Date: Mon, 28 Jul 1997 21:07:29 -0400 Reply-To: Cheryle J Corpus From: Cheryle J Corpus Subject: That's What Love is For (1/1) To: FKFIC-L@psuvm.psu.edu This piece is lovingly dedicated to Soulseeker for her wedding. I hope that your special day is filled with laughter, music, but above all, lots of love. Disclaimers listed at the end. ----------------------- That's What Love is For By Cj (c) 1997 ----------------------- "No! You just don't *want* to understand, Nick. But I understand now, completely. We're history." Natalie furiously continued. "Wait, I take that back. *I'm* the history that you'll be reading or debating about, with someone *else* in the future." Natalie stormed away from their table, a shroud of anger and frustration flowing behind her. Her harsh words were overheard by all in the restaurant. Eyes followed the exiting fiery figure dressed in a midnight blue satin gown, tears streaming from her eyes. "Natalie," Nick called after her, knowing that she wouldn't come back. He was just as angry and frustrated as Natalie was, but centuries of practice made it automatic for him to quell that anger, lest some mortal inadvertently suffer injury from his temper. Her words struck deep. Nick's heart froze as he knew the reason why. She had spoken the truth. Their dinner had started out wonderfully. He wanted to celebrate Valentine's Day. Nick took a glance backwards as he paid the maitre'd for the meal and "extras". The food, the setting, everything was perfect, even down to the lovely bouquet of fire and ice roses that adorned the table, matching the one that Nick had pinned on Natalie's beautiful gown. He reached into his pocket and felt the cool ring of metal with the diamond solitaire. His sensitive fingers rubbed over the simple engraving he had requested to be put on the inside of the band. "Nicholas and Natalie, Forever." This was the night he had planned to ask her to marry him. He left the restaurant, unable the bear the gazes from the other diners. **Sometimes we make it harder that it is. **We'll take a perfect night **And fill it up with words we don't mean **Dark sides best unseen. **And we wonder why we're feeling this way. Natalie slipped into her favorite pair of flannel pajamas and lay on her bed, her face buried in a pillow. The dress had been stunning, and she loved the feel of the satin. As usual, it had been Nick's past that had been the focus of the discussion. But the discussion of Nick's past quickly became a discussion of their future, together. Natalie sighed and rolled onto her back to stare at the ceiling. It had been an innocent enough question on her part. She had wanted to know what had really happened the *last* Valentine's Day that they had spent together. She usually had pleasant memories of that night, but other times, she would feel sheer terror while trying to recall the actual events. She always wondered why he always pulled out his bag of evasive tactics whenever she brought the subject up. It seemed like the perfect time to bring up their *past* while discussing their future. Tears welled up in her eyes as she recalled that he had used no evasive tactic tonight. He had told her the truth about that night. Including how he was forced to deny his love for her. Including how he had violated her trust, and her love, that night. She sobbed. Sidney sensed his owner's mood and joined her on the bed. He nuzzled her face, trying to dry the tears that would not stop flowing from her eyes. Natalie fell asleep to Sidney's soft nudges, taking comfort in the one good thing that came from the disastrous dinner. Nick now knew that she loved him. But she also knew that he loved her. The words had been said, and no one could take that away from them. But, deep in their hearts, they wondered if it would be enough. So many hurtful things had been said and done between the two of them in the years they had known each other. **Sometimes I wonder, if we really feel the same. **Why we can be unkind, **Questioning the strongest of hearts. Natalie groggily awoke to the sounds of someone singing. Sidney had swatted at her clock again, setting it to "radio" instead of "alarm". She was about the smack the clock into silence when Sidney hissed at her and a beautiful voice rang out. The words burned into her memory. Normally, Nick did not need to set his alarm to awaken him, but he thought he would not be able to drag himself out of bed after the night before. And he sat up suddenly, as the words infiltrated the coldness that his heart had frozen into. **That's when we must start **Believing in the one thing **that has gotten us this far. **That's what love is for. **To help us through it. **That's what love is for. **Nothing else can do it. **Melt our defenses, **Bring us back to our senses, **Give us strength to try once more. **Baby that's what love is for. Suddenly the song stopped. A few seconds later, the radio announcer blared out, "Sorry folks, but the station seems to be experiencing some technical difficulties. That was Amy Grant with _That's What Love is For_. Now for a station break as we look to see where the problem lies." Nick's eyes were filled with blood tears as the words worked their magic on him. It was a Monday and he had to report in for his shift. He knew that Natalie would be working as well. He showered and dressed, eager to get on with the night. He hoped that he would have a chance to see her. To tell her about the incredible song he had heard. It was almost a decade ago, he remembered when he first heard Amy sing, she had such a talent for Gospel music and he was glad that her style had matured as well as expanded in genre. He left the loft, humming the melody of the song under his breath. Natalie likewise got ready for her shift. She made sure that before she left, Sidney got an extra helping of her tuna casserole and an extra dish of milk. Leaving Sidney to his feast, Natalie left. When Nick arrived at the station, he found that there was only paperwork that needed to be done. Noticing that a couple of reports needed the coroner's signature, he hastily excused himself to Tracy and made his way to the morgue. He held the reports in one hand and with his other hand, he confirmed that the ring was still in his pocket. He took a calming breath before he entered the lobby of the morgue. He made his way to the back, where he and Natalie had spent countless nights, working on his cure. Reaching his destination, he paused for a moment. He watched her through the observation window, she did not see him on the other side as she worked on her latest "patient." He suppressed a shudder as he remembered the first time they had met. Such simple gestures that she was capable of, her hand on his cheek, feeling how cold he was. Her eyes filled with such curiosity. Everything had screamed at him to get away from her, knowing that he would hurt her. But her hand, soft and warm. Her eyes that met his, forced him to remain still. Which he did, her eyes expressed so much, they told *him* to not be afraid. Only now did he realize what she was telling him not to be afraid *of*. **Sometimes I see you **And you don't know I am there, **And I'm washed away **Be emotions I hold deep down inside, **Getting stronger with time. **It's living through the fire and holding on we find: Nick couldn't believe what he was hearing. Natalie was humming something as she worked. He listened closer and dropped the reports he had carried. She looked up at him through the window eyes full of tears, but she didn't stop. Instead, she motioned for him to enter. He crossed over to where she stood and embraced her. He held her close, her tears wetting the front of his shirt. "You heard it too?" Natalie asked, already knowing the answer in her heart. He kissed the top of her forehead and nodded. He pulled back to look into the depths of her eyes and softly repeated Amy's words: "**That's what love is for. **To help us through it. **That's what love is for. **Nothing else can do it. **Melt our defenses, **Bring us back to out senses, **Give us strength to try once more. **Baby that's what love is for." He kissed her. To her surprise, instead of her lips trying to warm his, his kiss was filled with the warmth of his love. It touched her heart in a way she didn't think possible. This was *her* Nick that held her so close. The terror of nearly losing what they had made her sob, her knees weakening, but he held her tighter, his strong arms keeping her standing. **Believing in the one thing **that has gotten us this far. **That's what love is for. **To help us through it. **That's what love is for, **Nothing else can do it **Round off the edges, **Talk us down from the ledges, **Baby that's what love is for. "Natalie," Nick whispered against her lips. She was breathless unable to respond for a few seconds. She opened her eyes and drowned in the blue of his. "Nick, I... " she started to say, then continued, "I'm sorry for what I said there. In the restaurant. But..." Her eyes glistened with more unshed tears. She turned around in his arms, thinking that he would release her. But his arms remained wrapped around her, keeping her close to him. Nick took a deep breath and Natalie's scent, strong now that he held her close, and no hint of the vampire surfaced. "Natalie, you meant every word you said," Nick softly said into her ear. He began nuzzling her neck, testing his limits. Still no sign of the vampire. He paused in wonder at the effect her closeness had on him. He trailed gentle kisses down her jawline, his hand caressing the other side of her neck. Natalie was completely relaxed, to his surprise. "I did," Natalie sighed. Enjoying the moment while it lasted, knowing that it could end all too soon. She trusted him not to hurt her physically right now, but she knew that he could wound deeper than any flesh wound could, with his words. Nick was aware that his next words would have to be chosen with great care. "Natalie, you meant every word. But I would like you to know that we *are* history. Our love is..." He paused, searching for the correct words. "What we have is not just special. And it isn't like the American expression that a love like ours 'Happens once in a blue moon.' And it isn't because you are mortal and that I'm a vampire that our love is unique. Our love will exist, regardless of what my 'Community' thinks. Regardless of how many *obstacles* we encounter. Natalie, our love is timeless." The tears now flowed freely from his eyes as well. He released her and reached into his pocket. He pulled out the ring and kneeled in front of her. "Natalie Lambert, will you marry me?" Nick had never, in all of his immortal life, felt as vulnerable as he did at that moment. Even the times when he was caught out in the sunlight, without adequate protection, did not compare to the fear he felt now. "Yes," she barely whispered the word, such that any mortal would not have been able to hear it. He kissed her finger before sliding the ring on. After it was on, he stood up and twined his hand with hers, kissing her finger again. It was fitting that the place where their relationship had started was once again the place for new beginnings and that they had found what few couples could find. They walked out of the morgue. To all outsiders' eyes, they were in love without a care in the world, humming a tune whose significance was only known to them. **That's what love is for. **To help us through it. **That's what love is for, **Nothing else can do it **Melt our defenses, **Bring us back to our senses, **Baby that's what love is for. [End of "That's What Love is For" (1/1)] Disclaimers: The characters belong to TPTB. I was only borrowing them for a while. The song _That's What Love is For_ is from Amy Grant's hit album, "Heart in Motion." The words and music by Mark Mueller, Michael Omartian, and Amy Grant. Thanks to my IRC buddies (you know who you are =) ) for their input and help!