Chapter 6

It took the better part of an hour to get Nikola to calm down enough to rest. Helen had waited another hour to make sure he was fully asleep before making her escape with the empty basin.

James and Nigel had gone to bed, having felt the exhaustion of the evening and drinking enough brandies to soften their minds for slumber. John stayed up, keeping the fire going and chopping more firewood periodically.

He was sitting by the fire when Helen stepped out of Nikola's room. John immediately came to stand on his feet the moment he saw her.

Helen started slightly, not initially seeing him, then she relaxed and gave him a glare that spoke volumes as to how she felt about his behavior tonight.

"Helen..."

She walked right by him and placed the basin on the windowsill by the front door.

"Helen, I'm sorry," John sighed.

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to," Helen growled.

"I know, I was out of line..."

"Out of line? John, you were blatantly trying to provoke him," Helen sighed. "Hasn't he been through enough?"

"Why do you coddle him so much?" growled John.

"I do not coddle him!"

"Yes you do! You are always bending over backwards to make sure he's happy!" barked John. "Oh Nikola, please, let me do whatever you want! Oh!"

Helen stiffened at his mocking tones.

"John, you know I am trying to make this an enjoyable experience for all of us, yes it means plying Nikola a little, but you have taken it upon yourself to outdo my efforts. Nikola is honestly terrified about something...out there, and you and that stupid book drove him to it!"

Helen shoved past him to march outside with the basin to wash and refill it at the water pump.

She angrily shoved the basin under the spout and cranked the handle, letting all her frustration out on the ironworks.

Three pumps had sustained her tempers, now leaving her with a small breeze of irritability. She bent to pick up the basin, her grip slipping slightly and the liquid sloshed on to her hand. She cursed, pulling out a handkerchief to clean it off. She paused when she saw that the liquid was darker than water, it almost looked like ink, yet not quite like ink, it was...it was blood. She looked down at the basin and saw that the whole thing was filled with deep red blood. She let out a shriek.

"Helen!" John came running out of the cabin instantly, having heard her scream.

She was frantically wiping off her hand. She had kicked the basin over in her panic.

"Helen, what's wrong?" asked John, grabbing her shaking hands.

"It was..." Helen blinked, lifting her hand up to her eyes. It was water. She blinked again. "Nothing, I just got spooked by a squirrel."

She wiped her hand on the hem of her dress, reaching down to collect the basin. It's contents had spilt all over the ground.

"Here, let me," John offered, taking the basin and easily filling it up.

"Thank you," Helen could not help the small tremble in her hands as she watched him pump water into the basin. Only water came out. She scrunched her face up into a frown. She could've sworn...

"This for Nikola?" asked John.

Helen heard his name and looked up.

"Hmm? Oh, yes," she nodded, her mind still trying to piece together what it had seen. It must've been a trick of the light, or something...right?

"I'll take it to him, you...fix yourself a cup of tea," he took her shaking hands in one of his, as comforting as he could manage. The warm touch stilled some of her tremors. "That squirrel really frightened the life out of you."

Helen squeezed his hand gently.

"I'll be fine," she smiled as confidently as she could.

She could tell by his face that he didn't quite buy her assurance but she moved too quickly for him to question her further about it. She was back in the cabin in the blink of an eye, feeling a certain relief having something solid between her and the mangled forest that surrounded them. In daylight the trees looked as harrowing as peacocks, but when the sun went down they took on a more malicious appearance and with...whatever happened out there mere moment ago Helen couldn't help but feel their malice.

She looked down the hall to the door she knew Nikola slept behind...maybe he really was terrified of something out there.

Helen shook her head, she was spooked is all, Nikola's panic was taking a toll on her psyche. Sub-consciously she wanted something to be out there so that maybe their experiment hadn't been a complete failure.

Helen fixed herself a quick cup of tea and then sneaked off to her bedroom having enough of both Nikola and John for one evening. She was exhausted.

She laid her cup on the nightstand beside her bed and changed into her nightgown. She knotted her long blonde hair into one loose braid that draped down her back and then crawled under the covers. For summer the nights here certainly got nippy when the sun went down.

Helen lifted her hand, the one that had been spilt upon outside to examine it closely. There was nothing, of course, but she still had that feeling of unease.

She shoved the thoughts away from her mind and sighed, leaning against the headboard. Why couldn't she go on a simple retreat with her boys without something like this happening?

A knock from the door startled her, it was light, cautious.

"Yes," she called.

"May I come in?"

It was John, her lover, her protector...the man she definitely didn't want to see right now. She half considered feigning sleep but it was too late for that.

"Fine," she sighed.

John entered carefully, knowing he was on short terms with her this evening.

"What do you want?" Helen said shortly, picking up her tea and taking a sip.

"Helen, I'm sorry, I really am," John pleaded.

"For what?" Helen shrugged.

"For tonight, for my behavior," John sighed. "I realize I've been an arse."

"You and Nikola have always been like this, always at each others throats, I don't understand why..."

"It's you. I know you and Nikola are close, always have been, and I...I love you, Helen, so much, that seeing you and him being so close...I can't help it," he sighed and took her hand and sitting on the bed. "I never meant for it to go as far as it did."

"Then why did you let it go at all? I'm wearing your locket John, not his, that should've been enough for you, or do you really think of me as that kind of woman?"

"Of course not! It's him...you two have a trust built over years of friendship. I can't help it that...I want to be first for you...in everything,"John blushed slightly at his admission.

"John, I love you...and I love Nikola, differently, I love you all differently. Take comfort in our love, our shared love," Helen cupped his chin. "Nikola and I will never share what we share, let him have his and he'll let you have yours."

She leaned over and kissed him gently.

"It's hard, Helen," John whimpered. "I want it all!"

He kissed her again, only more fervently, Helen couldn't help but respond. John's passion was strong and overpowering, and she didn't mind the thought of getting lost in it...despite circumstances.

Helen leaned back and let John follow, rolling him further on to the bed with her.

All the while her tea lay cooling on the nightstand.

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

Sorry...John's there, you have to use him, don't worry...he won't be there long.