This Valentine stands on its own, and is in no way related to any of my previous stories. Enjoy! As always I love feedback so...feed me!

Disclaimer: All characters attributed to Forever Knight are owned, and wasted, by Sony/Tristar.

All my gracious thanks to my beta-readers, Heather-Anne and Jules Stafford.

Without them you would be continuously tortured with free-roaming commas,(these are commas which have a life of their own and seem to take up residence in the most unlikely of places) English(boot/trunk, footpath, leant, smelt, realise etc) and some really, really bad spelling.<g>

Thanks again guys!

Just Love Me

by Knightraven

copyright 2000

Natalie pressed herself hard up against the far living room wall. She could almost feel the presence outside her apartment and was sure someone was approaching. She just hoped her preparations were not in vain.

Sure enough, a moment later, the front door splintered loudly and flew open, slamming against the inside wall.

Almost with glee, she watched as her contraption above the door worked perfectly.

Lacroix yelped in both surprise and pain, then fell to his knees and writhed upon the floor as the bucket full of holy water splashed over his body. He frantically ripped his coat off, unaware of his cries of pain, but the water had quickly soaked

through to his sensitive skin.

Natalie watched in horror as the vampire fell to the floor and began to screech and snarl in agony. Nasty burns quickly reddened, then blistered his exposed skin. She took a step toward him, then paused, her instincts telling her to stay the hell away, drive a stake through his heart before he had a chance to recover, but the doctor inside her saw a being in pain, pain she had caused. That...and it was him.

"Damn it," she muttered as she hurried to the vampire and pulled at his arm to get him to his feet.

He snarled and attempted to push her away and struggle with his clothes all at once, trying to get away from the threat she possessed.

"Lacroix! I'm trying to help!" she yelled as he bared his fangs.

Her tone of voice seemed to get through to him and he halted his struggles and winced as he lifted his head. After a brief look into her eyes, he allowed her to help him to his unsteady feet and lead him moaning, hunched almost double, into the bathroom.

Natalie flung open the shower door and shoved him in. Turning the water on full, she held him under the flow as she helped to remove his jacket and shirt. Almost instantly his breathing became less labored. He remained under the shower, fighting water with water as he washed the holy water from his skin. He stood with his eyes closed, obviously still in pain.

Natalie left him for a moment then returned with a bottle which she shoved into his hands and he immediately put to his lips. He almost spat it out again...cow. Draining the bottle, he winced again as he moved, handing her back the bottle. Turning from her slightly, he undid his belt buckle and zipper. He had no choice but to strip, the holy water having basically drenched his entire body. Before letting

his pants splat to the shower floor, he toed off his shoes.

Naked, he rubbed at his skin, making sure every touch of poison had been removed. Natalie grabbed a cloth and turned him all the way around to wash his back. His skin was still an angry red, but the blistering had been reduced to almost nothing.

She took this moment to exact some sort of an apology.

"I wasn't expecting it to be you," she told him quietly.

"You should have," he replied.

"They sent you," she stated. She had been warned the Enforcers were coming for her. The fiasco at Nick's loft the month before had made the Community nervous. She and Nick were barely speaking and neither had seen his sire since.

He remained silent, refusing to comment further. But she was sure the Community would have insisted Lacroix tidy his family's affairs away and fulfill his duty as an elder of the Community as one of its elders.

"Is Nick okay?" she asked him. She was worried they would go after him as well. It was how they usually operated. Not only the mortal involved was killed, but also the offending vampire. It was harsh, but it kept the free-spirited vampire Community in line.

"Yes," he whispered, "I was given a choice." He kept his back to her and let her wash him.

Her or Nick. They made him chose between his son and her. Who would live and who would die...

Lacroix knew, only too well, what Nicholas had tasted in her blood that night. The moment his son had taken the good doctor's blood, her every thought and desire, had been released into his being.

Nicholas had been devastated. She did not love his son as Nicholas wished she did, as perhaps she once had.

Natalie Lambert had grown, matured over the past two years...Nicholas had not.

After grievously wounding his child, he, in turn, had tasted his son's heady elixir. It had been heavily tainted with the flavor and life of Natalie.

Everything had changed that night...everything.

Nicholas was depressed, angry, guilt-ridden. The usual, basically.

The doctor had broken his heart. Not a difficult thing to do to his son, by any means. The curse of a good heart is that it is hurt more often than one can usually stand in a lifetime...Nicholas had lived too many lives to count, but one thing always remained constant: he would always love, and he would always be punished for doing so. This was why he, himself, had sworn to never

fall in love again...Never give them your heart... But then...it wasn't Nicholas who had changed so completely that night. It had been him.

"May I have another?" he asked her quietly, gesturing to the empty bottle on the shower floor.

"Yes, there are a couple left, plus some bloodbags thawing."

Natalie shut off the water and reached for a towel. He took it from her and stepped out of the shower, drying his tender skin gently, then wrapping it around his waist.

   Natalie went to the kitchen to get him another bottle of blood and place the blood bags into a sink of warm water to speed up the thawing process.

Lacroix slowly entered the living area and went to the front door to try and close it. Luck had kept the door in one piece, and with a little force, he was able to close and bolt it. He would call a repairman the following evening.

   Stepping around the puddle of caustic holy water staining the floor, he crossed to the couch and sat down wearily.

    The sun had risen beyond the shuttered windows, and he was stuck for the day. He huffed an ironic laugh. She sat down beside him and handed him another bottle of Nicholas' vile cow.

Staring at the bottle without tasting it, he said,

"I was sent to kill you."

"I know," she answered, staring into her cocoa.

"You are not afraid?"

"No."

"And why is that, doctor? You should be," he asked, dubious of her answer.

"Perhaps. But you weren't the only one to learn a few things that night, Lucien."

   He turned to her at the use of his given name.

"I do not believe you saw or heard what you may have thought you did."

"No?" Natalie smiled. "I remember quite well, thank you. And not only that night, but Valentine's as well."

   He turned away again.

"When you gave me your blood, not only did you save my life, but I saw things, felt things, that I knew weren't from Nick. It took me a few days, but I soon figured they were from you."

   He remained silent. What had she seen? He was sure he had been shielded, keeping his memories and thoughts to himself.

"Have you experienced any...odd sensations?" he asked her, steering the conversation away from him. Natalie nodded.

"I think I can feel your kind. My hearing seems a little better, my knee doesn't hurt any more...little things really." Lacroix nodded.

"The effects will fade after time, but a few changes may remain permanent." He paused a moment before continuing. "You may be forced to move to a different, and less populated city if the Community does not feel you are safe with the knowledge you possess."

"I would never go against the Community Lacroix," she told him adamantly.

"I am aware of that...and so is Nicholas, but there are many others who are not. You are a survivor, Natalie, and will be branded a hunter, and killed accordingly if you are not brought across or protected."

Natalie sighed. She seemed to spend half her life running from people wanting to kill her. It was becoming tiresome.

"Should I expect not to wake up this evening?" she asked him haughtily.

Lacroix sighed himself, then eventually shook his head. He couldn't kill her, no more now than he was able to do a half hour before. The moment he opened the apartment door and seen her, he knew, without a doubt, he would not fulfil his duty.

"No. You are perfectly safe today, doctor," he told her quietly.

   Natalie stared at the naked man beside her. He was an enigma, perhaps a little less so now than before, but still, he was full of surprises.

"Let me get you a blanket and pillow." Natalie rose and disappeared into the hall to pull the linen from a cupboard.

   Returning, she handed them to him and stepped toward the bathroom to retrieve his sodden clothing. He tensed visibly when she returned and thrust them toward him. He could feel the holy water staining them.

"You want to keep these?" she asked him.

"No, that is quite all right. I believe I shall purchase a replacement," he said coldly. Natalie shrugged and went to throw the $2000 dollar suit in her garbage can.

   When she saw he had made no move to settle down to sleep for the day, she told him,

"You needn't worry. Sleep. I'm too tired to do anything violent now, and I think I've had my full dose of excitement for one day." She gave him a wary smile and headed into her bedroom to get ready for bed herself.

   Lacroix sighed and propped the pillow up against the couch arm. Leaving the blanket on he floor, he lay down and pulled his knees up to fit on the couch. It took him a few minutes, but as tired as he was, he soon fell asleep, strangely feeling safe in the place where he had, only an hour before, been brutally attacked. He should have been on his guard, not slept at all...but the threat which had been

   present then was now gone...so he slept.

   Before getting into bed, Natalie went to check on her house guest-cum-assassin.

   He was already fast asleep on the sofa. Picking up the blanket, she unfolded it and carefully draped it over his exposed body. She was aware he didn't feel the cold as she did, but he just looked cold...all that exposed skin...and it was snowing outside... Smiling as she felt a surge of arousal wash over her, she brushed her fingers over his arm. So soft... After a final gaze, she left him to fall into her own bed and let herself relax enough to sleep.

   Before he opened his eyes, he knew it to be still light outside. But he was hungry. Moving, he felt the blanket covering him and opened his eyes to look at it. Huffing a small laugh, <Women!>, he threw it back and rose, padding into the kitchen and to the fridge where he could smell the blood within.

The thawed bloodbags were sitting on a shelf and he gratefully took them both and sank his fangs into the plastic. His eyes closed as the human vintage rinsed the bland flavor of cow from his mouth. He didn't know how Nicholas did it day in and day out. It was perfectly dreadful.

   Sated, he moved back toward his makeshift bed. But as he passed by Natalie's bedroom, he paused and reached out to push the unlatched door wider. He stared at her sleeping form, one hand delicately held between her breasts, and the other bent beside her pillow. Her breath rose and fell evenly, and her lucious hair lay out about her face. Angelic.

   Sighing, he turned from her, but something pulled him back. Gazing at her again, he softly entered the room and after a brief pause gently laid himself on the other side of the bed atop the covers. He rested his head on an unused pillow and he stared at her sleeping face.

   The desire to lay with her, to feel her presence...to not sleep alone in the next room had been overpowering. He rarely allowed himself to be moved by his emotions, but today he let them have their way. Reaching out a hand, he softly caressed her cheek, then, as the daylight forced his eyes to close, he dropped his hand to rest beside hers and fell into sleep, hoping she wouldn't stake him when she

   woke.

End part 1

Part 2

   Natalie started awake as she felt the presence of someone laying beside her. Calming quickly when she saw it was Lacroix, she rolled her eyes at the sleeping vampire, then smiled softly as she watched his chest rise and fall in that almost imperceptible vampiric fashion. Her eyes couldn't help drifting over the rest of his body. Still clad in only a towel, he was quite the sight to behold.

   The sun had almost fallen, and feeling filthy, she carefully slid from the bed and entered the bathroom across the hall to step into the shower.

   Standing under the hot water, Natalie thought about the last few days and the months preceding. So much had happened.

   When Tracy and Laura died, she and Nick had both been forced over the edge of sanity. For months before, they had been battling each other almost constantly, with her questioning every slip in control or will, debating what his true desires in life really were. She was finding it harder to believe he honestly wanted to become mortal, but at the same time she knew he didn't really know what he wanted...he just knew what he didn't want.

   So the night Nick took her blood, and then thinking she was dead, asked his sire to take his life, Lacroix had knocked Nick unconscious and given a small amount of his own blood to help her survive and to heal enough before taking her to the closest hospital. That had been the last she had seen of the master vampire...until last night.

   She hadn't really consciously felt herself becoming attracted to Nick's sire. They had met occasionally--Valentine's being the most informative, if not more unpleasant meeting.

   She had begun to listen to him avidly on the radio, sometimes cringing when he expressed some of his thoughts, though she never plucked up the courage to call in and tell him exactly what she thought. But still, ever since Valentine's Day, she felt herself drawn further away from Nick and closer to his sire.

   How she had gone from outright hate to love for this man was beyond her. The thought he had tampered with her mind to force her to feel this way had not passed her by. But after that night with Nick, she knew he hadn't. For several days after, she had experienced dreams and fleeting thoughts of someone else's life. At first she had thought them to be Nick's, but soon realized some of the memories were far too old, even for him.

   Then, on the day she realized they were Lacroix's, it seemed to trigger everything she had subconsciously gained from his blood to surface.

   She had seen a side of him she was sure very few people had ever seen...certainly not Nick or until now, her. His love for Fleur had been overwhelming, but even more so was the pain and loneliness he felt at her loss. Then there was her. Natalie Lambert. Even now she refused to believe he had begun to feel a certain attraction to her.

   He had been proud of the way she had discovered the cure for the Fever which had almost devastated his Community, and his feelings toward her had been increasingly amorous. But still, they both were confused and unsure about exactly how and why they felt such an attraction, and then what on earth they were going to do about it.

   She and Nick, while still speaking, were more apart than together.

   She had felt his love for her when he had bitten her, and she was certain she had felt the same way a few months before, but things had changed, she had changed, she wanted...no, needed more than he was willing to give, and somehow along the way, she fell out of love with him.

She still loved him dearly but not in the manner in which he wished her to.

   Nick's relationship to Lacroix was a major contributor to her not seeking out Lacroix these past few weeks, and she hoped it was why he hadn't approached her, either. But now he was in her bed...naked. This made her grin and cover her face with her hands, feeling the blush flush her face. Nothing had happened, of course. But if the fantasies running through her head counted... She chuckled again and reached for the shampoo.

Rummaging quietly though her drawers, Natalie pulled out a pair of Nick's blue jeans and a pullover he had left here a lifetime ago, and laid them out on the bed beside the still unconscious vampire. He must have been exhausted to be sleeping so soundly past sunset, she thought.

   In the kitchen, she pulled out the two remaining bloodbags from the freezer and placed them in the sink to thaw. She had tried the microwave on occasion, but it had been too easy to burn the blood, and right now, she was running short on supplies so had no desire to risk losing the last of the human blood available.

Slowly waking, Lacroix frowned in confusion as to where he was. He rarely slept so deeply in foreign surroundings so was a little disjointed upon opening his eyes to find himself staring at a blue bedspread. He didn't own a blue bedspread. Natalie.

Sitting up, he glanced around and saw that she had left him and was now in the next room. Clothes were obviously laid out for him, and he rose to his feet to put them on. He had never worn jeans and was surprised at how comfortable they were. The brown pullover was a little short in the sleeves but fit well enough. Barefoot, he padded into the living area.

   Natalie looked up from her breakfast as her bedroom door opened and a clothing clad vampire emerged. She couldn't help smiling as he smoothed down the front of his shirt, a little uncomfortable in the unfamiliar clothing. But she had to say, he looked rather nice.

   Lacroix suddenly snapped his head toward the door and then turned at vampiric speed in to the opposite direction and towards the window a moment before the sound of shattering glass and wood thundered around the room.

Three vampires entered, split between the front door and window, fangs bared, their eyes feral.

   Two quickly pinned Lacroix against a wall while the other dragged Natalie roughly from the couch. She yelped in pain as she felt her arm twisted and pulled brutally in his grasp.

   The room was still but for Lacroix straining against his imprisonment. Natalie gasped, wide-eyed as they were held almost helpless in the Enforcers’ clutches.

"What do you want?" Lacroix snarled, yanking his arm in an attempt to pull himself free. The Enforcers holding him had to regain their footing, as he almost succeeded, only to hold him tighter.

The one holding Natalie to his chest brushed the hair from her eyes. A shiver ran uncontrollably down her spine at his touch.

"You failed in your assignment, Lacroix. So now we must do it for you," the tall, dark man purred calmly, clearly enjoying the scene before him.

"The situation has changed! The doctor is no threat to our kind. She is more valuable alive than dead!" Lacroix spat toward the Enforcer clearly in charge.

"Hmm. Perhaps. But this isn't really about Dr Lambert, now, is it?" the Enforcer told him, raising a suggestive eyebrow toward the ancient vampire, being held against the wall.

Lacroix froze. Nicholas. This whole fiasco was to punish his son for becoming so involved with the mortal world.

"Nicholas has nothing to do with Dr. Lambert any longer," he argued.

"No?" The vampire seemed a little disbelieving, but not unconvinced. Lacroix rarely lied to his kind.

"She is under my protection," Lacroix said after a pause. Natalie raised her own eyebrow and, for a brief moment, met his eye. She gave him a small smile, which soon vanished when the Enforcer yanked her toward the ancient vampire. She winced and grimaced.

"Let her go," Lacroix demanded, seeing her pain.

"All in good time, my dear Lucien. But first I wish to get something clear." He looked into Lacroix's angry gaze and asked, "You are saying that you will provide protection for this young one? I wish to know why?"

"She is, as I said, valuable. It would be in everyone's best interest for her to remain alive and in the position she holds within the Coroner's department," Lacroix told him candidly.

"And your son...?"

"Has nothing to do with my decision. I believe, if you wish to observe the pair for a short time, you will soon see that they are no longer closely aquatinted with each other, except on a professional level."

   The Enforcer pursed his lips in thought. He then roughly let Natalie go, and she stumbled toward Lacroix who caught her just as he was released by his own captors.

"Very well, Lucien. You may keep your pet...for now. But be warned: we will be watching." With the threat left hanging between them, the Enforcers left as quickly as they had arrived.

   Natalie clung on to Lacroix and he drew her to him. He stroked her back as she let loose her tears.

   After a few minutes, she pulled away from him and went into the kitchen to retrieve a broom and shovel. They had yet to utter a word, and he just stood and watched as she began to sweep the broken glass from the carpet.

"Well, what now?" she finally asked. He moved toward her and gently took the broom from her hands and set it aside. Looking into her eyes he brought her chin up with a gentle touch to meet his.

"Now...," he said, then suddenly turned to look at the mess around him.

"...Now, we hire someone else to clean and repair this mess."

Natalie smiled, then chuckled. It had been the last thing she expected him to say. She nodded as she moved to gather an overnight bag. A few minutes later, he was leading her from the apartment.

   He held open the rear door to the Raven, allowing Natalie to enter, using the back entrance to avoid unwanted attention.

"Lacroix, where...?" Janette began as she stepped from the storeroom. She closed her mouth when she saw the state of her sire and the woman standing behind him.

"What are you wearing?" she asked him, deciding to leave any comments about the mortal unspoken.

"Clothes," he replied simply.

"Yes, but they are obviously not your own."

"No."

Janette mentally rolled her eyes and turned her attention to Natalie.

"Hello, Natalie."

"Hello, Janette."

Janette gave her a small smile. They had come to an unspoken truce after she had become mortal and had tragically lost her lover, Robert, a year ago. Now, immortal again, she looked back to Lacroix for some kind of explanation as to the doctor's presence and his unruly dress.

It was Natalie who finally spoke,

"My apartment is having some repairs done. I hope I'm not intruding?" she said amicably. Before Janette had even uttered a sound, Lacroix spoke sharply.

"Of course not. You are my guest."

Janette and Natalie exchanged a slightly startled, yet amused glance as the ancient vampire took control of the conversation and moved toward the stairs which led to the expansive apartment above.

"Come, Natalie. I shall show you to your room," Janette said, herding the mortal woman after the tall Roman figure as he quickly disappeared.

Janette showed Natalie to a warmly decorated room, tastefully trimmed in rich wood and silk. Elegant yet functional. The epitome of the modern vampire. She placed her bag on the bed and turned back to the woman waiting in the doorway. Lacroix had disappeared into another part of the apartment, presumably his own rooms.

"Thank you," Natalie smiled.

"If you need anything, do not hesitate to ask," the vampire told her. Natalie nodded, and just as Janette turned to leave, the woman looked back over her shoulder, resting a pale hand against the doorway.

"Be careful, doctor. He is more vulnerable than he appears," she said quietly.

   Janette had been at Lacroix's side for a thousand years. She knew where his weaknesses lay...and the good doctor was now one of them.

"Yes," Natalie replied, her voice a quiet whisper. With a glance and a small smile of acknowledgement, Janette left her to unpack her belongings.

   Natalie sighed. She had no idea how long the repairs would take to bring her apartment back to its full glory, but she was here for at least the night. She felt uncomfortable being here, but she could hardly afford a hotel at this time of year.

   As she stood in front of her private fireplace, there was a soft knock at the door. Turning toward it, Natalie said a quiet,

"Come in."

   The door slowly opened and Lacroix stepped into her room, dressed in his usual attire and laden down with a tray of bread, fruit and cold meats.

   Natalie smiled.

"Thank you. I'm starving," she told him lightly and he gave her a small smirk in return. Setting the tray down by a chair beside the fire, he moved to the wet bar and poured himself a Reserve and a wine for his guest.

"The room is adequate?" he asked her.

Natalie huffed a chuckle,

"It will suffice." She smiled. This was the finest room she had ever been in!

  Seating himself in the wingback chair adjacent to her own, Lacroix crossed his legs and proceeded to stare into the fire.

   Natalie watched him as she ate. He appeared pensive, hesitant, not like himself at all.

"So...you are going to protect me." She finally stated after a long period of silence in which time she had finished her sandwich and had time to watch him as he sat lost in his own thoughts.

"Hmm?" he asked, coming back to the present.

"You...protection. I never figured you for the Kevin Costner type," she teased. Lacroix huffed.

"Quite."

   Natalie raised her eyebrows when he neglected to expound.

"So? Why?"

"For the reasons you heard earlier. You are important to the Community," he said stiffly.

"Is that all?" The question caused the vampire to shift in his seat.

"Yes," he said softly, then glanced away from her gaze, and Natalie let her desire to hear him say the words fall by the wayside. Neither of them needed a scene now.

"How are your burns?" she asked him.

"Healed, thank you."

"Good."

   They sat in silence, just enjoying each other's company, even if it was a little uncomfortable. Neither was ready to take that last step into of acknowledging their feelings to the other and acting upon it. But still, this was nice.

   Dawn showed itself soon enough, and Lucien gracefully bid her good day and left to return to his own bed.

End part 2

Part 3

   The very next evening, Lacroix informed Natalie her apartment had been repaired and that he would take her home.

   Hailing a cab, Lacroix held the door open for her as she got in.

   Sitting next to her, she edged a little closer, wrapping an arm through his. Still, neither said a word, nor even looked to the other. They just let things happen as they would. It felt right, so she did it.

   Entering her new front door, Natalie gaped at the changes. He hadn't just repaired what had been broken, but had redecorated the entire living area, including new thick curtains and a new sofa, which was a good two feet longer than her previous one.

"Oh, my," she gasped. It was wonderful... The orange walls were gone. They were now a lovely warm, off-white, which went well with her rich green carpeting, also new.

"I hope my choice in color was agreeable," Lacroix said quietly from behind her.

Natalie nodded.

"Yes. It's perfect." She turned back to him and without hesitation snaked her arms around his neck and briefly kissed his lips and hugged him.

"Thank you."

"It was least I could do," he whispered. Natalie pulled away gently, and he reluctantly released his hold on her waist.

    "I almost wish I didn't have to go to work tonight so I could just sit here and enjoy all this," Natalie told him, moving away to sit heavily on the new leather couch. She bounced a little and ran her hand over the rich brown leather covering. It was something she would never have been able to afford on her salary.

"It's beautiful," she cooed softly. She looked over to Lucien, still standing in his coat by the dining table.

"Would you like something to drink?" she asked him. He shook his head and smirked.

"Much like yourself, I have obligations this evening. So I must, regretfully, decline."

"Yes, I should change and get going," she said, kicking herself into action and returning to her feet.

"If you should need anything further, do not hesitate to ask," Lacroix told her in all solemnity. "And if you should have any...problems of the immortal persuasion, call Nicholas or myself without hesitation." He raised his eyebrows to convey his seriousness in the matter. Her compliance was not a request.

   Natalie smiled. She had no problems with that--he would definitely be the first person she would call for.

"Good night, doctor." He nodded respectfully.

"Natalie. Please, call me Natalie, and good night, Lucien," she said boldly, and he let loose a small smile.

"Indeed, Natalie." Without another word, he turned in a whirl of black and left.

   She hadn't seen him for almost a month. Though she was disappointed, and found herself missing his presence, they both needed the space to work out just what they wanted from each other. But it wasn't without some reassurances as she was comforted and encouraged by the subtle messages he sent her during his show. They left her feeling flushed and warm inside.

   But tonight she felt terrible. She was sure she was coming down with something, but she couldn't leave work, being the only ME available tonight. So come rain, hail or flu, she had to be there.

   It was only for one night, she kept telling herself, then she could be as sick for as long as she wanted. Not that she particularly wanted to be sick at all, but right, now all she wanted to do was go home and crawl into bed.

"Oh, Natalie, honey! You look terrible!" Grace exclaimed as she entered the lab to find her boss with her head down on her desk.

"I feel worse," Natalie said, not even bothering to hide the fact she was sick as a dog.

"You should go home," Grace told her.

"I can't. I'm the only show in town," Nat groaned.

"I don't know, Nat. You really can't do much good in that condition. Is there someone I can call to come get you? Nick?"

"No, not Nick." Natalie thought for a moment. "But if I do collapse into an unconscious puddle of goo, could you call this number?" Natalie held out a name and phone number out to her assistant.

Grace looked at the piece of paper and nodded, "Yeah, sure. But I still think you should go home now."

Nat just groaned again and let her head flop back down onto her arms.

"Me, too, Grace. Me, too."

   Four more hours passed, and, thankfully, business was on the light side, but still there had been a few hairy moments when Natalie had lunged for the sink only for to retch into.

   With an hour left in their shift, Grace had had enough.

   Taking the piece of paper from her pocket, she blatantly crossed the room to Natalie's desk and picked up the phone. Natalie did nothing to stop her.

"Yes, hello? Is a Mr. Lacroix there, please?" she asked the voice on the other end.

   A moment later, she hung up the phone. He was on his way.

   Natalie hadn't even grunted from her place on her desktop. Ten minutes later, Lacroix came bursting through the doors.

"Thank goodness! I really think you should take her to a doctor," Grace insisted the moment he walked through the door.

"Indeed," he remarked, all but ignoring her as he went straight to Natalie and brushed her hair from her pale face and placed a hand on her forehead.

Yes, she had a fever. His first inclination was to worry, having lived in, and through, several centuries where a fever was just as often fatal than not. But he resisted, quickly reminding himself that mortal medicine had improved well in this regard.

   Without any more thought, he scooped her into his arms and, while Grace carried her coat and handbag, carried her out to the waiting car. He carefully placed Natalie's near unconscious form on the back seat, then turned to take her belongings from her fellow employee.

"Thank you, Miss Balzathar," he said. "I believe it is safe to say Dr Lambert will not be into work for the next few days."

"I'll book her off for the rest of the week. Call me if she needs longer."

"Indeed." He slid into the car beside Natalie and closed the door.

   Grace stood on the sidewalk, watching, as the black BMW sped off into the night.

"Well, I do believe our Doctor Lambert has been holding out on us," she said before grinning, then sighed as she turned to hurry out of the cold and hold down the fort for the remainder of the shift.

   The car came to a halt outside Natalie's apartment. He had thought it better to bring her here. She would most likely be more comfortable in her own home.

   Carrying her inside, he kicked the front door closed behind him and went straight into the bedroom. Placing her gently onto her bed, he began to remove her clothes.

   Her fever was high and needed to come down. Kicking off his own shoes, he removed all of their clothing, only pausing for a moment to take in the beauty before him.

   Both naked, he picked her up again, her skin scolding his as he carried her into the bathroom and into the shower. Turning on the cold tap, he stood them under the water until he felt her body begin to cool. He brushed a hand through her hair, wetting it thoroughly. She was only partly aware of what was happening as she placed her arms around his neck.

"Natalie, you should not have worked in this condition," he gently scolded her.

"No one else," she mumbled from his chest.

   Shaking his head, he shut off the water and carried her back to the bed, and laying her down and gently drying her with one of her fluffy towels. He covered her with a sheet before drying himself and wrapping a dry towel around his waist, just as he had the last time he was here. Reentering the bathroom to search her cupboards, he came back with a bottle of Aspirin, a wet cloth, and a thermometer.

   Sitting beside her, he placed the thermometer in her mouth and opened the bottle, tipping 2 tablets into his hand. Rising, he went to the kitchen to find a glass and fill it with water.

   Removing the thermometer, he read her temperature: 103.degrees. Still high, but it would have been dangerously so when he had taken her into the shower. He sat down again, only this time lifted Natalie up to shuffle behind her and let her rest against his chest. Holding the glass in one hand, he gently fed her the Aspirin and put the water to her lips. Natalie obediently swallowed before pushing the glass away.

   Natalie turned slightly to get comfortable against him and promptly fell fast asleep. Lacroix relaxed back into the pillows and sighed. He wasn't going anywhere for a while.

   She slept for about two hours, and he himself had begun to drift off, when she woke suddenly, moaning. A moment later she retched, and Lacroix leapt up from behind her and ran for a basin in the kitchen, returning at vampire speed just in time to hold back her hair as she vomited into the plastic bowl. He turned his head slightly as the rancid smell of stomach fluid assaulted his senses, making him feel a little sick to his own stomach.

   When she seemed to have finished, he placed the bowl on the floor and reached for the glass of water and pressed it to her lips.

"Drink, Natalie."

   She managed to swallow a couple of mouthfuls before slumping onto the pillows. Placing the glass back on the table, Lacroix rose and quickly deposited the bowl's contents down the toilet and rinsed it before returning to her bed, placing the bowl within easy reach should they need it again.

   He lifted Natalie up again and lay down next to her, draping her fevered form over his cool body to help keep her cool. She was delirious, moaning and writhing on the bed, and sweating profusely. All he could do was hold her and wipe her brow and chest with the cloth he kept wet from a second bowl filled with iced water.

   This went on for several hours. At one point, it seemed to be getting worse and he debated whether or not to take her to the emergency room, when she seemed to finally settle in his arms and sleep for a time.

   It was late in the day and he was becoming tired himself, dozing whenever she was. It was at one of these times he woke to her talking in her sleep.

   "Nicholas, you know better than to tether the horses on that side of the house," she was saying.

   Lacroix smiled slightly as he recalled saying these words to his son during their brief stay at La Rosa de Maria, the home of Count de Montage of Spain.

   Nicholas had forced their early retirement from the festivities when he had been discovered taking his pleasures from the Count's youngest daughter.

   Had he known that Nicholas had planned the whole spectacle beforehand, he would have thwarted the unruly act, but since it had spiraled out of control, he could do nothing but find the whole evening humorous.

At least his son had the forethought to have the horses ready for a hasty getaway.

"Lucien, why is your horse blue?" Natalie asked him, her visions obviously becoming more ridiculous in her fevered state.

"To match the color of your beautiful eyes," he told her with a smile.

"Oh, that's nice," she replied softly. She then lay still as she slept more soundly.

   He chuckled slightly and closed his eyes again.

   He woke again and had to gently extricate himself from his patient in order to get to the kitchen to quench his hunger. He forced himself to take a whole bottle then carried another back to the bedroom where he placed it next to the bed and slid back into his position beneath the delirious doctor.

   By the next morning, her fever had broken and she now slept soundly in his arms. He had pulled the covers over them both as her temperature had fallen, making sure she didn't get cold.

   Exhausted, they both slept the day away in relative peace.

   Natalie woke and lay still as she felt his cool skin against hers. She slowly opened her eyes, and yes, sure enough, she was laying naked in Lucien's arms.

   Her cheek was pressed against his chest, his light dusting of chest hair tickling her lips. She smiled and gently brought up a hand to stroke around his exposed nipple.

   She heard his heart beat once, then silence. Eleven minutes later it beat again. He was still fast asleep, but his body was reacting and firming at her gentle touch. She felt a familiar, yet little used, feeling of warmth spread though her own body and without much thought kissed his chest. A hand softly moved up her arm.

"I see you are feeling better," he purred, sleep making his voice deep and rough. She smiled.

"Much better, thank you."

   Lacroix tilted his head down to watch her touch him. She was beautiful. But he knew he could not take this any further, at least not tonight.

"Natalie..." he began. She tipped her head back to look up at him.

"...It is time for me to go," he told her quietly. Natalie frowned.

"Why?"

"Because I have run out of supplies and I must perform my show tonight," he said regrettably. "And...you are in no condition to take this any further," he explained with an impudent smile.

"I'm fine," she argued, keeping him beneath her. Regardless of his patient's efforts, he lifted her and slid out from under her.

"Then...I...am not," he said with a smirk, allowing his eyes to glow a rich amber.

   He bent down and Natalie leaned toward him. They moved together as though they had been doing this for years and tenderly kissed. As it became more passionate, Lacroix reluctantly pulled away. With a quick kiss to her forehead, he left and headed for the shower.

   "You are to stay in bed for at least the next two days," he shouted from under the water as he quickly washed.

"Two days?! I'm fine. I'll go back to work tomorrow," she replied. His dripping head poked around the corner of the doorway.

"No, you will not," he said firmly and disappeared again.

"Really, I'm fine!"

"You have spent the past two days delirious with fever. You are not fine. And you will do as I say," he commanded, toweling himself dry. She couldn't see the smile which pulled at his lips as she responded loudly.

"Do as you say!?" she exclaimed. He kept grinning at her expected response.

   He appeared once again, features stoic as he crawled back onto the bed until his face was directly over hers, pinning her to the bed with his hands above her head and his knees trapping her thighs.

He had left his towel in the bathroom.

Natalie couldn't help smiling boldly as she took a quick peak.

"For I wish you to recover fully, as quickly as possible," he told her, his growing passion all too evident.

   He took her lips in his and kissed her again, leaving her melting from the inside, out, and gasping for air as he pushed away and left her to pull on his clothes.

"Okay, then," she all but squeaked.

   Lacroix smiled as he buttoned his shirt front then finished fastening his belt. Fully dressed, he came back to sit next to her on the bed.

"I've missed you," Natalie whispered, running a hand up his chest.

"And I you," he replied softly. Leaning forward, he kissed her brow and moved to the door lest he end up returning to her bed.

"I will have some food delivered and shall feed your pet before I leave. I will return before dawn," he told her, clasping his cufflinks and reaching for his coat.

"Will you stay the day?" Natalie asked him softly. He turned back to her with a hand against the doorframe.

"You wish me to?" he asked quietly.

"Very much so," She smiled and he smirked in return.

"Very well," he replied, his eyes full and alive as they caught what light there was in the room and returned it tenfold.

   He disappeared, and a couple minutes later Natalie heard the front door close behind him. Smiling broadly, she shuffled under her bedclothes, pulling them up around her grin. Oh, my! What had just happened? It had all seemed so normal! They had barley kissed before, let alone gazed and displayed their nakedness so effortlessly.

    Letting out a small screech of delight she covered her head with the sheet and chuckled as she heard herself acting like a love struck teenager.

end part 3

Part 4

   Using the key Natalie had given him several years before, Nick silently entered her apartment. He had debated about using it, but finally reasoned with himself that they were still friends and she really wouldn't mind. Their friendship was a little strained at the moment, but it was getting better. They were conversing pleasantly, and the desire to lash out and verbally hurt her had finally passed.

    He was now resigned to the fact she was no longer in love with him, but

with his sire. That revelation had shocked him, almost to the point of doing something completely stupid. He had very nearly killed his sire a second time and contemplated doing it to himself. But his salvation had come from a most unexpected source...Urs.

   She had talked him out of patricide, when he had told her of his plans while in a drunken rage the night after he had taken Natalie's blood. Urs had eased his pain, sitting with him for hours and listening to him talk about the happenings of the past century. She had argued with his logic and interpretation of events, but had also commiserated and sympathized with the hardships he had suffered.

    Then he had listened to her. Her mortal life had been anything but happy, and it had left him feeling like a pathetic whiner.

   Sighing, he quietly opened her bedroom door and smiled at her sleeping form lying under the sheets. He still loved her. But what he felt was irrelevant.

   Moving inside, he took her empty glass from her side table and went to refill it.

   He had taken his dinner break to come and see how she was. On his way back, he grabbed a vase for the bunch of flowers he had bought on his way to her apartment. The daisies and sunflowers spoke of friendship, something he, no matter what, refused to lose.

   He had yet to see his sire, but he could sense he had been here tonight. He wondered how their relationship was developing, and battled the rush of jealousy surging through him at the thought of them together.

   He had noticed the redecoration and new sofa in the living room. It had the touch of his sire.

   Sighing again, he crossed his ankles and sat down on the floor to stare at the woman before him, hoping she would wake, yet at the same moment hoping she wouldn't. She looked tired.

   Life was very confusing at the moment, and he didn't quite know what to do about it.

"Nick?" Natalie stirred and mumbled.

"Yeah. How you feeling?" he asked her quietly, brushing a lock of auburn hair from her face. She smiled.

"Better."

"Good." He smiled back.

   Natalie saw the flowers and smiled again, pushing herself up onto an elbow.

"They're lovely, thank you."

Nick stayed where he was on the floor, but smiled as she stroked the bright petals.

   "I thought I'd come by and see if you needed anything. I hope you don't mind...I let myself in..." he told her a little nervously.

"Thank you...and I'm glad you felt you could come in by yourself," she said, still smiling. Nick sighed with relief.

   "I see he's been looking after you adequately," Nick said lightly, glancing around the room, not quite able to look into her eyes when he spoke of them together.

"Yes. He's spent the past couple days playing nurse," she told him. Nick couldn't help but smirk at the thought of his sire in a nurse's uniform.

"Good. I'm...glad he's looking after you, Nat," he said quietly, bringing his eyes up to meet hers. He had to be a man about this, and he was letting her know that he was going to be okay with this new development, at least for now...

"Thanks, Nick." She reached out and kissed his cheek and gave him a hug.

Nick held her for a moment before they mutually pulled away.

"How are you doing with all this?" Natalie asked him gently, not wanting to push him into talking if he didn't want to.

"Better. But I still love you, Nat," he confessed quietly.

"And I love you, Nick. I'm sorry it's not the way you want me to, but I can't control how I feel about you both."

"I know, Nat," Nick whispered and glanced down into his hands. A small embarrassed smiled graced him, and he tilted his chin up to look at her again.

"Have you guys...you know...done...anything yet?" he asked.

"Niiick?! No, we haven't," she growled, though she smiled at his question.

"Well, I thought I'd just...well...warn you about a few things. You know, so it's not quite so...frightening," he quickly told her.

"Frightening?" she smirked and asked, "For him or me?" Nick grinned, and after a moment's thought said,

"Both, I guess. But really, Nat, we tend to be a bit rough and well...then there's the biting."

"Biting?"

"Yeah. In order to...you know...complete the act, we have to bite."

Natalie was sure Nick was blushing, and stifled a grin.

"Ooh...biting. Right, got it. Anything else?" she asked him, her smirk breaking through.

   Nick saw it and huffed as he chuckled, then a cheeky grin plastered his face as he leant forward and whispered in her ear.

"Well, he does like it when you..." Natalie's eyes widened as Nick whispered in her ear.

"You're kidding?" she said when he had finished. Nick just shook his head as he kept grinning away.

As they both laughed, Nick felt something lift from his shoulders, and he realized he valued her friendship above anything else that may come between them. It was something Lacroix could never take from him, and in a strange way, he was happy for his sire to have Natalie. Jealous as hell, but happy all the same. Life can be so difficult sometimes, he thought, and sighed as he smiled.

   He answered the door and brought in the food Lacroix had ordered for Natalie, making sure she had eaten some of it before he left her dozing and returned to work.

   They had talked while Natalie ate. She had asked him to go and see Lacroix, and, perhaps, begin to mend a few fences. He wasn't sure if he was ready for that just yet, but he had at least promised to be civil should they meet again in the near future. He didn't think that particularly likely as he was pretty sure Lacroix was avoiding him.

   Walking into the station, he was greeted by an eerie quiet. All eyes followed his every move. He quickly glanced down to see if he had spilt blood on his shirt. No, he was clean.

   When he reached his desk he realized why everyone was so curious. Lacroix was patiently waiting in his chair.

   He remained seated as Nick strode over and stood before him.

"Can I help you?" he asked him stoically. His head shot up when he clearly heard an officer across the room say to a newcomer,

"Take a look. That's Knight's old man."

   Nick glared at his sire. The old man had obviously told the precinct of their relationship. Great. Now he would have a whole lot of explaining to do. He had told his workmates he had no family. Well, at least it was a truth of sorts. He guessed at the time he had been about as disowned as one could be from a family, forgoing death.

   Nick sighed and slumped unhappily, yet resignedly, into the empty chair across from the ancient.

"What can I do for you, Lacroix?" he asked again, thought(though) this time more politely. He had made a promise, after all.

"I wish to speak with you. Come to me after your...shift," he told him, glancing around his son's workplace with barely contained distaste.

   Nick sighed again, but Natalie's request rebounded through his head, and he had no wish to cause a scene. Nodding, he replied,

"Very well."

   Lacroix nodded in acknowledgement of Nick's effort, and rose from his chair. He paused as he came alongside his son.

"We have much to talk about," he said softly. Nick kept his gaze on his desk, but nodded. They did have lot to talk about, and much of it wasn't going to be pleasant, but it had to be aired. That, or they would both lose Natalie, of this he was certain. They had driven Janette away enough times over the centuries, and Natalie would be about as tolerant of their feudal relationship as she had been, if not less.

   Nick entered the Raven at two in the morning, waving away the few advances he was offered as he crossed the dance floor, heading straight toward the back office.

   Taking a deep breath and releasing it, he finally knocked.

"Come in, Nicholas."

   Nick sighed again and opened the door and entered. The room had hardly changed since Janette had resided here. Only the chairs and artwork had changed.

   Lacroix sat back in his desk chair, his fingers steepled in their familiar fashion, waiting for his son to seat himself in the chair opposite before speaking again.

"Let us get straight to the point, shall we?"

Nick nodded in agreement. This needed to be done as quickly as possible. The less time they spent together, the less of a chance this meeting would end in bloodshed. Nick almost smiled when Lacroix shifted in his seat before he spoke.

"As you are aware, Natalie and I have become somewhat...attracted to one another, and I wish to know what you intend to do about it?" he asked his son calmly.

   Nick blinked as his masters words finally made an impact. He was asking him. Not telling him what to do, but actually asking him what he was going to do.

"I...I don't know. Nothing, I guess." He paused for a moment before continuing firmly. "What can I do? Natalie loves you, and there's nothing I can do to change that," Nick told him. "I'm not happy about it, but I can't make her not love you...nor would I ask you...or her to leave. I have made that mistake once already," he added softly, dropping his gaze into his hands. After a moment in which his sire remained silent, he added firmly,

"But if you ever hurt her..." Nick left the threat unspoken, but his sire tilted his head toward him in acknowledgment. Nick went on while he still retained the courage to speak to his sire like this.

"Natalie and I will remain good friends. We will do things together like we used to. I will not lose her friendship, as well, Lacroix," he finished harshly. Lacroix raised a hand to calm his son.

"I had no intention of forbidding you to have contact with her, Nicholas. But understand this: she and I will pursue this relationship, and if she so chooses, I will bring her across, regardless of your wishes. Do you understand, Nicholas?"

   Nick was about to argue but bit his tongue. Now was not the time. This was a tenuous, yet promising, start to a somewhat civil conversation, and perhaps even a beginning to reestablishing his own relationship with his sire.

"I understand," he said softly.

Lacroix nodded. He hesitated again before speaking.

"I have not felt this way for a woman since...your sister. I do not wish to..." Lacroix paused, uncomfortable with speaking of his feelings with his son so candidly. "I have no wish to leave her behind as well," he said quietly.

   Nick stared, finally, fully fathoming what Lacroix was saying. He wasn't just attracted to Natalie, he was in love with her.

   He hadn't entirely believed his sire had loved his sister as deeply as he had avowed to. But over the years, he had wondered, and now, with Natalie, he could only wait and see. Maybe it was possible. Maybe Lucien Lacroix did have a heart after all.

   Rising from his chair, Nick moved a few steps toward the door. Turning back, he didn't quite meet his master's ice-blue gaze as he spoke,

"Believe it or not, Lacroix, but I want you both to be happy." He paused then added, "Don't let us all regret this."

   Lacroix rose from his chair and slowly made his way to stand before his son.

"I can assure you, this is very real," he almost whispered. Nick looked hard into the vampire's eyes. Yes, he loved her.

   Nodding his approval, Nick then turned and walked out the door.

   Lacroix watched him leave, almost in shock at his son's behavior. He had expected something far different, certainly not an acceptance, even a reluctant one, and even less, a blessing of sorts. A small smile pulled at his lips, and he let it grow as he reached for his coat and made his way to the roof.

End part 4

Part 5

   Lacroix slipped into the darkened apartment, removing his coat and jacket as he moved toward the bedroom, feasting on the silhouette of her form as she lay sleeping.

   Crouching beside her head, he gently, trying not to wake her, placed a hand against her forehead to check her temperature. She was normal for a mortal, and he sighed with relief. He glanced at the flowers on the beside table next to him. Nicholas must have brought them when he had come by.

   It had been a long night, and all he wanted to do was crawl into bed, and that's just what he did.

   Toeing off his shoes, he quickly divested himself of his clothing and slipped under the covers. Natalie stirred as his weight moved the mattress.

"Lucien?" she mumbled.

He leaned over to her and kissed her forehead.

"Yes," he whispered. He heard her sigh and settle back to sleep, snuggling closer to him. He wrapped an arm around her and held her close. He sighed himself.

   Staring into the darkness, he wondered what to make of all this. He thought of Natalie and Nicholas, and the events of the past two months. They had been anything but predictable or boring. In fact, they had been just a little too exciting for his taste. But still...love. Had he found it again, and did Natalie truly love him, or was he just a convenient escape from Nicholas? Did he really love her, or was he just getting desperate not to be left alone in his old age? All these thoughts and emotions whirled about in his mind, unable to be restrained.

   It took him a long time to finally fall asleep, and when he did, his dreams were plagued with strange and sometimes erotic plays. For the first time in a very long time, he felt unsure of himself, of what Natalie felt toward him...and this bothered him immensely.

   He would have to find out the truth, and he knew he would do so the first time they made love. With the first succulent drop of her blood, he would know everything, only...he wasn't sure if he wanted to know.

   He needed the time to think this through, to plan what was to be done, and when. It had to be executed when he was sure of the outcome. He wasn't sure he would handle the situation well if it were not to be in his favor. He had fallen in love with Natalie, and if his track record was anything to go by, this was bound to end in heartbreak and pain, namely, his.

   He turned his head to look at the woman sleeping in his arms.

"Never give them your heart..." he whispered. "But what tyranny befalls you when they take it?" Sighing, he kissed her temple and finally closed his eyes.

   Natalie woke again to the sight of a sleeping vampire. He was frowning slightly. She watched him quietly until he finally woke.

   He smiled at her, but she didn't quite return it. He frowned again and shuffled up a little to lean against the head board.

"Have I done something wrong? Had you changed your mind about my staying..." Natalie raised a hand to stop him.

"No, of course not. I was just wondering what was making you so tense. Did you see Nick?" Lacroix sighed and relaxed a little.

"Yes, I saw Nicholas, but the meeting went surprisingly well."

"Then why the face?" Natalie asked him gently, brushing a finger over his furrowed brow.

"Face?" he responded, buying himself sometime to divert the conversation.

"You've been frowning all evening," she told him.

"Nonsense," he told her and turned away.

"I've been watching you," she told him firmly. He glared and Natalie sighed and waved a hand through the air.

"Okay, okay, I'll leave it. Anyway..." she said with a sultry smile, "...there are better things we could be doing." She slipped a hand down under the sheet and snaked it downward across his stomach. His eyes widened slightly as she kept going, but just as she was about to touch him, he gently pushed her away and rose from the bed.

   Natalie watched, confused, as he began to pull on his clothes.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong. I have appointments to keep which I can not delay," he said a little too quickly for Natalie's peace of mind.

   As he quickly tied his shoes, then moved toward the door, Natalie flung back the covers and rose to follow him.

"Hang on a minute. What the hell just happened?" she asked him, her temper rising at his sudden change in attitude.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," he told her, gathering his belongings.

"You're brushing me off!" she argued, confronting him and barring him from leaving, by placing herself between the vampire and the front door.

"I am doing no such thing," he said calmly, his jaw tensing and rippling as he controlled his temper, refusing to meet her eye. He gently pushed past her, trying to ignore the way her breasts heaved breathlessly under the shear silk nightgown she was wearing. He opened the door, only to have Natalie slam it from his hands to close again.

"You are not leaving here like this!" she told him.

   When he stood there in silence, his expression stoic, she demanded softly, "What is going on, Lucien?"

   He sighed and closed his eyes, and when he had remained unmoved for several moments longer than Natalie could stand, she threw up her hands in a gesture of futility.

"Fine. Leave," she told him, giving up and wrenching open the door.

   He had been about to speak when she demanded he leave. He paused for a moment, then walked through the door she held open before slamming it behind him. He paused in the hall, glancing back to the apartment, debating whether or not to return. But he thought better of it and slowly headed out into the night.

   <Coward,> he told himself. Rubbing his fingers across his brow, he walked the darkened streets toward the Raven.

   Janette heard him slam the door to his bedroom.

   Rising, she boldly crossed the hall and opened his door. He was pacing steadily on the far side of the bed, but stopped and headed to the wetbar and poured himself a bloodwine as she entered.

"What happened?" she asked him, her tone resigned to the fact his mood was likely to do with Nicolas or his mortal doctor.

"Nothing concerning you, my daughter," he told her barely keeping his tone civil.

"Very well." She abruptly turned back toward the door and made to leave. She could not make him talk if he had no wish to...but then she suspected otherwise. She also had no desire to suffer his misdirected anger.

"What do women expect, Janette?!" he suddenly blurted. Janette smiled smugly but quickly forced it away before turning back to face him.

"Is it so different now than eight hundred, or even two thousand years ago?"

"Non, not so different," she told him softly. Lacroix seemed to calm at her tone.

"Then what? What does she want of me?" he asked her. "Because, for once, I am at a loss to know such things...!" He threw up his hands as he turned from her. This was something Janette had never before seen from her sire. Such insecurity and floundering. Natalie must truly have him reeling.

   She supposed after having kept one's emotions so tightly reined and controlled for as long as Lacroix has done, she should have expected such a reaction when they were finally released. But then, she had never thought she would live to see the day...

   She moved close to him and placed a hand on his back.

"She wants you," she whispered. "Do not doubt her love for you, Lacroix." He turned to her as she said this. <Ah,> thought Janette, <herein, perhaps, lays the true reason for his behavior.> "She does indeed love you, mon pere. A woman knows these things, and I have seen all the signs I need to see from Natalie, to prove that she does indeed love you deeply."

She felt him sigh under her hands, and relax a little.

"I have been a fool, Janette," he finally admitted very quietly.

"You must speak to her...better still, go to her, without delay, and show her how you feel," she told him, her tone daring to be a command.

   With a slight glare, then a resigned sigh, Lacroix finished his wine in a single swallow and without another word, boldly left.

   He stood at the foot of the bed watching as she lay on her side, breathing gently as she slept.

Natalie woke suddenly and screamed when she saw the dark form in her room.

"Natalie! Calm yourself. It is I," he firmly announced, moving closer to take hold of her arms.

   Natalie quickly recognized him, and her fright turned to anger.

"What the hell do you want?" she demanded, pushing him away from her.

   He was crouching next to her now, and she could see his face clearly in the dim light. He hesitated for a moment, then looked deeply into her eyes.

"You, mon amour. I want you," he whispered fiercely.

   Natalie stared at him for a brief moment, her eyes widening as his eyes slipped gently into a burning shade of amber. Then, without a further thought, she launched at him, zealously drawing his lips to hers in a desperately passionate kiss.

   Lacroix was startled for the barest of seconds before returning her ardor with equal fervor. He gently, yet firmly, pushed her onto her back, moving with her, never parting their lips.

She began feverishly tearing at his clothes, desperate to rid him of the barrier between them. The blankets were thrown clear of the bed, and they pulled away only as long as it took for Natalie to pull her nightgown over her head and toss it across the room.

   Hands were everywhere, touching every part of their bodies.

   Lacroix brought his lips to her breast and suckled until she moaned with pleasure. Even as he did this, her hands and mouth were busy reaching for any part of him she could find. Her hands traveled and molded his shoulders and back. Her fingernails scratched at his skin, sending shivers down to the tips of his toes.

   Somehow, as he moved lower with his own ministrations, she was able to reach his buttocks and he let loose a groan as she kneaded and occasionally slapped his sensitive rump.

"Lucien!" Natalie growled. He turned his head to glance at her. She almost sounded like a vampire. She bore into his golden gaze and commanded,

"I want you, now!"

   He quickly moved to cover her body with his own, and with ease, they joined.

   Moving as one, they found a steady rhythm which satisfied them both, and began their rapid journey toward fulfillment.

   Finally, as they fell over into their climactic flurry, Lacroix took her gaze into his and linked his fingers through her own, holding them firmly together. Their eyes broke free as they closed them in sheer ecstasy.

   At the last possible moment, Lacroix reared back his head and thrust his canines into her throat and, at last, they became one.

   He felt her life, and all that she was, fill his mind in images and sensations all too fast and intense to compute immediately.

   A last swallow, and he forced himself to pull away.

   Gasping for breath, he pushed away from her as he was bombarded with her emotions...her love.

   She loved him. There was no denying or disbelieving it. She was his.

   He moved back into her arms as he sighed with relief. A great weight rose from his heart as he relaxed into her arms. He knew everything...and he was overwhelmed with what he found.

   Natalie watched as his face became flooded with emotions. He had pulled away to the far side of the bed, and she just waited as he looked to her before moving back into her embrace.

   She was still reeling herself at the intense and strange sensation it had been when he bit her. She felt him, saw him, even touched him, as she had done with no other. She had seen a side of the man before her which she had only prayed to see. The man behind the mask. Not just the veil of the vampire, but that well-defined emotionless wall which he hid behind, denying him the weakness of emotion, of love, of pain, of fear...Lucien Lacroix had just revealed his humanity to her.

   She rested against his chest, and for an eternal moment they just lay and gently caressed each other, allowing the event to sink in and find some semblance of equilibrium.

   When he felt her stroking become more focused and intense, he gently rolled them over and began to pleasure her again. Slowly, surely and with a newly discovered ability to love, they consummated their revelation with a passion and intensity that held them both in awe.

   He lay in her arms and she boldly held him close to her breast.

"Natalie...?" he breathed softly, his question left unspoken, but she heard it nonetheless.

"Just love me, Lucien...just love me," she answered, caressing his cheek with a gentle hand.

He turned in her arms and rose(raised) himself to take her lips in his. He released her softness and whispered,

"Very well." Then, with an audacious grin, he claimed her lips once more.

Finis.

Comments eagerly awaited at knightraven@clear.net.nz