Today has been so productive! I finished one of my essays, pre-ordered Sanctuary season 3 (Thank you JB HIFI!) AND finished up this!

I've always found it ironic that I can churn out 1500 words for this story in a few hours but it takes me a few days to write the same amount for an essay :P

Obviously, the first part of this y'all will recognize but there is a distinct... ah-hem, turning point, shall I say? I'd like to think this version of the ending is far more satisfying than the other, regardless of how improbable it may be. And I decided to post it here rather than separately because I was trying to prove to myself (and a certain someone else) that I know how to be not dirty :P That said, if anyone feels this is to risqué, let me know and I'll fix it up...

I've already said it but a massive thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story, especially those who have reviewed pretty much every chapter. This one is totally, unashamedly for you (and the part of me that needs to see these two end up together)!

And yes, there is some Henry/Kate flirting because I love them and think they would be just super perfect for each other ^^

Unfortunately, I think this will be the last big story I post for quite some time... Assessment is really picking up at the moment and I've just started writing a super large story that I want to finish before I contemplate publishing it (Yes, naturally it is all about the Teslen lovin') so for the next little while, my stories will be few and far between. Although, I do have a few ideas already sketched out for She Had Him At Hello that I'll try and get out soonish... Maybe midsemester will give me a chance to catch up on my writing time...

Also, I was tempted not to publish this within this story because, as of the last chapter, the word count was precisely 33000 and I am anally retentive enough to want all my stories to finish on such even numbers... But I relented because sometimes my crazy gets just a bit too crazy :P

Until we meet again (which I don't think will be that far away),

Love and hugs and rainbows and Tesla,

xx

The next week was hectic. Despite several small scale catastrophes erupting, Will seemed reluctant to let Helen assume her full duties. She'd concluded that the source blood in her DNA had fought the intrusion the virus presented and her snap into 'the land of the crazy' as Kate had dubbed it, was only shortened by the blast she received from the stunners. Something about the burst of electricity gave her body the push it needed to quite literally burn through all the hazardous material in her body. Unfortunately it seemed that no matter how many times she explained to him that her blood was clear of every trace of the virus, he maintained that she was to take the full two weeks off to recover.

Not that it was much of a recovery considering that he had in fact called on her expertise at least three times a day but Helen didn't mind. In fact, the idea of sitting around with nothing to do was terrifying so she was more than glad to help out in any way she could.

In fact, the only positive of the enforced holiday was the fact it gave Helen the chance to properly apologize to everyone she'd attacked. Although that list was shortened to one when Nikola was almost always nowhere to be found but that never stopped Helen from trying to split her apologies' between the vampire and Will. Of course she'd said sorry to each of the others but they'd waved her off, ducking away whenever she seemed in a 'sorry' mood.

And slowly but surely things were getting back to normal. Except for Nikola of course. He had been avoiding her entirely, never emerging from whichever lab he had taken up residence in until she called for him by name. Of course, then he came at nothing short of a run but somehow managed to be completely reserved.

Helen hadn't had an opportunity to talk to him and she wasn't sure that she wanted one. She knew what she had done wasn't her fault but at the same time it was. Part of her knew how very, very wrong her actions had been and, although she'd like to suppress the thought, she had given in to some of her… urges. Hell, if Will hadn't interrupted them that final day while they were making out in her office (and yes, despite how common the term was, Helen had to admit that it was exactly what they had been doing), things could have ended very differently. While she was thankful for the interruption, part of her mind that she had been denying for so long honestly enjoyed throttling Will. It was silly and immature and she'd never admit it to Nikola but it was true. Between having his lips on hers, his hands on her body and the fact that he had finally shut up, she'd been in the closest thing she'd felt to nirvana in a very long time.

Shaking that thought out of her head, Helen stood up, glancing around her office. Those kinds of thoughts were not conducive to the professional veneer she'd perfected in the past too many years. Desperate for something to do, she grabbed the nearest file and made her way over to the desk. It took her a few attempts but eventually she managed to focus on the report. Reaching for her pen to sign the bottom of the document, Helen looked up and felt her heart stop for a second.

"You shouldn't sneak up on people like that," she chastised Nikola as he lounged on the corner of her desk.

"It's not my fault you're remarkably dense at times," he replied lightly. She narrowed her eyes at him and resisted the urge to throw her pen at him. For some reason he always made her act like a child and it was only sheer determination and a strong British heritage that kept her from sticking out her tongue at him.

"Did you want something, Nikola? Or are you just here to give me a headache?"

"Oh sweet Helen," he said, raising a hand to his heart. "You wound me! Can a gentleman not request the sweet company of a fair maiden without his intentions being deemed less than decent?" He was laying it on thick and she rolled her eyes before pushing back from her desk and standing up.

"You are no gentleman and you are never decent," she replied, walking past him to the discreet filing cabinets against the wall, trying to ignore the pounding in her chest. At 161, she shouldn't feel like a school girl with her very first crush at the mere mention of inappropriate activities.

"And don't you know it," he said and although she could not see it, she could just about feel his smug satisfaction radiating around the room. Resisting the urge to wipe his grin off with her lips, Helen closed the cabinet with undue force before spinning on her heel to face him, hands on her hips.

"What is it Nikola?"

"Do I really need an excuse to see you?" he asked, seriously this time.

"You've been avoiding me for the better part of a week. I think this intrusion deserves scrutiny." He rolled his eyes at that.

"I haven't been avoiding you, I was just worried you'd molest me if I came to see you."

She pursued her lips and stalked towards him.

"You are on thin ice Nikola."

"I have the strangest case of déjà vu," he said brightly, placing one long finger on his chin as he pondered her words. "I'm certain you've already said that to me."

"Nikola," she said warningly.

"Fine," he said with a pout. "I wanted to tell you I was leaving."

"What?"

"Come on Helen, it's been fun but we've played out this game before."

She sat down on the edge of her table and cocked her head. Of all the things she'd expected to come out of his mouth, this was not it. Not that either of them had ever been very good at talking but still, leaving without so much as a single jab about anything she'd said or done in the past few weeks.

"Must you?" she asked softly, hoping he didn't see just how much she wanted him to stay. She'd never, ever be able to voice it, but having Nikola around did wonders for her spirit. That and they really ought to discuss her previous indiscretions.

Seeming to read her thoughts, a slow grin spread across his face.

"Perhaps I could help you finish off that list?" She pulled a face at him. "You know, now your visible, you might want to avoid pulling that particular face," he advised loftily, making his way towards her.

She scoffed at him but made no move to resist his advance. Soon enough he was standing right in front of her, looking down at her with a smirk. Leaning forward to place his hands on either side of her hips, he stopped, his mouth millimetres from hers.

"So, how 'bout it? Number 9?" He bit his lip as Helen drew a shuddering breath.

"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.

Slowly, so as not to startle herself, she leaned in, touching her lips to his softly. He seemed shocked and, for a fraction of a second, simply let her kiss him. Then he caught up. His hands captured her face and she grabbed onto the front of his jacket. Unsatisfied with the angle, Helen stood up, pushing Nikola back but their lips stayed connected the whole time.

Their bodies were now flush as they continued their ardent kissing. Nipping at her bottom lip, Nikola grabbed her hips roughly and she tightened her arms around his shoulders.

"We should get out of here," Nikola whispered against her lips. It took Helen a few moments to realised he'd even spoken but when she did, she pulled back, confused. "The children," came Nikola's explanation.

Remembering all too well what had happened last time they were in this position, Helen nodded once before stepping away. Grabbing Nikola's hand she pulled him towards the door, desperate for somewhere they would not be disturbed. It was the work of but a few moments to get them down the corridor and into a residential room. Shoving him roughly inside, Helen shut the door quietly before locking it. She turned around, pleased to see the desire she felt echoed in Nikola's eyes.

"Not that I'm complaining," he started as he walked towards her.

"Then shut up. You won't be able to help yourself otherwise," Helen responded, pulling him closer.

Nikola smirked against her lips as he pushed her up against the door.

"No need to be so bossy," he chastised, pinning her with his entire body. "I was only going to say that I never expected you to be so utterly enthusiastic about completing this list."

"What did I say about talking?" Helen said with a sigh as she pushed him off her. Straightening her top, she walked past him and towards the large window overlooking the front lawn of the Sanctuary. She could feel him slowly stalking her but she fought the urge to turn and effectively maul him, instead remaining perfectly still as he came to her.

She felt his arms start to snake around her waist but stayed still.

"Aww, come on Helen. Don't be like that," he whined. "I'll make it up to you," he added suggestively.

Turning in his arms, Helen shot him her best 'don't-try-that-crap-with-me' look before placing her hands on his surprisingly well defined biceps. Suppressing a shudder at the closeness of his body, Helen stared him down.

"You think so, do you?"

"Oh I know so," he whispered, leaning in to kiss her. With a stroke of what she could only call genius, she turned her head, making sure his lips landed on her cheek. As he loosened his grip, Helen stepped back and she couldn't help the smug smile on her lips. Nikola's anger was evident but she could see he wouldn't be giving up anytime soon.

"Cheeky," he admonished gently but with an edge to his voice that made her shiver. Seeing her response, a serpentine grin appeared on his face. Oh, she was in for it now.

They were now standing toe to toe, the entire length of their bodies touching but Nikola didn't stop moving, forcing her back until she could feel the cool glass of the window through her clothes. Sandwiched between his warm body and the cold glass, Helen let out a little squeak she'd never heard from her lips before.

After a few heady breaths, Helen grabbed at some of her tenuous self control.

"If you must know, a month of reckless flirting made me curious."

"Curious?" he repeated softly as his fingers started to trace patterns on her sides.

"Very," she said, unable to resist any longer. Before he had a chance to from a witty retort, she leaned in and kissed him. Nikola reacted instantly, his hands tightening as he stepped impossibly closer to hers. Helen gently traced his bottom lip with her tongue and was pleased when he opened his mouth, inviting her in. Hands quickly became more and more adventurous until the point where clothes began to fly.

Without realising it had happened, Helen found herself standing in her bra and panties with a completely naked vampire. With a smile she pushed him to the bed and they fell down together, hands clawing for more skin. He dug his nails into her hips, rolling them until he was on top of her.

"You know," he said tightly between kisses, "considering this you aren't invisible, we aren't really completing the list." The second the words were out, he regretted them and tried to take them back with ardent kisses. Helen stiffened under him and he let out a groan as she pushed him to the side.

"Hey Will, have you seen the Doc or Tesla? I can't find them anywhere and we're gonna need help with these Nubbins," Henry said as he grabbed the nearest fire extinguisher.

"I went to check up on her but she wasn't in her office," Will replied as he grabbed the walkie talkie. "Magnus, it's Will. Are you there?" he said into the device. There was a beat of silence and the two men locked eyes just as Kate came running around the corner.

"I think I've stopped them from reaching the residential levels," she said, out of breath. "But they're sneaky buggers, who knows what they'd be willing to chew through."

"Have you seen the Doc or Tesla?" Henry asked her, starting to get worried.

"Nope, and I was just in the labs too. You don't think…" she trailed off, eyes wide. The three shared a look of disgust and fear before Henry leapt into action.

"Let's get these little bastards gathered up and then we can worry about that, O.K?"

Kate and Will nodded, grabbing two extinguishers each as Henry grappled with the vacuum.

Shaking away the possibilities, they all headed down the corridor, hoping like hell the Nubbins hadn't found the missing pair.

"Well, if that's how you feel…" Helen said evenly as she slid off the bed. She knew what he'd meant but toying with him was just too much fun to pass up.

"No, of course not," he cried, following her to the window. "I didn't mean it, I swear!"

She had to hide a smirk at the way he was almost begging her to come back to bed with him. With a bolt of inspiration, Helen spun around to face him. They were maybe 30 centimetres apart and it took all of her will power not to reach out to him. She was more than willing to give in but the power trip she'd get from making him beg was too good to miss. That and he deserved to be torture just a little.

"Nikola, please," she said disparagingly as she crossed her arms. She noticed his eyes flick to her cleavage and the corner of her mouth quirked ever so slightly. "It's perfectly alright. I don't mind in the slightest. You are free to leave, I'd never pressure you to do something you didn't want to do," she finished kindly.

He opened his mouth to respond but closed it again far too quickly. He leered at her, his lips contorted into a wide smirk.

"Liar," he accused quietly. "I can hear your heart beat grow faster, I can see the way you are barely controlling the urge to reach out and touch me. You want me Helen, admit it."

"I want no such thing Nikola, I was simply trying to save you from the embarrassment of a lack lustre performance."

No matter how much of a lie her words were and no matter how much it cost her to not step into his arms, Helen knew instantly she'd made the right choice in her words. His eyes narrowed and she saw every delightful muscle on his body tense. Going for broke, she decided to continue.

"After all, you've spent the past three years trying to get me into bed. I can only imagine… nerves would be the cause of your sudden," she let her eyes wander down his body, "disinterest in bedding me." She couldn't help but smile as his eyes glittered dangerously.

Suddenly he stepped towards her, closing the distance between them so that he was pressed against the length of her body. Helen would have stepped back if his hands hadn't clamped down on her arms, keeping her in place as the tip of his nose brushed hers. As it was, Helen shivered as he pressed his 'disinterest' against her.

"Would you call me disinterested now?" he asked, his breath fanning across her face in ways that made her dizzy. The proximity of their lips coupled with the amount of skin she could feel meant the only thing she could vocalize was a strangled moan.

"Please," he whispered, nuzzling her cheek, his lips tantalizingly close to the corner of her mouth. The moment the word slipped out, Helen regained her composure. This was what she was after. She knew that if she turned her head even a fraction of an inch, their lips would touch but she fought the desire, instead remaining still.

"Please," he said again, his hands loosening to move around to her back. With a flick of the wrist, he undid her bra but still she refused to move.

"Please," he murmured a third time. This time Helen could have sworn she heard the neediness in his voice. Not that she needed it to tell that he was interested.

Slowly, she turned her head so that her lips brushed against his ear.

"I want to hear you beg me Nikki."

He let out a low growl at her words and pushed against her until she was pinned between him and the cool window.

"Not in this lifetime," he whispered back, his lips ghosting over hers. Iron willed or not, Helen was impressed by the fact that she didn't react to his gentle kiss.

"Are you sure?" she asked, her voice breathy and feminine.

"Helen," he warned.

"Beg me." She knew she was pleading with him but she couldn't find it in herself to care.

"Please," he relented and she was shocked. She shivered at his words.

"Not good enough Nikola."

He groaned and pressed himself into her arms. He buried his head in the crook of her neck.

"I've never begged anyone for anything," he whispered against her skin and her hands instinctively moved to pull him closer to her. Her fingers began to draw lazy patterns on his back.

She had a quick retort on her tongue but decided against it, simply teasing him with her fingertips as he pulled back so their lips were almost touching.

"Please Helen, I'm begging you. Please let me taste you. Let me kiss you. Let me throw you down on that bed and-."

She cut off his ramblings with a deep kiss and he responded in kind. His previous passiveness gone, Nikola shoved her against the glass even harder. Her nails scored his back and he hissed at the sensation before pulling back just enough so he could look her in the eye.

"Now this, is more like it," he whispered with a grin.

"Shut up," she said claiming his mouth again as a hand fisted in his hair.

"Yes ma'am!"

"I told you, it's Doctor to you," she growled into his lips as he pulled her towards the bed.

He merely chuckled as he sat down on the edge of the bed, dragging her towards him until she straddled his lap. Helen pushed at his shoulder until he lay back on the bed but bit back the comment about the patient being ready for his check up. Playful or not, that was just plain corny. Instead she leant down and wiped the self serving grin off his mouth with another kiss.

"Oh my, doctor!" he exclaimed before rolling them over.

"Shut up," she instructed again before she capture his bottom lip between her teeth..

And for once, he followed the good doctor's orders.

Well, for a good 20 minutes or so at least.

"Did any of you guys see Tesla or the Doc?" Henry asked as they stood outside the newly reinforced and filled Nubbin enclosure.

"Nope. Not once," Kate replied as she wiped the dust from her hands. Somehow those tricky buggers had found their way into every conceivable nook of the place.

"Hey, I don't suppose you saw…" Will started as he rounded a corner. Kate shook her head and Henry's eyes widened.

"I don't think we want to know," Kate said adamantly.

"You don't think they seriously…" Henry asked.

"It's Tesla," Will said, resigned to the fact that they'd have a very red faced boss for the next few days. Henry shuddered and Kate smirked.

"Well, good on the Doc," she said with a sly grin.

"Oh ew!" Henry exclaimed. "You can't seriously find the vamp attractive?"

"Well, he's not my type," she conceded. "But I can see why the Doc keeps him around," she finished with a wink.

"Oh, O.K, not an image I needed," Will complained, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"If Tesla's not your type, then who is?" Henry asked. Kate smiled at the helpless HAP as he ducked his head, trying to seem nonchalant. She wondered briefly if he was trying to jokingly flirt with her but the blush in his cheeks told another story.

"Play your cards right and you might find out Hank," she called over her shoulder as she walked away from the two boys. She heard Henry stutter and Will let out a weak chuckle.

Hey, she thought as she waited for the elevator, if the boss could get her jollies, why couldn't she?