Not an epilogue, the next chapter.

[teratologist]

It took time to settle in to the new Sanctuary. No longer the world wide network but one main facility with tiny satellite branches for necessary local use hidden about world. For starters it was massive, the subterranean grounds made some of the worlds major cities look shabby and small.

The venture had taken careful planning to grow through the 113 years of her hiatus from humanity, ending with an achievement Helen was exceptionally proud of. This single unit of habitats could house most, if not all, of the abnormal population of the world; with that came certain precautions.

Helen dare not let anyone into the confidence of it all until she was absolutely sure things were running as well as could be. This was by now a labor of love, and no one had the experience or commitment to preserving both spirit and letter of the Sanctuary foundation than she did. Eventually she brought the others in, Henry of course and her faithful companion Bigfoot came along right away. Will soon followed and Kate not long after, but there were others that required..well..the proper timing.

She had to give Nikola credit, he'd been vastly determined to not only locate her but try and gain entrance to the facility. She had enough time to plot this out though and Occam's razor prevailed. Nikola remained the last vampire on Earth, if she wanted to keep him out explicitly, she need only block that DNA. No matter how sophisticated a trick or trap he could make, the watchful eye of security would not allow him to pass, not until she was ready.

Three months, blink of an eye to their life times, but three months of denial was surely torture for Tesla. So, when it finally arrived the invitation came also with the balm a 2003 Opus One Bordeaux blend. Of course he couldn't have made finding him easy, it required most of her considerable resources and a bit of hunting by Henry to track down the genius and see that her invitation was passed along. So there it would arrive, a bottle, a single long stemmed blush rose and a rather poetic invitation written in Praxian so only they two would know what it said.

Nikola,
Forgive me the rudeness, but until now I'm afraid things weren't quite ready for you. But, if you're willing, you'll know how to find me.

Helen

Defenses down, his entry allowed, the new Sanctuary welcomed Nikola Tesla.

Comments

[tesla_vampiris]

In the end, he wasn't sure how to take it. He'd been fairly sure she'd survived. But not certain, not absolutely certain. Had that kiss been a request for trust, or a kiss goodbye? It plagued his mind. And he couldn't even get near the site he knew she had put aside. Not without an earth borer and he was willing to bet that there were defenses against that possibility, as well.

Three months of uncertainty had been, in essence, a slow torture. Then, of course, there was the added question of whether or not she even wanted him there. The defenses seemed, crucially, rather geared towards keeping him out, specifically.

Then her damned note arrived. Wine and a rose and...what? If he were willing? And not quite ready before? What on earth needed that much time?

He pondered the note for days. Even analyzed the wine before drinking it. Helen had increased her abilities in terms of the long, subtle game tremendously - he was now fairly certain that either everything that had happened for a century had been according to her will, or more likely than not she'd found some extra time somewhere. Thus he had to wonder. He wanted to trust her, but she'd kept him in the dark for three months. Without even a note telling him she was alive.

With all the means in place to keep him out, the question became why?

But he came, regardless. He'd trusted her before, and he'd choose to trust her still. He approached the new Sanctuary with some concern, thus, but also considerable wonder. It was, after all, excellent work.

He stood outside, watching the waterfall. She could come to him.

[teratologist]

Dinner was, in a word, sumptuous. Rack of Lamb as she'd thought, paired with new potatoes roasted in a similar rosemary and garlic seasoning. Of course the meal had been paired with the obligatory choice wine, nothing less would have settled Nikola's pallet.

Brandy and light sorbet followed and tea was added to settle the full meal and give them something civilized to talk over as they digested. Helen relaxed back in a thickly padded settee in the adjoining room where they settled after dinner. She looked quiet content, with a lazy feline smile on her lips.

"I'm glad you've decided to stay, we need you here."