The Last knight and Beyond 
by Olivia Jean Ecklund 

Chapter 4 


He ran up the hospital steps and inquired about Tracy's whereabouts. He found
the room and entered. He was instantly aware that Vachon was sitting in a
darkened corner keeping a vigil over his partner. He nodded to him and asked,
"How is she?" He stared into Tracy's pale white face, "Did, you...?" 

Vachon came closer, "No, she's still human. I had nothing to do with this.
She was already back in ICU when I got here. They moved her here a few hours
ago. It's pretty much a miracle.' 

Nick looked at him, "You believe in miracles?" 

"Well," he fidgeted, "No other word fits. She was pronounced dead and now...
she's not..." 

"Has she awakened?" he asked. Peering closely at her, he took her hand in
his. 

"No, she's in an induced coma. It will help her heal faster." 

Nick looked around. "Where's her parents? I thought they'd be hanging
around." 

"Out of country... Nurse said they are on a cruise and they haven't been able
to notify them yet. Suits me fine... they'd never let me stay here." 

Nick smiled at the long haired, unkempt looking man. He was a man of few
words and for his 500 years of un-dead life, he seemed to be uneducated, yet
Nick knew him to be a brilliant Jack-of-all-Trades, a thief and a master
musician. After Tracy had thought she'd killed him with the stake, Vachon had
forced her to use on him when he was sick, she had buried him. Nick had been
flying over the beach one night when he had felt Vachon calling for help.
He'd unburied the half dead, un-dead Vampire, and had hidden him. He had
thought it was better to let his partner think Vachon was still dead. Now he
knew that he had been wrong. Vachon loved Tracy. They also deserved a chance
to make a relationship work. 

Vachon spoke quietly, "Thanks for letting me come back, Nick." 

"So there's been no change?" Nick asked, peering closer. 

Vachon rose and came into the dim light from the corridor. "The doctor said
she was in a lighter coma and could come out of it anytime. She's spoken a
few words, but it's just been your name, Nick. She seems a bit agitated."
Vachon said, curiosity heavy in his voice. 

"She saw what I was just before she was hit. She's pretty ticked and hurt."
Nick, stroked the pale hand that he had picked up. 

"Ah," Vachon said, obviously relieved. "I thought maybe you had formed some
sort of relationship while I was gone." 

"She's my partner and I love Natalie. I won't ask you to step back from Tracy
ever again, Javier. If she loves you, then you both have to figure out what
kind of relationship you need or want. Please just make sure it's what Tracy
wants. Don't bring her across unless she asks.. no... begs" 

Vachon smiled, "Thanks, Nick. I will do as you ask." 

Nick reached down and kissed Tracy's forehead. "Thank you, Vanchon. I won't
try to run her life anymore. We all have to make our own choices." 

Nick leaned down and kissed Tracy's forehead. "Hang in there, Kiddo," he
whispered, brushing at the fine blond hair on her forehead. "I'll be in room
342 on the next floor, with Natalie." 

"Natalie's a patient?" Vachon asked. 

Nick nodded, "Don't ask... she'll be okay... I'll tell you about it someday." 

Vachon nodded, curious. He could see guilt and shame flashing across Nick's
face. "Okay, Knight. I'll let you know when Tracy wakes up." Nick found
Natalie standing by her bed, the IV's gone. She was holding a bouquet of
yellow roses. "Nick, they are so beautiful! Smell..." she held them to his
face. 

He breathed in the fragrant scent, then grabbed her and pulled her close.
"Oh, Nat, you look wonderful." 

She dropped the roses on the bed and he pulled her against him, kissing her
thoroughly until she sagged against him. 

"Wow!" she whispered, when he let her up for air. 

"Come on...back to bed," he urged. He moved the flowers, then picked her up
and laid her back on the bed. "I'm tired, but I'm fully replenished and I
want to go home. I can sleep in your bed with you, just as well as I can
here." 

"My b...be...d! With me!" Nick stuttered. 

"Yes, Nick." She had expected that reaction. She smiled at him. His look was
priceless. "I don't ever plan to sleep alone again." 

"But, Nat, shouldn't we talk about this? I knew you were coming to stay with
me for awhile, but I was planning to sleep on the couch. It's still
dangerous," he begged. 

"I know you're afraid, Nick, but I will never be afraid of you or the beast
again. You need me now, and for some reason, I think it needs me too. I don't
think it will harm me again." 

"A fairy told you this?" he asked sarcastically. "Sorry," he added, when he
saw her annoyed look. 

Natalie smiled, "Maybe an Angel... I had a dream last night. I was told that
you won't endanger me again." 

"It's a dream you're basing this on?" He was amazed. 

"No...it was more than a dream, Nick. Trust me. Haven't you felt more calm in
your spirit since you took my blood? You sat here nearly 24 hours with blood
all around you, and you didn't notice did you?" 

"No, I didn't, but I was worried about you," he protested. "I wasn't very
hungry until after we got out of here, and then I guess I made Reese pretty
worried on the way home." 

Natalie saw a tiny smile touch his lips. "What did you do, Nick?" she asked
suspiciously. 

"I guess my eyes changed to amber and... I let my fangs show a bit," he said,
sheepishly. 

"Oh, Nick, you didn't?" She saw the confirmation in his eyes and laughed.
"Try to remember not to give him a heart attack. You did make him forget
didn't you?" 

He told her about the conversation he'd had with Reese and she listened, then
said, "That's amazing, Nick! I'm so happy for you. You need a friend like
him." 

"What's amazing, Nat, is that he asked me if he could be my father now that
LaCroix is gone." 

"What!" she exclaimed. 

Later their conversation came back to the blood. "Haven't you felt more
contentment in your spirit, Nick? Do you feel ANY change from my blood?" "I
was hungry, but I was satisfied with less blood. Still, it was human, Nat,
not bovine. That in itself would make me calmer. I drank less this morning,
too. I forced some down because I knew I would be sleeping all day, then
coming here this evening." 

"Natalie, your blood made me feel so alive. It was like being in heaven. I
have never felt so in control of the vampire." 

She reached up and caressed his cheek. "See, it's already working. We'll try
again soon. Please trust our love, Nick." 

Nick sighed. He knew she would never let him rest until he agreed. "All
right, Natalie, we'll try again." He held up a finger to stop her expression
of victory, "But not until you are completely recovered and at the point were
you would be allowed to give blood transfusions. We might try bottle
donations so that I do not have to take it from you directly." 

Natalie sputtered, "But, Nick!" 

"No but Nick, me," he warned. "It takes time to recover and I will not 
endanger your health by trying again too soon." 

"That will take months, Nick! I don't know if I can wait that long.' 

He leaned to kiss her and said quietly, "We've known each other for a very
long time, Nat. I promised you I would not leave you. If we have to leave
Toronto, we will do it together. We'll just wait a while longer. I love you.
I feel so amazingly good." He drew her close. "The acceptance and love I saw
in your blood, is so overwhelming. Did you feel mine?" 

"Yes, I did. It was amazing and it's a bit scary isn't it." She listened for
his nearly still heart to beat. "Yes, the power we have over each other is
scary... and wonderful," he admitted. 

"Yes, it is wonderful." She flashed him one of her amazing smiles. "Nick,
please see if I can go home with you. I feel great and I don't want to stay
here anymore. I just want to sleep next to you and have you hold me." 

"All right, I'll go see what the doctor says." 

Natalie sat back and relaxed. Things weren't exactly as she wished, but it
was a start for them. 

Nick returned later and said, "Okay, it's arranged. You will be released
within the hour." 

"Did you have to put a wammy on someone?" she asked with a grin. 

"I'd never do that when it comes to your health," he said seriously. 

A nurse came to help Natalie dress, so Nick went into the hall and called
Reese to tell him that he was taking her home. The Captain showed up a short
time later to help. 

Finally Natalie was put into the wheelchair and Nick persuaded the Nurse to
let Reese wheel her down one floor to see Tracy. Nick knew that she had
awakened from a phone call he had made while Natalie was dressing. 

As they entered the dimly lit room, they found Vachon sitting by the bed. He
was holding Tracy's hand and whispering quietly to her. 

Nick came close, and Vachon got up and moved to the side so that Nick could
talk semi-privately to his partner. "Hey, Kiddo. It's good to see you," he
told her as he took her hand. 

"Nick," her eyes filled with pain. "Why didn1t you trust me?" her voice,
barely a whisper, quavered. Nick's eyes filled with blood tears, and his
heart beat painfully. Guilt filled him. The pain of Tracy's injuries weighed
heavily on his heart. 

"Forgive me, Tracy. I thought I was doing it for your own good... to protect
you from the community. I failed to realize how dangerous it might be for
you, to be my backup." A blood tear slipped down his face. 

Tracy reached up with a weak hand up and caught it on her finger, fascinated
by it. She motioned for him to lean closer, then slipped her hand behind his
neck, pulled his head down and whispered in his ear, "I forgive you about the
bullets, Nick. I'm glad you weren't hurt." She pressed her cheek against his
cold one. "I was careless." 

She continued, "I am very angry about Vachon. You should have told me he was
still alive." She wrapped both arms around his neck, holding him close...
angry, but so very happy that they were all alive. 

"You owe me big time," she said. 

Nick could feel her body trembling with emotional turmoil. She cried with him
for a time. "Thanks for sending Vancho back to me." 

"You're welcome," he said, gently disengaged himself after a few minutes.
"You need to rest, and I need to get Natalie home." 

Tracy realized, then, that Natalie was there and she strained to sit up
higher so that she could see her. Nick took the bed controls and raised the
head of the bed for her. 

"What happened?" she asked, but when she saw Natalie's pale face and the
bandage at her throat, she realized that she already knew the answer to her
question. She saw Natalie reach out to take Nick's hand. Whatever had
happened, it was okay between them. 

Natalie said, "Hi, Tracy. It's good to see you." Reese pushed Natalie's chair
closer. "I'm so glad you're better." 

Tracy asked, "And you?" 

Natalie nodded, "I'm good Trace. I'll tell you about it sometime. Now you1d
better get some sleep... doctor's orders," she said with a smile. "I'll send
Nick back to see you tomorrow night." 

Reese leaned closer, "Good to see you're better, Vetter. Get some rest. I'll
be back tomorrow afternoon." 

"Thanks, Captain," she said, touched. She felt herself drifting off to sleep. 

Nick turned to his fellow vampire, "Vachon, thanks for being here for her.
Come... walk with us to the car. I have some refreshment there for you." 

Vachon glanced at Reese. 

"He knows what we are. Relax... he's a friend. Come on, you're probably
famished." 

Vachon smiled, "Thanks, Knight. I did sneak into the blood supply last night,
but I'd appreciate not having to do it again. I am getting pretty hungry."
His eyes flashed amber. 

Reese pushed Natalie a little faster down the hall, and the two vampires
traded grins as they raced after him. 


End Chapter 4 


By Jeannie Ecklund Gersknightlady@cs.com