Date: Sun, 13 Feb 1994 01:13:06 -0500 From: Brian Gerstel Subject: Short Valentine's Day Fluff I don't know why, but somehow I couldn't let Valentine's Day go by without paying homage to our favorite non-couple. *Please* be merciful; this is my first fanfic of *any* kind, and the first story I've written in more than a year. It's untitled, unrehearsed, and possibly incoherent (as you might guess from the time I'm posting it), but I figured, what the hell. I'm also working on a longer work, tenatively titled "No Greater Love," which should be ready before the snow melts. Brian Gerstel gerstel@underground.irhe.upenn.edu ******* "So, Nick, how about a movie marathon at your place?" Detective Nick Knight turned around at the oh-so-casual voice and stared at his friend, Natalie Lambert. "Nat, when were you planning on sleeping? Or letting me sleep, for that matter?" Nat was immediately ready with a reply. "Nick, I've got a day off due, and I'm sure you haven't taken a day off in months. It's time we both had a chance to relax." "Nat, I don't have time-" "Nick, don't give me that; you've just solved three very tough cases, including that Abelson case, which I know took three stake-outs, five hours of questioning witnesses...and do I detect the aroma of Toronto's sewers on your jacket?" "Mr. Abelson decided to play hide-and-seek." Nick sighed; Nat was being strangely stubborn over what seemed like such a little thing. "Okay, Nat, I'll grant you that I could use a rest. But why now? Why not Wednesday, after I've got all the reports written, and my testimony videotaped..." Nat swallowed, looked at her feet for a moment, then looked right at Nick and said, "Because this year I don't really think I can take working on Valentine's Day. Or spending the day sitting at home alone." Nick just looked back at her. Nat often wore a hard, no-nonsense attitude; it went with her scientific approach to problems and the chilly atmosphere at her job. But he'd known her long enough to realize how hard things had been on her lately...and try as he could, he couldn't deny her anything when she looked at him like that. "All right, I give -- I'll go pick up some movies, you get yourself some food and meet me at my place in half an hour." Suddenly, he grinned. "And don't be late or I'll start _Robin Hood_ without you!" Traditional and appropriate as it seemed, Nick felt he had taken a big chance selecting movies with an obviously romantic theme -- but it seemed to be exactly what Nat was hoping for. She cheered for Errol Flynn's _Robin Hood_, shed a few tears during _Creator_, and then laughed herself silly during _When Harry Met Sally_. Since he was also enjoying himself immensely, (and because he found himself reluctant to let Nat leave) he fought off his fatigue, announced he had one more tape to show, and dug out something that he had recently bought for himself: _Untamed Heart_. Nat was affected by it as strongly as he had been; she went through half a box of Kleenex and half an hour of swearing that this was the movie Marisa Tomei should have won an Oscar for. And then she turned to Nick. "Nick, thank you. That was one of the best romantic movie marathons in the history of Valentine's Day. And to think about the way I talked to you when we watched _King Kong_..." "Oh, don't be silly, Nat. Just because I don't cry when a hundred-foot monkey dies --" She made a face of mock outrage at him. "Don't get me started on that again. Besides, I've seen you watching _Dracula_ a few times, and they're essentially the same story." "WHAT???" Somehow, this idea seemed totally outlandish to Nick. How could a silly giant bumbling baboon have anything to do with fiendish creature of the night, like, like -- like LaCroix, he hastily thought. "Of course. It all goes back to what they said at the end of _King Kong_ -- it's Beauty and the Beast. The monster who is destroyed by his love for a woman." Nick, stunned, started to think about that...and immediately decided it was time to change the subject. "Nat, it's almost four o' clock. We both need to get some sleep." Nat clearly wasn't expecting that, but tired as she was, she was in no condition to argue. Nick hustled her out the door, and settled down to a very troubled slumber. Nat was out the door and on her way home before she realized what she had said...and what Nick had *not* said. "Oh, Nick," she whispered, looking back at his window. And, strangely, she felt the tears coming to her eyes again.