It started on January 31st.  Her doorbell rang.  Natalie 
Lambert stretched and picked Sydney off her lap and set him down 
on the couch.   she wondered.  She'd had a long night 
at the morgue and had settled down to watch a movie.  She was 
tired and feeling a little bit grumpy.   
Taking a swipe at her unruly hair before answering the door, 
Natalie shuffled across her living room grumbling as she went.  
        When she opened the door she was confronted by a delivery 
man with a package that needed to be signed for.  Natalie's 
grumpiness gave way to curiosity, and she puzzled over what could 
be in the package as she signed her name on the manifest.  
Whatever in the world could this be?  And who would be sending her 
a gift this time of year?  It certainly wasn't her birthday, and 
Christmas was already long past.  She took the package over to her 
kitchen table and got out a knife to slice through the heavy 
packing tape.  Once open, she was forced to dig through an 
enormous amount of packing material to get at the contents.  When 
she finally removed the item, she stood marveling.  In her hands 
she held a large Waterford vase; full-lead crystal and cut so the 
facets caught every beam of light in her kitchen.  It was 
obviously not an inexpensive piece.  She dug around in the 
packing, but found no card, nor any indication of who had sent the 
gift.
        She heaved a mental shrug and, still in awe of the 
beautiful object, went to find the best window in which to display 
it.  It was quite a large piece and Natalie wondered where she'd 
ever find a bouquet large enough to fill it.   
she thought.    The 
sunlight sparkled in the facets as Natalie wondered who had given 
her such a delightful gift.  She remembered the lovely Christmas 
she had spent with Nick, but even he wouldn't send her such an 
expensive gift just out of the blue for no reason and no occasion. 
Her curiosity was definitely piqued.

@--}---}---

        The next night was another in a series of difficult nights 
at work as well.   Nat wondered.  It seemed there would be no end to the 
suicides she was autopsying here lately.  She just couldn't find 
it within herself to understand why holidays caused so much 
depression.  True, she usually didn't have anyone to spend them 
with; Nick was sweet and attentive, but where can a relationship 
with a vampire go anyway?  But she never felt alone, not with 
friends like Grace around to see that she didn't suffer too much.  
Grace had been her usual ebullient self, bouncing around the 
morgue with obvious delight, putting up red and white streamers 
and lace-doilied hearts.
        "What has gotten into you, Grace?" Nat finally asked, 
turning to her bubbly technical assistant.  
        "Oh, guess it's just the old Valentine spirit kicking in.  
Ever figure out who gave you that vase?"  Grace had an impish 
smile on her large friendly face.  
        "No, still no clue," answered Nat as she set about 
beginning another of the seemingly endless autopsies.
        "I'll bet I know who it was, girlfriend.  I'll bet it was 
from a certain handsome detective that frequents this place more 
than he needs to."  She chuckled to herself at the look on Nat's 
face.
        "I don't know, Grace.  It was a pretty spendy gift for a 
man on a detective's salary."  But Natalie was thinking to herself 
that Nick didn't have to live solely on his salary, and that he 
*could* have afforded the vase.  Still, there was no indication 
from either the gift *or* Nick that he was the giver.  She 
couldn't imagine anyone else, however.... 

@--}---}---

        Natalie had no more than gotten home from work the next 
morning and gotten her coat off when the doorbell rang.  Again she 
was confronted with a delivery man, this time from an upscale 
florist shop. He presented her with a long, ornate box.  Closing 
the door and turning toward her kitchen again, she opened the box.  
Inside was a single, perfect, long-stemmed white rose.  She picked 
the flower out of the box and stared at it in amazement.  She 
thought she knew now who had sent her the vase and it sent shivers 
down her spine.  She thought back to Valentine's Day of the year 
before and the large bouquet of white roses that had arrived at 
the morgue with a note to meet him at Azure.  *Him*.  He thought 
she didn't remember what had happened that night.  And for her own 
health and well-being, she had decided not to let him think any 
differently.  LaCroix.  The name sent shivers down her spine.  Her 
first response was to throw the rose in the trash and not think 
about it anymore, but something compelled her to put the single 
rose in the large crystal vase instead.

 @--}---}---

       On the second of February the florist delivered two perfect 
long-stemmed *red* roses to her door; on the third, three perfect 
white roses; on the fourth, four perfect red roses. The pattern 
continued on a daily basis, giving Natalie something very pleasant 
to look forward to after a rough day at work.  Her crystal vase 
was rapidly filling up.  She smiled at the beautiful red and white 
blossoms, but her heart still did flip-flops wondering if this was 
LaCroix again and what he was up to this time. Then, with the 
thirteen white roses that arrived on the thirteenth, was a note, 
obviously written by the florist, for it was in no handwriting 
that Natalie recognized, asking her to keep her calendar free on 
the fourteenth.  
        Natalie's hand was poised over her phone.  She was 
undecided as to whether or not she should call Nick and tell him 
what was up.  She really did not like the thought of another 
Valentine's Day with LaCroix, but she didn't want to pull Nick 
into this either.  *He* didn't know she remembered last 
Valentine's Day either, and she didn't want to put him through the 
guilt trip she knew he would go through if he knew that she knew 
what he knew about that night.  She smiled.   she thought to herself.

        The fourteenth dawned with a red-hued splendor.  It looked 
as though it would be a most beautiful Valentine's Day.  Natalie 
had taken the night off from work and spent the day washing her 
hair and relaxing in her fuzzy pink bathrobe and slippers, 
wondering what would happen that night.  She finally decided that 
she ought to get a little sleep before evening and shuffled off to 
bed.

@--}---}---

        That evening, barely a few minutes past sunset, the 
doorbell rang as it had each day this month.  Natalie got up to 
receive her roses, which she was expecting by now.  Even with the 
fact that she'd had to throw a few of the older ones out, her 
beautiful crystal vase was nearly full to the bursting point 
already.  Sure enough, fourteen of the most perfect red roses she 
had ever seen greeted her as she opened the florist's box.  She 
had no more than managed to put the last of the roses in the vase, 
when the doorbell rang again.  Natalie was a little concerned this 
time.  She was still in her robe and slippers and certainly not 
ready for a guest.  Especially not the guest she half expected to 
see standing there.
        The person who greeted her at the door was not LaCroix, 
however.  Much to her relief, she noted that this was *another* 
delivery man.   she wondered.  She'd 
been wondering a lot lately.  Whatever this was all about, the 
person behind it certainly had an elaborate sense of creativity 
when it came to romance.
        This time she took the package to her bedroom, thinking 
that perhaps she ought to get dressed before her doorbell rang 
again.  Placing the box on her bed, she went to the closet to look 
for a dress that was casual, but a little dressy.   she thought as she 
smiled to herself.  But she couldn't stand that box just sitting 
there on her bed.  Her curiosity overcame her need to get dressed 
right away and she opened the large, heavy package.
        Inside, on top of the inner wrappings was a notecard.  She 
opened it to reveal a handwriting that she did finally recognize.  
On the card was the message, "Sir Nicholas de Brabant requests the 
honour of his Lady's presence downstairs at her earliest 
convenience.  Please do me the honour of wearing the enclosed 
gift."  Natalie turned back the tissue paper and lifted out the 
dress.  It was the most gorgeous thing she thought she had ever 
laid eyes upon.  The deep burgundy red velvet of the floor-length 
gown was trimmed in gold brocade and cut and fashioned much in the 
style of 13th Century noblewomen.  Natalie couldn't believe her 
eyes.  The navy blue suit dress she had pulled from the closet lay 
forgotten on the bed as she quickly slipped into the luscious 
gown.  She smiled as she looked in the mirror.  It made her feel 
like a princess.  There was even a pair of matching red velvet 
slippers.  And everything fit as though it had been custom 
tailored just for her.  Slipping on her coat, she hurried outside 
to meet her "prince".
        There on the curb stood Nick, dressed very authentically 
in the garb of a 13th Century knight.  Beside him stood a 
beautiful dapple-gray horse.  His grin at seeing her decked out in 
her finery nearly split his face in two.  He offered her his hand, 
and after mounting his steed, pulled her up behind him.
        "And just where do you think you are taking me, Sir 
Nicholas?"  Natalie said with a twinkle in her voice as she held 
to Nick's waist for dear life as they cantered down the streets of 
Toronto.
        "Just you wait and see," was the only answer she got.

 @--}---}---

       Finally, Nick reined his horse in at the base of the CN 
Tower.  After dismounting, he helped Natalie down and led her to 
the elevator.  They rode in silence all the way to the top.  
        "I thought you might enjoy dinner in the '360' tonight," 
Nick said with a smile.  "I hear they have a wonderful chef and 
the view can't be matched."
        As long as she'd lived in Toronto, Natalie had never 
managed to find the time to visit the rotating restaurant before.  
"The view is fabulous!" she exclaimed, admiring the vista of 
Toronto at night from far atop the landmark spire.  Then she 
looked around the restaurant itself, noting that they appeared to 
be alone.
        "I bought it out for the evening, in your honor," Nick 
explained.  Soft music from a live band played in a corner of the 
room.  
        The maitre d' showed the couple to their seats.  Nick 
ordered a bottle of a fine red wine while Natalie looked over the 
menu.  After placing her order, she excused herself to powder her 
nose.  She assumed, correctly, that the ride over to the 
restaurant had done nothing good for her hair.  While she was 
gone, Nick poured her glass of wine and, pulling a silver flask 
from a pocket, filled his wine glass as well.
       "This place is fantastic!" Nat commented as she returned to 
her seat a few minutes later.  "The view is so breathtaking."
        "I won't argue with that," Nick commented, never taking 
his eyes off Natalie.  She blushed at his intent look and picked 
up her wine glass to take a sip.
        "There's something in my glass!" she exclaimed in 
surprise.  Getting a spoon, she fished the offending object out of 
the wine glass.  She looked at the object nestled in the spoon, 
then up at Nick and back down at the spoon.  Nick rose from his 
seat and, kneeling in front of Natalie, removed the ring from the 
spoon she was holding.  He offered the ring for her inspection.  
Natalie turned the delicate band in her hands.  The 18 karat 
yellow-gold ring was topped by a flawless one carat diamond 
solitaire.  Inside the band was engraved in flowing script, 
"Natalie and Nicholas, Forever".
        "Natalie Lambert, will you do me the honor of being my 
wife?" Nick's words broke through Natalie's reverie.
        Natalie just stared for a few seconds.  All the thoughts 
of why she shouldn't even begin to consider marrying a vampire 
passed through her thoughts; she'd never have a decent day in the 
sun again, she'd be in even greater danger from the rest of the 
vampire Community than she already was, she wouldn't be able to 
make love to Nick, or to have children.  And all the while these 
thoughts were fleeting through her mind, her voice uttered a soft 
and sincere, "Yes."

        The rest of the evening flew by in a fog for Natalie.  She 
vaguely remembered her dinner, and some dancing.  When it was 
nearly dawn, Nick took her down to a waiting black limousine.  The 
beautiful horse that Nick had brought her here on had mysteriously 
and conveniently disappeared.  Considering the bitter cold of the 
February predawn night in Toronto, Natalie was glad of it.
        When they arrived back at Natalie's apartment, she invited 
Nick in.
        "It's far too close to dawn for you to get back home 
safely now.  How would you feel about spending the day here?  I 
could fix the couch up for you," she offered.
        Nick weighed the odds of getting home in time with the 
temptation to stay the day with Natalie.  After the night they had 
just been through, the temptation won out over reason.
        Natalie found an extra pillow and some sheets and a 
blanket and began to fix up the couch while Nick made use of her 
shower.  Natalie had to stifle a giggle seeing Nick coming out of 
the bathroom, hair all wet and tousled, and wearing her fuzzy pink 
bathrobe.  He had that air of complete innocence about him that 
always amazed and delighted her.  
        "It's all I could find...." he shrugged.  Natalie wasn't 
sure, but she thought she noticed a slight flush to his pale 
cheeks.  
        While he had been showering, Natalie had changed into the 
warm light blue sweats that she used as pajamas during the winter 
months.  She smiled up at him and they both sat down on the couch.
        "I had the most marvelous evening."  Nat stared into those 
bottomless blue eyes, nearly losing herself in their depths.  She 
looked down to the jewel that now adorned her finger.  "Are we 
really going to do this, or will I wake up and find this was all 
an elaborate, wonderful dream?"
        "It's no dream, Natalie.  I love you more than life itself 
and I have faith that you will find the cure for me ... for us....  
But you're tired now, and so am I.  I think perhaps you ought to 
go to your own bed now."  He leaned over and gave her chaste kiss 
on the forehead.  Reluctantly, Natalie had to agree that she *was* 
very tired, and with regret she made her way off to bed alone.
        When Natalie had retired to her bedroom, Nick pulled out 
the silver flask again and finished the contents in one long 
draught.  He tried to settle down to sleep, but he found himself 
listening to her heartbeat and her breathing in the other room.  
She called to him, even in her sleep.  He wasn't sure just how 
long he could resist the siren call of her heart.

@--}---}---

        About mid-day, Natalie awoke to the feel of another body 
beside her in bed.  Nick was sleeping, his arm draped around her 
waist protectively.  He had on his briefs and nothing else.  She 
lay there, savoring his closeness and the coolness of his body 
next to hers, and wondered when it was that he had decided to join 
her in her bed.  
        Her increased heart rate and the slight movements she'd 
made since waking, disturbed Nick enough to wake him up.  He 
stirred slightly, shifting his body beside her.  Without a word, 
he slipped his hand up inside her shirt and lovingly caressed her 
breast.  He cupped its soft fullness in the palm of his hand and 
began rolling her nipple between his thumb and forefinger until 
it was a tight little nub.  Natalie moaned with delight at the 
sensations that swept through her body at his touch.  Nearly 
purring with the pleasures of the sensations coursing through her 
body, Natalie reached down to the hem of her sweatshirt and pulled 
it off over her head.  Nick admired the creamy whiteness of her 
skin and the soft mounds of her breasts.  He continued to stroke 
and caress her while he leaned over to begin nibbling behind her 
ear and down her neck to her shoulders and then her breasts.  He 
began to suckle lightly on one breast, gently teasing her nipple 
with his teeth.  Natalie moaned with pleasure.  The sensations 
sweeping through her body now were ones she had feared she had 
forgotten; ones she hadn't held out much hope of ever feeling 
again.  Nick rolled her over and pressed his lips to hers.  His 
rising passion was evident in the probing of his tongue in her 
mouth.  It was evident in other ways as well, as Natalie noticed a 
distinct pressure against her thigh.  She began rubbing the area 
with gentle movements of her leg.  Nick let out a deep moan and 
rolled onto his back, breathing heavily, his eyes shut tight.  
Finally he could stand it no more and gently stopped her 
ministrations.  
        "Stop....  We have to stop...."  Nick was nearly 
breathless and his voice had turned deep and rough.  He opened his 
eyes to look at her and Natalie saw the gold that had replaced the 
blue.  She saw the tips of his fangs as he labored to breath 
through his mouth.  He quickly shut his eyes tightly and turned 
his back to her.  Moments later he turned to look at her again 
with clear blue eyes.  He had hoped and prayed that he had had 
sufficient blood the night before, but he had been unprepared to 
spend the day with Natalie.
        With great regret in his voice, Nick apologized profusely 
and went to spend the rest of the day alone on the couch.  Natalie 
found she had great difficulty getting back to sleep; her body 
remembered the warm tingly sensations of Nick's touch and she 
longed to have him beside her again.  When she finally did fall 
asleep, she awoke with the evening to find that Nick had fled with 
the waning of the light.

        It had been three days ... three days since he had fled 
her apartment after their aborted attempt to make love.  Three 
days since he had proposed marriage and she had accepted.   Three 
days with nothing but flowers and small gifts to sustain her.  
Three days of being alone....  He was gone, avoiding her, and she 
felt hurt.  She also felt some anger, but the fact of the matter 
was that she loved him and needed to see him again.  She wondered 
how long she would have to wait....

@--}---}---

        He had fled her apartment that evening three nights ago.  
He knew it was wrong to leave without talking to her, but he had 
been so afraid for her life that day and so mortified by his own 
behavior.  He hadn't had more than a small flask full of blood 
that fateful evening....  He hadn't had any business finding 
himself in her bed that morning.  But he couldn't help himself.  
Damn!  Why did everything he tried to do have to go so terribly 
wrong?  He had proposed.  She had accepted.  That Valentine's Day 
evening had been glorious up to the point where he seemed to have 
lost his reason and found himself in bed with her.  He was 
frightened.  Frightened of losing her ... frightened of losing 
himself....  But now, after all that had happened ... now, would 
she even want him back?  They needed to talk, but would Nat be 
willing to hear what he had to say?  

@--}---}---

        Her doorbell rang just as Natalie was cleaning up her 
supper dishes.  She put the last plate in the sink to soak, dried 
her hands and went to answer the door.  He stood there holding a 
bouquet of wildflowers as a peace offering.  Words seemed to fail 
both of them for a moment.  Finally, giving herself a little 
shake, Natalie found her voice.
        "Nick...."  She faltered for a breath, then, "please, come 
in."  She gestured into her living room.  Nick took a hesitant 
step inside, handing her the flowers.  Words continued to fail him 
and Nick found himself gathering Natalie in a tight embrace, 
burying his face in the volumes of her chestnut curls, taking in 
her wonderful scent.  Oh, how he had missed her!
        "Natalie...." he began, then paused. "Nat, we have to 
talk.... His voice trailed off.  Holding him close to her, Natalie 
smiled.  She had hoped for a chance to talk, to clear the air, to 
learn about this man that she had come to love more than her own 
life.  She led him over to the couch and pulled him down beside 
her.
        "So, where should we start?" Natalie looked deeply into 
those earnest blue eyes and saw such pain and sadness there that 
she couldn't begin to comprehend.
        "I think with an apology would be a good place."  Nick 
tentatively took hold of Natalie's hand, engulfing it in his own.  
"I shouldn't have run out on you that night, Nat.  I should have 
stayed.  I just ... I just ... I was so afraid.  So afraid of what 
I might do to you if I stayed.  Nat, I needed to feed.  I was a 
danger to you and I couldn't stand the thought of ever hurting 
you.  Ever."  His grip on her hand tightened and he seemed 
momentarily lost for words.  His head was bowed, he couldn't look 
her in the eyes.  Natalie took her free hand and tipped his chin 
up so that she could look at him.
        "I understand, Nick.  I understand a whole lot more than 
you want to give me credit for sometimes.  All you had that night 
was one small flask of blood.  It was inconsiderate of me to 
forget that fact."
        "Nat, it wasn't your fault.  None of this is your fault.  
I should have thought it through.  I shouldn't have stayed.  I 
should have known that I wouldn't be able to resist the 
temptation...."  His head dropped again.  This was hard for him.  
He wanted nothing more at that moment than to jump and run for the 
door ... but that wasn't why he was here.  He was here to face 
those fears and come to grips with them.  He was here because he 
was in love.  
        Natalie sensed that fear and gathered him into her arms as 
though he were a frightened child.  It was this gentleness 
cloaking the strength that had so attracted her to him to begin 
with.  So much power at his command, yet he chose to live as a 
mortal, and love as a mortal.  How easy at times it was to forget 
that he wasn't mortal....  
        "Nick, marriage is a partnership.  If you and I are really 
going through with this, you're going to have to let me take some 
of the blame sometimes you know."  She smiled gently at him.  "You 
don't take the blame when Schank screws up, do you?  ...  Do you?"  
She gave him a gentle nudge in the midsection.  He shook his head.  
"Well, see....  You have to take me down off that pedestal, Nick.  
You need to be honest with me.  Treat me like your *equal*, not 
your superior.  Okay?"  She had to nudge him again to get any 
reaction.  "Okay?"
        "Nat, there's so much you don't know...."  Nick let out a 
sigh.  Just how hard was this going to be anyway?
        "Sooooo ... tell me.  Tell me everything."  Nat smiled 
encouragingly.
         he 
thought.  Then, drawing a deep breath he put his arm around her 
shoulder, pulling her into a light embrace, and started at the 
very beginning....

@--}---}---

        They talked throughout the night; Nick alternately 
confessing his many evils and lapsing into uncomfortable silences.  
Natalie did her best to be supportive.  Yes, some of these 
revelations came as a shock.  She knew that because Nick was a 
vampire that he had to have killed, but the stark reality and 
brutality of it was more than she had imagined.  As hard as it 
had been for him, Nick had held nothing back, and when he was 
through Natalie held him as he cried on her shoulder.  She wept 
with him.  For all the evil he had been and done, she couldn't see 
him that way now.  He was a different person altogether, and she 
loved him.  God, how she loved him!  It almost didn't seem 
possible, but she loved him all the more for the knowing than she 
had in her ignorance.
        It had been hard for Nick to accept that Natalie still 
loved him, that she hadn't shunned him for what he had been ... 
for what he was.  He was absolutely incredulous at her attitude, 
but was incredibly grateful for her understanding.  Somehow, with 
her acceptance, he found that he didn't hate himself as much 
anymore.  He resolved to himself from that moment on, that he 
would do whatever it took to become mortal, to have Natalie with 
him the rest of his days.
        "Natalie," he pushed back from her a bit in order to look 
upon her wonderfully accepting countenance, "there's just one 
thing....  I really think we should delay the wedding until I come 
back across, until I'm mortal."  
        Natalie sighed.  She had figured that was coming.  "And 
what if you don't?  What if I can't bring you back across?  Nick, 
I want to be your wife.  I don't care what you are; I need to be 
with you."
        "I have faith, Nat.  I have faith in you ... in us.  We 
can do it, together.  I know that we can.  Then we can be together 
the way God meant us to be. Don't you see?  As long as I'm a 
vampire, I risk killing you every time we even try to make love.  
How would we ever even consummate our marriage?"  He was so 
serious, so sincere, so full of the light of hope and faith.  
Natalie felt herself filled with the same hope and faith ... and 
longing.
        "I can wait," she said at last, with a sigh that belied 
her words.  "I want nothing more than to be with you, you know, 
but I love you enough to wait.  We're engaged, and that ought to 
be enough for now.  I love you, you love me.  Right?"  She looked 
into his eyes and saw a smile there; hope, love, faith, they were 
all right there in his eyes.  
        Nick gathered her into his arms then and rained a trail of 
kisses from her shoulder, up her neck, to alight on her lips in a 
passionate kiss of promise.

@--}---}---

        Nick was true to his resolve.  When he left Natalie's 
apartment just before dawn that day, he hurried back to the loft.  
Searching the cupboards for the blender, he brought it down to the 
counter and set it alongside a can of powdered protein mix.  
Grimacing at the thought, he measured the powder and water into 
the blender and turned it on.  Reaching into a pocket he pulled 
out a silver pill box, a Valentine's gift from Natalie last year, 
opened it and removed one the of Vitamin A pills he frequently 
"forgot" to take.  Pouring the protein drink into a glass, he 
downed it with the pill in one long draught.  He shuddered at the 
taste, but the vision of Natalie's loving face in his mind was 
enough to get him through.  He rinsed the glass and left it in the 
sink then turned and headed upstairs to bed.

        He was hungry ... and he was hot.

        Nick had barely made it through work that night.  
Stumbling into the loft he headed straight for the refrigerator.  
Opening the door, he stood basking in its coolness.  He grabbed 
the nearest green bottle and, pulling the cork with his teeth and 
spitting it halfway across the room, downed the entire contents 
without taking a breath.  He leaned heavily back against the
appliance, still enjoying the cold emanating from it and reluctant 
to close the door.  Taking another bottle, he grudgingly left the 
coolness of the refrigerator to sit heavily down on the couch.  
His remote closed the blinds, lit the fireplace and turned on the 
TV.  He opened the second bottle with a little more care, but 
still drank directly from it, foregoing the use of a glass.
         he thought.  
  He hadn't felt like 
this in the entire 767 years of his existence as a vampire.  He 
could barely remember *ever* feeling like this, even as a mortal.  
His stomach was churning.  He felt the frightening sensation as 
his stomach began to contract.  He jumped and ran, with vampiric 
speed, to the downstairs bathroom, barely making it in time to
vomit up the entire contents of his stomach in the porcelain 
basin.  He sat back on his haunches.  He felt weak and dizzy.  
This was not good, not good at all....

*     *     *     *     *

        Natalie was worried.  Nick had not shown up for work that 
night, nor had he bothered to call in.  Schanke was running around 
checking with everyone he knew that might know Nick's whereabouts.  
Cohen was on his case to get it together with his partner and 
fast.  There was a new murder to investigate and Nick seemed to 
have vanished.  Natalie finally decided to go to the loft and see 
if Nick were there and just not answering the phone for some 
reason. She assured Schanke that she would call if she found him.  
Armed with that reassurance, Schanke went out to the crime scene 
alone.

        Natalie buzzed when she reached Nick's loft, but when he 
didn't answer, she entered the alarm code herself and let herself 
in.  What she saw made her freeze momentarily in her tracks.  Nick 
was laying on the couch, curled into the fetal position and 
shaking like a leaf.  The doctor in Natalie kicked in and she was 
at his side in a flash.  She put her palm against his forehead and 
was surprised by the warmth there.  A fine sheen of blood sweat 
coated his face. She tried shaking him gently.
        "Nick?  Nick, can you hear me?  Nick, are you all right?"  
Natalie was becoming more desperate in her shaking as she got no 
response from Nick. She smelled the scent of stale blood and saw 
some vomit stains on his shirt. Whatever was wrong was deathly 
serious.  How could this be?  Vampires don't get sick.  They 
*can't* get sick!
        It was obvious to Natalie that Nick would need blood; lots 
of it, and fast. She wasn't sure how he would react if he woke up 
now and she certainly wasn't in the mood to be lunch right at the 
moment.  She remembered Nick having some blood packs in the 
freezer and went to the refrigerator to remove several.  She 
needed to thaw them quickly, but the microwave was not a good 
option if the blood was to retain any nutritive value to Nick.  
She hunted in the cupboards until she found a large Pyrex bowl.  
She half-filled it with water and put it in the microwave to heat.  
She then put the frozen blood packs in the hot water and went back 
to check on Nick.  He had rolled onto his back and was moaning and 
babbling incoherently.  His words made no sense to her, just the 
ravings of a fever-induced delirium.  She sat there holding his 
hand for several minutes.
        When she couldn't stand it any longer she got up to check 
on the blood packs.  The water had turned cool and the packs were 
thawed, but not warm yet.  Natalie dried them off and stuffed them 
up her blouse, hoping to warm them to body temperature.  Nick was 
calling for her now, but he still wasn't conscious.  He was 
beginning to thrash around and Natalie had to hold him still so 
that he wouldn't hurt himself.  She rummaged around in her bag 
looking for a needle and tubing so that she could start 
transfusing the blood into him as soon as possible.  If he 
couldn't take it through his stomach and keep it down, perhaps 
straight into a vein would do the trick.
        It wasn't easy holding Nick's arm still enough to insert 
the needle, but she finally managed.  She withdrew a blood pack 
from inside her blouse and hooked it up to the IV line.  She held 
it up, squeezing gently to start the flow.  Nick's body responded 
almost immediately to the presence of the blood and Natalie found 
that he was absorbing the blood much faster than she would have 
expected.  She was kept busy changing the empty packs for full
ones.  Nick had apparently been on the verge of starvation.  By 
the fourth blood pack, Nick had settled down, and a few minutes 
later he opened his eyes.
        "Nat?"  His voice was weak and hoarse.
        "I'm here Nick.  Everything's going to be okay.  Can you 
tell me what the matter is?  You're burning up."
        "Nat?"
        "Yes, Nick, it's me.  It's Nat.  Can you talk to me?  
You're sick.  How can you be so sick?"
        Nick closed his eyes and Natalie was afraid she was going 
to lose him again.  He heaved a sigh and opened his eyes to look 
at her.
        "I'm hungry.  Help me, Nat...."  He sounded so pathetic 
that Natalie felt the tears beginning to form in her eyes.  She 
placed a fifth blood pack on the IV line and noted that although 
Nick's body was still absorbing the blood at an enormous rate, it 
had slowed down a bit.  She realized she was going to need to thaw 
more packs and probably get more from the morgue somehow.
        She got up to put more of the blood packs in the warm 
water to thaw and came back over to Nick.  Out of curiosity, she 
rummaged around in her bag until she produced a Thermotemp Strip 
and popped it in Nick's mouth under his tongue.  When she pulled 
it out again she was more than surprised to see it read 97.5 
degrees.   she thought to herself.  This was a tad low for 
a mortal, but practically burning up for a vampire!  She pulled 
out her stethoscope and pressed it to Nick's chest.  At first she 
heard nothing, but with patience she soon heard the tha-thump of 
his heart.  What surprised her no end was that about thirty 
seconds later, tha-thump, there it was again! For a man whose 
heart rate wasn't supposed to be more than one in ten minutes, 
Nick's pulse was practically racing.  Something stirred inside of
Natalie and she began to get really excited.
        "Nick ... how long has it been since the last time you 
drank blood and were able to hold it down?"  Natalie checked on 
the blood pack, realizing that she would have to get up and change 
it again soon.
        "I don't know....  A week, maybe ten days," Nick replied 
weakly.
        "What?!"  Natalie practically screamed at him.  "It's been 
that long since you could hold down blood and you didn't tell 
me??"
        "No, no, Nat, it's not like that at all.  I haven't been 
able to hold blood down since, oh, last night?  I've been drinking 
your protein shakes instead."
        "...P-protein shakes?  You've been drinking those without 
me forcing them down you?"  Natalie was amazed.
        "Well, yeah.  Remember after Valentine's Day?  We decided 
then that we wouldn't get married until we found a way to bring me 
back across."  Nick looked at Natalie with love and longing in his 
eyes, despite his weakened condition.  Natalie could tell he was 
very serious about this.  "I've been taking the Vitamin A pills 
every day too, and the garlic."  Nick made an awful face at that 
statement, wincing inwardly at the memory.
        "You've really been trying...."  Natalie's voice trailed 
off as her mind drifted over the possibilities.  Nick moaned 
softly and Natalie noticed that the blood pack was empty again.  
She disconnected it and got up to fetch a fresh warm one.
        As she turned to the kitchen, she felt a slight 
disturbance in the air and heard a gentle 'whooshing' noise.  
Looking up, she saw LaCroix standing not six feet away.  She 
shivered.  This was not what either she or Nick needed right now.
        "What are you doing here?" she confronted him with as much 
courage as she could muster.
        "You think I wouldn't notice when Nicholas is suffering?  
I came to see if I could be of any service."  LaCroix's smile 
looked more like a leer to Natalie.  This man did not in any way 
have Nick's best interests at heart.  He probably had come merely 
to watch Nick suffer.
        "I've got things perfectly under control here, thank you," 
she replied.  "I would appreciate it if you would kindly leave and 
allow us to get back to our business."
        "And that would be....?"
        "Making Nick well again," she stated flatly.
        "Not until I've said my greetings to my son."  LaCroix 
walked over to the couch and looked down on Nick, who had drifted 
off to sleep again.  "Well, well, Nicholas, what *have* you gotten 
yourself into this time?"  He noted the tubing and empty blood 
bags and looked back up at Natalie.  "You *will* take excellent 
care of him *doctor*, or I shall surely return to take out my
revenge on *you*."  And with that LaCroix was gone as quickly and 
as quietly as he had arrived.
        Natalie shook her head slightly.  The quiet arrival and 
quick departure of LaCroix had upset her more than she wanted to 
admit.  That man gave her gooseflesh, but she would never admit 
it.  She went back to the kitchen and picked up the blood packs.  
Taking them back over to the couch, she hooked another up to the 
IV line.  Nick was resting comfortably, and Natalie finally 
remembered her promise to call Schanke.
        "He's got a bad case of the flu, Schank," she explained.  
The groan on the other end of the line as Schanke realized he was 
working this homicide alone made Natalie smile.  It wasn't that 
she liked to make Schanke miserable, it was just that this made 
Nick seem so ... human.

        Within twenty-four hours Nick was sitting up on the couch 
and looking much more his old self.  Natalie was delighted with 
his speedy recovery, thanking whatever powers that be that 
vampires healed so quickly and so well.  She had been mightily 
worried about Nick there for a while.
        She pulled the Thermotemp Strip from Nick's mouth and 
looked at the readout.  "Hmm ... just as I suspected.  You don't 
even register on these things anymore.  I guess you're back to 
normal."  Natalie sighed a little sigh. "It just seemed like we 
were so close."
        "Maybe we were," Nick said getting more animated as he 
thought about it.  "My temperature and heart rate were up, maybe I 
was beginning to come back across.  Do you think?"
        "I don't know Nick," Natalie tried to be circumspect.  "I 
wouldn't want to get your hopes up, but it looks like we might be 
on the right track.  Maybe the reason you came down with those 
flu-like symptoms had to do with the vampire's system being 
weakened.  We were *this* close...."  Natalie sighed again.  "But 
I wouldn't want to see you that sick again, Nick.  You really had
me scared."
        "You and me both."  Nick smiled at her.  "But it would all 
be worth it to be able to be with you."  Nick pulled Natalie to 
him and laced his fingers in her hair.  Leaning gently toward her, 
he placed a warm and delicate kiss on Natalie's forehead.
        Not content with such a chaste kiss after such a 
monumental scare, Natalie connected firmly with Nick's mouth and 
kissed him for all she was worth.  "We're in this together, Nick, 
and together we *will* find the cure."
        Nick wrapped both arms around Natalie and held her ever so 
close, listening to her heartbeat, smelling her vanilla and 
cinnamon scent, filling himself with her essence.  One day he 
*would* be mortal again, and all he held in his arms at this 
moment would be his....

*     *     *     *     *

        "But Natalie," Nick whined, "the protein shakes were 
working just fine.  If I go back to drinking the blood, won't it 
slow my coming back across?  Nat, I *need* to be with you."  Nick 
and Natalie were standing in the kitchen area of Nick's loft, 
'discussing' Nick's very real need for blood and his equally real 
need to avoid drinking it.
        "Yes, Nick, I suppose it will slow down the process ..." 
she sighed and then looked him straight in the eyes, "but you want 
to stay healthy don't you?  It won't do either one of us a lick of 
good if you come back across then die of some common illness that 
you weren't exposed to in the 13th century!"  Natalie put on her 
most doctor-like countenance, hoping to frighten him into 
compliance.  Nick pouted a bit, , Nat 
thought, but he did finally agree to follow his doctor's orders.  
        "We'll start you out with one glass of blood a day and as 
many protein drinks as you feel you need to get by.  I promise 
that we'll cut the blood intake down, but we'll do it slowly, say 
to a half glass the second week and half of that the third until 
it isn't worth the bother anymore.  Once you're weaned off the 
blood, I'm sure the cure won't be far behind.  Just have patience, 
okay?  You've waited over seven hundred years, you can wait a few 
more weeks."  Natalie reached out to clasp Nick's hands 
reassuringly in hers.
        Nick wasn't so sure about his ability to wait.  The idea 
that Nat's thoughts on a cure might actually work, that he might 
actually be able to come back across and marry this wonderful, 
beautiful woman, made him excited and anxious to get on with it.  
But she was apparently right about the fact that getting off the 
blood was his only hope of coming back across, so she was 
undoubtedly right about this as well.  Nick had put all his faith 
in this woman he loved, and he prayed each night that she was 
right.
        "Okay, Nat, I can do this.  I can do it for you."  Nick 
gave Natalie's hands a slight squeeze.
        "No Nick, you have to do this for *you*, or it isn't going 
to work.  Do it because it's what *you* want.  I have faith in you 
Nick.  You can do this and we *will* be together."  Natalie smiled 
up at Nick encouragingly.  He gathered her up in his arms then, 
and his kiss was his promise to her.

*     *     *     *     *

        The weaning process went more quickly than Nick had 
originally thought it might.  By the end of March he was back to 
straight protein shakes again and his vitamins and garlic pills.  
Everything seemed to be going down a bit easier as well, and to 
his delight, Nick found that it took more effort than usual to use 
his vampiric powers.  Maybe this just might work after all.  
        Nick downed his shake, donned his coat and headed to the 
precinct.  He and Schank were working a difficult homicide case 
and Nick had the feeling that at long last they were finally 
closing in on the perp. 

        Nick walked quietly through the back alley, stalking his 
prey.  The man he hunted had been murdering indiscriminately and 
wantonly for some time now, but he had finally made his fatal 
mistake.  He had left a body with a unique and identifiable cause 
of death.  
        Nick and Schanke had been on the case for weeks now.  This 
one was a clever bastard.  Only Nick knew they were hunting a 
vampire. He had to take this one out before Schanke had a chance.  
He couldn't allow any harm to come to his partner.  This was his 
collar, and his alone.  He was going to be forced by the 
circumstances to make this one an "unsolved" case on the books.  
This perp was going to have to just "disappear."
        A footstep sounded behind him and Nick spun around 
quickly.  He found himself faced by the man he was hunting.  His 
weeks of sticking to his protein shakes for Natalie's sake had 
taken their toll on his speed and reaction time.  He barely saw 
the stake in the vampire's hands before he felt the agonizing pain 
of the thing lancing through his chest like fire and ice, and then 
darkness....

        LaCroix, ever conscious of his son, felt Nicholas' pain as 
the stake was driven into his chest.  The jolt, the backlash, of 
that pain made LaCroix stop in his tracks.  With a bare 
hesitation, he was out of the Raven and launched into the night 
sky.

*     *     *     *     *

        An anonymous call came in to the morgue for Dr. Natalie 
Lambert that night, "Come to the loft, NOW!"  Natalie recognized 
LaCroix's voice, despite the strangled tenor of it.    
Something was wrong with Nick, and it must be serious for LaCroix 
to be calling *her*!  She jumped in her car and drove like a 
madwoman over to the loft.  Without even waiting, she entered the 
alarm code and let herself in.  For the second time in as many 
months, she was stopped dead in her tracks by the scene before 
her.
        LaCroix was sitting on the couch, Nick's head and 
shoulders cradled in his lap.  LaCroix's hands looked as though 
they had been burned.  There was no movement or sound from Nick.
        "What's happened?  What's going on here?" Natalie hurried 
over to the tableau on the couch. " ...You're hurt ... Nick?  
What's happened to Nick?"  Natalie was noting the torn shirt and 
the blood on Nick's chest when her eyes finally settled on the 
jagged wound and followed to the stake on the floor by the couch.  
She let out a little gasp.  It was all she had the strength for at 
that moment.  "What happened?" she asked again, only slightly more 
calmly this time.
        "Isn't it obvious, doctor?  Nicholas has had a serious 
run-in with a stake.  To judge by the burns I received when 
pulling it out, I would venture to guess that it had been dipped 
in holy water or blessed first."
        "Is he ... is he ... dead?"  Natalie's voice quivered and 
she wasn't even sure she wanted to know the answer.
        "Not quite yet," LaCroix sighed.  "The rogue vampire who 
did this to him as been dispatched to hell, at least."  With an 
uncharacteristic gentleness, LaCroix stroked Nick's hair, running 
his fingers through the unruly curls.
        "It was another vampire??" Natalie could hardly believe 
her ears.  Just at that moment, Nick stirred slightly and let out 
a piteous cry.  LaCroix was quick to bite his own wrist and offer 
the blood to Nick.
        "I've been trying to feed him, without much success," 
LaCroix muttered, softly, almost to himself.  Nick took two or 
three swallows from LaCroix's wrist before coughing feebly and 
pushing the wrist away.
        "Can't ... can't drink...."  Nick's voice was ragged and 
weak.  Natalie knew that he needed the blood to heal and was 
seriously considering transfusing him again.  Unfortunately, Nick 
had not replenished his supply of blood packs, and Natalie, not 
expecting another serious need again so soon, had let it go as 
well.
        LaCroix noted her looks and quietly shook his head.  "Not 
this time, doctor ... not this time.  Perhaps it is time that both 
you and I leave Nicholas to his fate."
       Natalie began a frantic pacing, picking things up and 
slamming them down again as her anger grew.  "I can't believe 
this!  *You*, of all people, willing to let Nick go?!  *You*, the 
most manipulative son-of-a...." she sputtered.  "...You wouldn't 
let Nick go!  You've never done anything for Nick's good....  Only 
for your own!"
        LaCroix let her rant, knowing that it was merely her fear 
for Nick's life that was doing the talking.  
        "Nat?" Nick's voice broke through Natalie's rampage and 
she was at his side in an instant.  
        "Nick?  It's Nat ... Nick, talk to me," she pleaded, her 
eyes filling to the brim with tears.
        "Pray for me?  Say a prayer for my soul ... please, 
Nat...."  Nick coughed and bloody sputum dribbled from the corner 
of his mouth as he clutched at his chest.
        Natalie took his hand in hers; it felt so cold ... colder 
than usual.  Her tears could not be held back as she knelt in 
front of the couch to be nearer to him.  "Oh God, spare him...."  
Natalie's voice was choked with tears and almost too quiet for a 
mortal ear to hear.
        "Not for my life ... for my soul ... Please pray for 
me...."  Nick was losing consciousness again, but it was obvious 
that he was fighting it.
        LaCroix looked up at Natalie then and she could see that 
there were tears nestled in the corners of his eyes too.  He knew 
he was losing his son, the man-child he loved almost more than he 
loved himself, this fledgling of his that had caused him so much 
grief and had given him so much joy over the centuries.  "Help me, 
doctor.  Help me pray for him."  LaCroix's voice was so quiet that 
Natalie wasn't sure she had even heard him correctly.  
        Tentatively, she took both of LaCroix's hands in hers, 
bowed her head and closed her eyes.  As she began reciting the 
Lord's Prayer, LaCroix jerked his hands from hers and looked at 
her intently.  His hands were smoking slightly.  Natalie stopped 
the prayer and looked at him questioningly.  LaCroix went back to 
cradling Nick in his arms.
        "Continue doctor," he stated flatly.  
        Natalie bowed her head once again and began the prayer 
over.  LaCroix looked briefly at her downturned face, and closed 
his eyes as well, emptying himself of everything but the words she 
spoke.  She proceeded to recite the 23rd Psalm, "The Lord is my 
Shepherd, I shall not want...." and continued with her own private 
words to wish Nick's soul godspeed on its journey.  Her tears were 
falling freely now and her voice was getting thicker with them by 
the minute.  When she finally got to the "Amen", LaCroix echoed 
her, "Amen.  So be it."
        Natalie opened her eyes again to look at Nick.  She felt 
so frustrated that there wasn't more she could do.  She thought 
that if a stake was removed quickly enough, the vampire should 
recover.  So why was Nick getting weaker by the minute?  Could it 
be that this was his time and Nick was ready to go?  Natalie 
didn't want to believe that.  She wanted to believe in their 
future together.  Just last week they had been discussing the 
wedding plans, despite the fact that they had decided not to get 
married until Natalie found the cure for Nick's vampirism.  How 
could all that be gone so quickly?
        At that moment, Nick chose to open his eyes again.  At 
first they looked dull, nearly lifeless, but then his face lit up, 
absolutely radiant, and he smiled.
        "Nick, what is it?  Nick?!"  Natalie shook him gently to 
get his attention.
        "The light ... I see it, Natalie ... Angels ... angels 
coming for me...." and he closed his eyes.  LaCroix bit into his 
wrist once more and pressed the bloody wound to Nick's mouth.  
Nick sputtered and choked, gagging on the blood trickling down his 
throat.  He fought LaCroix with what minimal strength he had left, 
then he let out one deep shuddering breath and was still.  Natalie 
finally let go of all the pain she had bottled up since entering 
the loft mere minutes ago.  Her wracking sobs shook her whole body 
as she covered her face with her hands, down on her knees in front 
of Nick, crying for what they had lost.
        LaCroix felt the thread of his connection with his son 
snap, and with that moment felt an extreme emptiness in his heart 
that he had hoped to never have to feel.  He threw back his head 
and, fully vamped, let out a roar of anguish.

        As the worst of Natalie's tears began to recede, she again 
looked at Nick through tear-swollen eyes.  What she saw was a man 
finally at peace with himself.  Nick had a small smile on his face 
and he appeared to be no more than sleeping peacefully.  Natalie 
reached out to gently stroke his face with the back of her hand.  
It felt warm....    Natalie looked closer and saw a slight 
flush to Nick's pale cheeks.  When she saw his chest gently rising 
and falling, she was quite sure that she was seeing things.
        LaCroix had closed his eyes after the first of the shock 
had worn off.  He had refused to cry for this son of his, and he 
would not do so now.  Even so, he cradled Nick's head in his lap, 
unwilling in the end to let go.  He felt Natalie as she gently 
rested her hand on top of his.
        "Lucien," Natalie used LaCroix's given name to shock him 
out of his stupor.  "Lucien, look ... he's alive," she breathed, 
her voice sounding breathy and soft.  Putting her head to Nick's 
chest, she heard a thready, but regular heartbeat.  The heartbeat 
of a mortal man.  She looked up in amazement to encounter 
LaCroix's icy blue eyes staring at her.
        "He's not dead, LaCroix ... he's *mortal*."  Natalie 
almost could not believe it herself.  Realization slowly dawned on 
Natalie as she recovered from her initial shock that if Nick truly 
was mortal now, he wasn't out of the woods yet.  She jumped up to 
grab the phone and dialed 911.  As they waited for the ambulance 
to arrive LaCroix and Natalie both wrestled with the meaning of 
this miracle in their own hearts.
        LaCroix's first thought, after the tremendous relief that 
Nicholas was not *truly* gone, was to bring him back across 
posthaste.  But something stayed his hand.  He had already 
accepted that his son was lost to him.  Perhaps it was time to let 
Nick live out his fantasy of mortality.  There was always time to 
bring him back across again at a later date....

        The ambulance roared away from 101 Gateway, carrying its 
precious cargo to Toronto General Hospital.  Natalie was gathering 
her things to go there and be with Nick when he came out of 
surgery.  LaCroix had begged off for the time being as it was 
nearly dawn.  He promised Natalie that he would check up on 
Nicholas the following evening.
        Natalie didn't trust herself to drive to the hospital, she 
was much too tired and overcome with rollercoaster emotions, so 
she called a cab.  She arrived at the hospital fifteen minutes 
later and checked at the nurses' station about Nick's status.  He 
was currently in surgery, so Natalie settled down in the lounge to 
wait it out.  When the surgeon arrived to give her the news, she 
was asleep.  The doctor gently shook her awake.
        "Dr. Lambert?" he smiled down at her.  "I'm Dr. Simonson.  
I was told you are Nicholas Knight's next-of-kin?"
        "His financee, yes," she answered.  "How is he?  Is he all 
right?"  She sat up, feeling more alert than she had in days. 
        "He has three broken ribs, a punctured and collapsed left 
lung, and some damage to the heart muscle.  We've done what we can 
to repair the damage.  He's a very lucky man to be alive at all," 
Dr. Simonson's voice held a small amount of awe.
        "He's always had an iron constitution," Natalie smiled 
slightly thinking to herself, .  "Can I see 
him now?" she asked.
        "He's still in recovery.  Be there for awhile yet, I 
suspect.  When he's recovered enough we'll be moving him into 
Intensive Care.  I guess you can go see him now; just don't stay 
long, he needs his rest."
        Natalie hurried off to the recovery room.  What she saw 
there made her heart skip a beat.  Nick was resting comfortably, 
but the myriad of needles and tubes sticking into him made him 
look like a puppet on a string.  A puppet without his 
puppetmaster.  Nick looked so vulnerable that Natalie had to fight 
back her tears again.  She was well aware of the fact that Nick 
might be able to hear her and she didn't want the first thing he 
heard to be her crying.  She walked over to the bed and gently 
lifted his hand and held it in hers.
        "I'm here, Nick.  I'll stay with you; you don't need to be 
afraid.  Just be strong for me.  Hold on a little longer and we'll 
both come out of this okay, I promise."  She pulled up a chair 
next to his bed and sat there, holding his hand, until the nurses 
finally shooed her out.

*     *     *     *     *

        A week had passed and Nick was making excellent progress.  
He was finally moved to a private room and at least some of the 
tubes and needles were gone.  Natalie noticed the rosy glow to his 
cheeks as she popped her head through the door and offered a 
cheery, "Hi, Nick!"
        "Hi, yourself.  I was wondering if you were coming today," 
Nick smiled up at her.
        "Are you kidding?  Think wild horses could keep me away?  
No ... I was just arguing with the nurses as to whether or not I'd 
finally get to feed you something today.  They insist you're not 
quite ready for solid food yet, but they allowed that this chicken 
broth might be okay.  Wanna try?"  She offered up the steaming 
bowl of broth as she pulled the table across the bed.  Nick looked 
a little dubious.  He hadn't been out of ICU all that long and up 
until now and been fed solely by IV lines.  Remembering the *last* 
time he'd tried real food made him more than a little anxious 
about trying it now.  His chest still hurt like h**l and he didn't 
want to cause an unwarranted coughing spell.  It was bad enough 
that the nurses came in on a regular basis and made him cough 
to clear his lungs whether he liked it or not (and he definitely 
*didn't*).
        "Oh, don't give me that 'look'," Natalie smirked at him.  
"The last time you tried food you were a ... well, you know...."  
She looked over her shoulder to see if there was anyone within 
earshot.  "You're mortal now, so try it!"  She scooped up a 
spoonful and brought it to his mouth.  He sipped at it cautiously.
        "Hey, that's not so bad!"  Nick's face lit up with a 
smile.
        "Want more?" Natalie asked, handing him the spoon.  As 
Nick readily tucked in to his lunch, Natalie nattered on about her 
day and how things were going at the precinct; about how much 
everyone wished him well and wanted to see him back again soon.  
The noon sun shown brightly through the windows, crossing Nick's 
bed.  Natalie marveled at how good, no, *great*, Nick looked in 
the sun.  She had brought him a huge bouquet of yellow 
coneflowers, because they reminded her so much of sunflowers, and 
Nick loved everything associated with the sun.  He positively 
glowed as he lay there, propped up by the bed, eating his soup.  

        Nick was a good little patient, with some prompting from 
Natalie, and was able to leave the hospital in record time.  The 
doctors marveled at his recuperative powers while Natalie secretly 
thanked the vampire in Nick that had healed at least the worst of 
his wounds before he ever came back across.
        The day was sunny and warm and Natalie had driven the 
Caddy with the top down to the hospital to pick Nick up.  When she 
arrived at the pickup area, she saw Nick in a wheelchair being 
pushed toward her by his favorite nurse.  The sun was glinting off 
his very blond hair.  Why hadn't she noticed before just how blond 
he really was?  She smiled to herself.  There would be so many 
wonderful things to discover about this man now that he was freed 
from his dark prison. She looked forward to that discovery with 
relish.  She grinned.

        When they arrived back at the loft, Nick looked around in 
wonder.  "Looks like you've moved in on me,"  he smiled at 
Natalie.
        "Of course.  You're still not that strong, and Dr. 
Simonson said you'll need a lot of rest.  I assured him that I 
would be your in-home health care to make sure you follow his 
orders to the tee."  Natalie gave him a mock-stern look that 
caused Nick to throw up his hands in a gesture of resignation.
        "All right, all right.  I can tell when I've been beaten.  
So, what's up now, doc?"
        "Well, first of all, above all else you still need rest.  
Get upstairs and change and get into bed."
        "But I just got out of bed!  Give a guy a little break?" 
he looked at her with what she always thought of as his 'wounded 
puppy' look.  It had worked every time before and it was working 
now.  Natalie knew she was going to have to build up a defense 
against that one or find herself shamelessly manipulated by the 
man who now stood in front of her.  Nick laced his arms around her 
waist and pulled her close.  She tipped her head up to look at him 
and found his warm lips pressing hers in the most passionate kiss 
he had ever given her.  Reluctantly, she gently pushed him away.
        "I don't think you're ... we're ... quite ready for that 
yet," Natalie replied.  "Maybe you'd just better go on upstairs 
and lay down for a bit."
        "Not without you."  That shameless 'wounded puppy' look 
had been replaced by a fire in his eyes that was nothing less than 
lustful.  "I'm not going upstairs without you, Nat...." He poked 
her gently in the ribs to emphasize each word, "And ... you ... 
can't ... make ... me."  His eyes glittered with mischief and 
Natalie knew she had lost this round too.  She was really going to 
have to work on that, she thought.  She wrapped her arm around his 
waist, and together they walked up the stairs to Nick's bedroom.
        Natalie made Nick change into his pajamas (and she 
marveled again at just how *good* he looked in black silk....) 
while she kept herself modestly dressed.
        "I'll just lay beside you until you fall asleep," she 
stated.  "I really have a lot of work to do...."
        "Later," Nick sighed into her ear, "later."

*     *     *     *     *

        Natalie marveled at just how much Nick could pack away 
during meals.  She hadn't found a thing yet that he didn't like 
and didn't eat in copious enough amounts to feed an entire hockey 
team.
        "Look, Nick....  I'm really happy you like my cooking; and 
I'm really pleased that you seem to be enjoying new foods; but 
really, Nick!  All things in moderation, or else you'll be as big 
as a house!"  Natalie laughed as Nick stuffed himself full yet 
again.
        "I've got a high metabolism," he said, looking up between 
bites.
        "Yeah, for how long?  You're developing into quite the 
couch potato, you know."  Natalie couldn't help but laugh as he 
continued to shovel down his lunch.  "Don't you think you ought to 
slow down a little at least?  You're not immortal anymore, you 
know."
        Something about that statement made Nick choke on the bite 
he was trying to swallow.  Nat was up almost immediately and 
pounding on his back.  "See what I mean?  Take it easy!"
        Nick just sputtered and nodded.  His table manners and 
eating habits changed dramatically after that.

*     *     *     *     *

        LaCroix had pretty much stayed away.  He had visited Nick 
several times during evening visiting hours at the hospital, but 
since Nick came home, LaCroix had made himself very scarce.  
Natalie wasn't at all displeased by this, but she knew that even 
though he didn't speak it, Nick was missing the company of his 
former master, so she took it upon herself to invite LaCroix over 
for the evening.
        When he arrived, he was sporting a green bottle with the 
Raven's label and a bow around its neck.  Natalie was suspicious 
and wary of this offering until she realized that it was a high 
quality red wine from the Raven's private cellars.  This she 
accepted graciously.  Smiling at LaCroix, she gestured toward the 
couch.  Nick had just arisen and was coming to meet the master 
vampire.  He reached out and took LaCroix's hands warmly in his 
own.
        "LaCroix,"  Nick smiled and guided LaCroix over to the 
couch.  "I'm happy you came."  LaCroix was hesitant, as the last 
time he had spent time on that couch it was anything but pleasant.  
Still, he allowed himself to be led by this man whom, in many 
ways, he still considered his son.  Nick sat beside him and turned 
to him with a smile.
        "You know that Nat and I are going to be married soon?"
        LaCroix gave a little snort.  He was feeling a bit 
nonplused and wondered why he had even bothered to come.  But he 
knew ... yes, he knew why he was here.  He gave Nick that full 
head-to-toe look and sighed.  He missed this boy, more than even 
he cared to admit.
        "We want you to be a part of the wedding ceremony.  *I* 
want you to be a part of it.  Would you stand with me as my best 
man?"  Nick looked hopeful but unsure of his ex-master's reaction 
to the request.
        "Shouldn't you be asking Detective Schanke to stand with 
you?  He'd be the better choice, you know."  LaCroix did his best 
to look disinterested.  "I can't stand with you in a church by any 
means anyway," he stated.
        "Oh, well, Nat and I plan on having the wedding here, in 
the loft.  There's plenty of room.  We can have a Justice of the 
Peace perform the ceremony....  I want you there, LaCroix ... 
please?  This is the most important day of my life."
        "More important than the day I brought you across?"  
LaCroix laid the sarcasm on thick enough to spread with a knife.
        Nick refused to rise to the bait.  "Yes, LaCroix.  But 
because of that, I lived long enough to meet Nat and fall in love.  
I lived long enough to find a cure.  I want ... I *need* ... you 
to be a part of this."  Nick was pleading his case as best he 
could, but LaCroix's stoic mask did not allow him to read the 
emotions behind the guise.  He sat back in silence and waited once 
more for LaCroix's reply.
        Finally, LaCroix nodded once and rose to leave.  He found 
the nearness of a mortal Nicholas, his heartbeat and the sweet 
smell of his blood, was more than he could endure.  He would do as 
Nicholas asked because, in the end, he stilled loved him; but he 
could no longer tolerate being close for any length of time 
without risking forgetting himself and bringing Nicholas across 
again.  Time.  Time would bring his Nicholas back to him.  He only 
needed his patience, and he had plenty of that, cultivated over 
the years of waiting for Nicholas to come around to his way of 
thinking.  He nodded to Natalie in passing and exited the loft by 
way of the elevator. 

       The loft was quite crowded.  White crepe paper streamers 
were strung across the room.  Flowers filled every spare nook and 
cranny.  The furniture had all been moved into one small grouping 
at the far end of the loft leaving a large open area in the 
middle.  A large table occupied the window area next to the 
fireplace, a large white tiered cake stood as the proud 
centerpiece while the rest of the large table was filled with an 
assortment of buffet items.
        Nick circulated among his guests, an unusual assortment of 
his and Natalie's friends from work and vampires from Nick's 
colorful past.  The vampires tended to stand apart and Nick was 
determined to see that they mingled, on their best behavior, of 
course.  Nick looked stunning himself in his black tuxedo with 
tails, but it was obvious to the more observant occupants of the 
room that Nick anticipated a great beauty soon to be in their 
midst.  LaCroix walked over to him, finally, and said in his best 
sotto voce, "Will you *please* calm down?  You're setting 
everyone's teeth on edge," and he tilted his head in the direction 
of a knot of vampires.
        At that point, the judge who was to perform the ceremony 
walked over to Nick and whispered in his ear.  Nick gathered up 
LaCroix and Grace, who had kindly consented to be Natalie's maid 
of honor, and went to stand in front of a floral-festooned 
archway.  The pianist that Nick had hired for the occasion began 
to play the wedding march and everyone in the room quieted and 
turned toward the stairwell.  Natalie appeared at the top of the 
stairs accompanied by Don Schanke, who had eagerly accepted the 
duty of giving away the bride.  
        Natalie was absolutely stunning in her regal white gown, 
studded with seed pearls and crystals.  She sparkled like a 
princess, and it wasn't just the gown....  The look on Nick's face 
was priceless.  The love that shown there was not to be matched by 
anyone else in the room, except, perhaps, by Natalie herself.  She 
flowed down the stairs and came to stand beside Nick as Schanke 
presented her to him.  
        The judge began, "Dearly beloved...."  Nick and Natalie 
floated through the ceremony as though in a dream.  Neither one 
would remember much of the specifics afterward as they were far 
too much lost in each other at this moment.  They both came out of 
their mutual fog with the judge's words, "I now present to you, 
Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Knight."  The room erupted in applause, but 
Nick and Natalie were too far gone into that "just wed" kiss to 
notice....

        Nick set the last of the large, heavy suitcases down by  
the elevator door.  "You about ready?" he called up the stairs to  
Natalie.
        She appeared at the top of the stairs, still fussing with  
her hair, dressed in jeans and a casual blouse, ready for a long  
day of travel.  "Yeah ... I'm coming," she muttered with bobby  
pins sticking out of her mouth.  She finally managed to corral the 
last of the stray wisps of hair that had been falling in her face  
as she reached the bottom of the stairs.
        "It's a good thing, too ... the cab's here."  Nick picked  
up the two heaviest suitcases and Natalie grabbed the three  
smaller ones, tucking one under her arm.
        "Bali, here we come!" Natalie smiled at Nick with  
anticipation as she headed for the elevator and fun in the sun on  
a tropical island paradise.

*     *     *     *     *

        The plane landed at the Naurah Rai Airport near Kuta on  
Bali and the happy couple caught a cab for the five kilometer ride  
to their destination of the Kartika Plaza Beach Hotel.  Nick would  
have nothing less than a five-star resort hotel for his lovely  
bride.  They checked in and went to settle into their private  
traditional Balinese-style bungalow.  Standing on the verandah,  
they admired the view of the lowering sun over the sea and the  
sparkling beach sand.
        "Let's take a walk," Nick suggested.  The sun and the sand  
looked so inviting to him.
        "I'll second that motion," Natalie replied.  "Didn't I see  
some shops over there near the beach?  I need a new swimsuit,  
wanna help me pick one out?"
        "Sure, why not?  I guess I could use one myself," Nick  
chuckled.  "I didn't get out much for midnight swims in Toronto." 
        Natalie slapped him playfully on the arm then grabbed his  
hand and led him off the verandah and toward the shops.  They  
perused several of the beachside establishments.  Natalie was  
eyeing some colorful, but modest, one-piece suits while Nick was  
examining some of the skimpier of the bikinis.  
       "How about this one?"  Nick held up a brightly colored,  
flowered bikini for Natalie's inspection.
       "There's not enough material in that whole suit to cover a  
three-year-old, much less a thirty-three-year-old," Natalie  
laughed and motioned for Nick to hang the offending scrap of  
material back on the rack.
        "No, no, Nat.  This is perfect!  This is *Bali* for God's  
sake!  Live a little!"  Nick looked at Natalie who was staring  
daggers back at him.  Suddenly she reached over to the next isle  
pulling a skimpy electric blue Speedo from the rack.
        "If I can see *you* in *this*, you can see *me* in  
*that*!" she declared.  Nick looked at her with dismay.  This was  
the one man, who even though he was now in Bali, was still  
buttoned up tight to the collar.
        He sighed.  "It's a deal," he said with a resigned voice.   
What he wouldn't do to see his Natalie in the bright orange and  
yellow flowered suit.  True, there wasn't much of the material to  
admire, but that simply meant that there would be that much more  
of Natalie to enjoy.  He smiled to himself.   he thought, it  
was well worth the compromise.
        They wandered the beach, hand-in-hand, with their  
purchases swinging jauntily from their hands in colorful tote  
bags, and watched the sun go down.  Just as the sun was touching  
the water, Nick pulled Natalie into his strong embrace and kissed  
her until the sun had set well below the horizon.

*     *     *     *     *

        The couple was exhausted after their long trip, jet-lag,  
shopping and all, and decided to order a light dinner of tropical  
fruits from room service.  The waiter arrived with a most  
appealing assortment of local delicacies.  
        "What's this?" Natalie asked, picking up a small, hairy  
red fruit.  She looked at it dubiously.  "Can you eat this?"  
        "I believe that's what the locals call 'rambutan'," Nick 
replied.  "It's good.  Well, at least I've *heard* they're good." 
He smiled up at her.  "Let's try one."  He cut into the red fruit 
revealing pristine white flesh and a small brown seed.  He skinned 
and pitted it and offered half to Natalie.
        "Hey, this really *is* good!" Natalie exclaimed.  "What's 
that one?" she asked pointing at some fist-sized golden chunks of 
fruit that had already been peeled and arranged on the plate.  
"It's very, ah, pungent ... whatever it is."  She made a slight 
face.
        "Durian," answered Nick.  "Don't knock it 'til you try 
it."  He smiled and offered her a bite from his fork.
        "How do you know so much about the local food?" Natalie 
looked at him skeptically.  Here was a man who hadn't eaten in 
over 700 years.  What made him so knowledgeable about fruit 
anyway?
        "Hey, I got around you know."  Nick smiled at her.  "I 
might not have been able to eat, but I had to pretend to.  It's 
amazing what you can learn if you get around enough."
        "But Bali?  Somehow I can't picture vampires in Bali....  
Too much sun."
        "Not at night!" Nick chuckled.  Natalie reached across the 
table and punched him in the arm.
        "Cut that out!" she laughed.
     
        After dinner the couple retired to bed.  Natalie finished 
brushing her teeth and went to crawl beneath the cool sheets.  A 
few minutes later when Nick arrived at the bed, Natalie was 
snoring softly.  Nick crawled beneath the sheets beside her and, 
smiling at her sweet innocence, kissed her on the temple and 
rolled over to fall quickly asleep himself.

        The next morning, Nick was up at dawn.  He donned his new 
Speedo, pulling a pair of Bermuda shorts over the top and slipped 
into a brightly colored Hawaiian shirt.  Natalie was still 
sleeping, so he tiptoed around her to get the phone and called 
room service.  When breakfast arrived the aroma of the freshly 
brewed Balinese coffee brought Natalie to wakefulness at last.
        "Hmmmmm....  Whatcha got there?" she mumbled, running her 
fingers through her unruly curls and rubbing the sleep from her 
eyes.
        "Oh just a little 'nasi goreng' and fruit ... and coffee, 
of course.  How can you stand that stuff?  Brrrr...." Nick 
shuddered at the thought of the coffee.  It was the one thing he 
hadn't managed to develop a taste for yet.
        "What the heck is 'nasi gor--whatever'?" Natalie asked as 
she padded over to the table and poured herself a cup of Java.  
        "Basically? ... Fried rice...."
        "For *breakfast*???" Natalie looked incredulous.
        "It's pretty typical for breakfast around here.  Besides, 
we've got a busy day ahead and a good breakfast will hold you that 
much longer."  Nick placed the plate in front of Natalie.
        "Looks good."  Nat poked at her plate before putting a 
biteful in her mouth.  "Mmmm-hmmm...." she replied and then 
concentrated on enjoying her meal.  

        When she was finished eating, Natalie got dressed as well, 
putting her new bikini on first.  "Do I really have to wear this?  
I don't have the figure for a bikini....  Especially one this 
small."  She grimaced at her reflection in the mirror.
        Nick came up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist 
and nibbled at her ear.  "I think you look terrific!  Besides, 
*I'm* the one that's going to be doing the looking, not you!" He 
grinned.  "I'm holding to my side of the bargain, and I'm already 
dressed."  He gave her another squeeze and handed her a sarong 
that matched her swimsuit.  Natalie took it and wrapped it 
gratefully around her body, covering the skimpy suit.
        "Okay.  I'm ready then, I guess."  Natalie smiled up at 
Nick.  "So, where're we going?"
        "I managed to secure us a private stretch of beach for the 
day.  Come on, the rental car is right out front."  He grabbed a 
knapsack full of various paraphernalia and led the way out to the 
car.

*     *     *     *     *

        Natalie stood on the glistening white sand, admiring the 
sapphire blue waters of the ocean with the waves gently lapping at 
the shore.  "This is all ours?  Nobody else's?" She was quite 
incredulous looking up and down the stretch of deserted beach.
        "Yep.  What good's a fortune if you can't use it to good 
advantage once in a while?"  Nick grinned.  "Just think of it as 
our very own 'Blue Lagoon'."  As he was speaking, he was removing 
his outer clothing.  He soon stood in front of Natalie wearing 
nothing but the electric blue Speedo she had bought for him.  "My 
turn...."  He smiled at her as he unwrapped her from the 
concealing sarong.  "There, that's better."  His admiring grin 
made Natalie blush brightly.
        Lacing their arms around each other's waists, they began a 
lazy walk up the beach.  Suddenly, Natalie got a mischievous gleam 
in her eyes and, pinching Nick playfully on the butt, she went 
running and laughing on down the strand of beach.  Nick, looking a 
bit nonplused for an instant, took off after her after a moment's 
hesitation.  "You'll pay for that, Natalie Knight!" he called at 
her retreating back.  Her laughter drifted back to him on the 
salty breeze.
        Nick closed the gap quickly, with little difficulty, and 
in one flying leap closed the final distance by tackling Natalie 
down into the surf.  Natalie was giggling uncontrollably.  Nick 
silenced her with his kiss.  They lay there on the beach, with the 
waves washing over them, locked in a lover's embrace.  As Nick 
continued to kiss every exposed inch of Natalie's body, his left 
hand went up to the strap of her bikini top.  He gently pulled it 
down, revealing the creamy mound of one breast.  He immediately 
began giving the exposed breast his full attention, showering it 
with gentle kisses as he slipped the other strap down.  In a fit 
of impatience, he gave the bikini top a sharp jerk, snapping the 
clasp in the back and leaving the shred of material in the sand.
        Natalie moaned and squirmed under Nick.  The last of her 
embarrassed reluctance disappeared under Nick's expert 
ministrations.  He certainly had learned a move or two in the last 
800 years she mused to herself.  Her thumbs hooked into the sides 
of the Speedo and she began to pull the garment down past Nick's 
rapidly growing erection as she continued kissing every inch of 
him that she could reach.
        When Nick felt himself being relieved of the restricting 
Speedo, he did the same courtesy for Natalie, and the two of them 
lay naked in the surf.  Natalie was so busy exploring the gorgeous 
body of this man she called her husband that she was taken by 
surprise by a sharp pain between her legs.  She let out a little 
involuntary yelp.  Nick immediately stopped his penetration and 
looked at Natalie sharply.
        "You okay?" he asked.
        Natalie's answer was to pull him down into a tight embrace 
and kiss him soundly.  She then grabbed his buttocks with both 
hands and urged him to fully penetrate her.  They lay there on the 
beach, locked in conjugal bliss.  Natalie thought that nothing had 
ever felt as good as the feeling of Nick filling her so completely.  
She let out little moans and sighs as he gently thrust into her, 
increasing the intensity as he reached his climax.  The waters of 
the Bali Sea washed over them as they lay, temporarily spent, on 
the sand.
        As the torpor of their lovemaking wore off, Natalie sat up 
and retrieved her bikini bottoms and put them on.  The top was 
broken and she was unable to fasten it.  That mischievous gleam 
returning to her eyes, she stood up, looking admiringly at her 
lover still laying in the surf, then she grabbed the Speedo and 
went running off down the beach again.
        Nick wasn't about to let her get away with that twice and 
took after her immediately, running naked down the bright sand.  
He caught up to Natalie and, grabbing her, he lifted her to 
shoulder height and swung her in wild circles.  All the while, 
Natalie was screaming for mercy and laughing until she thought she 
would burst.  When Nick finally put her down she was so dizzy that 
she sank to the sand.  That gave Nick the chance he needed to grab 
the Speedo back and slip into it.  He then sat down next to 
Natalie.  "Here, let me see if I can fix that," he said, taking 
the loose dangling ends of the bikini top into his hands.  Through 
some masterful manipulation, he was able to keep the ends clasped 
together and Natalie was finally dressed again.  She was beginning 
to feel that the skimpy suit really did cover quite a bit after 
all.  She wasn't sure she'd ever get used to running topless down 
a beach.
        Nick went back down the beach for the knapsack and pulled 
out a couple of bananas and oranges.  "Hungry?" he asked.
        "Famished!" Natalie replied, not realizing just how much 
energy she had expended until the food was placed in front of her.  
Nick poured some coconut juice from a thermos and offered it to 
her.  She drank with gusto, her thirst intensified by the hot Bali 
sun.

        After a light lunch and a quiet stroll along the beach to 
let the lunch settle, Nick pulled some snorkeling equipment from 
the knapsack and offered a mask and fins to Natalie.  "Ready to 
try a little swim?  I hear the fish and reefs are really beautiful 
right off this beach.  We shouldn't have to swim out far."
        Natalie was delighted and quickly donned the equipment and 
waded out into the surf.  Nick followed close behind.  Swimming 
out to the reef just a hundred yards off shore, the couple 
marveled at the tapestry of colors laid out before them in the 
form of the brightly colored tropical fish. Natalie was sure she 
had never seen anything quite so beautiful.  
        Nick, who had spotted an eel, tapped Natalie on the arm to 
get her attention.  Startled, Natalie made a sharp turn and the 
weakened clasp on the bikini top broke.  Almost before Natalie 
realized what had happened, the tiny scrap of cloth floated to the 
ocean floor about thirty feet down.  Nick turned in time to see 
the swimsuit top floating lazily toward the ocean floor.  His 
attention was no longer on the eel or the fish; he only had eyes 
for his lovely bride.  Swimming back to Natalie he shed the 
snorkeling equipment in order to be able to fully explore her 
shapely form.  He gathered her in his arms as they tread water 
over the coral reef.  He gently caressed her as his mouth met hers 
in a passionate kiss.  Natalie could feel his hands at her waist 
as he gently removed her bikini bottom, letting it fall to the 
ocean floor with the rest of her suit.  For once, Natalie didn't 
mind a bit.  As his kiss deepened, she became aware that Nick's 
suit had joined hers on the bottom of the ocean.  Nick's passion 
was rising quickly and so was hers.  Together, they swam back to 
shore.  
        When they reached about chest depth in the water, Nick 
stood up and gathered Natalie into his arms, carrying her the rest 
of the way to the beach.  He strode up the sand to where they had 
left their beach blanket after lunch and laid Natalie down.  As 
his hands and mouth hungrily explored her breasts and neck, he 
gently entered her again, this time going much more slowly and 
carefully in deference to his bride.  As their lovemaking 
continued, wave upon wave of the most exquisite pleasure pulsed 
through Natalie's body as she climaxed in union with Nick.  
        They lay on the blanket, exhausted by their play.  Natalie 
stroked her hand down the length of Nick's arm.  "You're looking a 
little pink....  Did you remember to put on your sunblock this 
morning?"  Natalie was suddenly becoming a bit concerned for her 
overly fair-skinned husband.
        "Oops...." was all Nick could think to say.
        "Well, we'd better get you out of the sun.  I think you've 
had more than your share today."  She gathered their clothes and 
handed Nick his.  After dressing, he packed up the knapsack and 
they walked arm in arm up the beach to where they had left the 
rental car.  

*     *     *     *     *

        It was early evening by the time they returned to their 
bungalow.  Nick ordered dinner from room service and the couple 
ate out on their verandah.  With dinner over, they stood by the 
railing looking out over the sand and sea, watching the sun set in 
blazing oranges and reds.
        "Why didn't you tell me?" Nick asked, staring out over the 
water.
        "Tell you what?" Natalie wanted to know.
        "About you ... about you're being ... a ..."
        "A virgin?"  Natalie turned to look at Nick, but he was 
trying to avoid her eyes.  "I'm sorry.  I should have said 
something.  I *meant* to tell you....  It's just ... well ... at 
the time I was, ah, distracted."
        "I hurt you."  Nick turned to look at Natalie then and she 
could see the pain in his eyes.
        "No, you didn't."
        "*Yes*, I *did*," Nick insisted.
        "Well ... maybe just a little," Natalie conceded.  "But it 
wasn't much, and I didn't mind.  It was worth it, really."  She 
took Nick's face in her two hands and held him gently, looking 
deeply into his fathomless blue eyes, trying to convey with her 
words and expressions how very important he was to her.  He 
gathered her into his arms then; enfolding her, keeping her safe.
        "It's just that I thought....  Well, I just ... I don't 
know, Nat, I just didn't know."
        "I didn't expect you too, silly," Nat mumbled into his 
chest.  "It just isn't one of those things a woman wants to talk 
about too much after she passes thirty."  She smiled up at him.  
Nick looked back at her with warmth and love, but questions filled  
his eyes, so Natalie tried to explain.
        "When I was in med school, there was just too much to 
study, too much to do just to keep up with papers, exams and lab 
work.  When I was an intern I was too darn tired to even think of 
dating, much less the baggage that comes with it.  By my 
residency, I was studying forensic pathology.  That didn't make me 
the most popular of prospects.  Then, of course, I end up with the 
night shift in a morgue.  Not the most conducive to getting 
dates."
        "But you did date?"
        "Occasionally ... rarely.  When I did it just never seemed 
to go very far before either he or I would end it for whatever 
reason."  Natalie held Nick a little tighter.  "Then you came and 
woke up in my morgue one night, and my life changed forever.  From 
that very night I knew that I would never want anyone else.  The 
problem came in convincing *you*."  She poked him in the ribs and 
elicited a chuckle from him.  "There now, better?"
        "Better."  He smiled at her.
        "Then let's get to bed.  I'm pooped!"  And Natalie raced 
him for the bathroom.

       The next morning, Natalie awoke to sounds of quiet 
moaning.  She rolled over in bed and saw Nick in the bathroom 
leaning heavily against the sink.  He was dressed only in his silk 
pajama bottoms and every inch of him that she could see looked as 
red as a boiled lobster.  She got quickly out of bed and ran to 
his side.
        "Nick, are you okay?"  She reached out, but Nick recoiled 
from her.
        "Don't touch!" He backed away from her, fear and pain both 
showing in his eyes.  Nick had never experienced anything quite 
like this sunburn in all his endless years.  Not even the mild 
burn he had received during his day in the sun on the Lydovuderine 
came close to matching this.
        "Let me check you out Nick, please.  This looks serious."  
Natalie was very concerned.  Nick's eyes were bright and 
unfocused.  He staggered and nearly fell as he continued to back 
away from her.  Natalie was at his side in a instant.  She wrapped 
her right arm around his waist, slung his left arm across her 
shoulders and practically dragged him back to the bed.  When she 
got him there she gently eased off the pajama bottoms to find 
exactly what she had expected to see ... every inch of Nick was 
bright red.  *Every* inch....  It was obvious to her that he would 
need immediate care.  She was especially concerned about the 
severity of the burn to his genitals, on a purely professional 
level, of course.  She grimaced at the thought of the pain he was 
going to suffer when he came out of his stupor enough to be 
conscious of it.  She gently covered him to the waist with the 
thin cotton sheet in deference to some modesty, but she could tell 
that even that was painful for him.  
        Ever the doctor, Natalie dug out her blood pressure cuff, 
knowing that it was going to hurt like h**l.  Nick appeared to be
lost in his own thoughts though and he didn't put up any 
resistance to her ministrations.  His blood pressure was way too 
low.  That, coupled with the dizziness and lack of perspiration 
told Natalie just how severe this sunburn was.  Nick was beginning 
to go into shock.  He was also badly dehydrated.  
        Natalie grabbed the bedside phone and called the in-house 
doctor.  She explained the problem and asked him to bring some IV 
equipment and sterile saline so that they could begin to rehydrate 
Nick.  When the doctor arrived, his quick assessment agreed with 
Natalie's initial perceptions.  As he began the IV line, Natalie 
went to the bathroom to make some cool compresses from the towels 
there.  Before the doctor left, she asked him to fill out a 
prescription for a soothing steroid creme that would help the 
burns.  Fortunately, there were only a few minor blisters ... Nick 
wasn't going to die of this, he might only wish he had.  She gave 
him some pain medication and a sleep aid, and spent her day 
watching over him.  That night she crawled carefully into bed 
beside Nick, but was very careful to keep to her side of the bed.  
Nick seemed oblivious to her as he slept fitfully throughout the 
night.

        After three days of bed rest, compresses, and pain 
medications, Nick finally felt well enough to get up and walk 
around the room.  The redness in his skin was beginning to fade 
slightly, but he was still too sensitive to want to wear any 
clothing.  He got up only to make use of the bathroom and to soak 
in a nice cool tub of water laced with baking soda.  Natalie 
tended to his every need, fussing over him like an old hen.  Right 
now she was doctor, nurse and mother; 'wife' had taken a back seat 
for the moment.
        It was nearly a week before Nick would consent to get 
dressed, and then only in loose, unrestricting clothing.  He 
refused to leave the bungalow until after nightfall, all too 
easily slipping back into his old habits.  Natalie was 
disappointed, but she couldn't blame him.  This had been very hard 
on Nick and it was not the most auspicious introduction to 'fun in 
the sun'.  
        Fortunately for Natalie, there was plenty of night life in 
nearby Kuta and the newlyweds took good advantage of it.  They 
tried the different restaurants ... Nick was still in the early 
stages of delighting in new gastronomic experiences; took in the 
cultural shows, and danced.  Natalie loved to dance, and to her 
delight she found that Nick was quite accomplished.  What did 
surprise her though was that he was nearly as good at the more 
modern steps as he was in the traditional, classical dances.  What 
she saw emerging from her solemn, angsting husband was a man full 
of the joy of life, a man full of laughter who wasn't afraid to 
make a fool of himself up on the stage with the Balinese dancers.  
Natalie clapped and hooted along with the rest of the audience at 
his antics.  

        Despite all that had happened, their two-week honeymoon 
vacation ended all too quickly.  Natalie packed her sarong, along 
with lots of trinkets and souvenirs to give as little gifts when 
they got home.  She looked up at Nick as she packed the last of 
her things.
        "I can't believe it's time to leave, can you?"  She 
watched as Nick tucked the last of his things into a suitcase.
        "We had fun, didn't we?"  His disarming grin made Natalie 
smile.  He was such a mess!  Ever since the sunburn had begun to 
heal, Nick had been peeling like crazy.  There were times that 
Natalie thought he resembled a snake trying to shed its skin.  
With any luck there might at least be a bit of a tan left for him 
when he was through....
        "Yeah, we had fun," Natalie chuckled.  One last time, for 
old times' sake, she pinched him playfully on the rear and went 
running for cover out on the verandah.  Nick cornered her there 
and kissed her soundly.
        "Now quit messing around and get your things or we're 
going to miss our plane," Nick scolded. 

        Upon their return to Toronto and to their respective jobs, 
Nick found that he was forced to put up with an inordinate amount 
of ribbing, especially over the sunburn peel that just didn't seem 
to end.  Schanke was the worst.  His innuendoes had Nick blushing 
beneath his new-found tan.  

        Natalie was rested and ready to get back to the big bad 
world of forensic pathology.  At the morgue, Grace pushed her for 
all the juicy details of the honeymoon.  Good sport that she was, 
Natalie let her friend in on selected parts of their trip.  Grace 
"woo-hooed" the thought of seeing Nick in the electric blue 
Speedo, and was mildly disappointed to hear that the swimsuit 
didn't make it home with them.  

        Work and life continued at their usual pace for the next 
couple of months.  Natalie was feeling a bit more run down and 
tired than usual, but she poo-pooed Nick's attempts to baby her 
and went in to work anyway.
        "Girlfriend, you look like death warmed over," Grace 
greeted her one evening.
        "Thanks, you look great too."  Natalie hung up her jacket 
and sat heavily down in her desk chair.  "How many customers do we 
have tonight?" she asked.
        "Three so far, nothing too out of the ordinary."  Grace 
looked at Natalie with some concern.  "You sure you're feeling 
well enough to be here?"
        "I'm fine, Grace, fine.  Just give me a minute, okay?"  
Natalie smiled up at the worried look on her friend's face.  After 
a few minutes, she got up and put on her lab smock.  "Bring me in 
the first one ... I'm ready."  Grace wheeled in the first cart and 
helped Natalie lift the body onto the autopsy table.  Natalie 
unzipped the bag and began her initial examination.  And then the 
phone rang.
        Grace grabbed the receiver and after a pause to listen she 
replied, "Uh huh, she's right here."  She handed the phone to 
Natalie, but the look on her face was subdued.  Natalie put the 
phone to her ear and listened for a couple minutes.  The look on 
her face as she listened got bleaker and bleaker.
        "I'll be right there," she said finally and hung up the 
phone.  She shed her smock and grabbed her coat.  "I gotta go, 
Grace.  It's Nick."  And she was out the door before Grace could 
ask her what the problem was.  Grace was left standing in the 
empty morgue in stunned silence.

        Natalie raced over to Toronto General Hospital.  As she 
slammed through the emergency room doors, she was met by Captain 
Cohen.  
        "What's happened to Nick?  Where is he?"  Natalie was 
frantic.  Amanda Cohen gently took her by the arms and tried her 
best to calm Natalie down, but Natalie refused to be pacified.
        "He was in an automobile accident, Natalie.  Apparently he 
was in a high-speed chase with a perp...."
        Natalie interrupted her, she had heard all she needed to 
hear from the captain.  "Where is he?  Is he okay?"  She was upset 
and fighting the restraining hands of the Capt. Cohen.
        "The doctors are with him right now, Natalie.  We'll know 
soon.  You just have to calm down."  Amanda tried to get Natalie 
to sit, but she was too full of nervous energy and began pacing  
restlessly up and down the between the seats in the crowded 
waiting room.
        Shortly thereafter, a doctor arrived in the waiting area.  
"Is there a Natalie Knight present?" he asked.
        Natalie nearly tackled him in her haste to cross the room.  
"Where's Nick?  Is he going to be all right?"
        The doctor looked at her fear-filled face with compassion.  
"We've done all that we can for him, but his injuries were very 
severe.  He is resting now, but I'm afraid I can't hold out much 
hope for him surviving the night."
        Natalie stifled the scream that threatened to erupt from 
her throat.  "Can I see him?" she asked.
        "Yes, certainly."  The doctor led her out of the waiting 
area and down the hall to a private room.  Nick lay so quietly on 
the bed, Natalie could barely detect his breathing.  He was 
bruised and broken, looking pathetically young and fragile.
        Natalie took his hand in hers as she sat next to the bed.  
"You can't leave me now, Nick, you just *can't*!" she cried.  
Being a doctor had its downsides sometimes too, she reflected.  
She was all too well aware of the readings on the monitors, and 
Nick's life signs didn't look at all good.  She was worried, more 
than worried.  There was a terror in the pit of her stomach.  She 
couldn't lose Nick now ... their lives together had barely begun.  
Then a desperate thought occurred to her and she reached for the 
bedside phone.

        Mere minutes later, LaCroix arrived in the hospital room 
and stood by her side.
        "So, you need me now, do you?"  His voice was laced with 
sarcasm, but also with concern over Nick.  "And what is it you 
would ask of me in the hour of your need?"
        "Bring him back across.  Make him a vampire again," 
Natalie pleaded.  "Please, LaCroix, you *must*!"
        "There is little I *must* do, I can assure you of that, my 
dear," LaCroix replied.
        "He's dying!  He won't live through the night.  You have 
to bring him back across.  Please!" Natalie pleaded, choking on 
her tears.  LaCroix smiled privately to himself.  Yes, this was 
just the opportunity he had looked for, lo those many months ago 
when Nicholas crossed back over to humanity.  He would not let 
this opportunity pass him by.
        LaCroix gently moved Natalie aside, and bent over 
Nicholas, savoring the smell of his mortal blood.  Then in one 
swift movement he was at Nicholas' throat, draining him.  He then 
bit his wrist and let his own blood dribble into Nicholas' mouth.  
"Come back to me, Nicholas.  It is not yet your time to die."
        Nick didn't respond.  As he continued to lay as quiet as 
death upon the hospital bed, Natalie panicked.  "What's wrong?  
Shouldn't he wake up?"
        "He's been here before, Natalie.  He must choose.  Perhaps 
this time he will choose death over vampirism."  LaCroix looked at 
her with a measure of compassion.  He had come to have a grudging 
respect for this strong young woman that his Nicholas loved so 
dearly.
        Natalie leaned over the bed and spoke to Nick, "You've got 
to come back, Nick, please.  I can help you back across again, but 
you've got to come back to me now.  Please, Nick," she pleaded.  
"Come back."  Her tears fell softly upon his face. 
        Somewhere, in that land between the living and the dead, 
Nick heard Natalie's pleas.  Here he was, given the choice he had 
longed for; the chance to walk into the light and be redeemed as a 
mortal.  In the other direction lay vampirism ... and Natalie.  A 
decision must be made, and soon, but Nick struggled with that 
decision all the same.
        Natalie sensed the struggle, knew what each decision could 
mean for Nick.  She deemed it was time to play her trump card at 
that point.  She leaned close to his ear and whispered softly, 
"Nick, I'm pregnant.  You're going to be a father."

        In that place between light and dark, Nick finally came to  
his decision.  He had to return to Natalie, no matter the 
consequences.  He opened his eyes and saw his Natalie bending over 
him.  He reached for her ... and she was abruptly pulled away to 
be replaced by the face of his master.
        "No!  You mustn't be too near," LaCroix hissed at her.  
"He will experience the first hunger soon and if you do not intend 
to be his victim, I suggest you find some blood for him soon.  
Human blood."
        Natalie looked sharply up at LaCroix.  In her desperation 
to save Nick at any cost, she hadn't really thought through the 
consequences of what she had asked him to do.  However, being a 
doctor gave her some advantages in the hospital.  She slipped out 
of the room to go in search of a supply of blood.
        Nick had been badly injured in the automobile accident.  
Injured to the point of mortal death.  He found his hunger for 
blood, human blood, to be nearly overpowering.  It hadn't felt 
like this the first time, in 1228.  This time he was not healthy 
and strong.  This time he was weak with need.  LaCroix realized 
this and offered Nick his wrist again.  Eyes blazing a hungry red, 
fangs extended, Nick roughly grabbed the proffered wrist and drank 
greedily.  But it wasn't enough.  LaCroix pulled his arm from 
Nick's grasp before he could be seriously drained himself.  It 
wasn't enough to satisfy the hunger that continued to grow within 
his protege.
        Natalie returned to the hospital room about fifteen 
minutes later carrying three blood packs.  She paused in the 
doorway, seeing Nick's eyes glowing from across the room.  LaCroix 
jumped up and met her quickly, pushing her back outside the room.
        "Is this going to be enough?"  Natalie was concerned that 
perhaps she hadn't been able to procure enough blood to satisfy 
Nick.
        "It will do for now."  LaCroix took the blood from her, 
then turned back to look her directly in the eyes.  "Do not come 
in until I tell you it is safe.  Do you understand?"
        "Nick needs me," Natalie protested.  "He wouldn't hurt 
me," she insisted.
        "He doesn't recognize you now.  You are nothing but prey 
to him.  Give him a chance to feed and heal.  He will come to his 
senses soon."  LaCroix gave her a gentle shove out the door and 
then closed it in her face.
        At that moment, Nick's attending physician came by with 
the intention of checking up on him.  Natalie stopped him at the 
door.
        "There's been no change in his condition, Dr. Mallory.  
He's resting now.  I would appreciate it if you wouldn't disturb 
him."  Natalie put on her best professional air.  Not for the 
first time, she wished she had a vampire's ability to "whammy" 
people into agreeing with her.  Dr. Mallory gave her a dubious 
look, but agreed to come back in an hour to check on Nick then.  
Natalie breathed a sigh of relief and sat down in a chair outside 
the door.
        About a half hour later, the door opened a crack and 
LaCroix appeared.  "You may come in now, Natalie.  He's still 
weak, but he's come to his senses.  I believe you will be safe for 
the moment."
        Natalie jumped out of the chair and hurried inside the 
room.  As she reached the bedside, Nick reached out for her hand.  
She was momentarily shocked at the coolness of his touch.  In the 
three short months that Nick had been mortal, Natalie had grown 
used to his warmth.  Now, she knew, she would have to learn all 
over again how to cope with a vampire.  Nick looked up at her and 
smiled.  At least his smile hasn't changed, she thought.
        "Natalie....  Did I hear you right?  We're going to have a 
baby?"  Nick's face glowed with anticipation.
        "Yes, Nick, oh yes ... we're having a baby."  She smiled 
warmly down at him, stroking her free hand through his hair and 
leaning in close to his face.  She kissed him then, regardless of 
the possible danger.
        "We must get him out of here soon," LaCroix interrupted 
them from across the room.  "It is not safe to leave him in this 
environment much longer."
        "How are we going to do that?" Natalie turned and looked 
at LaCroix with genuine puzzlement.  "Just a few hours ago he came 
in here and he was dying.  He can't just get up and walk out now."
        "I will be forced to make some 'attitude adjustments' with 
the staff, I'm afraid," LaCroix replied dryly.
        "You're going to hypnotize them into forgetting Nick was 
here?" Natalie was incredulous.
        "Not into forgetting he was here, merely into thinking 
that his injuries were minor, not life threatening."
        "Well, that's going to be a good trick."  Natalie's voice 
contained more than a hint of LaCroix's own sarcasm.  "There are 
records, you know, both written and in the computer."
        "I will take care of it," LaCroix stated, then he left the 
room.  Natalie turned back to see a bemused smile on Nick's face.
        "What?" she asked, smiling back.
        "Oh, just enjoying you and LaCroix.  He's a bit 
intimidated by you, you know."
        Natalie looked genuinely surprised by that statement.  
"You've got to be kidding!  He's the one that intimidates me!"
        "But you stand up to him.  Not many mortals are willing to 
do that.  And you're a resister, he can't bend you to his will.  
That makes you a regular thorn in his side," Nick chuckled.  
"Keeps him on his toes."
        "Gets me dead if I'm not careful," Natalie replied.
        "Oh no.  No, no, no ... he's promised me that."  Nick 
looked deeply into Natalie's large, wide eyes.  "It's part of our 
... arrangement.  He won't hurt you."
        "Arrangement?  What arrangement?"  Natalie was more than a 
little concerned that Nick would make any kind of deal with 
LaCroix.
        "Ah, Nat ... you're not going to like it," Nick sighed.  
Just then LaCroix reentered the room.
        "Quickly, Nicholas, get dressed.  You've been released and 
we must hurry before the dawn."  LaCroix handed Nick his clothes.  
As Nick began pulling them on, Natalie grabbed LaCroix by the arm.
        "What do you mean, he's been released?" she demanded.
        "I've taken care of ... everything," LaCroix replied.  
"Now we must hurry."  The trio quickly walked out of the hospital 
and over to the parking lot where Natalie had left her car.  They 
all piled in and Natalie drove swiftly back to the loft, just 
barely beating the dawning of a new day.

        Nick and Natalie sat at the kitchen table; she was nursing 
a cup of instant coffee while Nick nursed a glass of LaCroix's 
"House Special".  LaCroix had retired to the couch and was 
sleeping soundly.  
        Turning her attention away from the sleeping master 
vampire, Natalie turned to Nick and spoke quietly.  "Tell me about 
this 'arrangement' you have with LaCroix."
        "I told you, Nat, you're not going to like it."  Nick was 
hedging.  No doubt about it, he preferred not to be discussing 
this subject with his wife.  Natalie, however, was persistent.
        "I don't really care if I'm going to like it or not," she 
claimed, "I just need to know what's up with you two."  Nick 
stared deeply into his glass, looking guilty and avoiding 
Natalie's eyes.  "I'm not going to bite, you know."  She smiled at 
Nick, trying to put him at ease.  Whatever this was, it had him 
upset.  That fact alone was enough to make her not like it.
        Nick finally looked up.  "LaCroix agreed to leave you 
alone, to let us live as a married couple without his 
interference, if...."  He paused, uncertain about continuing.
        "If what?" Natalie urged softly.  She took Nick's hand in 
hers and stroked the back of it, trying to reassure him of her 
love.
        "If I go back to accepting the vampire in me and ... and 
to drinking human blood."  Nick's voice had dropped so low that 
Natalie barely heard his last words.
        "Oh Nick ... no!  Please say you didn't agree to that," 
she cried.  Nick looked so miserable at that point that Natalie 
realized that that was precisely what he and LaCroix had agreed 
upon.  She felt a cold hard lump form in the pit of her stomach.  
All their years of hard work were over.  Nick had agreed to give 
up his search for his mortality.
        "It doesn't have to be like this forever," Nick spoke 
rapidly, trying to get it all out before he lost his nerve.  "Just 
long enough to satisfy *him*," he cocked his head in the direction 
of the couch, "and we can go back to looking for the cure.  Nat, I 
need to do this ... for you as well as for him."
        "For ME??" she practically screeched.  "How can this be 
for *me*?"
        "Nat, you've got to understand," Nick was desperate now to 
see the light of understanding in her eyes, "if I drink human 
blood again, we can be together, really *together*.  When I was 
drinking the cow, I was weaker, I couldn't resist you when we got 
too close.  If I feed regularly on human blood I'll have more 
control, don't you see?"
        "No, I really don't see."  Natalie was getting angry.
        "Nat, please ... I don't plan on killing.  LaCroix has 
promised me a supply of donated blood.  If I can't get donated, 
I'll at least drink bottled.  I haven't given up on my promise not 
to kill."  Nick searched Natalie's eyes for some kind of 
acceptance.  "It will make me stronger.  Strong enough to resist 
the urge to drink from you when we make love.  It's the only way 
for us to be truly together and for you to be safe ... you 
and...."  He placed a hand on her abdomen.  Natalie covered his 
hand with hers and smiled.  "I still can't believe it," he said, 
staring at their two hands.  "I'm going to be a father."
        "Yes...." Natalie sighed and smiled.  "Okay.  This isn't 
going to be easy to get used to, but I understand your reasoning.  
I'm not saying that I completely agree with you, you understand, 
but I'm going to respect your decision....  For now."
        Nick looked incredibly relieved by her statement.  He 
stood up and came around the table.  Helping Natalie up, he swept 
her up in his arms and carried her up the stairs to their bedroom. 
Once in the privacy of their own space, he drew her into a 
passionate embrace.  He was determined to show her just how 
pleasant life with a reformed vampire could be.  
        But Natalie had other plans.  "Look, buster," she laughed, 
playfully pushing him away from her, "you just got out of the 
hospital, again, and you need to get some rest.  Let's save this 
for next evening."  
        Nick was actually feeling better than he had in quite a 
long time and was in no real mood for Natalie's precautions.  He 
kissed her again, more insistently than before.  Natalie shoved 
him back again, not quite so gently this time.  "Look Nick, maybe 
you don't need to rest, but *I* *do*.  It's been quite a night, 
for me at least ... and I'm not feeling so good."  She sat down on 
the bed, holding her stomach, partly doubled over.
        Suddenly all the solicitous husband, Nick was at her side 
helping her undress and get into the bed.  "I'm sorry Nat.  I 
guess I wasn't thinking.  We've got to take special care of you 
now."  He looked so sweet as he fussed over her that Natalie 
decided to forgive him this time.  She smiled to herself as she 
contemplated this dichotomous man of hers; so strong, so gentle; 
so fearsome, so vulnerable; so worldly, so childlike....  He was 
going to make a terrific father, she reflected.

*     *     *     *     *

        It had been the longest seven months of his entire 
existence, Nick contemplated, but it looked as though the wait 
might finally be over.  Natalie's water had broken four hours ago, 
but she had refused to go to the hospital until the sun had set.  
The contractions were coming less than four minutes apart now and 
Nick was more than anxious to get going.  During the time since 
Natalie's labor had started, Nick had fed well and fully and made 
sure everything was packed and in order, ready for the trip to the 
hospital.
        Natalie waddled out of the downstairs bathroom and grabbed 
her heavy coat.  It had been snowing lightly since yesterday and 
she wondered at the propriety of having a baby in January.  That 
decision, however, was completely out of her hands.  The baby was 
coming, and it was coming now.  Nick picked up the overnight bag 
and linked an arm with Natalie's to help steady her as they walked 
to the elevator.  A contraction hit just as they were entering the 
lift and Natalie gasped and doubled over slightly at the strength 
of it.  Without a moment's hesitation, Nick swept her up in his 
strong arms and carried her the rest of the way to the car.
        "You didn't have to do that, you know."  Natalie was 
stifling a giggle when another contraction hit and dragged a low 
moan from her.
        "Yes, I did," Nick insisted.  "We've got to get you to the 
hospital ... now."  He drove cautiously on the snow-slicked 
streets, but Natalie could sense his rising frustration at every 
red light.  
        They finally reached the hospital's maternity entrance.  A 
nurse was waiting for them with a wheelchair for Natalie.  She 
gratefully eased herself into it and allowed the nurse to take her 
to the birthing center while Nick signed the necessary papers.  
        By the time Nick arrived in the room, Natalie was already 
in her hospital gown and settled in the bed.  The nurse finished 
her preliminary examination.
        "You didn't get here any too soon, sweetheart.  You're 
seven centimeters dilated already.  At this rate it isn't going to 
be long."  The nurse looked from Natalie to a very anxious Nick.  
"Is this your first?" she asked.
        "Oh yeah...." Natalie exhaled deeply after a particularly 
nasty contraction.
        "Is everything all right?  Is Natalie okay?"  Nick looked 
from his laboring wife to the nurse.
        "Everything is just fine, Mr. Knight; going right on 
schedule," she smiled reassuringly.  Fathers, she thought, they 
always feared the worst.  This was usually the first time they had 
every seen their wives in this kind of pain and they really 
weren't equipped to deal with it.  
        "I'm okay, Nick, really," Natalie reassured him.  Men, she 
thought, were never really ready to deal with the reality of 
labor.  Good thing this job was left to the women.  Even a strong 
man like Nick would be reduced to tears if he were in her place, 
she contemplated.

        Five hours, and many ice chips later, Natalie was finally 
near to giving birth.  Cecilia, her nurse, looked up from the 
posterior end of the bed.  "Almost there, sweetie.  You're nine 
and a half centimeters.  Just hang in there, we're almost done."  
        The contractions were coming one on top of another now, 
not giving Natalie a chance to breathe between them.  Nick was a 
nervous wreck, but he was managing to cope.  He tried to wipe 
Natalie's perspiring forehead with a cool cloth and got his hand 
batted away for his efforts.
        "Don't you touch me, Nicholas Knight.  This is all your 
fault," she gasped as the next contraction hit upon the heels of 
the last.  She looked up and saw the 'wounded puppy' look in his 
eyes.  He really had been trying to help and she wouldn't have 
wanted him not to be here.  His presence had been a great comfort 
to her, even when he seemed lost for what he needed to do.
        She took his hand then, and gasped out between 
contractions, "I'm sorry, Nick....  I love you....  I'm really 
glad you're here."  She tried to smile, but the best she could 
manage was to grit her teeth and grimace.
        "It's time, sweetie," Cecilia cooed.  "You just hold on 
for a few more minutes while I go and get Dr. Kline.  No pushing 
while I'm gone...." and she quickly exited the room.
        "No!  Don't go!" Natalie called at Cecilia's retreating 
back.  "Oh God, I've got to push!" she moaned to Nick.
        "You can do it, Nat.  You can wait."  Nick held her hand 
and beamed at her with pride.  "I'm right here.  I won't leave 
you."
        It was only five minutes, but it seemed like five hours to 
Natalie, before Dr. Kline arrived.  He was an older man, with 
thinning white hair, old-fashioned spectacles and a gentle manner.  
Natalie had been referred to him by one of her co-workers and had 
never since doubted her choice.
        "So, it looks like we're ready to have ourselves a baby 
here, eh?"  He lifted the sheets to examine Natalie for himself.
        "Can I start pushing now, Dr. Kline?  Please??" Natalie 
begged.
        "Anytime you're ready, dear.  It's your show.  I'm just 
here to catch 'em when they come out."  His charming smile set 
Natalie at ease.  
        The pushing felt so good....  Nick was concerned over the 
effort she was expending and the redness of her face, but she 
assured him that everything was fine.  This was how it was 
supposed to be.  The contractions and Natalie's pushes intensified 
and she screamed.  Nick had his arms protectively around her in an 
instant.  He wanted nothing more than to take this pain from her, 
but he knew that wasn't possible.  He really did feel quite 
responsible for this and it was an agony for him.
        After a particularly hard push, accompanied by another 
scream, Dr. Kline looked up from the end of the bed.  "Give me 
another one just like that Natalie ... good ... good....  Now 
stop.  Don't push until I tell you to.  The baby's head is out."  
He paused a moment as he turned the baby's shoulders gently.  
"Nick, would you like to come catch the baby and cut the cord?"
        Nervous, but excited, Nick moved to the foot of bed.  Dr. 
Kline showed him what he needed to do, then looked up at Natalie.  
"It's all yours, my dear.  Give us one more big push."
        Natalie took a deep breath and pushed with all her might.  
Suddenly, Nick looked up at her and he was beaming from ear to 
ear.  "It's a girl, Nat!  It's a girl!"  He was so excited.  
        Natalie chuckled.  Yep, she thought, it's going to be 
like having two kids around the house.  How will I ever manage? 
She smiled a contented smile and lay back on her pillows, 
exhausted.

*     *     *     *     *

        Forty-eight hours later they were home with Laurene.  
Natalie was taking a nap after being up half the night nursing, 
and Nick sat in the rocking chair holding his precious bundle.  
       This, he thought, this is true immortality.  And he smiled.

THE END

Back to the Fiction Page

---

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page