|
|
Not entirely unaffected by the little taste of Natalie Lambert he'd just had, LaCroix threw open the refrigerator door. He found a preferred vintage. It did the job, but lacked the vitality of the life he'd just sampled.
Natalie, pigtailed and rosy cheeked, on the
swings at the park. Trying out her first pair of roller skates, and
then trading those in a few years later for a pair of high heels. The high
school dance, her first kiss.
"Enough!" he yelled, throwing the bottle against
the wall, watching it shatter. Memories of Natalie are not aiding
me in what must be done, LaCroix thought.
............................................
Natalie was on edge, Nick noted. She
didn't seem able to sit still, now that they had arrived back at
the loft. LaCroix's visit, he guessed. He certainly knew how a visit
from LaCroix could ruin your whole century. On the other hand, LaCroix
had pretty much ignored Nick lately, or avoided him.
The phone rang, startling an already jumpy
Natalie. Nick answered it and spoke a while, then handed the phone
to Natalie with a wicked grin,
"It's for you. It's your boyfriend."
Natalie waved the phone away. "He wants to apologize."
She grabbed the phone, "Doctor Lambert, I just wished to tell you I
am sorry about this evening."
"OK, yeah, fine, that's great," Natalie tried
to dismiss him. "Doctor, what can I do but offer my sincerest apologies?"
"You can let Nick know why you are avoiding
him Your irrational anger and avoidance must stem from somewhere."
"I cannot tell him," LaCroix said stubbornly.
"Fine, then tell me. I'm certainly familiar
with Nick's moods and personality defects."
"Does he have any, Dr. Lambert?
I had come to believe you thought of him as perfect."
"This conversation is over, LaCroix, except
for one thought. It occurs to me you're a lot like a character I
saw in a movie once. Oh, I know the cinema is beneath you.
You prefer live theatre. But you haven't evolved with the times.
Instead of following your actors around in a traveling theatre as it were,
why not have hidden cameras installed so you can watch us day and night?"
"How would I get my exercise then, Dr. Lambert?"
The line went dead.
Natalie threw the phone at Nick.
"That man, that ...*thing* is the most infuriating
creature ever to set face on the earth!"
Nick smiled. He had felt that way many
times before. He looked serious now.
"Nat, I think I may have an explanation for
that." He patted the cushion beside him in invitation.
"Well?"
"I told you that LaCroix found you, that night
he saved you, but I didn't tell you *how* it was that he was able to find
you." He looked down.
"I'm not going to like it, am I?" Natalie said.
"No, you're not. But you have to know it was the
only way and even then it was almost too late..."
"OK, shoot."
"I had him drink your blood."
"Excuse me?"
"I went to the lab and got the bag you keep for
testing, and I-"
"So what does that mean, exactly?"
"It means he's savored your life, your memories,
your hopes and dreams. He knew you intimately, and now he feels a
link to you."
"A link... Why do I suddenly feel violated?"
she shivered. "I'm linked to LaCroix," she said flatly. It
sounded like a bad science fiction novel.
"Yes, well lucky for you, it doesn't run both
ways."
"Nick, how come you didn't-"
"Because, I've only had cow blood for so long,
I'd have to drink a lot more than one bag, to do any good. I'm not
exactly in top vampire form. But LaCroix was."
"He felt, he sensed me, he knew I was in pain,"
she said.
"Yes," said Nick. "That's how he found you."
"And how long will this link last?"
"Forever."
Suddenly she felt very, very tired.
"Nat, I'm sorry, if there had been any other
way-"
"It's okay, Nick. He saved my life."
But she didn't look him in the eyes. She left.
Nick paced in the apartment. LaCroix
had a link to Natalie, a bond that he would never have. How could
he have done this? And how could he have not? He would have
it too, he decided.
A quick trip to the recently vacated lab,
where Natalie had placed a new bag of her blood and he was back home. Just
a glassful, he convinced himself, pouring the rich dark liquid into a goblet.
The glass touched his lips as LaCroix entered, without knocking.
As though dealing with an alcoholic LaCroix
said, "You don't really want to do that, do you?" It was more of
a statement than a question.
"Actually, LaCroix, yes I do," Nick answered.
"I want Natalie in my life. Now and always. I need her."
"I, I, I. My, my, my, and what does
the good doctor want?"
"Answers!" Nick slammed down the goblet in
frustration, nearly shattering it. "Answers I can't give her, because
I don't understand the questions."
LaCroix looked longingly at the dark drops
on the countertop as his son ranted on. "That's why I need this.
If I can feel her emotions, her experience, her life, maybe I'll know what
to say or do to make it up to her."
"You do not know, Nicholas. You haven't had
the experience of it, and I was hardly in a position to deny you, knowing
how you feel about the Doctor. But one drink can have life altering
consequences. One taste of a mortals soul and that person miraculously
is healed or left alive- and you would find it indescribably hard to stay
away. You would hunger for it, burn for it night and day."
Seeing his words were having the desired effect, LaCroix went in for the
kill.
"Besides, do you really want to
know what your victims feel right before they die? How she felt as
she was brought to the brink of death?"
LaCroix watched the array of emotions play
across his sons face. Sorrow, regret, anger, intense jealousy.
Fear and concern, first for Natalie and then for him. Anger was far
easiest to deal with, safer, so he proceeded.
"This glass," LaCroix cradled it in
his palm, "will do you infinitely more harm than good, and one suicidal
moment a century from you is about all I can stomach." In a second, he
had consumed it all. It worked. The rage was almost a physical
entity.
"Ah, Nicholas- I think I know what you see
in her. Delicious. Your obsession is understandable."
"You stay away from her, LaCroix. Stay
away or you will come to regret it."
"A threat, Nicholas? Please.."
LaCroix left. He hadn't told Nicholas
the half of it. Nicholas saw to it that their paths hadn't crossed
for the next several weeks and tried to keep Natalie away as well.
But their paths did cross- again and again. Mostly because LaCroix desired it.
He was there when she went to visit Owens in prison,
eavesdropping on the conversation.
"William, I'm testifying against him at the
end of this month. It's finally over."
"Natalie, I am eternally grateful. Susannah's
death has been avenged, or it will be as soon as he gets here, and I can
be happy."
"Even as a vampire?" she'd asked.
"No, as soon as I take care of Mcwhirter,
I will be leaving. I'm long overdue for a reunion."
"Susannah?"
"Yeah, I miss her, Natalie. I'm just afraid
I wont be able to find someone to help me. There doesn't seem to
be a sympathizer for death assistance, as there are for mortals.
I would need someone without sentiment or morals."
"I think I know someone," she'd said.
The realization that she thought of him, sent fresh daggers to his heart.
"Natalie, thank you again. If Susannah wasn't waiting,
I'd be tempted to stay with you. You're quite a woman, you know."
"So I've been told..."
LaCroix searched her mind and heart. Incredible.
She'd have done it again, even knowing the outcome. Nicholas,
he reminded himself. Remember your son loves her. It is only
the blood, the link.
Then there had been the night when she had
come to see him.
"Doctor Lambert, come in."
He invited her into the soundbooth.
He lowered the volume of the music pulsing through the small room.
The song playing- Chained to You - was just background noise now.
"I just needed to speak with you for a moment,"
she said nervously. "I know I'm not exactly your favorite person.."
She knew about the link. The realization
hit him. She was very nervous. Time to put her fears to rest. He
would assure her nothing had changed.
"So, tell me, Doctor. Does the
future seem brighter? Are you making progress with my son, the guinea
pig? Half man/ half vampire is still half a vampire, you know."
Knowing her thoughts, he pushed further.
"You know, I really think the name 'Nat' suits
you. A gnat is just about the most annoying little insect.
Insignificant, harmless, but bothersome."
"Do I bother you, LaCroix?" Nat asked getting
upset. This wasn't going like she'd planned at all. Maybe she'd
better go....
"Do you think you're the first mortal Nicholas
has agonized over making a meal out of or bringing across? Do you
think you're *special*, Natalie?"
Natalie sighed, controlling the tirade she had inside,
threatening to spill out. "These are for you," she said, dropping the tickets
in front of him. "I thought it might be good for you to get
out a bit and hopefully reconcile with Nick. Most of the company
will be
mortal, but maybe the two of you could... Look, I am sorry. I
feel this whole thing is my fault. If I hadn't been so determined to catch
Mc Whirter..."
"Doctor, you trouble yourself unnecessarily.
Nicholas and I will reunite on our own terms. But I thank
you."
She nodded and left. The tears that threatened
to spill, she wiped away with the back of her hand.
"Here," a voice said. A hand offered her a
handkerchief. JV was the monogram.
"Thanks, Vachon."
"Don't let him get to you, Doc," he said.
"Too late," she smiled.
"He's two thousand years old. He had his kids
way too late in life. He's old, worn out and grouchy." He took her arm.
"Now, let's see what can we do to cheer you up. As I recall you are a pretty
hot dancer, shall we?"
Natalie accepted. 'Chained to
You ' played louder still. Ice-blue eyes never left her for a second.
End of Chapter 10.
Back to Part Nine! / Onto Part Eleven!
