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Permission to archive at fanfic, ftp, Lisa, all others to whom I’ve
given
prior permission, and to whomever asks.
A N&N story--a special exception for a special listee. Not
my usual fare,
but thank you for getting me to write it. All the best, KC!
September 2001
She was in a wide, light space, faced with two doors. The last
thing she
remembered was Nick starting to drink from her--then she came to this
place.
She turned her head as a woman stepped up beside her.
"Natalie Lambert," the ethereal lady said, "Choose."
The mysterious woman pointed at each of the two doors in turn.
"That one
leads to your family and your best friend." Natalie heard Lora
calling to
her indistinctly. "And that one leads back to the world you were
in. But
things will change if you go back."
Natalie stood, undecided. "Lora?" asked the coroner, drifting
to the
brighter door. "Is it really you?"
"Of course it is, silly," responded Natalie’s late best friend in a
playful
tone she hadn’t used in three years.
"Lora!" Natalie yelled, rushing over and peering in the door.
"I’m so
happy!"
Suddenly she paused, hearing a faint moaning from the other door.
"Nat...
Nat."
"Nick?" she asked, turning her head sharply.
"Natalie... I’m so sorry. I’m sorry, Natalie! I’ve treated
you abominably.
Please forgive me, Nat! Oh, God, forgive me!" The
man’s voice was
getting fainter.
Natalie rushed over, then stood poised between the doors. "Lora?"
Lora grinned brightly at her. "Go on. Let him be your new
best friend.
I’m having fun here! I’ll see you in a few long decades.
Go, Nat! Don’t
give up on love when it gets a little rough!"
Natalie looked one last time at her old friend, then stepped through
the
doorway to Nick.
She woke up lying on the floor, with the blood of a staked Nick Knight
draining into her mouth. "Ugh!" she shuddered, sputtering the
salty
substance onto the floor.
She looked up at the body lying over her, weak, but still alive.
"Nick?
Oh, my God, let me get that stick out of you. What were you thinking?"
she
accused him, tugging it with all of her strength. It wouldn’t
budge.
_Please, Lora, help me_, she thought, feeling a bit like King Arthur
pulling
the sword out of the stone. Finally, it gave, coming out with
a sickening
squelch.
"Nick, are you okay," she asked rhetorically, automatically feeling
for a
pulse. She started fiercely when she found one--weak, but steady.
"Nick,
I’m gonna call an ambulance. You just hang on."
She gave directions to the loft, then ran back to cradle Nick in her arms.
His gentle blue eyes opened slightly. "Natalie, I’m so sorry.
I didn’t
appreciate you near enough until I thought I would lose you.
Nat, I’m
sorry!"
Natalie smiled softly at him through the tears coating her eyes.
"Nick, I
know it was rough, but it was all necessary." She hugged him
even tighter
to herself. "You’re mortal."
Nick smiled back. "Then we have forever."
* * * * * * * *
piccolo_kathy@hotmail.com
