Ta-da! This is the conversation Nikola and Helen had about the list. What ended up embedded in the story were fragments of this, leaving out some of the connections. I've posted it, connections included so that it flows a little better but towards the end it does become far more dialogue based which had a lot to do with the fact that I wrote this in the wee hours of the morning in a frenzy of passion for this story...

Now, for a quick refresher course:

1 - (Sleep with) - Chapter 14

2 - (Pin against the wall) - Chapter 11

3 - (Undress) - Chapter 8

4 - (Naked) - Chapter 12

5 - (Tickle) - Chapter 10

6 - (Break out) - Chapter 8

7 - (Shower) - Chapter 9

8 - (Kiss) - Chapter 13

9 - (Sleep with...) - Chapter 16

Thank you for all the lovely reviews, you made my essay harder to write in the best way possible!

Now, I should warn you, there is a distinct possibility that the alternative ending might be just a teensy bit late... I've got to finish an essay before I can even think about finishing it so it might take a bit longer than I'd like. But I swear it will be up by the end of the weekend at the absolute latest! Somehow I'll fit it in around work... That said, I'll try my hardest to get it up tomorrow!

Enjoy

xx

"You know, I almost wish I was in your position," Nikola mused, sitting down on near her bed.

"Something tells me that if you actually were in my position, you'd feel quite differently," she retorted, eyeing her latest babysitter.

"But think of all the fun we could have," he said exuberantly and she shook her head. She didn't miss his use of 'we' but she chose to ignore it for now.

"Oh, like what?"

"I'd sleep with you," he said, cocking an eyebrow at her. Helen rolled her eyes at him, forgetting the gesture would go unseen.

"And I never thought you'd become predictable," she responded sarcastically. Nikola snorted at her and rolled his eyes. She had the sneaking suspicion he was about to disprove her previous statement.

"I'd sleep with you," he said calmly. "As in, in a bed, with covers, your eyes closed, you wearing that lovely blue night gown you keep tucked away in the back of your closet," he elaborated with a smile. Helen sat, slightly dumbfounded. It was… It was… Sweet? Almost. This was Nikola after all.

"That's all you would do?" she asked sceptically, proud that she managed to keep the disappointment out of her voice.

"For starters," he answered with a smirk. She waited for him to continue. "I have a list," he said, sounding a little proud.

"Of course you do," Helen said with a sigh and he chuckled at her. "How many things are on this list?" she asked dubiously.

"Nine," he answered firmly, a twinkle in his eye.

"Only nine?" she asked. "I think you're losing your touch."

"There are nine on this list," he countered with a grin.

"There are multiple lists?" she asked, a little astounded at the amount of thought that had gone into this. "How long have you been contemplating this?"

"Ever since you woke up," he answered with a shrug as he settled further down into his chair.

"So, number 1, sleep with me," she said, her curiosity piqued. "Wait, is this list all about me?"

He grinned.

"Then what's number 2?"

"Ahh, number 2, I think you'll like this one," he said fondly. "I'd sneak up behind you and pin you to the wall."

She waited for the rest of it. "That's it?" she asked when it became clear he wasn't going to say anything else.

"Well think of how it would look," he said. "You, stuck against the wall, eyes closed, face flushed with the pleasure of having me pressed against the length of your body. And then when I started to nibble your ear…" he trailed off seductively.

"What would you do if I fought you?"

"You wouldn't," he said simply and she let out a snort of laughter. "We both know you want me," he continued. "You kissed me in Rome."

"No, you kissed me! Actually you stole a kiss from me," she argued.

"O.K," he accepted. "You kissed me back. You. Kissed. Me. Back."

"Believe what you want Nikola. I'm already certain your scientific principles are a little off kilter but repetition won't make it fact," she said with a light laugh, brushing off his accusation. She never kissed him back, she only thought about it.

There was a pause.

"I would fight back," she said and he laughed.

"Please, you'd be putty in my oh so capable fingers," he said, wiggling the offending appendages at her.

"I never would have picked you as a voyeur," she told him, trying to sound disapproving.

"I'm not," he countered, "you are." She scoffed at him.

"Has this past century taught you nothing about me?" she scolded with a giggle.

"I'd like to think they've taught me all I need to know," he said suggestively and she laughed out loud at him.

"Incorrigible and corny! Sometimes you are just too adorable, Nikola!" she said between laughs.

"I'm adorable?" he asked, completely taken aback. On his face was a look of absolute innocence and Helen laughed harder.

"Number 3?" she asked, a little breathless. Nikola snapped back to attention, his eyes dancing dangerously.

"I'd undress you," he said darkly. Her eyes widened at that.

"Nikola!" she admonished and he laughed.

"Oh come on, Helen. You know you'd love it." She scoffed at him. "I'd sneak up to you and then, very, very slowly, I'd undress you. You'd have no idea what hit you," he finished with a smile, moving away to avoid the slap he knew was coming. "See, you're positively glowing at the thought of it," he said triumphantly.

"And you would know that how?" she asked. "Last I checked I was invisible. And I'm fairly certain I still am considering the fact that you're talking to the space above my head."

"Ah, but love, you forget that I can still hear you. Your breathing hitched ever so slightly." He paused for effect. "And now you're trying not to blush."

"And you are on thin ice," she said, her voice belaying her amusement at his idiotic ideas.

"I have startlingly good balance," he countered smugly and she had to laugh at him.

"You're awfully sure that you'll succeed with all these plans," she said loftily, wincing as she tried to cross her arms.

"Please," Nikola scoffed. "By this point you'd be begging me to continue." Helen laughed at him.

"Oh really. Pray tell why on earth would I be begging you to come to my bedroom, undress me and then pin me to a wall? I hardly think there's much else you could do to humiliate me at this point."

"It's not humiliation, it's fun," he corrected as she sighed. "Plus you haven't heard the rest of the list."

With a sigh that Nikola assumed meant she was rolling her eyes at him, he decided to press on.

"I'd walk around naked."

"What!"

He chuckled at her unseen but obviously horrified look.

"It's not like anyone would see me," he reasoned with her. She let out a dark little chuckle.

"You honestly expect me to believe you would walk around, in front of the rest of my team, in front of all the residents, completely naked?" she asked, incredulous.

"I'd walk around naked in front of you," he said with the most sinful grin Helen had ever seen.

"But I wouldn't be able to see you," she countered.

"But you'd want to."

"You do realise just how ludicrous that plan is?" she said, starting to laugh.

"Oh yes."

"Voyeur."

"You love it."

"Would not."

"Would too."

"Would not!"

"You realise this could go on for a while?" he said nonchalantly. The noise of displease she made had him wondering if she'd stuck her tongue out at him in annoyance.

"You are so childish, Nikola," she admonished and he grinned. "What?" she asked warily, taking in his newfound smugness.

"Childish games can be fun," he said darkly.

"Oh no, don't tell me, what's number 5? Naked leapfrog?"

"N,o but that's not a bad idea," he mused, sitting up."Number 5, I'd tickle you," Nikola said with a gleam in his eye.

"You'd tickle me?" she asked, confused. Everything else he'd suggested had a very sexual undertone but this seemed far too benign to make it into such a libidinous list. "I must admit I was expecting number 5 to be much more… Well, more like everything else you've suggested."

"It's only a cover," he explained with a smirk. "If I tickle you, you'll be so distracted that you'd never notice exactly where my hands are."

"Good thing my sides aren't ticklish," she said with a smug grin at having out foxed him.

"But the back of your knees are," he said knowingly.

"How do you know that?" she asked, shocked that he'd discovered something she'd managed to keep secret from her own daughter.

His smug laugh was the only answer she got.

"You are nothing if not a thorn in my side," she said grumpily.

"And you are the most beautiful of roses," he said dreamily. "Even if we can't see you for now."

She scoffed at him but was pleased he couldn't see the blush returning to her cheeks.

"What are we up to now?" she asked quickly, desperate to get him back on track. At his blank look she rolled her eyes. "Number 6."

"Number 6?" he said, cocking his head. "I'd break out of here to come find you."

"How boring," she remarked.

"Hardly! It would be an epic tail full of near misses and human obstacles. And maybe an explosion or two," he mused as she laughed at him.

"I'm sure I could do it better," she told him.

"Is that a dare?" he asked slyly.

"Moot point," she reminded him. "I'm stuck in here and you are free to leave."

"Oh but you are just dying for the chance to try. Aren't you?"

"Don't push your luck. I might just kick you out and then what would you do?" she teased lightly. Damn his flirting, even without saying anything remotely sexual, he had her wound tighter than a rubber band.

"Then I'd just have to settle for number 7," he said happily. She tried to give him an incredulous look but soon remember her predicament.

"What's number 7?"

"A shower."

"Shower?" she repeated. "The seventh thing you'd do if you were invisible would be to bathe? You do realise I don't have security cameras in the bathrooms? You can do it when you're visible, it would make for a nice change," she joked.

"No, I'd sneak in on your shower."

She slapped him.

"You asked," he complained and she started to giggle.

"When did you get so violent?" he asked, nursing his cheek.

"You bring it out in me," she responded quickly and he could hear the smile in her voice.

"After Rome I should have known you'd grown more violent with age," he muttered.

Helen let out a sigh.

"You provoked me in Rome. Nothing I did there was of my own volition."

"I'd disagree," he replied, his voice thick. She knew at once what he was talking about.

"You kissed me," she maintained, trying to keep her voice sturdy.

"No, I kissed you back. It was hardly my fault you've got hopeless aim."

"Nonsense," she exclaimed.

He said nothing, simply smiling at her, satisfied he'd won the argument.

"What comes next?" she asked, trying to leave well enough alone.

"Number 8?" he said. "I'd kiss you."

"You'd miss."

"Would not."

"Care to place a bet?" The words were out before she realised she'd thought them.

"Don't you know it."

Helen took a few deep breaths but, before she could form a response, his eyes were glittering with dirty, dirty promise.

"Lucky last!" he exclaimed, settling down on her bed.

"I'm dying of anticipation," she said dryly.

"How did you guess?" he said, a dangerous smirk on his lips.

"Guess what?" she said after she realised he couldn't see the blank look on her face.

"I'd make you die of anticipation."

"Nikola," she warned, wanting a full explanation.

"Sex, Helen. Sex," he said with a heavy sigh.

"Oh."

"My my, have I rendered the great Miss Magnus speechless with the use of one word? Because, you know I have a much larger repertoire of dirty words."

"That's Dr. Magnus to you," she corrected throatily.

He smirked.