This is a Val piece.  No infringement of anyones rights intended. I am just
borrowing these characters purely for my and other fans enjoyment.  My two
beta's, Desiree Collins and Lisa Harvey did an excellent job.  I loved all
your suggestions so have left them in.  Permission for anyone to archive on
any Forever Knight fanfic site. Just let me know.  Thanks so very much. Feed
back is desired.
 

******************************************

Natalie checked herself in the mirror one more time. She nodded approvingly
as her eyes ran over her dress and makeup. She was dressed to kill. A body
hugging blood red strapless gown of red velvet fit her body like a glove.
Ruby red heels and thick waves of hair layered about her shoulders completed
her look. She was quite pleased. All those baggy sweaters had hid the results
of her new diet well.

She was going to make an impression on Nick at the office ball tonight. She
got into her car and drove to the ball. She'd made him promise to be there.

She arrived at the same time that Capt. Reese and his wife, Denise, did.
Reese's eyes widened as he glanced over her. He said, "Dr. Lambert, you look
wonderful tonight." But he thought, "Dressed to kill. If this doesn't work on
Knight I have no idea what will."

"Doctor, would you like to accompany Denise and myself into the hall?"

She smiled gratefully. "That would be nice. Nick's not arriving till later."
They made their entrance and spent time making the rounds visiting with
colleagues and friends. After a time Natalie began to watch the entrance for
Nick. He told her he had to take care of something and wouldn't be able to
take her. She'd been disappointed but decided nothing was going to spoil her
evening. She was surprised when Tracy came through the door on Vachon's arm.
She watched the young looking vampire very closely. He was impeccably dressed
in a tux and had his hair drawn back. He looked very handsome, and Natalie
envied Tracy. At least he was attentive and seemed to have eyes only for her.

She loved Nick so much, and she knew he cared deeply for her. Yet she always
was left wanting, and he never slipped. She knew he vowed not to complicate
her life. But she wanted some assurance that he really loved her. Knowing he
loved her might make the emptiness better. She frowned and thrust the
thoughts to the back of her mind.

Natalie stood at the edge of the group she was with and watched them move
from group to group as Tracy introduced her friend. Vachon sipped from the
glass of red wine in his hand. He seemed at home in this party atmosphere,
and Natalie began to wonder how many young beautiful women had lost their
lives over the centuries by succumbing to the charms of the vampire Vachon.

She heard Tracy's phone ring and saw her dig into the tiny clutch she
carried. She saw the young woman's face frown as she spoke angrily into the
phone, snapped it shut, and quickly looked around the room. Tracy started
toward her, causing her heart to sink.

Tracy stood before her the frown still deep in her forehead. She cursed under
her breath at her partner. "Why couldn't Nick be a man?"  "Natalie, hi. You
look fantastic."

Natalie said, "Thanks."

Natalie smiled at Vachon. "Hello."

Tracy quickly introduced her, thankful for the brief distraction.

After there was nothing else to say she stammered, "Huh, Natalie, I got a
call from Nick...!" Her voice trailed off.

"He's not coming, is he?" Natalie stated flatly.

"He said he had a family obligation that came up. Did you know that he had
family here?"

The blonde detective saw tears well up in Natalie's eyes, but she blinked
them away and anger took their place. She had turned half away from them,
"Well, I guess that's my cue to call it a night."

"Stay. Join us. I can spare Vachon for a few dances." She offered. "You're
the most beautiful woman here tonight, men will line up..."

Natalie cut her off with a weak smile.  "Thanks, Trace.  Guess Nick will
never know what he missed," she said quietly as she moved away.

"Oh, he'll know," she called after the doctor. Then she said to Vachon, "
I'll make damn sure he hears, rather loudly."

Vachon grimaced. He sure wouldn't want to be in Nick's shoes when Tracy got a
hold of him. Knight was a fool.

Natalie was fuming by the time she got to the car. "Family obligations,
LaCroix, damn him. How would he know I was trying to dazzle Nick tonight? He
must have someone watching me." She got into the car and started to drive.
She got madder and madder and finally found herself across the street from
the Raven.

She watched for a while as strange people came and went. She finally got out
of her car took a deep breath and headed across the street.

The bouncer was turning people away but when he saw Natalie he waved her on
through. She saw that his eyes followed her as she went through the door. Was
it her outfit or did he recognize her and have orders to let her in?  She
paused inside the dim smoky room and surveyed the crowed below. The music was
loud and jarring and the lighting was very dim.

There seemed to be a commotion in one place as a large group of people
pressed around in a circle. Fearing someone was hurt she hurried down the
ramp to help.

As she got near she realized they were watching a couple dance. She pushed
her way into the crowd and stood transfixed and horrified. There was Nick and
Janette. Wrapped around each other. Their bodies were moving to the music in
perfect sync. Their hands slid over each other in the most sensuous manner,
and their lips stole kisses as they moved. It was obvious that they neither
saw nor heard anyone around them. They were only seeing and feeling each
other. Natalie's heart beat so hard in her chest she was sure she was a human
beacon for all the other vampires in the club. When had Janette returned? Was
this the family obligation¦.. she saw Nick take Janette's hand and the crowd
parted as they moved away toward the back room of the Raven. The light caught
his face a moment, and Natalie saw amber in his eyes.

She turned blinded by tears, attempting to push away the crowd that seemed to
collapse in on her. Panicked, she attempted to scream as a hand grabbed her,
literally extracting her from the crowd. She was propelled away from the
crowd and into a small office, face to face with LaCroix.

She screamed at him, "Why did you bring me back here? Why can't you let Nick
and I alone?"

Doctor, I assure you I did not ask Janette to come here. This was her choice.
She and Nicholas belong together. They are one in a way you can never be.
They will go through the centuries together. Nick can be happy. Don't you
want him to be happy? He will never be human. As long as he strives for that
goal pain will follow."

"Nick will never love you like he does Janette. You must accept this. He
cannot love you. You have made a choice not to join him as he is. This leaves
no room for choices. Please give this up, Dr. Lambert."

She was out of her mind with grief and came at him striking him in the face
and chest. He pinned her arms to her sides and held her in a vice grip
against his chest. She cried and cried, and he stood restraining her for
sometime.

She finally slumped against his chest. He released her and was surprised when
her arms went around him and she held onto him. "I cannot lose him, LaCroix,
what am I to do without him?"

LaCroix put an arm around her to steady her and found the sensation rather
enjoyable. She smelled so good.  The fragrance of jasmine brought back a
memory of his mother. He pressed his lips to her forehead. "You can not have
what was truly never yours to have."

Natalie drew back and saw in his eyes that he was somehow saying it to
himself as he said it to her. She saw the shock in his face as, finally after
800 years with Nick, he was realizing it too. He pushed her gently away and
turned away himself. He seemed to sway, and Natalie came to his side,
supported him, and pushed him into the chair at the desk.

"I have been a fool," he said. "I have hounded Nicholas for centuries to give
what he cannot."

Natalie was so surprised by this sudden unexpected change in this 2000 year
old vampire that she could do nothing but stare at him as if he had grown two
heads, then she got angry.

"You're full of it. You can't tell me you are just coming to this conclusion
after all this time, after the many words you and Nick must have exchanged.
Why would this moment change anything in that thick, monstrous head of
yours...you..."

LaCroix turned, the pain in his eyes stopped Natalie short. "Go home, Dr.
Lambert." he said; his eyes were amber, and his fangs extended. "GO home."

Natalie turned and fled the Raven and her hope of ever loving Nick again.
Natalie booked off for the next week and refused all of Nick's calls. After a
few days he stopped calling. That told her more than she wanted to know.

She headed down to the corner store one night that week to get some
groceries. She was just turning the corner when she noticed a figure across
the street. It was LaCroix. Her heart entered her throat, and she was going
to turn away and run for the light of the store when he motioned her over.
"Please." His voice whispered over the wind.

She took a deep breath and crossed the street.  "What do you want?" she asked
as she got closer.

"I only wanted to know how you were."

"Really."

"Yes, would you walk with me?" he asked.

"I'm not so sure going for a walk with a vampire is the best of ideas.
Especially one who has never had much to do with me."

LaCroix smiled that thin evil smile, "I assure you, Doctor, I will not harm
you. I am well fed."

Natalie looked at him curiously, Was he actually smiling genuinely at her and
making some sort of joke. She found him oddly handsome tonight.

"Please," he said again, motioning in a direction toward the park.

"All right. A short walk."

He seemed to relax a bit and turned toward the park.

Natalie stepped in at his side. She found she had to look up at him; he was a
good deal taller. She realized as they walked in silence for a bit that he
smelled of fine men's cologne, and his suit was finely tailored. He even
reached out to place his finger at her elbow to help guide her.

"Why do you want to see me, LaCroix? What could possibly have brought you
here?"

"That's a good question. I did want to be reassured that you were okay. I
have felt an emptiness, this week. One not felt in centuries. I knew you must
feel similarly."

"Yes," she said.

"Nicholas and Janette have decided to move on." He stated slowly. "I am going
to remain here for a while longer."

"Nick's leaving." Natalie felt her emotions tumble, and she took a shaky
breath. She felt lost and stumbled.

LaCroix placed an arm around her waist to steady her. She found it somewhat
comforting." You haven't talked to him."

"No." She said angrily. "He stopped calling. He knows where I live. If he
really wanted to talk to me…"

"Yes, I agree. I have spoken very little to him as well."

"Why, LaCroix? Why are you suddenly letting go?"

"Lucien, please." He looked down at her.

"Lucien," she repeated.

"I have what I wanted. Nick is who he was meant to be. With Janette at his
side he will stay that way. There is no need for my interference anymore."

"Why come to me? I am the last person you should want to talk to.'

"You might look at it that way, but you loved Nicholas. There is no one else
I can talk to about him."

Natalie looked up at him. "I don't really want to talk about him. Not now.
It's to raw; it hurts too much."

"Yes." He nodded. They were in the park now and he turned to her and drew her
against him. She started to push away but leaned in against him and felt his
arms hold her.

She cried against him and somehow she knew in her heart he cried with her.
LaCroix surprised her. He held her close and gently stroked her hair.

Her hair was wonderfully soft, she was so warm and alive. Yet he did not feel
the need to feed. That astonished him.

The scent of Natalie's perfume wafted up to him. It seemed to calm the Beast.
After a time he felt Natalie stiffen and pull away. Yet he held her close
even as he gave her enough space to look up into his face.

He saw another face looking up at him, eyes brimming with tears. The scent of
white roses seem to fill the air.

Natalie saw LaCroix gaze at her. Was that compassion and confusion, then some
sort of shock? She also smelled the roses. She thought it odd but she didn't
try to move away or look around; she studied his face. She wanted to touch
his face suddenly. She reached trembling fingers up and touched his face.
This was Lucien LaCroix, not the vampire. For the first time she realized she
was looking at the man. He was vulnerable and confused.

Her body trembled, because she suddenly realized he was going to kiss her.
Not only that, but she wanted him to kiss her.

LaCroix stared into Natalie's face and heard Fleur. "It's time Lucien. It's
time for you to let me go. You can be happy again. It's all right to love
another, my love. I free you from our Bond." LaCroix felt a freedom and a
lightness he had not felt in 800 years.

He leaned and captured Natalie's lips. Warm alive, so sweet. The icy coldness
in his heart thawed, and he realized she was kissing him back. It surprised
and pleased him.

Her arm came around him and held him close. He felt her fingers slid up his
neck to brush against his soft short hair.

He picked her up against him deepening the kiss. The moment was magical. When
the kiss ended they stood clinging to each other. The gentle night breeze
caressed them. They were two very unlikely people discovering Nicholas was no
longer the center of their world. They could go on with out Nicholas.
Natalie finally whispered, "What just happened, LaCroix?"

"Lucien," she said.

"Lucien," she repeated, liking the sound of his first name.

"I believe a spirit visited us. It was someone from my past. I was released
from a bond formed centuries ago. Released to look to the future. "

She looked up, puzzled. "I will explain later.  Come, let me walk you back to
your apartment."

For the next couple weeks LaCroix would appear on the street after dark and
Natalie would see him waiting for her from her apartment window.  They walked
and talked and came to know one another.

One night he held out his arm, and Natalie smiled and wrapped her arm through
his. She brought her other hand up and interlaced it through his cool
fingers. He seemed pleased. She realized suddenly that she was no longer so
devastated or alone. Let Nick be happy. Could she possibly find happiness
elsewhere?  The fact that she amazingly discovered that she had feeling for
another vampire did not bother her. It made her feel powerful.

When they got to the steps of her apartment she held on and pulled at him,
"Please come up, Lucien, Please."

"It's late, and I need to feed," he said softly, not really wanting to call
attention to his vampiric needs.

She smiled, "I can accommodate your needs."

She saw his eyebrow rise.

She laughed, "I have some bottled..."

"Not Nicholas' preferred stock, I fear."

"No, I can give you a fine vintage bloodwine. I promise you it's not cow."

Intrigued, he let her pull him up the stairs and into the entryway. They took
the elevator up to her apartment.
 

End Part One