The Last knight and Beyond 

by Olivia Jean Ecklund 
Chapter 2 


Natalie was quiet for a few minutes. Nick could see she was thinking about 
what had happened. He walked to the window to give her time. Finally she 
called to him. "Nick, come closer." She raised her arms carefully, to avoid 
jerking the IV's. When he came to her, she slipped her arms around his neck, 
and gently drew him down to her. "Nick, it's okay... I'm still here... you're
still here." 

Nick sobbed against her neck, "I couldn't stop, Nat! I couldn't!" He drew 
back to look her in the eyes. "I couldn't leave... not that way, Nat. I 
couldn't bring you across. I can't condemn you to this life of hell. I just 
can't. Please don't ever ask me again... please!" He begged her. 

She looked at him stubbornly, "We'll talk about it." 

He looked at her with dread, "I still have to tell you the rest of it." 

"Then tell me if the need is so great," she whispered, tracing the lines of 
his face with her fingers. 

He pulled a chair close and lay his face against her hip. He still had an arm
around her waist. She buried her fingers in his hair, gently stroking his
head. 

With agony in his voice he told her, "LaCroix came as I was laying you down
on the floor. He wanted me to leave you there and go with him." He felt her
stiffen, and tried to pull away, ashamed. 

"Nick, tell me the rest," she pressed him, holding him to her. 

"He urged me to bring you across or just turn my back. I couldn't do either.
I asked him to end my life for me." 

"What!" she gasped. "No! Nick, I would never want that sacrifice from you. I
understand why you don't want to bring me across, knowing how you feel about
your life, but what good would it do to sacrifice yourself because of me." 

"I promised that whatever happened we would be together," he explained. "But
not your death, Nick. I don't ever want that for you. Promise me, Nick.' 

"I can't, Nat. I can't! Life without you is not living. It would make this
hell of a life more pointless than ever." 

He blurted out, "The beast is still here, Nat! It didn't work..." 

"Nick, you can't say it didn't work. It took months for Janette's cure! We've
tried only once. You owe me to keep trying." 

"No! Nat, please don't ask me to endanger your life again... Please...," he
begged. 

Natalie prayed for the right words. "Nick, it's our only hope. We'll try it
differently. You'll go back on human blood. You won't be starving. I should
have realized what I was asking. No more protein shakes. You'll feed before
we make love, and you'll only take a little. I have faith in you." 

"Faith... that's what you said this time. I nearly killed you! I don't
know..." He tried to move away. 

She clutched his arm, angry. "You nearly killed me, Nick," she accused him.
"I don't remember giving you that option. Now you owe me. We will do it my
way." Her voice quivered, "Don't you love me?" 

Nick looked startled and hurt. "How can you ask me that?!" he asked with a
tortured voice. Anger crossed his features. "You ARE life to me! Without you,
I might as well walk into the sun!" 

"Nick," she pleaded, "Promise me you will stay with me and see this through."
She added again, not caring whether it hurt him, "You DO owe me, Nick. If you
really love me, you will give us another chance." 

Nat, was right. He did owe her. Besides, what choice did he have. Life
without her would not be life at all. Nick sighed and leaned to kiss her
gently. He felt her fingers bury themselves in his hair as she pulled him
closer for a deeper kiss. He drew back after a moment. "All right, Nat. We'll
do it your way." 

"Promise?" she asked. 

"Promise," he smiled at her then leaned to kiss her again. 

She slumped back onto the bed, exhausted. "Nick, how long have you been
here?" 

"I don't know... It's been over 24 hours." 

"Go home. I need sleep and you need to feed. Go to the Raven and get some
supplies." 

'Raven's closed now with LaCroix gone, but I do know where to get some
supplies." 

"LaCroix's gone! What do you mean gone?" She sat up, hope renewed in her
eyes. 

"Yes, he left town. He said he wouldn't come back unless we asked him." 

"Fat chance of that. Why didn't he force you to leave with him?" 

"He looked into my eyes when I asked him to end it for me and knew that if he
didn't kill me I would take care of it myself. He told me you weren't dead
and left, knowing I would not follow as long as you live." 

He leaned forward and laid his cheek against her shoulder. His body
shuddered, "I'm free, Nat. Free to love you." She clutched him to her and
laughed, then cried, elated at this turn of events... this blessing. "Nick,
no matter what happens, cure or no cure, all I ask is that you stay with me.
We'll move whenever we have to. Just stay with me. Promise me, Nick. Even if
the cure doesn't work, promise me you will stay," she begged desperately,
needing his promise. 

Nick stood again, took her hand, and pressed it against his lips, "I've
already promised, Nat. Remember... I promised" he kissed her again. 

She smiled warmly at him, "I just needed to hear it again. Now go home, Nick.
Get some rest... feed. I need to sleep." 

"All right. I love you, Nat." He held her close for a moment more and pressed
a kiss to her forehead, "Good night." He turned and left the room glancing
back once to wave at her. 

Outside, Nick suddenly felt almost unable to move. He had been on edge for a
very long time and now he realized how hungry he was. He began to wonder how
he was going to make it home. He staggered, falling against the wall. 

A booming voice said, "Whoa!" A large arm slipped around his waist and held
him on his feet. "Come on, Nick. Let me take you home." 

Nick protested, "I should go see Tracy." 

Reese replied, "She's still unconscious. You can't do her any good. I'll ask
the nurse to call us if there is any change. Come on, Nick." 

Nick, to weak to protest, let the Captain lead him out of the hospital and
into his car. They drove in silence back to the loft. Nick realized he was
getting quite hungry. He marveled how satisfied his body had been up until
the last couple hours. He hadn't even thought of all the blood that had been
dripping around him. Now he could hear Reese's blood pumping through his
veins and his steady heartbeat. He could smell Reese's blood. 

He looked at Reese with amber eyes and saw Reese turn to look at him. He
heard the Captain's heartbeat speed up. He smiled, let his fangs show a bit,
then let out a chuckle to ease his Captain1s fear. "Don't worry, I can hang
on. I've had lots of practice. It is just a bit uncomfortable and I'm so
tired." 

Reese let out a ragged sigh, "Sorry... you scared the hell out of me. For a
Moment, I thought I might be breakfast." 

Nick laughed, then said seriously, "There's always a danger to those around
me, but it's pretty minimal. That's why I have always kept Natalie at arms
length. I didn't want what's happened, to happen. Right now you are safe. 

"I understand, Nick. It's worth the risk for me. I don't know what it is that
draws me to you. I always wanted a son. It never happened. You're a fine
young man," he said with a smile. His voice hardened, "Then there is LaCroix.
He's not exactly 'Father' material. Maybe I just want you to see what a good
father can be. At least I think I can be a better father." 

Nick agreed, "I have no doubt of that, Sir. It touches me more than you
realize. You would think someone of my age needs no family ties. I've lived
so long trying to break the ones I have... perhaps I have destroyed the only
one I did want." 

Reese looked at him, "What?" 

Nick waved it away. "A long story... for another night." 

Reese smiled, "I'll hold you to it, son. I would be honored if you would
share your stories with me. I'm a huge history buff. Imagine talking to
someone who lived during the last 800 years. It's amazing." 

Nick said, "You have a deal." He sat back in silence, just basking in the
glow of feeling wanted, and marveled at this new gift in his life. 

* * * 

Natalie lay crying. She couldn't stop the tears. Moments after Nick had left
she had been seized with fear and elation in such a way that it had
overwhelmed her. Nick had nearly killed her, and would have left her to die
if not for LaCroix, yet now he was willing to see if their dreams might come
true. This filled her with elation. 

She didn't fault him for what had happened. She knew it was her fault. What
had she been thinking? She knew that Nick was on a starvation diet. She had
thought to kill the beast by starving it to death, breaking its hold on
Nick. 

She should have realized what fresh blood would do to him. She had seen so
many images in his blood... felt so many things. Joy, passion, lust, guilt
and mostly an overwhelming love for her... and a desire that staggered her.
It made her fear she could not live up to it. He saw her as an Angel. Fear
that he would contaminate her had led him to almost let her die. 

She whispered to the room, "Why would LaCroix help him to save me?" Suddenly
a cold chill touched her and she looked wildly around trying to see into the
shadows of the darkened room. 

"LaCroix, I know you are in here. Come out where I can see you." 

The Vampire stepped onto the dim light that filtered through the door. 

"How?" she stammered. He could not have come through the doors or windows.
"One acquires some useful abilities with experience and time." 

"Why didn't you show yourself to Nick?" she asked. 

"Nicholas was too tired and hungry to deal with me. I did promise I was
leaving," he said, moving closer to her. 

She stared at him. The icy coldness she remembered seeing in his eyes was
gone. A profound sadness radiated from him. 

"Why didn't you?" she queried looking him in the eyes. "Have you come to kill
me?" she asked, fear gripping her. 

"I wanted to make sure you were okay." He fingered a rose idly, "My flight
leaves in two hours." 

"When have you ever been concerned about me?" she accused him. She didn't let
her gaze waver, but continued to stared at him. 

"I realized something last night, Dr. Lambert. Without you, Nicholas will
walk into the sun. No matter what I do, eventually it will be so. Since I do
not believe that it is possible for you to find Nicholas a cure, I can wait.
This may be brutal, but in 50 -70 years you will be gone, and Nicholas will
need me again." 

"What if I do find a cure?" she asked, afraid of the answer. 

His eyes flashed fire, "No! There IS no cure!" He came close and his cold
breath chilled her. 

"You protest too much, LaCroix." She glared back at him, trying to look into
his soul. An idea formed in her mind, "How many centuries did you search?" 

He look astonished, then shook his head sadly and sighed, '156 years! I tried
every ancient cure there was. I vowed never to go through that again. I had
to accept what I was. I suffered so much.. when I finally embraced this life,
I found peace. When Nicholas entered my life, there was so much love for a
time. Then he changed and the pain and unrest returned. I have tried to tell
Nicholas this for century's, but he will not accept it. His pain is often
mine. It wears at me and I lash out." His eyes turned red, "You will never
tell Nicholas of my search." He came closer... his breath was cold as ice and
made her shiver. 

"As you wish." What good would the knowledge do him anyway, she thought. 

He back up a bit, "You will die eventually, or he will be forced to bring you
across before your age takes you." 

"Why did you tell him I was alive? You could have just let me die. Nick
didn't even realize my heart was still beating." 

"No, my dear. Nicholas would have believed he killed you though it was your
own folly that created the situation. You don't stand in front of a loaded
gun and ask someone to pull the trigger." 

"For once I agree," she said, with shame. 

LaCroix continued, "When you are gone, I will at least have a chance of
convincing him to come with me again. I may have a chance if I do not ask of
him what he asked of me concerning his sister, Fluer. No matter what revenge
I promised him, I know Nick could never live through the pain I did. He's a
much gentler man." He came close again, "You don't realize the anguish you
cause him by putting him on that starvation diet. The blood controls us, it's
a need that never goes away... the raw craving and hunger... the blood is our
only connection to life. Through it, for a few minutes, we feel alive again."
Natalie felt hot tears on her cheeks. "I promise never to ask that of him
again." 

"Good. There may be hope for you." 

Natalie asked, curiously, "If Nick brings me across, will you accept me?" She
met his eyes again without faltering. 

LaCroix reached out, took her hand, and pressed his cold lips to it. She
tried not to show her revulsion. He smiled, "You have my respect, Natalie.
You would be a welcomed addition to my family." He allowed his eyes to go
amber and the tips of his teeth to show, "If Nicholas will not do it, contact
me. I would be happy too." He smiled at her letting his fangs show fully. 

She ignored him, trying to calm her trembling body. She said sincerely,
"Thank you for my life, LaCroix." 


End Chapter 2 


By Jeannie Ecklund Gersknightlady@cs.com