From sclark@best.com Tue Jul 28 11:40:07 1998 Date: Sun, 12 Jul 1998 19:07:09 -0700 From: clark To: fkfanfic@merlin.darkmage.net Subject: Sounds of the Night Permission given to archive at fkfanfic website as well as FTP site. No other permission is granted to repost/reprint/reuse. If you're interested, drop me a line. Love it/hate it/whatever, feedback is always welcomed and greatly appreciated. This story is based on characters, situations and music that isn't mine. Thanks to TPTB for the use of the FK characters. All included songs are property of their copyright holders. No infringement on any of these properties is intended. Sounds of the Night by S. Clark Stars shining bright above you, Night breezes seem to whisper, "I love you"; Birds singin' in the sycamore tree; Dream a little dream of me... Natalie Lambert and Nick Knight strolled along the lakeshore under the stars. They'd been out for a lovely Italian dinner. Well, Natalie enjoyed the dinner. Nick enjoyed watching Natalie enjoy her dinner. All in all, something for everyone. Neither spoke not wanting to break the mood. They'd had enough rough times lately. The meteor scare. The deaths of Don Schanke and Amanda Cohen. Nick almost leaving. Then, after he committed to stay, he still almost lost Natalie due to his inability to express his feelings to her. But things were settling into their usual pattern, the same comfortable relationship. Never quite the platonic friendship it had been before that Valentine's Day. Nick never questioned Natalie on what she remembered. He'd thought immediately afterwards that the combination of LaCroix's drugs and his hypnosis had worked to remove the evening from her memory. He had begun to realize that the evening, parts of it anyway, had returned to her. While secretly he was glad for the chance to be closer to her he couldn't allow what he was, how he felt, to destroy her. Say "nighty-night" and kiss me, Just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me; While I'm alone and blue as can be, Dream a little dream of me... Nick slipped an arm over her shoulder. She leaned into him, placing her arm around his waist. "Do you hear something?" she asked. He concentrated on the sound of her heartbeat but felt it was a dangerous sound to linger upon. "No," he said, afraid to admit how tenuous his control sometimes was when he was near her. "Probably just the breeze through the leaves." She moved her hand atop the one he'd placed on her shoulder. They continued their stroll. He reveled in times like these. Quiet times with just the two of them. "Nick?" she said softly. He didn't respond. She turned her head towards her shoulder and lightly bit his thumb. "Ow!" He tried to pull his hand away but she was still holding onto it. "No fair. How come you can bite?" She smiled. "Just trying to get your attention." She placed a light kiss atop his thumb. "Better?" "Better," he agreed. "Are you back with me?" "I'm sorry," he said. "I was thinking." "Want to share?" They stopped walking. He turned to face her and cupped her chin in his hands. Her clear blue eyes looked up into his, no sign of fear. That she could be so calm around him, with what he was, always amazed him. In some ways it frightened him. Her heartbeat called to him again. The closeness awoke the beast and it's need for possession, for control. "Nick?" The struggle had begun. I'd like to help you doctor Yes I really really would But the din in my head It's too much and it's no good "Nick," she repeated. "Please. Talk to me." He turned away from her. His hands dropped to his side, fists clenched. The beast had emerged. I'm standing in a windy tunnel Shouting through the roar And I'd like to give the information You're asking for He heard her softly sobbing but knew she stood her ground. Once again he had disappointed her. Once again he couldn't be the man she needed. "I can't," he said, voice raspy. He felt a warm hand on her shoulder. "Nick, you can't keep shutting me out." He turned to face her and she gasped. His amber eyes looked coolly through her. His fangs had dropped. The beast within howled for blood. Her blood. But blood makes noise It's a ringing in my ear Blood makes noise And I can't really hear you In the thickening of fear "Is this what you wanted to see?" He growled the words as mush as spoke them. "This is what I am, all I am. This is why we cannot be." "No, Nick." She tenderly reached up to touch his cheek but he withdrew. "Please. Don't do this." "Don't do what? Be myself? Become the beast?" She glared into him. "Don't torture yourself. There is more to you than the vampire. I know it and you do too whether or not you're willing to admit it." Oh, come on, Come on, Come on, Come on Didn't I make you feel, Like you were the only man? Yeah, and didn't I give you nearly everything, That a woman possibly can? Honey, you know I did "Please, Nick. We were having such a nice evening." He laughed in a mocking tone. "Nice. Nice? What right have I to such amusements. What price will those around me pay?" "Fine." She crossed her arms over her chest. "We're falling back onto the old guilt train, are we? Well have a nice trip because I'm not riding." Each time I tell my self That I, well I think I've had enough Oh, but I'm gonna show you baby, That a woman can be tough. I want ya to come on, Come on, Come on, Come on Natalie turned and started to walk very deliberately away from him. As she did she could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. The heat of anger and frustration colored her cheeks. More and more her evenings with him were like this. They could be wonderful, tender times. Or, they could seem like a descent into some medieval picture of hell. Most often they were both. As she walked she hummed a tune to herself. She wasn't exactly sure why she had this particular song running through her head, but at least it diverted her attention from more immediate issues such as her evening ruined by vampire angst. The music gave her something to focus on as she made her way towards the street where she could hail a cab, get back home and sink into a nice warm tub to forget. And take it! Take another little piece of my heart, now baby. Break it! Break another little piece of my heart. Come on, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah Have a! Have another little piece of my heart, now baby. Well you know you got it, If it make you feel good. Oh, yes indeed Head down, moving purposely forward, she didn't even notice the person standing in front of her until she bowled right into him. "I'm sorry," she muttered, turning quickly to move away. "Natalie." She knew the voice, the tone. She dabbed at her eyes with a rumpled tissue and kept walking towards the street. Once again he was standing before her. This time he lightly grasped her shoulders to prevent another escape. "Please, Nat." She kept her head bowed, not wanting to see the regret in his eyes. "If I could only make you understand how it is for me, being so near you. How I feel about you." I'll be your dream I'll be your wish I'll be your fantasy. I'll be your hope I'll be your love be everything that you need. I'll love you more with every breath truly madly deeply do... She pursed her lips. "You know, Nick, I think I'm finally starting to figure it out." "Really?" He hadn't a clue what she was talking about. "Figure what out?" She nodded. "It's that damn music I've been hearing all evening." "Music?" "Haven't you heard it? Every time the songs change, our moods change." He stared at her. The light dawned within. "I did heard them. I guess I was busy concentrating on other things." He tried again not to focus on her heartbeat. "But I'm still not sure what's happening." "I wasn't at first, either. But that last bit was from a song released in 1997." "So?" "So, our show ended in 1996. It's an anachronism." He shrugged. "I think I liked songs better when the words were in Latin and no one understood them." He zoned back into a remembrance of the Gregorian chants that echoed within the monasteries he stayed in during his trip to the Crusades. But your new shoes are worn at the heels and your suntan does rapidly peel and your wise men don't know how it feels to be thick as a brick. Natalie glared up, and then scanned the area around her. "And that's supposed to be funny? It's a cheap shot." "What?" he asked, breaking from the stupor. Natalie looked at him and started chuckling. "Never mind," she said, smile returning to her face. "Let's just forget about that last one." Nick looked at her with a playful gleam in his eyes. "Perhaps now that we understand the situation we can use it to our advantage?" "How so, Mr. Knight." "Perhaps we can make requests. Something without words. Something where the gentleman is allowed to hold his lady close and twirl her through the evening." A Strauss waltz begins to play. "Rather tepid description, don't you think?" he asked to no one in particular. The Treasure Waltz by Johann Strauss begins to softly play, emerging from the stillness and quiet of the empty park and filling the air majestically with a beautiful sound. "Much better." He smiled, looking very satisfied with himself, and held out a hand to Natalie. "Now, if I may have the pleasure of this dance?" She curtseyed gracefully and took his hand allowing herself to be swept into his arms. She was held much closer than was considered proper for such a dance and enjoyed every moment of it. They danced under the clear sky and twinkling stars until forced to abandon the evening to the morning sun. Stars fading, but I linger on, dear, Still craving your kiss; I'm longing to linger til dawn, dear, Just saying this: Sweet dreams til sun beams find you, Sweet dreams that leave our worries behind you; But in your dreams, whatever they be, Dream a little dream of me Stars fading, but I linger on, dear, Still craving your kiss; I'm longing to linger til dawn dear, Just saying this: Sweet dreams til sun beams find you, Sweet dreams that leave our worries far behind you; But in your dreams, whatever they be, Dream a little dream of me. Songs and performers or composers: "Dream a Little Dream of Me"; Mama Cass "Blood Makes Noise"; Suzanne Vega "Piece of My Heart"; Janis Joplin "Truly Madly Deeply"; Savage Garden "Thick as a Brick"; Jethro Tull "Treasure Waltz"; Johann Strauss