Their trip to the rainforest went mostly as planned, up until the part where Will ended up with a vicious gash on his side and Helen ended up with a large bruise across her back, and all of them had ended up with quite the scare when their zip line had snapped (read: been chewed through by the abnormal) and they'd free-fallen until the line caught them. Will's battle wounds had come from the creature itself when it had swiped at him with razor sharp claws, but Helen's had come from when Nikola had accidentally tossed her a bit too hard out of the path of the monster and she'd gone slamming into a tree. It didn't hurt as bad as it looked, really, and she was trying to pretend it didn't even exist.
But, she would admit she'd rather have a bruise than large razor teeth marks embedded into her arm.
"Well, it's official." Helen sighed as she sat down in one of the chairs in the infirmary, watching as her old friend changed the bandages on Will's side. "The entire sanctuary now knows I'm pregnant."
"Yeah? How did that meeting go?" He inquired and she shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose for a long moment. It hadn't even been her fault for the tension in the meeting, simply some topics that were not really discussed that often and had needed to be discussed. There had been a fight between the heads of house of Tokyo and Moscow, unfortunately, and Helen had been forced to play mediator. By the time she had ended the meeting, she'd nearly forgotten about part of the reason in her calling it in the first place. Too tired for anything else, she'd simply blurted it out and fielded their questions before she terminated the link. She explained this to Will and he made a face.
"But they're willing to fully cooperate to help you transition into my duties once the time comes. Declan's going to be taking over as head of the network until I'm able to again." Helen added in mild reassurance. All of the heads of house had agreed, albeit a few of them rather hesitantly, so at least she knew her position would be well taken care of. She trusted the network in Declan's hands, and she trusted her sanctuary in Will's.
"Great." Will muttered in a not-so-enthused tone. Helen knew he never did like taking her position, but he did so because she requested or it simply needed to be done, such as the time he had taken over for her when she'd been incapacitated. This situation was quite similar as she wouldn't be able to perform her duties, but at least time it was more willing on her part.
"Your turn." Her old friend said, looking at her as he finished tying off Will's bandages. Will tugged his shirt back on and slid off the bed, looking mildly confused at Helen being there.
"Wound check and ultrasound." Helen provided as she removed her suit jacket, tossing it over the back of the chair she had just vacated before she took up position on the bed Will had previously been sitting on.
"Ah. Seeing if the thing has fangs yet?"
"Funny, William." Helen muttered, watching as he merely smirked and grabbed his own jacket, disappearing from the infirmary. Once gone, Helen slid her blouse up to show off the bruise along her back. The second his hands pressed against it she hissed and arched her back in pain. One of his other hands clamped down on her shoulder to hold her in place as he examined it, fingers pressing gingerly in places. Helen's body reacted of its own accord and attempted to twist away from the probing hand, but his other hand held her in place.
"Why, Helen, I thought you only moved like that under me." Nikola drawled as he entered the infirmary as Helen made one particularly violent twist away from her old friend, who growled in irritation.
"Don't even go there Nikola." She muttered, the last of his name ending in a harsh hiss as her old friend slathered something across her back. It burned for a long moment before sinking deep within her skin. The hand on her shoulder released and she relaxed a bit, glad the pain from her back seemed to be disappearing for the time being.
"What are you doing down here?" She inquired. "I thought you were working on something?"
"I was." He said, drawing nearer and leaning against the side of the bed with his classic smirk. "Thought I'd come check on you."
"How thoughtful." She murmured, nearly rolling her eyes as she waited for whatever had been slathered across her back to dry or sink further into her skin. Her old friend's hand had practically ground it into the bruised layers of skin, leaving her back throbbing for a moment until the medication indeed kicked in and she was simply left holding up her shirt.
"You look positively radiant." He mused still, reaching out to curl a tendril of her hair around his finger. "It suits you."
"You won't be saying that when I turn into hell in heels soon enough." Helen stated and he chuckled.
"I think I can handle it."
"That's what you think." She warned. His remark was cut off as Henry called for her to return to her office over the intercom system. "Rain check on the ultrasound, old friend. Hopefully this won't take long." She said to her old friend, who gave a grunt of impatience. Helen slipped off the bed and let her shirt drop, pulling on her jacket as well. She brushed past Nikola and headed out of the infirmary. Naturally, Nikola followed.
"Are you all right? You look a bit pale." Nikola commented in that tone of concern she was not yet used to from him as they waited for the elevator. She looked at him with an odd little look, mostly of confusion.
"I feel fine." She replied, for once telling mostly the truth. She was tired, yes, but when wasn't she? Nothing a little extra sleep wouldn't cure easily enough.
"Helen," Nikola gave a warning tone. "Demon spawn is clearly not going to be a normal child, let alone a normal pregnancy. Shouldn't you be taking it easy? Tell Henry you can't come to your office for whatever it is and go lie down, ljubav."
Again, it earned him another little look, mostly because she was definitely not used to him acting like this, all concerned and protective. It was a much less calmer manner than he had been during their mission, but this was still that deep need to protect her coming out. Helen rested a hand against his cheek after she gathered her thoughts, smiling faintly.
"I'm fine. I promise. I know my limits and I will stop myself if it gets too far." She assured him gently. "I wouldn't do anything to endanger myself or demon spawn, and you know that." Helen continued as they stepped into the elevator. Nikola wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, his blue eyes positively drilling a hole through her own.
"The thing is, you don't know when to stop. You had James there to remind you last time."
"James never reminded me."
"He tried, or so he said in his letters. You just never heard him or flat out refused to listen to him, and you went into labor in the middle of your office because of stress. I don't think you want that to happen." Nikola continued as Helen extracted herself long enough to press the button for one of the upper floors. She sighed.
"No, I don't want it to happen because I know this is a higher-risk pregnancy. I'm risking about five different things that could possibly kill me and the baby when I go into labor. It's going to need to be planned very carefully." She glanced sideways for a moment. "Nikola, if something happens to me -."
"Nothing is going to happen to you." He said, but she put a finger on his lips to silence him.
"I need to say this. If something happens to me, you need to keep it together. You're going to have to help Will, and if it ends well enough, you're going to have to take care of demon spawn without me."
He reached up and drew her hand from his lips, pulling it away.
"I won't let anything happen to you." He was insistent.
"I don't want anything to happen, either, but I can't predict what complications might happen." Helen said, remembering how her own mother had died in child-birth. "Another thing – if you have a choice to save either me or the baby, you save the baby, Nikola. I don't care what anyone says, you save it. Not me."
"What's brought this line of thinking on?"
"Just precautions. I did the same thing before with Ashley." Helen replied and his lips twitched.
"I won't be able to do that, you know."
"Try very hard." She sighed.
"Don't worry. It's not going to come down to any of that, and both of you are going to be absolutely fine." One hand moved to trace her jaw line a moment, brushing across the skin just faintly, before he leaned in and kissed her like she'd expected him to. This kiss was far less passionate than previous ones had been – this one was more of a kiss of comfort, one full of promise that he would indeed not let anything happen to her or their child. She believed him, and the kiss managed to quell the fear that had been rising and boiling in her chest for quite some time, but Helen knew it would be back. It always came back.
When Nikola pulled away, she curled into his embrace, digging briefly in her pocket for her phone. She dialed out the quick number and waited for Henry to pick up on the other line.
"Henry, I'm afraid I can't make it to my office. Some other things have come to my attention and I need to take it easy the rest of the day. Have Will handle it." She said into her phone. Henry sounded as if he wanted to protest on the other line, but Helen hung up before he got the chance to do so. She tucked her phone back away and instead pressed the button for the residential floor.
"Something on your mind, Dr. Magnus?" Nikola inquired in a low voice just above her ear that made her smirk.
"Wasn't it you who was just saying the other day how much I needed to rest?" She countered, looking up at him. The easy grin she was so fond of slid over his features.
"Oh, don't let me get in the way. Here, I'll even carry you so you don't have to take another step." He said and before Helen could process the words or protest to them, he had easily lifted her into his arms.
"I am more than capable of walking, you know." Helen said, looping one arm around his neck as the elevator slid to a stop and the doors opened. Nikola chuckled, but carried her anyway down the hallway toward her – their? – room. Helen rested her head against his chest with a heavy sigh, very much enjoying the attention Nikola seemed to be giving her. It was uncharacteristic, of course, and Helen wondered how long it would last before he was back to his usual, snarky self.
"Shall I join you in resting, or are my devilishly handsome good looks far too distracting for you to get much resting done?"
Apparently it wouldn't take too long.
He carried her into the bedroom and shut the door with his foot. He finally placed her on her own two feet and Helen unbuttoned her jacket. A nap wouldn't hurt, and she was rather exhausted – as long as she got her work done afterward, she didn't see the problem with it. It did go against her normal standards, but seeing as she was already here . . . she shoved standards out the window.
Nikola's fingers reached for the front of her jacket and unbuttoned it, slipping it from her shoulder for her. She arched an eyebrow up at his smirk face before his lips captured hers in another kiss. This one was far more passionate than before, his lips warm against her own. A hand came up to catch her by the back of the neck, the other at her waist as he pulled her impossibly closer.
Helen's fingers tangled within the fabric of his shirt and she walked backwards out of her heels until her knees hit the edge of the bed. She fell backward and Nikola followed, never once breaking their kiss. One of his hands released their grip on her to prop himself on the bed so as not to put his weight on her. She was remotely aware of her hair beginning to stand on end and the tingling sensation now coursing across her skin. She could practically feel the electricity running across every inch of her body.
When he pulled away with a knowing smirk, Helen took in a breath with a hazy smile of her own.
"I thought I was supposed to be resting?" She inquired with an amused tone. He chuckled and from his closeness, she could feel the rumbling in his chest.
"Just giving you something to dream about." He grinned before pulling away. Helen collected herself and climbed to the top of her bed, falling into her pillows. Without hesitation, Nikola joined her after removing his own jacket and shoes.
"Hopefully my presence isn't too distracting." Nikola added. Helen rolled her eyes and curled up next to him. His lips pressed a trail of kisses along her throat, hovering over her pulse point a few seconds longer. Without realizing it, her head tilted to give him better access. Another chuckle escaped his lips.
"If you would have given in those years ago, we wouldn't have had to wait this long." He murmured against her skin.
"If you had been more forthcoming and less of an obnoxious ass about it, perhaps I would have considered." She replied cheekily, looking at him with mirth dancing in her eyes. He narrowed his own eyes.
"Ouch, Helen. You wound me." He feigned hurt, switching to lie on his back. Helen sat up, propping herself up onto her elbows with her hair draping along one shoulder like a curtain as she looked at him. The teasing smile was still on her lips.
"I waited, you know." She began conversationally. "Back then. I waited for you to ask me out. I admit the only reason I accepted a date with John was to make you jealous, to kick you into gear, but that sort of backfired now, didn't it?" She had an oddly amused expression on her face.
"Nothing that can't be remedied, I'm certain. We just have a few decades to made up for." He smirked wickedly at her. Helen sank back into the cushions with a sigh, flinching when her back gave a dull throb of pain. Apparently whatever her old friend had put on it was now wearing off. Nikola noticed this and gave her a frown.
"Take off your shirt." He said, but not ordered. Helen stared blankly at him and he rolled his eyes. "It's not as if I haven't seen it before. Just trust me. For once."
She hesitated a moment longer before she undid the buttons of her blouse and sat up, sliding it off her shoulders and tossing it on the floor to the side of the bed. Nikola was removing his own shirt when he nodded to the lacey straps of her bra.
"That too. If you're in the modest mood, get under blankets first."
"Nikola, what -?"
"Do you want your back to stop hurting or not? I'm trying to be the good guy here, since that giant bruise your sporting is sort of my fault."
"Sort of? It is your fault because you slammed me into a tree."
"Pardon me for saving you. Now take it off it I assure you, I can easily do it for you."
Growing more irritated, Helen sank beneath the blankets and removed her bra. She felt Nikola move behind her and she made to turn to see what he was doing, but his hand around her waist stopped her. Suddenly she was pulled flush against his body, every inch of his chest touching every inch of her back. His cold skin felt like ice against the bruise and acting as an almost remedy for the pain for the time being. Helen pressed herself as far back against him as possible, seeking relief.
"Better?" He inquired lowly in her ear.
"Immensely so."
Helen started to drift off, but was pulled from the brink of sleep by her cell phone going off in her jacket pocket across the room. She swore quietly, but extracted herself from Nikola's embrace to fetch the phone, hugging one of her pillows to her chest to keep some bit of decency about covering herself up. She fished out the phone and frowned when she saw it was Henry.
"Henry, I said -." She began to answer it, but another voice, definitely not Henry's, cut across her.
"I thought I taught you better manners than to keep people waiting, Helen." Gregory Magnus' voice filtered through. Helen quite near dropped the phone in shock.
"What's going on?"
"Come to your office and fine out."
He hung up and Helen turned back to Nikola with a quizzical look, dropping the phone back into her pocket. Nikola arched an eyebrow at her look.
"What?"
"My father. Apparently the situation I'm needed for is something I can't afford to miss." She muttered, and grabbed her bra and shirt, both which she turned away to pull on. She heard the rustle of fabric as Nikola dressed as well, their nap ruined. Helen pulled her jacket back on just as Nikola crept up behind her and pressed a kiss to her throat before her jacket collar covered it up.
"We can continue later."
"I was counting on it." She gave a teasing smirk before she headed for the door. "Though do try to behave yourself around my father."
"Have I ever?"