Date:         Sun, 7 Jan 1996 22:11:25 -0600 
From: Julie Randolph <randolph@TENET.EDU> 
Subject:      Lost in Time 
 
 
**Okay, another experimental thing here, let's turn the tables shall we? It 
always seems to me that Natalie really is more of a protector to Nick that he 
is to her, yes?  What if he was going to die?  Hmmmm...** 
 
JCR 
 


 His face was ashen white, the large stake protruding through his rigcage, his 
breathing becoming more and more shallow as the night progressed.  Where in 
the Hell was LaCroix.  You'd think the one time she actually asked him to come 
and see her, he would, but he was no where in sight and Nick was fading 
rapidly.  She had not the strength necessary to pull that wood out of his 
chest, she had tried, believe me, she had tried with every ounce of love 
inside her and it wasn't enough, she had to have LaCroix, or Nick was going to 
die, right here, right now.  Would that she could somehow spare him this pain, 
she would have by now, but there was no release for him from the agony that 
continued to wrack his body in waves.

 Natalie looked once again out the window and saw only the darness of the 
night.  Nick lay on her bed after appearing on her doorstep.  He had thrown a 
coat over himself, but when she removed it, she could see very plainly the 
cause of his pain.  She'd pulled on it for perhaps half an hour before 
realizing it wasn't coming out, one had to have super human strength to save 
the life of another immortal, and the onl y person she knew within reach was 
Lucien LaCroix.  Natalie wasn't quite sure what had happened, Nick had become 
feverish, his eyes glazing over with the pain, mumbling incoherent words as he 
thrashed from side to side, begging to some unseen form to let him die.  Nat's 
heart was torn out when she heard those words, but as she looked upon him, his 
face slowly turning to the gray of death, his lips chapped, his breathing 
hollow, she knew that if she had a choice right now, she would let him go.  
That was what love was all about wasn't it?  To give that which is the very 
best for the person you love, and not that which is less painful for you.  If 
he died here tonight, she might never recover, she might, in fact, never see 
another man without thinking of his sparkling eyes, but what other alternative 
did she have?  She loved him, and if that meant giveing him rest from this 
pain that so overwhelmed him, that is what she would do, without hesitation.  
It didn't really seem fair, did it?  He was supposed to be immortal, and yet 
now he was going to leave her alone in this world without him.  How could that 
possibly be fair?  Certainly she had known that Nick would never make her 
whathe was, he could not condemn him to that darkness, but she had always felt 
sure that she would follow him anywhere, no matter where he might choose to go 
when he left, she would be at his side, if that was what he wanted, and even 
as gray began to show in her hair, and wrinkles formed on her skin, she knew 
he would love her, eternally, and somehow, knowing that she would remian in 
his memory, no matter what else happened, satisfied her as nothing else 
possibly could.  And now that life was to be ripped away by fate, and strange 
luck.  She didn't have the entire story, for when he had first come here he 
had been coherent enough to tell her through gasps of pain parts of the story.  
They were searching a warehouse, he and Tracy.  He went up a flight of stairs 
after a perp, got knocked down and fell on this piece of wood, and it pierced 
his heart as easily as if it had been put there by a person.  Tracy had 
screamed and run in terror, thinking him dead and he had found that coat, 
thrown it over the wound and come here.  By the time he arrived, he was 
already beginning to lose sight of everything, his eyes were glazing over with 
that look of death Nat had seen so many times before.  No, no...it couldn't 
end this way, he couldn't die on her,  not now, not like this, it wasn't time, 
they had too many things that eeded to be said...too many things that needed 
to be felt before he left her, or she left him.  Nick gasped and she was 
instantly at his side.  He looked up at her, love glimmering in his eyes as it 
always had.  his hand grew lipm, his eyes glazed over one last time and 
Natalie knew he was gone.

 LaCroix chose that moment to appear and Nat was sure she could have killed 
the old vampire hadhe let her get close enough.  he took one look at Nick and 
put a booted foot up against his chest, pulling the wood out and tossing it to 
one side.  His face looked frenzied as he worked over his son.  He slit his 
wrist, puttin git to Nicks mouth and waited, never speaking, his face tight 
and pale with fear.

 "Drink damn it."

 Nick coughed, swallowed several mouthfuls of blood and LaCroix actually 
sighed.  He looked over at Natalie, "I came as fast as I could."

 Nat was somewhere between thankful and angry, "You were almost too late."

 LaCroix handed her a bottle,"He'll need this every hour for a while until he 
has enough strength to drink on his own."

 She took it, tears were streaming down her face, all of her energy was wasted 
and LaCroix looked at her with compassion. "He's going to be okay, Dr. 
Lambert."

 Natalie looked up at LaCroix and said something she never though possible, 
"Thank you."

 He simply nodded, and then he was gone.

 Nat went immediatley to Nick's side.  He gagged and she gently put a glass to 
his lips, hour by hour, day by day, until he could stand on his own.  Natalie 
had not slept in clost to 72 hours, her eyes were heavy, but she was not 
leaving his side until he regained conciousness.  She was not...

 A hand touched her head, caressing and she bolted awake, their eyes met and 
she smiled with happiness as one again the look of love washed over her.

 "Don't ever do that to me again."

 His voic was a bit hoarse, but she heard him perfectly, "Well...having a 
boyfriend who's a cop can be a real hassel."  He laughed and sighing with 
relief and hope, Natalie laughed too.
 
***************************************************************** 
all response, flames, oreos, letters of recommendation, definitions of "irony" 
and/or Geriant Wyn Davies home address to 
randolph@tenet.edu 
 
 
"I do hope this wave of altruism passes quickly, it's 
quite...distressing."--LaCroix, Night In Question 
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