Family Matters – Kristen Fife 12/2004
All Rights Reserved. 

Part 1
Natalie watched Nick fuss at his appearance in the mirror in amusement. He had changed 
his shirt three times, and it had taken him half an hour to narrow his slacks down to the 
dark gray ones he had put on. She had laughed at him when he asked her what Nikki's 
favorite color was, and then frowned when she had told him.

"Pink? I don't have anything pink. What about green? Or blue? Black is too somber."

"Nick, she's FIVE. She doesn't care what you're wearing."

"Nat, I'm meeting my future daughter for the first time, and I want her to memories of 
this to be positive when she grows older." His wounded pride had caused Natalie to start 
coughing in an effort to cover her laughter.

Finally, after he had tried on all the shirts he had brought, he had asked Janette if there 
was somewhere open late that he could find something more appropriate. She had smiled 
and suggested a place called "Spartacus". Natalie had burst out laughing, finally. He cast 
a wounded look at her, and when she managed to control herself, she mentioned that 
perhaps the green shirt would appeal to Nikki. She wasn't ready to tell him that Spartacus 
was an adult fetish store.

So, with the sun almost set, Nick was finally dressed in a forest green silk shirt and gray 
slacks. He had let Natalie trim his hair, and he paced nervously.

For her part, Natalie had asked Janette to go to her house the previous night after Nikki 
had finally fallen asleep to get some clothes for her. Janette had brought back half her 
wardrobe. She was wearing a pale pink sweater and jeans. She was hoping the pink 
sweater would give her just a bit of color, since she now had the pale skin of the vampire. 
Some advice on makeup from Janette had helped. She was still paler than she had been as 
a mortal, but she didn't look quite so…dead. She had finished two bottles of blood, 
hoping it would help her deal with the bloodlust the elder vampires told her would ensue, 
even with her daughter. She was nervous about THAT.

Finally Nick came over to her and knelt in front of her chair, taking her hand and 
bringing it to her lips.

"You'll be fine. I'll be right with you, and between us we'll keep you under control. Have 
you thought about what you're going to tell her?"

Natalie shook her head. "I don't know. She's too young to understand about us. 
Although, she does like the little cartoon Bunnicula and the Count on Sesame Street." 
She grinned as Nick rolled his eyes. She sighed. "One thing at a time. I'm glad Arthur 
said he'd stay with her since LaCroix seems to be starting to get overwhelmed." The 
ancient vampire had called several times in the course of the day, trying to deal with 
Natalie's precocious and active daughter. 

Nick glanced at his watch. "They should be here in a few minutes. Do you want to meet 
them in the living room?" Natalie nodded and got up. 

Part 2

They went out to the living room, and both of them turned toward the door from the club 
downstairs, hearing the beating of a child's heart and Janette and LaCroix talking as they 
walked up the steps. Natalie could feel the vampire inside of her start to stir and she 
looked anxiously at Nick. He felt her stirring, and reaching out across their link he 
gentled the vampire in her. His own experience over the centuries made it simple for him 
to quell the beast.

Just then the door opened, and Nikki came racing in. She had long dark curls, the only 
difference between her and Natalie, with her miniature version of her mother's face. Her 
hair was almost black, to Nat's auburn. Natalie knelt down as Nikki ran toward her.

"Momma! You should see what Grandpa Lucius can do…he can FLY!!!" She giggled as 
her arms closed around Natalie's neck. 

Natalie closed her eyes, trying to ignore the smell and sound of Nikki's rich blood 
pumping through her veins. She felt Nick, Janette and LaCroix all reinforcing her. 

Hugging her daughter to her, she stood up. Nikki snuggled up to her and her legs 
straddled Natalie's torso. Her hand came up to Natalie's cheek.

"Mommy, you're cold."

"I know Sweetie. Remember I told you I was sick? Well, part of the cure for me means 
I'm going to feel cold. It's ok." She kissed Nikki's warm cheek, then put her down and 
turned her to face the other adults. "Now, I think it's time for you to meet Nick." 

Nick was sitting down on the sofa, and he smiled at Nikki. Nikki turned her face up to her 
mother, a big grin in place. She looked back at Nick and slowly walked toward him. He 
held out his hand to her. She took it and he shook it gently. "Hello, Nikki. I'm Nick." He 
patted the sofa next to him and she hopped up to sit there.

"I know you. You're in the picture with Momma at the park." She smiled impishly at him 
and he smiled back. "Can I call you Daddy? Are you really going to marry Mommy?"

Nick smiled and nodded. "Yes, to both questions. And I understand you want a yellow 
dress just like Belle's?" She nodded. "Well, I was thinking we could go shopping 
tomorrow night. Would you like that?" She nodded enthusiastically and all the adults 
laughed.

Part 3
Natalie smiled. "Nikki, have you met your Aunt Janette yet?" Nikki looked at her mother 
and nodded her head.

"Grandpa Lucius 'duced us." She turned to Janette. "Are you Daddy's sister?" 

Remembering their one-time relationship, Janette nodded. "Yes, little one. May I go 
shopping with you? I LOVE looking at pretty dresses." She smiled and Nikki nodded. 
"Would you like to see a movie? I went and got some very special movies just for you, 
including a copy of 'Beauty and the Beast', which you may keep here for when you come 
and visit." 

Nikki hopped off the sofa and went over to Janette, who held her hand out. She turned to 
look at Natalie for permission. 

"Go ahead Sweetie. I told Aunt Janette which movies you like. I think she might ALSO 
have some chocolate chip cookies. You may have two, if you ask nicely."

Nikki turned to look at the tall vampire and grabbed her hand. "Aunt Janette, may I 
PLEASE have cookies?" 

Janette laughed and bent down to pick the little girl up. "Yes, you may." They walked out 
of the room, and the other adults could hear Janette asking Nikki about her favorite 
clothes. 

After they left, Natalie closed her eyes. She was shaking with the effort to keep her blood 
lust in check. Nick got up and went over to her, enfolding her in a loving embrace and 
kissing her forehead. "It's OK Nat. You did great."  

LaCroix had left to go get her some blood, which he brought back and handed to her. 
"Thanks, LaCroix." She took the highball glass and drank half the contents in two gulps. 
She felt the blood lust start to die down as she slowly sipped at the rest of the glass. 

The three vampires all sat down, Nick with his arm protectively around Natalie's 
shoulders.

Part 4

"LaCroix, thank you so much for watching Nikki. I know she's a handful. I called her 
school and told them that we had both come down with a nasty bug, and that the doctor 
thought it was better if she didn't interact with other kids for at least a week." 

"You are most welcome. She is quite inquisitive. I had no idea there were so many 
children's games available." He shook his head, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I must 
say that in general I find her quite charming."

Natalie smiled. "She is quite the little charmer. However, you did not come here to play 
nursemaid to my daughter. Arthur has offered to come and stay with her while I'm holed 
up here with Nick.  You are welcome to stay at my place, of course, but I don't want you 
to feel obligated. Also, I didn't know how long you were planning on staying?"

LaCroix mused on the question. "I had not really made any set plans. I was just in the 
process of wrapping up my affairs in Venice when you called. I was getting ready to 
move on.  I had been thinking of returning to Paris, but perhaps a stint in the States would 
prove more interesting. And, although this small town is charming, I was thinking about 
the advice I have received from several people. Gwyn has been thinking of leaving 
Seattle, and Vassili and I have been discussing some interesting business ventures. So, 
Nicholas, would you be opposed to me living in Seattle?" He arched his brow at his son.

"Not at all. In fact, I think it would be nice to have you nearby. Nat and I have talked 
about it, and I also wanted to ask if you would be the best man at our wedding? It will 
probably take us two or three months to get everything planned, but that should give you 
plenty of time to get settled."

"Why Nicholas, I would be honored to attend you at your nuptials." He stood, as did the 
other two. "I think I will go make a few phone calls to set some plans in motion. If you 
will excuse me." He turned and left to go find some privacy to order his affairs.

Nick turned to Natalie. "I was thinking that Janette and I could take Nikki shopping 
tomorrow night, are you ok with that? I don't think you're quite ready for crowds yet, 
though." 

"Oh, no kidding! Nick, there's no way I'm ready to go home, or back to work! But Nikki 
and I have never been separated this long." Red tears formed in her eyes. "How am I 
going to live like this?" Frustration edged her voice. 

Part 5

Nick hugged her close, laying his forehead against hers. "Shhhh. It's OK. I've been 
giving it some thought, and I think I have a compromise. First of all, we need to find 
someone to help out during the day. And since you cannot really live at home until you 
learn control, if you were there from sunset until we could tuck her into bed, that would 
give you almost the same amount of time with her as you have now, yes?" She nodded. 
"Well, then I guess we need to find a mortal nanny we can trust, preferably a live-in. Do 
you have enough room at your place for that?"

Frowning, Natalie thought. Her house was fairly modest. The basement did have a 
bedroom and full bathroom, but that wasn't the optimum. "I could swing it for a while, 
but I guess we're probably going to need a bigger place. My house has LOTS of 
windows. I've lived there since just after Nikki was born." She looked at him. "Just so 
you know, I kept the loft, and I've been renting it out the last five years. I just couldn't 
sell it." 

Nick smiled. "You know, I'm actually happy to hear that. Why don't we see if Janette 
can recommend a real estate agent and we can start looking for something bigger. Do you 
think there's something in your area bigger?" 

Natalie laughed. "Oh, I'm sure. I have one of the smallest houses. But Nick, maybe we 
should move. I mean, my neighbors are going to think it's really weird for me to 
suddenly have a nanny as well as you moving in. Not to mention switching my hours all 
around."

"Well, I just thought you were happy there. We can do whatever you want. Do you want 
to stay in Portland?" 

She nodded. "I know we'll have to move on in a few more years, but I'd really like to 
stay for Nikki's sake. We can move when she starts middle school. I've been toying with 
the idea of moving back to Canada anyway. Nikki would have dual citizenship that way. 
I'd really like her to stay in one place during her teen years. I've had a few offers for jobs 
other than OHSU, so maybe now is a good time for a change." 

Nick nodded. "OK. That's a decent plan, and should be workable. You DO know that 
you don't have to work, or else we can set up a private research facility for you? The 
Foundation has a working branch devoted to scientific research, and we have facilities all 
over the world. The only one in the States is in Texas. I can't see any reason not to spread 
out." He grinned at the startled look on her face.

"You know, that might be a great way to go. I've made some REALLY important strides 
forward with my research on AIDS, and Arthur has really strong ties to local government 
organizations. I'd forgotten what it's like to consort with the well-to-do." She flashed a 
sly grin at him. "You know, maybe you'd better get a pre-nup before we tie the knot." 

Part 6

He laughed. "My Love, anything that I have is yours for the asking. I consider YOU the 
greatest treasure on the planet." He leaned down and kissed her passionately. She 
responded in kind, and a few minutes later Janette came in to the room. 

"Goodness you two! I could feel that downstairs! Natalie, little Nicole is happily 
ensconced in 'The Little Mermaid'. That child does seem to have a predilection for 
mythical creatures. Wait until she finds out about US!" She grinned and everyone 
laughed. "Vraiment, I came to get these cookies you mentioned to her Natalie. I assume 
you have some around here somewhere?" 

Natalie nodded and went to the kitchen. She opened a package of Keebler's cookies and 
pulled out two of them, put them on a plate and handed them to Janette. "Here, these are 
her favorites."

Janette looked at the cookies and shrugged.

"Oh, by the way Janette, Natalie and I are thinking of buying a bigger house. Do you 
know any good real estate agents?"

Janette smiled. "As a matter of fact, Cecile's sister is one, and quite good from what 
Cecile says. She is a mortal, of course, and unaware of her sister's condition, but I think 
we can arrange for an appointment for you. I will get her number for you." She turned 
and walked out.

Natalie looked at Nick, an idea forming. "Nick, I have an idea about a nanny. I'm not 
sure if it's a good idea or not, but tell me what you think. I got an email from my sister-
in-law Sarah. I didn't realize it, but my niece Amy is graduating from high school in 
June. I had talked to Sarah at Christmas, and she was worried about the money to put 
Sarah through college. She wants to go into law, like Ritchie. I know Lewis and Clark 
has a good law program, and Portland State has a good reputation as an undergraduate 
school. What if we suggested that Amy live with us while she's in school? We'll help her 
with tuition, give her free room and board in exchange for her nanny services. I know she 
gets really good grades, so she should be able to get in with no problems. Nikki is going 
to be in kindergarten next year, so that takes care of half the daylight hours." 

Nick thought about it. "That might work. When's the last time you saw them?"

"Last summer. Why?"

"Well, you look amazingly good for a woman of 43. I just didn't want to have to explain 
your youthful good looks, or mine, to them. But it's been long enough that they probably 
have forgotten what I look like, and if you looked this good the last time they saw you, 
they shouldn't be too shocked when they see you at the wedding." 

Natalie smiled. "Nicholas de Brabant Knight Lambert, I love you." She kissed him again, 
this time trying to put a damper on her passion. She hadn't reckoned on the highly 
sensual nature of the vampire, and was enjoying the time she was spending with Nick in 
the privacy of their bedroom. She broke the kiss and just enjoyed being held. He 
continued to stroke her hair in silence. Since they had found one another, they had found 
themselves to be very demonstrative, knowing that they had almost lost each other 
permanently.

Part 7

They sat in the living room, talking about plans for their wedding and moving Nick to the 
west coast. LaCroix came in; Janette came and went several times, once bringing a 
business card for Cecile's sister. Finally, Arthur arrived around 9:30, a small suitcase 
with him. He shook Nick's hand and kissed Natalie on the cheek.
"Arthur, thank you so much for volunteering to stay with Nikki. I know LaCroix has 
done admirably well with her, but children just are NOT his forte. And my daughter---
OUR daughter" Natalie amended with a peck on Nick's cheek, "is a handful. Nick and I 
have decided to try and find a mortal nanny for her, but any help you are able to give is 
very welcome! We're going to try and come home at sunset and stay with Nikki until she 
goes to bed. This isn't going to be easy, but somehow we'll make it work."

Arthur beamed at them. "You know, Jeremy and I talked about adopting, until we found 
out he was HIV positive. So, this is actually something I'm looking forward to. Are you 
two going to come back with us tonight?"

Nick and Natalie looked at each other. They had been tossing the idea around. Finally, 
Nick looked at him and nodded. "Yes. I think it's important for Nikki to have Nat with 
her as much as possible. It will only be for a short time. We're going to try and keep 
Nikki up late tonight here, so that she'll sleep most of the day."  He grinned. "Nat's even 
giving her some cookies and soda so that she gets a sugar rush and a caffeine buzz."

Natalie looked guilty at that admission, but it had been the only way the couple could 
think to change Nikki's schedule around. "Arthur, I apologize in advance. She's a beast 
the day after she's had a sugar high, but usually she just sulks in her room for a few hours 
until she gets hungry. Hopefully she'll be better with the novelty of so many new 
relatives around. I called her regular babysitter, Margaret, and asked her if she'd be able 
to help out a few hours in the afternoon for the next few weeks. She said sure, especially 
when I told her I'm starting a new job, and getting married."

Part 8

The vampires sat and talked amiably for the next hour, until Nikki came running up the 
steps and burst through the door, barreling for her mother.

"Hi Momma! Aunt Janette said I could watch another movie if you said it was Ok. May I, 
PLEEEEEEEEEASE? She has Snow White! And Bambi, and Winnie the Pooh!" 

Nick and Arthur tried not to laugh at the spastic youngster, knowing that the sugar and 
caffeine had kicked in.

"Yes, Sweetie. You may watch another movie." She tousled Nikki's hair.

Nikki threw her arms around her mother and kissed her, then crawled over Natalie to 
Nick and gave him the same treatment, to his delighted surprise.

"Honey, I want you to meet someone else. I know you're meeting a lot of new people, 
but these are all members of Nick's family. This is Arthur; he's going to stay at the house 
for a few days with Grandpa while Mommy's still getting better. I'm going to come home 
and tuck you in, but you need to be good for Arthur, just like you've been good for 
Grandpa."

Nikki looked over at Arthur from her perch on Nick's lap. She grinned. "Are you Arthur 
like King Arthur?" He nodded. "Do you have a sword like 'Scalbur?"

He grinned but shook his head. "No, sorry. I don't have any swords." 

Nick leaned over to Nikki. "Guess what, honey? I have a sword, and I promise to show it 
to you when I move in."

She turned to look at Nick, her eyes huge. "Daddy, YOU have a sword? Like 'Scalbur?"  

He nodded. "It isn't a magic sword, but I'll tell you all kinds of stories about the knight 
that it belonged to. Would you like that?" She nodded her head enthusiastically, then 
planted a kiss on Nick's cheek and jumped down, running for the door. The adults 
grinned when they heard her running down the hall calling for Janette.

"Aunt Janette, Mommy said I could watch another movie. May I please watch Bambi? 
Please?"

The adults laughed, knowing that Janette would occupy the little girl for at least another 
couple of hours.

Part 9

Arthur finally got up after talking to Natalie for another hour about Nikki's personality 
and preferences. He decided to go to the bookstore and pick up some more books for 
Nikki. Natalie encouraged Nikki to read and had no objections to a few books, as long as 
no one went overboard. He promised to meet them at Natalie's house by midnight.

Once more alone, yet surrounded by the warmth of family, Nick put some music on the 
stereo. He softly hummed along and occasionally sang to some of the show tunes. Natalie 
lay wrapped in his physical embrace as well as cocooned by his love.  Just before 
midnight, Janette and Nikki came upstairs. Nikki was starting to come down off her sugar 
and caffeine-induced states, and had her arms wrapped around Janette's neck and her 
head on the vampire's shoulder. Natalie stood up and started to reach for her, but Nick 
was faster. He walked over to Janette and took the quiet girl from her. Nikki easily let 
herself settle into Nick's arms, smiling at Natalie. 

"You ready to go home, Pumpkin?" Natalie stroked her dark curls. Nikki nodded against 
Nick's shoulder. "OK, I'm going to go get your coat. Say thank you and goodnight to 
your Aunt Janette."

Nikki twisted in Nick's arms, and put her arms around Janette's neck and kissed her 
cheek. "Thank you Aunt Janette. I hope I can come back again, I had a good time!"

Janette kissed her cheek. "Oui, yes you may come back anytime you would like. Be good 
for Arthur and your Grandfather. I will see you tomorrow night when we go looking for 
your dress. Bon nuit, ma Petite." Janette left to go down to the club. 

Part 10

Once more cuddled in Nick's arms, she asked him, "Daddy, what is Aunt Janette saying? 
I don't understand some of her words."

Nick smiled. "Your Aunt Janette is French. Have you heard of the Eiffel Tower?" She 
nodded. "Well, your Aunt Janette used to live in Paris, and so did I. We have been to the 
very top of the Eiffel Tower.  If you would like, I'll teach you French."

"Really? You talk French? Say something, Daddy, please?"  

"Oui, ma Petite. Je t'aime, mon ange." 

Nikki wrinkled her nose in puzzlement. "That's partly what Aunt Janette said. What did 
you say, Daddy?"

"I said, 'yes, my little one. I love you, my angel.'"

"Daddy, I DO want to learn French! Does Mommy know French?" 

Just at that moment, Natalie came back carrying Nikki's coat and wearing her own. "Do I 
know French? Some, but not as much as your Daddy, Aunt Janette and Grandfather. Is 
Daddy going to teach you French?" Nikki nodded.

Natalie laughed. "Well, I should probably learn more, especially around your Aunt 
Janette." She pulled Nikki out of Nick's arms and put her on the floor to put her coat on. 
Nikki let herself be dressed, then immediately went back to Nick to pick her up. Natalie 
was secretly glad, as her control was strained having Nikki so close to her.

Nick hefted her. "Nat, do you want to go find LaCroix and let him know we're going 
home with Nikki, and that Arthur will meet us there?" She nodded and went to find him.

Nikki was fighting sleep, and losing the battle. Nick hugged her close, the warmth of her 
small body settled trustingly against him. He marveled at her personality, and at his own 
good luck of not only having Natalie, but also a daughter to raise with her. When he had 
received the call that Natalie had a daughter, his spirits had sunk into despair, imagining 
that Natalie had found a husband and partner, finally attaining a measure of happiness. 
He could not have denied her that right, when it seemed impossible for them ever to be 
together. However, when he and LaCroix had shared blood the night of his arrival, his joy 
at learning the truth had given him a deep hope that perhaps there would be a way. 
Learning of Natalie's conversation about being given a choice about joining him in his 
eternal darkness had brought him mixed feelings, but had also allowed him to make the 
decision to bring her across as she lay dying.

Natalie and LaCroix came back at that moment. LaCroix had put his coat on.

"Nicholas, would you like me to carry her?"

"No, thank you. I'm fine." Nick never wanted to relinquish the child in his arms.

Part 11

The three vampires and the dozing child left the club to take Natalie's car back to her 
house. Fifteen minutes later, they pulled into the garage of Natalie's Raleigh Hills house. 
Nick smiled at Natalie and squeezed her hand. Nikki was sleeping in the back seat, 
LaCroix sitting next to her. Natalie got out of the car and went around to take the dozing 
child from her car seat. Nikki protested against her mother, but settled down. LaCroix 
opened the door from the garage into the house, and Natalie led the way through the 
laundry room, into the small kitchen. The three vampires could sense that Arthur had 
already arrived, having been given a key to the house by Natalie earlier. 

He got up from the chair he had been occupying, and walked over to them.

"I figured out which room was hers, and I put out some pajamas and turned down her 
bed."

Natalie and Nick both smiled, and Natalie thanked him. "Thanks, Arthur. She's 
exhausted." She turned to Nick. "I'm going to put her to bed, do you want to come up?" 

He could feel her struggle for control and nodded. Natalie led the way up the steps to the 
upstairs bedrooms. Nikki's room was the first door on the right at the top of the stairs, 
and the soft light from her nightlight was more than the vampires needed to see. Nat set 
Nikki down on her feet and started taking off her coat. Nikki automatically held out her 
arms and lifted her feet for her clothing to be removed. 

Nick helped Natalie control her blood lust, which was rising as she started taking her 
daughter's clothes off. Finally she looked up at Nick, frustrated and her control stretched 
thin. "Nick, can you finish this, please?" 

Nick nodded and Natalie stepped back to the far side of the room, trying not to cry, her 
arms wrapped around herself. Nick finished getting Nikki into her nightgown, then put 
her in bed and tucked her in. He kissed her forehead and motioned for Natalie to come 
over and say good night to her daughter. Natalie closed her eyes, steeled herself, and 
walked over to the small bed. She leaned over and kissed Nikki.

"Good night Sweetie. I'll be by tomorrow to see you. Be good for Arthur and your 
Grandfather."


Nikki murmured something unintelligible and fell into a deep slumber. Nick and Natalie 
left the room, leaving the door ajar. Natalie took Nick's hand and led him to her bedroom 
at the other end of the hall, shaking with the efforts of keeping herself in control. 

Nick closed the door, then pulled Natalie into an embrace. "Nat, you need to feed. Here, 
drink." He offered her his neck, and without hesitation Natalie plunged her fangs in. Nick 
closed his eyes at the erotic pleasure her suckling caused, and sent waves of love and 
support to her along their link. He could feel her frustration and anger at not being able to 
take care of Nikki, but also her undying love and devotion to him. 

Natalie finally got her control back and pulled back from Nick, licking the already 
healing puncture marks. She looked up at him, and smiled. "Thank you… I didn't realize 
that I needed that so much."  She laced her arms around his neck and pulled his mouth to 
hers in a passionate kiss. 

After a few minutes they pulled apart, both their eyes flecked with amber, fangs 
extended. Nick hugged her quickly, then pulled back.

"Love, we should wait until we're back at the Janette's for that. Your link with Nikki 
might cause her some discomfort this close by. BUT, I'm taking a rain check from you!" 
He kissed the end of her nose, then stepped back to look around the bedroom.

Part 12

He recognized some of the furniture from her apartment in Toronto, including the queen-
sized bed and dresser. The room was cozy, with two large windows on the west wall, 
sheer lace drapes hanging over them. He noticed several pictures on the dresser, and 
walked over to pick up one of Natalie and Nikki. He smiled at the image. There were also 
a few pictures of him that he hadn't even known Natalie had. He turned to look at her. 
She was watching him, a smile on her face.

"So, do you want the grand tour, such as it is?" 

Nick nodded. "Definitely. Your home is very welcoming, Nat." He took her hand and she 
led him out the door. 

Natalie showed him the bathroom, laughing when she realized that she never needed to 
worry about certain aspects of human anatomy anymore, realizing that she was not going 
to miss some of the discomforts of being a mortal woman. Natalie changed the sheets in 
the upstairs guest room for Arthur and laid out some towels. She frowned, realizing that 
even though there were blinds on the windows they would probably need to cover the 
windows better to keep the sunlight from entering. 

Sensing her thoughts, Nick made some suggestions. "If you have some blankets or quilts 
and some heavy tape, we should be able to make do for Arthur. We can go to Home 
Depot and get some materials to make something a little more sturdy tomorrow night. Or 
we can call a contractor if you know anyone. Don't worry, Nat. We'll get it taken care 
of."

She smiled in relief and took him back downstairs, showing him her small office off the 
dining room, and the basement where LaCroix was staying. 

"I was thinking we could put a nanny down here. It's a bit dark, but it has a full 
bathroom."

Nick looked around. The room was well suited to vampire living, but might make a 
mortal feel claustrophobic. "Nat, think about this. Why don't you and I move down here, 
and we can turn the spare bedroom into the nanny's room, and think of something else to 
do with your bedroom? That way we're not only away from the sun, but it gives us a little 
bit of privacy. The spare bedroom is right across from Nikki's room, and that would put 
the nanny right next to her."

Natalie's eyebrows rose and her mind started calculating the possibilities. "That's not a 
bad idea, Nick." She grinned. "It might take a little getting used to, but it's definitely 
worth considering." She hugged him and kissed him, fighting the passionate urges that 
always accompanied any physical expression between them. 

Part 13

Grinning, they made their way back up to the family room where LaCroix and Arthur 
were talking, into the kitchen. Natalie went to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of 
blood wine. It was her first experience with blood laced with wine, and she was eager to 
try it. She had always enjoyed wine, and hoped that the experience wouldn't be 
disappointing. She turned to Nick.

"Nick, do you think it's OK for me to try blood wine?" He nodded. "Do you want any? 
It's human, but I know it's donated because Janette made a point of telling me when she 
brought it over." 

Nick hesitated, then nodded. "It's probably not a bad idea for me to drink some human 
while we're getting you trained."

Natalie poured two glasses, and handed him one. She cautiously brought the glass to her 
lips and took a small sip. The taste of the wine sparkled along her taste buds, mixing with 
the donated blood. The alcohol bite lasted only a second, and she tasted more 
complexities to the wine than any mortal ever had. She smiled, realizing that she 
wouldn't have to give up all the familiar tastes of mortality. The bouquet of the wine held 
all the cherry, toast, and even a hint of her beloved chocolate flavors in it, reminding her 
of food. 

Nick watched her expression, relaxing when she smiled. "Like it?"

She nodded. "I can taste so much more of the bouquet! There's even a hint of chocolate."

Nick laughed. "Well, that's a blessing! I can't imagine you without SOME sort of 
chocolate in your life." He was savoring the taste of a human vintage himself. He had 
been forced to drink uncut human blood after he had almost killed Natalie, in an effort to 
bring his raging blood lust under control. He had slowly gone back to steer blood in the 
last few years, still preferring to avoid human blood if he could help it. But he had to 
admit that human blood gave him a much greater measure of control. Since he could 
make sure that the blood was donated, he didn't feel the guilt that had led him to swear 
off human blood in the nineteenth century.

Grabbing the bottle in one hand and holding her glass in the other, Natalie led Nick back 
to the family room. She set the bottle down on the coffee table, motioning the other 
vampires to help themselves.  Nick and Natalie sat down together, holding hands.

Part 14

"How long do you think she'll sleep, Natalie?" Arthur asked

"She should be tired enough to sleep until at least eleven. Margaret will be by at noon 
until six."

LaCroix piped up. "I can certainly occupy her for an hour. This mortal, does she have a 
key to your home or are we going to have to let her in?" 

"She has a key, and she knows that I have house guests. She'll take Nikki to the park. I 
told her that you were from out of town and still on a different time zone due to travel." 

After the vampires had set up a tentative schedule, Nick and Arthur set about making sure 
that the windows in Arthur's room were well covered, as well as closing the blinds in the 
rest of the house.  They finished their work around four in the morning, and Natalie could 
feel herself starting to tire. Nick had told her that for several years she would be ruled by 
the rising and setting of the sun, and that she would become drowsy as the sun started to 
rise. She had already said goodnight to Arthur, again thanking him for his generous help 
with Nikki.

Nick sensed her fatigue and found her curled up on the couch in the family room. He 
smiled at her, and leaned down. He whispered conspiratorially in her ear. "So, do you 
want your first flying lesson?" 

Her eyes went wide and a smile of excitement split her face. "Really?"

Nick nodded. "I thought we should leave the car here in case LaCroix or Arthur need to 
take Nikki anywhere.  We'll take Janette's car tomorrow night to go shopping with Nikki. 
So, that means we have to find our own way back to the club." He grinned at her 
enthusiasm.

She stood up, suddenly energized. LaCroix entered the room at that point, sensing the 
anticipation in Natalie's demeanor. One eyebrow shot up. Nick turned to him.

"Nat and I are going to fly back to the club, it's her first flying lesson." 

LaCroix nodded in approval. "Excellent. I do hope you enjoy the experience, Natalie. I 
shall no doubt visit the club at some point tomorrow or the next evening." With that he 
sat down, in effect dismissing his son and granddaughter.

Nick shrugged, took Natalie's hand and led her to the sliding glass door onto the patio. 
They stepped through the door into the cool night air.

Part 15

"You ready, Love?"

Natalie nodded her head.

"OK, we can do this the hard way or the easy way. The hard way is usually more 
effective."

She frowned. "What's the difference?"

"The easy way, I try and talk you through the mechanics of it, and see if you can pick it 
up. The hard way, we go find a tall building and you jump, or I push you. Instinct kicks 
in."

She stared at him in disbelief. "You're kidding, right?"

He shook his head. "Both Janette and I had to learn the hard way. LaCroix tried to talk us 
both through it, but he wasn't very patient with either of us. At least that's how it was for 
me, and that's what Janette and her memories say. It is effective, if less than 
satisfactory."

Gulping, Natalie asked him to try talking her through it first.

"OK. Let's go over here a little away from the house." They walked to the edge of her 
small back yard, which had a hill sloping away from the house as the rear boundary of 
her property. Nick turned to face her. "OK, shut your eyes and imagine floating in 
water."

Natalie did as he asked. She envisioned herself buoyed up by the gentle caress of waves, 
bobbing in the ocean surf. She felt the freedom of weightlessness and concentrated on 
enjoying the release from the sensation of weight.

She heard Nick chuckle and opened her eyes, which went wide in wonder. She was 
parallel to the ground, looking down at it from a height of about six feet.

"Well, you are obviously a much better subject than either Janette OR me. Good job." 

She looked over at him. "Nick, this is amazing! Er, now what do I do?"

He slowly levitated so that he was parallel with her. "Now, we go up." He took her hand 
and gently started rising, pulling her. 

Natalie concentrated some more on the feeling of floating and started to rise up after 
Nick. They rose up to about two hundred feet, and Nick released her hand. He started 
moving ahead of her, picking up speed. She felt him send encouragement to her along 
their blood link, and she discovered that the link also gave her some directional guidance. 
It was very much like the sensation she had used to find Nikki, but much stronger. She 
felt as if a bright cord of light linked her to Nick. 

The cloudy night helped obscure the flying vampires. Natalie was entranced not only 
with the city lights below her, but also the enhanced vision. She could see small forms 
below them with her capabilities of seeing into the infrared of the spectrum.  She felt a 
tug and Nick started going higher. She followed him up, trying to accustom herself to the 
changes in her perceptions. She could hear cars, radios and television sets, some casual 
conversations. Her skin was sensitive enough to pick up changes in air pressure around 
her and she marveled at the freedom.

Part 16

Within a few minutes they were at the back door to the Elysium, and Nick swept her into 
a hug. "I'm so proud of you! You are adjusting to this much better than anyone I have 
ever known." He bent down to kiss her, the passion between them roaring to life.

Nick felt his eyes changing to a molten gold, and he could sense Natalie's growing 
physical and blood arousal through their bond. He slid his mouth away from hers, and 
started licking his way down her throat, until he was at the site of her carotid artery. He 
nibbled and sucked at the point, his extended fangs lightly scraping over her skin. She 
moaned in response and he could feel her reaching out to pull him closer. He chuckled 
against her neck, pulling back. Natalie made a noise of protest.

"It is NOT nice to tease me like that, Nick!" 

Leaning forward to lick his tongue delicately across her pouting lower lip, Nick 
whispered to her, "oh, it isn't?" He let his tongue slide into her mouth and wrap around 
her extended canine, eliciting a gasp of pleasure from her.

He pulled back again and put his arm around her shoulders. "C'mon, let's go up to bed, 
and I'll reward you for all your hard work and progress." 

The following evening, Nick woke up before Natalie and went to search for Janette. He 
found her in the kitchen pouring herself a glass of blood. She looked up at his entrance.

"Bon soir, Nicholas. Would you like your usual swill or something more palatable?"

Ignoring the jibe, he moved past her and opened the refrigerator, pulling out one of the 
bottles of steer blood, and pulling down a glass to fill. 

When both of them had their meals, he gestured her to the living room and sat down.

Part 17

"I will be drinking some of the human vintages while I'm training Nat, but it will be at 
MY discretion."

Janette tossed her head and sniffed, then changed the subject. "Do you know where you 
wish to take Nikki this evening to find a dress?"

Nick shook his head. "I was hoping Nat could help with suggestions when she wakes up. 
I'm guessing one of the Disney stores or a toy store would have a costume."

Janette pursed her lips. "I have an idea. Yes, you are right about a costume. Perhaps what 
we can do is purchase one of these commercial costumes, then have a seamstress work on 
making a true party dress for her."

Nick grinned. "Actually, I had thought of that myself. I know Nat isn't used to the idea of 
having almost limitless resources. I was planning on suggesting that she have her dress 
made, and that the same person make Nikki's dress for the wedding. I assume you have a 
good seamstress?"

Janette nodded just as Nick felt Natalie stirring. He smiled and went to pour her a glass of 
blood. She wandered into the kitchen, her hair tousled from sleep, a yawn on her lips.

"Good morning Nick, Janette. Oh, thank you!" She leaned forward to kiss Nick when he 
handed her the glass. 

"Good morning Love, Janette and I were just discussing the wedding, notably a dress for 
you." His eyes twinkled at the smile that crossed her lips and he led her back to sit beside 
him on the loveseat he had been occupying.

"You were, hmmm? And what exactly WERE you discussing?"

"Cherie, I was telling Nicholas about my dress maker. She is FABULOUS and has access 
to some of the most stunning fabrics. This is going to be your wedding day, and you need 
to look fabulous!" 

"Which reminds me, Janette. Would you consider being my maid of honor?" 

A smile of delight crossed the beautiful vampire's lips. "I would be honored! I never 
thought the day would come when I would be attending Nicholas' bride!" They all 
laughed and continued to talk some more about wedding details. Nick and Natalie still 
hadn't set a date, although they both knew they didn't want to wait too long. 

Part 18

The phone rang and Janette got up to answer it. Nick kissed Natalie's hand and stood up. 
"I need to get showered and changed. Janette and I are going to go get Nikki. Do you 
want to go home while we're out? I'm sure you would rather make wedding plans at 
home."

She smiled and nodded. "I was thinking that. With Nikki out of the house, I'll be able to 
get things done." She looked slyly at him. "How about I wash your back?"

Grinning, he stood up and held out his hand by way of answer. 

Forty-five minutes later, the three vampires were pulling up in front of Natalie's house. 
They went to the front door and opened it. As they walked in, Nikki came flying out of 
the family room.

"Momma, Daddy!" She threw herself at the two adults, wrapping her arms around one 
leg each. Nick reached down to scoop her up into his arms. She settled against him, a 
happy smile on her face. "Hi Daddy! Guess what? Margaret took me to the ZOO and I 
got to pet a llama!"

"You did? Wow. How big was the llama?" He took her into the family room while 
Natalie struggled to control her blood lust, sending a tendril of love to her caressing her 
mind. 

Janette put an arm around her, and she could feel the older vampire's support through 
their shared link with Nick.

"You're doing fine, Cherie. It takes time. We won't let you do anything to harm her or 
yourself." Natalie nodded and pushed the vampire inside of her down.

"…and I got to pet the BABY llama too! He was so soft and little!" Nikki was still telling 
Nick about her visit to the petting zoo in great detail.

Natalie and Janette walked into the family room and sat down. Nikki immediately got 
down from Nick's lap and zoomed over to Natalie.

Part 19

"Hi Mommy! Did you hear?" Her eyes sparkled as she threw her arms around Natalie's 
neck, oblivious to the havoc her warm arms and beating heart were having on her mother.

"I did hear, Sweetie. Were you a good girl for Margaret and Arthur today?" Natalie 
hugged Nikki carefully, then released her. 

Nikki nodded and stepped back. "Yes, Momma." She turned her blue eyes toward 
Janette. "Hi Aunt Janette. Are we going for my dress?" 

"Yes, Nikki. Are you ready?" 

Nikki nodded and scampered off to get her coat. Nick came over to kneel in front of 
Natalie. He stroked a piece of hair away from her face. "You OK?"

She nodded, although she was shaking. "I'll be all right once you take her shopping." 
Nick laid his forehead against hers, again reinforcing their link and helping her control 
her animalistic urges.

She sighed and smiled. "Thanks, that does help. You're going to have to tell me how you 
do that."

Just then Nikki came back into the room carrying her pink raincoat and a small purse. 
She walked over to Natalie, concern on her small face.

"Momma, are you OK?" 

Natalie smiled at her. "I'll be fine Sweetie. I'm still getting better, which is why Arthur 
and Margaret are spending time with you. But I'm still going to be here to tuck you in 
every night." She reached her arms out and brought Nikki to her and planted a cool kiss 
on her cheek. "When you get back, maybe Daddy will tell you a story if you're a good 
girl."

Nikki looked at Natalie with a puzzled frown. "You aren't coming?"

"No Sweetie, I have to do some work. But Daddy will take good care of you. OK?"

Nikki pouted a few seconds then gravely nodded her head and let Natalie put her coat on 
for her. She hugged her, then let Nick pick her up. 

"Nick, she loves the smoothies at Orange Julius, she can have a small one if she wants 
it."

"Mommy, may I have a cookie, too, please?" 

Natalie smiled. "Yes, you may have ONE Mrs. Fields cookie. Nick, she likes the SMALL 
chocolate chip cookies."  He winked at her over Nikki's shoulder.

Nikki waved her hand. "Bye Mommy!" Natalie waved back as the other two vampires 
took her out into the early evening.

Part 20

Natalie walked to the refrigerator and pulled out one of the bottles of bloodwine, her 
hands shaking. She pulled a glass out of the cabinet and filled it with the bloodwine, then 
gulped the glass down. Instantly, her urges were soothed. She poured herself another 
glass and went into her office. She pulled her calendar out to look at the dates. It was the 
second week of April, and she was surprised to realize her birthday was approaching. 
And the fifteenth anniversary of her meeting with Nick. Given all the events of the last 
few days, she thought perhaps a celebration was in order. 

Pushing that idea aside, she continued to peruse the calendar, trying to find a suitable day 
for the wedding. She looked at June, and circled June 28th, realizing that it had been her 
father's birthday. She picked up the phone and called Nick's cell phone.

"Nick Lambert."

"Hi Nick, what do you think of June 28th for the wedding?"

"That sounds fine, Nat. Whatever you want. I love you."

"I love you too. I wanted to call Sarah and Amy and give them the date. Thanks."

"Bye Love."

Natalie hung up the phone and pulled out her address book. She looked up Sarah's 
number in Vancouver and dialed.

"Hello?" Natalie smiled as she recognized Amy's voice.

"Hi Amy, it's Natalie. How are you doing?"

"Aunt Nat! I'm doing great! How are you?"

"Well, actually, I'm doing really well. I have an announcement. Can you get your Mom 
on the other line?"

"Sure, hold on." Natalie heard her set the phone done, along with a myriad of tiny 
clicking and whirring sounds that she had never perceived as a mortal.

The phone picked back up and there was the click of another extension.

"Natalie? Hi! I got your email about the graduation. I'll send you more details. What's 
up?"

Natalie had forgotten all about the graduation ceremony. She needed to think about some 
things.

"Well, are you two sitting down?" The other two women assured her they were fine. 
"Well, I'm getting married."

Stunned silence greeted her announcement. Finally Sarah piped up. "MARRIED? 
Natalie, I didn't even know you were SEEING anyone!"

"Well, it isn't exactly someone new in my life. It's more like someone from the past." 
She took a deep breath. "Nick's back in my life and we're getting married."

The line erupted with questions, exclamations, and a few words of warning.

"WHOA! One thing at a time. Sarah, you don't know the whole story about our break up 
in Toronto. It's very complicated. You also don't know that Nikki was kidnapped last 
week, and Nick flew here with his family and helped me get her back. She's fine, I'm 
fine, but it's definitely been a full few days." 

Sarah was the first to recover. "OK, obviously things have been happening. Why didn't 
you call when Nikki was kidnapped?" 

"Well, for one thing, my lines were tapped. For another, it happened really fast, and I 
didn't want you to get hurt. And finally, it turned out to be a mob boss that escaped from 
custody in Toronto. Honestly, Sarah, I didn't call for your own protection. It's over, and 
Nikki is back with us safe and sound. And Nick and I have realized that neither of us 
wants to live without the other. Please say you're happy for us?"

Amy's voice sounded. "Aunt Nat, of COURSE we're happy for you. I don't even 
remember Nick, but I remember Mom and Dad talking about the two of you and how 
right you were together. I can't wait to see you guys. When's the wedding and where?"

"We're going to have it here in Portland, and I think it will be Saturday, June 28th. It's 
going to be a formal evening wedding, which brings me to my next point. Will both of 
you be bridesmaids for me? Nick's sister is also going to be in the bridal party, and their 
adopted father is the best man. Nikki is going to be the flower girl, of course. She's out 
getting her dress right now. She wants to be just like Belle from Beauty and the Beast." 

The three women laughed, well aware of Nikki's love of the Disney movie. Amy and 
Sarah both agreed with enthusiastic responses. Natalie assured them that once she had a 
color scheme and dresses picked out she would call them.

Part 21

"Amy, I need to talk to your Mom about something. I love you honey, and I can't wait to 
see you in a few weeks."

"OK, bye Aunt Nat! I can't wait for the wedding, and tell Nick I'm looking forward to 
meeting him!" She hung up.

"What's up, Nat?"

"Well, one of the reasons that Nick and his family came for the kidnapping was to help 
me with the ransom. I've never said anything, but he comes from a very old wealthy 
European family. The only reason I'm mentioning it now is because I have an idea I want 
to throw at you. I don't know if you remember that Nick has a sun allergy?" Sarah 
vaguely recalled that. "Well, he and I have been talking, and we've decided that we need 
to think about getting a nanny for Nikki for the next couple of years. We're going to get a 
bigger house, and I'm switching jobs, going back to the night shift.  I suggested that 
maybe Amy might be interested. I know you said that money for college was tight, and I 
don't see any reason for you to go into debt to put her through school when it isn't 
necessary. Nick and I would be willing to help with her tuition and offer her free room 
and board if she's willing to go to school here. Portland State has a really good 
undergraduate program, and there are other schools in the area. If she decides to go to law 
school here, Lewis and Clark has an excellent law program. This isn't charity, we really 
would ask her to help take care of Nikki, drop her off at day care or kindergarten and pick 
her up, and watch her during the day."

Sarah was stunned. "Nat, I don't know what to say. This is…incredible. Roy and I have 
been trying to figure out a way to make this work. I know Amy adores Nikki, and with 
you in Portland, it's so much closer. Let me talk to them about it. I can't see any reason 
why it wouldn't work unless Amy really doesn't want to move to Portland. She knows 
that finances are tight, and she's mentioned waiting a year and working to save money. 
She's gotten offered a few partial scholarships, but she really hasn't seemed too 
enthusiastic about moving to Ottawa or Waterloo. Can I talk to them about it and get 
back to you?"

"Of course. I wanted to give you a few weeks to think about it. As soon as I have more 
details about the wedding, I'll give you a call. Give Roy a hug for me. Bye."

Natalie hung up the phone with a feeling of satisfaction. Amy was really her only living 
relative other than Nikki, and the chance to help out Ritchie's family made her feel good. 
She glanced at her watch and saw that it was still relatively early. She pulled the card for 
Cecile's sister out of her purse to give her a call.

"Hello, Glisan Real Estate, Julia Becker speaking."

"Hi Julia, my name is Natalie Knight, and your sister Cecile referred me to you. My 
fiancé and I are looking at buying a larger house, and we were hoping you might be able 
to help us out. I currently live in Raleigh Hills, and we were thinking of looking over on 
the other side of town for something larger."

"Sure, I'd be glad to help. My schedule is pretty light right now. When would you like to 
set up an appointment?"

"Well, my fiancé has a rare allergy to sunlight, so it would need to be in the evening, if 
that's OK."

"Not a problem. How about tomorrow night around seven thirty? My office is downtown 
in the Pearl District."

"That sounds good. I'll get directions from Cecile. I'll talk to Nick and we can try and get 
a few ideas together as to what we're looking for. Thanks for your help."

"I look forward to meeting you both. Have a good evening."

Satisfied with the progress of her personal life, Natalie knew it was time to face the 
situation she had been dreading for the last two days since she had become one of the 
undead. It was time to cut the ties to her professional life. She pulled out her laptop and 
set it up to write her resignation letter. As the blank screen stared at her, she watched the 
blinking cursor. OHSU DID have third shift research teams, but none of the projects they 
were currently working on even remotely appealed to Natalie. And with her changed 
anatomy, if she truly wanted to stay in Portland, she needed to start fresh in a new place 
where her lack of aging wouldn't be problematic for several years. 

Part 22

She also had promised Nick that she would look at potential properties for the de Brabant 
Foundation to invest in. She supposed she should do that before she started looking at 
new homes. Finally, she got a mental grip on herself. 

*You have to write this resignation letter.*

Sighing, she sat down and started typing. She knew her director was going to be shocked 
when he received her resignation. She had just gotten a raise and a promotion earlier that 
year. Musing on what she should and could use as an excuse, she decided to let them 
know that she was resigning due to her upcoming marriage. She didn't need to tell 
everyone she was staying in Portland. She hadn't made any close friends at work, as she 
had in Toronto. Her work was solitary, which is what she had been looking for when she 
moved here. She had made a conscious decision to devote all her energy to raising her 
child. While it made life a bit lonely sometimes, her close bond with Nikki had more than 
made up for it. She had joined a health club and occasionally got together with a couple 
of other professional women she had met, but she had kept mostly to herself. She was 
actually hoping to spend more time with Janette, and was interested in learning more 
about Cecile. The feisty brunette had made an impression on Natalie, and she was eager 
to learn more about Janette's youngest fledgling.

She finally finished the resignation and was looking at some of the sites for the 
Foundation research facility when she sensed Nick, Janette and Nikki returning.

Part 23

She got up from her desk and went to meet them at the front door. She could hear the 
adults laughing at something Nikki had said.

The door opened and the two vampires and child came through the door. Janette was 
smiling and had several bags in both hands, and Nick had Nikki on his shoulders. He 
ducked to make sure Nikki didn't hit her head, and she squealed with delight.

Natalie smiled to see her family in such high spirits. It suddenly hit her: she had a family. 
Not just Nikki, but Nick, and even Janette and LaCroix and their extended blood ties. 
Nick could feel emotions thrumming along their link, and he smiled as he set Nikki 
gently down. The little girl turned and ran to Natalie.

"Momma, we got you a present! I have a dress and it's JUST LIKE BELLE'S! You 
should see the dress Aunt Janette got, it's SO pretty! And Daddy got a new shirt. He got a 
PINK one just for me!"

Natalie laughed as she hoisted her daughter and kissed her. She had just finished several 
glasses of bloodwine, so her blood lust was under tight control. 

"Well, I think you should go put on your dress and show me." She turned to look at Nick. 
"And I really want to see Daddy's new pink shirt. I think a fashion show is in order. 
Should I get Arthur and your Grandfather to join us?"

Nikki nodded and Natalie put her down. She ran over to Janette. "Aunt Janette, will you 
help me with my dress? And put yours on too!" 

"Oui, I think that is a fine idea. Why don't you show me to your room and we will dress." 
She put down two of the bags and took Nikki's hand, winking at Natalie as she passed 
by.

Natalie went over to Nick and put her arms around his neck. He leaned down to kiss her. 
"I missed you. But it was fun shopping with Nikki."

She returned his kiss. "I missed you too. I'm glad you had a good time. Thank you again, 
I got a lot accomplished."

He grinned and pulled away from her. "I believe I have to go change for this little 
command performance. AND, I bought you a little something, but I don't want you to 
model this for everyone." His eyes twinkled as he handed her a bag from Victoria's 
Secret and smiled.

Her eyebrows rose. She looked into the bag, but the box was wrapped with a bow on it. 
"OK, I think we'll just wait for later for this fashion debut. I'll get Arthur and LaCroix. 
Arthur was working on the blinds in the spare room, and LaCroix was making a bunch of 
phone calls to change his plans about moving."  

Nick picked up both bags and started up the steps. Natalie followed him with her eyes, 
and felt his love flowing along their link. She smiled then went to get the other two 
vampires for a private fashion show in the family room.

Twenty minutes later, Arthur and LaCroix had joined Natalie in the small family room to 
watch the shoppers model their purchases. LaCroix was trying not to act bored, but he 
wasn't very successful. 

Part 24

Natalie put on the soundtrack to "Beauty and the Beast" and went to sit down. 

The vampires waited for Nikki and Janette to make their appearance. Nikki came in first, 
wearing a yellow satin dress that was a costume based on the dress from the movie. She 
sashayed up to LaCroix and grabbed his hand to dance with her. Stunned, the ancient 
picked her up and started to waltz with her. While they were dancing, Janette appeared in 
the doorway. Natalie caught her breath at the stunning figure. 

Her sheath dress was a deep gold burnout velvet pattern on a black background, with a 
draped neckline of black chiffon. It fit her slender figure like a glove to just above the 
knee, then flared to a fishtail hem. She was wearing opera length black gloves. She did a 
pirouette for the others in the room. LaCroix had a distinctly amorous gleam in his eye 
when he gave Nikki to Arthur to dance with, and stepped up to dance with Janette.

"Your taste is exquisite, as always." They danced to the music, flawlessly moving to the 
sound of Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson.

Natalie turned around when she felt Nick coming toward her. He had on a pink silk shirt, 
not too bright but definitely not pale pink. He walked toward her.

"May I have this dance?"

Without a word Natalie stepped into his arms.

Tale as old as time
True as it can be
Barely even friends
Then somebody bends
Unexpectedly
Just a little change
Small to say the least
Both a little scared
Neither one prepared
Beauty and the Beast

Ever just the same
Ever a surprise
Ever as before
Ever just as sure
As the sun will rise

 Tale as old as time
Tune as old as song
Bittersweet and strange
Finding you can change
Learning you were wrong
Certain as the sun
Rising in the east
Tale as old as time
Song as old as rhyme
Beauty and the Beast

As the strains of the music faded, Natalie looked into Nick's eyes and saw her future 
mirrored there. Their love for one another wrapped around them like a warm blanket, and 
Nick enfolded her closer in his arms, unaware and uncaring of the looks from the other 
adults. 

Part 25

Nikki smiled and wriggled to slip out of Arthur's hold. He put her down and she walked 
over to Nick and Natalie. She tugged at Natalie's sweater, causing her to look down at 
her daughter. 

"Momma, Grandpa Lucius said the evil spell is broken, right?"

Natalie smiled at her and turned back to look at Nick.

"Yes, Sweetie. The evil spell is broken." 

"So Daddy isn't a monster anymore?" 

There was dead silence for several seconds until LaCroix started laughing. All eyes 
turned to look at him.

He regarded his son and Nick felt a tendril of affection stroking his mind.

"Nikki, your daddy still has his moments, just like all of us. Come here." 

He sat down and Nikki walked over to him and sat in his lap.

"My little princess, you need to learn something. Remember that although the Beast was 
ferocious and looked mean, he loved Belle very much. Yes?" She nodded. "Every person 
has a beast inside of them, and sometimes you can see it and sometimes you cannot." He 
glanced up at Nick and Natalie, asking their tacit permission to show his frightening 
vampiric countenance to Nikki. Natalie bit her lip, glanced at Nick, then slowly nodded. 

LaCroix looked back at Nikki and continued. "All of us in this family have learned how 
to control the beast inside of us, but sometimes it will show. If I let you see my beast, will 
you promise to remember that I am still the same person and that I love you, and your 
parents and Aunt Janette very much, that I will never let anyone hurt you? This will 
frighten you, but remember that it is me inside. Do you want to see my beast, little 
Belle?" 

Nikki's eyes had gone wide. She looked over to Natalie, who strode over to the couch 
and knelt down in front of them. "It's OK honey. If you don't want to see it, you don't 
have to. But it was Grandpa Lucius that saved you from that mean man that took you, and 
it was the beast inside of him that helped him do that."

Nikki looked back to LaCroix and slowly nodded her head. "I want to see the beast, 
Grandpa Lucius. I promise I won't run away." 

She leaned against Natalie as LaCroix allowed his eyes to change to gold and his fangs to 
extend. He kept his eyes to gold, not allowing the red of true fury and blood lust to 
emerge.

He slowly opened his mouth to let Nikki see his fangs. Fascinated, she started to reach up 
to touch them. Natalie and LaCroix both stopped her. Nikki turned to look at Natalie, 
then leaned back against her mother. She continued to look at LaCroix, fascinated with 
the vampire. 

"Grandpa Lucius, can you talk?"

LaCroix smiled. "Yes, little one. I'm going to change back now." His eyes returned to 
their customary pale blue and his fangs retracted.

"So, you see Nikki, it is learning to control the beast that is important. Do you 
understand?"

Nikki nodded. She looked at Natalie. "I love you, Momma. Even your beast, and Daddy." 

Natalie held her close, trying very hard not to cry. Nick came over and sat down, pulling 
Nikki onto his lap.

"Sweetie, it's very important that you keep Grandpa's beast a secret. People are very 
frightened if they don't understand. Can you do that?" 

Nikki nodded. "Yes, Daddy." She looked at LaCroix. "I love you Grandpa, thank you!"

The tension that had been thick in the room slowly dissipated. The adults all sat down 
and Nikki asked them questions about different beasts, including mermaids and ogres. 
Luckily, she didn't ask to see anyone else change.  Soon she started yawning, and Natalie 
glanced at her watch to see that it was after one in the morning. 

Part 26

She picked up her daughter, and told her to say goodnight to everyone. They made the 
rounds of kissing all the adults, then Nick and Natalie took Nikki up to her bed. They 
helped her take off her dress and put on her pajamas, even though she had wanted to 
sleep in it.

Nick bent down. "Honey, you don't want it to wrinkle, do you?" Nikki shook her head 
sadly, her lower lip set in a pout. "I'll tell you what, I'll see if I can find you a Belle 
nightgown, OK?" 

A huge smile graced her face as she threw her arms around Nick's neck. "You're the 
bestest Daddy!" Nick held her close, cherishing her vibrancy and warmth. He pulled 
back. 

"You need to brush your teeth and then go to sleep. I think I owe you a story before you 
fall asleep, hmmm?" She nodded and ran into the bathroom to brush her teeth.

Natalie looked at him as he stood. "You're going to be a wonderful father, I can tell." 

Nick walked over to her and hugged her, planting a kiss on her forehead. "How can I not 
be, when she's so wonderful?" 

Natalie laughed. "Just wait. She has her moments." 

Nick slipped his finger under Natalie's chin. "As LaCroix said earlier, we ALL have our 
moments. But we take them in stride, and teach her love. And we learn to forgive 
ourselves. THAT is a lesson you taught me."

He kissed her tenderly, just as Nikki came skipping in. "Daddy, I'm ready for my story 
now." 

Nick and Natalie ruefully pulled apart, and Nick picked Nikki up and tucked her into her 
bed. Natalie leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I'm going to let Daddy tell you your 
story, and I'll see you tomorrow, OK?"

Nikki nodded, then snuggled back against Nick. "Good night Mommy. Daddy, tell me 
about the French tower and you and Aunt Janette."

Smiling, Natalie left the room as Nick started telling Nikki about the plans for the 1889 
Paris Exhibition. 

Part 27

Natalie returned to the family room to find Arthur gone and Janette and LaCroix deep in 
conversation. They looked up when she entered, and Janette patted the cushion next to 
her.

"Sit here, Natalie. We were just discussing Nikki's extraordinary acceptance of 
LaCroix's demonstration."

Natalie sat down and smiled. "Well, she's always been fascinated with Beauty and the 
Beast, as well as fairy tales and just about every mythic creature you can imagine. You 
should have seen her at Shrek!" She shook her head. "Who would have thought she'd 
grow up the daughter of two vampires?"  

Nick came down about fifteen minutes later, a grin on his face. He sat on the floor at 
Natalie's feet, and she started rubbing his shoulders.

"She is just full of questions! I think I'm going to have to brush up on my world history. 
LaCroix, you might want to do the same." Nick teased his master.

LaCroix snorted and stood up. "I most certainly do NOT need to "brush up". I remember 
it as if it was yesterday. I shall bid you all good night as I have some more business to 
take care of." 

Janette stood. "Natalie, I believe I will stay here for the day, if you have no objections. 
I'll be right back with the keys to the car and the club." 

Nick and Natalie watched the retreating vampire, a look of astonishment on Natalie's 
face. She glanced at Nick. "Where is she going to sleep?"

He grinned at her. "I believe she will be in the basement keeping LaCroix company."

Natalie's mouth dropped open. "But, she…he…"

Nick laughed and rose to sit next to her, putting his arms around her. "My love, you and I 
are very unique. Most vampires have short term, casual liaisons with our own kind. 
Sometimes we find a more permanent attachment for a few years or decades, but most 
vampires lose the ability to feel deep and abiding love. In fact, that is what drove Janette 
from me long ago. I never lost my ability to love deeply, and she felt suffocated by it. She 
regained that ability when she met Robert, but her short time with him is a memory that 
she sees as an anomaly in her own worldview. LaCroix has very guarded emotions, and 
his feelings for us are a combination of deep affection and loyalty. He has very definite 
views on familial duty, but that includes his part as patriarch of this family. As you saw 
with the situation involving Andropov, he is ruthless when those he has sworn to protect 
are threatened. " He kissed her brow. "You also need to know that we feel baser emotions 
very strongly, it is a part of the vampire. Anger, greed, lust, hatred, jealousy; all these are 
easy for the vampire to emote. It is the finer emotions such as love and tenderness that we 
struggle with, and as you know, guilt is a very alien emotion to most of us."

Natalie sighed. "There is so much to learn."

"Yes, but I'll be here with you every step of the way, I promise." He hugged her close to 
him. 

Part 28

She snuggled up against him just as Janette came back with her keys. She handed them to 
Nick, winked at them, then went to the door leading to the basement.
Nick and Natalie got up and gathered the packages from the shopping trip, bundled up 
and headed out into the night to return to the Elysium.

Their lives settled into a routine. LaCroix left to return to Venice to settle his affairs, and 
Arthur stayed with Nikki at Natalie's house. Natalie submitted her resignation, and her 
director's reaction was as shocked as she had thought it would be. She met him at the lab 
one evening, with Nick in tow. They explained that they were getting married and 
moving away from the immediate area. Natalie told him that she was on a special 
medication that caused a horrible reaction when the skin was exposed to sunlight. She 
offered to finish her final two weeks on the third shift or from home, and her director 
reluctantly agreed.

Every night, just after sunset, Nick and Natalie would return to Natalie's house to spend 
time with Nikki, read to her, play with her, and tuck her into bed. Natalie spent one night 
a week cooking meals for Nikki for the rest of the week. She found that the smell of 
cooking food nauseated her, and she elected to do a week's worth at once, leaving a 
detailed menu for Margaret and Arthur to follow. After Nikki went to sleep, they spent at 
least an hour on Natalie's control. Nick never left Natalie alone anywhere except the 
Elysium, where the only mortals present would be surrounded by vampires who could 
help Natalie control her appetites.  Natalie learned to mingle with the company of other 
vampires, and slowly began to form ties to the local community, with Janette acting as 
her mentor. Natalie's tolerance to mortals quickly improved, and her control was 
increasing as well. As long as Nick was near her, she was able to be around mortals for 
increasingly longer periods of time.

They met with Julia twice a week to look at houses, both of them agreed that they wanted 
to find just the right one, rather than move just to move. Nick had never lived in the 
Pacific Northwest and the pine-covered hills, soaring peak of Mount Hood on the 
horizon, and secluded homes appealed to him, and he understood why Natalie wasn't 
ready to leave. The trauma of her final year in Toronto had left a deep-seated need in her 
to maintain a sense of being rooted, and he knew that they needed several years to 
establish their marriage for her to feel comfortable and ready to move on. At first Natalie 
refused to consider larger homes, even though she knew Nick could easily afford 
anything in the area. However, after looking at roomier houses for a few weeks, she 
became accustomed to Nick's standards, much to Julia's delight.

Part 29

They continued to make wedding plans. When Natalie showed him her favorite place in 
Portland, he was as entranced as she was with the Portland Classical Chinese Garden.  
They reserved the garden and Tea House for the 28th of June, beginning at 8:00 PM.  The 
garden was mere blocks from the Elysium, which made it convenient for them. They 
were given the name of a Wiccan priestess that was legally able to perform wedding 
ceremonies, and both of them took to the woman immediately. They stressed that their 
ceremony was to be civil, with no religious overtones or paraphernalia, and she assured 
them that their wishes presented no problems. Janette introduced Natalie to her 
dressmaker, and neither woman would let Nick have a hint about either Natalie's dress or 
the dresses that she and Janette had chosen for the bridal party. Nick just smiled, knowing 
that Janette would give Natalie advice on a dress that would take his breath away. 

For a belated birthday gift, Nick surprised Natalie with a trip to the Edgefield Inn, an 
hour outside of the city. They drove along the Columbia River Gorge in the moonlight on 
the Scenic Highway on a rare clear night. Nick had bought a BMW convertible, and 
Natalie told him the story of the whimsical building. It had originally been built in 1911 
as a Poor House for the county, and later became a retirement community. As they pulled 
up to the main building, they both caught the strains of Celtic Harp, a fiddle, and a tin 
whistle playing a sprightly jig. Nick grinned, and jumped out of the car. He went around 
to help a puzzled Natalie out. 

"Come on, Nat. Let's dance." His smile was infectious, and she let him take her hand.

"Uh, Nick, I have no idea how to dance to this music."

"Don'tcha worry none, lass…'tis as simple as lettin' the music move your feet." Nick's 
reply was in an Irish brogue so heavy it made Natalie laugh. 

They headed toward the music, which was coming from a small building off to the right 
of the main structure. The building was a brew house, and the main doors were open to 
reveal a cobble stoned floor. When they got there, a Celtic band was playing, people were 
clapping, and a few hearty souls were dancing. Natalie watched, and Nick's foot was 
tapping to the beat, a grin on his face and a twinkle in his eye.  Suddenly one of the 
young women watching the music noticed Nick's foot tapping, and she boldly stepped up 
to him, holding her hand out to him to dance. He looked at Natalie in question, and she 
smiled and waved him on. They sauntered onto the floor, and Nick began a traditional 
Irish jig, his partner dancing around him. Their feet flashed in the crossover steps while 
they kept their hands at their sides, and the audience started clapping in encouragement. 
The musicians continued into a traditional reel, and Nick and his partner continued their 
performance. After about fifteen minutes, Nick's partner was red in the face and showing 
signs of fatigue. The band concluded the song with a flourish, and Nick grabbed the 
young woman's hand, bowed over it and kissed it, then they turned together to face the 
cheering crowd and both bowed in acceptance. 

Part 30

Nick walked over to Natalie amid calls of admiration. He kissed her on the cheek, his 
eyes glowing and a huge smile on his face. His partner came over, a large smile own her 
own round face. Her long dark hair was pulled back in a braid, and her blue eyes 
sparkled. "Thank you for the dance! That was more fun than I've had in quite a while." 
She stuck out her hand, and Nick shook it. "I'm Colleen O'Brien. My husband's the guy 
on the bodhran. Thanks again!" She walked over to the tall man that had been seated 
playing the handheld Celtic drum.

Nick put his arms around Natalie. "Let's go check in. I hear the festivities go on well into 
the night." He kissed her nose and she smiled. Keeping his right arm around her 
shoulders, they passed through the friendly group of people. Over to one side, Natalie 
saw a glass-blowing demonstration. She made a mental note to return. She had the 
vampire's instinctive fear of fire, but she also had an active curiosity. Suddenly she 
stopped.

"Nat? What's wrong?" Nick turned worried blue eyes to her.

"Nothing. I just realized that I have the time to learn to do…anything! Nick, I can 
become a master at anything that takes time to learn! I can learn anything I want!"  A 
smile was on her face, and Nick's face relaxed into a grin. He started speaking softly, so 
as not to be overheard.

"Yeah, I remember when I had that realization. It was about five years after I learned to 
play the clavichord. I was determined to master it, then suddenly I had an epiphany that I 
had the opportunity to become the greatest musician I could. It was about 1412 if I 
remember correctly." He chuckled at the look of consternation on Natalie's face. 

"Come on, let's get going." They continued walking toward the large brick two-story 
building they had seen driving up. 

Stopping at the car to grab their bags, they turned toward the large main building. They 
walked up the wide stairway to the front door. Natalie had been inside once, and was 
prepared for the interior. Nick stopped and looked around. Every wall was covered in 
artwork, faces and murals peeking out. Suns, moons, animals, figures both realistic and 
fantastical caught his attention. He twitched with desire to wander the large halls of the 
building and just absorb the shapes and colors on the walls. Natalie grinned, recognizing 
the urge to explore in him. She tugged his arm and he looked back at her, with a sheepish 
grin on his face. They proceeded up to the front desk to sign in.

A young man in his late teens to early twenties led them to their room. Nick had reserved 
a king suite, which featured a sitting area along with the huge bed. They walked in, and 
both of them immediately felt at ease in the cheery room. The comfortable furniture was 
in dark wood, with simple Mission style lines. The walls were covered with whimsical 
murals, and Nick smiled in delight at the painted moon over the back of the bed. He 
turned to tip the bellboy, thanking him and grabbing their small suitcases. Natalie was 
looking around, a vaguely puzzled expression on her face.

Part 31
"Nick, there's no armoire for a TV…and no phone!" She turned to him in surprise.

He walked over to her and scooped her up, and began to twirl her around. She laughed. 
He stopped, setting her on the bed, then lying down next to her, his elbow bent, his hand 
holding up his head.

"You are right! I was ecstatic when I found out about this place BECAUSE it has no 
phones, no televisions, no distractions. This is our anniversary, of sorts, and I have no 
intention of letting anyone disturb us." He leaned over and kissed her. Before their usual 
passion could blossom, he jumped up and dragged her up.

"Come on, Dr. Natalie Lambert Knight, we are going to attend a wine tasting!"

Laughing, stood up. "A wine tasting?"

Nick grinned, his lighthearted playfulness etched on his features. "Yes indeed. I have 
arranged for us to have a winery tour and a private tasting. McMenamin's is actually 
known in the area for their red wines, ports, and even brandy. Since I found out how 
much you seem to enjoy wine, I thought we'd take advantage of it while we're here." 

Natalie glanced at her watch. It was just after ten. They wandered out into the cool 
evening air, and walked over to the winery. It was a medium-sized building, and people 
were just leaving it. Nick leaned over to whisper. "They normally close at ten, but I 
explained that it was our anniversary as well as your birthday, and I offered to buy ten 
cases of each of their wines for the Elysium, as well as pay for the overtime for the staff. 
They were very accommodating." 

Natalie laughed as they walked up to the door and Nick knocked. A stout middle-aged 
man with thinning hair and hazel eyes opened the door.

"Mr. Lambert?" Nick nodded. "Welcome! We were just setting up your table. I'm Jason 
Smith." He ushered them into the tasting room, and Natalie saw a flight of six wines lined 
up on a table with candles burning in the middle and between each bottle. There were 
twelve glasses set on the table, the candlelight reflecting off the sides. There were barrels 
lining the walls, and Natalie could smell the crush of grapes and the aroma of oak. She 
smiled in contentment. Jason took them to their table and pulled out a chair for Natalie, 
helped her sit, then pulled out Nick's. He then proceeded to pour each of the wines, 
described them, and pulled out tasting cards for them. When he had poured the last one, 
he excused himself, telling Nick to call when he was done or if he needed anything. The 
vampires heard him retreat into a small office and turn on a computer. They heard the 
sounds of a computer video game turning on. Natalie laughed.

Nick opened his coat and took out a silver flask. He opened it and poured a bit of blood in 
each of the glasses, then shut it again.  They picked up their glasses, toasted one another, 
and began to sample the wines. Natalie was still stunned by the perceptions of taste that 
she now had. The wine was rich and smooth, each one with distinct undertones. They 
leisurely finished each glass; made notes on the tasting cards, and poured more of the 
ones they each like the best. (Natalie relished the Merlot, Nick preferred the Pinot Noir.)

Part 32
At midnight, they called to Jason, thanked him for his time and courtesy and Nick handed 
him a $200 tip. Jason's eyes bulged to the size of saucers as he wished them a happy 
anniversary and Natalie a happy birthday. Jason promised to have the remaining wine 
bottles recorked and delivered to their room. They left the winery and went back to their 
room to change. Nick had one surprise left for the night, since it was still young by their 
standards. 

Nick wouldn't tell her where they were going, but he insisted that she put on stout 
walking shoes and pull her hair back so that it wouldn't tangle. Puzzled, she did as he 
asked. They left the quieting inn and went back to the car, Nick carrying two raincoats. 
They pulled out of the driveway and headed back onto the Scenic Highway heading east. 
They drove through the moonlight for about ninety minutes, until they pulled off the 
highway and Nick parked the car near the side of the road, the driveway in front of them 
being barricaded.  Her eyes widened when she read the sign. They were at the entrance to 
Multnomah Falls. 

"Nick! We're going to the falls?" Her face lit up. She had seen pictures of the falls, but 
had never been there.

He grinned and nodded. "Technically the park is closed, but I thought we could fly up to 
the bridge, then if you want to, up to the top. Are you game?"

She nodded her head in eagerness. They walked past the barrier and toward the Lodge. 
There was one streetlight on, and the falls were roaring behind the picturesque stone 
house. It looked like it had been plucked from a Bavarian Village. The windows were all 
dark, of course, but between the lamplight and the full moon, they could make out the 
gray stones, steeply sloped roof, dormer windows and the chimney. The walked forward, 
passing to the left of the Lodge. They walked onto a flagstone observation deck, and 
Natalie's eyes were drawn upward. The 620-foot high waterfall was graced with the 
Benson Bridge, a soaring archway of stone and metal filigree that spanned the falls lower 
cataract. Nick took Natalie's hand and they flew to the bridge, the spray from the falls 
raining on them. They were laughing when they landed on the bridge, the water roaring 
in their ears. Natalie turned around and saw the lodge and the gorge on the horizon. Nick 
put his arms around her, enjoying the view with her. He rested his head on her shoulder, 
enjoying the smell of her blood mingling with the clean scent of the water behind them. 

Part 33

He moved, kissing Natalie's cheek. "Come on, let's go to the top." He took her hand and 
they turned around to gaze at the top of the falls. He squeezed her hand, then they 
levitated, rising parallel to the water rushing down the side of the cliff face. In a few 
moments they were at the top of the falls, and Nick guided her to the observation 
platform. They turned around, once more, to gaze at the panorama. 

Nick pulled her into an embrace, both of them still looking out at the moonlit vista. Trees 
framed their view, and they both stared out into the night. Natalie briefly regretted not 
seeing the sight in the daylight, but being with Nick made the regret a truly fleeting 
thought.

Finally tearing her eyes away from the view, she turned to look at the falls themselves. 
Several small waterfalls tumbled over rocks in a pool that drained over the side of the 
cliff.  There was a small cosmos of peace and nature that hung around the swirling 
eddies. She felt as if she was suspended in time.

Nick was growing to love this part of the world more every day, and eagerly researched 
possible places to explore and share with Natalie. He hadn't been this happy, ever. The 
only time that came close was the years he spent in Toronto, but even that paled in 
comparison to his current life.

Nick pulled away and grinned at her. "You ready to go? I have one other stop I want to 
make before we go back to the Inn." She nodded. "OK, now let's really test your flying 
progress." He pointed off toward the road. "Think you can make a straight shot from here 
to the car?" 

Natalie frowned in concentration, finally spotting the entrance to the park, knowing the 
car was just little past it, hidden by the trees. She nodded.

"I'll go first, just follow me." Nick jumped off the platform, for an instant looking like a 
cliff diver as he soared down, then veered off to head toward the car. Natalie inhaled to 
steady her nerves, and jumped after him. 

The feel of the spray on her face, the imminent impact with the earth caused her heart to 
beat a few times, but she flew off at an angle, seeing now the path that Nick had taken. 
She leveled out and came to rest a few feet from the barrier. Nick was at the side of the 
car, and she could feel his approval and pride flowing into her. She walked over to the 
car, a smile of triumph on her face.

"Wow, that was quite a jump!" She laughed as she got into the passenger seat, eager to 
see where Nick was taking her next. 

Nick pulled back onto the Scenic Loop, and headed west. About thirty minutes later, he 
pulled over to the right, and again parked the car. They got out, and Natalie realized they 
were at Crown Point. They approached the Vista House, both of them extending their 
senses for any signs of habitation. The building was deserted and they flew to the 
observation deck that encircled the octagonal structure to walk around and enjoy the 
panorama. The wind whipped Natalie's hair around her face as she looked at the stunning 
view of the gorge.

Part 34

Nick had seen many wonders over the centuries. He had been to rainforests, deserts, 
hidden grottos, tropical islands, and glaciered mountain plateaus. He had gone alone, with 
companions. He felt fortunate to have seen many of the most amazing vistas and 
panoramas on the planet, experienced the majesty nature had to offer. Gazing at the 
forested hills, the Columbia River Gorge cutting a deep pathway in the hills of the 
Oregon and Washington earth, he added this amazing area of natural beauty to his mental 
list.  

Natalie's breath caught as she felt the sheer power of the view. They could see for miles. 
She could feel Nick's awe and wonder vibrating along their link. The sight brought tears 
to her eyes.  The full moon was shining on the sliding waters of the Columbia River, and 
they could both feel the winds that funneled through the narrow shoulders of the rocky 
cliffs.

"Oh Nick! This makes me believe in the existence of God."

They stood there for about forty minutes enjoying the freedom of the moment, when 
Natalie suddenly got a mischievous grin on her face. She looked at Nick, then took off 
into the air over the gorge, flying low. He grinned at her before he followed her. They 
traveled in lazy circles over the deeply sloped walls of the gorge, occasionally setting 
down among the trees to feel and smell the clean night air before taking back to the sky.  

Suddenly, Natalie's attention was by caught moonlight sparkling on water amid the trees. 
She flew down and settled in a clearing. There was a small waterfall tumbling over rocks 
into an almost perfectly round pond. Moss lined the ground on one side of the pool, and 
the gentle music of the waterfall of the rocks combined with the moonlight to create a 
forest glade of stunning beauty. A deer looked up in startlement at her landing and turned 
to disappear into the night. It was another magical place of water, rock and trees.  Natalie 
felt her soul sigh in contentment and peace.  Whatever the nature of the vampire, the 
violence now lurking within her, she also had the capacity to achieve great good. She had 
never questioned Nick's quest for mortality, his reasoning behind leaving the life of the 
vampire behind him. But, she knew that the advantages of the vampire also had merit. 
The price was the blood lust. Only time would tell whether she would be able to conquer 
the incessant craving for the hot liquid.

Part 35

Nick landed beside her, his own sense of awe echoing hers. She turned to look at him. 
"I've never been anywhere so…peaceful and magical." 

He looked into her eyes, the moonlight illuminating her lovely face. He reached out a 
finger and stroked it along her cheek. "Do you have any idea how beautiful you are? How 
important you are to me? You're my life. I waited over seven hundred years to find you, 
then I almost lost you. The last seven years have been hell. The only reason I didn't walk 
into the sun is because I knew you'd never forgive me. I swear to you, if you had died, I 
wouldn't have lived to see another night." His voice was low, emotion roughening it.

She smiled. "Nick, I've lived the last seven years with only one thing to keep me going, 
and that was Nikki. I picked up the phone so many times to call you, just to hear your 
voice. I wanted to tell you about Nikki, to ask you to come to me, because the loneliness 
was so unbearable sometimes. I cried myself to sleep, missing you, at least twice a 
month.  The only reason I never finished the call was because of Nikki. I couldn't leave 
her without a mother. I know for the longest time you considered this life a hellish 
existence on earth, but I cannot imagine a night without you in it. Please tell me you 
don't regret bringing me across?" 

He gathered her into his arms. "Never. I will NEVER regret having you by my side. My 
only regret is that it took me so long to realize what was right. Forgive me?" He looked 
down into her face.

"There's nothing to forgive. If we hadn't parted, we wouldn't have a daughter. We have 
eternity ahead of us to live, and love." She pulled his face down to hers, to meet his lips. 
She kissed him and whispered "Make love to me Nick, right here, right now."  In the 
magical moonlight of a forest glade, the two vampires made love over and over.

Part 36

Two hours later, the lovers realized that they only had a short time until dawn started 
breaking over the horizon. They rushed back to the car and took off toward Troutdale and 
the Edgefield Inn. They pulled into the parking lot and ran into the building just as 
Natalie started becoming unbearably drowsy. The first rosy tints of dawn colored the 
eastern sky as Nick opened the door to their room and strode over to shut the shades and 
pull the heavy drapes across the high window.

Natalie crawled onto the bed. 

"Nick, can you take my shoes off? I can barely stay…awake…" Her words drifted off as 
she succumbed to the slumber of the newly made fledgling.

Nick chuckled. He went to the door, put the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the outside of it 
and locked it before returning to his ladylove.

Natalie woke up slowly the next night as the sun sank over the horizon. She turned to find 
Nick gone, and sat up. She grinned when she realized she wasn't wearing any clothing.

"Nick?" She called out, reaching to him through their link. 

She felt the vibration of his awareness, and smiled. He was in the bathroom, taking a 
shower. She threw the covers aside and got up to help scrub her fiance's back. She 
opened the door and quickly moved inside. She tiptoed over to the shower, and reached 
for the curtain, just as she heard Nick's voice.

"I know you're there, Nat. Would you like me to wash your back?" 

She laughed and stepped into the steamy shower.

Part 37
An hour later, Natalie was standing in rapt fascination watching the glassblower. He was 
pulling the long rod out from the furnace, the glowing bulb at the end starting to lengthen 
as he began to twirl the stem. He reached out with a tool and started to shape the 
cylindrical piece. As it cooled, he flattened out the bottom and continued to make a 
groove about a third of the way down the glowing object. Finally, she recognized a bottle 
being formed. Her mouth formed an O when she realized how amorphous the piece had 
been until the very last moment. She could smell the very acrid tang from the furnace, 
and even standing several feet away she could feel the heat from the furnace prickling 
along her skin. A primal presence inside of her was screaming at her to move away from 
the killing fire, but she ignored the survival instinct of the vampire. Her practice sessions 
with Nick were not only to control her blood cravings around mortals, but also to impose 
her will on the vampire, to override the demands it made on her.  Nick was amazed at her 
level of control. He mused that it was attributable to the fact that they were sharing blood 
regularly when they made love.

Nick had learned an amazing amount of control over his own vampire, in his quest to 
conquer the killer instinct. Most vampires didn't make a conscious effort to control their 
predatory instincts, instead gaining control over time as they got older. It took a century 
or two for most vampires to be able to quell their blood lust for more than a few hours. 
Natalie, in a few short weeks, had learned to bind her killing instincts for almost a full 
night. Nick was monitoring her as she watched the glass blowing demonstration. Almost 
as strong as the blood lust was the survival instinct of the vampire. It was one of the 
reasons fledglings fell asleep with the approaching dawn. 

Part 38

After Nick had almost killed Natalie seven years ago, he had put himself on a strict 
regimen to get an even stronger control over his killing urges. He had used human blood 
and his bond with LaCroix to ruthlessly quell the predatory instinct in him. For a year, he 
and LaCroix had tested and bested his limits. He had drawn on the power of his ancient 
master to rein in the unleashed blood lust Nick experienced after his encounter with 
Natalie. He and his master had shared blood almost daily, and that fact plus Nick's own 
iron will made him one of the strongest vampires of any age younger than a millennium 
old. Natalie was reaping the rewards of his hard work, and he toyed with the idea of 
suggesting that she also share blood with LaCroix. The only reason he hesitated was 
directly related to the conversation he had had with Natalie the night Nikki had seen her 
first real vampire in her "Grandpa Lucius". Natalie shared his reverence for human life, 
and an abhorrence of killing. LaCroix, on the other hand, enjoyed the power and 
amorality of the vampire. Nick wasn't sure what would happen to Natalie if she shared 
blood with LaCroix. Natalie and LaCroix had very different personalities, their own life 
experiences shaping their immortal imperatives. He shook his head, and decided not to 
suggest it to Natalie, especially since she was making such amazing progress on her own. 
He watched her carefully to make sure that she didn't suffer a backlash from the tight 
controls she was imposing on herself. 

She felt no guilt or remorse for drinking human blood, knowing that it was donated. Nick 
knew that he had to teach her how to hunt soon, and he had to introduce her to animal 
blood. Hopefully if she learned to hunt animals and conditioned her survival instincts to 
hunt animals instead of humans, if she was ever in a situation that mandated her to do so, 
she would have the instinct to find animals first. He had talked to several other vampire 
masters over the last decade, and the few that agreed with him in principle had all used 
this approach successfully. 


The glassblowing demonstration concluded, and Natalie went to talk to the glassblower. 
Nick watched her, smiling inwardly at her probing nature. She was fearless, and 
relentless when she was pursuing an idea or an avenue of study. Her keen mind was the 
first thing he had noticed about her, after her delicate loveliness. He admitted to himself 
that the first time he had seen her had been in part a strong physical attraction to her. But 
as they moved from a scientific relationship into a guarded friendship, he had come to 
value her analytical mind, and her tenacity. As they grew even closer, and she allowed 
him to see her vulnerabilities, he had fallen in love with her. He had struggled with his 
feelings, especially after the whole nightmare with Roger Jameson. He had known her 
feelings for him long before he had recognized his own, and had tried to keep her at 
arm's length for her own protection. So many times he had been forced to go running to 
Janette when his need for Natalie's soothing love had driven his vampire over the edge. 

And now, they were together. Nothing had prepared him for the depth of his feelings for 
this amazing person, or his humble acceptance of the fact that she returned his feelings, 
just as strongly. She needed him just as desperately as he needed her. The only regret he 
had had when he realized he loved her as a mortal was the fact that he could never give 
her a child. And now, even that precious gift was granted to him. He closed his eyes and 
sent a silent prayer of thanks to a God he was sure didn't listen to him. When he opened 
his eyes, Natalie was looking at him, a secretive smile on her face. She started walking 
toward him. She slipped her arm around his waist and they started moving toward the 
winery, where a tasting was in progress. They had asked Jason if it would be acceptable if 
they brought the bottles from the previous night that they had opened and enjoyed, and he 
had been enthusiastic in his affirmatives. Nick had taken two "doctored" bottles over to 
the winery a few minutes before Natalie had started watching the glassblower.  He had 
carefully labeled the bottles with his name so that no unlucky mortal got a glass of blood 
wine. 

Part 39

He leaned down to kiss Natalie as they stopped in front of the winery.

"Did you find a new hobby?"

"Maybe. I haven't decided yet. It isn't as if I'm busy with my LIFE or anything." 

Nick let out a laugh at her caustic tone. He squeezed her against him. "You have all the 
time in the world to pick up glassblowing. Tomorrow, we have a precocious daughter, a 
swiftly approaching wedding, a new home to find, and a research facility to set up 
waiting for us at home." 

She grinned at him and stood on tiptoe to kiss him. "Yes, I know all those things. And I 
truly do appreciate this respite from it all. And, I love and appreciate YOU!" 

On that resounding note they stepped up to the small table where their bottles were 
waiting for them. Jason had seen them come in and had removed the bottles from the 
refrigerator. He had quickly come to enjoy the young couple, and not for the generous tip 
they had given him. They were obviously very much in love, and it radiated from them, 
making anyone around them feel good just    basking in their glow. They had said it was 
their anniversary celebration, but he wondered how long they had been together. They 
had both an easy camaraderie as well as a glow of newfound love about them. It was a 
puzzle that he enjoyed speculating on. 

He walked up to them, and pulled the stoppers out of their bottles and proceeded to pour 
them each a glass. 

"Are you enjoying your stay?" 

Nick answered, a huge smile in place. "Immensely. It's been years since we had any 
quality time alone together." He glanced at Natalie and they smiled lovingly at one 
another. 

Aha! They had been together for a long time. Jason wondered what the secret to their 
mutual joy in each other was. He had been married to his wife for over seventeen years 
and although he loved her, the spark of passion emanating from these two was only a 
warm ember in his life. 

"May I ask the two of you a personal question?" 

Nick frowned, but Natalie smiled at Jason.

"Sure. I won't guarantee we'll have an answer, but I'll try."

Jason took a deep breath. "If you two have been together for a long time, how do you 
remain so…in love with each other? You look and act like newlyweds."

To his surprise, Nick threw back his head and laughed, and Natalie started giggling so 
hard she had to press her face into Nick's chest. Jason smiled, not understanding the joke.

Finally getting his mirth under control, Nick was able to reply. "Well, the truth of it is 
that our wedding is next month. Natalie and I have known each other for about fifteen 
years, but we just got back together a few weeks ago." He looked down at her, tenderness 
suffusing his expression. "I almost lost her seven years ago. I'll never let her go again."  
He looked back up at Jason. "This anniversary is actually the anniversary of our first 
meeting, which was on Nat's birthday." 

Part 40

Jason finally understood the lovers. They had been given a second chance and knew it for 
the precious gift that it was. He smiled and left them to enjoy their wine, vowing to find 
some time and a way to rekindle his own marriage. 

Nick and Natalie finished the wine, mingled with the other guests, and saw Colleen and 
her husband Steve in the courtyard. They went over to talk to the other couple, pleased to 
see some familiar faces. At eleven, Colleen and Steve said their goodbyes, inviting them 
to come back at any time. Colleen slyly told Nick she could always use a good dance 
partner since her first choice was always too busy. Steve just rolled his eyes as Natalie 
and Nick laughed. 

Nick and Natalie decided to stroll along the grounds of the 38-acre estate. They would be 
checking out at three AM, to return to the city and their hectic lives.  These last few hours 
were a precious gift to themselves. 

The moon was still full, but there were ragged wisps of clouds scudding across the sky. 
Natalie could tell by press of the air on her now sensitive skin that rain was on the way. 
She didn't mind, having gotten used to the long rainy months in the area. She hoped Nick 
would get accustomed to it. Since they lived in the night, it made much less of an impact 
on them now. She sighed in contentment, still enchanted with the turn of her life.

"Penny for your thoughts.

She looked over at Nick, and reached up to touch his face. 

"I'm just still amazed that you're here, I'm here, we're getting married, the whole thing. "

Nick chuckled. "Well, Nat, you're stuck with me for eternity. I'm sure in a few hundred 
years you'll want a vacation by yourself."

She shook her head, still trying to fathom the concept of being alive in a few hundred 
years. She grinned as they stepped onto the immaculate lawn of the golf course.  She 
looked around at the silver expanse of lawn, able to see the different shades of green in 
the grass, and sense the nocturnal animals and insects that mortals discounted. 

They wandered over the mounds of the golf course, and like children in a sandbox they 
jumped into the sandpit and attempted to make a sand castle. Without water, their efforts 
fell apart. They laughed, put their shoes on and continued to walk. At the edge of the golf 
course Nick was surprised to see a tall tree that looked vaguely familiar. He wandered 
over to it, noting the huge puff of pale pink flowers, the bouquet the size of his head. He 
frowned, trying to place the species of the spindly-limbed tree. It had oblong, waxy dark 
green leaves clustered like palm fronds. He turned to Natalie.

Part 41

"What type of tree is that? It looks familiar but I can't place it."

"It's a rhododendron."

He turned to her, a look of shock on his face. "It can't be. They don't GROW that big."

She nodded. "Really, that's a rhody. They grow huge around here. We can drive up to the 
Weyerhauser Rhododendron Test Gardens if you'd like, near Tacoma." 

He looked from Natalie to the tree, still skeptical of her assessment. He shrugged and 
they continued their meander.  Nick was still cataloguing the scents of the night air. In the 
city, he hadn't had much chance to identify and categorize the lush scents of the 
landscape. One scent was overlaying all others, and it had a spicy cinnamon scent to it. It 
was pleasant, but he wasn't sure what plant it was. He had smelled it before, but never as 
pervasively. 

"Nat, do you know what plant is producing that cinnamon smell? It's really nice, but I 
can't place it. I think I've smelled it before, but never this strongly."

She wrinkled her nose. "I think that's blackberry. The vines are just starting to come into 
season. The berries come out in July and August."

Again, he looked at her in surprise. "Blackberries? Huh."

She reached up and kissed him. "I think I'm going to really enjoy spring as a vampire. I 
LOVE the smell of fresh flowers." 
He had looked at some of the local botanical sites, and the rose gardens that gave 
Portland its nickname were plentiful, but wouldn't bloom until June at the earliest. He 
already had a list of places around the city and surrounding area that he wanted to explore 
with Natalie.

They continued walking, just enjoying the extensive grounds and the chance to be 
together. Too soon, however, Nick turned them back toward the hotel. It was time for 
them to leave, their short idyll over. The time had given them some much needed 
"breathing room" from the obligations of daily life, but Nick knew Natalie was anxious 
to get home and see Nikki, and they still had so many plans to finish. 

Part 42

They returned to the Inn, packed up their suitcase and the special valise Nick had brought 
to carry their blood (now holding two bottles of blood wine), and fondly looked at the 
room. They walked down to the front desk, where a young man was reading a textbook 
on ancient philosophy. Nick glanced at it and grinned. 

"You should really get the next edition. It's got some good commentary in it."

The startled night clerk looked up; he hadn't heard Nick and Natalie. "Excuse me?" 

"I was just saying that the third edition of that textbook has some additional commentary 
that really sheds light on some of the Sophist arguments."

The clerk frowned. "Are you a professor?" 

Nick grinned. "I have been. I'm thinking about it." He continued on, "we'd like to check 
out, please. The name is Lambert." He handed his credit card to the clerk.

"It's the middle of the night." 

"Yes, I realize that, but we need to get going. I understand you'll have to charge us for 
the full day. It's fine."

Natalie was grinning, remembering a similar scene a few weeks ago at the Heathman 
between LaCroix and the night clerk at the posh hotel. Nick was a much nicer customer 
than his father.

The clerk was shaking his head and frowning, obviously convinced that Nick had a few 
screws loose. Nick looked back at Natalie and winked at her. She smiled at him as he 
turned back to sign the bill and retrieve his credit card.

As they turned to leave the Inn, Natalie sighed in contentment.

Nick felt the peace flowing through her. "Happy, Love?" He put his empty arm around 
her shoulders.

"You have no idea. You know, I've never seen YOU this content. In Toronto you were 
almost always moody."

He frowned. "Was I really that bad?"

She snorted. "Remember your nickname of 'The Knightmare'"?

He chuckled. "Touche. But I didn't have everything I had been wishing for all my long, 
lonely life back then." He kissed her temple. "I do now."

Part 43

They had reached the car, stowed the bags and got in. Nick still kept the top down since 
the clouds weren't piled high enough to indicate imminent rain. Nick pulled out of the 
parking lot and they headed back to the Scenic Highway. After a few minutes, Natalie 
spoke again, hesitancy in her voice.

"Nick, I guess now is as good a time as any to bring this up."

"Bring up what?"

"Well, I haven't asked and you haven't mentioned it, but what about your quest to regain 
your mortality? I've still been working on a cure these last few years."

He glanced at her, surprised. "You have?"

She nodded.

"And? Have you found something that will do the trick or any promising 
breakthroughs?"

"Well, not exactly, but the AIDS and HIV research I started doing after the fever has 
turned up some really fascinating avenues. I think I could probably have something inside 
of ten, or twenty years at the most."

Nick didn't say anything, but got a thoughtful look on his face.

"Nick? I guess I'm asking if you want me to continue researching a cure. Now that I'm a 
vampire too, and we're together, I'm not sure I WANT to go back to being mortal."

Nick carefully considered his next words. "Nat, I think that if you want to, you should 
still continue your research. Right now, you're right. I'm happy with our lives as they are. 
I still would like to see the sun, and eat real food, but with you beside me, all that seems 
much more insignificant. Do you understand?"

He felt relief flooding their link. He glanced over at her again, and saw that she had a 
smile on her face. He reached a hand up to stroke against her cheek. "Feel better with that 
answer? Obviously this has been bothering you." 

She nodded. "You have no idea how relieved I am."

"Well, actually, Nat, I do. Your relief was really palpable." He grinned at her and she 
laughed in response.

He slipped a CD into the disc player and they sped through the early morning hours 
toward home.

Part 44

The following evening Natalie, Nikki and Nick were looking at houses with Julia. After 
talking about it extensively, they had decided to bring Nikki with them as they looked at 
houses, to give her the chance not only to give her opinion, but also to get her used to the 
idea of moving to a new home. They had seen over two dozen in the three weeks since 
they had contacted Julia. As an agent, Julia was patient, especially when she realized that 
cost really wasn't an issue, and that if she was tolerant with her clients she would reap a 
hefty commission.

They drove up a long driveway that wound among the dark evergreens, and both Nick 
and Natalie breathed in the woodsy resinous scent. 

The driveway curved around one final time to open up on a large, three-story house 
standing in a huge clearing. There was a large pond in the front of the house, and a lone 
duck was gliding along the surface when they pulled up and parked the car. There were 
no lights on, for the current owners had already moved. Nikki saw the duck.

"Daddy, look! A duck!" He was sitting next to her in the back seat. 

"I see it, Honey. I wonder if it lives here?"

The house had visual impact and appeal, with steeply gabled roofing on a combination 
wood and stone front and large floor-to-ceiling windows. They walked up to the front 
door, and Julia inserted her master key in the box at the side of the door. She opened the 
large glass door and turned on the lights. They walked in, and Natalie immediately knew 
this was the house for her. The hardwood parquet floor reflected the lights from the 
cathedral ceiling, and a staircase over to one side traveled up to a railed balcony 
overlooking the front hallway. The balcony was supported by tall slender columns which 
divided the spacious living room and dining room. She turned to Nick.

"Nick…" 

He smiled at her and grabbed her hand, bringing it to his lips. He didn't say anything but 
they continued to wander in. The living room was carpeted in a thick cream-colored 
Berber, the large windows overlooking the pond and winding driveway. Through an 
archway created by the columns and the walkway of the balcony was a formal dining 
room. They walked into it and Julia turned on the light. They gasped to see a stained 
glass window, recessed into the ceiling, come to life. Realistic halogen lights behind it 
illuminated the Tiffany-style decoration. 

Part 45

Through a doorway at the end of the room was the kitchen. They walked through and saw 
that it was equipped with all modern conveniences, with marble countertops and oak 
cabinetry. The floor was oak hardwood, and there was an island in the middle of the 
room, effectively separating it from the breakfast nook. On the far side of the breakfast 
nook a half-wall ran, and on the other side was a large family room, with a huge circular 
glass-enclosed fireplace in one corner. There was obviously space for a large plasma-
screen television on the wall, and built in bookshelves designed to hold not only books 
but also an entertainment center. There was a stairway at the far end of the room, which 
they took upstairs. They were in a short hallway, with bedrooms on either side. They 
looked into the bedrooms and Nikki ran into one of them in delight. It was painted to look 
like an underwater scene, and there was a picture of a mermaid on one wall, curved 
around a statue of a handsome man. It was obviously a scene from Hans Christian 
Andersen's book as opposed to the Disney movie. But Nikki was entranced.

"Momma, Daddy, Look! It's a mermaid!" She ran over to them and grabbed their hands 
to pull them over to the mural on the wall. 

Nick and Natalie looked at each other and smiled. Nick squatted down next to Nikki.

"Sweetie, would you be happy living here? If this was your bedroom? We'd bring all 
your toys and books, but you'd be here instead of at Mommy's house. 

Her brow furrowed in concentration for a minute as she thought about it. "Would 
Grandpa Lucius and Aunt Janette and Arthur still come to visit us here?"

Nick nodded. "They will always come to us, wherever we live. I promise." 

A big smile cracked her face and she nodded. 

Natalie joined Nick at her level. "Are you sure, Sweetie? We want you to be happy here."

Nikki nodded again, still smiling. Nick hugged her and picked her up. He turned to Julia.

"I'll guess we'll be making an offer." He grinned and kissed Nikki, who giggled.

Julia smiled. "Don't you want to see the rest of the house? You had asked about a place 
for a nanny; this house happens to have a mother-in-law suite with it's own kitchen and 
bathroom."

Nick and Natalie looked at each other and said in unison. "We'll take it."

Part 46

Preparations were made to move within a week. Nick didn't even haggle with the asking 
price, which thrilled Julia to no end. The house was actually priced quite competitively 
for the market.

Nick had found a contractor to put the special steel shutters in that he had had installed in 
the loft. They left the mother-in-law suite, Nikki's room and the family room without the 
shutters. There were blinds on all the windows, and Nick made sure that they were heavy 
enough for him to enter during the day if necessary. He had the blinds installed in every 
room as well as the shutters put on remote controls that could be accessed from panels in 
the halls. 

Janette and Arthur came over to help them pack, mostly Nikki's belongings. She refused 
to allow her Belle dress to be packed, insisting that the adults carry it for her. They 
sighed, but it was the only difficulty they had with her, so indulged her. 
They had arranged to stay at the Elysium the day the movers came, keeping Nikki with 
them for the first time since Natalie had been brought across. Nick played with his 
daughter indoors all day while Natalie slept. As soon as the sun had set, Natalie woke up 
and the three of them went out to see a movie. Instead of going back to the apartment 
over the club, they went to their new house. Nikki was excited and bounced around when 
Arthur appeared from the guest room down the hall from her. She ran from room to 
room, seeing her familiar furnishings from home, and ecstatic with her new bedroom. She 
insisted on showing Arthur every room.  

Nick kept an eye on her while Arthur and Natalie went to the kitchen to pour blood wine 
for the adults, and make hot chocolate for Nikki.  Arthur was going to help out with her at 
night, and he had arranged for a woman he knew from Portland State to come over during 
the day. She was pursuing a degree in Child and Family Studies, and was eager to work 
with a child that was going through the transitions in her life that Nikki was. Arthur had 
known her for several years, and trusted her. His recommendation was good enough for 
Nick and Natalie, and they had arranged for her to earn some credits for her time with 
them, treating it as an internship as well as paying her for it. She was coming over at ten 
to meet Nikki, Nick and Natalie. Natalie was still a little nervous having a stranger caring 
for Nikki, but she knew it was necessary. She still hadn't heard from Amy about whether 
she was willing to be a nanny for them, and she still had a few weeks of school left until 
she graduated. She wanted to like the intern, but so much had been going on in her life 
that she hadn't had a chance to really talk to Arthur about her as a person. As they were 
waiting for the milk to heat for Nikki's hot chocolate, she initiated a conversation with 
Arthur.  She still felt closer to him than anyone in the community other than Nick.

Part 47

"Arthur, how do you know Jennifer?"

"We met at a seminar her first year at PSU. She was volunteering at the family center, 
and Jeremy and I were just starting to explore adoption options. There was a program on 
alternative family structures, and she came over to talk to us after the speaker panel." 

"She supports alternative family life?"

He nodded. "Personal experience. She was raised on a commune in eastern Oregon in the 
early seventies. She's very open minded and easy going. She was one of my main 
supports when Jeremy died."

Natalie smiled. "Well, I don't think you're going to get much more alternative than 
vampires!" 

They both laughed as the doorbell rang. Arthur went to answer the bell, expecting it to be 
Jennifer. He opened the door and hugged her. He ushered her into the kitchen to meet 
Natalie.

"Natalie Knight, this is Jennifer Kowalski. Jennifer, this is Natalie."

Jennifer smiled and held out her hand, and Natalie took it. Jennifer was in her mid-thirties 
with short brown hair and hazel eyes. She was dressed in jeans, a sweatshirt and 
Birkenstocks. She was of medium height and build, with an open expression that caused 
Natalie to feel comfortable with her.  

"Hi Doctor Knight. I really appreciate the chance to meet you and your family and 
hopefully help you and your daughter with the transitions going on right now. I'm sure 
it's very difficult trying to balance everything!" 

Natalie smiled. "Nikki and I have been alone for most of her life. Nick and I knew each 
other years ago before I moved to Portland and had Nikki. When we recently got back in 
contact and decided to get married, Nikki was ecstatic. Nick comes with a fairly large 
extended family, and due to some health issues he works at night, as do I. We really need 
someone to help keep Nikki occupied during the daylight hours. She's in pre-school and 
daycare during the week, and on weekends she stays up with us. I don't know if Arthur 
mentioned it, but she's a bit precocious. She's a sweet little girl, but also very inquisitive 
and she can be a handful. Luckily, she's thrilled with all the new family members she's 
been meeting through Nick."

Jennifer smiled. "Sounds like she's a wonderful person. How does she interact with your 
fiancé?"

"Nikki's always known about Nick, and that he was special to me. She's always had 
vague ideas about him being her father, and when he came back into my life she was 
happy about it and took it all in stride. They've bonded just as strongly as any father and 
daughter that I've ever known."

"May I ask you a personal question? You don't have to answer it if you feel it's 
inappropriate or none of my business. I take it Nick isn't her biological father?" Natalie 
shook her head. "Does she know anything about her birth father?"

Part 48

Natalie hesitated. "My relationship with her birth father was extremely brief. We met 
while both of us were grieving for the loss of our partners. Nick had been forced to leave 
me due to some personal issues, and her father had just lost his wife in an alcohol-related 
car accident. He took a position overseas before I even knew I was pregnant. I talked to 
my counselor at the time, and I thought long and hard about my decision to be a single 
mother.  I've never regretted my decision, and when Nikki gets older if she decides she 
wants to contact him, I'll support her and help her any way I can. I've read quite a bit of 
research done on children raised by mothers that chose to go the route of artificial 
insemination, as well as adoptees of both open and closed adoptions, and I made my 
decision based on what I've read. Nick plans to legally adopt Nikki after our wedding."

Jennifer nodded her head. "Thank you. I just felt it important to know how much Nikki 
knows or understands about her environment." 

Arthur interjected at that point. "Speaking of Nick and Nikki, why don't we go up to 
introduce you?" 

Natalie offered Jennifer a drink, which she declined. Arthur carried Nikki's hot chocolate 
and his glass of blood wine, and Natalie carried two glasses of blood wine, one each for 
her and Nick. They took the stairs off the family room up to Nikki's bedroom, where 
Nick was sitting in a rocking chair reading to Nikki, who was cuddled on his lap, her dark 
curls resting against his shoulder. He had heard the other adults' approach, and had just 
finished up the chapter when they entered the room. He closed the book and put it on the 
small table next to the rocking chair, then kissed Nikki's cheek before putting her on her 
feet and standing up. 

Natalie entered first, walking over to Nick and handing him his blood wine. Nikki saw 
the steaming mug in Arthur's hand and smiled in anticipation. He walked over to her and 
offered the cup to her, cautioning her to be careful of the hot contents. She nodded and 
carefully took it in her small hands and made a show of blowing on it. 

Nick squatted down and whispered to her. She looked at him then at Arthur.

"Thank you!"

He grinned. "You're welcome. Would you like to meet my friend Jennifer?"

Nikki nodded, and Jennifer immediately dropped cross-legged to the floor.

"Hello, your name's Nikki, isn't it?" Nikki nodded. "I'm Jennifer. I hear your favorite 
movie is Beauty and the Beast. That's one of mine too."

Nikki broke into a huge grin. "Do you want to see my dress like Belle's? I'm going to 
wear it for Mommy and Daddy's wedding!" She carefully put her hot chocolate down on 
the floor, then ran to her closet to pull out her cherished dress. She brought it back and 
started happily chattering about her dress and the movie. 

Nick grinned and walked over to put his arm around Natalie's shoulders, taking a sip of 
his drink. 

Nikki grabbed Jennifer's hand and pulled her over to her play area and immediately 
started involving her visitor in a scenario with her Disney dolls from Beauty and the 
Beast. Jennifer proceeded to play the role of Mrs. Potts and Lumiere, much to Nikki's 
delight.

Nick leaned over and whispered in Natalie's ear. "I think this might just work out." He 
kissed her temple as she nodded and leaned into him.

Part 49

Three weeks later, Natalie called Sarah and Amy to talk about the wedding and to finalize 
their dresses. 

Sarah answered the phone. "Hello".

"Hey Sarah, it's Natalie. Did you get the dresses and the name of the woman to finish 
them up?"

"Hi, Nat. Yes, we did. We took them in yesterday, she says she'll need one more fitting 
and they should be done by late next week."

"Great. I just wanted to make sure. You should see the house, we've finally got 
everything put away. Nick got his furniture from Boston sent last week and it's really 
starting to feel like a home. Nikki is having a blast. Are you sure you guys don't want to 
stay here when you come down for the wedding? We've got tons of room."

"Actually, I was going to suggest that maybe Amy stay with you. She's been giving a lot 
of thought to your offer, and I think she's leaning toward doing it. Since the wedding is 
after her graduation, and you and Nick will be leaving on your honeymoon, we thought 
maybe if she stayed with Nikki for a few days, that might give her an idea of what to 
expect. Roy and I thought we could drive both cars and leave one of them with her until 
you get back from your honeymoon. How does that sound?"

"That's a great idea. But you don't have to give her the other car; we have two, and since 
we'll be out of town, there's no reason she can't use my car. Let me talk to Nick about it 
and see what he has to say."

"Sounds good. Amy's bummed that you won't be able to come to the graduation 
ceremony, but she understands that with everything going on with the new job and the 
wedding that you're swamped."

"Thanks so much for explaining it so that she understands! I'm sorry to miss it, but we 
actually thought we'd throw a little celebration here for her before the wedding."

"Nat, you don't need to do that, honestly. It's your wedding. We're there for you."

"I know, but the wedding is also a joining of our families, and Nick and I want to include 
you in that too. Please, let us just throw her a party."

"OK, if that's what you really want. I'm sure she'll be thrilled. I can't wait to meet all 
these family members of Nick's. For some reason I thought he was pretty alone in the 
world."

"Well, the truth of the matter is that when we were in Toronto, he wasn't getting along 
with his family at all. They've mended their fences since then, and it's been really good 
for us, especially Nikki. And I'm really happy things are going well. We'll see you when 
you get here. Call me if you need anything. My love to Amy, Roy and the boys."


Part 50

She hung up the phone, musing on the conversation and the turn of events that had 
occurred in the last ten years. Who would have thought that she would not only come to 
care for LaCroix, but that she would consider Janette a friend! She smiled as she went to 
get ready to meet with the representative from the de Brabant Foundation about the new 
research facility.

After she and Nick had finished all the details of the move into the new house, she had 
bent her efforts to finding a location suitable for the research facility.  Since they had 
moved to West Linn, she had started looking farther south. There was actually a very 
promising site in Norwood. A biotech company had gone out of business with the dot 
com downturn a few years ago, and they had built a state-of-the-art facility. It was fairly 
small, but Natalie's proposal for a research facility called for a very small, dedicated team 
working on blood-borne diseases including HIV and AIDS.  Nick had also told her that 
there were several vampire scientists that had been trying to unravel the mystery of the 
vampire for a few decades, and that she might be able to lure them to the facility. Her 
reputation for curing the fever in Toronto made her highly reputable in the vampire 
scientific community. He had been very supportive, letting her do all the work on the 
proposal, and offering his advice or suggestions only if she asked.  

Part 51

Mortals carried out most of the operations of the Foundation, but Nick had added a few 
vampires to the staff over the decades.  It had amazed her to find out about the different 
careers and interests of her new species. She had only had congress with Nick and his 
family, and hadn't realized that vampires were just as varied in their pursuits as humans, 
with the exception of requiring third shift hours if they held jobs down. She started 
thinking of the industries that had 24-hour or nighttime business, and it was interesting to 
find out that there were several vampires in Portland that ran an all-night diner, and that 
all the night staff were members of the Community. 

Now that Nick was "back in the fold" as it were, she was amazed to learn the high 
standing he had in the vampire political and social hierarchy. His age and affiliation with 
LaCroix and Janette made him a member of the upper echelons of vampire society.  He 
was still trying to determine what he wanted to do for an occupation in Portland. He had 
closed his small private investigation business in Boston, after referring his few cases to a 
colleague. He had only been there for two years, and hadn't formed any substantial ties. 
He had sold his condominium in Watertown for a nice profit, and she knew he felt no 
regrets about leaving. Nick Lambert was a man much different than Nick Knight. He was 
no longer an unhappy, unfulfilled man. He still had his principles, for which most 
vampires considered him odd. His reverence of mortal life, his choice to avoid human 
blood, the fact that he was marrying a woman in a permanent relationship all marked him 
as different from his kind, but for the first time since she had known him he was content. 
Although she had missed him terribly in the intervening years, she had formed a life for 
herself, and tried to give meaning to her life, for Nikki's sake if nothing else. Nick had 
just been existing. She now knew that he would have walked into the sun upon learning 
of her death, if it had been ten, twenty, or even fifty years. That thought sent a chill up 
her spine. She thanked God, the universe, the Fates and any other entities daily for the 
life that they now had. 


She gathered her notes, packed her laptop, and went to find Nick for this meeting. At first 
he had encouraged her to go to the meeting with the Operations Director alone, but she 
had talked him into coming with him. The Director didn't know that Nick Lambert was 
also the Chairman of the Foundation. He had received a letter from Mr. de Brabant 
asking him to meet with Dr. Knight and Mr. Lambert to discuss a new research facility in 
the US.  Mr. de Brabant was known to be an eccentric recluse, who took a hands-off 
approach to the running of the organization, and very few of even the board members had 
ever met him. 

Part 52

She found Nick tucking Nikki into bed. She walked over to the bed, where Nick was just 
finishing reading a story from the Blue Fairy Book. She leaned down and kissed Nikki on 
the forehead. Nick did the same.  "Good night, ma Petite."

"Bon nuit, Papa." She smiled.

Natalie stared at her. "Honey, how much French has Daddy taught you?"

"Bon nuit Maman." She giggled. Natalie smiled at her and shook her head. 

"Good night Sweetie." 

She and Nick walked out, closing the door behind them. Arthur was staying with her 
while they were gone. He was watching TV in the family room. He looked up as they 
descended the stairs.

"Is the