Turn Around by Kristen Fife Disclaimer: I didn't create, nor do I have any literary rights to ownership over any characters contained herein. This is an original work of fiction. Permission given to archive at FK Fan Fic site. Lyrics by Jim Steinman. ================================================= Turn Around Natalie pushed her hair out of her eyes as she straightened up from her chore. And chore it was. Spring cleaning. The kitchen and bathroom sinks were tonight’s projects. Uck She gazed at all the half empty bottles of cleaning supplies she had pulled out of the small space under her kitchen counter. She heard a “MROW”? from behind her and she turned to look at her furry roommate. “What do you think Sid? At least now there’s space under there for something useful. Not that I have anything useful to *put* there, mind you…” She gathered up the pile to be discarded and put it in a large garbage bag filled with other odds and ends of trash sitting next to the door. She looked around her apartment and admitted to herself that it was slowly and surely getting “clean”. She sighed, hating this ritual more than most anything else about modern domesticity. Deciding to take a break, she got some ice cream out of the freezer (chocolate chocolate chip) and a spoon and walked over to the couch to sit down. She sighed as she thought about her night off. Nick had, once again, apologized profusely for canceling their movie night. Natalie was half tempted to just tell him to forget it altogether. Once upon a time, about three years back, Natalie and Nick had started a very pleasant routine of watching movies at Nick’s loft once a month when their nights off coincided. But over the last year, something had changed. Nick had become ever more withdrawn. He was as courteous as ever, and still teased her at work, but he had gone out of his way to cut down on their social interactions, with the exception of exams for her to see if he was making progress on her attempts at a “cure”. As she thought about it, she realized that Nick was more guarded with her, and seemed more uncomfortable around her. She tried to pinpoint when it had started, but she couldn’t remember an event or circumstance that might have triggered it. Tears welled up in her eyes, as they did every so often. *It figures, Lambert. You turn 30 and then fall in love with the most unattainable guy around, even if he IS a knight in shining armor…literally!* So many times she had tried to walk away from her feelings. But every time she did, something pulled her back. A look, a glance of hunger in Nick’s eyes, not the feral beast, but naked longing. Turnaround, Every now and then I get a little bit lonely and you're never coming round Turnaround, Every now and then I get a little bit tired of listening to the sound of my tears Turnaround, Every now and then I get a little bit nervous that the best of all the years have gone by Turnaround, Every now and then I get a little bit terrified and then I see the look in your eyes Turnaround bright eyes, Every now and then I fall apart Turnaround bright eyes, Every now and then I fall apart Natalie looked at the clock. Midnight. The witching hour. She realized she didn’t want to be responsible anymore and decided she needed to get out. She had not been anywhere in months, and felt the need for a change of scenery. Contemplating her options, she got a wicked smile on her face and went to her bedroom to change her clothes. It was still cool enough for that strapless black velvet cocktail dress she hadn’t worn yet… An hour later, Natalie was pulling up in front of the Raven. She realized she was either crazy or suicidal. She felt a thrill of adrenaline hit her system. She looked around and saw a few patrons entering the club. She inhaled deeply and got out of the car. As she walked through the doorway, she realized that the club was fairly busy for a Tuesday night. She continued down the stairs and headed toward the bar. She looked around to try and see if there was anyone she knew, but no one looked familiar. Even the bartender was not someone she recognized. She stepped up to the bar and ordered a red wine. The bartender, a tall man in his early thirties with red hair, looked at her and pulled out a bottle of merlot for her. She nodded her head as he started to pour. As she sat at an empty bar stool and tried to look nonchalant. Where was everyone she knew, she wondered? Quietly Natalie drank her wine and relaxed. She knew it was somewhat dangerous for her to come here, given her forbidden knowledge of the probable nature of some of the patrons. But it had seemed to make sense to her earlier. She had theorized that maybe observing the vampire culture that Nick was trying to leave might give her some insights into an avenue of exploration beyond the dietary. She was casually scanning the crowd when all of a sudden her heart rate increased. Coming out of a door marked “private” were Nick, Janette and LaCroix, obviously having had some sort of a “family meeting.” Suddenly Nick stopped walking and unerringly his eyes were drawn to her. Their eyes locked and sparks seemed to travel between them. He started walking toward her. The look on his face was unreadable. As he approached she could tell he was looking her up and down, realizing what she was wearing. Her bare throat and shoulders were encircled with a simple gold chain with a small cross on it. Her hair was pulled off her face in a French twist. She was wearing seamed stockings and delicate pumps, sitting with her legs crossed on the bar stool. Her skirt rode up above her knees. Nick reached her side with a puzzled look on his face. “Hi Nat.” “Hi Nick.” If he wanted to talk, he’d need to be the one to ask. She was not in a mood to be amicable. She actually was enjoying seeing him search for something to say. “I’m surprised to see you here.” He fumbled over the words. She tilted her head and looked at him. “Why?” Nick frowned. Natalie was not being as open and forthcoming with him as usual. And that dress was distracting him. “Er, I didn’t think the Raven was your usual type of club.” Natalie looked at him for several seconds without saying anything. Her expression was unreadable and Nick actually started to fidget, moving from foot to foot and finally breaking eye contact with her to look at the floor. At last Natalie responded. “Nick, how would you know what ‘type’ of club I usually go to? You and I have never been out together anywhere that would give you an indication of my interests and preferences for nightlife.” Nick’s head whipped up at that statement. His eyes were somewhat round with shock. He made a strangled sound in his throat which Natalie guessed was him clearing it. “Um, I guess you’re right. I just didn’t think you’d like the Raven.” Again, Natalie didn’t say anything, but sipped at her wine. Nick was decidedly uncomfortable, and for once she was enjoying the role reversal. Finally, after waiting for some sort of a response and getting none, Nick looked at the bar and realized there was an empty seat next to her. “May I sit down?” The formality of his tone amused Natalie. She regally nodded and swept her hand over the chair. “Of course. You’re always welcome to join me.” She saw him start as he moved to sit next to her. She smiled to herself, immensely enjoying seeing the unflappable Nicholas Knight off kilter. As he looked at her out of the corner of his eye, he gestured unobtrusively for the bartender to pour him a drink. Natalie started to say something about his diet, but decided to let it go. It would ruin the image she was trying to convey. She almost giggled at herself. Nick picked up his drink and took a sip, watching Natalie over the rim of the glass. Lowering the glass he decided to turn on his undeniable charm. He didn’t know what was going on in Natalie’s head, but he decided to try and deal with it with more aplomb than he had shown thus far. “You look lovely tonight, by the way. Is that a new dress? Natalie turned to face him, swiveling on the stool so that her leg came to rest against his. It was not an overly intimate gesture, but both of them were exceedingly aware of it. “No, it isn’t new. I just don’t get to wear it often enough.” “So is there any special occasion tonight that warrants wearing it?” Nick asked. Natalie looked levelly at him. “I haven’t decided yet.” Nick drew in a sharp breath. He had never seen her in such a mood. She was acting quite unlike the professional, somewhat demure colleague and friend he had come to know over the years. He LIKED seeing this independent streak, but he suddenly realized that the beast inside of him was stirring at the thought of a challenge, to conquer and HAVE her. He quickly took another drink from his wineglass and directed his thoughts elsewhere. Natalie was still looking at him when she saw just a flash of gold in his eyes, undeniable even in the dim light of the club. He looked down and took a swig from his glass, and she wondered what had sparked the sudden emergence of the vampire. She took another sip from her own glass and leaned forward just enough to speak softly in his ear, unsure what was prompting her to flirt dangerously with him this way. “I was in the mood for a bit of excitement tonight and I found you…I don’t believe that was a coincidence. Let’s get out of here.” Nick’s head snapped up and his eyes had a slightly wild look in them. “Natalie, I’m not so sure that’s a good idea tonight…” She leaned even closer to him. “I AM sure of it. I have some things I want to say to you, and I want to do it somewhere more private, without running the risk of being disturbed. And…I want you to myself.” All of this was said in a husky voice barely above a whisper. It was enough to almost panic Nick, and at the same time irresistibly draw him as a moth to the flame. Not trusting himself to speak, he merely finished off his drink in one quaff, stood and held out his hand for her. She took it and stood up. . Turn Around Part 2/na Nick’s eyes traveled down her velvet-clad figure. The dress she wore was rich black velvet, with no ornamentation. It hugged her body from bare shoulders to just above her knee. Other than her small cross and an elegant gold watch she had on no other jewelry. She turned to gather up a wrap, black velvet lined in black silk, lined with fringe at the ends. She wrapped it around her and looped her hand through his arm, waiting for him to escort her out. He shook his head and started walking as if in a half daze. As they exited the club, Nick failed to notice their exit being keenly observed from the outskirts of the dance floor by two very different pairs of blue eyes. One like ice and one like a summer sky, but both very predatory and dangerous. And both very calculating. When they had gotten to the street, Nick stopped, unsure of how to proceed. His car was in the parking lot, and Natalie’s was parked directly in front of them. He turned to ask her where she wanted to go and whether they should take separate cars, but before he could form the words in his mouth, she put a hand behind his head and pulled his lips to her own for a swift but shatteringly passionate kiss. She pulled slightly back and moved her cheek to his left and whispered “I think tonight would be a lovely night for you to take me flying.” He jerked back and almost pulled her off her feet. She stumbled forward and he reflexively caught her in his arms, pulling her to him automatically. Her scent filled him and he swallowed convulsively. “Nat…” She put a finger to his lips before he could say anything else. “Nick, don’t argue with me, don’t try and reason with me. Just indulge me. I’ve never been flying with you, and it seems to be the one aspect of this life that you enjoy. I want to share it with you. Now.” Turnaround, Every now and then I get a little bit restless and I dream of something wild Turnaround, Every now and then I get a little bit helpless and I'm lying like a child in your arms Turnaround, Every now and then I get a little bit angry and I know I've got to get out and cry Turnaround, Every now and then I get a little bit terrified but then I see the look in your eyes Turnaround bright eyes, Every now and then I fall apart Turnaround bright eyes, Every now and then I fall apart Nick looked at her. There was no capitulation in her voice, no pleading or questioning. It was a statement of fact. He gazed into her blue eyes and something in him unwound, a tight coil he hadn’t even been aware of until that instant. He nodded once and led her carefully down the alley to the back of the Raven, making sure there was no one around watching. Moving into the shadow of a building, he suddenly picked her up and felt her arms go around his neck as he settled his left hand under he knees and his right arm clutched her close to him as he lifted silently into the air. Natalie’s heart was racing as the lifted up, and she knew Nick could hear it pounding through her veins. The air was biting and cold, and her legs were freezing, but she barely felt it as she looked over her shoulder at the swiftly dwindling streetlights. The wind from their silent flight pulled some of her hair out of her French twist and into her eyes, but she didn’t care, so amazed and entranced was she with the sights below her. She finally realized the freedom Nick felt when flying, and instinctively knew that when he could not be found, he was probably flying, trying to escape the dark world around him. She unconsciously tightened her arms around his neck and snuggled closer in his arms, feeling the safety and security they embodied. She felt no fear in this exhilarating experience, only awe and joy. Her soul soared with the experience. Nick, for his part, was infinitely aware of the warm woman in his arms, and he could feel her wonder at this experience. He longed to tell her how much having her with him made a difference in this experience. He felt a wave of tenderness wash over him when she tightened her hold on him and moved even closer to him. He accepted it as an unspoken thanks for the experience. He took a long, circuitous route with his loft as the final destination. After about 15 minutes, they landed on his rooftop. He set Natalie down gently, keeping his right arm around her waist. She did not release her hold on his neck, and turned into him for a swift embrace. Again, she pulled his lips to hers for a kiss, but it was sweet and lingering, full of tenderness. As she pulled slightly back from him, her eyes were sparkling in the clear moonlight and a smile played on her mouth. “Oh Nick! That was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever done. Thank you so much for sharing it with me!” Natalie gushed at Nick. Nick chuckled, recognizing THIS Natalie. He hugged her swiftly again. “Let’s get inside. You must be freezing.” Natalie started, realizing that he was right. He took her hand and led her over to the skylight, unlatching it. He turned her around so that he stood behind her with his arms around her waist, and held her closely, inhaling the scent of her hair, skin, perfume, and the intoxicating fragrance of her blood…lilies, roses and a deep underlying warm tone of chocolate. He levitated through the skylight and gently came to settle on the landing. Letting her go, he levitated back up just enough to grab the latch and close the hasp. Settling once again beside her, he moved past her and started walking down the stairs. After he had gone about three steps down, he realized that Natalie hadn’t followed him. He started to ask her what was wrong, then realized that the loft was pitch black to her. He could see fine, but Natalie needed more light. He chuckled to himself and continued descending the steps, unerringly walking over to the fireplace. Flicking a switch, the fireplace came to lif! e. He then turned and quickly lit several candles, preferring their warm glow to harsh electric glare after the magical flight of the last few minutes. As he moved about in the gloom, Natalie finally had enough light and her eyes were well-enough adjusted that she could descend the steps to the lower level of the loft. The living area began to glow softly as Nick lit candles everywhere. Over the fireplace, on the piano, he even placed thick tapers on the windows and their light was reflected back dimly in the glass. She felt the magic the soft glow created. She stood at the bottom of the staircase, watching silently as candles began to lend a warmth to the loft. It was then that she realized that the ambient temperature in the space was very cold, and she walked over to the thermostat on the wall and noticed it the temperature was at 52. She reached up and slid the indicator to 70, knowing it would heat up quickly despite the high ceiling. One thing Nick splurged on was creature comforts for himself and the select few guests that entered his home. Natalie wandered over to his entertainment center and skimmed through his CD’s, then chose several that matched her mood and slid them into the revolving carousel and set the play to random. She smiled as the silvery strains of a Celtic harp drifted into the glowing air. She slowly headed over to the dark area that encompassed Nick’s kitchen, and started pulling out the makings of a cup of tea to help warm her while she waited for the heat to take effect. She found Nick’s tea kettle, filled it with water and commenced to set it on the stove to heat. She took out a mug and a teabag from the supplies that she kept over here for herself. As Natalie continued her meanderings and domestic chores, Nick stood at the fireplace and followed her with his eyes. Although the tasks she was about were familiar to him, even in his own home, he realized that Natalie was different in her bearing. She was acting as if she belonged here, rather than her usual behavior as a guest. She was acting more as she did at work. Confident, capable and in charge of her surroundings. It was a continuation of her earlier behavior. He was still vastly intrigued but wary at the same time. Something was going on that he was unsure of and it made him nervous and yet anticipatory at the same time. As the whistle on the tea kettle sounded, he watched her calmly pull it off the burner and pour hot water over her choice of tea. With his keen sense of smell, he could smell the pungent citrus scent of Bergamot. He smiled, knowing that if she was drinking Earl Grey, she would be looking for the honey next, not knowing he had moved it. He walked over to the pantry next to her, opened it, and pulled out a glass jar of honey, silently handing it to her. She smiled, opened it and spooned a large dollop into her mug. Then she walked past him out of the kitchen to the living room, and curled up on one end of the black leather sofa, blending in so that only her shoulders, head, hands and arms could be seen in the dim light. She was holding her tea mug in both hands, staring into the fire. Neither one had spoken since they had come in to the loft. Both had their thoughts occupied. And each was thinking of the other without knowing it. Natalie was framing concepts in her mind, unaware that her silence was continuing to both interest and mildly panic Nick. For his own part, Nick wasn’t sure how to deal with this vastly and subtly changed woman. Unused to being unsure of himself, he was being cautious and watchful. Just then the music changed to the opening strains of “Music of the Night” from the Phantom of the Opera. Natalie’s head snapped up, and she tilted her head to one side. She uncurled, placed her mug on the coffee table, and stood up. She fixed her gaze on Nick and gracefully walked over to him. “Mr. Knight, I would like to dance with you”, she boldly stated. Nick’s mouth dropped open slightly, then he stepped toward her, and took her in his arms as they waltzed around the loft to the poignant and seductive music. As the song ended and the next notes that came on were a gentle Baroque piece, they stopped waltzing and swayed to the music. Natalie moved closer to him and snuggled her head under his chin. Nick tightened his arms around her and rested his cheek on her hair, feeling her warmth seep into him. Finally, Natalie pulled away from Nick and slid her hand down his arm to take his cold hand in hers and lead him toward the black leather sofa. Realizing she was ready to talk, Nick willingly followed her. She sat down and pulled him down next to him and picked up her tea, still holding his hand. After finishing the strong tea, she set her cup down and turned her attention toward Nick. She looked down and started slowly caressing his hand with her thumb. Turn Around Part 3/na When she raised her face back up to his, he was shocked to find tears standing in her eyes. “Nat, what’s wrong?” He gently asked her, and raised his free hand to her face to cup her cheek in it. Her face molded into his hand, and one tear slid down from her tilted head, the hot drop hitting his hand like a spark. “Nick, what did I do to drive you away? I have been trying to figure out in my mind, and my memory, what I did to push you away. And for the life of me, I cannot figure it out. I miss you.” Her voice was filled with sadness and anguish but was steady nonetheless. Immediately, Nick took her in his arms and she started sobbing. His own emotions swirled around inside of him, and guilt surged to the forefront. Guilt, the emotion he had honed to a stinging lash and knew how to use to flagellate his heart and soul. As Natalie poured out her grief and loneliness on his chest, Nick realized that in trying to protect her he had driven her to despair. He started cursing himself internally, taking all of the pain radiating from the vibrant woman in his arms unto himself. “Oh Natalie. I am so sorry. You didn’t do anything wrong. Please believe me. I have been trying to protect you and I never realized how I was hurting you.” He started rocking gently, making shhhing sounds as if she were a small child. He held her tightly yet tenderly until finally her emotional outpouring spent itself. Slowly her wracking sobs eased until they were farther and farther apart and then stopped altogether. She still did not move, hunched in his arms with her face hidden against his (wet) chest. He kissed her hair and continued to rock her, still unsure of what to do next. Finally raising her head, her makeup smeared, she looked at him. The catharsis of her tears had eased her pain, but left a dull ache inside of her. “Nick, what is it you were protecting me from that was so dire as to push me away for a YEAR and not tell me about?” Her voice was firm and guarded, with a tinge of anger in it. Nick looked away from her at the fire. She watched the soft candlelight and flickering firelight lend his pale skin a rosiness that could almost pass for mortal warmth. She studied the planes of his handsome face, and still he said nothing. He stared into the fire. “Nick?” she said his name softly, not sure what was going on in his mind. She thought her question a reasonable one. Nick finally started talking, still with his face turned toward the fire, his profile to her. “Me. I was protecting you from myself. And my ‘family’. All the dark, evil, amoral creatures around you, me, us.” His voice was hollow and dull. “Nick, I understand protecting me from the rest of the Community, but I don’t understand why you say you were protecting me from yourself”. Natalie’s voice echoed in his ears. He still didn’t answer her or look at her. Finally Natalie reached a hand up and forced his face towards her. The look of turmoil in his eyes echoed her own distress from the previous hour. “Nick?” she whispered. Searching her eyes and trying to frame a reply, Nick groaned and pulled her back into an embrace. Natalie was startled by the intensity of his arms around her, and he buried his face in the curve of her shoulder and suddenly she felt his cold lips raining kisses on her bare shoulders. She gasped at the feel of Nick’s tongue on her skin. Although cold, it left a trail of fire on her warm skin. She tangled her hands in his golden hair and pulled his head up to look at her. “Nick, talk to me, damnit!” she moaned between gritted teeth, noticing gold flecks in his eyes. Nick tore himself away from her and stood up and staggered away from her. “Natalie, you should go.” His voice was strangled and she could tell he was trying to control the vampire. “NO. I’m NOT leaving until I know what is going on with you! You are GOING to tell me what is going on.” Her defiance and mounting anger caused Nick to turn to her. His eyes were almost completely gold and she could tell his fangs were descending. “Natalie, PLEASE. The only way I have been able to control myself has been to shut you out. Don’t you understand that?” “No Nick, I DON’T understand. Why? You are surrounded by mortals every day, you control yourself around blood at a crime scene. What is the REASON you seem to be having so much trouble controlling yourself around me? I’m not leaving until you tell me WHY.” Natalie was sitting up straight and trembling with anger. She was no longer hurting, she was angry, knowing that Nick had been lying to her about something. Nick groaned and staggered into the kitchen, wrenching open the refrigerator and pulling out a bottle of blood. He tore the cork out and gulped the blood down in desperate gulps, hoping to tame the emerging beast. He finished the first bottle and reached for another, this time going for his “emergency” stash of bottled human blood. His hands were trembling as he fumbled with the cork; finally breaking the bottle on the counter, he upended the contents past the jagged glass edges and poured it into his mouth. After finishing the bottle and dropping it in the sink, he stood with his hands braced on the counter, head hung as he finally got some measure of control and felt the vampire receding. During his feeding frenzy, Natalie had not moved. Her heart was racing and her breath was ragged within her lungs, but she had not moved. Nick turned his head toward her, expecting to see disgust and fear written in her face. Instead he saw compassion and love. Pure, shining, unadulterated love. The shock on his own face and the answering emotion in his own eyes gave Natalie the answer she sought. She walked around the sofa toward him, slowly and deliberately, not making any sudden moves. As she got closer to him, she saw that his eyes were their customary blue, and that there was love and fear shining out of them. “Oh Nick.” She said the words as she approached him and reached out a hand for his. Nick felt his own defenses crumbling as she fearlessly approached him. The barriers he had put up around himself to protect her, himself. The isolation he had tried to put between them, not understanding that by trying to protect her he had torn her apart. Guilt. Shame at the emergence of the vampire and the need to suck blood like an animal in front of her. And beyond it all, the knowledge that she didn’t flinch or run in terror. Nick was on the edge of a precipice and he wasn’t sure he was going to be able to keep from falling. Natalie continued moving toward him, her hand now holding his as she moved to take him into her arms. Her warm, loving, accepting arms. “Nick, I love you. I have since we first met. I need you WITH me, not away from me.” Her gentle words crashed into Nick and he grabbed at her, and started shaking in her arms, realizing that he couldn’t live without her, without admitting his feelings for her. And knowing that, regardless of the strength of their love, he could kill her in an instant and terrified that he wouldn’t be able to control himself. And I need you now tonight And I need you more than ever And if you'll only hold me tight We'll be holding on forever And we'll only be making it right Cause we'll never be wrong together We can take it to the end of the line Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time I don't know what to do and I'm always in the dark We're living in a powder keg and giving off sparks I really need you tonight Forever's gonna start tonight Forever's gonna start tonight Once upon a time I was falling in love But now I'm falling apart There's nothing I can do A total eclipse of the heart Once upon a time there was light in my life But now there's only love in the dark Nothing I can say A total eclipse of the heart Turn Around 4/4 Natalie could feel Nick quaking in her arms and the waves of emotion coming off of him. She held him like a small child awakening from a terrible nightmare. How long they stood there, she didn’t know. The music stopped and candles flickered out one by one, leaving shadows behind them. Her arms grew numb supporting him and her legs ached from standing in high heels, but still she held him. She didn’t say anything, didn’t make any sounds but stood rock still, giving him what strength she could. Finally, she felt the tremors easing and Nick pulled back slightly. Very slightly but enough for her to relax her agonized muscles. “Nat. My god, what have I done to you?” Nick’s voice was a ragged whisper against her hair. He slowly pulled his face up to look at her. His eyes still looked haunted and filled with guilt, but they also had hope and love mingling in their azure depths. “Nick, I’m fine. I understand now. But we still need to talk. We have a lot we need to figure out. Together.” She gently pulled away from him, wound her arms around his waist and leaned against him in weariness. She glanced at the clock on the wall and realized it was almost dawn. “Nick, we need to close the shutters…it’ll be light in about 15 minutes. It’s 5:15.” Nick slowly glanced at the windows and saw the sky lightening to a rosy-tinted gray. He dully nodded and reluctantly moved away from her, his body feeling leaden. He woodenly crossed to the living room. Before he could close the shutters, he needed to move some of the candles on the sills. Mechanically he did so, then picked the remote control up from the coffee table and hit the switch just as the first sliver of dawn lanced into the room and hit his hand, making him moan in anguish as he felt the burning of his pale flesh. He stumbled backward a few paces as Natalie rushed to his side. “Nick! Are you ok?” Natalie could only see light and dark patches, with most of the candles out and the only light coming from the fireplace. She walked over to one of the side tables and fumbled with a lamp. As the harsh electric glare flooded the room, both Nick and Natalie started blinking furiously. Nick shuddered and looked at his hand to see the blistering starting to fade. “Nick, are you ok?” Natalie’s question was soft, and as he looked up into her tired face and shining blue eyes, he realized just how alien he was compared to the woman standing next to him. He nodded his head. They walked over to the sofa and dropped wearily into it. Nick instinctively held his arms open for Natalie to mold herself against him. As he felt her back settle against his chest he sighed in contentment, weariness, hope, dread, and a million other nuances of emotion all at once. He closed his arms around her in and felt her instantly relax into his arms, her head against his shoulder. As she drifted off to sleep, he listened to her heartbeat and breathing slow and relax. That heartbeat which he had instantly identified in the Raven, the music that he looked for each night at work. The scent, sight and smell of the mortal woman he loved who returned his love with no fear or repulsion, just trust and compassion. He felt himself drifting off into the catatonic state t! hat passed for sleep in his kind. He didn’t know what would come once they awoke to a new night, but whatever it was, he vowed that he would never shut Natalie out of his life again, even in an effort to protect her. Better to let her be brave and the master of her own fate than a victim of deceit. On that thought the vampire, entwined with his mortal soulmate, slipped beyond the door of waking into the world of dreamless slumber. Turn around bright eyes Turn around bright eyes Turn around, Every now and then I know you'll never be the boy you always wanted to be Turn around, Every now then I know you'll always be the only boy who wanted me the way that I am Turn around, Every now and then I know there's no one in the universe as magical and wonderous as you Turn around, Every now and then I know there's nothing any better and there's nothing that I just wouldn't do Turn around bright eyes, Every now and then I fall apart Turn around bright eyes, Every now and then I fall apart And I need you now tonight And I need you more than ever And if you'll only hold me tight We'll be holding on forever And we'll only be making it right Cause we'll never be wrong together We can take it to the end of the line Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time I don't know what to do and I'm always in the dark We're living in a powder keg and giving off sparks I really need you tonight Forever's gonna start tonight Forever's gonna start tonight Once upon a time I was falling in love But now I'm only falling apart Nothing I can do A total eclipse of the heart Once upon a time there was light in my life But now there's only love in the dark Nothing I can say A total eclipse of the heart Turn around bright eyes Turn around bright eyes Turn around. Le Fin.