Lambert Residence, Mauvaise Chance, Early Wednesday Morning
Natalie felt his presence even before she entered the basement apartment. As she entered, she saw him standing by the kitchen bar, features tight with worry.
"Nat, we need to talk."
Setting her jaw, she dropped her keys onto the entry table. As she moved past him into the kitchen, she could feel his eyes on her. "I'm not sure I'm ready to talk about this yet." Somehow, she managed to keep her voice calm, considering the undercurrent of conflicting emotions so close to the surface. There was anger and disappointment, intermingled with deep affection and desire; it was difficult to tell where one stopped and the next began.
"I want to explain."
Natalie withdrew a bottle from the refrigerator and filled a glass, then placed the bottle on the marble countertop with a clunk. "I told you, I don't want to discuss this right now." She cut him a glare, then attempted to push past him.
Nick grabbed her upper arm. Whirling on him, her eyes flared yellow. He flinched but didn't let go. "Nat -- please."
She pulled her arm free. "It's a little late for explanations, Nick. About nine years too late." Moving toward the living room, Nat paused and turned back to him. "Did you think I wouldn't remember? Were you hoping I wouldn't?"
"Honestly?" She nodded, answering his question. "Then yes," he replied, "I was hoping you wouldn't remember."
Nat felt her temper flare once again, though it didn't quite reach her eyes this time. Her hands balled to fists at her sides as she reined herself in. "You didn't think it was just a little important that I know he brought me across? That wasn't part of our arrangement, Nick. I think I would rather have died on the floor that night than be here now, if that's what it took."
"A lot happened that night, Nat. I was hoping you wouldn't remember because I didn't want you to remember that I failed, that I couldn't bring you across." His lips thinned, eyes narrowing in pain. Natalie could feel the memories of that night churning through them both: His fangs sunk deep into her skin; the warmth of her blood coursing through him; the burning pain of the stake, embedded just to the side of his heart. With them, they dragged other, much older, memories. All tasted bitter, swirling with regret.
She frowned. "What are these images I'm seeing? LaCroix...and a mortal?" Across from her, his face tightened. "Why don't you tell me the whole story?"
Nick pursed his lips, lowering himself into the overstuffed chair and running his hands through sandy blond hair. "The girl -- the mortal -- was my sister, Fleur."
"How did he -- ?"
"It was my fault, actually. I insisted on going home, saying good by to she and my mother before I would set off with Janette and LaCroix. So...they came with me.
"Strangely enough, the attraction seemed mutual. But then, you can only recognize good if you've seen evil; they seemed to be opposite sides of the same coin."
"So where is she now?"
"Buried in Brabant." A sad smile touched his lips. "She died a long time ago."
Other images flashed across Nat's mind. "You stopped him." She looked up at him, realization in her eyes. "You kept him from bringing her across."
Nick nodded. "And for that, he demanded retribution: Were I ever to fall in love with a mortal, he would kill me or deprive me of her -- just as I had deprived him of Fleur."
"That's what the night at Azure was all about."
"And that's what that night -- the night you came across -- was all about," he added. "He disabled me...For whatever reason, he couldn't kill me. It didn't matter because I couldn't get to you in time."
Silence engulfed them, and Natalie was lost in her own thoughts. He would think of it as his failure, taking the guilt on himself. It also explains why he kept his distance for so long. She sighed and rubbed her face in frustration. "Why didn't you tell me? Why wait for me to find out?"
Nick kept his eyes on his interlaced fingers. "I was so afraid you would remember. Time passed, and you didn't remember." He shook his head. "I grew complacent; I was selfish. I forgot how...resilient...you could be. I should have known better."
She wanted to forgive him. She could hear the remorse in his voice, see it in his memories and his body language. Part of her could even understand his hesitation. But a still larger part of her was angry and hurt. She couldn't forgive him. Not yet.
"You can have the couch. There are extra blankets in the closet, if you really want one." Pursing her lips, she gave him a rueful smile. "Good night, Nick."
He reached over and brushed her hand lightly with his, hope radiating from his eyes. "Good night, Natalie."
Without another word, Natalie slipped into her bedroom and closed the door for the day.
[OOC: Conversation in this post refers to "Be My Valentine," a second season episode of Forever Knight. You can find more info about Fleur, Natalie, and LaCroix's retribution at the Fleur FAQ. Yes, she has her own FAQ.]
"Nat, we need to talk."
Setting her jaw, she dropped her keys onto the entry table. As she moved past him into the kitchen, she could feel his eyes on her. "I'm not sure I'm ready to talk about this yet." Somehow, she managed to keep her voice calm, considering the undercurrent of conflicting emotions so close to the surface. There was anger and disappointment, intermingled with deep affection and desire; it was difficult to tell where one stopped and the next began.
"I want to explain."
Natalie withdrew a bottle from the refrigerator and filled a glass, then placed the bottle on the marble countertop with a clunk. "I told you, I don't want to discuss this right now." She cut him a glare, then attempted to push past him.
Nick grabbed her upper arm. Whirling on him, her eyes flared yellow. He flinched but didn't let go. "Nat -- please."
She pulled her arm free. "It's a little late for explanations, Nick. About nine years too late." Moving toward the living room, Nat paused and turned back to him. "Did you think I wouldn't remember? Were you hoping I wouldn't?"
"Honestly?" She nodded, answering his question. "Then yes," he replied, "I was hoping you wouldn't remember."
Nat felt her temper flare once again, though it didn't quite reach her eyes this time. Her hands balled to fists at her sides as she reined herself in. "You didn't think it was just a little important that I know he brought me across? That wasn't part of our arrangement, Nick. I think I would rather have died on the floor that night than be here now, if that's what it took."
"A lot happened that night, Nat. I was hoping you wouldn't remember because I didn't want you to remember that I failed, that I couldn't bring you across." His lips thinned, eyes narrowing in pain. Natalie could feel the memories of that night churning through them both: His fangs sunk deep into her skin; the warmth of her blood coursing through him; the burning pain of the stake, embedded just to the side of his heart. With them, they dragged other, much older, memories. All tasted bitter, swirling with regret.
She frowned. "What are these images I'm seeing? LaCroix...and a mortal?" Across from her, his face tightened. "Why don't you tell me the whole story?"
Nick pursed his lips, lowering himself into the overstuffed chair and running his hands through sandy blond hair. "The girl -- the mortal -- was my sister, Fleur."
"How did he -- ?"
"It was my fault, actually. I insisted on going home, saying good by to she and my mother before I would set off with Janette and LaCroix. So...they came with me.
"Strangely enough, the attraction seemed mutual. But then, you can only recognize good if you've seen evil; they seemed to be opposite sides of the same coin."
"So where is she now?"
"Buried in Brabant." A sad smile touched his lips. "She died a long time ago."
Other images flashed across Nat's mind. "You stopped him." She looked up at him, realization in her eyes. "You kept him from bringing her across."
Nick nodded. "And for that, he demanded retribution: Were I ever to fall in love with a mortal, he would kill me or deprive me of her -- just as I had deprived him of Fleur."
"That's what the night at Azure was all about."
"And that's what that night -- the night you came across -- was all about," he added. "He disabled me...For whatever reason, he couldn't kill me. It didn't matter because I couldn't get to you in time."
Silence engulfed them, and Natalie was lost in her own thoughts. He would think of it as his failure, taking the guilt on himself. It also explains why he kept his distance for so long. She sighed and rubbed her face in frustration. "Why didn't you tell me? Why wait for me to find out?"
Nick kept his eyes on his interlaced fingers. "I was so afraid you would remember. Time passed, and you didn't remember." He shook his head. "I grew complacent; I was selfish. I forgot how...resilient...you could be. I should have known better."
She wanted to forgive him. She could hear the remorse in his voice, see it in his memories and his body language. Part of her could even understand his hesitation. But a still larger part of her was angry and hurt. She couldn't forgive him. Not yet.
"You can have the couch. There are extra blankets in the closet, if you really want one." Pursing her lips, she gave him a rueful smile. "Good night, Nick."
He reached over and brushed her hand lightly with his, hope radiating from his eyes. "Good night, Natalie."
Without another word, Natalie slipped into her bedroom and closed the door for the day.
[OOC: Conversation in this post refers to "Be My Valentine," a second season episode of Forever Knight. You can find more info about Fleur, Natalie, and LaCroix's retribution at the Fleur FAQ. Yes, she has her own FAQ.]