Date: Sat, 3 May 1997 17:02:26 -0400 Reply-To: CaseyMacD@AOL.COM Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: Kay Copeland Subject: ADULT: Tonight, I Celebrate My Love for You (1/2) To: FKFIC-L@psuvm.psu.edu (c) 1997 by Kay Copeland of all original material contained here-in. No claim is made or implied on previously held copyrights or trademarks, etc. Characters are the property of Paragon Entertainment and Columbia/Tri- Star Entertainment, as well as at least one other company I can't off-hand recall. All characters used without permission from Paragon/Columbia, etc., for the purpose of entertainment only. Permission to archive granted. This is my first (and maybe only, who knows?) post. I haven't subscribed for long, so I hope that this story isn't a case of "been there, done that" and it proves as enjoyable a read as it was a write. It was an idea I came up with while cruising down the freeway in my Caddie convertible (yeah, right!) and listening to the sounds of Roberta Flack and Peabo Bryson. If I heard this song and I were Natalie, then I just might....well, here's the rest: "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love for You" (1/2) by Kay Copeland (c) 1997 The song echoed inside Dr. Natalie Lambert's head. It's haunting melody had stayed with her all day, after she'd first heard it on the easy-listening station that morning. As she had awakened and stretched, her legs moving restlessly beneath the soft, cotton sheets, she felt a longing inside so deep and intense that it frightened her. The song was there, drifting softly all around her and the words...ah, the words were meant for her and Nick. She found herself humming the tune again as she unlocked the door to her apartment shortly after midnight. She had tried to forget the music and the emotions it evoked in her by spending a rare day off prowling the mall and taking in dinner and a late movie with a girlfriend. Funny, she thought, as she dropped her keys on the hall table and secured the lock behind her, that she would think of time spent shopping as "prowling," but that was the way her mind worked these days. With Nick the focus of her waking thoughts and invading her dreams so sweetly as she slept, how could she not link herself with his world as surely as she was linked with her own? "Tonight, I celebrate my love for you. It seems the natural thing to do." Natalie almost laughed as she set her shopping bags down on the foot of the bed and kicked off her shoes. Her feelings for Toronto Homicide Det. Nicholas Knight were anything but "natural." She knew that, logically. But, illogically, her desire to be with him, in every sense, succeeded in stopping all rational thought, as if her heart had a mind of its own. "Tonight, no one's gonna find us. We'll leave the world behind us." That's the problem, Natalie decided, as she laid her purchases out, one by one. The world was always "in front" of her and Nick, blocking their relationship from proceeding to what she had always known would be its inevitable outcome. It was either her world, the mortal world, with its hectic schedules and closed-minded humans, or his world, the immortal world of the vampire, with LaCroix and the other one, Janette, that separated them and had kept them, for months now, from being together. Valentine's Day had been like a dream. Nick had sent her a dozen roses and they had spent a magical evening at the Azure Restaurant. Natalie had drunk champagne, obviously quite a lot of it, because she couldn't remember anything they said or did until they were in the cab and Nick was bringing her home. She wondered now why he hadn't had the Caddie parked outside, but it didn't really matter. Nick had bought out the Azure, so they could dine privately, and that was what was important. He had done that, hadn't he? Natalie shook her head, confused, her memory of that night, only a week ago, still fuzzy. She did know that he had held her, kissed her, passionately, longingly. Nick wanted her, too, as much as Natalie wanted him. He was afraid for her safety, she knew that and, until tonight, she had agreed that a liasion was too dangerous to consider. She had been afraid, too. Until tonight. Natalie picked up the last bag, the one from "Intimate Apparel." Black satin caressed her fingers as she held the gown against her and checked the effect in the tilted cheval mirror. She quickly undressed and slipped the cool material over her head and down the length of her body, watching in fascination as the handkerchief hem settled into soft folds about her calves. She took the restricting pins out of her hair and ran her fingers through the long mass of dark auburn curls, allowing it to fall in a riot against the creamy skin of her neck and shoulders. Nicholas Knight was a vampire, true, but underneath that, she believed on an even more basic level, he was a man. And Natalie didn't think any man could resist the creature that peered back at her from the mirror that night. She thought of herself as a "creature" just then, not as an intelligent woman or as a respected doctor. Her most primitive instincts rose and she sighed an almost inaudible sigh as she walked to the bed and laid down. She needed to think a moment, to plan. She felt like a hunter stalking her prey and, again, she felt herself drawn toward Nick's world and away from her own. Her eyes closed and her thoughts drifted. Tonight, Nick would be hers. And, Natalie would be truly his. "When I make love to you. Tonight, I celebrate my love for you. And hope that deep inside, you'll feel it too. Tonight, our spirits will be climbing to a sky lit up with diamonds, When I make love to you, tonight." As the first rays of dawn slanted through her bedroom window, Natalie rose from her bed, like one possessed, and reached for the telephone. His answering machine picked up on the third ring. She knew that Nick had been on duty the night before and, unless he'd been unable to get home before sunrise, and had been forced to seek shelter elsewhere, she also knew that he'd be at home. Natalie waited through the message for the tone to sound, a serenity alien to her keeping her calm and determined. "Nick. It's Natalie. Are you home? I need to talk to you." A click, and then, "Hi, Nat. It's me. Everything all right? You okay?" Nick's voice washed through her, making her bolder. "Fine," she laughed. "Couldn't be better. Really. I--I just couldn't sleep, that's all, and -- " "-- and you knew I'd be here," he finished for her. "Right." A picture of Nick filled Natalie's mind, one of those disarming smiles gracing his handsome face. "I thought I'd take a drive. Feel like my company?" "Sure. I'm a "captive'"audience, you might say. I'll even try to make coffee for you. Come on over." "Tonight, I celebrate my love for you. And that midnight sun is gonna come shining through. Tonight, there'll be no distance between us. What I want most to do is to get close to you. Tonight." As Natalie drove toward the warehouse, she felt the distance between them closing, physically, emotionally, spiritually. She parked and made her way to the elevator that led to the loft that Nick had made his home. Despite the cold of the Toronto dawn, her thoughts of Nick and the long coat she had slipped into before leaving kept her warm. When the elevator stopped, Natalie pulled on the heavy steel door, only to have it opened effortlessly from the other side. Nick was waiting for her and she knew that he had "felt'"her coming to him. The darkness of his black trousers and shirt contrasted sharply with the paleness of his skin and the golden glow of his hair. He reached for her hand, a look of confusion on his face, and she moved toward him. Natalie stopped to look at him. There was no need. She had known Nick for years and had studied him, memorizing every inch of his strength and gentleness. She knew that he was capable of extremes of both, but that only served to fortify her resolution to know all of him. She laid a hand on his chest and felt one strong heartbeat, then nothing. He covered her warm hand with his large, cooler one, as his eyes searched her face questioningly. *End of Part 1* Date: Sat, 3 May 1997 17:24:52 -0400 Reply-To: CaseyMacD@AOL.COM Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: Kay Copeland Subject: ADULT: Tonight, I Celebrate My Love for You (2/2) To: FKFIC-L@psuvm.psu.edu For disclaimers, see part 1. "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love for You" (2/2) by Kay Copeland (c) 1997 "Nat? Are you really okay? You seem...different." "Tonight, I celebrate my love for you. And soon this old world will seem brand new. Tonight, we will both discover how friends turn into lovers, When I make love to you, Tonight...." Natalie smiled, an enigmatic smile that surprised Nick and, at the same time, aroused him. There was something unusual about her that early morn, a purpose so strong it was like a fever in her blood. Nick inhaled sharply, tasting the essence of her as she leaned toward him. She touched her lips gently to his, teasingly. He had to fight the desire to pull her into his arms. Desire. As Natalie stepped back and walked away from him, he knew that was what he felt from her. Desire, strong, willing, targeted in a way that he had never felt in his almost eight hundred years. The sense was so forceful that it left him momentarily stunned and all he could do was watch her. She moved into the living room and took off her coat, revealing the black satin nightgown. She draped the coat over the chair and walked to the sofa, slowly, purposefully. She sank into its depths and removed her shoes, curling her feet under her. Natalie's eyes met Nick's from across the room. He found himself walking toward her and, for the first time since LaCroix had brought him over, he felt like he was the one in a hypnotic trance. Her gaze drew him certainly, inexorably, to her. Without any sense of how he got there, he found himself seated close beside her, staring at her as if he had never seen her before. "What kind of game is this?" he whispered. Natalie laughed. "Game? No, Nick, this is no game. This is real, more real than we've ever been to each other. More real than you think is right, I know, but today, you're not allowed to think. You're only allowed to feel." Nick brought his hands to her face and Natalie melted into his touch. He kissed her, tentatively at first, then more boldly. For a moment, an eternity, he forgot everything but her. There was no world outside, no one to tell them that what they were doing was wrong, was dangerous... was deadly. For once, he forgot LaCroix and Janette and the countless thousands of others he had known for the past eight hundred years. For, in that moment, he knew only Natalie. His kiss deepened and Natalie went fully, unresistingly, into his embrace. For a time, Nick wasn't sure how long, he forgot who and what he was. As their bodies pressed together, the world receded and left them alone. Then, increasingly aware, he felt it. The hunger. The ever-present, incessant hunger, growing, gnawing at him, demanding to be fed. Nick's senses returned as he swam upwards through a haze of longing and he forced himself to break away. "No! No, we can't!" Natalie caressed him, stroking his face tenderly, as if soothing a child who had just awakened from a nightmare. "Yes, we can. And, we will. We've both wanted this for too long." "But, even if I could control myself -- the others...LaCroix, he won't allow it. If he "feels" what I'm feeling now, he'll be here before --" "Nick! Look at the clock. It daylight outside. That's why I came when I did. LaCroix is trapped, wherever he is. Yes, he may know what's going on, but there's nothing he can do about it until the sun sets." "It's too dangerous. I can't be responsible --" "Then, don't be. Let me take the responsibility for once. It is my life, and how I choose to live it -- or end it -- is my own affair." Nick turned back to her and the look of wonder on his face made him seem innocent and very young. "You -- you would die for me?" Natalie smiled and nodded. "As you would, for me." Nick wanted to believe that was true. Would he die for Natalie, really? Yes, if he had to, to protect her. But, could he knowingly let her risk death for him? "We have all day," she whispered, her breath warm against his cheek. "If I have to pay a high price for what I want, then please don't let me die an unhappy woman." Without another word of argument, Nick rose from the sofa and picked Natalie up in his arms. She nestled close as he crossed the living room and took the stairs slowly, deliberately, to his bedroom. Inside, he let her body slide down the length of his until her toes barely touched the floor and his lips met hers once again. She unbuttoned his shirt and put her fingertips inside it, feeling his skin, as cool as marble, warm to her touch. Her gown fell, unheeded, to the floor. For hours, they stayed together, finally together. Even while Nick managed to hold the demands of the blood fever under control, he gave himself free reign to the feast of Natalie's scent and her essence. Their passion ebbed and flowed, like water lapping on the shore of nearby Lake Ontario. The day passed into afternoon and, too soon, to dusk. The sun would be setting in moments and Natalie knew it was time for her to go. "Stay, please," Nick urged, still holding her tightly in a lover's embrace. "Whatever comes now, you don't have to face it alone. Stay with me and I'll protect you." "I'm prepared," Natalie whispered, and her calm amazed him. "You can't be with me every moment of every night from now on. If there is to be revenge, then let it come and quickly. But I couldn't stand the waiting any longer." "Neither could I." She gave him one last kiss. "Whatever happens, always remember that you are loved, Nick Knight." Natalie slipped out of bed, retrieved her gown and padded downstairs, where she stepped into her shoes and shrugged on her coat. Nick dressed quickly and followed, stopping her just as she reached for the handle on the elevator door. "Nat, wait!" Natalie turned back and her eyes locked with Nick's. For a moment, neither one spoke. She saw a look of incredible sadness cross his face. She started to brush away the lines of worry that creased his forehead but he caught her hand and placed one gentle kiss into her palm, his eyes never leaving hers. "You will return home now and then you will sleep." Natalie felt the rising thrum of her heartbeat in her ears and the world outside of Nick's eyes seemed to fade away into nothingness. His voice reverberated inside her mind. "Everything that we did here today will be nothing but a wonderful dream when you awaken." Natalie tried to shake her head but failed. "But --" "No," Nick insisted. "Listen closely. It was all a dream. It never really happened." "It never really happened," Natalie repeated. She turned away and waited as Nick opened the elevator door. She stepped inside and pressed the "down" button. The door slid closed. The sound of clapping broke the ominous silence that remained. Nick turned around, not surprised to find LaCroix standing just a few feet behind him. "Bravo, dear boy, bravo," LaCroix dropped his hands, smiling coldly. "But, don't for one minute think that such a show can delude me. You are truly in love with that woman and I will have my revenge." Nick smiled in return and shrugged, strolling past his maker in a studied show of indifference. "I've had too pleasant a day, LaCroix, to let your threats bother me. Do what you will. I cannot stop you." A shadow of doubt crossed LaCroix's face. He followed as Nick climbed the stairs. "So, you persist that she means nothing to you?" Nick stopped at the landing and leaned on the bannister, gripping it tightly. "She means everything to me, LaCroix. As does every mortal. You know that. Now, if you don't mind, I have to get dressed for work. If I show up wearing the same clothes I had on last night, there will be talk. Natalie's reputation might suffer and THAT, dear father, I will not allow." Nick turned and slammed the bedroom door, leaving LaCroix to ponder what Nick had said, quite alone. "Tonight, I celebrate my love for you. And that midnight sun is gonna come shining through." Natalie came fully awake in an instant and sat up, searching the darkness for Nick. But, of course, he wasn't there. She was in her own bed, wearing the black satin gown she'd bought that day, by herself, as usual. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was almost nine. Had she slept all day? No, that was impossible. She'd spent the day with Nick. She swung her legs to the floor and almost laughed at the absurdity of the memories that tumbled through her mind. "Yeah, right," she mumbled, as she reached for the bedside lamp. "You spent the day making love to Nick Knight. Ha! In your dreams." *THE END* Comments welcome to: CaseyMacD@aol.com