"

"No, no…no nothing like that…it's just…I was prepared for him to yell as me, to scream, struggle, anything but that. Did you see him? He looks so…defeated, I've never done that to a person," she shook her head, wiping her eyes.

Neil placed a hand on her shoulder.

It wasn't comforting. This whole escapade was a reminder to her of the costs of knowing someone for too long: all the small things hurt a bit, especially when it came to Nikola. Their shared past was complicated; one part incredibly close friends, and one part ex-lovers, and one part painful memories. If there was one man who could hurt her the most it was Nikola.

She took Neil's hand off her shoulder and squeezed it gently before releasing it and stepping back.

"I think I'd like to lie down…by myself for a bit…I'm tired," she sighed. She was tired.

"Yes, of course, I'll escort you to your room," he offered and she accepted.

They walked in a deafening silence through the bunker. Helen's eyes felt dry and weary. She couldn't stop thinking about Nikola, and the treatment he was undoubtedly receiving from Neil's goons. It made her less pleased with his presence beside her, but she did her utmost to not show it.

She tried not to picture Nikola sitting in a chair, dried blood on his face and his just recently healed nose jarred out of place again. A part of her wanted to kick Neil on to the floor and give him a similar treatment with the heel of her shoe, but she had to play innocent damsel for her and Nikola's schemes to work.

"Here you are, if you need me you know where I'll be," Neil opened the door for her.

Helen wordlessly moved to go inside the room.

"Would it be ok with you if I came by later to…check up on you?" asked Neil and she nodded.

"I just need some rest," she sighed.

"Okay," he sighed. "Rest well."

He closed the door and his jaw stiffened dramatically. Neil stormed down the way he came back to the corridor where Nikola was being held. He unlocked the steel door and barged in right as one of the goon's fists made contact with Nikola's abdomen.

Nikola gasped and spat out string of red saliva. He hadn't felt this abused since 1888.

Neil pushed past the two large men and grabbed Nikola roughly by the collar.

"What'd you say to her?" Neil barked, forcing Nikola to make eye contact with him.

Nikola just grinned through the bloody haze.

"Talk, damn you!" Neil shook him.

"She'll never love you the way you want her to," he mumbled. "Not after this."

Nikola grinned even more. The insolent little brute was nothing more but a lovesick teenager with bigger friends. It was fun to mess with him.

"You piece of shi-"

"Ah, ah, ah, language. Wouldn't want to upset Tweedledum and Tweedle-ugly, would you?" Nikola teased. He only had to play sappy romanticist when Helen was around, with these chumps he could mess with them any way he liked.

Neil brought back his fist and punched Nikola hard in the face. Nikola's head snapped back with a sickening crunch.

"Ow!" he teased some more. "That one actually hurt!"

"Don't push it genius, I have no problem dragging your lifeless corpse back to HQ, I'll just say you tried to run away. We'll just go after the next genius, and the next till we have all the brains we need. You think you're so special. Do you think you're measly little intelligence could add up to someone like Edison or Tesla?"

Nikola laughed.

"Yes…because I am Nikola Tesla!" he laughed some more. "I am Nikola Tesla!"

One of the goons motioned to strike him but Neil stopped him.

"Don't," he held the goon back. "He's gone mad…let's give him some time to cool down."

The goon nodded and the three of them walked out.

Nikola laughed until the door shut closed, then he ceased, spitting once more before rolling his eyes.

"Nearly broke my nose," he mumbled. "Again."

~~~~Author's Notes~~~~

Ughh! Life has been sooo busy as of late. I've been meaning to uload this chapter for weeks but i haven't been near a computer for the past week, so busy up in Drum doing the Passion Play, it's pretty crazy. I will try to have the next chappie up quicker, I've been writing like crazy the last few weeks. I have fun ideas for troublemakers and HWMA, and some others. Been working on a sequel to Vampire Nubbins, nothing publishable yet, but i've started the mental process, i'm trying to make it as good as i can for all of you who enjoyed the first one.

I know you're all in a time of mourning, (like me, Syfy screws us over once again) but i hope this will cheer you up. I'll keep writing for you until Troublemakers and HWMA are done, and hopefully more after that...if perchance life doesn't get in the way.

The next few chapters i'm real excited for, so hopefully I can deliver them to you in a timely fashion :)

Enjoy your May, and have some consolation Niko cookies...and hope that this won't be the last time J-Yo and Amanda ever work together. *crosses fingers*