For those of you who waited to see how this story ends, thanks a lot for your patience and I deeply apologize for the huge amount of time it took me to finally bring it to an end. Also, thanks for the wonderful reviews and I hope you will enjoy this one last chapter as well :)

Crowded as always, the JFK Airport from New York welcomed the hurried travelers from all the corners of the world. Helen was relieved to have reached the United States safely. Just a few more hours and she would be back at her Sanctuary where she would have more time to settle her thoughts and deal with her condition. Pacing along with Nikola made her feel safe somehow. Even though she was still angry on him a part of her was grateful Nikola had revived her despite all the risks. Her mind drifted to his answer when she asked him why he did it.

"You really don't know?" Perhaps she did. All those small gestures, meaningful looks, caring smiles had to mean something.

"I love you. I always have." Oh how much she wanted to believe him! But she was afraid. After her heart had been irrevocably damaged she never allowed herself to become vulnerable again. But at the same time, Nikola sneaked in a different part of her heart, more and more every day. She couldn't say exactly what she felt for him. She just knew his presence made her feel better. Made her forget.

"Are you done staring at my behind?" Nikola asked with a smirk on his face as he turned his head.

She threw him an angry look.

"I wasn-"

"Don't bother denying it Helen." He grinned. "I'm not going to tell anyone."

When she was about to reply a woman in a uniform – probably working at the airport – stopped Nikola.

"Excuse me, Mr. and Mrs. Whitman?" She asked.

"Yes." Nikola replied as his arm encircled Helen who grinned annoyed. "That's us."

"Could you come with me for a moment please? There has been a small problem with your luggage."

Helen and Nikola stared at each other for a moment. They didn't have any luggage. Then Nikola leaned forward as if wanting to kiss her but instead whispered into her ear.

"I don't like this. Follow my lead."

"Very well Miss. Show us the way."

He grabbed Helen's hand and squeezed it gently, then followed the young woman. Helen didn't make any move to reject his touch. More than this, she let her fingers capture his own, in a tight grip. The woman led them to a hallway on the second floor. Then she pointed to a gray door at the end of the hall.

"In there." She said and followed them with her gaze to make sure they don't change their minds.

Nikola opened the door for Helen and then swiftly followed her inside. The first thing he noticed was Helen raising her arms as a gun was pointed to her head. Then five men with guns surrounded them. He clenched his fists feeling how his vampire self was about to kick in.

"I wouldn't do anything stupid if I were you Mr. Whitman. Or perhaps you prefer Tesla?" Said the man who was threatening Helen, moving forward so that Nikola recognized him.

"What is the meaning of this, Olaf?" Helen asked with anger in her voice.

"My dear Helen." He said closing the distance between them and caressing her cheek with his fingers as she pulled back from his touch. "I really wanted you out of this. But you made the things a lot easier for me."

"Tie him up!" Olaf said to one of his people.

Nikola tried to resist but Olaf pressed his gun against Helen's temple.

"Don't mess with me Tesla!" He threatened.

Nikola met Helen's approving look so he allowed himself to be tied up by the wrists by one of Olaf's men.

"Don't try to escape." Olaf said pointing to his wrists. "Titanium webbing, vampire-proof."

"Why are you doing this, Olaf?" Helen asked trying to use a soft tone.

"Nothing personal, Helen. Just business. My company has had a bad time lately. The Cabal contacted me and promised me all their support if I caught Tesla. And I almost had him before he sneaked to your conference in Rome. When I finally found his lab everything was burned down. Afterwards, I've lost your track. When I saw you on the plane I knew I have to keep my eyes on you. I couldn't afford letting Tesla disappear again."

Nikola glared at him,

"Why did you involve Helen in all this if all you want is me?"

"Tesla, I'm not stupid. I know how slippery you can be. When you're alone, you can afford to take crazy risks without caring of the consequences. But I found you weak spot." Olaf said as his gaze framed Helen's body.

"Don't bother denying it." He added. "I've seen the way you were looking at her in the plane. I see the way you're looking at her now. Not even a blind man could miss it."

Helen's gaze locked on his and she found his eyes clearer than ever, for a moment feeling she could see to the deepest corners of his soul. How could she be so blind? It had been obvious for everyone else but herself. Nikola loved her. She felt liquid fire running through her veins and she knew exactly what she had to do.

"You planned this very carefully, Olaf." She said and he bowed his head with arrogance. "There's just one thing you didn't take into account."

"What?" He asked surprised.

"This." She replied in a deep voice as her eyes blackened and her fangs grew.

Olaf didn't have the time to reply as Helen punched him and his back hit the wall behind him. She was surprised by her own strength but didn't have the time to consider it too much as one of those armed men shot her. It was a strange sensation of pain mixed with numbness and looking down at her chest she could see blood coming from the wound that was quickly regenerating. She didn't wait for a second shot and she launched herself in an attack against them. Even though she had never practiced fight in her vampire form, those men were no match to her new powers so in less than a half of minute they were lying on the ground unconscious.

She turned to Nikola and he greeted her with a look saying "nice job". She smiled cheekily but then she felt that sudden sensation of pain again.

"You… you are a freak! Just like him!" Olaf yelled holding a gun in his hand.

In a fraction of second Helen disarmed him and her long nails rubbed the skin of his neck.

"I should make you pay. For everything." She said as she relished the fear in his eyes.

He closed his eyes waiting for the end when she raised her hand ready for attack. The next thing he felt was dizziness and warm liquid dribbling down his chin. Helen had punched him in his face and now his broken nose was bleeding. She let herself enjoy every second of it and then turned to Nikola with a victorious grin growing on her face.

"See? No reason to be jealous, Mr. Whitman."

"My God, Helen, this vampire transformation thing really suits you!" Nikola exclaimed as she got closer until their mouths were only inches apart and he could smell her warm breath tickling his face.

"Not that I'm complaining but untying me would be nice." He said with a smirk growing on his face.

She didn't reply but instead closed the distance between them so she was now able to feel the heat of his body through all those layers of clothes even without touching him. It felt hypnotizing somehow for her vampire senses. She had never noticed before just how much she was attracted by his closeness.

"Helen?" He asked curiously.

She still didn't answer. Instead she just let her hand wander over his chest relishing the fast rhythm of his heartbeats. An overwhelming desire was threatening to take over her. It was like something had awaken inside her, a feeling long forgotten and suppressed and now that feeling was quickly gaining control over her mind, being amplified by her new nature. So close. The smell of his skin, his blood, was intoxicating her brain. All she had to do was reach for that naughty vein panting underneath his marble skin and devour it with crazy wild moves.

"As much as I love the idea, I'm not sure this is the best time." Nikola said with a huge grin when he noticed she was staring at his neck.

"What?" Helen replied and shook her head worried for a moment that she might have said that out loud.

"I know danger turns you on but this is hardly the right place. The Cabal could show up any moment now." He said on an arrogant tone.

Helen glared at him. He was still his usual annoying self. Why was she so affected by his presence then? She focused and, as her vampire self back down, she hurried to release Nikola. Five minutes later they were leaving the J.F.K Airport.

~Nine hours later~

He was sitting on the bed, his hands under his head, gazing insistently a fixed spot on the ceiling. What was he going to do now? He had no idea but he knew he had to leave. There was no point in staying.

Three short knocks breaking the silence brought him back to reality.

"Come in." He said as he got up from the bed and arranged his shirt.

The door opened and Helen stepped in. He hadn't seen her ever since they had reached the Sanctuary. She had had more important things to deal with. Her condition, her daughter, her Sanctuary. So he locked himself in the room the hairy thing led him to, hoping he will get to see her one more time before his departure. And there she was.

"Helen." He said surprised. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, thank you." She replied. "I just finished synthesizing my new medicine and now I'm waiting for the dose to have effect on me." She answered as she sat down on the edge of the bed. He did the same.

"Well I'm glad for you. You seem to handle the situation pretty well."

"Don't tell anyone but I'm famished." She whispered chuckling and he smiled.

A short moment of silence followed then she spoke.

"Nikola…"

He raised his gaze confronting hers.

"…thank you. For saving my life and helping me. I realize just now how difficult must have been the transformation for you all those years ago."

When he lowered his gaze and didn't reply she continued.

"What are you going to do now?"

"I have a hiding place somewhere in Romania so I guess I could stay there for a while."

"Or you could stay here." She said.

Helen felt his eyes questioning her whether she was serious or not so she added.

"I could really use your help around. Plus, us vampires have to stick together, don't we?"

He rolled his eyes and replied.

"Oh just admit it once and for all. It's simple. You want me."

Focusing her entire strength to move her gaze from his luscious lips she started to protest as convincing as she could.

"Nikola Tesla. You are nothing but a giant pain in th-" But her protest was interrupted by the shiver that went down her spine when Nikola's lips touched not her own as she would have somehow expected, but her neck, tracing a line of short wet kisses over the line of her pulse.

"You were saying, darling?" Nikola asked arrogantly in a deep voice and she knew he was now in his vampire form, before letting his sharp teeth thrust into the white skin of her neck while his long elegant fingers caressed the back of her neck.

A growl escaped her throat and, as Nikola gently licked and kissed her red mark sending shivers of pleasure down her body, she felt her pulse accelerating and desire taking over her once more. The next thing she did was to tear apart his shirt moving her long nails over Nikola's back. Then, not without great difficulty, she pushed him away from her neck and pushed him over the bed as she sat on top of him, pressing hard on his abdomen.

A smirk grew on his face so she slapped him right over his mouth.

"My house, my rules Mr. Tesla. I'm the one in charge."

He grinned and just let himself drawn in the wild night he was about to spend. Sure, he would have to make himself clear when it came to domination – any kind of domination – but not that night. That night he was just too excited to discover this new side of Helen he had never seen before but always dreamt about. And somehow, deep inside, he knew that his days as a lonely vampire were gone at last.

~ Kraj~