Dreams of the future
May 2001
Karen Gunther

Author's notes and disclaimers:  This story is in honor of mothers
everywhere. It is set in the timeframe of "Dreams and Reality" within
the universe of my "Dreams" series.  It is not necessary to have read
the previous (concurrent) story but if you want the background, the
story is archived at www.fkfanfic.com and  my web archive
www.angelfire.com/tx5/kannegun/ - ENJOY!

Special thanks to my faithful beta reader, Stephane... thanks as
always!!

As always, this story was inspired by the television show, Forever
Knight. I don't own Nick, Natalie, et. al.... I would have treated
them much better! Permission is granted for this story to be archived
by Mel and Steph at fkfanfic.com and the ftp site. All others, please
ask first. 

***********************************
4 a.m.  Ten hours into her duty shift and Natalie was still on her
feet. A sudden spring storm had caused havoc in Toronto earlier that
evening. Lack of visibility on the highway had sent several trucks and
a commercial bus off overpasses. The loss of life took an untold toll
on many people and had put the coroner's office into overtime. For
Natalie, working long hours was nothing new, but as her pregnancy
progressed, she was finding it more difficult to keep up the pace. 

"You look exhausted," Grace observed as she gathered a tray of
specimens to take upstairs to the lab. 

"How many cases have I done tonight?" Natalie asked with a sigh. "I've
lost count."

"Too many," Grace agreed. "I'll get these up to the lab and check how
many are waiting." She glanced back to see Natalie leaning against the
table, caressing her enlarged belly. "Take a break," she urged. "These
guys aren't going anywhere. You wouldn't hold up any investigations."

"I'm fine, " she insisted, straightening and grabbing the long curved
needle to begin suturing. When she had first told her supervisor of
the pregnancy, she'd insisted that it would not affect her work in any
way. She knew of several co-workers who were openly disapproving of
her continuing to work this far into the third trimester. Her
pregnancy had not been planned but she did not regret for a minute the
changes that impending motherhood had brought.

Grace set the tray down and crossed the room to stand across from
Natalie. "You don't need to prove your worth. You work harder than
anyone here."  Natalie was silent as she continued to suture
methodically. "You need to think about yourself... and your child."

"Grace, I'm fine. I'll *be* fine. I'll grab some juice and start the
paperwork after I finish here." 

"Sure about that?" she asked gently. She knew only one person could
get Natalie to slow down.  Maybe it was time to give Detective Knight
a call. 

#####
"Who was that?" Tracy asked, seeing the scowl on her partner's face.
They'd had an unusually quiet night and had spent most of the shift
catching up on reports.

"Grace," he said succinctly. "Natalie's on her fifth case without a
break. She wanted to make sure I knew."

Tracy sighed. They'd been to one of the accident scenes, but only for
as long as it took to determine that no foul play had sent the truck
over an embankment. This was one mass casualty that homicide was only
peripherally involved. "You going over to convince her to take a lunch
break?"

"I think it's time to put my Mother's Day plan in motion." Nick
declared. "I'd intended to do it tomorrow night, but this might be
more appreciated."

"Oh? Just what do you have in store for the mother-to-be?" Tracy asked
with a sly smile. Her partner's demeanor had changed dramatically
since his marriage. He still had a temper to put the fear of God into
any suspect, but he was showing a playfully romantic side that made
Tracy envious. 

"Just a little pampering. Something to show Natalie how much she means
to me." 

####
Three phone calls later, Nick was ready to start phase one. His first
task was extracting Natalie from the lab. Tracy had given her word to
call him only if it was a dire emergency. He knew perfectly well that
Natalie would want to stay until every case was done, every report
filed. In a situation such as she was handling that night, foremost in
her mind would be the identification of bodies and notification of
families. She was loath to delay a family's need to mourn the death of
a loved one. 

Pulling into his usual street spot directly in front of the coroner's
building, he entered through the upper level public entrance. He
usually went to her office via the lower level loading area.  It was
closest to Natalie's office and allowed him to get to her lab
unnoticed. At that time of morning, there was little traffic on the
lower level. Tonight however, he wanted to be seen. He wanted to make
sure that any unfinished work would be handled. Knowing Grace, that
wouldn't be difficult to arrange.

Pushing open the main door, he nodded to the receptionist and flashed
his badge. It was not like they all didn't know him but he was all too
aware of the security cameras at that door. 

"Hey, Nick," she called out. "I think Natalie's still in the lab.
Haven't seen her since I came on duty. All the medical staff have been
holed up in their labs."

"I'm not surprised," he said with a shudder. "Hey, Alicia. Do me a
favor, would you?"

"Sure thing," she readily agreed. She had figured that he wanted
something. He generally used his security code to enter other doors
and bypass the public reception areas.

"I've got a surprise for Nat. I know she's on-call until 7, but could
you try not to call her?"

"Oh, absolutely. I think Paul needs to do a few cases to catch up to
her anyway." She grinned, thinking of the possibilities of what Nick
could have planned for his wife. This definitely would require Grace's
investigative skills on Monday night!

"Thanks," he smiled, and proceeded down the hall to the stairs. He
stopped in the lab and secured Grace's promise to finish up the
reports on Natalie's cases from that night and fax them to the loft
for her signature. 

As he got closer to her office, he could hear Natalie's brusque
comments. She was still dictating her findings.  The fatigue was clear
in her voice. This was her fourth night in a row. Thankfully, she was
off for the next two nights. It was his goal that she relax and let
him do the work at home.

Quietly pushing open the door to her office, he saw her leaning over
the microscope. Tapping her on the shoulder, he said softly, "Nat?"

"Ahhh!" she shrieked before turning and smacking him on the arm.
"Nick, how many times have I asked you *not* to do that?"

"Soon enough, you'll sense me without concentrating and I won't be
*able* to surprise you," he replied dryly. 

Perching on the stool, balancing herself gingerly, she nodded
silently. "I suppose. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" she asked.

"Neither. Both. I don't know," he commented. "It just is our future.
I'm not sure if you'd say that it's a fatalistic attitude, but I'm not
going to argue something I can't change."

"Oh?" she could not hide her surprise. "Since when? You've been
arguing for the past century or two at least to change something that
you couldn't."

"Maybe I've learned something in the last few months." He commented,
standing next to her, lightly massaging her shoulders. 

"Hmmm. Just *what* have you learned?" she asked, leaning against him. 


"That I should accept who I am, what I am. I'm not the same man that I
was 800 years ago."

"Isn't that what Janette and LaCroix have been trying to tell you?"

"It is," he agreed. "But until I met you, I only dreamed of the past,
of what potential I lost when I became a vampire."

"And now?" 

"Now, I dream of a future with you, with our daughter."

"What fantasies have you cooked up?" she teased. "Disney World? Soccer
games?"

"Seeing the light in her eyes when she learns a new concept, takes a
first step," he mused. "The things that you dream of doing with a
child are foreign to me. To me Disney World is still that swamp in
central Florida."

Natalie rolled her eyes, and sighed. "Let me guess. You met Walt."

"No, I didn't," he admitted. "But I know some people who did. I was
not involved with every famous person."

"It just seems like you met your share," she commented.  "Anyway, what
brings you to my little slice of heaven." She leaned back against the
cold steel of the lab bench and eyed him curiously. 

"I am here to rescue you," he announced. "Milady, your carriage
awaits."

"Nick, I have at least two more hours of work to do," she protested.
Much as she wanted to go home and put her feet up, she couldn't.  "I
can drive myself home."

"Your car is already in our garage. I won't take 'no' for an answer my
love. Grace will finish filing whatever reports you need to complete.
Alicia promised not to page you for anything. You are officially off
duty."

She sighed. "Let me guess. Grace called you."

"She did, but she only pushed up the plan by an hour." He pointed to
the calendar and took her hand in his. "It's after midnight so it is
now Mother's Day. You, my little mother-to-be, deserve a celebration."

"Oh really?" she smiled. *This* was something she had not expected.
Just what had Nick cooked up?

******
She could smell the scented candles as soon as they got into the lift.
That didn't surprise her. Nick had a definite preference for the
softer light of candles- especially when he was being romantic. She
was not disappointed. The loft was illuminated by a profusion of
candles, all emitting a soft glow and the scent of honeysuckle. A
crystal vase on the piano was filled with long-stemmed red roses. 

"Sit and relax," he instructed, guiding her to the couch. 

"Nick, I'd really like to shower and change into something more
comfortable," she protested. 

"All in good time, my love," he smiled. "Close your eyes."

She sighed but complied. It wasn't often that he went to this much
effort to surprise her. He was setting a mood, and she was not about
to complain. 

Opening the refrigerator, he found the beverage he sought, and filled
a chilled goblet before topping it with a spray of whipped cream.
Taking the goblet and a small box, he went to the couch and sat next
to her. "OK, Nat. You can open your eyes," he instructed. 

She accepted the drink and took a cautious sip. "This is good. Can I
ask what it is?"

"Iced chai. It was Tracy's suggestion. No caffeine and no alcohol, so
you won't be hurting the baby." He replied, handing her the box and an
envelope.

She eagerly slit open the envelope and read the elegant calligraphy,
"this entitles the bearer to a romantic vacation at Chateau de
Brabant. Time and date to be arranged. No expiration." She looked up
to meet his expectant gaze. "You mean in France?"

"Belgium," he corrected.

"Oh, that's right," she said sheepishly. World geography had not been
her forte in school and no matter how much he spoke of European
locations casually, she was more apt to remember the molecular
structure of bacteria than European provinces.

"Yes, my love, I want to take you to my home."

"It's still there?"

"I bought it in the eighteenth century and spent much of the latter
part of the nineteenth century restoring it," he replied proudly.
"Some things about my life will be easier for me to explain to you
there."

"Romantic? Does that mean without our daughter?" she asked hesitantly.
While being shown Europe by someone who'd spent centuries there
sounded delightful, she was still struggling with the idea of leaving
her child with a stranger while she worked. She did not usually
procrastinate, but she had not thought beyond the nebulous concept of
a babysitter or day care. To go on vacation without her was
unthinkable.  

"That is negotiable," he explained. "It would depend how old she is,
and what your preference is. For me, being a family is a fantasy that
I'd never imagined possible. Sometimes I still can't believe that it's
happening."

"Believe it," she said flatly. "See my feet?"

"Ah, well, that is a matter yet to be considered," he nodded. He could
see how painfully swollen her ankles were. It was amazing that she
could still put on her shoes. "Open the box."

She didn't need to be asked twice. Ripping the paper eagerly, she
found a gray jeweler's box. She flipped it open and found a thick gold
chain with a charm in the shape of a baby bootie that was encrusted
with a pearl along with a gold disk.

"It's gorgeous," she breathed. As usual, it was top quality. Nick did
not skimp when it came to jewelry for her.

"I didn't think a ring or bracelet was practical for you, but I wanted
something to celebrate motherhood for you," he commented. "If she's
born before June, I'll exchange it for the correct stone."

"You don't have to do that. I like it as it is," she protested. 

"But it's a mother's necklace. You're supposed to have the child's
birthstone. At least that's what the woman at the jewelry store told
me. I've arranged for engraving once we know the specifics."

"I bet you made her week," Natalie said dryly. She set the box on the
coffee table and finished the chai. Much as she was enjoying the
intimacy with Nick, the combination of a long, busy week and the
advanced pregnancy had sapped her energy.

He grinned sheepishly. "Well, she did smile a lot when I wanted to see
the things in the locked cases."  He stood and scooped her into her
arms. "And now, milady, it is time for phase two."

"Phase two?" she questioned, wrapping her arms around his neck.  At
this point, she was not about to protest anything he had planned. When
Nick came up with romantic ideas, he had a tendency to go all out. 

"It's called pampering," he explained, levitating to the second floor.
He had very quietly arranged for an oversized tub with whirlpool jets
to be installed at the same time as the construction of the second
floor guest room. He had thought about a hot tub, but when he saw the
warnings posted in the store about using hot tubs during pregnancy,
he'd thought better of it. 

Carrying her through their bedroom, he slid aside the door at the rear
of the bathroom that led to the new construction. Until that week, it
had been an unfinished storage area. He had come up with this idea
when they began the renovations to expand the loft's living space.

"Nick?" she looked around confused. "Since when do we have another
room back here?"

"The room has been here for some time. It used to be a storage area.
Now it's our private paradise."

"OK," she said hesitantly. She was just becoming accustomed to Nick's
wealth and the way he could arrange things so easily. The loft's upper
level had been doubled in usable size with the addition of two
bedrooms and another bathroom. A lab for her, and a computer room for
them both had been added to the lower level. At the same time, an
apartment was added to the adjacent warehouse that was accessible
through the first floor garages. Nick hadn't said what he planned to
do with the apartment other than the comment, 'well, as long as the
workers are here, we might as well.'

Setting her on the white wicker chair in the corner of the room, Nick
walked around the room, lighting the tall pillar candles that gently
illuminated the room. The corner tub filled the corner of the room
opposite the chair that Natalie now occupied. Ferns and hanging plants
gave the room a tropical feeling. 

Giving an appreciative sigh, Natalie glanced around the room. "This is
wonderful, Nick," she breathed, watching as he turned on the taps and
poured in a small bottle of scented oil.  

He crouched in front of her. "I did this for you, Natalie. I know how
hard you work, I wanted you to be able to relax." 

"And you won't get any pleasure?" she teased. 

"We-e-e-l-l," he drawled, leaning closer to kiss her. Soon they were
in each other's embrace on the floor. The passion that they both felt
was intense, and soon the clothes were scattered to the far corners of
the room. Natalie's fatigue was forgotten with the wonderful
sensations that Nick's caresses were producing. No longer did she feel
she was an overgrown whale. She was a desirable woman in his eyes and
he was making sure she knew it. 

All too soon, Nick pulled away, his eyes glowing. His fangs had
dropped. He wanted her and the vampire would not be satisfied with a
simple taste. That was something he dare not risk. He laid on hand on
her expanded belly and felt the small movements of their child within.
"Natalie, I'm sorry," he said softly, increasing the distance between
them. 

"Nick, you have nothing to be sorry for," she declared, rolling to her
side and struggling to sit. "You made me feel loved, desired. What is
so wrong?"

"I didn't mean to let my beast interfere with our pleasure," he
replied. Helping her to stand, he guided her to the now filled tub. 

"But it hasn't," she protested. "I'm too pregnant to do anything more
anyway." She lowered herself in the water and sighed with delight as
he turned on the jets. "Ahhh, this is wonderful."

Nick belted a robe around his waist, and left the room for a few
moments, returning with a plate covered with a silver lid and a
portable CD player. He pulled a CD out of his pocket and put in the
machine. Soon the room was filled with the light melodic tones of a
piano. It was a song that Natalie had never heard. Before she could
ask him what it was, Nick had lifted the lid from the plate to reveal
plump strawberries coated with glistening chocolate.

"And if you wait just a minute, I'll have the proper beverage for
you," he smiled, uncapping the bottle that was waiting in an ice
bucket. Filling a crystal goblet with the sparkling grape juice, he
held it to her lips. Alternating sips of juice with strawberries, he
reveled in her soft sighs. "So you approve?" 

"This is too much, Nick. Is it possible to be too pampered?"

"Never," he declared. The strawberries gone, he held out his hand to
her, "ready for phase three?"

"Phase three?" she asked, stepping out of the tub and into the thick
fluffy robe that Nick held out to her.

"Of course," he assured her, leading her back into the bedroom.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, he held his hand out to her. "Come,
sit with me."

Settled among the pillows, Natalie watched as Nick pulled a small
bottle of oil from the nightstand and slid to the foot of the bed.
Pouring a small amount in his hands, he took one foot and began to
massage her. 

"Ah, that is wonderful," she gushed. Her aching, sore feet were
soothed by his gentle touch. "I have to ask. What gave you the idea to
do all this?" 

"I told you. It's Mother's Day. You are soon to be a mother. How
better to honor you than to make you *feel* honored?"

"Is this something you learned from your mother?"

"No," he hesitated. He was silent for a few moments, the only sound
being the piano music that came from the CD player that was still in
the bathroom.

"Nick, it's okay if you don't want to talk about it," she began, only
to be silenced by a gesture. 

"It's a good question, and you have a right to know about my family,
my real family. There is not much that I can tell you. My memories are
clouded by age. I might have regained the memories of my life as a
vampire after I was shot, but much of my childhood was lost. I was
raised much as any noble child of my era. I was the second son, so I
was fostered by my uncle from the age of eight."

"Fostered?" she questioned. 

"I went to live with my uncle to learn skills that were necessary for
my survival. I was being trained to be a knight, a soldier. I was not
going to inherit, so I would make my way in the service of others, or
would take holy orders. That is the lot of the younger sons."

"And daughters?" she asked hesitantly. She knew what was in the
history books, but wanted to hear his interpretation. He so seldom
talked of his life before that fateful night in 1228. She was not
about to stop him. He continued to massage her feet while talking in a
thoughtful voice. 

"They would marry, of course," he replied emphatically. "The marriage
would be arranged to provide the best economic and political benefit
to both families."

"Love?"

"Love had nothing to do with it. Love came after the vows, if you were
lucky." He was silent for a moment before continuing. "I was spoiled.
I saw that my parents did love one another. I watched my father
massage my mother's feet as a young child. I knew it was possible to
love your wife."

"Were you ever promised to marry?"

"No," he commented simply. "I was still a fairly young man when I went
to Jerusalem the first time on orders of Lord deLaBarre. My brother
had just married that year. My parents might have sought to make a
match for me but I was still in service as an attaché to the Lord."

"So you couldn't have married while you served him?" The idea that
marriage was merely a business transaction was a foreign idea to her.

"No, not easily. I had no property, no estate to house a bride.
Besides, as a younger son, I was not as good a prospect and would not
command as much of a dowry. Lord deLaBarre had no sons and he had told
my parents that if I served with him, he would bestow a small villa
upon me at the conclusion of a term. I found out later that he had no
intention of doing so. It was when I was at the end of my decade with
him that I was framed for the murder of a pagan woman and was then
ordered to go to the Crusades."

"Couldn't you do anything about that? Didn't you have a contract or
something?"

"This was the 13th century, Nat. No, I didn't have a contract. He was
higher ranking than my father and had more political clout. If he said
he wanted a younger son as his aide, my father couldn't say no. If he
later changed his mind about the property, no one would argue, because
it was not expected that any nobleman bequeath anything to someone who
was not of his blood." 

"So you went to the Crusades, and then met LaCroix and Janette on your
way back home?" she prompted.

"That's the short version," he nodded. "Someday, I'll tell you the
long version. Not tonight though. There are things in my past that are
still hard for me to talk about."

"I understand," she said. "I just enjoy hearing you talk about your
mother. Did you ever do anything special for her?"

"Well, the idea of Mother's Day is a modern one, and is American in
origin but yes, I do remember going to see her for her Saint's Day
when I was in my teens. I had just earned my spurs and wanted her to
see my new armor. She was so proud of me."

"And? What things did you do?"

"I remember going to church with my entire family. I saw my youngest
sister for the first time. I think I brought Mother a skein of silk
threads that I'd bought in Paris."

"Was that sister Fleur?" she asked gently. She'd heard stories of the
younger sister that had fallen for LaCroix.

"No. Fleur was probably 4 or 5 by then. Her name was Claire. She died
of a fever the following summer. I only met her the one time."

His tone was so matter-of-fact that it startled Natalie. The loss of a
young child was a tragedy to her. One that could not be so easily
dismissed. 

"It was a different time, Nat," he said softly seeing the look of
horror on her face. "Children often perished in the first two years.
Women died giving birth. It happened."

"I know. Maybe it's my hormones, but it bothered me to hear you'd lost
a sister so young."

"That doesn't mean they weren't mourned. You have to remember that
this all happened a very long time ago. I might remember ever day of
my existence as a vampire, but the events that happened before I
crossed over are vague images, faded by time." He set the vial of oil
down and slid up on the bed to lay next to her.

"So what is your dream for us, for our family?" she asked,  tangling
her fingers in his hair as he laid against her belly, his hand
sprawled across the expanse.

"Simply that we are a family. My daughter won't have to be sent away
to be educated."

"Are you worried that she has your DNA?" she asked hesitantly. The
risk that their child would become a vampire was something they had
avoided talking about.

"Of course I'm worried, but as you've told me numerous times, there's
nothing I can do about it. I only hope that if she does have some
vampire traits, they are not so dominant that she can't have a normal
childhood."

"If she chooses to be brought across?"

Nick was quiet, running his hand over her belly, sensing the child's
movements, listening to the rapid heart beat. "If she is an adult, I
won't stop her," he replied.

"Would you do it for her?" 

"I don't know." 

"That is, at least, an honest answer. If you'd given me an absolute,
I'm not sure that I'd believe you."

"You think I'm not honest with you?" he protested.

"I think that you have only recently reconciled yourself to the fact
that I will become a vampire. You've fought your nature for so long
that I don't think you are ready to face the idea of your daughter
voluntarily becoming one."

"You know me too well," he mused, reaching up to pull her down in the
nest of pillows and kissing her lightly. "Happy Mother's Day,
Natalie."

"Thank you, Nick," she replied, returning the kiss and snuggling into
his embrace. It was time for them both to dream of their future
together as a family. 

~~~ fin~~~