"Perhaps by the time we find him he will have moved
on emotionally. Do you think he will find someone else
to help him with his search for humanity?"

"Undoubtedly."  Her voice held a sadness."Nick will go
on and on trying.  He will never giveup.  If he could
not stop and make me what he is, he never will give
up."

"Yes, he did love you with a purest of love I've
never seen in him."  He turned her toward him, "I am
glad he left.  Look how much you have changed
me."

"Have I really Lucien?  I know you are good to me,
but what would happen if I chose to leave, if I decide
not to become a vampire?"

He pulled away, "That decision was made when you
gave me your blood."

She followed him, "If after a few years I decide to
leave and go look for Nick, what would you do?"
Natalie saw him stiffen and he flinched when she
touched his shoulder.

"That's not possible a fledgling must stay with his
master at least 50 years."

She pressed him further, "If someone attacked me,
and I was hurt badly?"

"That person would die."  He said turning to look at
her with hard cold eyes.

"You see you haven't really changed that much. She
came to him now, and forced him to hold her even
though her words had made him angry. "I said
those things because I want you to think about things
that are possible, but not probable Lucien."  She
looked up into his face,"I will never go back to
Nick.  Never Lucien.  I promise you that.  I would
also ask you not to kill for me."

His eyes softened and he held her close and his body
relaxed against her.  "I will try hard Natalie but it
is very difficult to control the vampire when it
is suddenly released.  There are times it cannot be
stopped."

"The vampire is what it is.  I have limited control.
When provoked it is a formidable force. When it is
hungry it must be fed. The blood of about 1/2 a
human a day is what keeps it under control.  That's
the only way to satisfy it.  Natalie, all I was for
years was a vampire. Now I am Lucien and a
vampire.  You don't know how much that means to me.

Natalie smiled, with a mischievous glint in her eye.
"You certainly were in control earlier tonight."

He gave her an evil grin, "It was my pleasure."

She pulled his head down to give him a deep kiss and
their tongues danced for a bit." I don't expect too
much change Lucien.  I know what you are and I
still love you.  When I become like you, only then
will I truly understand what it is you and Nick
fight."

"I dare say you will Natalie." He said holding her
close.  "Come on lets go downstairs.  You're probably
hungry after this nights excitement."

"Now that you mention it." She smiled and took his
hand.

The kitchen was well stocked and as Lucien fed from
a bottle of Raven's finest, Natalie found the food to
make a great salad.  They sat on bar stools and had
their meals."

Natalie asked, "Why are you waiting to bring me
across, Lucien?  Why not just do it.  My life in
Toronto is over.  Nick's leaving changed how I feel
about all of it."

He reached over the counter and covered her fingers
with his. "My reasons are purely selfish.  I want to
make love to you as you are, a beautiful warm
human woman.  I want to feel your warmth surround
me.  I want you to introduce me to your friends.  I
want you to show them your happiness.  If you just
vanish they would search.  If we live here together
for a few years we can show them your happiness, our
happiness. They won't think twice when  we move away.

"Won't they think it odd that you can't go out in
the sun either?"

"Explain that I was Nick's father, adopted father
because of our similar maladies.  We met through a
doctor who was treating both of us.  A support
group if you will. Nick was a young teenager from a
nearby orphanage.  He needed a home and I provided him
with one. No one will think about it twice."

She smiled running her fingers across his hand.
"That is a good story. Reese will remember you and
wonder why Nick didn't mention you were related."

"Well we can't change that now, can we?  He will
just have to wonder.  And I can take the edge off his
memories if it becomes necessary.

"He may ask about Nick. To see if you can tell him
where he's gone so suddenly."

"Well I cannot give answers to something I do not
know.  Let's not talk about Nicholas anymore tonight."
He took her hand and pulled her around the
counter and kissed her thoroughly.  They then took a
walk out into the garden and the grounds that included
a section of forest and a brook.  The stars were
bright and it was warm.  Natalie enjoyed every moment
of it.  At about 4am they closed the house and LaCroix
picked Natalie up into his arms and they flew back to
the city.

He left her at the balcony door. His desire for her
so heightened by the close contact on the long flight
that he dared not spend the day with her.  He bent,
kissing her deeply then with a moan of frustration
pulled away and flew into the early morning darkness.

Natalie watched till he was out of sight.  She went
into the penthouse and was accosted by a hungry cat.
She fed him then sat on a bar stool and watched him
eat.  She couldn't help blushing deeply at the
memories of writhing in ecstasy under Lucien's
physical
expertise the evening before.  She picked up the happy
cat and finally went to her bedroom.  She sat him on
the bed then went and took a warm shower. She crawled
into bed as the sun rose high into the sky.  She would
have to work tonight.  She found she no longer looked
forward to her work.  It was a hard miserable job.
Grace was always looking at her with sad eyes
wondering what had happened between her and Nick that
made him run away from their relationship.  She was
now pestering her for news about the new man in her
life.  At least now with Lucien's permission, she
could tell her friend a little more about their life
together.

At work the next night Natalie was telling Grace,
"He was a friend of Nick's, Grace.  They were good
friends while in the support group.  Then Lucien found

out Nick was an orphan.  He adopted him. They were
in a support group for people who can't go out into
the sun."

"So this new guy can't go out in the sun either.
You got to admit Nat, that's a bit odd."

"I know it is, Grace. It's a hard life not being
able to live like most people.  Anyway we started to
have feelings for one another.  Nick couldn't handle
it.  I loved Nick but there's something extra special
about Lucien. I never meant to hurt him like that."

"That was a pretty rough blow, Natalie.  I have a
hard time believing you would do that to him."  She
handed Natalie a scalpel and watched as Natalie
made an incision on their newest autopsy patient.
"No wonder he left."

Natalie felt her eyes well up with tears and she
turned away.

Grace came around the table and took her by the
shoulders. "I'm sorry Natalie.  I didn't mean to make
you cry."

Natalie let her hold her a moment, then she moved
away.  "I told Nick over and over how I felt about
him.  He just couldn't commit to me.  I couldn't
wait forever.  I do love Lucien."

"Are you sure he's not a replacement for Nick?"

"No, Grace, he's not a replacement for Nick.  He's a
unique very special man who's not afraid to love me.
I know his being Nick's father will make people
talk, but it's just the way it is. We both care a
great deal for Nick, but it was time to move on.  We
have agonized over this as well."

"All right Natalie, no more lectures.  As long as
you are happy."

"I am, Grace I am.  He's the most amazing person I
have ever known.  It makes giving up the sun much
easier."

"Just because he can't go into the sun doesn't mean
you have to give it up entirely.  You need to have
some sun to be healthy. You know that."

"I know Grace, I will get some sun, but it's not hard
for me to adjust to his lifestyle.  I'm already a
night person.  You have to admit it's a good
arrangement for me and for him."

Grace smiled at her.  "Tell me more about this man."

Natalie got a dreamy smile on her face. "He's tall,
incredibly handsome, cultured.  He has a bit of an
edge. I like that."

"An edge, what does that mean?"

"He commands a lot of power and is by the way, as
you know he is very rich.  He's also a very ruthless
businessman." Natalie finished up and stripped off
her gloves.

"Are you sure it's just business?"

Natalie shrugged as she dropped the gloves in a
hazardous material container. She knew he was a
dangerous man even to her, but he was in her blood,
she blushed, actually she was in his.

Grace looked at her curiously. "Well I suppose rich
isn't a bad thing."

Natalie grinned, "It defiantly has its perks," she
would have loved to tell Grace about the house, but it
might need to stay hers and Lucien's secret.
"...and he's so damn sexy.  I want to just rip his
clothes off." She blushed again thinking of the bar in
her penthouse.
 

"Oh, girl, you have got it bad.  He's that good
huh?"

Natalie nodded, pressing her cold hand against her
hot cheek. She could only nod.

"When can I meet this man?"

"Soon Grace, he's coming on Wednesday to pick me up
from work.  He wants to meet you too.  We are going
out to dinner. I think it's going to be a very
special evening."

Grace didn't say anything just smiled that envious
smile of all women who would like to be in love.

"Let's get back to work. You take Mr. Williams to the
cooler and I'll get out Jane Doe and prepare for her
autopsy."

About an hour later a delivery boy arrived with a
dozen roses for Natalie and a fine box of chocolates
for Grace.

Grace plucked a piece of the expensive chocolate out
of the box and popped it into her mouth, "I like this
man already, Natalie."

Natalie grinned; she'd told Lucien the way to
Grace's heart was through her taste buds.  It had
worked. Grace offered her a piece and she sighed with
pleasure.  "I'm going to have to ask him to send me
a box, Grace, this is wonderful."

Wednesday finally arrived.  Natalie had slipped into
her office after having taken a shower in the dressing
room.  She dressed in a black evening dress with gold
threads woven into it.  She left her hair down with
soft thick waves.  She knew Lucien loved to burry his
hands in her hair.  She applied her make up for a more
natural look.  Ready she went into the main lab to
wait.  Grace was there anxiously waiting for Natalie's
beau, as she called him.

He arrived exactly on time; he was dressed
impeccable as always.

Grace got a wide grin on her face when he took her
hand and bent to press a cool kiss on it. "Lucien
LaCroix."  He said in that sexy soft voice of his.

"Its nice to meet you, Mr. LaCroix, Natalie has
nothing but good things to say about you."

"Of course.  I trust you enjoyed the chocolates?"

"Yes, very much, thank you."

"It was my pleasure." He turned now to Natalie. "You
look ravishing my dear." He drew Natalie close kissing
her slowly and gently.

Natalie clung to him a moment longer than necessary.
"I missed you."

Lucien smiled, caressing her cheek with his finger,
"I promise to make the wait worth your while."  His
eyes devoured her."Come Natalie we must be going.  We
don't want to be late for our reservation."

He turned to Grace as he slipped an arm around
Natalie's shoulder and drew her close. "It was nice to
meet you Ms. Balthazar." He took her fingers in his
for a brief moment then swept Natalie out of the room.

Grace stared after them and shuddered.  He was
handsome and charming. "That man's as cold as death,"
she whispered as a shiver ran through her. Natalie
obviously loved this man.  He also seemed very taken
with her.  Yet with all his culture and charm there
was something not quite right about him. "Damn
you, Nick.  Despite your similarities to that man,
you had a heart of gold, he does not."  She vowed, if
there came a time when this man hurt her Natalie, he
would answer to her.  She sighed and turned, "In the
mean time I will just enjoy this box of chocolates."
She said popping another piece into her mouth.
 

The Limo was waiting for them and Natalie slid onto
the fine leather seat and LaCroix moved in close.  The
driver shut the door. Natalie discovered a huge gold
wrapped box with a big red bow sitting before her.

She looked at LaCroix and he heard her heart beat
speed up with excitement.  He smiled this was the
first time he'd given her a gift other than the
repairs and changes to her apartment and of course
the penthouse.  "It is for you my dear."

Natalie laughed with delight and leaned forward to
snatch the bow off the box and then struggled a bit
with the large lid. Finally it came lose and she
flung it aside.  She rifled through the soft tissue
paper to reveal a beautiful sable red fur coat. "Oh
Lucien," she gasped. She pursed her lips together not
sure of what to say next.  She had reached her hand
out to touch it but had stopped a few inches away from
it.

LaCroix laughed behind her, "It won't bite you,
Natalie, relax.  I know you wouldn't approve of a real
fur.  It's one of the finest faux furs, money can
buy. It's virtually indistinguishable from the real
thing."

End Part 6