Okay everyone! I'm feeling better, and I'm back!  Usual disclaimers
apply. Characters aren't mine. Wish I could afford to buy them<G>, but
they belong to Sony/TriStar.  Permission to post on Mel's fanfic site,
and the fkfic-l site.  E-mail comments to tigrlady2u@juno.com.  Enjoy!

Quick explanation: In this piece, Nick succeeded in killing
LaCroix (sorry Cousins), therefore BMV never happened.


Desperate Measures
by KC Smith

  Natalie Lambert glanced at her notes once again, then looked back into
the microscope. She lifted her head and grinned. Quickly, she cleaned
up, made a few notations in her black journal, then headed to Nick's
loft.



 Nick Knight had just settled onto his sofa with a glass of bloodwine,
when he heard the lift motor engage.  Concentrating momentarily, he
smiled, then quickly downed the contents of his glass. He stood and went
to the sink to rinse his glass, just as the lift door opened.

"Hi, Nat. What brings you here?" He asked her, curious as to the
accelerated beating of her heart.

"I have a request to make, Nick." She looked a little embarrassed. "Um,
I need..." She paused.

Nick raised an eyebrow. "What do you need, Nat?"

Natalie blushed.  "I need some more cell samples."

Nick smiled. "Is that all?  He asked, rolling up his shirt sleeve and
stepping towards her. He was baffled by her apparent embarrassment.

Nat turned away from him, wringing her hands. "Not a blood sample,
Nick. I need... I need a sperm sample." She said quickly. There. She'd
said it.

Nick looked surprised and amused. "Um, okay. Can I ask why?"

Nat turned slightly to face him. She shouldn't be embarrassed about
this. After all, she was a doctor. "I found something I want to try, but
I need a sperm sample for the DNA cell breakdown."

Nick smiled at her apparent enthusiasm. "Does it have something to do
with a cure?"

Nat nodded. "I think if it works, we could have a cure in a year to
eighteen months. "

"That soon?" Nick asked. He wanted to feel as excited as she was, but
he'd had too many past disappointments.

"Nick, I can't make any promises, I won't lie to you. But I think I may
be on to something here."

Nick walked up to her and took her hands in his. "In that case, Nat,
I'll do whatever it takes. How soon do you need it?"

Nat blushed again. "Um, tonight is fine. I can't do anything else,
until then." She removed her hands from his and then went to the table
and opened her medical bag. She pulled out a specimen cup, then set it
on the table. "Just take your time. I'll, um, I'll just go, now."

Nat grabbed her medical bag and entered the lift. "See you, tonight."

Nick waved. "Yeah." He smiled in amusement, again.

Nat heaved a sigh of relief as the lift door closed. She really hoped
this worked.



Nick picked up the cup, examining it. What could she be up to, he
wondered. Grabbing a bottle from the 'fridge, Nick headed up to bed. He
set the specimen cup and the bottle on his nighttable and headed for the
shower.

After he was freshly showered and ready for bed, he laid down.  He let
his thoughts drift to how embarrassed Nat had been. He found it amusing
that she was so flustered by her request.

He closed his eyes, remembering the sweet smell of her.  He loved to
listen to the beat of her heart, to hold her close while they watched
videos. He loved to watch her, while she worked, to see her beautiful
smile and the sparkle of her eyes.

He drifted off to sleep, dreaming of a time when he could love her and
walk with her in the sunshine.



Nat awoke and headed for her kitchen. She smelled the coffee from down
the hall, and smiled.

After she'd poured herself a cup, she headed for her computer. Logging
on, she checked her e-mail and grinned.  The wheels were in motion, for
her little plan. She sent a quick reply to the sender, then headed for
the shower. She had a lot of work ahead of her, for Nick's cure, and she
desperately prayed for a slow night.



Nick was walking up the steps of the Coroner's Building, when Schanke
caught up to him. He glanced at the paper bag Nick carried.

"Do my eyes deceive me? Is my partner really bringing a lunch to work?"
Schanke quipped.

Nick shook his head. "It's for Nat." He said, as they waved to Grace
and headed for Nat's lab.

"What is it?" Schanke asked. He took the bag and pulled out the cup.
"Do I want to know what this is?"

Nick laughed. "No, I don't think you do."

Schanke quickly replaced the cup in the bag, then handed it back to
Nick. "You know, Knight, most men just send flowers."

Nick shook his head, laughing as they entered the lab.

Nat was hunched over a microscope, busily scratching notes. She looked
up and smiled when she saw the pair.

"Hi, guys." She looked at the sack in Nick's hand. "That for me?"

Nick nodded and passed it to her. "As you requested."

Nat placed the bag next to the microscope. "Well, there's nothing new
here for you and I really need to get back to work. See you later." She
sat back down and peered into the microscope.

"I do believe we've been dismissed." Schanke said, with an aristocratic
British accent.

Nick grinned at Nat, though her attention was on her research. He would
love to stay and watch her, but they had a stack of paperwork to tackle.
"Yep. We sure have." He walked over and kissed Nat on the temple. "See
you later, Nat."

Nat just waved, as she adjusted her newest slide.

Nick shook his head in amusement, then pulled Schank out the door.

"What's she doing, anyway?" Schanke asked.

Nick shrugged. "She's trying to find a cure for me."

Schanke's mouth dropped open. "Wow. How's it coming?"

Nick climbed into the passenger side of Schanke's car. "I have no
idea."



Nat opened the bag and pulled out the cup, as soon as they'd left. She
quickly placed a few drops onto a slide, then poured the rest into
seperate vials and placed them in a portable cryogenic freezer.

She looked at the sample in the microscope, then took a few more notes.
She added a drop of fluid to her slide sample, then looked at it, again.
Grinning broadly, she stood and went to the phone.

"Dr. Williams? It's Natalie Lambert. It's a go." She listened for a
moment to the doctor's instructions, then scribbled a date and time on
her calendar. After she hung up the phone, she cleaned up. Then she went
in search of her supervisor. Time to get things started.



THREE WEEKS LATER:



  Nick and Schanke walked into the Coroner's Building and said hello to
Grace.

"Hello, detectives." Grace smiled at them. "Nat's in her lab. Try to be
nice to her today, Schank. I don't think she's feeling very well."

Nick's face reflected his concern. "What's wrong with her?"

"I'm not sure. She's walking a bit slowly, and she seems like she's
sore, or something. I asked her about it, but she's not very talkative.
She seems... I don't know, different, maybe? I can't explain it." Grace
pulled a file out of a cabinet. "Just don't upset her."

Nick and Schanke nodded, as they headed for Nat's lab. They entered
rather cautiously.

"Nat?" Nick called as they entered.

Nat looked up from her desk. "Hi." She smiled tiredly. "I suppose
you're here for the Primmer report?"

Nick nodded. "Yeah. How are you? Grace said you're not feeling well."

Nat smiled ruefully. "Grace is an old mother hen. I'm okay. Just a
little crampy. I'll live." She stood and went to her file cabinet. "Here
it is. We found blood that wasn't the victim's and also some hair and
skin samples. If you guys can find a suspect, we can do a DNA matchup. I
also found traces of paint thinner on the victim's shoes."

Schanke frowned. "Wasn't the boyfriend a painter?"

Nick nodded. "Looks like that's the place to start." He took the folder
from Nat and handed it to Schanke. "Give me a minute, huh?" He asked his
partner.

Schanke smiled knowingly at his partner. "Sure. See ya outside."

Once Schanke had left, Nick turned to Nat. "How are you, *really*?" He
was concerned by how tired she looked.

Nat looked at him a moment, her eyes distant. Then she turned her
attention to cleaning up her desk. "Fine, Nick. Really. I'm leaving
early tonight. I just wanted to catch up on some paperwork."

Nick noticed she walked slightly hunched over, and very slowly. He
could tell she was in pain. "Nat, are you sure you'll be all right?"

Nat smiled at him again. "Nick?"

"Yes?"

"Go."

Nick smiled crookedly at her. "Okay, okay, you win." He walked up and
kissed her on the cheek. "Get some rest."

"I will. I'll see you later." She watched him as he left the lab,
wondering if she should explain it all to him.

No. Better to wait until she was sure it'd work. She finished cleaning
up, then grabbed her things and headed home.



Nick climbed into the Caddie and started the engine.

"How is she?" Schanke asked.

"Not as good as she's trying to make everyone think. I'm not sure
what's bothering her, but she's definitely not feeling well."

"Is she going to stay here all night?" Schanke asked.

"No. She says she's leaving, as soon as she finishes her paperwork."
Nick said. He turned towards the precinct. "So, think we ought to check
out Aaron Cruz?"

Schanke nodded. "I think that's as good a place as any to start."

Nick checked the time on his watch. "Think he's still up?"

"I know he is. He takes a class over at the Community College every
Wednesday and it doesn't let out until ten. He should be getting out, by
the time we get there." Schanke told him.

"Perfect." Nick said, turning towards the college.



Nat drained the cooling water from the tub and stood to rinse off the
bubbles covering her skin. She turned on the shower and let the hot
water run over her skin for several minutes, then quickly washed and got
out. She got ready for bed, then went to her computer.

After logging on, she opened her e-mailbox and read through the list of
messages. One from Grace, telling her she shouldn't be online, she
should be in bed. Nat smiled at that.

One from her friend Mary in London, telling her about her daughter's
progress in school.

One from Sarah, she and Amy were fine and all was as well as could be
expected, since losing Richard over a year ago. Nat felt a touch of
sadness at the memory of those events. She never blamed Nick, though she
knew he blamed himself. It wasn't his fault. It had been her own fears
and insecurities that had led her to coerce Nick into bringing Richard
across.

She hated the fact that she'd used not only their friendship, but her
assistance in Nick's search for a cure, to practically force him into
it. 'You owe me.' She'd said. But he hadn't. He didn't. No. She'd gotten
into this, not just for the sake of solving a bewildering, frightening,
fantastic puzzle. She wanted Nick. But did he feel the same way about
her?

That thought made her stop to reconsider her current actions. If things
went as planned, wouldn't she be forcing him, again, into a situation
that he may not even want? She knew he wanted to be cured, but beyond
that, what could she realistically expect from him?

Nat turned her attention back to the screen before her, to avoid
thinking about the possible consequences of her actions. She would cross
that bridge when, and if, she came to it.

A message from the University of Arizona caught her attention. 'Dear
Dr. Lambert:  We would love to have you on our staff as a Professor of
Forensics Pathology.  We do, however, want to make it clear to you that
this is a short-term assignment, as our regular Professor will be
returning at the beginning of the next term.

Please let us know as soon as possible whether or not you have decided
to accept the position, and we will help you with any necessary
arrangements.

In answer to your inquiry: Yes. You will be granted full access to our
all of our labs and facilities for your current research.'  It was
'signed' by the chief of faculty.

Natalie smiled to herself. At least one part of her crazy plan was
going to work. She just hoped the rest did, too.

She sent her replies, then logged off and headed for bed.
---------

FOUR WEEKS LATER:



 Natalie looked at the test results again and smiled. It'd worked. She
couldn't believe how happy she was. It'd worked! She laughed out loud,
then cleaned up. She was so excited, she wanted to dance and shout to
the world and... suddenly she froze and her eyes grew wide.

It'd worked.

She sat numbly in her desk chair, staring into space. Now what? What if
Nick was angry? What if Nick didn't feel the overwhelming joy she hoped
for? What if Nick didn't feel the same for her, as she felt for him?
What if... She suddenly burst into tears.

Oh God! What had she gotten herself into? What had she been thinking?
She laid her head in her arms on her desk, sobbing. It was too late to
turn back now. She had to go through with this.



Nick and Schanke entered the lab, to find Nat crying. "Nat!!" Nick
called, rushing to her side.
"Nat, what is it?" He asked, gently, stroking her hair.

Nat looked up at him with puffy, red eyes. Her face was covered with
tears. Her eyes widened when she saw him. "Nothing." She said, quickly
wiping her eyes. "I'm fine."

Nick frowned. "Nat, it's not *nothing*. You're crying. You of all
people don't cry over 'nothing'."
He looked up at Schanke, who indicated he'd be outside. Nick nodded in
thanks. He brushed the tears from Nat's face. "What's troubling you,
Nat?"

Natalie looked into his concerned blue eyes. Acting on impulse, she
leaned forward and kissed him.

Nick was taken by surprise, but didn't resist. When he didn't feel the
stirring of the vampire, he wrapped his arms around her, deepening the
kiss. They seperated after several moments, breathing raggedly and
looking at one another in astonishment.

The silence dragged on for several minutes until, finally, Nick cupped
her cheek in his hand. "Natalie." He said, with such tenderness. "What's
going on?"

Nat looked away. "I-- I don't know what came over me." She said,
busying herself straightening her desk.

"I do." Nick said, quietly.

Nat looked sharply in his direction. "You do?"

Nick smiled. "Yes. We've been dancing around this for long enough, I
think. What are we going to do about this?"

"Do about what?" She asked, cautiously.

"About the way we feel?" He leaned forward and kissed her again. When
they pulled back, Nick smiled at her. "Book off early and let me take
you home."

Nat bit her bottom lip, unsure as to what to read into that comment.
"Um, okay." She gathered her things and allowed Nick to escort her to
the door.



Grace and Schanke were out in the front office. They looked up when
Nick and Nat came out.

"Schanke, I'm going to take Nat home. Do me a favor? Take the Caddie
back to the station?"

Schanke smiled at Nat. "Sure partner. I hope you feel better, Nat."

Natalie returned his smile. "Thanks, Schanke. Grace, think you can
handle this madhouse on your own?"

Grace went over and gave her a hug. "Don't worry about it, sweetie.
I'll handle it."

Nat nodded, then waved as Nick led her out the door.

He opened the car door for her, then closed it for her after she was
settled. He ran around to the other side and climbed in.

"Nat? Can I have the keys?" He asked, opening his palm to her.

"Sure." She said, opening her purse and handing him her car keys.

 They rode in silence, all the way to her apartment.



Once they arrived, Nick opened her apartment door for her and let her
in. "After you." He said.

Nat smiled, then went in. She put her coat and purse into the closet,
then turned and looked at Nick. "Make yourself comfortable. I'll be back
in a minute."

Nick nodded, then watched her walk down the hall towards her bedroom.
He took off his jacket, placing on the back of a chair, then walked
aimlessly about her livingroom. He moved to stare out the window.

Nat reemerged, to find him gazing out at the night. She walked over and
stood next to him, indicating the full moon. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"



Nick smiled. "Yes. I've always loved the full moon."

"I thought you were a vampire, not a werewolf." Nat teased.

"Well, you know, all of us night creatures love the moon." He grinned
at her. "Are you ready to tell me what had you so upset?" He asked,
turning serious.

Nat looked away. "Not yet. Maybe, someday." She sighed. "I'm afraid I
don't have anything to offer you, unless you feel up to a glass of
wine?"

Nick shook his head. "I'm fine, thanks." He grabbed her hand, pulling
her slowly towards him. "Nat..." He began, but stopped as his lips found
hers. He wrapped his arms around her, kissing her deeply. He kissed down
the length of her neck, then back up towards her face. He kissed her
eyelids, her cheeks, her chin, then finally, her mouth. He pulled her
close, turning his head towards her. "I love you, Natalie." He
whispered. "God help us both, but I do."

Natalie's eyes filled with tears. At least she had the answer to one of
her questions. "J'aime vous, aussi, Nicholas. J'aime vous, aussi." She
said.

Nick pulled back, surprised. He hadn't known she spoke French. "How can
you love me, knowing what I am?" He asked her.

"It doesn't matter to me, Nick. Besides, who knows? In just a very
short time, you may not be a vampire anymore."

"That won't change the things I've done." He said.

"Are you trying to talk me out of it?"

"No. Never. It's just..." He trailed off a moment, then sighed. He led
her to the sofa, where he pulled her into his lap. "I can't believe how
lucky I am, to have someone like you love me. I definitely don't deserve
it."

Nat caressed his cheek with her palm. "Yes, you do." She placed her
finger on his lips, to stop his protests. "Yes. You do." With that, she
kissed him again.



THREE WEEKS LATER:



Nat leaned over the toilet, being violently ill. She knew that this
went along with being pregnant, but she hadn't realized how sick she'd
get.  She sat wearily on the floor of her bathroom, resting her head
against the cool porcelain. 'I'm doing this for Nick's cure.' She
reminded herself.

After she had completed the tests on Nick's sperm samples, she'd gone
to a fertility specialist and had had herself impregnated.  This baby
was her hope for the future. A future with a mortal Nicholas Knight.

Hoisting herself off of the bathroom floor, and steadying herself with
the counter edge, she flushed the toilet, then washed her face with cool
water and brushed her teeth. She shook her head in disgust, at the sight
of her reflection, then left the bathroom and headed for her kitchen.
Once there, she boiled some water and opened a box of saltines. It
looked like tea and crackers was once again on the menu for breakfast.



Nick Knight awoke smiling. His dreams had been extremely pleasant. He'd
dreamed that he and Nat were living in a house with a large backyard and
there were three children and a dog playing in it. Their children.

He closed his eyes, to once again picture them. The eldest, a girl, had
Nick's blonde curls and bright blue eyes, and Nat's temperament.  The
middle child, a boy, was tall and had Nat's chestnut hair and Nick's
sense of humor. The youngest, also a boy, had sandy blonde curls and
blue grey eyes. He took on every task with such a sense of determination
and intensity, that he often forgot what was going on around him.

Nick had initiated a game of 'tag', he of course, being 'it'. Nat and
the kids were chasing him all around the yard, laughing and playing in
the bright summer sun, the dog nipping at their heels.

Nick opened his eyes and sighed. He wanted to believe that whatever it
was that Nat had stumbled on to would lead to a cure. Finally, he made
his decision. He would have faith that it would work. And once again, he
allowed himself to hope.



 Nick walked into the morgue, anxious to see Nat. He hadn't seen her in
a couple of days, their schedules conflicting.

Since the night they'd proclaimed their love for one another, things
had changed for them. They still maintained a professional distance when
working, but whenever they where alone, there was a tenderness and
electricity that surrounded and infused them.

On more than one occasion, Nick had had to fight the vampire harder
than usual. While it frightened him, the idea of hurting Nat, he had
found strength in her unwavering faith that he would not.

Nick stood silently watching Nat as she did the autopsy. He loved the
way she was so careful, so thorough. He listened as she dictated her
findings into a mini cassette recorder placed on the table not far
away.  As she finished up the autopsy, and prepared the corpse for
release to the family, Nick noticed that she looked more tired than
usual.  He waited for her to clean up, before tapping on the door frame
he was leaning against.

Nat turned at the sound and was suddenly all smiles. "Hi. What brings
you here?"

Nick pulled the bouquet of sunflowers and roses out from behind his
back. "I just missed my best girl. Thought I'd bring her something to
brighten her day."

Nat smiled as she accepted the flowers. "Best girl? There's more than
one?" She teased.

"Never. You're the only one I need." He said, leaning in to kiss her.
Nat tossed the flowers onto her desk, as she pulled Nick closer,
deepening the kiss.

As they pulled back, Nick smiled at her, carressing her face with the
backs of his fingers. "I love you, Nat. More than words can express."

Nat smiled, her eyes filling with tears. "I love you."  She swallowed
hard and turned back to her flowers. "These are beautiful, Nick. Thank
you."

Nick smiled his boyish grin. "You're welcome."

Nat found something to place the flowers in, then filled it with water.
"Feel up to a video date? We both have tomorrow night off."

Nick watched her a moment. "I don't know, Nat. You seem really tired.
Are you sure that you feel up to it?"

Nat turned to face him. "Of course I feel up to it. You provide the
movies, I'll provide the food."

Nick smiled at her. "Then it's a date."



Schanke had just entered and caught the last few words. He grinned ear
to ear, like some stalking tom cat that had just captured it's prey.
"Date? Did I hear the word date? You two are going on a date?" He asked
incredulously.

Nick rolled his eyes at Nat, then turned to face his partner. "It's no
big deal, Schanke. Nat and I are just going to watch a couple of videos
at my place, later."

Nat smiled at Schanke. "Yeah, Schank. We do it all the time. Aren't
friends allowed to spend time together?"

"Friends." Schanke said in disbelief. "Yeah, right. Okay. Keep ol'
Schank in the dark, as usual. If you guys want everyone to think you're
just friends, that's fine by me." He waved his hands in the air, his
tone at once sarcastic and teasing.

"Schanke." Nick said, pulling Nat close to him.

Schanke turned to see Nick's arm securely around Nat's waist. "Yeah?"

"Keep it to yourself, would ya?" Nick grinned.

Schanke raised an eyebrow, then slowly, his tomcat grin returned.
"Gotcha."

Nat and Nick looked at one another. They knew they didn't stand a
chance of keeping it quiet, now.



Later in the day, Nick and Nat had just finished watching two videos,
when Nat looked apprehensively at Nick.

"Nick? There's something I need to discuss with you." She shifted
slightly away from him, to face him.

Nick looked puzzled. "What is it, Nat?"

Nat bit her top lip, then looked at him. "I have the opportunity to
teach Forensics Pathology for a term."

Nick looked surprised. "Nat, that's wonderful! Are you going to do it?"



Nat frowned slightly. "We~ll, there's sort of one problem." At Nick's
look, she continued. "It's in Arizona. The University of Arizona."

Nick raised both eyebrows, then frowned slightly. "When would you have
to leave?"

"Not for a few months, yet. I can stay with my cousin and his wife
while I'm there. It'd also be a great opportunity for me to use their
labs and equipment for my research into your cure." She looked
hesitantly at him. "I know we're just starting to explore this
relationship, and distance would make it harder to maintain..."

"...But you really want to do this, don't you?" Nick asked, gently
carressing her hair.

Nat sighed in relief. "Yeah. I wouldn't be gone for more than a few
months, and we could call and write and there's always e-mail and--"

Nick cut her off by placing his finger over her lips. "If it's what you
want, then it's what I want for you. I think I can handle a few months
away from you, though it will be torture." He grinned. "And if it helps
you to find my cure, then all the better. But I want you to do this for
you. Not for me. Not for my cure. It's your call on this, all the way,
Nat. I love you, no matter what."

Nat smiled, then leaned close and hugged him. After a moment, she
pulled back slightly and kissed him soundly.  "Thank you for
understanding."

Nick kissed her nose. "You're welcome. So, are you going to crash on my
sofa, or drive back to your place?"

Nat grinned. "I think I'll go home for awhile. I need to feed Sydney,
and I need to do a few other things. I'll see you at 8:00 sharp, for our
dinner date. By the way, where are we going?" She asked, as she put on
her coat and picked up her things.

Nick opened the lift door for her. "Let's just say it's very fancy, so
wear your best."  As he closed the lift door, he heard Nat say, "Ohhhh,
great! Now I have to worry about that all day!"  Nick just grinned. Nat
could show up in sweats and a t-shirt and she'd still be beautiful to
him.

He quickly downed a bottle of cow blood, then headed upstairs for bed.



EIGHT WEEKS LATER:



  Nick sat at the bar, sipping a glass of bloodwine.  He and Schanke
had just finished a series of difficult cases, and he and Nat were
closer than ever, having spent every available moment possible together.



 He knew that Nat was hiding the fact that she was pregnant from him.
The question was, why?  When he'd first heard the faint stirrings of the
baby's heartbeat, he'd been confused and a little hurt. He'd thought
that Nat had been with another man before they'd proclaimed their love
for one another. But after some thought, and a talk with Janette, he
realized that Nat must have used the sperm sample she'd asked him for,
to impregnate herself.

At first, he'd thought the idea insane. After all, vampire's couldn't
father children. Or could they? He recalled his conversation with
Janette.
<flashback>

 Nick walked into the Raven, frowning slightly as he took a seat at the
bar. Miklos handed him a glass of bloodwine, and he sat drinking it in
thoughtful silence.

Janette had sensed his agitation, and had taken a seat next to him.
"Hello, Nicolah. What brings you here tonight, hmm?"

Nick glanced at Janette. "Just thinking, Janette. I'd really rather not
discuss it."

Janette raised an eyebrow, then turned towards the bar and accepted a
glass from Miklos. "Natalie was in here a few weeks ago. She and I had a
lovely chat." She said casually.

Nick looked sharply in her direction. "Nat was here? Why?"

Janette regarded him coolly. "Relax, Nicolah. She just came to talk.
She is amazingly intelligent, for a mortal."

Nick looked at her. "What did you two talk about? I can't imagine that
you'd have anything in common." He narrowed his eyes at her. "Except
me."

Janette gave him her best smile. "Oh do relax. We did discuss you, but
only briefly." She turned away from him, again. "Actually, she came to
talk to me about the way that vampires have sex."

Nick looked at her in disbelief. "She did what? Why did she do that?"

Janette raised an eyebrow at him. "Nicolah, at your age you should know
why." She smiled coyly at him.

"Janette! What did you tell her?" Nick asked.

"The truth. She's a big girl, she doesn't need you to protect her."
Janette looked at him.

"I do, Janette. I need to protect her from our kind. From me, if need
be. What, exactly, did you tell her?"

Janette sighed in frustration. "Oh, very well." She motioned for Miklos
to refill her glass, then she led Nick to a quiet table in the back of
the club. After they were seated, she began to tell him of all of the
questions that Nat had asked her, and the answers she had given.

"You told her all of that?" Nick asked, once Janette had finished
telling him of their conversation.

"Yes. She would never ask you. You seem to be extremely unwilling to
give her any information about us."

"The less she knows, the safer she is." Nick said flatly.

"Au contraire, Nicolah. The *more* she knows, the safer she is. She
needs to know exactly what she's dealing with, and why secrecy is so
important." Janette told him, firmly. "She is not a little girl, nor is
she stupid. She knows the danger she's in and she accepts it."

Nick looked at Janette in surprise. Apparrently, he'd underestimated
both of the women in his life. The fact that they were now on somewhat
friendly terms made him at once pleased, and nervous. Standing, he
kissed Janette's hand and turned to leave.

<End flashback>



Nick drained his glass and headed out the door to the Caddie. He
climbed in and headed for work, flipping on his police radio as he
turned towards the precinct. He was halfway there, when his cell phone
rang.

"Knight." He answered.

"Nick, I need you to swing by the morgue and bring the file on the
Penpiper case with you. Captain's gonna kill us both, if we don't get
that one ready for court by tomorrow morning." Schanke's voice came
through the phone.

Nick smiled. "All right, Schanke. I'll stop by and pick it up. Anything
else?"

"Just try to hurry. Don't spend too much time slobbering on Nat. We
gotta get that finished."

Nick raised an eyebrow. "I don't slobber. I'll see you later." He hung
up the phone, then turned towards the Coroner's Building.

He parked the Caddie and climbed the stairs, then entered the building.
He waved hi to the Security Guard, then headed swiftly down the hall
towards Nat's lab, passing Grace in the hallway.

"Hey Detective. How are you?" Grace asked, smiling.

"Fine. You?" He glanced towards the door.

Grace grinned. "Doing great. Nat's just finished up an autopsy. It's
safe to go in."

Nick smiled and waved. "Thanks, Grace." He opened the door and entered
the lab.

Nat's back was to him, she was putting some equipment away. Nick stood
and listened to her heartbeat, and the strong, fast, fluttering
heartbeat of the child within her.

If his calculations were correct, Nat should be fifteen to seventeen
weeks along. He was surprised that she still did not look pregnant. He
made some noise, to let her know he was there. Normally, he would have
snuck up on her and scared her, but given the circumstances, he deemed
that unwise.

Nat turned and looked at him, a huge smile spreading across her face.
"Hello there. What brings you here?"

Nick walked over and pulled her close, leaning down to kiss her. "I
thought I'd stop by and slobber on you a bit." He grinned.

Nat raised both eyebrows. "Slobber?" She asked, clearly confused.

"Schanke's words." Nick said.

Nat's look showed that she finally understood. "Slobber all you like."
She said, smiling at him.

Nick sighed. "Much as I'd like to, I have to pick up the file on the
Penpiper case and get over to the precinct. Schanke said that the
Captain wants it finished by morning for court."

Nat smiled knowingly, nodding her head. She turned towards the file
cabinet and opened the third drawer down. She suddenly stopped, as if
startled.

Nick caught the movement. "Nat? Are you all right?"

Nat stood in silence a moment, then grinned. "Yeah. I'm fine." She
said, sounding as if in awe. She quickly found the report she was
searching for and handed it to him. "Here you are. Everything's finished
on this end. Once you and Schanke finish up your end, you can turn it in
to the Captain." She was still smiling.

Nick looked slightly puzzled, but he took the report from her. "Thanks,
Nat. I'll see you later?"

Nat nodded. "Yeah. I'll stop by on my way home."

Nick leaned forward and kissed her again. "I love you." He said,
softly.

Nat's eyes filled with tears. "I love you, too." She took a deep
breath. "Now get going, before Schanke puts out an APB on you."

Nick smiled, then kissed her cheek and turned to leave. Once outside
the door however, he stopped to peek back in at Nat.

She was standing with her hand on her abdomen, a look of wonder and joy
on her face. After a few moments, she rubbed her tummy and whispered.
"Hello in there. I'm your mommy. And that man that just left? He's your
daddy. You and I are going to help make all of our dreams come true."

Nick wanted to rush back in and take her in his arms. But he didn't.
For some reason, Nat was keeping this from him. He wanted her to tell
him.

He realized she must have felt the baby move for the first time, and
wished he could share that with her.
Grinning, he took the report he had and headed for the precinct.



 TWO WEEKS LATER:



  Nick sat on his sofa, holding Nat as she slept. She'd fallen asleep
halfway through the movie and he was enjoying just being able to hold
her. She would be leaving soon, for Arizona, and he wondered if she
would tell him about the baby before she left.

He carefully reached out and placed his hand on her abdomen. After a
few moments, he felt a light kick. He smiled, as he sat and felt his and
Nat's child move, for several minutes. He was amazed that she'd somehow
made this possible and he wondered how she planned on using this child
to cure him.

Nat stirred slightly and Nick moved his hand. He brushed her hair from
her forehead, then kissed the top of her head. He slipped silently out
from beneath her, making sure she was stretched out comfortably on the
sofa. He retrieved a blanket from the closet, and gently covered her
with it.

He sat on the floor beside the sofa, listening to the beating of two
hearts, both coming from the woman he loved.



 Nat awoke and looked around her. She was still at Nick's place, which
meant that she must have fallen asleep during the movie. She smiled as
she noticed the pillow and blanket Nick had provided her, without waking
her, and sat up. She stretched a bit and then stood and headed for the
bathroom. Lately, it seemed like she spent more time in there, than
anywhere else.

As she was coming out of the bathroom, she noticed Nick was coming down
the stairs.

"Sorry if I woke you up." Nat said.

"You didn't. I couldn't sleep." Nick said, walking over and pulling her
into his arms.

"Is everything all right? How are you feeling?" Nat asked, suddenly
concerned.

Nick smiled at her. "I'm fine. Really." He looked into her eyes. "I've
just been thinking how much I'll miss you, when you go to Arizona.
You're leaving in just a week."

Nat closed her eyes, relishing the feel of his fingers on her skin. She
wanted so desperately to tell him about the baby, to ask him to come
with her, but she was afraid he wouldn't understand. She was afraid that
he'd be angry with her, for taking such a risk. As it was, she still
didn't know if the vampire 'virus' had affected the baby in any way.
True all of her tests had come up normal so far, but she was just a
little afraid that at some point, they might not. She had to protect the
baby from the Community, at least until she was sure that this was a
normal, healthy, *human* child that she carried.

She opened her eyes and smiled at Nick. "I'm going to miss you."

Nick had caught the small glimmer of fear in her eyes, before the
smile, and he wondered what was behind it. Was she afraid that he might
not accept their child? Did she fear the Community? True that that was a
threat, but as long as no one knew about the child, they should be safe.
As long as the child was born healthy and... and *human*...

That was it, he suddenly realized. She feared that this baby might not
be born entirely human. He wanted to comfort her, to share these
concerns and fears with her. But she still hadn't told him. He pulled
her closer to him, wrapping his arms protectively about her shoulders
and nuzzling her hair.

"Everything will be fine, Nat. You'll see." He kissed the top of her
head, giving her a reassuring squeeze.

Nat momentarily wondered if Nick knew about the baby, but dismissed
that thought. Even at eighteen weeks, she still did not even look
pregnant. Her stomach was a little larger, but not to the point that it
was really noticeable. Her recent habit of wearing baggy clothing helped
hide her slightly larger midsection.

No, Nick must think that she was concerned about how the distance would
affect their relationship. Raising her face to look into his eyes, she
smiled. "I know. After all, we can talk to each other anytime we like,
right?"



Nick was slightly disappointed that she hadn't said anything, but he
hid his disappointment with a smile. "Right." He leaned forward and
kissed her nose. "Which reminds me." He said, moving to the table behind
the sofa. "I've got a few things for you to take with you." He smiled at
her, as he handed her a small box.

Nat grinned at him. "What is it?" She asked, looking curiously at the
brightly wrapped package.

"You'll never know, until you open it." Nick said, his eyes sparkling.

Nat removed the ribbon and tore open the wrapping paper, then opened
the box. She lifted the tissue paper, then frowned in confusion. "What's
this?" She asked, looking down at the laminated card that contained a
toll-free number and the initials, N.K.

Nick smiled. "I got a toll free number added to my home number, so you
can call me anytime, from anywhere. There's a couple more things in the
box." He said, nodding towards it.

Nat grinned and lifted out the laminated card. Beneath it, was a
calling card with a major US phone company. "Let me guess, just in case
you're not home and I need to call you?" She asked.

Nick smiled and nodded. "Yep. You can use it anytime you like, not just
to call me. Don't worry about the bill, it's taken care of." He looked
at the box. "One more."

Nat smiled with a slightly puzzled look, then lifted out the calling
card. Beneath that, was a Platinum Visa(tm) card, with her name on it.
Nat's eyes grew wide and she shook her head. "Oh, no, Nick. This is too
much. You're already paying for the phone calls, I can't--"

Nick silenced her by placing a finger on her lips. "I want you to have
it, Nat. You can keep it for emergencies only, or you can use it as
often as you'd like. I'll leave it up to you. But I really want to do
this for you. It has a rather large limit, so you don't have to worry
and like the calling card, the bills will be taken care of." He took her
hands in his and looked into her eyes. "Please accept it, Nat."

Nat looked into his eyes. His wonderfully blue, openly honest eyes. She
smiled, then nodded. "Okay. I'll accept it. But I'll be very careful in
how I use it." She promised.

Nick grinned at her. His innocent little boy grin. "It's entirely up to
you."

Nat picked up the other two cards, then placed them in the box. "Thank
you, Nick." She said, quietly.

Nick took her hand. "My pleasure. I want you to have the best of
everything. I want you to have everything you've ever dreamed." He
kissed her lightly on the lips. "I would give you the moon and stars, if
it were possible to do so."

Nat looked away from him. "Why?" She asked quietly.

Nick frowned and turned her back to face him. "Because I love you."

Nat suddenly started crying. She couldn't help it. "Nick..." She said,
letting him pull her into his arms and hold her close.



Nick held Nat while she cried, unsure of whether they were tears of
joy, or if he'd done something to upset her. He decided it was best to
just hold her and let her get it out of her system.

When the tears subsided, Nat pulled away and wiped her eyes with the
sleeve of her sweatshirt. Nick handed her a box of tissues, which she
promptly utilized. Then she smiled at him.

"No one's ever made me feel the way you do." Nat said.

Nick shook his head. "I don't understand."

Nat sniffled again, then wiped her nose. "I don't feel like I'm all
alone in the world anymore, Nick. I don't feel like I'm just another
body on this huge ball of dirt. You make me feel like I'm special and
important and beautiful and wanted... and loved."

Nick smiled. "Good. That's exactly how I want you to feel. You are all
of those things to me, and much more." He moved to her and took her in
his arms. "Stay the rest of the day?" He asked.

Nat nodded. "Okay."

Nick took her hand and started to lead her up the stairs, but Nat
stopped. "Nick? Where are we going?"

Nick looked at her. "To bed. I just want to hold you as much as I can,
before you leave."

Natalie nodded, smiling, as she climbed the stairs with him. She laid
down in the bed, pulling the covers up around her. She felt Nick slide
in behind her, and wrap his arms around her. "Good night, Nick. I love
you."

Nick kissed the back of her head. "Good night, Nat. I love you, too."
As he listened to Nat's breathing and heartrate slow, he listened to the
heartbeat of the child. Once Nat was asleep, he placed the palm of his
hand on her abdomen, so he could feel the movements of their child. "I
love both of you." He whispered, closing his eyes and letting the peace
of the moment flood through him.



ONE WEEK LATER:



 Nick sat in the lounge at the airport with Natalie, waiting for the
call to board the plane. He shifted in his seat, then looked out at the
flights that were coming and going. Finally, he stood.

"Nat, come with me?" He asked.

Natalie looked up from the booklet she was reading about her flight.
"What's up? The plane's going to be boarding soon."

"I know. Just for a minute?" Nick asked, as he led her down a corridor
to the gift shop. He noticed the huge assortment of toys in one corner,
and headed over to it.

Nat noticed him heading for the toys, and wondered what he was doing.
She raised both eyebrows, when he picked out a medium sized brown, fuzzy
teddy bear. He took it over to the cash register and paid for it, then
brought it to Nat.

"Here." He said, smiling.

Nat grinned. "What's this for?"

Nick almost said 'for the baby', but smiled at her. "To keep you
company, while you're away."

Nat laughed slightly. How like Nick, to pick something so sweetly
innocent. "Thank you."

The first call for Nat's flight came over the intercom.

"Guess I'd better get going." She said, turning towards her gate.

Nick took her hand and went with her. He stopped just as they reached
the waiting area. "Nat? I want you to think about something, while
you're in Arizona. Something that I want, whether or not you find a
cure."

Nat readjusted her carry on bag and held the teddy bear. "What is it,
Nick?" She asked, noticing that the passengers were quickly filing into
the plane.

Nick pulled out a small box, stuck it in her pocket, then kissed her
deeply. He walked her the last few feet to where they were boarding
passengers. "I want you to marry me." Nick said, just as Nat had handed
the stewardess her boarding pass.

Nat stopped and turned around. "You want me to what?"

"Miss, we must be going. You can board the plane, now." The stewardess
said.

The rest of the passengers pushed past Nat, as she moved in front of
Nick, eyes wide.

"I want you to marry me." Nick said again, quickly kissing her. "Just
think about it." He turned her towards the plane. "You'd better hurry,
or you'll miss your flight."

Nat turned numbly around and went to the gate. She stopped and looked
back at Nick once more. He waved goodbye, then made a movement ushering
her onto the plane. She boarded, then took her seat. As the plane began
taxiing down the runway, Nat looked out her window. Nick was standing,
looking out at the departing plane. He waved to her, then the plane
turned and she could no longer see him.

After they were in the air and the pilot had turned off the seatbelt
light, Nat reached into her pocket and pulled out the box Nick had stuck
in it. Opening it gingerly, her eyes grew wide and her jaw dropped
slightly. Inside, was the most beautiful diamond ring she'd ever seen.
Carefully, she removed it from the box and looked at it.

Taking a deep breath, Nat slipped the ring onto the ring finger of her
left hand. It fit perfectly. Nat stared at it for several minutes, until
the baby's sudden movement broke her reverie, and she patted her tummy.

"It's okay." She whispered. Looking at the ring again, she smiled. "If
he still wants me after he finds out what I've done, then everything
will be more than okay. It'll be perfect."



 Nat awoke when the stewardess gently shook her and informed her they
were preparing to land. She smiled and nodded, double checking that her
seatbelt was still securely fastened.  She'd slept for most of the
flight, waking only twice. Once to eat and the other to go to the
bathroom.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the Captain Speaking. We are preparing
to land, so please make sure that all seatbelts are securely fastened
and your seats are in an upright position. We hope you've enjoyed your
flight, and welcome you to fly with us again."  The Captain's voice
stopped, and the stewardess' were making sure everyone was prepared to
land.

Nat looked out her window, she could see the plane quickly approaching
the runway. She braced herself for the landing. This was the one part of
flying that she really hated.

The plane touched down, then slowed, taxiing to the gate.

Nat stood and grabbed her carry-on bag and her teddy bear, then
followed the group of people out of the plane. She began searching the
faces in the crowd awaiting the plane's arrival, for one she recognized.
She smiled, when she saw her cousin's wife, Meghan, waving to her.

Meghan hugged Nat as soon as she got to her. "Natalie. We've been so
excited about your arrival. How was your flight?"

Nat smiled at her friend. "Uneventful. I slept through most of it.
Let's get my luggage and get out of here. I can't wait to see Scott and
the kids."

Meghan nodded, and they went to the baggage claim area. In just a few
minutes, they had Nat's things and were heading towards the parking lot.



"I hope you brought some swimwear with you. It's been really hot here.
Yesterday it was 107 in the shade." Meghan said, as they placed her
luggage in the back of the station wagon.

Nat groaned. "No, I didn't. I forgot how hot it gets here. I guess I'll
have to do some shopping."

Meghan grinned at Nat, as she started the engine and turned on the air
conditioner. "And that's a bad thing?"

Nat laughed, as they pulled out of the underground parking garage. She
blinked furiously at the sun shining in through the window, and pulled
her sunglasses out of her purse. "I forgot how bright it is."

Meghan looked over at her. "You work nights. You're just not used to
it. Give it some time."

Nat smiled at her and nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right."



 They drove for about forty-five minutes, to the outskirts of town.
Scott and Meghan owned a large piece of property with a big house, a
pool, and a stable with four horses. As they pulled up into the
driveway, Nat noticed the two other cars parked in the driveway.

"You guys have three cars?" Nat asked.

"Well, one is Chris'. But since he's away at school, he said you could
drive it." Meghan indicated the small silver Camry. "He just bought it a
few months ago. I don't know why he didn't want to take it to school
with him."

Nat followed Meghan towards the front door. It was really hot outside,
and she silently prayed they had central air.

The door flew open and two girls ran out of the house. One was about
fifteen, the other around twelve.

"Mother! Brie won't stay out of my room! She keeps getting into my
makeup and wearing my clothes." The older one complained.

"Liar! I used my own makeup. And if you wouldn't leave your stuff in
the dryer, I wouldn't wear it!" Brie shouted.

Natalie tried not to smile, as Meghan looked at the two girls sternly.

"Tell me, ladies, if you two are fighting, who's watching the baby?"
Meghan asked, arching an eyebrow.

Both girls pointed at the other. Then they realized what they'd done.

Meghan took a deep breath. "Brianna, Randi, this is your cousin,
Natalie. Help her carry her things to her room, while I go and make sure
your brother is still breathing."  Her tone told the girls not to argue.



"Yes, mother." They said, in unison. They picked up Nat's luggage and
started into the house.

"I hope you'll like staying with us. We don't always fight like this."
Brie said.

"I'm sure I'll love it here." Nat told them.



She followed the two girls down a long hallway, to a bedroom at the
back of the house. They carried her things in, setting them on the
floor, near the foot of the bed.

"You'll like this room. Dad added it on for Chris, a few years ago."
Randi told her. She began showing her around the room. "Here's your
bathroom." She said, then led her to another door. She opened it and the
screen door behind it, then pointed to the shaded deck with a table and
chairs. "If you follow the path around, it takes you to the back door,
that leads into the kitchen. Or, you can go to the pool or stables, from
there."

Nat looked around and was impressed with what she saw. She followed the
girls back into the bedroom.

"The laundry room is down the hall, on your left. Mom said to make sure
you felt right at home here, so I hope we did okay." Brie said, as she
moved to stand by the door that led back into the hallway.

Natalie smiled at the girls. "You did just fine. Thank you." She looked
at her luggage sitting on the floor. "Would you like to help me unpack?"
Nat asked. "You don't have to." She added.

"That'd be cool!" Brie said, picking up one of the suitcases and laying
it on the bed.

Randi looked at her sister, then shrugged her shoulders. "Okay. Why
not?"

Nat smiled at Randi. She lifted the garment bag and laid it across the
bed. "Why don't you hang these in the closet for me, while I show Brie
where to put the stuff that's in the suitcase?"

Randi nodded and began lifting the clothes from the bag. She hung them
in the closet, carefully straightening them out.

Brie helped Nat put away the clothes in the suitcase.  Then she carried
Nat's make-up case to the bathroom and helped her put those things away,
as well.



After about half an hour, Nat's things were all put away.  She picked
the teddy bear Nick had given her up off the dresser, and adjusted the
large red bow around its neck. Then she placed it in the center of the
two pillows at the head of the bed.

"That's a cute bear. Where'd you get it?" Brie asked.

Nat smiled, looking at the ring on her left hand. "My fiancee gave it
to me. To keep me company while I'm away from home."

Brie grinned. "You're getting married? When?"

"Brie! Don't be so nosy!" Randi admonished her sister, as they headed
down the hall towards the kitchen.

"It's all right. I don't mind." Natalie told her. "Well, we haven't
decided on a date yet. He just asked me to marry him, as I was getting
on the plane to come here."

"Oh my gosh! That's so romantic!" Brie gushed.

Randi rolled her eyes at her sister.

They entered the kitchen, to find Meghan busily preparing dinner. She
glanced at them as they came in.

"Well, I wondered where you were." Meghan said.

"The girls were helping me settle in." Nat said, smiling at them. "They
did a good job."

Meghan turned around and smiled at the two girls. "I'm glad to hear
that."

"Can I help you with anything?" Nat asked Meghan.

"Oh, heavens, no!  You've just arrived. Scott will be home any minute
and he'll want to see you. Go and make yourself comfortable in the
livingroom."

Nat looked at Meghan. "Are you sure?"

"Yes! Go on. Relax, while you can! Once you start teaching that class,
you'll be busy enough." Meghan said, as she stirred a pitcher of
lemonade.

Nat headed into the livingroom, smiling when Meghan told the two girls
to stay and help her with supper. She sat on the sofa, rifling through a
stack of magazines on the coffee table. House and Garden, Seventeen, The
Outdoorsman and Equestrian.  Nat sighed, laying her head back on the
sofa. She felt the baby moving around, and she reached down and caressed
her tummy.

"So, what do you think of all of this, hmm? Quite a bit of changes
happening at once. Don't worry, though, everything will be fine."

"Talking to yourself?" A man's voice asked.

Nat started and looked up, to see her cousin Scott. She stood and went
over to hug him. "Scott! I've missed you! How are you?"

Scott looked at Nat. "I didn't mean to startle you. I'm fine and I've
missed you, too. So, talking to yourself, eh? They say that that's a
sign you need to get out more." He grinned at her.

Nat laughed and shook her head. "Actually, I was talking to my baby."
She loved the shocked look on his face.

"Baby? You're going to have a baby? When?" He sat in the chair across
from the sofa.

"Well, I'm about nineteen weeks, so I still have a ways to go. I
haven't even reached the halfway point, yet." She said, sighing. "I need
to find a good OB/GYN. And I have to meet with the chief of staff at the
University and... oh, I have a lot to do."

Scott smiled at her. "It's a good thing you came early. It gives you
time to take care of all of that, before you start teaching." He looked
at her for a moment. "So, who's the lucky guy?"

Nat smiled. "His name is Nick. He's a homicide detective with Toronto
Metro Police."

"A cop, huh? Okay. How does he feel about all this?" Scott asked.

"He was very encouraging of me coming here to teach." Nat said.

"I meant, about the baby."

Nat looked down at the floor. "He doesn't know. I haven't told him."

Scott watched her for several minutes. "Why not?" He asked, finally.

Nat looked up at her cousin. "It's complicated. He asked me to marry
him, just as I was boarding the plane to come here. I'm
not so sure that he'll still want me, after he finds out what I've
done."

Scott frowned. "What do you mean? What did you do?"

Nat was saved from answering, by Meghan. She came into the livingroom
and announced that supper was ready.

Nat stood and followed Meghan into the kitchen. She saw Brie and Randi,
sitting quietly on opposite sides of the table.

"You can sit by me, Natalie." Brie said.

Nat smiled and took a seat next to her. "Thank you."

Scott came in and sat down, then Meghan came in carrying an infant
seat. She hooked it into place on the swing in the corner, then turned
on the motor to start it swinging.

Nat noticed the baby Meghan had just put in the swing. She sat watching
it, for several minutes. She'd always been afraid of babies. Afraid
she'd drop them, or that they'd cry and she wouldn't know what to do.
Now, she was going to have one of her own. Maybe being here was going to
be a good thing, after all.

If only she didn't miss Nick so much.



Nick entered the precinct and took a seat at his desk. Nat had called,
just before he'd left for work, to let him know she'd arrived safely.
He'd wanted to ask her if she'd given any thought to his marriage
proposal, but he didn't want to push her. He glanced up when Schanke
came in and took his seat.

"So, any word from Nat?" Schanke asked.

"Yes. She called to let me know she arrived safely and she's getting
settled in at her cousin's house." Nick told him.

"You miss her already, don't you?" Schanke asked.

Nick sighed. "Yeah."

"You know, Knight, I'm impressed. You put Natalie ahead of your own
feelings, for once. That took a lot of guts. And a lot of love."

Nick looked up at his partner and saw a look of respect on his face.
"Thanks, Schank."

"So, when are you leaving?" Schanke asked.

Nick looked confused. "Leaving?"

Schanke smiled knowingly at his partner. "The woman you love is
supposed to be gone for the next three to five months. Don't tell me you
are just going to stay here and sweat it out?"

Nick smiled slightly. "I'm that predictable?"

Schanke grinned. "So? When are you leaving?"

Nick looked at his desk calendar, mentally calculating Nat's
approximate due date. Then he looked at Schanke and smiled sheepishly.
"Fifteen weeks."

Schanke looked confused. "Fifteen weeks?"

Nick smiled. "That's about when our baby is due."

The look on Schanke's face was priceless.



SIX WEEKS LATER:



  Natalie woke up and turned to look at the clock on the nighttable.
8:00 a.m. She stretched and looked at the picture of Nick that sat
beside the clock. She missed him more every day.

True they'd called one another every day, and had sent several e-mails
back and forth, but it wasn't the same as having him with her. She
wanted to share every moment of this pregnancy with him, but she felt
that was impossible.

She'd started seeing Dr. Bjarnasen, Meghan's OB/GYN, a few days after
her arrival. He'd sent for all of her records from Dr. Williams, and had
arranged for her first ultrasound. She was supposed to be at the
University Hospital by 11:00 a.m.

Throwing off the covers, she climbed out of bed and headed for the
bathroom. She'd finally started to look pregnant, but still didn't look
anywhere near the twenty-five weeks she was at. Meghan had given her
most of her maternity clothes, since she didn't plan on having anymore
children. Nat had decided that she'd still need to do some shopping,
since most of the clothes Meghan had given her were jeans, shorts and
t-shirts.

She taught a total of four classes at the University on Forensics
Pathology. One on Monday, two on Wednesday and the last on Thursday. She
spent her days off grading papers, preparing lesson plans and learning
the ins and outs of infant care from Meghan.

After she'd showered and dressed in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt with
a stork on the front, Nat headed to the kitchen, to find something to
eat.



Meghan was just finishing nursing Timmy when Nat entered the kitchen.
She smiled at her and glanced at the clock.

"Would you like me to go to the Hospital with you, today?" Meghan
asked.

Nat poured herself a glass of orange juice and took her prenatal
vitamins. "If you're not too busy, that'd be great."  She fixed herself
a bowl of Raisin Bran and a bagel with low-fat cream cheese.

Meghan rubbed Timmy's back and watched Nat bring her breakfast to the
table. "No, I'm not busy. I'll get Timmy and myself ready to go." She
stood and headed towards the nursery.

Nat was eating her breakfast, when the phone rang. She picked up the
cordless phone on the table as she swallowed the bite of cereal she'd
taken.

"Lambert residence." She answered.

"Good morning. How's my best girl doing today?" Nick's voice came over
the line.

Nat grinned. "Just fine. How are you?"

"Well, I miss you, but other than that, everything's fine. Everyone
says to tell you 'hello' and that they miss you."

"How's Sydney?" Nat asked.

"He and I are getting along very well. He's decided that sleeping on
top of the entertainment center is more comfortable than anywhere else,
though." Nick said.

Nat rolled her eyes. "He likes to find the highest place available to
go to sleep. I finally cleared off the top shelf of my bookcase for
him." She took another drink of her orange juice. "So, any interesting
cases come up?"

"Not really. Mostly domestic disputes gone bad or robberies that ended
in murder. The usual."

"Oh good, then I'm not missing anything." Nat grinned.

"Nat, have you given any thought to my question?" Nick asked, turning
serious.

Nat set her spoon down and fidgeted with her napkin. "Um, yeah, I
have."

"And?" Nick prompted.

"And I think we have a few things to discuss, first. I want to marry
you, I just think we need to talk about a few things, first." She rubbed
her tummy gently, as she felt the baby moving around.

"Nat, I know that whatever this cure is you're working on, may not
work. Whatever the problem is, we can work it out. I love you, and I
want to marry you. No matter what." Nick tried to reassure her.

Nat sighed. She really hoped he wouldn't be angry about the baby. "I
hope you're right, Nick." She looked up at the clock. "I have an
appointment, so I have to go. I'll call you later?"

Nick heard the uncertainty in her voice. He wished she trusted him
more. "Yeah, I'll look forward to it."

"Tell everyone 'hello' for me. I love you." Nat said.

"I will. I love you, too. Bye." Nick said, hanging up the phone.

"Bye." Nat said, also hanging up. She silently prayed that everything
worked out.



  Dr. Bjarnasen entered the examining room and smiled at Nat. "How are
you today?" He asked.

Nat smiled at him. "Fine. I feel great."

"That's good news. I want to do an amniocentesis on you today, to make
sure everything is okay. I'm concerned about this baby's size. Is that
all right with you?" He asked.

Nat frowned slightly in Meghan's direction, but nodded. "Yes, of
course."

"Good, I just need you to sign the appropriate forms, and we can get
started." Dr. Bjarnasen said, handing her a clipboard.

Nat quickly read over the form, then signed the bottom. "Okay. Let's do
it." She said, lying down on the table.

Dr. Bjarnasen took the clipboard from her and handed it to the nurse.
"Very well, then."

The nurse set the clipboard aside and helped Natalie prepare for the
procedure. She smiled down at her. "Don't worry, it's usually pretty
quick."

Nat smiled back. But her smile faded when she saw the size of the
needle the Dr. turned to face her with.

Dr. Bjarnasen placed the cold jelly on Nat's tummy, then moved the
ultrasound device around. "Okay then, let's find out where this baby is,
first." He smiled as he said, "Ah, there you are."

He asked the nurse to hold the device in place, while he inserted the
needle and withdrew some of the fluid.

Nat winced as she felt the needle enter her skin and took long, deep
breaths to keep from crying. She'd always hated needles and since she'd
been pregnant, she'd been stuck more times than a pin cushion.

"All finished." The Doctor told her, as he handed the full syringe to
the nurse and took the ultrasound device. He began to move it around
again. "Okay, let's get the measurements we need and take a look at this
baby."

Nat and Meghan watched as Dr. Bjarnasen took the appropriate
measurements, pointing out the baby's eyes, nose, ears and mouth. At one
point, the baby turned and stuck its thumb in its mouth.
Nat laughed as she watched, wishing all the more that Nick were here to
share this.

"Do you want to know what you're having?" He asked Nat.

Nat's eyes opened wide. She hadn't considered that. She smiled. "Yeah."



Dr. Bjarnasen looked at the screen again, moving the device a bit, then
he grinned at her. "Congratulations, it's a girl!"

Nat smiled in awe, as she watched the screen. A girl. A joyful tear
slid down her cheek, as she whispered, "Hello, Hope."



A few days later, Nat was grading papers, when Meghan entered the
livingroom.

"Nat? It's Dr. Bjarnasen with your test results." Meghan said, handing
her the cordless phone.

Brie looked up from her video game and Randi set her homework aside.
Scott put down his book, as they all awaited the news.

"Hello, this is Natalie." She said. She listened intently for a few
moments. "That'd be fine, thank you. No. Okay. Thank you. Good bye." She
hung up the phone and looked at the expectant faces around her. She
smiled. "Everything's fine. He said this is a perfectly normal, healthy
baby." Nat told everyone. 'A normal, *human* baby.' She said, silently.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief.

"Well, I think that's cause for celebration. What do you say to hot
fudge sundaes?" Meghan asked.

"Cool!" Brie said, jumping up.

Randi shrugged. "Yeah, okay."

As everyone filed into the kitchen, Nat sat with her hand on her
abdomen. She felt such relief.

Randi stopped and turned to look at her. "I'm glad everything's okay."

Natalie looked up at the normally quiet girl. "Thank you."

"Are you going to come and have a sundae with us?" She asked.

Nat smiled. "Yes. I'll be there in just a minute."

Randi nodded and left the room.



Nat picked up the phone. She mentally calculated the time, then dialed
the appropriate number.

"Ninety-sixth precinct this is Detective Schanke."

Natalie grinned. "Hi, Schank. Is Nick around?" Nat asked.

"Natalie? Hi ya, kiddo! Nick is in a meeting with the Captain. How are
you feeling?" Schanke asked.

Natalie smiled, puzzled. "Fine, Schank, why do you ask?"

"Well, I've just been concerned about you. It must be hard for you,
being pregnant and being away from Nick. I know he's counting down the
days 'til he can leave and fly down there to be with you." Schanke said.



Natalie sat frozen in place for a minute. She was vaguely aware of
Schanke prattling on about Myra and Jenny. Finally, she shook herself.
"Um, that's great, Schank. Tell Nick I called, will you? I have to go.
Take care."

"Sure, Nat. Take care of yourself and the little one. Bye." He hung up
the phone.

Nat hung up the phone, sitting in shock. Nick knew. How did he know?
She thought of all the possibilities, then realized the one thing she'd
forgotten through all of this.

Heartbeats. Nick could hear heartbeats.

"Natalie? Your sundae's ready!" Meghan called from the kitchen.

"I'm coming!" Nat called. She stood and headed for the kitchen.

She knew the next time she talked to Nick, she had a lot of explaining
to do.

EIGHT WEEKS LATER:



 Natalie sat on the patio in the backyard, reading a book on parenting
newborns. She was now at thirty-three weeks, and she could hardly wait
until Hope arrived.

Randi came out of the house, carrying the cordless phone. "It's for
you. I think it's Nick."

Nat smiled as she accepted the phone. "Thank you, Randi."

Randi nodded and went back inside.

"Hello?" Nat answered.

"Hello yourself. How are you feeling?" Nick asked, looking down at the
plane ticket in his hand.

"I feel like a beached whale." Nat said, smiling ruefully.

Nick chuckled. "Well, it'll be over, soon." He told her.

Nat sighed, gently rubbing her tummy. "Yeah." She could feel the
movements of her tiny baby girl, and she smiled. "When are you coming
out?"

"Oh, I'll be there before you know it. Schanke and I are wrapping up a
case and all the computers are down." Nick told her.

"Sounds lovely." Nat said dryly.

"I just thought I'd check in with you, before I left for work. Are you
still subbing for the Biology Professor?" Nick asked her.

"Yeah. Tonight's my last night. I'm glad Professor Alexander returned
early. I don't think I could have taken much more of that Forensics
Pathology class.  Those kids are truly scary." Nat told him. "Professor
Dylan will be back on Monday, so this is the last class I'm teaching."

"That's good. You're getting close to your due date. Now's your chance
to relax." Nick checked his watch. "I've gotta run."

Nat grinned. "Okay. I love you."

Nick smiled. "I love you, too.  Both of you."  He hung up the phone and
picked up his suitcases. He couldn't wait to see the look on Nat's face
when he arrived.

Natalie hung up the phone and turned back to her book. But her thoughts
kept straying to the night she'd talked to Nick, and told him Schanke
had told her that he knew about the pregnancy...

<flashback>



  Nick answered the phone, just as he finished downing a glass of
blood. "Yeah, Knight."

"Nick?  It's Nat. Did Schanke tell you I called earlier?" She sounded
really nervous.

Nick frowned. "No, he didn't. Is something wrong?"

"Well, I'm not sure, actually.  Schanke said something when I talked to
him..." She paused.

"Nat? What is it? What did Schanke say?" Nick could hear the
uncertainty in her voice.

"Why didn't you tell me that you knew that I'm pregnant?" Nat asked,
quietly.

Nick set the bottle he held down and stood still for a moment. "I'm not
really sure. At first, I thought that maybe you'd been with someone
before that night at your apartment.  But the more I thought about it,
the more I realized that that was unlikely. You wouldn't have kept
something like that from me." Nick picked up his glass and moved to the
sofa. "I thought about the weeks previous to that, and I went to talk to
Janette. She told me that you'd been to see her and what you'd
discussed. I realized what you'd done, but I couldn't understand why you
hadn't told me.  Why didn't you tell me, Nat?" Nick asked.

Nat swallowed hard. "I was afraid of your reaction. I wasn't sure how
you felt about me, when I first started out. I was afraid you might be
angry with me for taking such a risk.  After I found out how you felt,
well... I just couldn't find the right way to tell you."

"I can see where that would cause some difficulty." Nick said,
smiling.  "I'm glad we're getting this out into the open, Nat. I asked
you to marry me, knowing full well that you were carrying my child.  But
that is not *the* reason I asked you. I really do love you. And cure or
no cure, I want to be with you."

Nat had tears running down her face. "You don't know how happy I am to
hear that. I was so afraid that you'd be angry. I was also more than
just a little concerned about how the Community might react."

Nick frowned slightly. "Nat, I have to ask..."

"No, Nick. There's not a trace of the vampire element in her blood."
Nat answered, before he could voice the question.

Nick breathed a sigh of relief. Then he realized something. "Her?" He
asked.

Nat smiled broadly. "Yes, Nick. *Her*.  It's a girl. I've chosen the
name Hope for her. Is that all right?"

Nick grinned. "Of course it is. It's very appropriate."  He looked at
the glass in his hand. "Nat, how do you expect to cure me?"

Nat took a deep breath. "Wellll... That's a little more complicated."
Nat said. "I read this article on using bone marrow from healthy
relatives, to cure certain genetic diseases.  I did a little research,
and found out that it might work for you. The problem was, you didn't
have any living, biological relatives.  I talked to Janette, to find out
if it were possible for male vampires to father children. She told me
that she'd heard of a case, many years ago, where that happened. The
only problem is, most vampires kill their lovers in the sexual act, by
taking their blood."

Nick nodded. "Yes, that's generally the case." Nick told her.

"Well, I decided to find out whether or not it was possible for you to
father a child, and if so, I was going to create a living, biological
relative for you." Nat placed one hand protectively on her abdomen.

"You did that, even though you weren't sure of how I felt?  Did you
give any thought to the danger?" Nick asked.

"Yes. I thought a great deal about the whole thing. In the end, I
decided that I loved you enough to face any possible dangers, or even
your hating me, to cure you." Nat said, quietly.

Nick sat in silent shock. No one had ever loved him that much. "Oh,
Nat..." He breathed. "Do you have any idea how much I love you?" He
asked.

Nat smiled, wiping away a tear. "Yes, I think I do." She grabbed a
tissue from her nighttable and wiped her nose. "So, when are you coming
out?"

Nick grinned. "How soon are you due?"

<end flashback>



 Natalie came out of her reverie and looked around. It was starting to
get dark out, and it was getting a little chilly.

Besides, she had to get ready to teach her last class.



 Nick silently set his suitcases on the floor and walked over to the
bed. He smiled at the sight before him. It always amazed him, how
peaceful Natalie always looked when she was asleep.

Nick had called Nat's cousin to let him know that he would be arriving
very late at night. Scott had told Nick where Nat's room was located,
and that you could get in through the door using a hidden key under the
mat.

So here he was, standing in the dark room, watching as Natalie slept.

He quietly opened his suitcase and pulled out a pair of silk pajamas,
then went into the bathroom to change. When he reemerged from the
bathroom, he closed all of the blinds and curtains, then silently
slipped into bed behind Nat, pulling her into his arms. He laid his
hands carefully on Nat's abdomen and felt the movements of their child.
Feeling content for the first time in months, Nick closed his eyes and
drifted off to sleep.



Natalie smiled as she dreamed of Nick. He was holding her in his arms
and kissing her lightly.

"Natalie?" She could hear him softly calling her name.

"Hmm?"

"Natalie?" He called again.

She sighed. "Yes, Nick, I'll marry you. Just wait until the egg hatches
and the vampires fly away."

Nick pulled back, grinning at her. He chuckled lightly, as he kissed
her nose. He could feel Hope's movements and he could hear her
heartbeat.  He smiled as he began to rub slow circles on Nat's tummy.

Nat opened one eye and looked at him. "That feels nice, but my back
could use a massage, more."

Nick grinned. "As my lady commands." He moved his hands around to her
back, gently massaging the tense muscles.

Nat closed her eye and smiled. Suddenly, both eyes popped open and she
turned to see Nick lying behind her. "Nick?!"

Nick smiled at her. "That would be me."

Nat turned to face him, and reached out and touched his face. "You're
really here? When did you get here? Why didn't you tell me you were
coming? How did you get in here? Does Scott and Meghan know you're
here?" Her questions came out in a rush, as she tried to convince
herself that she wasn't dreaming, again.

Nick grinned at her. "Whoa, wait a minute! One question at a time." He
kissed her lightly on the lips. "Yes, I'm really here. I got in about
four a.m. I didn't tell you I was coming, because I wanted to surprise
you. Scott and Meghan know I'm here, because Scott is the one that told
me where to find the key to get in." He raised both eyebrows. "Any more
questions?"

Nat was grinning ear to ear. "None that I can think of. I'm so glad to
see you. I've missed you."

Nick kissed her, deeply this time. When they broke their kiss, Nick
brushed a stray curl from her face. "I've missed you, too."

He grinned mischieviously at her. "So, will you marry me, or do I have
to wait until the egg hatches and the vampires fly away?"

Nat looked at him in total confusion. "What in the world are you
talking about?"

Nick laughed lightly as he kissed her nose. "You tell me, you're the
one that said it. I didn't know you talked in your sleep."

Nat's eyes opened wide and she turned bright red. "What else did I
say?"

"Nothing to incriminate you too badly. You did say you'd marry me."
Nick caressed her cheek. "Will you? Whether or not we find a cure. I
want you to be my wife."

Nat smiled at him, then kissed his nose. "I think I could live with
that arrangement." She said, looking into his eyes.

Nick breathed a sigh of relief, then pulled her to him for another
kiss.

There was a knock on the door and then Brie's voice came from the other
side. "Mom says breakfast will be ready in half an hour.  She also said
that she's closed all the blinds, so Nick can join us."

Nat grinned. "Thanks, Brie. We'll be there soon." She called back.

Nick laughed and Nat looked up at him. "What?" She asked.

"Brie was talking to herself as she left."

"And?"

"And she doesn't want to know what we're doing in here, because it's
probably gross." Nick told her, amused.

Nat laughed, then flashed an evil grin in his direction. "Not yet. But
soon."



SIX WEEKS LATER:



Nat sat up in bed and grabbed Nick's hand. "Nick?"

Nick opened his eyes and looked at her. "What's wrong?" He could hear
the change in the baby's heartbeat, and Nat's as well.

Natalie squeezed his hand tightly and took long, deep breaths. "I think
it's time to go."

Nick looked at his watch. "How far apart are the contractions?"

"About five minutes. They've been getting closer together and stronger
for the last two or three hours." She told him.

"Why didn't you wake me sooner?" Nick asked.

Nat looked at him. "I tried. You sleep like the dead."

"Nat I am--"

"Nick!" Nat squeaked, tightening her grip on his hand.

When her grip loosened, Nick climbed out of bed. Nat was getting out on
the other side. "Nat, are you sure it's time to go?"

Nat gasped and grabbed the bedpost, as Nick flew to her side. She
looked down at the warm puddle forming at her feet.

"Yeah. I'd say it's definitely time to go."



  Nick slipped back into Nat's room, smiling at Meghan. "How are you
doing?" He asked Nat.

Nat looked up at him. "I want to lie down. I can't stand it anymore.
They've had me pacing the halls since I got here."

Nick went over to her and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Well, your
doctor said that you need to keep moving." He kissed her forehead. "Come
on, I'll help you."

"I think that's my cue to leave." Meghan said. She walked over and
carefully hugged Nat. "Don't worry, you'll be fine."

"I wish I shared your optimism." Nat said, as Meghan left the room.
Another contraction hit, and Nat stopped, gasping for air.

"Breathe, Nat. Just like you learned." Nick told her. He guided her
through the breathing techniques that they'd learned in childbirth
classes.

When the contraction had passed, Nat tried to pull away from Nick.
"I've got to lie down. I can't take anymore."

Nick held onto her. "Nat? Nat, look at me."

She looked up into his eyes.

"I can help, if you'll let me." Nick told her. "I can take away some of
the pain. Surrender your will to me?"

Nat stared at him. "Hypnotize me?" She asked uncertainly.

Nick smiled. "Yes. Just so that it takes some of the edge off of the
pain. Trust me?"

Another contraction hit and Nat moaned in protest. Nick helped her
breathe through it, then held her in his arms when it ended.

Nat looked up at him. "Do it." She said, pleadingly.

Nick smiled tenderly at her. "Just relax and look at me. Surrender your
will to me, Nat." He focused on her heartbeat. When he was sure he had
her attention, he continued. "You'll feel the pain of the contractions,
but it will no longer be unbearable. You can tolerate them, they won't
be as painful. Just do your breathing exercises through each one and
you'll be fine."

Nat nodded slightly. "Breathe... Not as painful..." She repeated.

Nick smiled. "That's it. Just relax." He held her in his arms, as he
let go of the hold he had on her.

Nat shook her head slightly. "That's it?" She asked.

Nick nodded. "That's it. How do you feel?"

Nat winced slightly. "Here comes another one." She began breathing,
Nick coaching her through it. When it ended, she looked at him. "It
worked." She said, somewhat awed.

Nick kissed her nose. "Good. Now, let's walk."



Two hours later, they were in the birthing room. Nick had slipped out,
one last time, to go and drink two bottles of blood. He didn't want
anything to ruin this.

He entered the room, just as the nurse had finished preparing Nat for
the birth. Her contractions were coming less than two minutes apart,
now.

"Are you certain you don't want anything for the pain?  It won't
diminish the experience, it'll just help you." Dr. Bjarnasen was
speaking to Nat.

"No, really. I'm fine." Nat told him, looking over at Nick. "I have a
good coach."

"Well, all right then. Let's find out what this little lady looks
like." Dr. Bjarnasen said, a bit confused. Most mothers were begging for
pain medication at this point.

Nick took Nat's hand as another contraction hit. "Breathe, Nat. Just
try to relax."

"Okay, Natalie. When the next contraction hits, I want you to push.
Okay?" Dr. Bjarnasen told her.

Nat nodded. "Okay."

As the next contraction began, Nick put his arms around Nat, supporting
her back. He took one of her hands, as she started to push. Nat groaned
with the effort.

"Okay, Natalie, relax a minute." Dr. Bjarnasen told her.

Nat leaned heavily into Nick's arms, gasping for air.

Nick used a cool, damp cloth to wipe away the sweat from her face and
and neck, then kissed her forehead. "You're doing great, Nat." He told
her.

Nat winced as another contraction started.

"Okay Natalie, push!" Dr. Bjarnasen told her.

Nat leaned forward, with Nick once again supporting her, and pushed.
She clenched her teeth together and tried to keep from screaming.

"The head's out!" Dr. Bjarnasen told them. "Don't push anymore, until I
tell you." He told Nat.

Nat leaned back, breathing in short, shallow gasps. This was harder
than she'd ever imagined, even with Nick's 'assistance'.

Nick could hear the bustling about of the nurses, and he looked up and
saw the Doctor suctioning out the baby's mouth and nose. The smell of
the blood was like a beacon calling to him, but he refused to give in.
He focused all of his energy on helping Nat.

Nat smiled weakly at Nick, as another contraction began. She focused on
his words, following his lead in the breathing exercises. When the
contraction ended, Nat sighed, listening to the bustling about in the
room.

Nick had been watching the Doctor and the nurses. He'd delivered a few
babies and he knew by the expression on their faces, that something was
wrong. He listened intently, thankful for once, for his vampiric
hearing. He frowned, when he heard the reason for the delay. The cord
was wrapped around Hope's neck.



 Dr. Bjarnasen and the nurses worked with quiet efficiency, trying to
get the cord from Hope's neck. They had been working on trying to solve
the dilemma for about ten minutes, when Nat finally realized something
was up.

"Nick? What's wrong?" She could tell by the look on his face that
something serious was going on.

Nick wanted to reassure her, but knew that it would be impossible to
lie to her. He leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the lips, then
grasped her hand.

Just then, another contraction hit, and Natalie tried to focus on her
breathing exercises. Nick was talking to her in soothing tones,
encouraging her through it.

When the contraction subsided, Nat looked over at Nick. "Tell me what's
wrong, Nick."

Nick looked into Nat's eyes. "The cord is wrapped around Hope's neck,
Nat. They're trying to remove it, without hurting her."

Nat's eyes widened and she nodded slightly. She knew that she had to
stay calm, so that her baby had a better chance.

A few more tense moments passed, then Dr. Bjarnasen looked up and
smiled.

"Okay, Natalie, when the next contraction hits, I want you to push." He
told her.

Nat and Nick both let out sighs of relief, then Nick got behind Nat
again.

The next contraction hit, and Nat started pushing again. For the next
seven minutes, Nat pushed during her contractions and collapsed against
Nick in between them.

Finally, after sixteen hours of serious labor, Hope Nicole Knight made
her entrance into the world with a loud squall.

"Congratulations! It's a girl!" Dr. Bjarnasen said, holding her up for
Nick and Natalie to see her.

Natalie smiled, her eyes filling with joyful tears.

Nick looked down at Nat, gently caressing her hair, a huge grin on his
face. "Thank you, Natalie, for such a precious gift." He said softly,
kissing her lightly on the lips.

Nat swallowed hard and smiled up at him. "You're welcome, Nick. I love
you."

"And I love you. More than I've loved anyone in my entire life." He
told her.

Dr. Bjarnasen looked up at Nick. "Would you like to go with the nurse
to the nursery?"

Nick looked uncertainly at Nat.

She grinned at him. "Go ahead, Daddy. I'll be fine."

Nick smiled at her, as a nurse brought the now wrapped bundle to them.

"I thought you might want to see her up close, before we take her to
the nursery." The nurse told them.

Nat looked into the face of her tiny little girl and smiled softly. She
tenderly kissed her forehead, as she whispered, "Hello, Hope. Welcome to
the world."

Nick leaned down and kissed Nat, then followed the nurse out of the
room.



 A few hours later, Nick knocked on the door to Nat's room, as he
entered. He smiled at her sleeping form. He walked over to the bed and
brushed a few stray curls away from Nat's forehead, then he kissed her
softly.

Nat stirred and opened her eyes. She smiled when she saw Nick. "Hi."
She said to him.

Nick smiled back. "Hi. How are you feeling?"

"Fine. Just a little tired. How's Hope?" Nat asked.

"A little cold. She's very tiny, for a full term baby. She only weighs
5lbs. 3oz. They have her under a light, to bring her body temperature
up. Nurse Mallory said she'd bring her down to us, as soon as she warms
up." Nick told her. "Other than that, they said she is absolutely
perfect." Nick grinned.

Nat smiled back at him. "How are you?  Have you eaten anything
recently?" Nat asked.

Nick nodded. "After we finished up in the nursery, I went downstairs
and grabbed something."

Nat raised an eyebrow.

Nick laughed. "I had several bottles in the trunk of the car, just for
this occasion."

Nat seemed to relax at that and then she closed her eyes. "I could
sleep for a week."

Nick smiled. "You won't get the chance. Our little girl has quite a set
of lungs."

Natalie opened her eyes, a dreamy expression on her face. "Our little
girl. That has such a nice ring to it."

Nick carefully sat on the edge of her bed, then leaned forward, smiling
at her. "Yes, it does." He leaned forward and kissed her, gently
wrapping his arms around her. They deepened the kiss, allowing
themselves a rare moment of shared passion.

"Ahem." A voice from the door broke their kiss. They looked over to see
Nurse Mallory. "I believe this young lady is hungry."

Natalie smiled, as Nick moved from the bed.

"Okay, Momma, tell me the ID number on your plastic band."

Nat looked down at it. "742315." Nat read.

Nurse Mallory checked the band on Hope's foot, then the one on her
wrist. "Yep, this one's yours." She said, smiling as she handed the tiny
bundle over to Nat.  "Do you want some help getting started?"

Nat cradled Hope in her arms. "No, thank you. I'll call, if I need
help."

Nurse Mallory smiled approvingly and quietly left the room.

Natalie carefully unwrapped the blanket around Hope and began to look
at her. She touched the tiny fingers, counting each one, then moved to
her toes. She was amazed that the entire length of Hope's foot, was only
as big as her thumb. She removed the cap they had on her head and
grinned at the small amount of dark blonde hair, with reddish brown
highlights, curling at the top of her head. Nat ran her palm over Hope's
head, feeling how soft she was.

Nick watched as Nat looked their child over, in awe. He smiled, as Nat
pulled Hope close and breathed in her fresh, clean scent.

Hope had begun to stir, the minute Nat had unwrapped her. At last, she
opened both eyes and looked up at Natalie. She intently watched this new
person, as she touched her.

Natalie smiled into Hope's dark blue eyes. "Hello there." She said,
softly.

Hope tilted her head slightly at the familiar voice.

"Are you a hungry girl?" Nat asked. She had replaced the cap on Hope's
head and rewrapped her in the blanket. She sat up straighter in the bed,
pulling one of the sleeves of the hospital gown down off of her arm.

Nick averted his eyes. "Uh, Nat? Do you want me to leave?" He asked.

Nat looked over at him, slightly amused. "No. You can stay." She
readjusted Hope and helped her to latch on. She was surprised by how
simple it had seemed.

Nick glanced over at Nat and saw that she was covered up on one side,
but her arm and shoulder were bare on the other. He couldn't see beyond
that, as Natalie had Hope cradled in her arms, nursing.

Natalie allowed Hope to nurse for about five minutes, then switched
sides.

Nick had seen other mothers nursing their children, so he wasn't quite
sure why he was so uncomfortable about watching Nat. He loved the tender
expression in her eyes, as she gazed down at their daughter.

When Nat finished nursing, she looked up at Nick. "Do you want to hold
her?"

Nick grinned, as he moved towards them. "Absolutely."  He carefully
took Hope from Nat, making sure to support her head. He stood there,
silently watching his little girl as she yawned. He placed a towel over
his shoulder, as Meghan had instructed him when he'd held Timmy, then
moved her so that her head was now resting on his shoulder. He gently
patted and rubbed her back, until he heard a soft burp. Grinning, he
began walking around the room with her, singing a lullaby.

"Sleep my child and peace attend thee, all through the night. Guardian
angels, God will send thee, all through the night. While the world is
soundly sleeping, and the hours are softly creeping. I my loving vigil
keeping, all through the night."

Nick carefully laid Hope in the hospital's rolling infant bed. When he
turned back to face Nat, he was surprised to see tears running down her
cheeks.  "Nat?" He asked, moving towards her. "What's wrong?"

Natalie moved into Nick's arms the minute he sat at the edge of her
bed. She smiled up at him, as he brushed away a tear. "Nothing's wrong,
Nick." She told him. "When I first started out, I thought that you'd be
angry with me. That you might even end up hating me. I just don't know
what I did to deserve to be so happy. You are going to be a terrific
father, Nick. Even if this cure I want to try doesn't work, I know that
you'll be a wonderful Daddy. We've been given a special gift, Nick."

Nick kissed Nat tenderly, then smiled at her. "I love you, Natalie
Lambert. I promise you, I'll do the very best I can to be a good husband
and father. Whether or not we find a cure."

Nick stood and carefully wheeled Hope's bed closer to Nat's. Then he
sat down beside Nat, holding her in his arms.

In no time at all, they were both soundly asleep.



THREE WEEKS LATER:



  Nick opened the door and then followed Natalie into the loft. He'd
made arrangements for the downstairs room to have a bed and a bassinet
added to it, so that Nat and Hope could stay there. He figured they
could go shopping for the rest of the necessary baby items tomorrow.

Nat walked into the loft and took a deep breath. It was strange to her
to think that she'd always felt more at home here, than at her
apartment. She took off her coat and hung it on the 'tree' by the door,
then walked over to where Nick was taking Hope out of the infant seat.

"It's actually warm in here, Nick. Did you finally get the heater
fixed?" Nat asked, accepting her tiny daughter from Nick.

"Yes. I thought with you and Hope staying here, it would need to be
warmer. It is October, after all." Nick carried Nat's suitcases in from
the lift, to her room, then returned and carried his own up to his
room.  "Are you hungry?" Nick called down.

"No. The meal I had on the flight was fine. I'm just tired, more than
anything." She moved towards the room Nick had carried her things into.
She stopped and smiled when she saw the room. All of her bedroom
furniture had been moved from storage and now filled the room.  There
was a bassinet not far from Natalie's bed, so she went over and laid
Hope in it.

Nick came in with the diaper bag and set it on Nat's bed. "Why don't
you go and shower and get ready for bed? I'll change Hope and then you
can feed her right before you go to sleep."

Nat smiled at him. "Thank you. I could really use a hot shower."

Nick leaned forward and kissed her on the lips. "Take your time. I'll
keep Hope entertained."

Nat nodded and grabbed one of her bags, then headed up the stairs.

Nick walked over to the bassinet and unwrapped Hope. He grabbed a fresh
diaper and the baby wipes, and began to change her.

Hope started to stir, as soon as her blankets had been removed. The
more she was jostled, the more awake she became. When the cold baby wipe
touched her skin, she let out a scream of protest, at having been so
rudely awakened.

Nick quickly put the fresh diaper on Hope and fixed her pajamas. Then
he rewrapped her in her blanket and picked her up, talking softly to
her.

He heard the lift motor engage and he frowned. He headed out to the
living area, his daughter safely cradled in his arms.  He was surprised
to see Grace exit the lift.

"Nick? You're home? I had no idea. I was coming by to feed Sydney. How
are you?" She asked, setting the grocery bag she carried on the sink.
She stopped at the sight of the baby. "What is that?"

Nick smiled at her. "It's called a baby, Grace."

Grace put her hands on her hips and tilted her head to one side. "I
know *that*. Who's baby is it?"

Nick grinned proudly. "Mine."

Grace raised a suspicious eyebrow at him. "And just where is the mother
of your baby?"

Nick nodded towards the stairway. "Taking a shower. It was a long
flight."

Grace was about to say something else, when Natalie came down the
stairs, clad in her robe and towel drying her hair. Grace looked first
at Nick, then at Nat, then back to Nick.

"You mean?" Her eyes looked ready to pop out of her head.

Nick nodded, still grinning.

Nat saw Grace and smiled at her friend. "Hi, Grace. What are you doing
here?"

"She's been feeding Sydney, while I've been gone." Nick told her.

"Oh, that's great! Thanks so much, Grace. I hope he didn't give you any
trouble." Nat said, accepting Hope from Nick and giving him a quick
kiss.

Grace shook herself. "You two had a baby together and you didn't *tell*
me?!?" She finally burst out.

Nat looked at Grace and smiled. "It was supposed to be a surprise."

"Well, it sure is!" Grace said.

Nat shook her head. "I meant, it was supposed to be a surprise for
Nick. He found out and came to Arizona to be with me."

Grace was beaming. "So? What'd you have?"

Nat smiled, walking over to stand by Grace. "A girl. Her name is Hope."



Grace began fussing over the tiny girl and making 'baby' noises at her.
"She seems so tiny."

Nat nodded. "She was barely over five pounds at birth, and she's only
three weeks old. When we took her to the doctor yesterday, before we
left, she'd lost some weight. She only weighs four pounds, eleven
ounces. But, she's eating well and is otherwise very healthy."

Grace looked at Nick and Natalie. "I'm so happy for you both.
Congratulations."

They both smiled and thanked her.

"Well, I'd better go and let you guys get some rest. Call me later and
fill me in?" Grace said, moving towards the lift.

"I will. Thanks again, for taking care of Syd." Nat told her.

"My pleasure, sweetie." She said, as the lift door closed.

Nick kissed Nat on the cheek. "I'm going to head up to bed. Do you need
anything?"

Nat smiled. "No. I'm just going to feed Hope, then go to bed, myself."

Nick nodded and headed up the stairs. He paused momentarily, as Natalie
pulled open the front of her robe and began to nurse Hope. He smiled and
headed for bed.



 Over the next several weeks, Nick and Natalie were kept busy. First,
they had to buy the necessary baby items for Hope. Then, they had to
start sorting through Natalie's belongings, deciding which ones stayed
and which ones went. They had also started the plans for their wedding,
which was scheduled for Christmas Eve. And to add to all of that,
everyone kept stopping by to see the new addition and congratulate the
new parents.

Natalie laid down on her bed and closed her eyes. She was exhausted.
Nick had gone into the station, to help with an investigation, so she'd
used that time to run over to the Coroner's office, Hope in tow, to see
if Nick's cure were going to work.

Nick came in and noticed that the loft was still in a state of turmoil.
He'd suggested to Nat that they buy a house, but she said there were too
many changes happening all at once, and she wanted to wait a bit. He
made his way to the refridgerator, and pulled out a bottle. He took a
long drink and then grabbed a glass from the cupboard.

After finishing up the rest of the bottle, Nick went and rinsed his
glass. He'd just finished, when he heard Hope crying. Making his way
towards Nat's room, he looked in the door. Nat was sound asleep and Hope
was getting louder. He walked in and picked her up, trying to soothe
her.

As he was preparing to change her diaper, Nick saw the small bandage on
Hope's arm and frowned. She wasn't due for any innoculations, so he
wondered what it could be. He quickly changed and rewrapped his
daughter, then headed out into the livingroom with her.

Nat awoke several hours later and rubbed her eyes. She glanced at the
clock and realized that Hope should have wanted to be fed over an hour
ago. She stood and walked to the bassinet, freezing in her tracks when
she saw that it was empty. She turned and rushed out into the
livingroom, then stopped and smiled at the sight before her.

Nick was asleep on the sofa, Hope laying on his chest. He had his hands
protectively covering her, as they both slept.

Nat noticed the empty bottle on the table and shook her head. She'd
used the breast pump to make a few bottles, and it appeared Nick had
made use of one. Relaxed that everything was fine, Nat headed for the
kitchen to grab something to eat.

Nick woke up and saw Natalie in the kitchen. He carefully sat up, so as
not to wake Hope, and laid her in the cradle near the fireplace.

Nat heard the creaking of the sofa, and glanced over to see Nick get up
and go put Hope in the cradle. She smiled, as she reached into one of
the drawers in the refridgerator and pulled out a syringe.

Nick came into the kitchen and saw Nat's smile. He smiled back, as he
wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her. When he pulled away,
he noticed the syringe she held in her hand, filled with an amber
liquid. "What's that?"

Nat grinned. "Give me your arm."

Nick looked sideways at her. "Nat..."

"Just trust me. Give me your arm." She waited patiently for him to roll
up his sleeve and extend his arm to her. She used the alcohol swab she'd
just opened to clean the area, then injected the needle into the vein in
his forearm. After rubbing the spot for a few moments, she gave him a
kiss and went to dispose of the needle.

Nick looked at his arm, where Nat had just poked him. "Just what
exactly was that?"

Nat turned to look at him, her face serious. "How do you feel?" She
asked, avoiding his question.

Nick frowned. "I feel fine. Nat? What's going on?"

Nat grinned at him. "Well, Mr. Knight, if it works, that was your cure.
I figure two injections a day for a week, as long as there are no
serious side affects, then one a day for ten more days. If I'm right---
and I emphasize the word *if*, if I'm right, you should be mortal again
in about seventeen to twenty-one days." She turned to pour herself a cup
of coffee, but was interrupted when Nick suddenly lifted her off of the
ground and spun her around, laughing like a little boy.

"Three weeks Nat? I could be mortal in three weeks?" He stopped and
turned her to face him. "I might actually get to make love to you on our
wedding night?" He asked, softly caressing her cheek.

Nat blushed and nodded.

Nick pulled her close to him and kissed her deeply. "I love you." He
whispered into her hair, as he held her to him. "I love you."

Nat fought back the tears forming in her eyes, as she silently prayed
that this worked.

SIX YEARS LATER: Christmas Day



  Natalie ducked, as another snowball flew in her direction. She turned
a circle, seeking out the culprit, and spotted Don Schanke. Grinning
wickedly, she motioned towards Jenny and Myra. They moved over to
distract him, while Nat prepared her snowball. At her signal, the two
women ducked and Don Schanke got nailed right in the back of the head
with the wet ball of ice.

"All right! Now you're all asking for it!" He yelled, preparing another
pile of snowballs.

Nat prepared hers, as well, then hid behind the large oak. As soon as
Schanke turned around, she let him have it.

Myra and Jenny made for the patio, staying out of the way of the fued.

Hope came out, bundled in her snowsuit and stood watching her mother
for several minutes. Finally, she laughed, as Nat and Schank were both
hit at once by snowballs.

Natalie and Schanke looked in the direction the snowballs had come from
and they both prepared their retribution.

"Now, now! I only did that, to end your little war! You wouldn't hit an
unarmed man, would you?" Nick laughed, holding both hands in the air.

Schanke had sidled up to Nat's side. They looked at one another, then
grinned, as they both sent snowballs flying in his direction.

Nick joined in the laughter, as he shook the snow from his blonde
curls, the sunlight glinting on the ice, making his hair seem to glow.

Nat went over and hugged her husband, then gave him a tender kiss.

Schanke rolled his eyes, then turned to watch the group of children
building a snowman. He shook his head in wonder, once again, at the
brood of children Nick and Nat had.

Of the eight children playing in the snow, four of them were Nick and
Nat's biological children. Two were adopted, and the other two were
foster children, though Schanke had no doubt that they'd eventually be
adopted into the Knight family, as well.

It had come as quite a shock to everyone on the police force when,
shortly after Hope's birth, Nick and Natalie had permanently resigned.
Finding out that Nick was a multi-millionare was an even bigger shock,
though it explained a lot of his 'eccentricities'.  The fact that Nick
had changed his name and left home when he was eighteen, then had become
a police officer, was a surprise to everyone. No wonder Nick was always
so close-mouthed about his past.

But Nick had decided that now that he had a family to care for, police
work was just too risky. Nat had somehow cured him of his mysterious sun
allergy, and things had taken off from there.

Funny thing was, Nick and Nat hadn't really changed, at all. They'd
moved into a large house in the suburbs, after their son, Richard, was
born. They stayed in close contact with everyone, donating huge amounts
of money to charity and helping the families of officers injured or
killed, in the line of duty.

Schanke watched, as Nick and Nat rounded up their group and herded them
towards the house.

Once everyone was cleaned up and seated at the large table, Nick said
the blessing and they all enjoyed their holiday dinner. After dinner,
gifts were exchanged and dessert was served. Finally, Schanke and Myra
and Jenny said goodbye and they headed towards their own home.



Nick and Natalie went up the stairs, hand in hand, to tuck everyone in.
Hope was sleeping soundly in her bed, as were Maggie and Grace. They
kissed the three goodnight, then went out and closed the door.

In the next room, Richard and Alex were snoring softly. Nat smiled, as
she removed the candy cane from eight year old Alex's hand and kissed
him goodnight. She handed the sticky candy to Nick, before kissing
Richie.  She went over and held her hand out to ten year old James.

James reluctantly handed the palm-sized video game to his foster
mother, then turned off the bedside light. She leaned forward and
covered him up, kissing him goodnight. "Get some sleep. You'll have all
day tomorrow to play with that thing." She whispered to him, ruffling
his hair.

They closed the door and went into the nursery. On the far wall, in the
toddler bed, was little Brian. He'd been brought to them, along with
James, when their parents were killed in an auto wreck. Since there was
no family to claim the children, they wound up 'in the system'.  Natalie
covered the barely two year old boy, kissing him softly. He hugged his
teddy bear closer, but settled right back to sleep.

Lastly, they walked over to the crib where their youngest, Kristin, lay
sleeping. She was ten months old, and had just learned how to walk. She
had kicked all of her covers off and now lay sprawled about the crib.

Nick carefully covered her back up, then motioned for Nat to follow him
out of the room.



 Natalie came out of the bathroom and crawled into bed. She snuggled up
next to Nick, as he finished reading the latest chapter in the book he
was reading. She thought about how much their lives had changed, in such
a short time.

Once the cure had worked on Nick, Natalie had been terrified that the
vampire Community would somehow interfere. Janette had gone to the loft
once, to assure them that the Community had no interest in them. The
Enforcer's had made it clear that as long as Nick and Natalie guarded
their secret, they would be safe. Nick and Nat had eagerly agreed and
Janette had bid farewell to Nick and Nat.  They hadn't seen her since.

Nick set his book down and looked at Nat. He could tell that she was
lost in a memory, since he so often did it, himself. Grinning, he nudged
his wife. "Penny for your thoughts."

Nat looked up suddenly, blushing. "Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about
Janette. It's a shame we haven't seen her since you were cured."

Nick nodded. "Maybe it's too painful for her. I did tell her she'd be
welcome, anytime she wished to visit." He shrugged. "So, how did you
enjoy Christmas?"

Nat smiled. "I loved it, as always. I know the kids are happy, and that
makes me happy. How about you?"

Nick scooted down under the covers, to be closer to Nat. He turned so
they were face to face, their bodies pressed closely together. "I have
everything I've always wanted, Nat. I'm finally at peace, after eight
centuries of searching."  He listened for a few moments, to the silence
that surrounded them. "Hear that?"

Nat frowned. "Hear what?" She asked. "I don't hear anything."

Nick smiled. "Exactly. Silence. For the first time, all day."

Nat sighed. "Yeah." She looked at Nick a moment. "But don't you kinda
miss those middle of the night feedings and diaper changes?"

Nick raised an eyebrow. "Is there something I need to know?" His eyes
sparkled merrily.

Nat gave him an innocent look, then smiled. "Uh, yeah."

Nick hugged her to him. "When?"

"In about thirty weeks." Nat told him.

Nick kissed her. "That's great, Nat!"

Nat cleared her throat. "Um, Nick?"

Nick pulled back and looked at her, his eyes shining and his smile
dazzling. "Yeah?"

"The doctor heard two heartbeats, this time." Nat said, looking away.

Nick looked at Nat, stunned. "Twins?"

Nat grinned sheepishly. "At least. There's a slight chance there could
be one more."

"Three!?!" Nick asked, pulling back slightly, to see Nat's face. "Oh,
Nat! That's wonderful!"

"It is?" Nat asked, somewhat confused. "I mean, yeah, I thought so. I
just wasn't sure how you'd feel about the idea."

Nick gently caressed her face. "How could I be anything but thrilled?"
Nick asked.

Nat smiled at him, her eyes sparkling with tears. "I'm glad. I always
wanted a large family."

Nick nodded, then leaned forward and kissed her again. "So have I." He
whispered, as he kissed her cheek, then down to her neck.

Nat grinned, as Nick's light stubble tickled her neck. "You know all of
those kids are going to be up early tomorrow?"

Nick nodded, as he began undoing the buttons on her nightgown. "I
know." He said, smiling.

Nat's eyes widened slightly, as Nick kissed a sensitive area behind her
ear. She reached over and switched off the light.

>THE END
<Hope it was worth the wait!>
tigrlady2u@juno.com