home again, naturally.

[notsocommon]

Helen had spent the last several months going back and forth between the new facilities and the strange pocket universe she'd found with Nikola which had proven particularly enlightening. There were any number of infinite paths from that crossroads and it was something she had not been able to get a handle on scientifically just as yet.

Then again, science that was yet unexplained was merely magic, was it not? She had thought so as a child, until her father had taught her otherwise. All she had to do was keep exploring, keep pushing through each and every door until she found the key to cracking the mystery behind how it all worked. Of course, the legwork on this was exhausting but at least she had Nikola she could implore for help.

One of the doors she'd found in her wanderings had been one that was her own London back in the late 1800s. She was blonde there, as she'd discovered by gazing into a very dingy looking glass, but other than that, none of the rest of the Five seemed to be there. Her life was established, her home in the same place, just the people weren't the same. It was curious, to say the least, and she wondered what might happen if she pulled Nikola through the same door.

To that end, she'd gone back to the Nexus to find him, poking around until she found the library. A likely choice; Nikola had ever loved to read with a nice glass of wine.

"Nikola! I've a project for you, if you care to come with me. Hmm? I'll make it worth your while, I promise."

Comments

[akhkharu]

Nikola was at least making mental notes. If they were going to do this, she wanted to be treated like a lady - he could manage that, at least. He knew just how charming he could be when he chose to.

"Then let us take a carriage ride through one of the parks," he suggested, warming up to the idea.

[notsocommon]

"Oh, yes, I haven't done that in ages." It was charming, the idea of going back and reliving her past with the knowledge that there were so many wonderful things that lay in the future within her reach. It was a heady sort of power, all told, the power to be able to go back and forth through time. It wasn't exactly the gift given to her by the Source blood but it was a gift she had now and one she was glad to share with Nikola.

"It's not so bad, living forever, is it? Being stuck with me? We're the only ones left now."

[akhkharu]

And Nikola would most likely see the potential in going back and forth in time - until he began to meddle. Then he was likely to get shot again, but for now, he could enjoy the run through memory lane.

"Well, since it's just us two, I can safely say that no, it's not too bad being stuck with you." In fact, it was just the way he liked it. Helen as a lover, just the two of them, and the past to play with? If this was heaven, he didn't want to go home.

[notsocommon]

"It could have been you and John," Helen said, frowning a bit. "Though only one of you probably would have lived through that. You've always been at cross purposes, the two of you."

[akhkharu]

"Yes... I'm not sure that one planet would have been big enough for both of us." There were only a few times they had successfully worked together, and generally that involved Helen corralling them. "So I think this is the best outcome all round."

[notsocommon]

"Nikola? Come here for a moment," Helen asked, motioning him close. Nostalgia had made her heart a bit tender and while she wasn't one for being openly affectionate on a regular basis, she wanted it for a moment. She hoped Nikola could indulge her whim and not make a (huge) fuss.

[akhkharu]

He narrowed his eyes for a moment, but walked up to her, wary, as if he would run away at the slightest provocation.

[notsocommon]

Helen gave him a soft smile before leaning in and pressing a kiss to his mouth. It was incredibly forward of her, she knew, but she was glad to see him here in the Nexus and she was glad that if anyone could go back with her to England, it was him. She had always felt a kinship with Nikola that was different than the rest of the Five.

[akhkharu]

He let her kiss him, then grinned at her. He could take the occasional kiss, even here in the Nexus. Although he was never good at affection, it was Helen. There was very little he wouldn't do for her. "I'm intrigued as to what you have found. Shall we?"

[notsocommon]

"Absolutely," she said, leading him back to the door. It conveniently opened into one of the back rooms of her father's house in 19th century London, which was good considering she did not want to make a scene.

"All right, so, I feel like you might have left a suit of clothes here at one point," Helen said, laughing. "So we can change and not cause an international incident."

[akhkharu]

"It wouldn't surprise. It's the kind of thing I would do," he admitted. "Oh I hope it fits. I was on a different diet back then." He twirled round. "Do you think it will fit?"

He was looking forward to this.

[notsocommon]

Helen smirked a bit. "I don't think things have changed all that much, Nikola, though I wonder what diet you were on in the 19th century that you're not on now."

So far as she was aware, he had never lived solely on blood. There had always been some sort of augment to that, some sort of supplement.

[akhkharu]

"Eat whenever I remembered to, mostly when I think about it. I got distracted far too easily."

The supplement was mostly wine, or whatever alcohol he could find. Blood on it's own was just too icky, if he were being honest.

Oh, maybe there was some food in there too. Mostly when in company.

[notsocommon]

"You weren't the only one getting distracted," Helen said, laughing a bit.

"Do you remember those nights we'd stay up arguing until dawn? Equations and equations and equations and James always hated your handwriting and John was sour to everyone except me and Nigel would just disappear? Things were good then, you know. We had a great deal of fun."

[akhkharu]

"Ah but it was fun," he pointed out, moving close to her, and wrapping his arms around her waist. "The ideas we had back then, the ways we vowed to change the world..." He grinned at her, his eyes bright. "Halcyon days indeed."

[notsocommon]

"You know, we could always pay a visit to my stable," Helen said, eyes glinting with a bit of mischief. It had been a good bit of luck that her house had room for stables, considering it was right in the thick of London, but it was an older house and the city had sort of grown up around them.

"I've had many a good afternoon in that hay. Some of them with you, even. Want to go? For old times' sake?"

[akhkharu]

"My, my, you have got a lot of nostalgia feelings today," he pointed out with a grin. "Though, just so I know, should I be jealous that not all of those stable afternoons were with me? Just checking?"

[notsocommon]

"Hmm, possibly a bit jealous," Helen said after a moment. "But you know well enough that I haven't been with anyone else in ages. I prefer being with someone I know already and don't have to hide myself with. So be just a little jealous?"

[akhkharu]

He narrowed his eyes at her a little. "I have to say, I do think you like it a little when I'm jealous. Just a little," he pointed out, but he was grinning. He didn't mind as much anymore, especially here. Just him and her, for a very long time? Some things just fell into place. "So... just a little jealous."

[notsocommon]

"Oh, yes, gets my blood going," Helen admitted easily enough. She was too old to be coy about these things anymore and Nikola knew her too well. Even if she chose to lie (which she didn't at this particular juncture) she felt like Nikola would see through it, more or less.

Then again, he hadn't seen through her subterfuge regarding the implosion of her Sanctuary, had he? Hmm. Something to ponder. Helen pushed it out of her mind for the time being and decided to focus on the present. It was something she often didn't have the luxury of doing.

"You get all possessive and needy. I do like it."

[akhkharu]

Oh he'd see through it, to a certain point at least. He knew her, too well sometimes.

He may miss some things, but about Helen's personality? Not really. Especially given how much closer they'd become over the last five or so years.

"Good," he said, smirking as her as he opened a door to let her through. She could lead the way.

[notsocommon]

"I did have a thing for you back then. I was waiting for you to say something," Helen admitted, heading out the back door to the garden, "But John got there first, unfortunately. So if you had feelings for me, I never knew about them."

Or James, until later. It seemed only Nigel had no interest in her in that way.

[akhkharu]

"Ah, back then the science was everything." At least, by the time he'd decided to act on his feelings, she'd fallen for John and he didn't stand a chance. "I did, I loved you from the very beginning, but back then I was the shy Serbian, remember?"

[notsocommon]

"Right, I've forgotten you were ever shy," Helen scoffed. Thinking back on it, there was truth in it. Nikola had not been as he was now at first; the Source blood had changed his personality somewhat along with the years.

"I was shy too, once. A woman amongst all those men? I hardly knew what to say or do. I was afraid you'd all laugh at me. I got over it, eventually, but it took a little while."

[akhkharu]

Ah, those were the days. So aware of being the different one, the one with the accent, the fastidious ways the ridiculous moustache, it had affected his personality. It was only really after taking the Source blood, when different was not a bad thing, that he became the wonderful person he was today.

"I don't think any of us noticed. All we cared about was the fact that you were in our midst, and who could gain your attention." They were so shallow.