This came to me one evening last week. (I'm stuck on a title so anyone with ideas after reading please forward suggestions to me or forkni-l). Since then I've been listennig to annoyingly logical questions from Karin. Okay so it helped improve on the first draft. I rarely post fanfic so for those of you who weren't around in the dark ages......When not earning rent money as a software engineer I'm working toward becoming a paid screenwriter. So this format may take a bit of getting used to for some (and for that reason I do cheat a teeny weeny bit and tell you more than I normally would.) Karin is torturing me by forcing me to write one of the war parts in prose. I'm having heart palpatations. Ah well, this is my Forever Not. I hope it makes sense and that you enjoy it. Although I think I come down in the minority with this. I'll accept suggestions for titles, compliments and flames (albiet when flaming keep in mind I bite ) at jennise@talarian.com. Jennise jennise@talarian.com ********************************************************************** INT. NATALIE'S APARTMENT - KITCHEN - NIGHT Natalie shoves a sheet into a sink filled with water. A huge crash. NATALIE Nick! Hold on! I'm coming hold on! INT. NATALIE'S APARTMENT - LIVINGROOM - NIGHT Nick, on the floor surrounded by videos, is curled in a ball of pain. His skin smolders. Natlalie rushes in carrying the dripping sheet. She throws it over Nick then kneels beside him trying desperately to think of something. NATALIE Oh my god! What have I... Nick's hand seizes her shoulder in a death grip. His fangs gleaming as he pulls her close. Natalie tries desperately to get away; to pry that hand off. It's no use. NATALIE Nick! Let go! She braces one arm against his chest, trying to stop her steady movement closer to his mouth. A hand drops into her view. It tightens around Nick's wrist and pries Nick's hand off Natalie. In shock, Natalie stares up at her saviour. LACROIX He kneels by his son. LACROIX What did you do to him? Natalie hesitates. LaCroix throws the sheet off of him and stares at the blistering skin. Nick tries desperately to reach Natalie. NATALIE I injected him with... Nick tries again for his source of food...of survival. LACROIX Go. Her feet seem frozen to the spot. LACORIX He will kill you. She turns and runs. LaCroix gathers Nick to him, tightly. His bares his fangs, buries them in Nick's throat. Nick howls in pain. LaCroix, like a cowboy in those old movies, begins to suck the poisonous blood from his body, spitting it across the room. INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT Natalie slowly sits against the wall. She puts her head on her knees and begins to cry. INT. NATALIE'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - HOURS LATER Nick lies on his couch. He looks like hell. Both vampires and much of the room, are covered in blood. On the floor beside the couch lie more than a dozen bottles; most empty. LaCroix puts another wine bottle to Nick's lips. Nick's eyes snap open focused on that bottle. He consumes the liquid unaware of anything other than the life flowing into his mouth. LACROIX Foolish, foolish boy. INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT Natalie dozes. It's obvious she hasn't done much sleeping out here. LaCroix steps out of the room. NATALIE How is he? LACROIX This foolishness must stop. NATALIE How _is_ Nick? Natalie storms past him. He grabs her arm. LACROIX I had to completely drain his system. The blood has not yet been replinished. It is not safe. All the fight drains out of her. She realizes. She almost killed him. LACROIX You are quite an amazing woman, Dr. Lambert. I had no idea you would be able to learn so much about what we are. Or that you could cause so much damage. NATALIE You knew? LACROIX Of course. NATALIE You've never tried to stop him. LACROIX He is no longer a child. I attempted to talk sense into him. But he never listens. This time you went too far. You must stop. NATALIE So that you can use this setback to convince him to give up. LACROIX No, because this cure of Nicholas' will not be found in your science. NATALIE (incredulous) Magic? LACROIX We a not creatures of science. NATALIE Most modern science was considered magic. Nick suffers from a virus. I've isolated it and I can destroy it. LACROIX And Nicholas along with it! She stares at the closed door. LACROIX Science does not hold the answer. If you continue you will destroy him. I will not let that happen. NATALIE Then why didn't you let him kill me? She studies his barely readable expression, finally, she figures it out. NATALIE Because that _would_ destroy him. Nick bursts through the door. (Well as much bursting as a weak vampire can do.) Natalie stiffens in fear. LaCroix moves between Nick and Natalie. NICK What are you doing? Get away from her! LaCroix remains between them. LACROIX I am not the one who nearly killed her. NICK (oh sh**; he remembers) Nat. I'm sorry. He reaches for her. LACROIX Perhaps, Dr. Lambert, it would be best if you did not return until Nicholas was more...in control of his urges. She turns and rushes down the stairs. Nick jerks away from LaCroix and stumbles back into the apartment. INT. NATALIE'S LIVINGROOM - NIGHT Nick collapses onto the couch. NICK What did you say to her? LACROIX That no cure can be found in science. We are not a scientific creation Nicholas. And she cannot give you what you want. Nick grabs another bottle. He takes a long drink. NICK For just a moment, I felt... She was close this time. I could feel it. Next time... LACROIX You're not listening Nicholas. Her methods will not work. NICK But there is a method that will? LaCroix can't help the smirk. He grabs the last bottle from the two cases on the floor. NICK Do you know the cure? LACROIX If not for me you would no longer exist and your Natalie would be dead. By your hand. Nick lunges for him. LaCroix steps out of his path. NICK Is...there...a cure!!!! Nick crashes against a bookshelf. LACROIX I should have taught you better manners. NICK (softly) Is there a cure? LACROIX (long beat) You would not like the price. NICK Tell me! LACROIX Why don't I show you. INT. LACROIX'S HOUSE - NIGHT LaCroix punches a code into a security panel. Nick stands back watching intently. A door swings open. LaCroix steps into a vault. He motions for Nick to follow. He does. NIT. LACROIX'S HOUSE - VAULT - NIGHT The vault is filled with antique instruments, jewlery, carefully preserved scrolls, a tablet or two, and the Abarat. NICK (staring at the Abarat) You didn't destroy it? LaCroix only laughs. LACROIX Feel free. If you can you remember how to read it? Nick takes it and gently flips it open. He stops, staring down at the page before him. LACROIX It does work. I have seen it. Nick's eyes go wide in disbelief. NICK This is a lie! LACROIX Few have been willing to pay that price. Those who eagerly tried the cure failed. Their eagerness belied the fact they did not truly love. I know of only two willing to make the sacrifice. They ended their pitiful existences as mortals plagued by the guilt of having sacrificed their loved ones. NICK You're lying! LACROIX Nicholas. I have only ever told you the truth. INT. NICK'S LOFT - SEVERAL NIGHTS LATER Nick stands by the window staring into the night. He sips at a glass of cows blood. The Abarat is on the fireplace mantle. The door slides open. Natalie steps into the loft. She sees Nick, hesitates. NATALIE Nick? Are you all right? He turns, forces a smile. NICK I'm fine. NATALIE You look... NICK (grinning) Pale? The joke worries her more. NICK Would you look at something for me? NATALIE Sure. He removes a piece of paper from the Abarat. She accepts it, studies it a moment. NATALIE What is this? NICK That's what I want you to tell me. NATALIE The language is a little weird, but at a chemical level it's the same stuff I gave you the other night. Nick's expression changes. This is not good news. NATALIE Nick? *What* is this? NICK The cure. Natalie stares at him, stunned. NICK It's from the Abarat. The stories were true. LaCroix has known all this time. There is a cure and it works. NATALIE Where...? If I had it. Why didn't work the other night? NICK (quietly) It might have...if LaCroix hadn't come along. Nick hands her the tome and turns back to the window. He watches her reflection in the glass as she pulls another sheet of paper from the Abarat. NICK The rest of the translation. NATALIE Heart's blood of one you love who loves you? Nick you can't believe this? NICK I tried not to. But you had it right, Nat. You found the cure. NATALIE Obviously, I didn't. I made the same omission this ancient version did. That does not mean all this extra mumbo jumbo is the missing ingredient. I've just got to keep looking. NICK LaCroix has seen it work. NATALIE And you believe him!?! NICK I can't afford not to. She yanks him around to face her. NATALIE You're giving up?! NICK It's okay, Nat. LaCroix understands, accepts. I'll never go back to his way of living. But it's okay. I've got a good life. A job. Friends. She stares at him and realizes; he's serious. The decision has been made. Nick kisses her gently. NICK The price is too high. It's not worth it. NATALIE Nick? She watches him a few moments. He picks up the glass and drinks. NATALIE I've got to get to work. I'll stop by later? He nods. She grabs her purse, sees the second page of the cure. With a brief glance at Nick she slips it into her pocket. Then heads to the door. NATALIE (at the door) I think maybe you've won after all. You do have your humanity. END