Standard legal disclaimer: whatever. FK is not mine No copyright infringement-yada yada yada, don't sue me, I'm poor. whateveR. The First Night of Your Unlife ****************************** Renee part one Nick looked up at LaCroix with unshed tears glittering in his eyes, "No, not the devil." "What then?" asked LaCroix. "You", Nick choked out over the lump in this throat,"are my closest friend." LaCroix closed his eyes briefly against the wave of pain he felt would surely end his immortal life, raised the wooden walking cane over his head and growled- "Damn you Nicholas" as he threw the walking cane across the room. "Damn you, you ask the one thing of me that I am incapable of doing, even for you. How can you ask a father to take the life of his only son? I know that, at this moment, you are suffering unbearably, but you ask too much. Nicholas- this I CAN NOT do for you. I know the pain you are enduring, I felt as though my heart were being ripped from my body when I left Fleur behind. Don’t leave your love behind. You were right about Fleur - her innocence would have been destroyed by the bloodlust, but not so with your Dr. Lambert. She is different . She has been exposed to our lifestyle, she has the knowledge, cunning, and the strength to adapt. Her eyes are wide open . She would not want to be left behind and she would not want you to throw away your life. I do not pretend to understand your quest for humanity Nicholas, but I can accept it. It is far preferable to losing you forever. Perhaps she can help you find your cure . I once believed it impossible, but Janette proved that false. Bring her across, Nicholas, while you still can. I will help you, if this is what you wish. She can spend whatever portion of eternity is necessary to help you regain the mortality that you so crave." Nick shook his head. He was so confused. What would Natalie really want? She said she had faith, but what did that really mean? If she died... if they both... if they weren’t together...he had promised her they would be together, would she really prefer to live with him in darkness? Could he imagine eternity without her? "The clock is ticking, Nicholas," LaCroix intoned. "Time is of the essence." Nick turned back and gazed at Natalie- in all the centuries, he had never known anyone like her. He loved her so much that it frightened him. He hated to bring her into a world of darkness. Yet, LaCroix was right- *she is strong...* He kneeled beside her, gently wiped a stray strand of auburn hair away from her face, *she is so pale* he thought as he listened to her fading heartbeat. "Nat," he whispered, "I love you, and I hope that I am doing the right thing for you, if not, I can try to make it up to you- forever." With those words he gazed lovingly at Natalie with glowing amber eyes and punctured his wrist with his fangs and gently pressed the wound to Nat’s lips. "Drink, my love, and consider this our wedding toast." LaCroix discreetly exited the room to give the lovers some privacy. ********* The first night of your Unlife Part 2 Natalie slowly opened her eyes and looked up. She was looking at Nick, whose face she knew better than her own, yet she had never seen him as she did now. Every aspect of him was hauntingly familiar- yet, somehow,different. His pale skin seemed to be illuminated from inside and the blue of his eyes seemed to shimmer, like waves dancing in the moonlight. His features were softer and even more alluring than ever before. At the same instant Natalie realized everything in her universe was different. The sound of the clock on the mantle was deafening. She was overwhelmed by an intense thirst, the likes of which she had never known. She suddenly felt like there was not enough room for her inside her own skin, like she must claw her way out before she suffocated inside herself. She could feel panic rising inside her and she needed.... *Must have... need...something... hurts so... must have...* she thought as she felt herself on the verge of hysteria. "Nat," Nick whispered huskily,"I know what you are feeling and I can help you." "Please help me, I feel so strange, did I... am I?"she broke off as Nick solemnly nodded and pulled her closer still in his embrace. "Yes, Nat, you’re a vampire. I’m sorry- I took too much." "Nick, it’s okay- you.." "Not now, Nat," Nick gently interrupted her, "First, you must feed. I know the thirst is almost overwhelming initially. Here, drink this," he said as he handed her a bottle with the Raven’s logo on it. "Take this and when your thirst is slaked, we’ll talk." Natalie took the bottle and drank greedily, letting gulp after gulp fill her mouth until the bottle was rapidly emptied. Without a word, Nick passed her another, which she drained as rapidly as the first. This was followed by a third and fourth before Nat wiped her hand across her mouth and set the last bottle down. She shook her head when Nick offered her another. Nat looked around the room, still amazed at the change that affected her so completely that every one of her senses seemed to suddenly work in a new and different way. She caught herself staring at the colors in the rug and realized she had been transfixed for 5 minutes. She shook her head and looked up at Nick for her semi reclined position on the bed. "How...."she started, when Nick said, "Let me show you." Suddenly her mind was bombarded by a barrage of images. They seemed disjointed and erratic, random visions initially, until she heard Nick’s voice in her head saying, "Focus, Nat- follow it like a scene in a movie." Suddenly Nat mastered this newly acquired skill and she relived the events of the evening through Nick’s eyes and perspective. She reclaimed her own recollection of being besieged by Nick’s memories and emotions when she had tasted his blood. She recalled the rhapsody she had known when his blood had filled her mouth -- the overwhelming love Nick felt for her and the ecstasy he had experienced when he had drunk from her. "I remember the... the wedding toast... Oh, Nick,"she said as she threw her arms around his neck. "I love you so much. We’ll be together forever now." "I didn’t mean to bring you across, Nat. I had no intention of bringing you into this darkness, but, all I can say in my defense is- I love you. The thought of losing you forever..." he broke off, and blinked furiously at the blood tears gathering in his eyes. "LaCroix said you were strong and could adapt, and I so wanted it to be true. I tried to take just a little, Nat. I swear I did, but..." "No buts," Nat said holding up her hand. "This is the beginning of our life together. No regrets allowed. However, I would be very interested in hearing about LaCroix arguing for my life" she said with a quizzical expression. "Well, on reflection I think perhaps, there was a bit of LaCroix’s patented self-serving manipulation in his appeal on your behalf. He was not about to set me free, so he encouraged me to do what I wanted to do all along, but felt was wrong. In his defense, I think he genuinely wants me to be happy and he knows that YOU make me happy. Not to mention that he relishes the thought of a new vampire-in-training," he said with a sardonic grin. "And you do realize, he is now your father-in-law, don’t you?" "Hmm, there is that aspect to consider," Natalie said with a half grin. "But, seriously Nick, just how literally did you mean that toast and Father-in-law remark?" she asked with some trepidation. If she still had possessed a beating heart, it would have skipped a beat. "Natalie Lambert, I love you and want to spend eternity with you. Will you marry me?" Nick said with the boyish grin that had been making Natalie’s heart turn over for the last six years. "Nick, you have no idea how long I have wanted to hear those words from you." Natalie said. "Let’s call the precinct and tell them you won’t be in tonight. Tonight I want to show you how my kind, excuse me, OUR kind- express love. Tomorrow we can start on the rest of your education. Tonight is for us," Nick said as he lowered his mouth to Natalie’s. fini ===== Renee: Forever Knight Fanatic List Mother http://members.theglobe.com/forevernay/4everknightfan.html Keeper of the Official ForeverNat Poking Stick (Mahogany edition). LaCroix's handservant and proud of it! Dark resident of ForeverKnight Denial Land where "Last Knight" *never happened*! wetvampirekiss @ yahoo.com aka ForeverNay __________________________________________________