Wedding Knight
by Pam (Jaxie) Williamson
circa

As she looked at Becky in her beautiful gown and veil, Natalie couldn't
help but daydream that she was the one dressed in white satin and lace
rather than the bride. "I can't tell you how happy I am that you accepted
to be my Maid of Honour,"the bride, Rebecca Borders said looking at Natalie
in the mirror as she finished the last touches on her makeup in the small
back room of the church. "If it hadn't been for you and Nick, I never would
have met Brad."

Natalie put her best smile forth,"Thank you for asking me. Who
would've known that Brad would end up at Nick's precinct?"

She was truly happy for her friend, but at the same time, could not
deny that the seed of jealousy had planted its roots within her. She looked
down at her dress, pretending to smooth the silky fabric as she tried to
suppress the tear that had already begun to fall.

"Nat, are you alright?"said Becky, standing toward her.

Quickly turning from Becky, she hurriedly wiped the lone tear with the
back of her hand,"I guess I'm just a sucker for romantic weddings."

Becky smiled and walked around to face her friend. She rose an
eyebrow. "Maybe the next wedding you cry at will be your own?"

"Me? A wedding?"Nat said, giving a sigh of unbelief even though it was
one of her many secret wishes that could never be. Besides, Nick had never
expressed to her that he loved her. Why would she think he would want the
same thing? After all, he's a vampire that might not want to be with a mere
mortal. Sure, Alyssa had been mortal when she and Nick married, but he
was going to make her into a vampire. Nick, was a different person now.
Now, he was the one wanting to be mortal.

"Yes you! You can't tell me that you haven't got a thing for Nick.
Surely, you must know that many of us take notice of how you and Nick look
at each other when you are in the same room."

Natalie looked at the floor, biting her bottom lip to keep from telling
Becky all her hopes and dreams. But how could she confide to Becky that she
was in love with a vampire? She regained her composure,"Nick and I are just
good friends."

Squeezing Nat's shoulder, Becky shook her head. "Just good
friends...right. You will never make me believe it."

Anxious to change the subject Nat replied as she placed the veil's
delicate lace over Becky's face,"Well, wether you believe it or not you
better believe this. If we don't get you down the aisle, you're going to
miss your own wedding!"

>>>>>>>>

Why did Nick ever agree to this was beyond him. <.Oh come off it Nick,
you know why you did. Because of Nat,>Nick thought to himself. He looked
nervously from the front cross-covered wall behind the alter to the other
stained glass walls, thankful at least the ceremony was taking place in the
evening.

"You look more nervous than I am and I'm the groom!"Brad Hopewell
whispered as he elbowed the best man standing next to him.

Nick crinkled up his nose,"I guess I'm not one much for weddings." His
thoughts took him back to his wedding day to Alyssa. His smile turned to a
frown as he remembered how their wedding night had ended. He had had every
intention to bring her over, for them to spend their days sleeping next to
each other for eternity. Not for him to live eternity in guilt knowing he
was the one responsible for her death.

His thoughts were snatched by the first loud notes of music. He looked
up to find Brad beaming, his eyes glued to the back of the church waiting
for his bride. Nick turned his attention to there as well and couldn't help
but gasp.

Natalie was exquisite. He found himself unable to even breathe. She
was draped in a magnificent midnight blue satin dress that clung to her body
leaving Nick to imagine what lay beneath the fabric. Rather than an
exposed neck, a deep 'V' neckline of her dress caught his attention and held
it as she slowly walked toward the alter.

Nat could feel his eyes on her and her smile broadened. She blushed
slightly as they made eye contact. Likewise, he held her attention as well.
The way his all-black wedding attire fitted him made her shiver. She
dropped her eyes to the red roses she carried in hopes that Nick hadn't seen
her blush.

All eyes were on the lovely bride as she made her way to her groom. All
except Nick's. His eyes were on the woman that he had waited for an
eternity. The woman that showed him what hope could do. The woman that he
loved. The woman that shouldn't be, but would be his.

As the minister began the ceremony, their eyes met once more. He drank
in her beauty. She longed for his touch. They both dreamed that this was
their wedding day.

Nick thought he heard the minister say, "Do you take Natalie Lambert as
your wife...till death do you part?" Nick could hear himself answer, "Yes.
Forever."
"Do you take Nicholas Knight as your husband...as long as you both
shall live,"Natalie could hear the minister saying. To herself she
replied,"Yes. Eternally."

Nick's dreaming abruptly ended as Brad hurriedly whispered,"The ring
detective. Don't tell me you've lost it." Embarrassed, Nick looked for the
small gold band finally finding it on his pinky finger.

As the ceremony concluded, the bride and groom were announced and had
already begun to walk back to the opened doubled doors. Nick held out his
arm for Natalie,"Shall we?" She happily put her arm through his as they
followed suit. "Yes, unless you enjoy being here all night,"Natalie teased
nodding to the large cross as they walked down the aisle together.

>>>>>>>>

After the wedding reception at the DePaul Suite, Nick found himself
driving Natalie home. Between Schanke and the rest of the police precinct
there, Nick hadn't found more than just a few seconds alone with Nat. Maybe
he unconsciously had wanted it, trying to find away out of his plans
tonight. But now, he wanted this. Alone with her. "Did I tell you how
wonderful you look?"

"Yes, but its always nice to hear again. It's not often a gal like me
gets that kind of flattery. There's not much call for silk evening gowns at
the morgue.

He had noticed her in that fitted midnight blue gown all evening at the
reception. So had many other gentlemen. Mortal men who could give her what
he couldn't. Yet, the urge to rip their throats open was still there.
Other men, staring- watching as Nat moved across the room. Other men who
had held her body while dancing. he silently said, scolding himself.

Nick pulled the caddy to the curb next to where Nat lived. He got out
and went around to open the car door for her. "We don't have to let the
night end just yet." Nat looked over at him, an eyebrow raised. "Why don't
you change and meet me over my place. We can watch an old movie, talk, or
...whatever,"Nick said, his voice jittery.

Nat had waited for this moment since the first time she known that she
had fallen helplessly in love with Nick. But lately, with every turn in
their relationship he seemed to discourage time alone with him unless for
departmental business or to work on his cure. Maybe she was mistaken about
his feelings for her. He had always paid special attention to her,
concerned for her safety and well being. Perhaps she was reading more than
there was. Or just maybe she was closer to the truth than she realized.

She had hesitated in her answer which surprised her,"Sure, why not.
Thirty minutes sound ok to you?"

Nick smiled, "Sounds like a plan. I will see you there." He hurriedly
gave her a soft kiss on her lips before she left safely inside the building.
As he slid behind the wheel of the caddy, Nick grinned to himself. This
would be the night. Their night.

Forty minutes later, Natalie stood outside Nick's sliding door
re-checking her outfit for the hundredth time. Although it was just a pair
of jeans and a sweater, she was nervous about her appearance.

"Ok, Natalie. Maybe we can see where this leads..."She was saying
softly to herself as the Nick slid the loft's door open just as she was
going to knock.

Nick looked at Nat with his eyebrows drawn, a small grin on his face.
"Where what leads, Nat?"

Standing there, her mouth gaped open, she could think of anything to
say. Thinking fast, she said, "Nothing. I...well, I was...just thinking
about the case. You know the....the Stephan double homicide," as Nat
hurried past Nick to drop her purse and jacket in a chair.

"Nat, that case was solved two days ago, remember?"Nick said following
her.

She bit her bottom lip. "Oh yea, that's right. Guess I've been
really...really busy lately." Nat was anxious to change the subject before
she got herself into really hot water. "So, what's on the big screen this
evening?"Nat asked as she turned to put on a kettle for herbal tea.

He had intended to invite Natalie over months ago and tell her how he
felt. But, then another set back had occurred with their relationship when
a kiss they shared had almost led into something more. Tonight would be
different.

He had stopped by to pick up the bouquet after the wedding and already
had the music cued. The ring, his mother had given him. Tonight, Nick
would tell Nat that he loved her. To tell her that eternity was nothing to
him, if he couldn't have her love.

"Nick? Earth to Nick..."

Snapping out of it, Nick looked up with a shocked look on his
face,"Nat? Yes, I'm sorry. You said something?"

"Yea, I asked if you were alright. You seemed to have zoned out there
for a moment,"she said, a worried look on her face.

Nick smiled, "Yes..." Then he shook his head, the smile gone replaced by
a serious look. "No, I'm not alright."

Nick suddenly grabbed the kettle, setting it aside, then turned off the
stove. She watched him as he darted from one end of the room from the
other...seizing one of the many remotes from a desk, getting a plain white
box from the refrigerator, turning off the lights and lighting the many
candles around the room.

"Nick, what's going on?"Natalie asked as she tried to keep up with him.

With a push on a button on the remote, all the windows where open to
the night allowing a gentle breeze to waft through the loft. As it did, the
candles' flames danced and shadows from their dance intermingled making the
loft seem alive with other people.

Nick walked over to Natalie and placed a small kiss on her lips,
"You'll see."

From the small box retrieved from his black refrigerator, Nick took out
a small bouquet of white roses. Cascading down from the white roses were
strands of delicate white ribbon.

Handing the bouquet to Natalie, Nick said, "You are hereby invited to a
wedding."

Nat couldn't find the air to breathe let alone a word to speak. She
looked at the bouquet, then to Nick almost afraid to ask, "Who's wedding Nick?"

Holding her beautiful warm face within his cold hands, he replied, "Ours."

Her eyes sparkled with tears. Nat tried to speak, but Nick quickly
silenced her with a kiss. "The only words I want to hear are I do and that
you love me. I waited in the dark for so long. Searching for you, the light
of love. I know that we are going to have many difficult times ahead. We
may never find a cure. And you know that I won't bring you across. This
probably isn't the time nor the place, but I can't bare going on another
minute without you. Right here, right now is all that matters."

This time it was Nat who silenced Nick with a kiss. When she pulled
away, Nick saw the tears streaming down her face and heard her broken voice
say, "I love you Nick. I have since the first time I touched your face."

As his smile reached his eyes, Nick took Natalie by the hand and led
her before the fireplace. Pushing another button on the remote in his free
hand, soft music filled the loft. Nick sat the remote on a nearby table and
turned to face Natalie. "Tonight is our wedding night. This song will be
out wedding song and the shadows from the candles' flames are our guests."

Natalie smiled as she heard the satiny voice of Celine Dion singing,
"Because You Loved Me" drifted within the shadows. Nick bent down and
kissed her tears.

Then, he took a small breath and looked deep into her eyes. "You are
my dream that I've dreamed for an eternity. The light in my darkness. My
life." He took her free hand, holding the warm shaking flesh within his own
cold hands. "I, Nick, take you Natalie, to be my wife, my true love, for as
long as the hands of time will allow. I will honor you, respect you and
love you with all that I am, all that I hope to be, and all that I will
become." Nick took his mother's ring from his pinky and gently placed it on
Natalie's finger.

With her heart in her throat, Natalie almost couldn't believe what was
happening. She looked at the beautiful gold etched ring on her finger.
Nick was professing his love, his desire to be with her, here in his loft in
blue jeans and candle light.

As more tears flowed down her cheeks, down to her chin falling onto the
roses she held, Natalie produced a smile that glowed brighter than any
candle in the room. "Nick, I thought this night would never arrive. You
have taken my heart and warmed it with your smile, your words, your touch.
I give you everything that I am."

She closed her eyes, blinking more tears. Taking a breath, she opened
them once more and spoke her vows of love. "I, Natalie, take you Nick, to
be my husband, my true love, for as long as the hands of time allow. I
will honor you, respect you and love you with all that I am, all that I hope
to be, and all that I will become."

Nick's whole body seemed to feel like a bundle of nerve endings. He
was hearing the words that up until this moment had only been his dreams.
For a few moments Nick and Natalie stood before each other, their eyes
drinking each other.

"I guess this is where I would be told that I could kiss the
bride,"Nick said tenderly.

Natalie softly giggled, "I think so."

Taking a step toward her, their bodies only a breath apart, Nick took
her face into his now shaky hands and gently kissed her sweet honey lips.
Melting into a deeper kiss, Natalie wrapped her arms around his firm body.

Suddenly, he lifted her up into his arms. "Nick!"

"Mrs. Knight, I think we should start on the honeymoon. Don't
you?"Nick said as he carried Natalie upstairs.

Throwing the bouquet behind her, Nat smiled widely. "Oh yes, Mr.
Knight. By all means!"

The End