Subject: Hope Date: Tue, 9 Feb 1999 08:35:17 -0700 From: clark To: Stephanie Kellerman This story is posted under an adult header due to the topic and some language. I wouldn't call it a traditional 'adult' story. If this type of story offends you, please don't read it. Permission given to archive at fkfanfic website and the ftp site. No other permission is granted to repost/reprint/reuse. If you're interested drop me a line. As always, feedback is welcomed. This story is based on characters and situations that aren't mine. Thanks to TPTB for their use. "Hope" (01/02) by S. Clark Nick picked up the phone. It was Natalie. He'd been expecting her call all week. She'd been nervous, avoiding him at work. "I think today's the day," she said. "Are you sure?" He knew it was the wrong question as soon as it escaped his lips. She knew what she was doing. There was a pause on the line. "You're not having second thoughts, are you?" They'd been through this a million times, it seemed. "Of course not." "Good." Her voice contained a note of relief. "I'll call Margaret. I'll be there soon." She paused again. "That is doable, isn't it? Soon, I mean?" He smiled. "It's fine." "Good." "Good-bye." Nick hung up the phone. He had work to do, and needed to complete his portion before she arrived. He went to the kitchen and pulled two special bottles, human, from the refrigerator. And, from the cupboard, a beaker that she'd prepared and sealed. He looked over at the equipment he'd purchased and had installed in a corner where he normally kept his art supplies. If this was successful, 'when it was successful,' he corrected himself, he'd donate it all to a worthy clinic. In the meantime, Nat was on her way. He needed to be finished by the time she arrived. ### Natalie pulled her coat tightly around herself. She picked up her keys and her purse. Then she set them back on the table, taking in a deep breath. "Ok, Lambert. You can do this. You've thought this through. This was your idea." She took a moment, to remind herself why she'd made this choice. This was something she'd wanted. Something Nick had agreed to. So why the hesitation? She picked up her things again, taking another deep breath. "Well, I guess it's now or never," she announced to the room. Sydney looked up at her from his vantage point of under the table, then went back to his grooming. She smiled, hoping this was the right decision, and headed for the door. ### When Natalie arrived at the loft Nick was seated on the couch, looking relaxed, reading a magazine. She peeked over, leaning on his shoulder. "What you got there, inspiration?" He held up the cover where she could see it. "Newsweek." Natalie made a face. "Interesting choice, Nick." Nick leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "All done and ready for you." She smiled, and went over to their makeshift lab to get to work. She wanted to extract a blood sample, her blood, and begin the washing process before her friend Margaret arrived. Some things about this process were easy to explain. For example, why she and Nick had decided to try begin the procedure. It wasn't exactly explained with the truth. But a simple white lie was more believable than the existence of vampires. What was more difficult was to explain away the amount of equipment they'd set up for the process. But even that could sound plausible, given a simple explanation and a little vampiric assistance. "Can I help?" Nick's voice caused Natalie to jump. She was so lost in her thoughts, the process, she'd somewhat forgotten that he was there. "How good a cook are you?" Nick shrugged. "It's been a while, I guess." He glanced over her setup. "Quite a while." "Pull up a chair and keep me company." Nick readily complied with the request. She continued to work in silence. He leaned forward, scanning over the work surface. "So, am I good to go?" "I did a quick check," she said. "You have a good count, and good motility." "And you think it's safe? I mean, they're normal? There's nothing..." Natalie looked back at him and smiled. "As far as the electron microscope showed, Nick." "But maybe it isn't in all of them." "And maybe I could get hit by a car crossing the street tomorrow." She closed her eyes and again told herself to relax. That had come out much sharper than she'd intended. She turned to face him. "Look," her voice was softer now. "We can still call this off if you'd like." "No. I just want to make sure it's safe." Natalie turned back to her work. "It's as safe as we can make it." She looked back over her shoulder and gave him a quick wink. "You told me I couldn't be here for the dangerous part." Nick didn't return her smile, but Natalie resumed to her work too quickly to notice. He had told her that had she been present while he was making his contribution, it could be dangerous. 'What an understatement,' he thought. Some vampiric acts were more tied to blood than others. In that, sex was the ultimate. Not only did he need blood to perform, perform in a human sense, but it was almost impossible for him to expect to control the vampire as he approached climax. It would have been more than dangerous for her to be present. His desire for human blood, more specifically for her blood, coupled with her nearness. That would have made all of their preparations for naught. With Natalie sunk into her work, Nick into his musings, both jumped as the buzzer rang. "That must be Margaret. Could you let her in?" This story is posted under an adult header due to the topic and some language. I wouldn't call it a traditional 'adult' story. If this type of story offends you, please don't read it. Permission given to archive at fkfanfic website and the ftp site. No other permission is granted to repost/reprint/reuse. If you're interested drop me a line. As always, feedback is welcomed. This story is based on characters and situations that aren't mine. Thanks to TPTB for their use. "Hope" (02/02) by S. Clark Margaret was a friend of Natalie's from medical school, now a practicing OB/GYN. Nat and Nick had discussed trying the procedure themselves, without any outside assistance. In the end, though, bringing in a professional seemed the most sensible choice. "Good evening, Detective." Margaret was all smiles as she stepped out of the lift. "Where we at?" "Toronto?" Nick replied, keeping a straight face. She grinned. "It's a good thing you have a sense of humor now. You may need it before all this is over." 'More true than you realize,' Nick told himself. 'Far more.' Margaret walked over to Natalie's laboratory. "So, is it soup yet?" Natalie looked over at her friend. "Still washing." Margaret looked over the setup. "I'm still amazed you were able to get your hands on all of this equipment." Nick stepped over. He didn't want Natalie distracted from her work, or needing to create a cover story. "Can I get you something to drink?" "Some water would be nice." She glanced at her watch. "I'm still on call." Nick went back to the kitchen area and pulled out a glass and the ice from the freezer. Water was an easy request. It was something he had. While Margaret went to work with Natalie, Nick returned to the couch. He tried to feign interest in the magazine again, but his thoughts drifted back on the day this whole plan began. He dropped in to see Natalie, over at her apartment. She hadn't been expecting him. He certainly didn't expect to find her crying. Whatever was troubling her was something she wasn't initially willing to share. It'd taken some time, some coaxing, to finally get her to open up. She explained that one of her deepest desires was to have children. A desire she now felt would never come to be. Nick didn't pry further. He knew she most likely wouldn't enter into a relationship while he was still in her life. And he was damn sure he wasn't ready to be out of this life, and especially not out of her life. He had made the first stabs at investigating the process alone. He'd had the initial fertility work done without her knowledge, not wanting to get her hopes up. Children were, in a way, a part of his life. Vampiric children, of course. Rarely, though, did he feel it was something he'd done well. Perhaps a human child, a child from Natalie, would instead be a source of hope for him, for them. For the future. When he presented her with the lab reports he wasn't sure he'd ever seen her as happy. It was at that point, when it was all becoming real, that the difficult portion began. He'd had to explain to her what it was like for him, as a vampire, sexually. It was a discussion he'd hoped to never have, an unveiling of the base needs of the beast. But, through it all, she handled it well. She said she understood the limits. They also discussed what would maximize their chances yet minimize her physical risk. To that end they'd moved their talk from a turkey baster to a centrifuge. And, the time on the electron microscope. Nick had insisted upon that test. He refused to proceed unless they were confident his genes contained no sign of the vampire. Natalie also acknowledged, during the course of their talks, that she didn't expect him to stay in Toronto forever. The thought brought a tear to his eye. It was spoken so directly, with such truth. He tacitly affirmed it was correct. But did vow to always be a part of the child's life, her life, whatever happened. It had taken months of preparation, seeminly endless discussions, before she was ready to start monitoring her body for signs of ovulation. This was her first cycle since they'd completed their preparations. Nick knew once might not be enough. But he wished, both for himself and for Natalie, that tonight would be it. Tonight would be his missive of hope. Through this process, perhaps forgiveness was possible. He was distracted from his musing when Natalie and Margaret walked past him, towards the stairs. "Are you going to come help?" Margaret asked. No doubt she was used to dealing with a more traditional form of couple. The image of Natalie, partially naked, receiving his seed, was not something he felt the strength to attend. "I faint pretty easily. I'd better not." Natalie walked back over and gave him a kiss on the lips. "For luck," she whispered. He returned the kiss. "For hope." Nick used his enhanced hearing to listen to the procedures taking place up in his room. He could hear the quickening of Natalie's heartbeat as her anxiety increased, the reality of it all no doubt settling upon her. He waited until it was over, and Margaret stepped out of the room. "And now?" he asked, when she joined up down in the loft. "Now, I go back to work." "I mean what comes next?" She picked up her coat. "Well, Natalie needs to stay still for a while. She knows all of that. Then, in ten days or so, we'll see how you two did." Nick's expression went to one of relief. "Ok." Margaret headed for the lift. "I'll be seeing you around, Detective." As soon as the lift doors closed he ran up the stairs towards his room. He stopped just outside the doors, though, giving a soft knock. "It's safe," Natalie announced. She was laying on the bed, fully covered, hips propped up with pillows. "It's not as uncomfortable as it looks," she offered. Nick sat along side her. He placed a hand on her stomach. "Is it too much to hope for?" She smiled. "We'll know soon enough." Nick lay beside her, placing his hand back upon her. "Stay here tonight." "Are you sure, Nick?" She turned to look at him, so much trust reflected within her eyes. "I want our child to know he was loved from the beginning." Natalie placed her hand over his. "She was loved." "Yes, she was." Nick kissed Natalie on the cheek. 'Yes she was.'