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The first room was nauseatingly bright, but the second room was cool, calm,
and relaxing. "Make yourself at home. I'll go get the bottle."

LaCroix wandered around the room, looked at her knickknacks, and studied some
of the titles of her books that filled some of the shelves along the walls.
There was a numerous amount of medical books, but also novels. There was Moby
Dick, Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations, and other classic novels.

Natalie swept back into the room and handed him a warm mug. "This is a fine
vintage, I was saving it for a very special occasion. This may not be the
original plan, but I'd very much like you to have it."

LaCroix brought the mug up to his nose and a wonderful bouquet touched his
senses.

It was definitely, human. He sipped at it and was overwhelmed with love. Love
had some how been bottled. He took a big swallow and closed his eyes. Not
only love but overwhelming desire. Desire for a physical union and an
overwhelming desire for an endless future.

He went to his knees with a moan of pleasure.

"Lucien!" Natalie cried out, going down on her knees before him.

"Nicholas was a fool," he gasped finally, "A fool."

Natalie sat back on her heels, "Yes, he was, Lucien. I gave him so much, and
he gave nothing back. I offer this all to you. As amazing as this seems, it
feels right."

"You want to be brought across? You really want that?" he asked amazed, "Why
did you work so hard to change Nicholas?"

She smiled sadly, "Because he wanted it, and I fancied myself in love with
him."
She took his hand, "Lucien, I want to see the far future. I want to live in
it. I can't do that as a mortal."

They stood now.  "Nicholas might tell you that I am not the best of masters."

She took the mug away from him and set it aside, "I think it will be
different for us. It's a different age. Blood is donated, and I won't have to
kill." Her eyes held that determined look. A look he loved to see on her
face.

Lucien's eyes flared a minute, then he pushed her away and sighed. "You are
right. You will not have to kill. Nicholas would have never given up human
blood if it had not been part of the package. I will not make the same
mistake with you, Natalie."

He walked away, and she followed, placing her hand on his back, "I know you
won't. Let me be a wife to you, Lucien."

"You want to be a wife, not a daughter?"

Stepping around to face him, she took his hand kissing the back of it and
placing it against her cheek. "Most definitely a wife. You are an amazing
creature. As your partner and wife we can do whatever we want."

Lucien stared down at her, amazed. He put his hands on her face. His eyes
became amber.  "If this is what you wish, my dear."

Natalie's heart beat faster; he did not smell fear on her, only excitement.

"Do you want to wait a few days to get your life in order here?"

Natalie laughed a sad laugh, "I already have, I was planning on gifting Nick
with the bloodwine after the Ball. I had hoped it would convince him once and
for all that I wanted him anyway I could get him. If it meant me being
brought across, so be it." She caressed his face, "I am glad it worked out
this way."

"You really want me and not Nicholas?"

"Yes, Lucien," she slipped her arms around his neck, urging him to bend down,
and then she kissed him quite thoroughly. "You already care deeply for me; I
can tell." She smiled confidently up at him, "I want someone who will put me
first. I know that I will put you first. You need me."

For the first time in 800 years LaCroix felt hope. He felt the intense
loneliness in his heart recede. Here was a woman who would love him. She
already cared deeply. He would know for sure when he tasted her blood from
the source.

"Come, my dear, if we are to do this let us do it right."

He led her to the bedroom. He kissed her deeply and slowly, and they
carefully and slowly removed each other's clothes.

Lucien looked down at her peach colored body glowing with life and warmth. "I
will regret ending this life of yours. You are so beautiful." His fingers
caressed her body. He was as gentle as he could be, afraid she would break.

Natalie ran her fingers over his body, hard muscles, and fine alabaster skin.
He was cool, as if carved from marble. Yet the finally chiseled skin yielded
to her touch.

Lucien picked her up and laid her on the bed. He covered her warm body with
his cool one. She moaned under the expertise of his gentle fingers and mouth.

Their bodies joined in a blending as if they had been made for each other. He
made love to her as a man. At the moment of climax the vampire appeared, his
fangs sinking gently into the soft flesh of her neck.

She clung to him, seeing what he was and what he had been. He'd changed so
much in the last few weeks that they had gotten to know each other. His
longing for love and acceptance matched her own. Her blood took the darkness
away from his soul. Yet as he drained her, he knew it would not change her.
He drew back and studied her pale face. It was the face of Love. He tore open
his wrist and his blood flowed past her lips.

Natalie felt his love flow into her, and she grabbed his wrist and suckled it
down. He finally pulled away and laid her back against the pillows, and she
slipped into the final death of her mortal body. He went to the kitchen to
feed on the bottles of blood wine she had bottled for Nick. When she woke he
would make her his wife, and they would live side by side. The future no
longer seemed so lonely and bleak.

He got on the phone and ordered a case of the best un-cut blood to be sent to
her apartment. It wasn't 20 minutes later before a delivery boy brought the
case. LaCroix took the heavy box from the sweating boy and handed him a large
bill.

The boy gave a whoop of excitement, thanked him, and ran down the stairs two
at a time.

LaCroix noted, pleased, that Natalie already had blackout drapes. For
Nicholas' benefit no doubt. His son had been a fool not to see this woman's
worth.

Changes being as they were over the centuries, LaCroix had little doubt that
he and Nicholas would one day fight over Natalie. Even vampires tired of one
another. Their relationships often went in cycles. Many times returning to
each other as Nicholas and Janette where doing right now.

LaCroix intended to enjoy being with Natalie to the fullest. Maybe she was
right, and she would love him enough to remain with him for all eternity.

He threw his robe off and climbed back into the bed pulling Natalie against
him. He regretted only one thing. She was no longer warm. Her skin was now
taking on that pale pallor of death.

Toward evening of the next night, Natalie stirred. LaCroix was up and ready
thrusting bottle after bottle into her hands.  When she was nearly sated, he
allowed her to feed from him.

Her cries of pleasure, as she feed from him, made him want her body.  Their
eyes turned amber and their fangs extended as they nipped at each other,
increasing the ferocity of their love and need for one another.

LaCroix took her and in their climax bit into her shoulder. He only took a
mouthful of her altered blood, pleased that the taste had only been enhanced.

They laid wrapped in each other's arms and legs. Natalie was more content
than she'd been in her life. She smiled at that thought and a laugh escaped
her lips.

"My dear, what gives you such pleasure?" he asked in his soft sensual voice.

"Pleasure, pure pleasure, my love for you and my heightened senses. It can't
get better than this."

"I felt your love for me, Natalie.  How can you love me so soon? We hardly
know each other."

"It's never been hard for me to love. You gave freely to me. Your tenderness
and devotion are what I have searched for. I cannot help but love you."

"And Nicholas...?" he asked.

"He always withheld his love. I have no doubt he loves me, but not as a man
loves a woman. Not enough for him to defy you. If he had, would you have
killed me?"

"Perhaps that night at Azure, I would have taken you. Brought you across, but
never destroyed you, my dear. It was never my intention."

Natalie turned to face him. She kissed him gently and snuggled against him.
"What now? We move on?"

"Yes, will you regret leaving your life here?"

"No, there is nothing for me here, not since Sidney died a few months ago. I
have nothing to tie me down."

"We will leave tomorrow night then. You'd better call in sick tonight and fax
a resignation. We will leave as soon as it gets dark tomorrow night; I have a
private jet."

Natalie smiled at him, caressing his cheek with her cool fingers, "I will
enjoy my life with you, Lucien, my love."

The end