Another Reality  (03/16), 
Jeannie Ecklund,

Eight days later he was summoned to the precinct to give Captain
Stonetree a report.  He entered the busy building and nearly collided
with the Desk Sergeant, Reese.

"Nick, watch where you are going," the man said, a big smile lit his
face.

Nick flashed him a smile back.  "Sorry, my mind was somewhere else."
He'd been thinking about a beautiful Vampire again.

"Perhaps a young lady?"  he asked with hope in his eyes.  This young man
was a lonely man, but never seemed to be interested in anyone his
friends tried to set him up with.  He noted the red that appeared on the boy's
ears and smiled. Perhaps there was hope for this one yet.

"Have you seen Grace today?" the large ebony man asked.

"Yeah, this morning.  She brought in an accident victim.  You're a lucky
man, Joe."

Joe Reese smiled, "Man don't I know it.  If you ever find someone half
as good as Grace you'll be happier than you ever imagined."

Nick thought, "Maybe I have."

Reese threw a thumb back over his shoulder, "You'd best get in there,
the Captain's waiting."

Nick smiled and headed for Captain Stonetree's office.  He liked the big
Indian Captain.  Stonetree was a slow, soft spoken man, yet Nick knew
him to have a sharp mind and a quick temper on occasion.  He knocked on
the door and opened it.  He was holding his report in the other hand. He
stepped into the office.

Stonetree was not alone.  Nick caught the sent of jasmine and rose.  His
heartbeat escalated.  Before him sitting before the desk was a woman
with thick dark wavy hair.  She turned toward him and smiled.  Stonetree
stood. "Nick, this is Natalie Knight.  She's a new detective here on our
beat. She'll be on the night shift.  I want you to coordinate some of
your difficult cases with her.  She has an amazing record for solving
unsolvable cases."

He turned to Natasha. "This is Dr. Nick Lambert."

Nick stood staring at Natasha, Natalie he corrected himself.   He opened
his mouth but nothing came out.  She stood now, smiling.  She took a
step forward and held out her hand.

"It's Nice to meet you Dr. Lambert."  Her voice seemed to envelope him
with its music.

He took her cool hand, "Ms. Knight," he managed to say with out
stuttering.

"Natalie," she said.

"Natalie," he repeated with a nod.  "I guess we'll be working closely
together."

She ran her tongue over her lips. Stonetree was behind her and didn't
see her tease Nick.  She smiled and flashed him a bit of fang.  Nick's
knees
became weak and he blushed.  She laughed musically and turned back to
see Stonetree looking curiously at her.

"Have you met before?"  he asked, noticing Nick's red ears.

Natalie took her seat.  "Briefly, a few nights ago." She said,
"Mr. Lambert was walking his dog in the park."

Stonetree studied them carefully, noting Nick's obvious blush and
Natalie's gaze.  He hoped he didn't regret this pairing.  He wasn't quite
sure this woman could handle the job. Yet somehow she'd convinced him she
was the only one who could work with Lambert.  "Well, why don't you go talk
and get to know each other a bit.  I've got a headache and think I'll book
off for the night.  Nick take the report with you and go over the case with
Detective Knight."

Nick nodded, "All right, Captain, hope you feel better." Nick had his
suspicions as to where the headache had come from.  Natalie stood and
walked past him.  He pressed a hand to the small of her back and guided
her from the room and down the hall to an interrogation room.

"What are you doing here!" he demanded, as he shoved her a little none
to gently into the room and shoved the door shut.

She smiled, "I thought it best that we work together if you are going to
help me."  She raised a finger and caressed his cheek.

He drew away, "Stop that! I can't think when you touch me."

She smiled and let a bit of amber flash in her blue eyes.  He sighed
exasperated.  How would he ever think around her.  She seemed to strip
his mind of all coherent thought.  He could think of nothing but her hands
on his body and her lips caressing his when she was around. He could feel
that tingle at the base of his mind.

"If you want to work with me you have to stop whatever it is you are
doing to my mind.  I have to be able to think."

She sighed now and pouted a bit.  He felt the tingle vanish. He shook
his head and his thoughts became clear.  He sighed in relief.

"All right," she said, "but it is such fun. I've never met anyone so
easily stimulated."

He turned away embarrassed. She was right, just the sight of her excited
him.  He would have to work harder to control himself.

"Dr. Lambert..." she started.

"Nick, call me Nick." he interjected.

"Nick."  She smiled. "I'd like that.  I can help you. My kind have many
powers and senses. I can use them in my work."

"I thought you said you didn't want to be what you are?" he said.

"Yes, I did, didn't I.  Maybe it is the long years of loneliness.  If I
found a companion worthy of joining me, I might find joy in this
existence." She was looking deeply into his eyes.

Nick stared back into her blue fathomless eyes. What was she saying?
Could she be offering him the chance to join her?

"Well, perhaps we should concentrate on the case," she said.  "We have
an eternity to decide where this life might take us."

Nick tore his eyes off hers and turned his attention to the file before
him. He willed himself to relax and he opened the file. He enjoyed his
job and he felt excited about having someone to share his work with him. 
"This body was found four days ago..."

The nights came and went.  Nick saw Natalie often at crime scenes.  She
was confident in her job using her abilities to help them solve crimes. 
She often came to the morgue after work to visit.  She didn't socialize with
others much because of a fear of being questioned about her eating and
drinking habits.  Nick knew she came because with him she didn't have to
pretend to be something she was not.  She would tell him stories about
the past and occasionally she would mention her part in the past, but for
the most part she seemed to want to keep her past to herself.  She seldom
mentioned others of her kind as well.

Nick had seen her temper on several occasions and not wanting to
provoke her, he seldom pushed. She'd changed his life.  Having someone to
interact with made him so much happier.  He hadn't realized how lonely he
had been. Occasionally she would join him when he walked Beast at night. On
those nights they seldom talked and if they did it was just her sharing 
things about the darkness, the beauty of it and the mysteries in it.  Nick
always felt content in her company.

After the first few nights she seemed to turn off the emotional
seductivness.  During the last few weeks she'd seldom touched him.  They
had been developing their friendship and he was grateful for this time
to just get to know her. Occasionally he would see her looking at him with
such desire, or hunger... he wasn't sure which.  He wanted there to be
more between them.

End Chapter 03, 

Another Reality, Jeannie Ecklund, Gersknightlady@cs.com