For Better or Worse By StormyNite Written in March 1999 for the NNPack Minicon Charity Event. No unauthorized copies are allowed at this time. Since all printed copies are sold and no reprints are being made available at this time, I am posting this to my personal webpage only. Please do not copy, post or circulate to any other site. Enjoy! Chapter 1 She walked down the hallway just after 1 a.m. Darion watched her closely as she closed the door behind her and heard the lock slip into place. She was a beautiful woman and she worked more hours than he did. He was intrigued enough to find out who she was. She'd only been here for about 3 months. She worked 16-hour days and nights. Sometimes, he was certain she'd been there all night. There was a sadness about her that caught his attention. He had to know more about her. Darion walked into his own lab, after stopping at his office and dropping off the class's homework. He was only teaching 1 class this semester, so he'd have more time for research. His frustration level was high as he tried to overcome all the problems in the research. If he only had a little more help. He noticed Carolyn busy at work on the electron microscope. "How goes it, Carolyn?" His soft voice floated over the young student who had signed up to help him. She'd been with him for 2 years and never questioned his methods or hours. She was as driven as he was. Her brother had leukemia. If they could find the answer they searched for, he'd already volunteered to be their first human subject. "Not bad, Darion. I've found a new chemical that will splice the gene in half without causing it to explode...That's better than before. Take a look." She moved over for him to stare into the scope. "It looks promising." He mumbled as he focused the scope. "At least the hemoglobin isn't leaking into the membrane this time. That's progress." He smiled when he stood up. "By the way, who is the woman working in the lab down the hall? She works more hours than we do." "Oh, that's Dr. Lambert. The University hired her to do research on DNA separation. Apparently, she was a coroner in Toronto and did research on the side. They read one of her papers on separation procedures and wanted her. She's not teaching that I know of. You might want to talk to her. They say she's as obsessive about her work just as you are, but she seems so sad to me. Maybe she's got some ideas that might help us." Carolyn smiled at her boss. "Besides, she's quite pretty and she's not wearing a wedding ring." Darion snorted. "And here I thought you had the hots for my handsome body!" He raised a skeptical eye, knowing full well Carolyn was engaged to a nice young man graduating this year. She was always trying to find him the 'perfect woman' as she described her. She just couldn't understand why he never dated, but she never pried into his past. That's why they'd gotten along so well over the past couple of years. Darion had run through assistants like water until Carolyn arrived. He was the campus mystery man. Tall, dark, handsome beyond words, but very distant to everyone he'd met. He never talked about himself and avoided any questions on his past. Carolyn had to admit she was curious, but she was obsessed with his research. So she squelched her natural born inquisitive nature. "Yeah, right! I'm sure Jonathan would be thrilled to know I'd prefer a 40-year old guy over him. No offense, boss, but I like my men a bit younger." She turned back to the microscope and grimaced as she watched the cells fall apart before her eyes. "Damn! It was only temporary." She turned back to Darion with disappointment written on her face. "If you aren't going to be social, I will. Matthew, over in biology, looked at Dr. Lambert's original paper and said it was very promising. Maybe the chemical compound she's using will help us." She turned determined eyes toward his. "Okay, okay...I get it. You know she locks her doors when she enters the lab." He said calmly. "So did you as I recall when you started here." She smirked and Darion headed for the door to his adjoining lab. ------------- Natalie tried the separation one more time. She stared into the electron microscope and watched. The DNA expanded then popped apart. Now if they just would reattach. She watched and waited, trying to slow her heart rate. It had to work...this time. She watched intently until finally the DNA strands began to drift back together." Nat smiled. Step one was complete. Now if it only worked on the blood cells the same way. She jumped up and headed to the refrigerator. She retrieved a small ampoule of blood, held it in her hands and said a little prayer as she thawed it out. Finally, she spun it down and added a few cells to the slide. This time she projected it up on the wall screen to watch it in full view. She added 1 drop of the chemical to the slide and watched. The attachment on the red blood cell was very distinct and she knew it better than anyone alive. The answer was here. She knew it. The blood cell circled, then twisted in the medium, expanded and shrank, then finally ruptured. Silent tears ran down her cheek as she watched. She'd had such hopes after the DNA reaction. She reached over and switched off the overhead and turned back to the microscope with a sigh of frustration. "Okay, Lambert...back to the drawing board again." She reached over and pulled the ampoule out of the rack and stared at it. "I haven't given up, Nick. I made you a promise and I will keep it...even now." She turned back to the microscope. A soft knock at the door drew her attention away from her work. She opened the door to Darion Long who stood there silently at her door. She'd read his last published article and knew instantly what he was when she'd watched him walk down the hall. Years of experience had made her much more observant. She smiled at his handsome face. Why were they all so good looking? Her heart lurched for a moment and she pushed back the pain. "Hello, Dr. Long." She smiled as her gentle voice caressed him. He responded in kind. "I'm flattered you know my name, Dr. Lambert. It's a pleasure to meet you. I've been meaning to come and introduce myself for a long time, it just never seemed to work out." He felt a bit awkward standing in the hall, but she hadn't invited him in. Natalie watched him stare further into the lab, but never asked to be invited in. She smiled. "I'm sorry...please come in. I'll show you around, but I'm sure it looks just like yours." She opened the door and stepped back. Darion laughed as he stepped through the opening. "Well, I'm jealous already." He said instantly. "You have an overhead projector for your system. That must save your eyes all those tedious hours at the scope." She laughed and he loved the sound of it, but the laughter didn't reach her eyes. She was so pretty and something about her made him feel comfortable. There was a sense about her that should have made him nervous, but for some reason it didn't. He got the feeling she saw more than the man before her...that she knew ALL his secrets. Carolyn was right. She was a woman he could become attached to very easily. Natalie watched him closely and could see his reaction to her. Just what she needed, but then again maybe it was. He understood the science behind it. She'd read some of his published research and it was promising, but it was destructive. She knew, because she'd already tried it. The blood cell would never survive. "I've read some of your work. It shows promise. I think we are working on a similar goal. Maybe we can help each other out." She waited for his reaction. He smiled and it warmed her soul. He reminded her of Nick, even though they didn't look at all alike. She missed that. She missed Nick, but apparently the feelings weren't mutual. He watched the sadness swim behind her eyes, but it wasn't over the research. It was personal and he recognized it instantly. "I'd be thrilled to compare notes and maybe get to know you better." His green eyes sparkled as he turned on the charm. "My name is Darion, by the way." "I'd like that, Darion, but you'll have to come clean with a few details on yourself in the bargain." She smiled and wanted to see if he'd squirm as she offered her hand. "I'm Natalie." A loud explosion sounded at the opposite end of the hall. They both ran to the door. Smoke poured into the hallway and bright flames shot out into the hall behind it. "Get out, Natalie! That's Carl Farnum's lab. He keeps gallons of combustible material in there." Darion ran toward the fire as Natalie watched in horror. He jumped through the flames and started searching for the lab assistant and Carl. He found Carl on the floor and checked his pulse. There was none, then he heard a moan. He rushed to the young girl's side. He picked her up and headed for the door. The explosion propelled them through the wall and he tried to protect her body with his. Pain tore through his chest and he screamed as a wood shard from the studs in the wall acted like lethal weapons and impaled his body. Natalie watched Darion throw his body over the young woman's as the explosion blasted them through the wall. His voiced echoed in her mind, reminding her of more than she cared at the present time. The automatic sprinklers came on as well as the fire alarms. She ran toward the pile of rubble and bodies at the end of the hall. Frantically, she pulled the debris off them. Wood pieces and smaller pieces of concrete covered them both. She tossed them across the room, quickly. She gasped when she saw the blood pouring out of the wound in his back from the wood shaft that extended out of his body toward the ceiling. She touched him and he moaned in pain. Quickly, she rolled him off the young girl and checked her pulse. The smoke was overwhelming. She had to get them out of here. She grabbed the girl by the arms, dragged her to the end of the hall to safety, then went back for Darion. Without hesitation, she jerked the wood shaft from his body and tossed it back into the smoldering room. Using all her strength, she grabbed his arms and pulled him down the hall and into her lab. She pulled his limp form into her private office, tossed blankets over him to hide his body and the blood, then returned to the hall to see if she could help the young student. The fireman burst through the door just as she knelt down beside the girl. "Are you okay, Miss." The young fireman checked the fallen girl's pulse. "I'm fine, but she's not. I'm a doctor. She's got internal bleeding. She needs help, right now." He nodded in understanding and radioed for the ambulance. "Is anyone else in the building you know of?" "I don't think so unless it was Dr. Farnum, but he would have been in there." She motioned toward the burning room at the end of the hall. "Maybe Dr. Long's assistant is still here. I didn't see anyone when I pulled her out." Natalie lied and turned her attention back to the fallen girl in an effort to hide her eyes. "Okay, Miss." We'll take it from here. You'll have to vacate the building until we are sure there's no more danger." Nat walked over, locked her lab door, then calmly walked out with the fireman and the young student assistant in his arms. --------------- Nat paced the area in front of the ambulance and worried. She needed to get back inside. Carolyn walked over to her with worry in her eyes. "They said no one else was in the building. They checked everything. Did Darion come see you?" She was obviously worried about her boss. Nat sighed with relief. They obviously hadn't found him. "Yes, he did. He left about 10 minutes before the explosion. He mentioned forgetting something. He said we could chat when he returned tonight. We were going to compare notes on our research." She watched relief flood the younger woman's face. "Oh, thank you, Dr. Lambert. I was worried he was still in there somewhere. I know Darion's a big boy, but I still worry." She offered her hand to Nat. "I'm Carolyn by the way. It's finally nice to meet you. You were incredibly brave to pull Angie out of the fire like that. It's something Darion would do. He saved a girl last spring from being raped. The guy tried to slice him up, but he didn't budge." The siren sounded as the ambulance took off. Natalie looked back at the building expectantly. "You think we'll get back in tonight? I've got some stuff that can't go all night." She looked at Carolyn hopefully. "Probably...we had a fire last summer and we were back inside in a couple of hours. Each lab is pretty well insulated and the fire department recognizes how fragile some of our work is. They are really pretty good." Both women watched as the young fireman walked up. "The fire is out and all the chemicals removed. We are going to quarantine the end of the building, but if you ladies need into your labs I think it will be okay in about an hour. I know how you researchers are about you work, but we just want to make sure there's no more risk or smoke." He smiled at the women and tipped his hat before he walked off. Chapter 2 Natalie locked the door behind her as she entered the lab. Quickly she went to the refrigerator and pulled out several units of blood and thawed them in the microwave. She grabbed a large IV set up and headed for her office where she'd left Darion. She opened the door slowly in case he'd recovered sooner than she'd expected. Darion still lay silently on the floor, covered up by the blankets just as she'd left him. Quickly, she tore his shirt open and shunted the IV into his stomach. He moaned instantly when the blood entered his system. Natalie pulled his shirt away from the wound and began clearing the smoke and dirt buried inside the tissue of his chest. The wound was not near his heart, so he would recover. She knew her vampire physiology only too well. She watched the last of the blood from the IV bag flow through the tubing and he began to cough. Nat pulled the shunt from his stomach and prepared for him to wake up. Pain coursed through his body as his senses picked up the smell of blood. Light penetrated his eyes, more pain, then finally the healing effects of blood only he couldn't taste it. He could smell it, feel its power in his body and he knew he needed more. His eyes flared golden and suddenly a bag of blood was shoved into his hand. He sank his fangs into it greedily. The smooth, sweet taste enveloped him in the pleasure of its donor and he let the healing qualities of the blood speed up his metabolism. After the second bag, he began to gain control once more and his eyes turned back to their normal shade of green. He turned to find Natalie sitting beside him watching him closely with another bag of blood in her hands. She showed no signs of fear, but watched him cautiously. He tried to move and the pain washed over him until he groaned and collapsed back to the floor. "I don't think you are ready for that yet, Darion." She pushed the other bag of blood into his hands. "You'd better drink that before you lose control again." She snipped the top of the tubing and the smell of the blood made him unable to fight his baser needs. He lifted his head, tipped the bag and sucked it dry. Only then did he notice her soft fingers probing the wound. "It doesn't appear there are any splinters left inside. I think you'll recover fine." She rose gracefully and headed for the closet in the back of the room. She pulled out a man's shirt of blue silk and headed back to him. Darion sat up slowly as the healing affects of the blood and his metabolism quickly restored him to his normal self. He was going to be stiff and sore but the wounds were closing even as he watched her. She knew what he was. How could that be? How could she know and still be alive? The Enforcers required mortals to be brought across or killed if they know of a vampire's existence. There were only a few exceptions. Of course he was still quite young in vampire years, but he learned quickly enough you didn't break the rules without paying for it dearly. She brought the shirt over to him and waited for him to stand. "Here, put this on. Yours is destroyed and I don't want to have to explain why you were in my locked lab during the evacuation." Her right hand lightly caressed the shirt unknowingly and Darion caught it immediately. She watched his eyes, then stopped and shoved the shirt into his hand. "I want it back, so don't get attached to it." She turned and walked back into her lab. Darion quickly pulled the remaining pieces of his shirt off his body and used it to wipe the blood and soot from his chest and face. When he finished, he tossed it in the trash and slipped on the silk shirt. A man's cologne softly clung to the shirt and the silk felt almost sinful against his skin. Whoever he was, he had money and the good doctor's heart. He tucked the shirt into his pants and stepped out into the lab, full of questions that could only be answered by her. She was hard at work at the microscope, totally unaffected that she was sharing a room with a full-fledged vampire. He had to have some answers. "Natalie?" He let the hypnotic cadence in his voice rise and fall as he said her name. She turned immediately. "Cut the crap, Darion. That doesn't work on me...well at least not at your age anyway." She noticed the shirt and a sharp pain hit her chest. She gasped, then quickly turned away. Why had she done that? It was the only piece of Nick she'd kept. Every time she touched it, the smell, the feel...all of it was Nick. He'd let her wear it home one night after the movies when she'd spilled soda all over herself. She'd never returned it. Darion, watched the pain in her eyes when she glanced at the shirt. It was special. He was special and apparently someone with more than the usual clout or Natalie wouldn't be alive. "I'm sorry, Natalie. I can run down to my lab and get another shirt if it makes you feel better." He walked over to her side and waited. She was a mystery. He watched her wipe a single tear from her cheek before she turned bright blue eyes back to his. "I would appreciate that, Darion. The shirt is special to me." She admitted softly, but didn't turn away from his. "Thank you for offering." She smiled sadly and he disappeared. "Typical!" She whispered as the breeze blew her hair into her eyes. Darion returned only a minute later, holding the blue silk shirt reverently between his fingers. "He was very special to you." He stated softly as she accepted the shirt. He knew the answer and doubted she'd impart any information, but he had to know how she could survive the Enforcers. "Natalie, tell me how you knew what to do. You've obviously been around my kind for some time. How is it you are still alive or not one of us? How have you kept the Enforcers away?" Her bright blue eyes met his. "Even your kind owe debts, Darion. Let's just say I'm a resistor with a debt that has not been repaid and leave it at that." She turned back to the silk shirt lying on the tabletop and touched it reverently. "Some debts have a very high price tag." Another tear escaped her eye and she brushed it away angrily, then turned to face him. "I would like very much to look at your work, Darion, but first I have to know why you do it. Why you work so many hours at something that will benefit mankind." She stared hard into him totally unaffected by the power of the vampire within. Her determination and confidence overwhelmed him and he couldn't refuse. "I want to control the vampire so I don't kill anymore. I don't hate what I am...I hate the bloodlust. There has to be a way to control it, use the vampire for good, not evil." He looked at her for understanding. "I never want to kill again. I want to use all these abilities for others, not just myself. Maybe then I'll be granted the gift of having someone love me like you love him." His eyes trailed to the blue silk shirt lying under her fingertips. "I'm a really good listener if you want to talk about it." He waited to see if she would trust him with her story, but the pain was still too fresh. It was written in her eyes. "I'll remember that, Darion, but it's not that interesting." She picked up the silk shirt and stood. "I have to get back to work. Bring your research down a little later and maybe we can compare notes." She smiled and headed for her office to put the shirt away. ---------- "She's very pretty, isn't she, Darion?" Carolyn watched as her boss methodically went through his journals. Darion interrupted his work to stare at his assistant and thought about it carefully. "She's very pretty, Carolyn, but her heart is elsewhere. We are just going to compare notes and see if maybe we can help each other. That's all, nothing romantic, nothing sleazy...just friends and co-workers. She's a very bright woman and I owe her a favor already." His bright green eyes caught Carolyn's. "Now, as I recall you are going to a wedding tonight, so you had better call it quits early today. Get out of here! Go home to that man of yours and stop worrying about me." Carolyn laughed and picked up her coat off the back of the chair. "Okay, Mr. Mystery Man, but I'll find you a woman yet. See you tomorrow?" Darion nodded as she closed the door and he returned to his work. The more he looked at the research, the more frustrated he became. He was missing something. His thoughts finally strayed to earlier that evening. She was a mystery. He had to know more even if she wouldn't tell him. He went to the computer and pulled up her file. He had every access code the university possessed. Money could buy information. He had decided early on that passwords and codes to all personnel might be beneficial at some point. Always cover your exits and your enemies. It never hurt to check up on friends, either. Darion read her file in depth, then her preliminary research report. She was incredibly bright and she'd already found out the chemicals he was using were much too destructive for cellular matter. She was the youngest ME in the city of Toronto and a woman. She was highly recommended and acclaimed by all her peers along with being awarded numerous citations for helping solve several homicides. Nothing more was listed. Her marital status, close friends and associates were listed as her niece, sister-in-law and a few co-workers. She didn't socialize much from her supervisor's report, but worked hard. Darion flipped off the computer and now his curiosity was even greater. Pretty, bright, far ahead of his research, knows about vampires and is still alive, but no known close acquaintances on record. Interesting! The university always did a background report and hired an investigator to check out the future employees in the research department. That was why he had to be careful and clean his record before they received it. Finally, it dawned on him. That was what she'd done. She'd cleaned away any possible trace to him...or had he done it? He headed for the door. He stood outside the hall and listened intently. She must be out somewhere. There was no heartbeat. He pulled out his master key, slipped it in the lock and pushed open the door. He wasn't sure how much time he had, so he hurried. He turned on the computer and skimmed briefly. They were current results and very promising. She actually had managed to split the gene from the DNA but not from the whole cell without damage. She was changing the solution content. She'd already eliminated 90 percent of the chemicals he was using by trial and error, just as he was. She was at least 3 years ahead of him and they were looking for the same thing. He closed the window and started searching her office. She had to have earlier notes somewhere. When he discovered the locked drawer, he knew he'd found it. Quickly, he picked the lock and pulled out the journals. He read in fascination at the experiments she tried with her subject. It was obviously a male and they had been together for a little over 6 years according to these notes. Her personal diary was much more informative. He'd come to life on her morgue table after catching a pipe bomb. The more he read, the more he understood. Somewhere along the line, she had fallen in love with her subject and unless Darion missed his guess, so had the vampire she referred to. His name was Nick. That was all he could find in either journal. Nick hated being a vampire and was apparently quite old from some of the references. Darion racked his brain and knowledge of the community. His young age limited his sources, but he still knew enough that what she and Nick were doing could have gotten them both killed. Enforcers didn't take kindly to their own trying to become mortal again. That was why he kept his own real work secret. Darion shook his head in dismay. He hated the killing himself and the bloodlust, but there was so much that the vampire could offer. Then again, he'd only been a vampire for about 150 years. This man was much older and lived through things he couldn't even imagine. He closed the journals and placed them back into the drawer. He slipped back out of the lab unnoticed and headed for his own. Chapter 3 --------- Natalie sat hopefully watching the cells under the microscope. With each passing moment when the cells didn't erupt and the gene floated harmlessly in the membrane fluid, she held her breath. Finally after 3 minutes, she was forced to breathe and take a break from the bright light of the microscope. She switched on the overhead projector and continued to monitor the cells. It was working. The vampire gene still remained intact, but so did the normal cell. A smile crossed her lips as the time ticked by. She had decreased the content too much the first time and the gene wouldn't split off, but now it had. Ten minutes slipped into thirty and finally an hour. Still no change in the cell and Natalie paced the floor afraid to become too optimistic. She frequently switched back to the microscope to adjust the focus and make sure there was no cellular damage. At three hours she watched the vampire gene start to rotate, then vibrate within the cellular fluid. Less than 10 minutes later, it had reattached itself to the healthy cell, but there had been no damage. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she leaned back against the lab counter and slid to the floor. "I told you, Nick. I told you I'd find it and now you're not here for me to tell you." She gave into the emotion and sobbed into her arms as they rested on her knees in front of her. Darion heard the sobs from the hallway and burst into the lab. He simply snapped the lock in his grasp and flew into the room. Natalie sat on the floor crying from the depths of her soul and it tore him apart. He stared at the overhead screen and recognized the gene attached to the cell immediately. Kneeling down beside her, he placed his cool hands over hers. "It will be alright, Natalie. We'll find a way." Tear-filled eyes met his. "You don't understand." She whispered as the tears continued to flow. "I had the gene off for over 3 hours...and I don't even know where he is." She cried in earnest and Darion pulled her into his arms and let her weep. "You need to talk about it. Tell me what happened. Tell me why he left you." He pulled her face to look into his eyes. "No man, either vampire or mortal, would leave you without a good reason." Natalie fought for control of her emotions and finally managed to stop the tears. She wiped them away with the back of her hand in an effort to feel stronger. "He didn't leave me, I left him." She pulled away and stood up. "It's really not all that complex. I fell in love with him, but he didn't with me. I finally realized what a fool I was making of myself and decided to walk away." She turned to face him and deny any accusation he made. "No, Natalie." Darion's words were but a whisper. "You didn't walk away, you ran away. You never stopped loving him or you wouldn't still be working on this." He motioned to the cells up on the screen in front of them. "Tell me what really happened. I need to know. I have to know if we are going to be friends...and you need a friend right now." His bright green eyes met her blue ones with complete sincerity. Maybe he was right. Maybe talking about it would let her put it behind her. Help her heal. She sighed and let her mind drift back to several months earlier. ********flashback******** Natalie stared at the letter in her hand. She'd read it a dozen times in the last 10 minutes. It was a chance to make a difference. A chance to see if she could leave something for mankind. She glanced at the picture of Nick and her at the picnic with Schanke. She always put it on her desk when she was in the morgue alone. He was so happy then. So much had happened since that night. Schanke was dead. Nick had been set back so many times, he was losing hope. He was becoming more restless by the day, almost nervous. The nights they spent together the last few months had been a trial. After losing his memory from the gunshot wound and them being together that night, Nick struggled with something he couldn't tell her. Some dark secret he wouldn't share and his only answer was to back away. Maybe he'd realized just how different they were and he could never love her. A single tear fell on the letter and she didn't bother to brush it away. It was time she came to terms with the fact that as much as she loved Nick, she wasn't woman enough for him. Maybe a mortal woman was never enough for a vampire. She didn't know. She saw his bright eyes swim in front of her face as she remembered the feel of his lips and his body that night as the man made love to the woman. She wrapped her arms around herself and felt the heat and warmth of his body that night when the vampire didn't exist. Pleasure engulfed her and she gave into the memories of how he'd loved her so thoroughly over and over again. His body responded to her love, as his lips bestowed unbelievable gentleness and desire for only her. That night she thought they had a chance. He'd said he didn't have to remember her name to know he loved her. Everything inside him told him he loved her and he'd responded to it naturally. After his memories returned he began to pull away. He tried to hide it from her by making excuses, but she knew. Images of Janette flashed in her mind. As a mortal, she was good enough for him, but as a vampire...she wasn't. It was time to move on with her life. Nick always said there would be a time when he would have to leave this life, so maybe this was better. She'd make it easier for him. Natalie ran her hands through her hair in frustration. She had to move on, try to find happiness somewhere else, with someone else. She laid the letter down and picked up the phone and dialed. It was late, but the letter had said anytime, 24 hours a day. ---------- Several hours later: "If this is what you really want, Nat?" Jill said softly as she watched her boss fold the letter and put it back into the envelope. "I mean you know I always thought your talents were wasted here, but I thought you had other reasons for staying. You know..." Jill waited for Natalie to affirm her assumptions about her personal relationship, but it didn't happen. "Thanks, Jill. I'll miss you too, but I have to do this and I don't think I have any real reason to stay in Toronto." She smiled sadly. "I hate to leave on such short notice, but I have over a month's vacation saved up and the sooner I get out of here, the sooner I can get started." Nat pulled out the box she had retrieved from the other room and started emptying her desk. All her books, pictures, and notes were neatly piled into the box and she was ready. Finally, she took the picture of her and Nick and laid it on top. Those memories she would at least take with her. Finally, she hugged Jill good-bye and slipped on her jacket. "Take care of yourself. I'll write and give you my address in case any questions come up. I promised Allen I'd touch base with whoever took over." She took one final look around and smiled sadly, then turned back to her co-worker. "I'll miss you, Jill, and this place, as odd as that may sound." "Then why go, Nat? Stay at least until we can give you a proper farewell and you can think about it. This is so sudden. It scares me." Jill hoped she'd reconsider, but she knew that determined look in her boss' eye when she saw it. Something close to pain flashed behind Natalie's eyes and Jill caught it. She was betting it had to do with a certain blond detective that had been noticeably absent lately. Nat kissed Jill on the cheek and opened the door. "I have to do this now. I have to do it for me this time and no one else. Take care." She pushed out the door and disappeared down the hall. ----------- The next night: Tracy watched Nick closely over their desks. He'd been acting really strange lately. Something had happened besides him losing his memory after the gunshot wound, something between him and Nat. They were a whole lot closer than they wanted people to know and she knew Nick had been avoiding Natalie since the night he'd been shot. Something had happened. He'd started to pick up the phone a dozen times and stopped. Finally, Tracy had enough. "Nick, if you don't deal with this pretty soon, I'm going to strangle you." Innocent eyes met hers. "Nice try, Nick Knight. Don't try that innocent, blue-eyed, 'I'm an angel,' routine on me. Whatever is wrong between you and Nat, go straighten it out. Life is too short." She waited for him to deny it. Nick took a deep breath and let it out. He'd done a lot of soul searching since that night a couple of months ago. The feel and image of Natalie's naked body under his was a nightly dream that tormented him almost to the brink of insanity. His anxiety had attracted LaCroix's attention. The only answer was to back away. He couldn't afford for LaCroix to get close enough to question his uncertainty and frustration. He would know immediately the cause and Nat wouldn't live through the night. He had to get away for awhile, but the image of Natalie's beautiful face floated in front of him and he wasn't sure he could leave...even for a little while. She was his missing part, his soul, the love he'd missed all his life and his body craved hers as much as his heart. It wasn't fair. He never wanted this to happen and it would hurt her. She would see it as desertion. How could he explain it, when he couldn't tell her the real reason for leaving? Nick slowly rose from his chair and grabbed his coat. "You're right, Trace. I'll see you tomorrow. Log me off, will you?" Nick never waited for her answer as he headed for the door. ----------- Nick walked into the morgue to find Nat's desk empty. The lights were on, but no one was at home. He heard a noise from the other room. "Nat?" He spoke loud enough to be heard but didn't yell. Jill poked her head through the inner door. "Oh, hi, Nick." Jill said calmly, but didn't look really pleased to see him. "Where's Nat, Jill? Her desk is cleaned off." He stared at the vacant piece of furniture with a thousand questions in his eyes. "She's gone, Nick. I thought she would have told you. She was offered a research position in Montreal and she took it. She resigned last night and left. She didn't want all the fuss of a going away party and promised to write. I thought you knew." She stared at Nick intently with more than a little anger in her eyes until she saw the shock on his face followed by something she'd never seen before on his handsome features. For the first time since she'd met him, he let his emotions show. It was pain, pure and simple, etched into his eyes and she felt sorry for him. "I'm sorry, Nick. I really thought you knew." She whispered softly and touched his arm in comfort. He stared at her dazed, then finally turned and walked out the door. ------- Natalie finished taping the last of the boxes. The movers would be here shortly. Not much to take along since the university was giving her a furnished apartment with the deal. She'd store everything but the essentials until she found her own place in Montreal. Sydney wove in and around the boxes watching carefully to make sure she packed his stuff. All the packing had given her a chance to think. A chance to put the last few years of her life in perspective. She started this job 6 years ago, wanting to make a difference and she felt in some small way, she had. She'd grown up a lot and learned about life, death and life after death along with the price you paid for it. Seven years ago she was naïve about the universe, but she'd learned that life was full of all kinds of realities and she had to choose which one she wanted to live in. She'd chosen life with hope...and she wasn't going to give that up now. She still had hope there was a cure for Nick. She would work on it until she died, because in her heart she would always love him. Distance wouldn't change that for her, but it obviously would make it much easier for him. She pulled out the picture of her and Nick at the Christmas party. A single tear ran slowly down her cheek and feel silently onto the glass. "I won't give up on your cure, Nick. You deserve it. You deserve peace and happiness and I obviously can't give it to you. I promise I'll find it for you and find a way for you to have it just as I always said. It was my fault. You asked me what was in it for me and I said 'solving a puzzle was all the reward I needed.' That hasn't changed. Some mortals don't have to have something in return. I'm sorry...you needed my friendship and somewhere along the line I needed more. You only called me your friend except for that night. I should have never expected anything more after the vampire returned, but I did. I wanted you to love me as much as I loved you, but I guess that's not possible." She brushed the tears off the glass, placed the picture in bubble wrap and laid it gently in the top of the box, then sealed it shut. The movers rang the bell moments later and she watched them methodically remove her life for the past 6 years. She caught Sydney and placed him in his carry box as they finished loading everything, but one suitcase and her purse. She signed the paperwork, took a final walk-through of the apartment and stared out her front window one last time. She'd thought about calling Nick a dozen times and stared at the lonely phone sitting in the middle of the floor one more time. She turned to find him standing in the doorway. Her blue eyes locked with his and her breath caught as she watched him push the pain away and become the cold face of the unemotional. "You weren't going to even say good-bye." He tried to keep the hurt out of his voice, but didn't succeed. How could she do this? She wasn't like all the rest of them. What he'd felt from her, what they felt together was real. How could she walk away from it? Did it mean so little to her...that night they'd spent in each others' arms? He was only going to leave to protect her, keep her safe from himself and LaCroix. His own words came back to haunt him only from her lips this time. "I thought it would be easier, Nick. You said it always hurt less this way." She held her breath and fought the tears behind her eyes. How could she go on without seeing him? Could she do this? Everything in her body hurt with the strain, the denial of emotions between them. "I was wrong," he said softly. They were such simple words, but he'd hurt her too much already. How could he expect her to love him with what he was? He didn't deserve her. She was right to leave him. She had a right to happiness, a family, a man who could love her every night without fear of hurting her. He couldn't give her that. He had to let her go. He had to let her get on with her life. She always was the smart one. They'd gotten too close and it would do nothing but destroy everything they had together. "I wish you well, Nat, and for what it's worth...you're making the right decision." He smiled bravely, but couldn't manage to hide the sadness in his eyes. She knew him too well. "Nick?" Her gentle voice was like a caress and he would miss it every second he was alive, but she was right to leave him. Her turned back only briefly. Everything he felt for her showing in his eyes. He had to do this for her. It was the right thing to do for her...and now...they both knew it. "Be happy for both of us, Nat. You deserve it." He watched the tears slide down her cheeks and the pain wash over her beautiful face. He wanted desperately to wipe them away and take her into his arms. Instead, he did the right thing and walked out the door. *******end flashback******* The pain she'd felt that night was like a hot knife cutting through her. "I never saw him after that. I caught my flight here and started over again." She sighed heavily and let the sadness become a part of her once more. "Did you ever check and see if he was still there...or where he was?" Darion asked quietly trying to let her gain her composure. Nat walked to the lab window and peered out into the night. "I called a week later to talk with my old boss and Jill. She told me Nick resigned that night and hadn't been seen since. Captain Reese asked me to call him and talk, but I never did. What could I say? I couldn't tell him anything about Nick or the community and the hurt never seemed to go away." She turned back to Darion. "So I started back to work on the research again. I told myself it was to help mankind. If I could find the lysing agent that split viruses or bacteria >from healthy cells, I could cure hundreds of diseases. It seemed the only thing that made me happy was work, so I found myself spending more and more hours here on the microscope. The more I worked on it, the more I knew it wasn't for mankind, but Nick...and it gave me some peace and control of the pain inside." "And if you didn't sleep, you didn't dream of Nick." Darion could feel the loneliness, the need inside her to be a part of the man she loved, but he didn't put it into words. She stared at him momentarily and whispered. "Yes...No more dreams." She took an immediate interest in her hands and refused to meet his eyes. Darion placed his cool hands over hers. "What makes you think he wasn't dreaming too, Natalie, only his would have been a lot more frightening, a lot harder to control. You haven't been describing a man who was trying to push you away, but a man that was trying to protect you from himself. If that isn't love, then I don't know what is. He sacrificed everything he felt for you, everything you had together as both friends and lovers because he DID love you... not because he didn't care. If you love a mortal, with the first taste of their blood, the first taste of that love, you aren't able to stop. Walking away from you was his way of protecting you." He waited for her to understand. "I didn't want him to protect me, Darion. I just wanted him to love me no matter what happened." She sobbed and shoved her hand into her mouth to stop it. "I'd have lived in the darkness with him, if we could have been together. We could find a way back together, but he didn't give me that choice. He chose for US...without asking." Her tear-filled eyes met his. "No, Natalie. If he'd tried to bring you across you probably would have died..." He rubbed her arms in comfort and made her look at him. "...and would you have come back for anyone else?" She gasped in understanding. "His options were limited and the fact that you're still alive after 6 years says he has more control than anyone I've ever known. Most of us can't tolerate being around mortals for more than a couple of years without problems. When we get too close, they die. If we love them, they die. So you shield yourself from the pain and leave before you get involved. It hurts too much." Sadness echoed in his voice. "You killed her?" Nat whispered, already knowing the answer. "It only takes once to know the pain, Natalie. I wish I could have met him. Maybe I'd have the guts to try again if I could control it for 6 years." He brushed her cheek with his fingers. "Then again, it might be easier if someone loved me as much as you do him." She clasped her hand over his as she sighed and tried to push her emotions behind her. "Thank you, Darion, for being my friend, for making me see what I was too blind to see for myself. I feel better." She held his hand in hers for a moment, then released it. "I'd better get back to work. Three hours isn't a lifetime. That will take a little more work. You care to help?" She smiled and pulled out a lab stool for him. Chapter 4 Darion and Natalie compared notes for the 3rd time. The molecular weight was off somewhere in the formulation. They would have to try something else or change the formulations. Nat sighed in frustration. A loud crash from the skylight shattered the glass into a shower everywhere around them. Darion threw his body over Nat's to protect her. He turned to find his angry sire, Alexander, in full vampire form. In the blink of an eye, he lunged at Darion and threw him across the room like a toy. The momentum from Darion's body destroyed the lab bench as he crashed hard onto the floor. Alexander was on him in a second. "You insolent little whelp!" Alexander growled in rage. "What makes you think you can eliminate the gift I gave you without a price?" He slammed a wooden chair leg into Darion's right shoulder. It wasn't meant to kill, but incapacitate. No child of his would dare throw the gift he'd given him away for any reason. He'd see to it. Darion screamed in pain as Alexander tossed him on the floor like a rag doll, then turned on Natalie. "I see you've attained a little help. Well, maybe you'll think twice about getting help next time when I rip her throat out." Alexander flew to Nat's side and reached for her throat. An iron grip crushed his wrist, then tossed the angry older vampire across the room. Alexander screamed in rage as he rolled to his feet. Power washed over him and crushed him back to his knees. He found fingers of steel picking him off the floor by his throat. Nick smashed Alexander against the wall and let the rage of his 800 year old beast flow over them both. For the first time in his 400 years of being a vampire, Alexander was afraid. He struggled against the grip on his throat, as he feet dangled off the floor and stared into the feral red eyes of a very old vampire. Alexander growled and hissed, but to no avail. He was no match for Nick's age or the anger that controlled him at the moment. "Nick...don't...He's not worth it." Her voice cracked as she held onto the fear, but refused to give into it. Nick lowered Alexander to the floor hesitantly. "Be thankful the lady is in a generous mood, or you would not see another night. If you ever come near her again, I will stake you without a second thought." Nick rolled his power over the younger vampire when he released his throat, then crushed him to the floor with it. Darion pulled the stake from his shoulder and stared in awe. This vampire had tossed his master around like a rag-doll. The power and age he felt took his breath away, but he wasn't afraid. For the first time since his creation, he wasn't afraid. His master was a coward. It radiated from him, oozed around the room like an infection and it disgusted Darion. He was more certain than ever he had to remove the evil his sire had bestowed upon him at any cost. Alexander shifted his attention to Darion. He tried to project his own power over his progeny in an effort to combine strengths against the older vampire holding him captive. Darion pushed him away with the first touch of their link. "Never!" Darion screamed at Alexander, then pushed to his feet. "I will never let a coward control me. You are no longer my master. I would rather be dead than your slave." He stood shakily and shut down the link between them. "You ungrateful bastard!" Alexander lunged at Darion, only to find a stake planted deep within his chest. Fire exploded inside him. He stared at the wood projecting from his chest in disbelief. Why would this strange vampire protect his son? Why risk the wrath of his own kind over a mortal and his useless progeny? His last thoughts bubbled to his lips as the darkness swept him into the abyss. Nick stepped back and turned to Natalie. The fear he'd felt >from her earlier was replaced with something else while her pain was mirrored by his own. "Are you okay, Nat?" His soft voice whispered as he touched her arm in comfort. She didn't pull away and that gave him hope. His eyes were locked to hers with more than one question. Darion watched the older vampire before him. The power and evil were gone in the blink of an eye. Only pain filled his senses and it belonged to both of them standing before him. She'd called him Nick. Of course, he wouldn't be far away >from her. Darion knew he wouldn't have been far away if Natalie loved him. He would make sure she was safe. Darion realized his own life had been in danger if he'd threatened the beautiful woman before him in any way. How old was Nick? The power he possessed had to be more than age. Darion had met a number of vampires over 500 and none of them created such an aura or possessed such strength. This was not the time for questions. He was the intruder here, but he owed Nick his life...and he always repaid his debts. Darion cleared his throat and Nick responded. Darion was struck how handsome a man he was. No wonder Natalie fell in love with him at first sight, but there was something else about Nick that drew you to him. Something Darion wanted to find out, but not now. This was not the time. "Thank you for saving my life. He would have killed me this time. I am in your debt. I'm Darion Long." Darion extended his hand to Nick's. Cool eyes met his as Nick accepted the outstretched hand. Age and practice pushed the cold mask of calm and indifference back on Nick's handsome features. "Nick Knight." He said simply and offered no more information. It was not the time for pleasantries. He glanced at Alexander's limp body at their feet and raised a questioning eye. "I believe your paternal problems are history, Dr. Long. May I suggest you eliminate them permanently with fire? Some sires have a nasty tendency to return angry if someone removes the stake." Darion nodded in agreement and collected his master's body. "I shall make sure that doesn't happen in this case. I take it parental problems are not new to you either." Nick smiled knowingly and Darion disappeared through the broken skylight above them. He was here and as hard as she tried to be angry with him for spying on her, she was thrilled. When he turned those blue eyes back to her, the world stopped and her toes curled into a knot that matched the one in her stomach. He would always have that affect on her. She wanted nothing more than to run into his arms, lay her head on his shoulder and cry in relief. He hadn't left. He had been near her all the time, watching, keeping her safe. Just as he always had since the night they'd met. Even though she'd given up on their relationship, he hadn't. Bitter sadness overwhelmed her as she realized how much she'd hurt him. He'd walked away that day because he cared, not because it was easier. All she wanted to know was why he'd backed away. Why he'd put so much space between them since that night? Raw pain ripped through her heart when she realized it was because he loved her. He was terrified of himself. The anger, the rage, the bloodlust that warred inside him, frightened him enough to make him doubt his control. How could she not have seen it? She looked so beautiful. He wanted so much to crush her into his arms and hold her warmth next to him. Life was cruel to show him what could have been and take it away. If only she'd have understood how much effort it took not to make her part of him for eternity, to not give into his dream that tortured him every night since they'd made love. Just seeing her, feeling her heartbeat, caressed him like a lover. Being close to her, if only as a friend, filled a void so deep it made him ache. "I miss you so much." The words were out before he could stop them. The pain and loneliness in his voice could only match her own. "I missed you too, Nick." She whispered as tears fell silently down her face. Before she could breathe, his lips were on hers and her arms around his neck. Did she move or did he? Did it matter? Her lips were like honey and he couldn't get enough as he crushed them to his. Need laced with desire and passion swept through them when he slipped his tongue into her mouth and tasted every lush corner. His arms surrounded her while his hands caressed every part of her body in a familiar dance known only to lovers. Her hands were everywhere encouraging, loving, guiding him toward the only thing that would satiate the need inside both of them. His body responded to hers as she rubbed her hip against his groin and moaned into his mouth with a need that only he could fulfill. He broke away from her mouth and kissed the sweet delicate skin on her neck with such tenderness she whimpered. She pulled his lips back to hers and crushed them hard against her own, then she sucked and nipped until he gave her free access to his mouth. She ran her hands into his silky blond hair and loved every inch of his body she could touch with a passion that exploded into a fire between them. His fangs dropped and she didn't care. She caressed them with her tongue and his body with her hands. How could this be wrong, when it felt so right? The loneliness and doubts of the last few months were like a raw bleeding wound that needed healing...and only Nick could stop the pain. He gasped and fought for control when she caressed his fangs once more. They were so sensitive, so much a part of him she had to feel them, love them just as she loved everything else about him. She nicked her lip on the sharp point and he pushed her to arms' length, abruptly. "No, Nat." His words were hesitant and shaky, as he stared at the blood forming on her lip with longing. "Don't you see?" Pain was etched into golden eyes as he searched for the words to make her understand. He let her go and stepped back to put distance between them. "If I had wanted to make you into this..." His eyed glowed brightly, "I would never have let you go three months ago. I wouldn't have stayed away. You think there's a night that goes by I don't dream of what we had the night I lost my memory? That I don't want you more than life, that I want to make love to you until you scream my name in release and tell me you love me?" He walked back to her and held her face between his hands until she stared into his golden eyes as he whispered. "But this is in the dream, too. The beast wants you as much as the man and he won't settle for just the love and the warmth you possess. He will drain the life out of you, destroy your hope and future, then toss you aside like leftover scraps." A single blood tear slid down his face. She wrapped her fingers around his as they held her face. "No, Nick. You're wrong. He loves me too. I know that as sure as I breathe or you couldn't stand here and not take me. I thought you pushed me away because I wasn't good enough for the vampire. I wanted you to come with me that night 3 months ago, but I was afraid I wasn't enough for you. I have relived that night we were together over in my mind until it hurts, trying to understand why you pushed me away. Why you put so much distance between us after that night and I finally gave up. I was hurting so bad I had to run away. I couldn't stay around you, love you and not be a part of your life anymore. I'm not that strong. I need your love, Nick." He pulled her into his arms and buried his face in her hair. "God help us, Natalie, because I love you. If I don't kill you with that love, LaCroix will. You don't understand all the risks. I haven't..." "...told me about Fleur?" She held onto him and refused to let go. "That if you ever truly loved a mortal that she would belong to LaCroix in payment for saving your sister." His arms tightened around her and melded her body into his in an effort to protect her from the hateful words he knew she must remember. "I remember that night at the Azure, all the hateful words you professed to convince him, but I also remember the words after he left." She pulled away only far enough to watch his eyes. They were the windows to his soul. "Don't protect me, Nick, or there won't be anything left for either of us. What good is love if it isn't shared." She said a silent prayer that he could understand. His lips crushed hers and the passion ignited between them. Each kiss was like honey, each caress demanded more and he groaned in frustration as the vampire surged forth. "I want you so badly, Natalie." He panted between kisses as he nicked her neck and licked the wound clean. Each drop of her blood possessed emotion so strong he thought he would die from the pleasure of it. Love washed over him, through him until he was filled with it and her desire to become one with him. Her hopes of a life together with him, the hope of a family, a home where they could walk in the sunshine together cradled him like a child. Her discovery of the first stages of the cure crashed through him. He pushed her to arms' length and she groaned in disapproval. "Give it to me, Natalie! Give it to me so we can be together. I need to be with you, make love to you, show you how much I love you." His kissed her passionately and pulled her hard up against the growing need in his groin. "Nick...Nick..." She could barely speak between the emotions rolling through her and the feel of his hard body next to hers. Logic was gone, replaced with something stronger and far more human. "We...we can't..." She finally got the words out but without conviction. "It only works for three hours in the test tube...It could tear you apart and it's not permanent..." His lips devoured hers. "I don't care. If it only lasts 30 minutes, we can be together. Please, Nat! Let me love you like that night. I want to share myself with you even for a short time. Please?" He kissed her again and she gave into the feel of him. Finally, she nodded in agreement and shakily went to the lab bench and filled a syringe. Doubt clouded her eyes when she turned back to him. He pulled her back into his arms and found her lips once more. Her blood beckoned the vampire, as the warmth of the woman was a siren call to the man. "Do it for us, Nat." He said between kisses and removed the syringe >from her fingers. He slammed the needle into his thigh through his jeans and pressed the plunger before she could object. "No matter what happens, I will love you forever, Natalie Lambert...Never doubt that. Never doubt yourself or the woman inside you. You are more beautiful than any creature I've ever known. I thank God everyday for letting me spend time with you. I..." Nick doubled over and screamed in agony when the first wave tore through his veins. Fire and knives sliced through his body like it was butter. He collapsed to the floor as the world began to spin and the fire exploded into a ball of flame so hot he couldn't breathe. "Nat!!!!!" He screamed and grabbed for her hand as the vampire surged forth into the flames and clawed at his heart. "Nick!!! Oh, Nick! Please fight it. Stay with me." Tears flowed freely down her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around his body, now curled up on the floor. She rocked him in her arms as another scream tore from his lips and finally he blacked out. Chapter 5 He heard her voice calling to him in the darkness. Natalie was frightened, terrified of something. He had to help her. He had to wake up, protect her from whatever scared her so much. He struggled through the cold into the light and his body began to warm. He could hear the air rushing through his lungs, blood pouring through his veins until finally he was awake. Bright lights greeted his eyes and he squinted to lessen the pain. "Natalie?" His voice sounded dry and weak even to himself. "Nick!" She caressed his face, then kissed his forehead and wept with joy. "Oh, Nick...tell me you are okay." She held him tightly and jumped when she felt his heart beat beneath her fingertips. "Nick?" She immediately switched to physician mode and checked his pulse, respiration and the warmth of his skin. With each breath, he was getting stronger. She placed her fingers on his forehead and he grasped them tightly in his hand and brought them to his lips. Bright blue eyes filled with love greeted hers. Without a word, he pulled her lips to his and the passion between them ignited once more. "Tell me there's a bed in that back room otherwise I'm going to make love to you on the floor until you beg me to stop." He sucked her lips gently, then more forcefully until she opened like a flower under his touch. Her pulse leaped as his hand slid under her blouse and lightly caressed the hard nubs of her breasts through her satin bra. She moaned and pushed harder into him with such passion and fire, he had to catch his breath. "There's...there's a bed in the back." She said between kisses. Nick swept her into his arms and carried her into the back room. He closed the door behind them and gave into the emotion and feel of the only woman he'd ever truly loved. The power of her kisses and the growing need in his groin would not let them enjoy slow love making. She tore at his shirt, finally gave up and ripped the buttons off. She wanted to feel his warm skin next to hers, his body inside of her, loving her with each stroke. Within minutes they both lay naked in each others arms and she guided him into her. Both of them, lost to the feel of each other, rode the wave of passion unable to stop. Each stroke was pure pleasure, followed by an increasing need building within them both until Natalie gave into the dream and screamed his name in release. "Come with me, Nick! Let me feel all of you, let me love all of you." Her body began to contract around his, causing him to follow her into the light and cradle their love inside her womb through all eternity. The vampire was gone, only the man remained and he would love her until the darkness claimed him again. Every word, every touch between them would have to last a lifetime as each of them cherished the feel and love of the other. -------- Nick made love to her over and over again until they both collapsed in satiated bliss. Being mortal had its price-tag. Nat dozed lightly in Nick's arms with a smile on her face. Each beat of his heart was a triumph for both of them and the warmth of his skin made her want him yet again. She rolled over to watch his beautiful face as she lightly caressed the soft blond hair on his hard chest, then let her fingers trail lower. Her leg was between his and she knew instantly he was ready for her once more. She ran her other hand into the silky blond hair on his head and smiled in pleasure. "I have always loved your hair." One hand played with the curls on his head and the other far lower. A wicked gleam sparked in her eyes as she caressed both ends of him. "I think..." She leaned in to kiss his lips as he moaned in appreciation of her efforts. "I like the reaction I get from one end over the other." Her fingers wrapped around his stiff member causing him to gasp and force his tongue back into her mouth. His hands caressed her face and shoulders as he gave into the feel of her light touch urging him onward. The first wave of pain took his breath away. He pulled back instantly and lay flat on his back as the second wave crashed over him. "Natalie!!!!!" He screamed in agony. "No, not yet...dear God...not yet..." His words tore into her heart and she held onto him as his body began to convulse. "Nick! Oh, please, Nick. Stay with me." He moaned and grabbed his abdomen as another set of knives ripped through his body. His blood was at war with itself and he knew which side he wanted to win. Nat jumped up from the small bed in her office, grabbed his shirt, threw it on and raced into the lab. Quickly, she grabbed the blood in the refrigerator and raced back to his side. Gold touched his eyes now as he rocked back and forth in agony on the soft mattress. She wrapped her arms around him and forced the opened blood bag to his lips. "I'm sorry, Nick. I shouldn't have let you try it. This is all my fault. Forgive me, stay with me..." Tears flooded her face as the man she loved fought unbearable torture inside his body. The vampire reacted to the blood and drained it instantly. She shoved another one into his hands and the pain seemed to lessen. She was almost out of blood. She needed more. "Darion!" She screamed, knowing full well he could hear her anywhere in the building. He appeared moments later taking in the scene before him. "I'll be right back, Nat. Just don't let him near your throat." He returned moments later carrying an armload of blood bags from his lab. A scream tore from Nick's throat as his body exploded into a burning inferno. Blood sweat appeared on his brow and he began to convulse. Darion pulled him free from Natalie and pressed him up against the wall. "You have to get out of here, Natalie. He's going to need a great deal of blood when this is over and he won't want it to be you." He held onto Nick as his body jerked and twitched in reaction to his cells reattaching to the gene in his blood. "Go, Natalie! Before it's too late. He's much stronger and a lot older than I am. When the vampire returns in full force, I don't know who will be in control. Go!" His voice pleaded with her, but his eyes never left Nick's. "No, Darion! I'm not leaving him again. Not this time!" Nick growled in anger and hissed at Darion as he held him solidly against the wall. "At least get more blood then. There's more in my freezer. Thaw it out and bring it to me. He is going to need it." Nat grabbed her slacks on the floor, then tore out of the room and down the hall. "Come on, Nick." Darion shoved the 4th bag of blood into Nick's hands. Within seconds it was empty and the vampire searched for more to heal his tortured body. Darion continued to shove the bags into his hand and watched in fascination as the vampire slowly possessed the man. Feral red eyes greeted his and Darion pushed away without hesitation. Fear seeped through him, knowing full well what a vampire of Nick's age was capable of. Still totally naked, Nick stalked Darion, who continued to back away cautiously. With incredible force, Nick smashed Darion hard against the wall and flashed lethal fangs at him in anger. "Where is she?" Nick growled. "I'm right here, Nick." Natalie spoke softly across the room. She gasped when Nick's red eyes swept over her. She dropped the blood bags on the floor, splitting several open. The smell permeated the room and Nick was by her side instantly. Her heart raced as his ancient power washed over her and forced her up against the wall. She could feel the rage and anger within him as the evil floated around him like a cloud. He could feel her fear and it enticed the vampire even more. "Now you will be mine both body and soul, sweet Natalie." His fangs flashed in the fluorescent light as he trapped her between his arms against the wall. He growled in preparation. Not knowing why, she pressed her lips onto his and shoved her tongue into his mouth. She loved all of him. It was time to prove it. Her body reacted immediately to his and reached for his hair. She ran her hands down the hard planes of his back and pulled him into her embrace. Her tongue traced his fangs and sliced the delicate tissue until she bled freely into his mouth. What they had together would keep her alive or kill her, but at this point her options were limited. Anger flooded his senses at the denial of her blood from the beginning. Now the sweet nectar he craved filled his mouth with ambrosia and he couldn't get enough. He sucked harder slicing her delicate tongue deeper. She didn't pull away, but welcomed him into her embrace. Images flashed in his mind of what they had together, the pain of denial, the fear, followed by the culmination of their love. She carried his seed, a part of him that made them connected for eternity. Her love cradled him, warmed him with such passion and need, he gasped at the enormity of it. He broke away from her lips to stare into trusting eyes that had faith in something stronger than just love. No more secrets...no more doubts. They were surfacing together as one. "For better or worse, Nick. I love you and nothing will ever change it. I will never leave your side as long as you love me. Everything else will have to stand in line." She reached up to caress his face. "I'm yours any way that you want me." She stared into his now blue eyes and waited. Pain etched itself into his face and Nick gasped for air as he fought it. She held onto him as he began to collapse. Darion caught him from behind and carried him back to the bed. Carefully he laid him onto the sheets as Nick groaned in pain. "Nat?" Nick's voice cracked as he held his hand out to her. She placed her hand in his as the darkness swam behind his tired eyes. "I will hold you to that promise." He brought her hand to his lips and kissed the palm softly. "I will always want you and I have never stopped loving you. For better or worse we find our way together." He pulled her lips to his and fell asleep with a sigh. She felt him drift away as she released his lips. Fatigue and fear had taken their toll on her all too mortal body. She laid her head on his chest and gave into the welcome peace of the darkness and slept. --------- Darion watched them sleeping together peacefully and marveled at their courage. Nick's body was still going through changes as the vampire gene reattached itself. Periodically, he would moan in pain. With only a touch or a simple caress from Natalie, Nick would drift back off into a healing sleep. It had been almost 24 hours since Nick had taken the injection and the pain seemed more manageable now. Darion went to the bedside carrying several bottles. He sat them quietly on the table beside the small foldout bed. Natalie lay sleeping peacefully in Nick's arms after Darion had slipped her a sedative in the orange juice he insisted she drink several hours ago. She did not have Nick's metabolism and Darion worried over her health. Nick stared at Darion as he covered Natalie up lying in his arms. Darion started when he met Nick's eyes. "Nick?" He immediately turned to grab a bottle. "What did you give her?" Nick's words caught him off guard. "I just gave her some sedative. She wouldn't leave your side. Her heart rate was to erratic I was afraid for her." Sincerity was laced in his voice. He handed Nick a bottle and watched him grimace in pain as he swallowed. His body still had not fully recovered. "Thank you, Darion, for being her friend, for caring what happens to us. It's not always the wisest thing to do. Our kind has never been open-minded about those of us that choose a different path. I am in your debt." Nick handed him back the empty bottle, being careful not to wake Nat in the process. "Answer one question for me, Nick." Darion accepted the bottle and hesitated to ask such a personal detail. Nick stared at him as Darion avoided his eyes. He already knew the question. "Five minutes with Natalie would be worth a lifetime of pain. I no longer fear the fires of Hell because her love will always be a part of me. For the first time in 800 years I am at peace with myself." He rubbed her back gently and kissed the top of her sleeping head. "I have no regrets and I would do it all again. What we share is stronger than my beast and no matter what happens, we will be together." "I guess that means you will be staying here in Montreal." Darion smiled, looking forward to his life for the first time in longer than he cared to remember. "You think Montreal could use a new homicide detective?" Nick eyed the young vampire closely. "Or maybe I could take up teaching and research. I understand vampires make good research subjects...Maybe I should change my name to 'Guinea Pig'." Nick smiled mischievously. Darion laughed and extended his hand in friendship. "Welcome aboard...Mr. Pig!" The End All comments are welcome at Stormy's place online at nitewind@plantnet.com. This story is copyrighted by Barbara Starmer aka: StormyNite and only Katherine Robert has reprint rights at this time. If you obtained a copy through other sources please let me know as they are unauthorized copies. This story was written for charitable purposes and no copyright infringements with Sony/TriStar and the characters of Forever Knight are intended.