Xover: The Last Night and Beyond
Part 1 : Inner Fire and the Light
(01/16) Jeannie Ecklund
 Aug 14,2000


This is a Forever Knight/ Touched By an Angel crossover
and a sequal to The Last Night and Beyond.   I know
these characters belong to someone else. I'm just borrowing them for
these stories.  No infringement on any one intended. I'd like to thank
Elise from the bottom of my heart for her Beta Reading.  You have no
idea how much I appreciate you..  I would also like to thank my sister,
Linda, for content help, consistancy, and some Beta Reading.  I'd also
like to thank Kylie for her encouragement and getting me into all this.


**********************


Nick drove the big van down the long drive way.  It went through a
decorated iron gate, an expanse of woods and then around a peaceful area
of grass and trees.  He pulled up before a huge, two-story log cabin.
There was a drive down the side that led to a smaller cabin in the back.
Stone steps led up to a large porch that ran the 60 foot width of the
front of the cabin.

Reese breathed, "Wow!"  The lawn in front was rich and lush.  A raw
forest framed the whole property. There was a covered well in the front
yard.

They piled out of the van and headed up the stairs.  The porch was wide,
and had numerous comfortable garden chairs, a porch swing and a hammock.
The floors and walls were of redwood, and there was a huge picture
window open to the front.

Natalie grabbed Nick"s arm, "It's wonderful, Nick! Absolutely perfect."

Nick smiled, "Come on! Wait until you see the inside..." They all heard
the perturbed yowl from the van, so Nick returned to the van and got the
cat carrier, to bring Sydney with them.  Returning to the porch, Nick
swung open the door and stepped back to wave the others through.

They entered a long lodge-like room that extended away from them a good
100 feet.  Massive beams crossed the ceiling. To their left was a big
fireplace.  Natalie giggled and nudged Nick when she saw the white bear
rug spread out in front of it.  The mantel had been transplanted from
the loft, "As you desired, my love."  He bent and kissed her, then sat
the carrier down and opened the door.  Sidney peaked out wearily, then
shot  out of the box and ran behind the TV.

Natalie laughed, "He'll get used to the place."

Reese exclaimed, "Look at that TV!"  He indicated another section of the
room.  A 65 inch built-in TV graced the wall before a grouping of chairs
and a couch.  Stereo speakers angled from the rafters around the room
would provide "surround sound".  There was even an emergency Ham radio
center off in one corner. "This is our movie and communications center,"
Nick explained.

On the other side of the TV area was a computer center, very well
stocked and expensive. "You have a set up like this in your place, Pop.
I also put another one upstairs for Nat and I."

"Nick, this place is really something," Joe said, amazed.

On the other side of the door was the huge picture window with more
chairs and couches for watching the snow in the winter.  "We can use
this for our story telling or just for sitting before the fire when it's
cold."

Reese commented,"I'm looking forward to that."

Natalie said, "How about some FBI stories as well, Pop?"

"You got a deal," Joe agreed.

The floors down the middle were covered with rich area rugs and empty
spaces.  Opposite the  TV section was Nick's grand piano.  There were
columns of marble topped with planters of lush greenery, making a nice
cozy setting.  Beyond the piano area and slightly more toward the center
was a large dining table with eight elegant chairs, and at the far end
of the room there was a bar with stools, like a breakfast nook, that
looked into a compact, ultra-modern kitchen over a marble counter.

Natalie ran around the counter, "Oh my, Nick... It's wonderful!" she
exclaimed, looking at all the state of the art appliances.  She fingered
the smooth top of the burner less stove and the glass doors on the fully
stocked frig.

"Thank, the Lord, there's no wood stove in here.  I think this will
really be nice." She continued to explore the kitchen as the two men
watched her enjoying the newness of their home.  Nick showed her the
small half-bath off the kitchen.

After a few minutes, Nick took her by the arm and guided her up the
stairs toward the second floor.  Reese puffed up the stairs after them.
"Oh, Pop," Nick called back, exchanging smiles with Natalie, "I
installed a lift in your cabin. That way you won't have to climb the
steps when you're tired."

"Bless you, Nick," came the big man's breathless reply.

"Where's mine?" Natalie asked,  slipping her hand under the edge of her
expanding abdomen.  "When I get too big with these babies, I won?t be
able to climb up these stairs either."

They reached the upper landing and stopped to catch their breath.  The
ceilings on the lower floor were 10 ft.  This made the staircase quite
high.

Nick kissed her cheek.  "It's on it's way... should be here next week.
I had it made special with a nice, soft bench inside.  There's a small
shaft next to the kitchen, near the bathroom.  You may have noticed the
door?"

"Thanks, Nick.  You're the best husband in the world."  She hugged his
arm. The upstairs had a 10 foot wide hall that ran about 50 ft. to a
nice wooden door.  On both sides of the hall, the area was divided into
two good-sized rooms on each side with a bathroom between them.

The door at the end of the hall opened into a massive master bedroom
with its own bathroom.  The huge room had a four poster, draped bed. It
looked small in the enormous room.  There was an area for a computer
center and separate study desks.  There was a smaller, cozy, intimate TV
viewing place.  "This empty place here will be for the babies while they
are small."  There was a fireplace right above the one downstairs.  It
also had a white bearskin rug.

Natalie blushed, thinking of the times she  would spend there with Nick.
"Nick, it's so amazing I can't even put it in words.  I never expected
this much.  It's almost a log mansion."

"I only wanted you to feel comfortable.  You can make any changes you
like,"  Nick assured her.  He went to open the bathroom door and Nat was
pleased to find a large sunken tub there, similar to the one in the
loft.  She had hated to leave it behind.  She and Nick had so much fun
there.

The colors in the room, the drapes on the bed and the tub in the
bathroom, were all done in the rich color of bloodwine. She looked at
him curiously, "Sorry... I know it's the color of blood, but even in my
mortal life it was my favorite color.  You can change anything you want
to, Nat."

Natalie sometimes wondered if he missed any of his immortal life. She
would become self-conscious when they made love, wondering if he missed
the bloodbonding.

Nick had tried to tell her that he didn't miss it that much.  He thought
maybe she might though. The bloodbond was an addiction. It joined the
mental as well as physical.  It was like truly becoming a part of the
other person:  All feelings and truth was there.  Now, they had to rely
only on words and physical expressions.  Still, he was so happy with
Natalie,  he seldom even thought about what he had been.  He shook the
thoughts away.

Natalie was looking into the enormous walk-in closet. There, she
examined the rich, heavily carved bureaus.  "Nick,  I'm overwhelmed.
It's almost to wonderful for words."  She walked over to kiss him,  and
hugged him tightly.

"Pop,  It's amazing isn't it?"


"Yeah," he said. "I'm stunned!"

 Nick smiled, happy that they liked it.  It was so much bigger than he
 had first imagined, but he had fallen in love with it.

 "Come on, Pop, let's go see your place."

They went downstairs and into the kitchen.  There they found a door
that opened into a small covered passageway.  It went from their house
to Joe's.  Inside was a home as well appointed as their's, only  about
half the size.  The upstairs had only two rooms;  a big one and a
smaller guest room with a bath for each room.

 Joe stood stunned for a moment, then  grabbed Nick in a big hug.

Nick returned the large man's hug.  "Pop,  you deserve something back
for what you give to Natalie and me.  I doubt I would have adjusted so
well if you hadn't been there these past months to talk to and sound off
at.
It was hard,  and it was wonderful.  I feel so blessed."

He pulled Natalie into the hug and they stood together for several
moments.

 After a time, Joe said,   "I've been blessed too, Nick.  A few
 months ago my life was pretty empty.   Now I have a  son and a
daughter, who love and respect me.  I even have grandchildren on the
way!"  He patted Natalie's stomach affectionately.   "No man could be
more blessed."   He pushed them gently toward the door.  "Now go on back
to your place, enjoy the night together, and get settled in.  I'm pretty
tired.  I think I'll just fix a snack and head on up to bed."

 Nick and Natalie could practically read his mind.  They started to
 open their mouths to protest, but Joe held up his finger stopping
 them.  They said in unison, "Yes, Pop.  Sleep well."

They each gave him a kiss and headed back up the passage.  The first
time that Nick had kissed Reese on the cheek, the man had taken a step
back.  Nick had apologized, explaining that it was just habit.
Vampire families were very close.  It was expected between father
and son.

A couple days later, Joe had come and told him he didn't mind the kiss,
so Nick had just continued his old habit.

Nick and Natalie returned to their new home, and secured the door
behind them.  Nick took his wife upstairs.  He filled the tub, then both
of them got in.  They sat holding each other, relaxing for a long time
before scrubbing themselves and each other.  Finally they stepped
out and into two white,  fluffy robes, and went downstairs to sit
before the fire.

Nick went to the kitchen and brought back a tray of cheese and fruit.
He brought glasses and some sparkling grape drink.  They sat on
 the bearskin rug and ate,  feeding each other pieces of fruit and
cheese, kissing and talking.

After a time, the food was set aside, and they made love, slowly at
first, then hungrily devouring each other. Later, in the afterglow, as
they lay in each other's arms, Nick gently caressed Natalie?s stomach
were their baby grew.

Natalie said, "I can't wait until I can feel the baby move."

"Me either," he admitted, then thought to himself,  "If I were still a
vampire, I could hear the baby's heart beat."

Changing to a mortal so quickly had been wonderful, glorious, and
hard.  So many things had changed.  So many things he hadn't even
thought of;  like indigestion, feet that hurt, an amazing loss of
strength, sight and hearing.  He truly had learned to respect the
difficulties that handicapped people lived with each day.  He had felt
a huge loss when he'd lost his ability to fly, see in the dark, survive
bullet wounds, and rip doors off their hinges.  He'd stopped working and
had taken a leave of absence to get aquainted with his new lifestyle.

In retrospect, though, he felt that he had received gifts that were much
greater than those that he had given up.  Most importantly, he was able
to walk into a church with his wife and knew he would go to heaven some
day.  Beyond that, he could stand in the sun, go to the beach and see
the sun on the waves, and love his wife without restraint or fear of
killing her.  It still amazed him to know that there was a life growing
inside Natalie... one that he and she had made through their love of
each other.  One day, this child would call him 'Daddy'.  Tears sprang
to his eyes at the thought.

Natalie felt a warm tear slide from his cheek onto hers. "Nick,
what's wrong?"  She asked, alarmed.

He turned his face toward her and smiled.  "I'm so grateful for  my
life..."  He let it drop there.

"But,"  she finished for him,  "You do miss some of your old life.
Nick,  don't be ashamed to think about what you gave up.  You lived that
way for 800 years.  I understand that you miss your super human
abilities.  They were amazing..."

She touched her stomach, knowing where his thoughts had gone.  "Please,
Nick, talk to me about what you feel. Tell me a 1000 times if it makes
it better for you."   She drew his head to her breast.

He lay his cheek there listening to her heart beat.

"Millions of people," she continued, "never have a chance to
experience something like that."

Nick said,  "That life had so many horrors as well.  I don't miss
feeding.  I don't miss LaCroix's abuse...."

"But you do miss him, don't you, Nick?"  she finished for him. "No
matter what  he did to you, you were his child.  It's natural for a
child to love his father."

Nick moved away and stood before the fire, the light dancing across
his face. "I do love him... and I miss him.  I would love to show him my
life and have him be proud of me.  I know that what inhabits him is evil
and could destroy all of us. I wish he could be free like I am.

He's a wonderful man, inside, but I have only seen the real man a few
times.  Nat, is it wrong to cry over him... to hurt that he is lost to
me?  Do
you think the Lord is angry that I even think about LaCroix after all
the things he has done to me?"

Natalie reached up to him, and he pulled her to her  feet.  She reached
for her robe and drew it over her body, then grabbed his up and covered
him, slipping her arms around him and pressing herself against his back.

Natalie laid her face between his shoulder blades. "You know, Nick,  I
think the Lord loves every creature He has created.  He accepted you
back.  I can't believe He wouldn't want the same thing for LaCroix, but
he is responsible for himself.  He knows that the Lord welcomed you
back.  He will realize that it is possible for him to be freed as well
if he wants it enough, but he has to want it.  No one else can do it for
him."

She took Nick by the hand and led him toward the stairs.  A tiny "meow"
stopped them,  and Sidney hesitantly came out from behind the TV.

end part 1  
****  Jeannie Ecklund  ****  gersknightlady@cs.com