Subject: One Man, One Heart (1/1) Date: Tue, 30 Sep 2003 07:12:45 -0700 From: April French To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU One Man, One Heart--a Forever Knight story By April French Author's Note: What if Nick hadn't erased Natalie's memory after L'Azure? Note: this is not an adult story, though it could easily springboard into one. The song is "One Man, One Heart," by Kansas; this is another 'un that I've never heard, but the lyrics are divine. This story is for KC Smith's birthday. Happy Birthday, KC! You get to archive and no one else does! ~~~ One Man, One Heart (1/1) Holding her tightly, Nick flew out of the wreckage of L'Azure. Opening the French doors leading to Natalie's living room, he entered her apartment and carried her inside, laying her down gently on her bed. Her gaze was slack and vacant, thanks to the sedatives LaCroix had put into her champagne, Nick was certain; not even LaCroix would have been able to hypnotize so strong a resistor as Natalie otherwise. He applied a little mental pressure to her vulnerable mind, and made her sleep. Natalie's eyes closed. He stroked her curly hair gently, debating what he should do next. He had said some... terrible things tonight. And she would remember then when she fully awoke. No matter that he had said whatever was necessary to save her life... she would be too hurt to understand that. <> But he could take all that hurt away. Make her forget everything, the entire disastrous Valentine's Day. Nick pressed a tender kiss to Natalie's forehead. This is my beginning Tomorrow holds my hand Yesterday is dead and gone Buried in the sand "No," he murmured, holding her limp, warm hand tightly. "Not again." His thoughts flitted to his poor sister and then shied away. "I won't do that this time." If he could not make her forget, then he would make her understand. "I couldn't let him hurt you, Nat. I would've said anything to make him let you go." He held her hand and stayed by her bedside all the rest of that night, getting up only once, to draw the curtains in the bedroom and living room against the morning sun. He was not going home, not until she woke up. She was exhausted and frightened, and had been drugged and whammied; she'd be asleep for a while yet. Nick had some bone-deep fatigue of his own, now that the adrenaline had worn off. Briefly, he debated going and passing out on the couch, but he was not about to leave Natalie. He took off his shoes and his jacket, eased himself onto the bed, and pulled Natalie into his arms. Laying his cheek on the crown of her head, Nick fell asleep. *** Natalie's eyes snapped open, freeing her from the nameless fear that had gripped her in her sleep. She tried to sit up. "Easy, Nat," Nick murmured, shifting. "Nick? What..." Natalie compressed her lips into a thin line. "What do you want, Nick?" "I wanted to make sure you were all right," replied Nick evenly. He had expected this. "Well, as you can see, I'm fine, so if you don't mind..." "Natalie, we need to talk." "I don't think so." Natalie swung her legs over the side of the bed, but she still felt a bit too shaky to rise. She contented herself with not looking at Nick. "You said everything that was needed to LaCroix last night. I heard you." Her voice was colored with anger and embarrassment. "I don't like being used, Nick." "I haven't been using you, Nat." He lifted himself up on one elbow. "You can't let yourself think that." This time, Natalie did stand. And she did turn around, with her arms crossed over her chest. "Then what am I supposed to think?" Nick drank in the sight of her. The vision stands before me And now there's nothing else "That I love you," he said simply. "That's not what you told LaCroix," she shot back. "I heard you, Nick. You told him that you were just using me to find a cure, and if I was in love with you, well, so much the better to humor me." "You know me better than that!" "Do I?" "He was going to kill you, Natalie! I would have told him anything to keep you safe." Natalie stared at him, wanting to believe but still doubtful. "Why?" So close your eyes and realize The way I see myself "I told you, Nat. I love you." One man, one heart Standing in the flame Can you hear my voice tonight? I'm calling out I'm calling out your name Nick bounded up from the bed and took her hands in his. "Everything that happened at L'Azure last night is my fault. I had no right to fall in love with you and expose you to my master, but I did." He kissed her hands. "And I'm not going to apologize for that." You've broken my defenses And opened up my soul The love I tried to keep inside I cannot control "Everything I said, I said to save you from him." Her lovely blue eyes looked at him accusingly. "What if you hadn't been able to call his bluff?" she insisted. "He told you to bring me across. Were you prepared to do that?" Nick told her the truth. "No." "Not even to save my life." He caressed her knuckles with the pad of his thumb. "My love, I was tricked into this life. At the time, I accepted it without regret or remorse, but I was never truly given the opportunity to choose, not consciously. I wasn't going to bring you into my world on his terms." So let the wind be silent The ocean turn to sand "But if it was on my terms?" Impatient as she was, she let him take his time answering that one. He hugged her close, and whispered into her ear in his low, deep voice. "If you had thought about it long and hard, if you understood all the risks involved, if you had prepared yourself for the change and still wanted to be brought across... then yes, Natalie, if it had been on your terms, then last night, I would have brought you across." He pulled back, and Natalie saw that his eyes were brimming thickly with unshed red tears. "Gladly. In the best way I know how. I don't love you because you're mortal, Nat. I love you because you're you. Nothing simpler." He brushed his fingertips lightly over her cheekbones, much as he had a few nights before, when they had shared their first real kiss. Natalie let them trail over her lips. "The best way you know how, eh?" she repeated huskily. "How's that?" Nick kissed her. "After a long, glorious night of lovemaking," he rumbled possessively, plucking at the collar of her blouse. Then his eyes dimmed back to blue. "But if that was what you wanted--if it was to be done right--we'd both need time to prepare." "So, you're just gonna dangle that in front of my face?" Natalie pouted. And let your body dream of me And see me as I am "You'll have some pleasant dreams, then." He rested his forehead on hers. Natalie closed her eyes and leaned against him, letting her fear drain away. One man, one heart Standing in the flame Can you hear my voice tonight? I'm calling out your name "Are you sure you're all right, Nat?" "I'm fine. I promise." She touched his chest and looked up at him, questioning. "What about you?" One man, one heart Reaching for the light If I can hold on I'll come through the dark Nick smiled. ~Finis--September 28th, 2003~ April French daomir_darkfell@yahoo.com ===== ~Knightwalker: Forever Knight Fan Fiction -- http://www.geocities.com/runeshard/fkficindex.html ~The Corvina: Original Fiction, Poetry and Fan Fiction -- http://www.geocities.com/runeshard/index.html "The Devil and I had a chat this morning..." -- Charles Baudelaire __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? The New Yahoo! Shopping - with improved product search http://shopping.yahoo.com