Finally, this story is a sequel of sorts to my story "Alone".  I
actually started it just after I finished the other story and
although I felt it was finished, some readers wondered what happened
next.  I began writing it, but got stuck for several months.  Then,
just recently, I had a whole new idea so I started over – well I
reworked what I had to fit my new idea, which I think works a lot
better than my original.  Plus, this is a much more positive piece.

Enjoy!
 
 
 
From Solitude…
By Amanda Berendt
Copyright June/July 2004


 
Natalie Lambert sat silently on the uncomfortable folding chair
staring at the flower-draped casket.  Her three-year-old daughter sat
on her lap.  The new life she had built for herself had just come
crashing down around her.

Everything had happened so quickly.  Just three nights ago, she had
gotten a call from the station that Thomas had been in an accident. 
She had rushed to the emergency room to be by his side.  There had
never been any real hope, but at least she had been able to say
goodbye.

She and Thomas had met five years earlier at a department Christmas
party.  He was an attorney in the crown prosecutor's office.  He had
recognized her last name and had asked if she was related to Richard
Lambert.  Hitting it off immediately, they began dating and were
married a year later. 

Despite her sincere happiness in her life with Thomas, Natalie
occasionally found her thoughts turning to what Nick might be doing. 
She often pictured him traveling the world or maybe teaching somewhere.

Shortly before their first anniversary, the couple learned they were
pregnant.  Nine months later, they welcomed a beautiful baby girl
whom they christened Rachel.  She had the chestnut curls of her
mother and the bright green eyes of her father.  

Natalie managed to get through the service and the reception without
breaking down.  Amazingly she no longer felt sad.  Now it was more
than a numb feeling… as if she were living in an alternate reality.  

That evening, after she had put Rachel to bed, she found herself
wandering through the house.  Because of all the years she had worked
nights, she still sometimes had trouble sleeping.  Sitting down at
the desk in the den, she began going through the drawers just to keep
her mind occupied.

The next morning, she awoke to find herself still at the desk with a
crick in her neck from sleeping in an awkward position.  As she
leaned back in the chair and stretched, she saw an old brochure for a
European tour on the desktop.  She didn't remember getting it,
perhaps Thomas had.  She leafed through the booklet, thinking that
maybe she and Rachel could get away for a while.

Several months later, she and Rachel were at Pearson Airport saying
good-bye.  Grace and Myra and Jenny Schanke had come to see them off.
Natalie had taken some time to get everything in order before the
trip so she could concentrate on creating some happy memories for
herself and Rachel.  

They spent the next several weeks visiting various European cities. 
They rode gondolas in Venice, saw the ruins of Pompeii, and as the
days passed Natalie was pleased to see her daughter smiling more and
more.  When they visited London, she even found herself giggling
along with Rachel as they were overwhelmed by the pigeons in
Trafalgar Square.

It was early September when they arrived at the tour's final
destination.  Natalie held Rachel's hand as they followed the group
out of Charles de Gaulle airport to where the tour bus was waiting. 
They would be spending the next day on a trip to a country estate,
and then they were free to explore Paris for five days until the
conclusion of the tour.  

The next morning the group was on the bus driving across the French
countryside.  Natalie sat gazing out the window with Rachel asleep on
her lap.  It was several hours before the bus pulled into the small
town.  Natalie was surprised to find that, with the exception of the
cars and the telephone lines, the town looked as if time had passed
it by.  The bus drove through the village toward the manor house
visible on the other side.  Moments later they stopped in a gravel
parking area not far from the house and filed off the bus.

Natalie looked out over the landscape as she helped Rachel from the
bus.  It was a beautiful morning – the light breeze tickled the tall
grass and the warm sun beamed down as the group made it's way up the
gravel drive to the manor house.  The granite façade of the house
glimmered in the morning sun.

The tour guide paused the group outside the front entrance and
explained that the original manor had been built in the mid – 12th
century by the local duke.  It had recently been fully restored by a
descendant of the original family and he was kind enough to allow the
town to occasionally give tours of his home. 

The guide then led them inside.  Natalie made sure she held tight to
Rachel to prevent any breakage of priceless family heirlooms.   By
the time they reached the great room, Natalie was carrying her
daughter.  The guide stopped in front of the large fireplace and
pointed to the portrait hanging above the mantle.  He said it was the
only object in the manor that the owner refused to give any
information about.  He then welcomed any thoughts from the group. 
Natalie shifted Rachel in her arms and looked closely at the
portrait.  She was shocked to find that she recognized the subject. 
It looked exactly like Janette!

As the guide led the group from the room, Natalie reluctantly pulled
herself away from the portrait.  Wild thoughts flooded her mind as
the group walked back to the bus.  Was it really her?  Could this
house have some connection with Nick?  Rachel shifted in her arms
bringing her thoughts back to the present.  She shook her head,
banishing the fantastic thoughts.  Even if the portrait were of
Janette, it was probably one of many.  Still, as the bus carried them
back to Paris, she couldn't get the portrait, and what it might mean,
out of her mind.

Instead of visiting the typical tourist attractions Paris had to
offer, Natalie spend much of the next few days finding out as much
about the manor and the surrounding area as she could.  She
discovered the area was once known as the Duchy of Brabant and the
original manor house was built by the Duke of Brabant.  The house had
stayed in the family for several generations until the mid 13th
century when the last family member (a woman) had married.  It was
then that the house and land began to fall into disrepair.  Then,
according to the records, six years ago the land had been purchased
by a charitable foundation in the name of a descendant of the
original family.  The manor had been rebuilt and restored to its
original glory.

It was too much to be just a coincidence Natalie thought.  On the
final day of the tour, she packed up their things and instead of
heading home to Toronto; she booked two tickets on a train.  She
called Grace to tell her she was spending a bit more time in France
and to ask her to keep feeding Sidney.

Late that afternoon, Natalie and Rachel stepped off the train into
the small village.  She found a small inn and checked in.  The late
summer sun was still high in the sky as she and her daughter walked
along the gravel path just outside of town.  They came to a gate
proclaiming in French that no trespassers were allowed beyond that
point.  Looking around and seeing no one, she pushed the gate open
and passed through.  A little farther up the path, the manor house
came into view.  She hesitated for a few moments, then taking a deep
breath she took Rachel's hand and walked determinedly up the path
toward the house.

 

_________________________________________________

 

 

Lucien Lacroix stood by the carved wooden fireplace drinking from a
crystal goblet.  He gazed out at the Toronto skyline framed by the
night sky.  It had been six years and no word.  Of course, there had
been much longer times, but times had changed.  

When Nicholas had left, he had moved into the loft temporarily,
expecting his son to return after he had finished with his tantrum. 
But that had not happened.   The days had become weeks, weeks became
months and the months years.  He had been more patient than he should
have been.  The vampire gently placed the glass on the mantle and
took off into the night sky.  The time had come to find Nicholas.

It had been several weeks since he had entered the Raven.  Despite
his long absence, the bartender immediately produced a glass of the
special stock when he approached the bar.  He stood for a moment,
sipping from the glass, as he surveyed the club.  He was pleased to
see Aristotle sitting at one of the tables.  This made things much
easier.

He crossed the club and stopped in front of the table.  The two
female vampires sitting with Aristotle easily sensed the presence of
the ancient vampire and quickly left the table.  Lacroix sat in one
of the newly vacant chairs and smiled at the other man.

"What can I do for you, Lucien?"  Aristotle said with a grin.

"I am looking for someone."

Aristotle chuckled. "You know I can't divulge any relocation
information."

Lacroix sighed. "Could you at least tell me if you helped Nicholas
leave Toronto?"

A bemused smile spread across Aristotle's face.  "So you've lost him
again, have you?"  He took a sip from the glass on the table.

The expression on Lacroix's face remained unchanged.  "Did you?'

"Not recently. Perhaps he's gone somewhere on his own."  He shrugged.

Lacroix glared at the other vampire once more, then got up from the
table.  He went back to the bar where he sat for a few hours
contemplating his next move.  Where would Nicholas have gone?  

The question remained unanswered as dawn came and Lacroix returned
to the loft.  He climbed the stairs to the bedroom and lay down on
the silk sheets of the bed.  Throughout the long daylight hours he
sifted through his perfect memory for any clue as to where Nicholas
might have run.

It was almost dusk when his memories reached back to Paris when he
had first met Nicholas.  He had reached the beginning and had found
nothing.  He stopped.  That was it!  The beginning.  Nicholas would
have done his best to return to his life before Lacroix.  

The vampire sat up on the bed and picked up the phone next to the
bed.  He dialed the number for his personal assistant.  "I need a
flight to Paris immediately."

After a day spent resting at his apartment in Paris, the next
evening found him driving along the countryside north of Paris in his
black Jaguar sedan.  He reached the small village not long after
midnight.  The late hour assured his privacy as he drove along the
main street.  He remarked how little it had changed in nearly a
millennium.   Passing through the town he came to the gated driveway
of the estate.  Not wanting to alert its occupant, he pulled the car
to the side of the road, got out and took to the air.

He was glad for the late summer warmth when saw an open window. 
Sensing a single heartbeat downstairs, he smiled.  This would give
him some time to explore.  He quickly found the master bedroom and
stepped inside, closing the door behind him.  

The room was dominated by an oaken four-poster bed, which was set
just opposite a carved wood fireplace mantle.  A pair of leather
chairs was arranged around a chess set at the window.  The atmosphere
of the room seemed to have been transported across the century.  The
only intrusions from the current time were the electric lamps, a
telephone on the night table, and a laptop on the desk by the
fireplace.      

Sensing the heartbeat climbing the stairs, he reached into his
pocket and pulled out a silver pocket watch.  Calmly he placed the
watch on the night table nearest the door, then crossed to the window
and waited.

  The door opened and Nicholas immediately saw the watch on the
night table.  He picked up and despite an obvious recognition of the
piece, he opened it to read the inscription – FOREVER.  Lacroix saw
the muscles in Nick's neck and back tense up before the man turned to
look for the intruder.

The vampire waited several moments before stepping from the shadows
to reveal himself to his former child.  "Good evening, Nicholas." He
purred.

He could see the mortal man ready himself for some kind of assault,
whether it be mental or physical.  Lacroix respected this effort even
though both knew it would be useless.  Nicholas' newfound mortality
was no match for the vampire.  

"What do you want, Lacroix?"  Nicholas asked, holding his ground.

The vampire smiled and took a step back.  "Who said I wanted
anything?  Can't I just come to visit?"  

Despite the amiable atmosphere, Nicholas did not let his guard down.
"You have never 'just come to visit.'"

"True."  The vampire sat down in one of the leather chairs by the
window and casually crossed his legs.  "But things have changed."  He
leaned back in the chair, folding his hands together and gazed
intently at Nicholas.

Nicholas returned the gaze, still not rising to the bait.  

Silence hung in the room for several moments before Lacroix spoke
once more.  "I have not come to reclaim you," he paused.  "Unless, of
course, that is what you want."  Nick remained silent.  "I have come
to offer a truce."     

This caught Nick's attention.  "A what?"

Lacroix smiled.  "A truce, my dear Nicholas.  You have heard of the
term, haven't you?"

Ignoring the jab, Nick asked. "Why?"

Even though it was unnecessary, Lacroix took a deep breath and let
it out slowly before answering.  "As I have said, things have
changed."  He picked up the knight from the chess set and studied it.
"In light of recent events, I have altered my opinion on your
'quest.'"  Placing the knight back on the chessboard, he added. "Have
you played much lately?"

This caught Nick off guard, but he recovered quickly.  He stepped
forward and sat down on the edge of the bed.  "As I am sure you have
noticed, Lacroix," He said calmly and without malice. "My quest has
ended."          

"Yes."  There was a pause as the vampire's ice blue eyes met Nick's
gaze.  "But you are all I have left."  There was almost a sense of
defeat in his eyes that in call the centuries they had spent
together, Nick had never seen before.  "So I have come to offer you a
truce."              

Still unsure of his former master's intent, Nick still did not let
his defenses down.  "What are the terms?"

Always the general, Lacroix smiled. "Terms? Yes, of course.   I will
not interfere in this life you have made for yourself and I will not
bring you across." He paused. "Unless, of course, you ask me to."

Still not completely convinced of the vampire's altruism, Nick
leaned forward. "And what do you get?"

"Your company."  Then off Nick's confused countenance, he continued.
"All I ask is that you extend an open invitation to me."

Nick stood up and shook his head as if unable to comprehend what was
happening. "That's all?  You let me live my life as I please, and I
allow you to visit me?"

Lacroix uncrossed his legs and sat forward.  "Yes, are we agreed?"

Nick looked at the watch still in his hand, it's inscription burning
into his mind. He knew there had to be more to this bargain than
simply what was stated, but at least for now it granted him safety
and security.  He would deal with what the future held when it came.

"Yes, we are agreed."

 

____________________________________________

 

 

The morning after his visit with Lacroix, Nick awoke wondering if it
had only been a dream.  As he sat up in bed, he looked at the chair
by the window as if he expected his former master to still be sitting
there.  He shrugged off the covers and put his feet on the floor, and
it was then that he saw the watch on the nightstand.  It hadn't been
a dream, after all.            

Stretching, he stood and crossed to the window.  The late summer sun
streaming through the glass pushed away the remaining darkness from
his mind.  He opened the window and took a deep breath of the clean
morning air.  The dew on the grass sparkled in the mid morning light.
 Smiling, he turned away from the window and went out into the hall. 
He showered and dressed before going downstairs.  

The large kitchen was also shinning in the morning light.  It was
the one room in the house that he was not sure what to do with at
first, but over the past several years he had become quite a chef. 
He opened the refrigerator and took out the leftover turkey from the
night before and prepared a sandwich.  He wrapped it up and along
with a bottle of water and a few carrots carried it out to the
stables.  

Nick set down his lunch on the table in the tack room and crossed to
Tristan's stall.  The black stallion whinnied a greeting when he saw
his master come to the doorway.  Nick gave him a handful of oats as
he led the horse out of the stall.   He quickly saddled the horse and
packed his lunch into the saddlebag before leading him out into the
morning sun.  Nick looked up at the nearly cloudless sky.  A
beautiful day for a ride, he thought. Mounting the large horse, Nick
took hold of the reins and set out across the open grass.         

It was nearly noon when he reached the stream.  He stopped and
dismounted taking the saddlebag with him.  Tying back the reins, he
let Tristan graze.  The horse wouldn't go far.  Nick took a deep
cleansing breath of the country air, then flopped down on the grass. 
He lay back on the ground closing his eyes.  

The visit from Lacroix had brought with it thoughts of the past Nick
had fled from.  He had wanted to start a new life and look to the
future, but now the past had caught up with him once more.  With the
memories of Toronto came images of Natalie.  Was she all right?  What
was she doing?  Had she gone on with her life?   He shook his head to
clear the thoughts from his mind.  Natalie had her own life now and
he was not part of it.

Still lying on the grass he opened his eyes to stare up at the clear
blue sky.  The white cotton clouds dotted the wide expanse of blue. 
Over the past six years, he had taken to spending as much time in the
sunshine as he could.  He was making up for eight centuries of
darkness.  

He was shaken from his reverie by Tristan's head blocking out his
view of the sky.  The large horse stood over his master for a moment
before leaning down to nuzzle Nick's head.

"So, I guess this is your subtle way of telling me its lunchtime?"
He chuckled.

Pushing Tristan's head out of the way, Nick sat up and reached for
the saddlebag.  He opened it and took out his sandwich as well as a
carrot for Tristan.  Handing the carrot to the horse, he set about
unwrapping the sandwich.  He sat there eating his lunch on the bank
of the clear flowing stream and thought about how simple his life was
now.  He had peace and security and wanted for nothing.  Nothing
tangible, at least.  

Putting the garbage from his sandwich back into the saddlebag, he
took out the bottle of water and took a long drink.  Although he had
achieved his desire to become mortal once more and was very happy in
his new life, something was missing.  He had achieved his goal, but
he had no one to share it with.  

He spent the afternoon riding along the stream before turning to
head home.  Although the summer sun was still high in the sky, his
stomach told him it was nearly dinnertime.  Tristan carried him
slowly across the fields allowing his master to savor the late
afternoon light.  

As the manor came into view, Nick noticed someone coming up the path
from the town.  It looked like a woman and a child.  From this
distance and without his vampire senses, he couldn't see any details.
            

As he rode closer, he saw that the woman noticed him.  She stopped
on the path, looking at him.  He saw her put her free hand to her
mouth, as if she were surprised.  He stopped and dismounted from the
horse and began to walk towards the woman, the sun beginning to set
behind him.  As he got closer to the woman, he stopped when he
recognized the chestnut curls moving softly in the gentle breeze.

His voice almost failed him.  "Natalie?"

The woman took the child's hand and came to him.  "Oh, my god,
Nick." She gasped.  "I saw the portrait and thought, maybe… but I
never believed it could be true."

He opened his arms and she stepped into his embrace. "Natalie, I am
so sorry."

Their reunion was cut short by a small voice. "Mommy, I'm hungry."

Nick stepped back as Natalie picked up the little girl.  "Nick, I
want you to meet my daughter, Rachel."  

Nick looked from Natalie to the little girl.  She was a carbon copy
of her mother.  He smiled at her.  "Would you ladies to me the honor
of accompanying me to dinner?"  He asked holding out his arm.  

Natalie linked her free arm in his and as the sun slipped below the
horizon, he guided them up the hill towards the house.

 

~Fin~