A Purrfect Valentine Disclaimer Forever Knight and the characters and ideas associated therewith belong to Mr Parriot and Sony/Tristar. No infringement of their copyright is intended. This story is mine and I assert copyright hereto. Astrophe the Siamese who appears in this story as General does so with her own permission and that of her human companion, Jackie. I hope I managed to do her justice. I promised to write her into a story sooner or later and this is it. Archive rights are granted to Mel for fkfanfic, Anita for her archive and Cousin Mary if she wants it. Anyone else please ask first although it shouldn’t be a problem as long as you keep my name on it. I would welcome feedback at blot30@hotmail.com but flames will be ignored. This story contains spoilers for Last Knight. It’s a Valentine story and I did want to have it out for Valentine’s day last year but RL didn’t allow it so I have kept it for this year. I’d rate this as PG-13. This is a Nat/Lacroix story, so be warned. I keep meaning to be nicer to Nick but just couldn’t manage it this time. A Purrfect Valentine 1/2 By Spike Shovelton Natalie Lambert sighed and gathered up the purring bundle of kitten. “Thank you for bringing this one in, Isabelle.” “I’d like to keep her but we can’t afford it.” Isabelle smiled gently. She was a delicate thing, a creature of bones and angles. Natalie had known her nearly a month now. Isabelle adored cats but was unable to have one of her own as her parents couldn’t afford pets. Isabelle worked weekends at the cat’s home for pocket money. Each time Natalie looked at her she was reminded of her own goddaughter Cynthia. She would never know what Cynthia would be like at twelve or thirteen and knowing Isabelle brought that home to her. That was why, when Isabelle had come over asking about the possibility of weekend work, Natalie had been unable to refuse. Looking down at the small stray kitten, Natalie smiled. She had always wanted a cat’s home and now she had one. This little kitten would soon find a home. He was the colour of milk chocolate with lighter patches and had damask soft fur. He wasn’t a pedigree cat but there was definitely some Burmese mixed in with the moggy although the proportions were hard to identify. “What shall we call him?” She asked. Isabelle always got to name new kittens. “Snickers.” Natalie looked at her in surprise. “Well he looks like a Snickers bar.” “Very well then.” Natalie smiled. “You’d better get on with feeding the others. No it was definitely weird the way things turned out. Natalie had known since she had fallen in love with Nick that she might wind up coming across. What she had not expected was that Lacroix would bring her across after she and Nick nearly died. Lacroix had brought her over and then left them alone together to a lifetime of immortal bliss. Well that had been the theory. She had not seen her sire in nearly four years, not since the night after she had joined the vampire community. He had wanted to leave her and Nick alone and not interfere. So here she was alone in England, making a life for herself. Later that evening Natalie decided to give up on attempting to read a book. It was one of those evenings when she didn’t want to try to live a normal life. Her fangs itched and she knew that the most pleasant thing would be to go out hunting, to stalk her prey, even as her cats would stalk their catnip mice. To stalk them and then to make the kill, sinking fangs into skin and tasting the rich blood. Natalie, proprietor of the most respected and well liked cat shelter in Sheffield wanted to be the vampire she was, rather than the mortal she pretended to be. However going out hunting offended her morality as well as her scruples. No, she would go to the community spot in Leeds and drink freshly bottled donated blood and forget her sorrows. It was Valentine’s Day tomorrow after all and she deserved a little pleasure, as she was not likely to receive a valentine this year. She looked down to see Sidney, curling his body about her ankles. He was no longer the young animal he had been, but he still loved her unquestioningly. Even her change from mortal to vampire had not upset her oldest friend. He was one of the most faithful and true individuals in her life. She stroked the hard to reach place behind his ears and he murmured appreciatively. Walking across the room she stroked General, her Siamese who waited for her on one of the chairs. General was a beautiful cat, a true aristocrat with a taste for catnip. Her body was slender and dainty and the colour of full cream milk interspersed with light coffee streaks. In contract her face was a glossy blue-black and aristocratically elegant. Although Natalie loved all the cats in her home she only had two of her own, Sidney and General. The name had been instinctive and very appropriate even though it had masculine associations and General was undeniably feminine. When she had first seen the cat, General had looked at her with all the hauteur and self control of Lacroix himself. She had then groomed herself elegantly, blue eyes filled with disdain. Natalie had been unable to resist the name. General was also a killer, lethal in her pursuit of birds. Given a choice she killed without mercy. Odd how such a lethal predator could be so addicted to having her back stroked. General would purr like a well-oiled machine when she was stroked in the right way. Sighing Natalie stood and walked to the bedroom where she changed into a long dark green skirt and a silver, sleeveless top. It was undeniably a good thing to socialise with other vampires. Natalie smiled as she sipped her wine at a corner table. The community centre in Leeds was as unlike the Raven as it could be. It was an upmarket, classy night-club with live music and cocktails. Tomorrow there was going to be a big Valentine party for the mortals. Tonight was community only. “Hello Nat, would you like to dance?” She looked up to see Alex, one of the older members of the community, at least in appearance. Alex had been a mistaken dinner and had joined the community ten months previously. One of the younger members had fed from him, left him drained and nearly dead and then failed to break the neck. Alex had woken up as a vampire and was managing to enjoy every minute. It wasn’t many men of seventy-seven who got the chance to live forever. “I’d love to.” Natalie smiled at him. It was good to spend time with someone so happy. Alex owned a second hand and antiquarian bookshop in York. Since coming across he had decided that retirement was a bad idea and had set up the shop. “How’s business?” Natalie asked as they began to move. “Successful, thank you Natalie. I am doing very well.” He laughed. “We have some elders in the area for a meeting and it is extremely good for business.” His smile grew wicked and his eyes sparkled. “Some of them actually appreciate fine literature.” As the dance ended they moved to the end of the floor. “You will not save a dance for me?” She looked up into a familiar pair of aquamarine eyes. Lucien Lacroix let the shields over his presence drop slightly and Natalie could feel the link between them flare back up into force. “Lacroix.” She studied her sire. They had never really talked and much of her impression of him had been formed by Nick’s words. “I didn’t know you were in town.” She looked at him in silence and for a moment could not think what else to say. “Is this gentleman bothering you?” Alex moved to flank her. “No it’s fine, he’s my sire.” Natalie assured her friend. “Lucien Lacroix, this is Alex Brewer, a friend of mine.” “A pleasure to meet you, Mr Lacroix.” Alex still looked concerned. “Natalie is a good customer and friend of mine.” “I am delighted that my daughter has integrated so well.” Lacroix studied the old man. “I am most concerned for her well being.” Alex looked at her and raised one eyebrow. “Alex it’s fine. You go and dance with that blonde woman who is eyeing you up and looking daggers at me.” Natalie pointed to the woman in question. “Lacroix and I need to talk.” Natalie persuaded her friend to go. “Sorry, he’s a little protective. Says I remind him of his daughter. She’s in Australia so he doesn’t see her much.” “I see.” Lacroix studied her. “Are you well?” “Yes thanks. I’m doing very well.” Natalie smiled. “I have sometimes wondered how you were doing.” “I find that hard to believe.” Lacroix answered. “How is Nicholas?” “He was fine the last time I saw him.” Natalie studied her sire. He did look pale and rather tired. “Can I get you a drink?” They stood awkwardly like acquaintances that did not know what to say next. “I would prefer to see Nicholas.” Lacroix responded. “You and me both.” Natalie looked at him. “Can we not stand in the middle of the room?” She was aware that most of the nightclub was watching them. Lacroix nodded and they walked to her booth. Once there, Lacroix motioned her to a seat and caught the attention of a waiter so as to order wine. “So tell me, Natalie, where is my son?” “I’ve no idea.” Natalie laughed bitterly. “Haven’t seen him in over a year. I threw him out.” “I see.” Lacroix was undeniably curious. “The perfect love affair did not last?” “Something like that.” Natalie responded and smiled dryly. “Nick found the idea of a vampire Natalie Lambert disconcerting. I was his mortal ideal I think.” She took the wineglass that he was offering. “Nick had this idea of me, perfect, untouchable, mortal. Discovering that I was flesh and blood with desires of my own startled him.” She sipped her wine. “Go on.” Lacroix studied her. “I don’t know. I took the view that I was a vampire so the only thing to do was to learn what that meant. Nick wanted to deny that I was. I wanted to learn community ways, how to move on, how to buy bottled. Nick decided to shelter me from the community. Quite what he thought they would do to me, I don’t know.” “Neither, I suspect did he.” Lacroix interjected. “I thought it would be perfect, the two of us, together for eternity.” Her laugh was mirthless. “Do you know how long we lasted? We were together for eighteen months. Then I caught him in bed with Janette, my bed I should add. He tried to convince me it was a mistake and he didn’t mean it. She seduced him.” Natalie snorted. “Hardly compares to her record, does it? So much for eternal love.” “So what happened?” Lacroix was curious. “I left and came to England. I saw an advert for assistants in a cat’s home and took the job. Aristotle arranged the paperwork for me. Three months ago the manager left and I took over.” She smiled. “I have made some friends with the community and I am quite content now.” “I am delighted to hear it, although not surprised.” Lacroix studied his daughter. He did not know this childe. He had left her to Nicholas, had refused to interfere. At least this was not his fault. “You have always had the potential to make an excellent vampire and Nicholas is a fool not to see it.” “Nick is like that.” Natalie studied her sire in silence for a moment. “So that’s my story, how about you?” “I have remained busy. I was engaged in some little tasks for the enforcers.” Lacroix shrugged. “Then I visited one of my other children in Berlin before coming here.” “I see.” Natalie smiled at her sire. “May I ask you something?” “You just did.” Lacroix studied her, enjoying the view. “You may ask me what you wish and I will tell you if I cannot answer it.” “Why did you leave us alone like that? Why didn’t you come along with us?” Natalie studied him. “Nicholas has always felt that his life would be more satisfactory without me in it. I thought that perhaps if I left him alone with you, then he would not be able to blame me and would have to take responsibility.” Lacroix sounded very old and weary for a moment. “Would you have wanted me there?” “Yes.” Natalie said and he looked up in surprise. “You’re my sire and I hardly know you. Besides it might have been good having a mediator there.” “So it might.” Lacroix agreed. “Would you like for us to get to know one another?” “I think I would.” Natalie studied him. “I mean I don’t want you to introduce me to evil and debauchery and mass murder but I would like to get to know you a little.” “What has Nicholas been saying?” The lights of amusement danced in the pale blue eyes. “Evil and debauchery and mass murder? Hardly my chosen pastimes.” They sat in comfortable silence for a moment. “How do you envisage us getting to know each other?” “I have no idea.” Natalie looked at him. “If we were mortal I would suggest a chat over coffee.” “Let us begin with a dance and work from that.” He extended one hand and Natalie took it, surprised by this turn of events. End Part One A Purrfect Valentine 2/2 By Spike Shovelton See Part One for disclaimer Dancing with Lacroix was nothing like dancing with Alex. Alex was fun and sweet and made her laugh. This was rather like parachuting only without the chute. He was a brilliant dancer and held her rather closer than she would have liked. She could feel the link between them throbbing like a living thing. Looking up into his eyes she wondered what was happening in his brain. “What are you thinking?” Natalie asked. “If you cannot guess then I will be very disappointed.” He studied her then looked across the room where three men were waiting for him, all clad in blue silk shirts and black trousers, looking like a gang. “May I come around and see you tomorrow?” “Yes of course.” Natalie said as the music ended. He bowed his head and stepped away, moving towards the waiting army. “Are you in trouble?” As he moved away she felt a desire to recapture his hand. Their link had faded slightly and she almost moaned at the loss of something she had not realised she wanted to retain. “Of course not.” He merged into the crowd and left her standing there. Natalie did not sleep much the next day. Her mind kept replaying her encounter with Lacroix. She had never previously much felt him in her mind, but now she could not suppress entirely the link between them. Even her small, feline hot water bottles could not get her to relax properly. Her attempts at sleep were further disturbed by Isabelle coming over to check up on Snickers, and see how he was doing. Isabelle did know not to disturb Natalie during the day and tried to be quiet but something wouldn’t let Natalie sleep. In the end she gave up the struggle and emerged from under the plaintively murmuring cats and showered and dressed. “Hello Nat.” Isabelle smiled at her, and Natalie whistled silently as she saw the inexpertly bandaged wound on her friend’s hand. “What happened?” Natalie could smell the blood. The wound was still bleeding despite the clumsy attempt at putting a bandage around it. The blood was sweet and rich with youth, scented with bubblegum and innocence. She forced the fangs back, mind over matter. She was not going to attack her friend, no matter how sweet the blood smelt. “One of the boys from school wanted me to kiss him and stuff for Valentine’s day. I didn’t want to so I kicked him in the balls. He punched me in the face and slashed my hand with a knife.” Isabelle looked concerned. “That’s why I wanted to come here rather than go home. Dad will kill me.” “He won’t. He’s more likely to kill the one who did this to you.” Natalie took the hand and removed the bandage, whistling softly at the long, bleeding cut. “Let me get something for your hand. You should go to hospital, get that cut stitched.” “I’d rather not.” Isabelle did not like hospitals. Natalie had tried to persuade her to go to hospital the last time she had been attacked by a feral cat and badly scratched. Isabelle had set her face and refused to be cajoled into it. In the end Natalie had summoned Isabelle’s mother who had insisted on their going to hospital. “Can you do it?” Isabelle looked as piteous as she could. Natalie knew she should never have admitted to having studied medicine. As a consequence when Lacroix arrived, Natalie had almost finished stitching up the gash as neatly as she could. Lacroix studied her, and smiled in amusement. She looked up as he cleared his throat. “Natalie.” His voice made her name into a caress. “Lacroix.” Natalie felt her cheeks trying to flush, knowing that being a vampire would prevent her colour from being visible. She looked at the white roses in his hands. “I’m sorry I lost track of the time.” Typical, he turned up looking like he’d been modelling suits for Armani and she was wearing an old pair of jeans and a scruffy shirt. “This is my assistant, Isabelle Forbes, Isabelle this is Lucien Lacroix an old friend of mine.” “Hi.” Isabelle smiled shyly. “A pleasure to meet you, Isabelle.” Lacroix inclined his head. “Please accept this small gesture.” He detached one flower from the bouquet of white roses and handed it to the young girl who blushed as deeply as Natalie had wanted to. He held the rest of the flowers out to Natalie. “Just let me finish this.” Natalie put one last stitch into the cut. “You really should have taken this to hospital.” “I don’t like hospitals, Nat.” Isabelle smiled. “They ask too many questions.” “Fine, but you know you have to take this to hospital if it looks like getting infected. I’ll take the stitches out in a week or so.” Natalie sighed and studied her sire who handed her the bouquet of roses. “Thank you very much, that’s very kind of you.” Natalie looked at herself and then at Lacroix. “Isabelle, I’m going to put something clean on, why don’t you show Mr Lacroix the cats.” “Of course.” Isabelle forgot the pain of her hand as she revelled in the responsibility. “This way, Mr Lacroix.” When Natalie emerged in a clean white linen blouse and beige slacks, Lacroix and Isabelle had been through the cat’s home and looked into all the pens and emerged into the living room where they were studying General. “This is General. She’s a thorough flirt.” Unlike Sidney who was studiedly ignoring the old vampire from a corner of the room and hissing whenever Lacroix approached, General was looking at him regally and stalking past. Lacroix gave in and stroked her back. “Natalie says she reminds her of an arrogant, opinionated Roman general with a god complex. I don’t know when she met a Roman general with a god complex but never mind.” “I see.” Lacroix looked at Natalie in amusement. “You have a most varied collection of felines.” “Okay, next time with a bit more enthusiasm.” Natalie looked at him and then at Isabelle. “Isabelle, why don’t you go on home. It’s late so you’d better get a taxi.” “Yes Ma’am.” Isabelle grinned. Natalie often insisted she get a taxi and always paid for it. “Have a fun Valentine’s day and thanks for the stitches.” She gathered up her white rose and left for the kitchen to phone for her taxi. Once she had gone Lacroix turned to Natalie. “An arrogant, opinionated Roman with a god complex?” His voice sounded quite amused. General began to groom her left leg, the elegant pink tongue straightening her fur. The cat turned to him and moved towards him, mewing slightly as if enquiring whether he had any food. “Is that how I strike you?” “Sometimes.” Natalie studied him. “I don’t know. I don’t really know you at all.” Finally she sighed. “Perhaps we’d better start again.” She walked across the room to him. “Hello, I’m Natalie Lambert although I go by the name of Natalie Richards now.” “Lucien Lacroix, originally Lucius.” Lacroix took her extended hand. As he kissed it he inhaled her scent. It was more subdued now she was a vampire but it still held notes of honey and mint. She was a beautiful vampire, his creation but such a stranger to him. “Thanks for the flowers, they’re really beautiful. I wasn’t expecting anything this year.” Natalie said, wanting to break the tension between them. “It is little tribute to your beauty.” Lacroix spoke softly. “My son is a fool that he could not see it.” The tension between them grew again. “I in contrast have never been considered a fool.” He looked at her. “It is odd to meet again on this significant day.” “Azure seems a long time ago now. It’s a strange anniversary to keep.” Natalie considered how much she had changed, from mortal to vampire, from coroner to cat keeper, from believer to cynic. “It seems barely yesterday.” Lacroix corrected her. “You do remember it then. I had thought you to have forgotten.” “Yes, the whammy lasted a few weeks then it gradually came back.” Natalie sighed. “Would you really have killed me?” “I doubt it.” Lacroix studied her. “It was my original plan but once we met I realised that you had so much potential. I was toying with the idea of keeping you for myself but had not fully decided.” His eyes grew mischievous. “Nicholas managed to spoil my plans again, as usual.” “Pity.” Natalie smirked and the silence stretched out again between them. “What would have happened if you had kept me?” Lacroix studied her, picking up the note of sorrow in her voice. “That we will never know.” He looked at her. “Things are as they are and we have made our choices. The most important thing to do is to take advantage of the moment and the time.” “Meaning?” Natalie wondered when they had moved to stand so close together. Suddenly he was beside her, close enough that she could smell his blood and the expensive sandalwood aftershave he wore. “It is a beautiful evening, we have eternity and the moon is full. Let us fly together and enjoy the night.” He looked at their feline audience, two pairs of wise eyes studying them. “I am sure your work can spare you for a while.” “I would like that.” Natalie took his hand, feeling the link between them once more. She did not quite know where this was going but decided to go with it. “I’m not promising anything, Lucius. My last attempt at a wonderful romance didn’t work out.” “So we will spend time together and get to know one another. Let the chips fall where they may.” Lacroix smirked. “Or you may say, no strings.” “No strings.” Natalie repeated and the two vampires took to the skies as one. Natalie felt a sense of hope and pleasure. To have a new start with her sire was no bad thing and she would see what came of it. It was probably better than spending Valentine's day alone. As Lacroix turned and smiled at her she modified that thought. Definitely better than being alone. In their wake the young Siamese looked at her older companion and two pairs of eyes glittered with amusement. In a series of soft purrs and growls they agreed that this turn of events was quite good and that the old male would not be damaging for their person so they would refrain from biting him. They then stalked away, joining the two other predators in enjoying the pleasures of the night. The End Notes 1) Snickers, for anyone who doesn’t know, are bars of chocolate with peanuts and caramel in. 2) Leeds, York and Sheffield are all towns in the north of England.