A/N: This chapter is for the April Challenge of "Kissing in the Rain" for my Teslen Ladies. See more after the story….

Late in the evening on April the 18th the Carpathia arrived at New York. It first went to the White Star dock to unload the lifeboats of the now lost Titanic. This was when Nikola made his escape.

He had spent the entire voyage in the infirmary. The first day he had been completely unconscious in a fit of illness from his overexposure to the frozen water, and by some good grace, had not lost control of vampirism during it. On the second day, he feigned unconsciousness or sleep when the woman who had held him in the lifeboat was beside him. From a conversation she had with a man he assumed was either the captain or first officer of the Carpathia he had learned her name was Elizabeth, and that she along with everybody else from her lifeboat wanted to know how he had managed to survive the frigid waters as long as he had when everybody else had died. Naturally he could not tell them the truth, and had to avoid all questions, particularly given his quasi-famous status in the States. So he lay there, plotting.

When the woman finally left his side on the night of the second day, he had slipped out of the make shift infirmary area to look around for Helen. He searched as thoroughly as he could given the circumstances. But he had not found her. Somehow through his grief he made it back to his bunk in the infirmary and laid back down to continue with his plan.

He kept himself together just long enough to get away. As they approached New York Elizabeth abandoned her post at his side to go on deck and see the Statue of Liberty. The moment she was gone Nikola threw off the covers and slid his feet into the boots he had borrowed the previous night from a sailors room. Once they were on he stole up to the deck and waited. As the sailors began unloading the lifeboats he posed as a dockworker, thanks to the clothes he was in, and was able to get onto the docks, and slip away into the night.

Making his way into the City, Nikola checked himself into the New Yorker hotel and then ordered six bottles of wine to his room. He drank them down with no effect, started to cry and fell asleep in a crumpled heap of grief, tears, and heartbreak.

Nigel was awaiting Helen at the dock when she debarked. Helen told Molly to keep in touch before being swept away to the Sanctuary. After sending a hasty message to James in London that she had arrived, and was safe, Nigel proceed to fret over her and ask questions until she very firmly told him that she was fine, and just needed some to sleep in a real bed that was not on a ship and would answer all questions tomorrow. He bowed respectfully, wished her a goodnight, and then left her alone in the room. The second his footsteps had faded she curled up in ball and started sobbing.

A month and a half had gone by. Nikola had not left the bottom of the various alcoholic bottles he had been drinking almost nonstop since his arrival. He was pretty sure that somewhere about halfway through he had in fact managed to get drunk as there was a span of days he could not quite recall. Not that he really wanted to recall them. He was responsible for Helen's death just he had been responsible for his brother's death as a child. He had killed the only people he had ever loved. Each day that passed with him alive and knowing it was his fault was a day he did not want to remember.

He had to get his act together and he knew it. So on this cloudy day he had awoken to, he had gotten up, put on some clothes and gone for a stroll. He was making his way to the park, out of habit, and intended to sit on his favorite bench to think out the details of the plan for the rest of his life.

This was going to be a little complicated as he was somewhat in the spotlight, and therefore would be scrutinized for a while. He was going to have to fake his aging process over the years, which wouldn't be so tricky; it would be his death that would be slightly difficult. Sighing and sitting down on the bench he began to think of all the ways in which he could fake his death, and then really die.

A month and a half had gone by. As Helen listened to the clack of her footsteps on the sidewalk a tiny rumble sounded above her in the clouds that were as dark a gray as she felt. Despite the fact she had kept herself busy the past weeks she could not keep her mind off the fact that he was really gone, gone forever. All his life Nikola had done whatever he could for her, loved her, and in the end he had given his life for her. Now she would have to face the centuries utterly alone.

Shaking her head as she passed into the park Helen cleared her mind of these thoughts. She could dwell on them later. But first she had to get out of New York City. It held to many reminders of him. She had stayed long enough to see that Nigel was getting on just fine and it was time for to go on to Old City where her Sanctuary was to be. Once she left her intent was to not return for a few decades, barring any emergencies. But before she left the next morning, she had decided to go for a last stroll through the park, as she knew he used to.

There was another rumble of thunder and the rain dripped down from the sky. Nikola did not move as the rain went from a drip to drizzle to a steady pouring because he did not care, not about that not about anything, not anymore. He had nothing left to care about.

Helen lifted a hand and brushed away a drop that had fallen in her eye, or that was her excuse anyway. It was raining harder now, and she knew that she was going to a stern talk from Nigel because she had not turned around and made her way back. She had never minded the rain too much before, and now the coolness of the drops didn't even faze her.

Nikola heard the sound of a woman's footsteps coming his way but didn't move his gaze from his shoes, even when the footsteps came to sudden stop. When a rather long moment passed and the footsteps had not resumed Nikola lifted his head and turned to see what had caused the woman to stop. His eyes were greeted with a sight he was sure was just a mirage, until he saw the equally astounded look in her eyes.

There was Helen, stopped in her tracks, golden curls getting weighed down by rain drops that slipped from her the top of her head down her cheek to drip off her chin. Nikola was on his feet and standing before her in an instant. Another moment passed as they just stared into the other eyes then Nikola lifted his hand to cup her face, gently running his thumb over her cheek. Helen reached her hand up to hold his hand there, leaning into it with a smile of untold joy shining brightly in her eyes.

The next second his lips brushed against hers in a quick way that was as much to reassure him that she was really there, as to reassure her that he was. He was going to pull away but Helen wouldn't let him go, she wasn't ready yet. Nikola's response was to wrap his other arm around her waist and pull her flush against him. As their tongues became entangled Helen slid her hand through the mess of hair sticking to Nikolas head who let out a small moan at her touch.

After another few moments and they pulled apart, resting their foreheads together as Nikola lifted his other hand to hold Helens face delicately. As they breathed gentle warm breathes on each other the silence was filled with only the pattering sound of the rain. Then Nikola moved his hands to encircle Helen, pulling her to him in an embrace so desperately happy that Helen nearly cried as she snuggled her head beneath Nikola's chin.

They both knew they had just crossed that line from friendship to lovers. They both knew that it would not be easy given the distance and other factors. They knew it would all work out so none of that mattered. In that moment, there were no words needed.

A/N continued: I hope that you have enjoyed this chapter….This time however, I must ask for your opinions. I am debating whether I want to end it here, or continue on through the seasons we have so far…I do have an idea of how I would that but I will only write it if you, my amazing readers, want me to . As always thanks for reading!! =]