A Gift To Give Part 1 of 6 *Nick watched as Natalie opened the door to her recently acquired new apartment. He was about to say something, when it occured to him that he had never really seen Nat's return home routine. If she knew that he was there, she would undoubtedly alter that routine to entertain him. He was curious to know what she did when he wasn't around. Moving with immortal speed, he whisked past her as she opened the door, and quickly found a dark corner of the room to watch her from. Natalie felt a sudden breeze as she opened her door, and quickly gathered her things up. She was hoping for a White Christmas, and prayed silently that the breeze was the first signs of an impending snowfall. It had been a slow night at the morgue, and she had finally gotten a chance to do some new tests on Nick's most recent blood samples. The results had been frustrating. Nick watched as Nat silently entered her apartment and placed her medical bag and briefcase in the closet by the door. She removed her coat and scarf, and hung them on a hook inside the closet door. She only had a small night- light to light up the front room, and although it was plenty of light for him, he knew that it would be very dark to her. She didn't turn on any other light as he followed her on silent footsteps to her kitchen area. Nat took a glass out of the cupboard above the sink, and opened the refrigerator door. She recoiled a bit at the light from inside, but she quickly adjusted and reached inside to pour herself a drink. When Natalie opened the door to the 'fridge, Nick had to squint against the light. He could only hear the clinking of glass and the sloshing of liquid as Nat poured herself a drink. As she closed the door and his eyes readjusted, he caught sight of the glass. It was full of a dark red liquid. 'Blood?' Nick wondered with a slight rush of panic. 'No. Only tomato juice.' he realized, with some relief, as he caught a whiff of the contents. Natalie sipped her glass of juice as she made her way back to the living room. She set it on a table as she pressed the 'play' button on her answering machine, and began to leaf through the day's mail. "Dr. Lambert, this is Lyla at Dr. Winston's office. You are past due for a checkup, and Dr. or no, you need to get one. Call us." "Natalie-it's your mother. By now you must have gotten Shana's invitation to the family reunion Christmas party. Please be there this year. Everyone is wondering why you seem to have disappeared off the face of the earth. Call me." Natalie rolled her eyes skyward and sighed. "Hey Nattie-it's Justin. Don't forget our lunch date tomorrow. I have something VERY important to ask you. Love Ya!" "Nat? It's Grace. The tox report just came back on the Binnings case, and you are *NOT* going to be happy. Call me later." Nick listened to the messages playing off of Nat's machine. It bothered him that she hadn't had a checkup recently; he smiled to himself at the exasperated look on Nat's face at the end of her mother's message, and felt a twang of guilt that she usually forwent family get-togethers this time of year so that he wouldn't be alone...Justin? Nattie? Who was this Justin and why did he have a pet name for her? What important question?--LOVE YA?!?! Just as he was about to ask her about *JUSTIN*, he realized that *HE* wasn't supposed to be there at all. She might not like it if she found out he had been watching her. Oh, no, not the Binnings case. What had the tox shown? Natalie drained the last of the liquid from her glass, and went back in the kitchen to rinse it out. She then headed to her bedroom. It had been awfully quiet since Sydney had passed away. Nick had held her through her torrent of tears, and a week later had offered to get her a kitten. She had turned him down, saying that she was really too busy for another pet, but thanks anyway. As she neared her bedroom she had begun to unbutton her blouse, and by the time she was in the door, she had removed it altogether. Nick had quietly followed Nat down the hall, and was a little embarr- assed as she pulled off her blouse to reveal the silky camisole underneath. He prudently decided to wait in the darkened corner while she showered in the adjoining bathroom. He was still suprised to see that she had not turned on any lights, so the only light illuminating the room was from the screen saver on her computer in the opposite corner. With a startled look, he walked over to see that it was one of Nat's infamous 'horror' scenes- this one depicting a stereotypical 'vampire' chasing a well built blonde. 'Oh, NAT,' he groaned inwardly. He shook his head in amusement as he moved back to the darkened corner. Natalie came out of the bathroom in a pair of black silk pajamas, towel drying her hair. She glanced at her computer and chuckled to herself. "At least *HE'S* chasing *YOU*," she said quietly to the damsel in distress on the screen. She shook her head and climbed into bed. She wondered idly what it was that her cousin, Justin, had to ask her that was so important. She also wondered why she hadn't seen Nick all night. "Please, God," she prayed out loud in the darkened room. "You know he's repentant. You know I love him. Please help me find the cure before it's too late..." She sighed deeply, before adding a quick 'Amen', and then drifted off to sleep. Nick watched her in silent wonder as she sank into sleep. Her comment to the screen saver, and her heartfelt prayer had jolted him. He knew she had been shaken by the dream she had had a few months ago, after she was in a car accident. She had fought to keep it from him, but after some gentle prodding on his part, she had told of the dream in which he had taken her life in an effort to become mortal again, and then how he had Lacroix kill him in turn. He had to admit that it had shaken him as well. But ever since then, Nat had been a different person. Oh, she still nagged him to lower his blood intake, and drink her unusual concoctions. But now she just praised progress, and smiled and encouraged him when he failed. She allowed him to move at his own rate. Now, as he watched her sleep, he realized just how much she really *DID* love him. He had heard her confess it to the Almighty. He knew at that moment what he had to do. Gently kissing her on the cheek, he left her room to head home. 'Good thing she lives so close now,' he thought to himself as he hopped into the 'Caddie. Dawn was only twenty minutes away. *Natalie awoke to the sunlight filtering in through the edges of her drapes. She glanced at the clock on the bedside table, and realized that if she was to meet Justin and Nadine for dinner, she would have to get up soon. 'Oh, well,' she sighed to herself. 'I should probably call Grace anyway.' Quikly dressing in a black skirt and turtleneck, she did her hair and makeup and put on her shoes. "Hello?" Grace's voice greeted her on the other end of the line. "Grace? It's Nat. What's so bad about the tox on the Binnings' case?" "Well, you know how the cause of death appeared to be suffocation? The tox report came in and it shows a small dosage of stricnine...like the one used in rat poison." "It *WHAT*? Oh my God, Grace did you call Reese?" "Yeah, but everyone was gone already when the report came in. I tried to talk to Reeling about it, but the neanderthal told me it wasn't his case." "Reese is going to skin him alive for that one. Look, I have a dinner date with my cousin and his wife. They're here from Arizona, and I haven't seen them in a long time. Tell Nick or Tracy as soon as one of them comes in. I'll be there shortly." "Will do," Grace said. "Enjoy yourself." "Thanks, Grace," Nat said as she placed the receiver back on the cradle. Nick arrived at the Coroner's Building just a half an hour after sunset to find Grace sitting at Natalie's desk. "Hi Grace, where's Nat?" he asked her. Grace just couldn't resist. "Oh, she's on a dinner date," she said with a mischievious smile. Nick froze. "Justin..." he said more to himself. "Oh," Grace looked disappointed. "Nat told you about her cousin and his wife being here from Arizona already, huh?" Shocked, and feeling somewhat foolish, Nick managed a smile. "Uh, yeah. I was wondering about the tox on the Binnings' case, is all." Grace took a deep breath. Nick was known to be a bit moody, and this was *NOT* going to sit well with him. "We found levels of stricnine in the blood, and being as there are no needle marks..." "...It would have had to have been ingested orally." Nat's voice made them turn to look at her. "Right," Grace said. "You guys had better gather together anything you can get your hands on for us to run a chemical trace on... if it's not too late already." Natalie said to Nick. Nick's jaw had hardened a bit at this last bit of news, but he didn't say anything more about it. He just nodded his head. He looked at Nat as if he wanted to say something, then glanced at Grace. Grace caught the look, and said to them, "Umm, I have to, uh, go do some things. See you later, okay Nat?" Natalie gave her friend an appreciative look and nodded her head. Grace bolted. "So, what brings you here this soon after sunset?" Natalie asked Nick as she put on her lab coat and grabbed the stack of files from the 'in' box by the door. "Well... I..." Nick cleared his throat as he looked nervously about the room. Spotting the invitation to her family's reunion Christmas party, Nick made a split second decision he hoped he wouln't hate himself for later. "I came to ask you if I could go to your family reunion with you... if it's okay," he said nervously gesturing at the paper pinned next to the calendar on the wall. Natalie's jaw dropped open. "You..want..you want to go?" she asked in stunned disbelief. Nat's reaction was enough incentive for him. "Yeah. I think maybe it's time I met your family...don't you?" He looked directly into her eyes as he inched closer to her. "I mean, you already know my 'family'. All's fair..." Natalie's heart was pounding in her ears as he leaned forward and lightly kissed her lips. This was so unlike Nick...he usually preferred solitude or just her company, but now..."Yeah. OK. We'll go. I'll call my cousin and let her know." She was definitely thrown off guard. Nick smiled as he handed her a small, but brightly wrapped, gift. "What's this?" she asked, now even more surprised. "Let's just call it an early Christmas gift, shall we?" He watched her as she opened the box, hoping against hope he had chosen correctly. Natalie lifted the lid off of the small black box, curious as to what it could be. Her breath caught in her throat as she gazed down at the small gold and diamond cross earrings lying starkly against the black velvet of the interior. She looked up at Nick a little confused, and said,"I don't understand. How...Why..?" Nick smiled tenderly at her and whispered softly in her ear,"...I have faith, too." Natalie's whole body shook as the meaning of the words hit her. Tears rolled from her eyes as she kissed his cheek. "Thank you.-- But I don't want to cause you any pain." She suddenly looked very concerned and he loved her all the more for it. The thought struck him and he looked with stunned amazement at the woman who had changed his whole world. He *LOVED* her. He had known it for some time, but he had never allowed himself to say it, express it. Up until now, he had feared it. Suddenly, he understood. He had feared what loving her would do to him. He wasn't afraid anymore. He looked directly at the small crosses in the box before him. He had only flinched briefly when he had chosen them for her. Now, as he reached in and picked one up, the small jab of pain was well worth it. "I love you, Dr. Natalie Lambert. All else means nothing to me." Nat's eyes widened as she watched him pick up the crosses and place them in her trembling hand. Grasping them tightly, she fell into his embrace. He took her face in his hands and kissed her ever so gently, but with a passion and sincerity she had rarely ever sensed in him before. "HmmMmm," Tracy cleared her throat as she walked in on the tender moment. "Sorry to interrupt, but we do have to get to work sometime..." Nick looked up at Tracy and saw the grin on her face. He knew that in no time at all, *EVERYONE* would know about this encounter. "Yeah, OK Trace. I'll be right there." He looked pointedly at the door, and Tracy, taking the hint, quickly retreated. "See you after shift?" Nick asked Nat between soft kisses on her nose, her cheeks, her eyelids... "Definitely. She pulled him quickly into another toe curling kiss, then abrubtly pushed him away. "Go. I'm sure half the building already knows about..." she broke off, looking away in embarrassment. "About *US*?" Nick emphasized the last word, then smiled at her. "OK. I'm going. I'll call you before I leave." Natalie smiled and nodded as Nick turned and left the room. It was Nick's turn to smile when, as he was leaving, he heard her emphatic "YES!!! Thank You!!!" Nick climbed into the driver's side of the 'Caddie, and glanced over at Tracy. He caught the smile on her face as she asked, "How's Nat?" "Fine," he said as he started the engine. "Oh, no you don't!" Tracy exclaimed. "You don't get out of it that easy. I want to know everything!" "I just gave her an early Christmas present, and she was just thanking me. That's all." But the smile on his face said that wasn't all. "Liar!" Tracy laughed. "You're not going to tell me, are you?" "No." Nick said. His eyes were still bright as they turned down the street that led to the precinct. They walked into the precinct to find Captain Reese standing by their desks, a file folder in his hand, and a sour expression on his face. "Nick, Tracy," he said to them as they walked over to him. "I take it you two heard about the tox report on the Binnings case?" "Yeah, I did at least," Nick told him. "I was just about to fill Tracy in." "Well, I've got a warrant on the way, so you can go search the place. Find something you two. I want to know what *REALLY* happened there." "Don't worry, we will." Nick told him as he took the folder from his Captain. Reese turned to leave, then stopped as he looked archly at Nick. "Just exactly what did you do to Dr. Lambert? Grace says that since you left, she's been on Cloud 9." Nick smiled a mysterious grin and told him, "I just gave her a Christmas gift. Nothing really major." Captain Reese eyed him suspiciously. "Yeah right. OK, whatever it is you two are obviously not going to spill, so get out of my station and go catch a killer." "Sure thing, Cap," Nick said as he grabbed Tracy's arm and shuffled her out the door. "What exactly is wrong with the tox report on the Binnings case?" Tracy asked Nick as they left the precinct. "It showed that there was stricnine in the blood, and the only way it could have gotten there, is oral ingestion." Nick told her as they walked to the Caddie. Tracy frowned in puzzlement as Nick started the engine. "How can that be? I mean, I could understand a toddler finding the poison and accidentally swallowing it, but this was a two month old baby. The only way he could have swallowed it is if..." her voice trailed off in horror as she realized the answer. "Is if someone fed it to him," Nick nodded glumly. "I don't know what's going on, Trace, but something just doesn't fit here. Aaron Binnings did not die of SIDS, and I intend to find the truth." Tracy nodded in agreement. Even after all she had seen as homicide cop, she still couldn't believe that someone would deliberatly feed an infant poison. "Whoever did it used rat poison, right? I mean that seems the logical assump- tion to me." "Unless whoever it was had access to stricnine from another source, yeah, I'd say that would be the logical assumption. I forgot to ask Nat for sure." "You did seem a little preoccupied. What did you give her anyway? You threw me out before I got a chance to get the dirty details." She smiled at her partner with a raised eyebrow. "I did not 'throw you out', as you put it, and there are no 'dirty details' to get. As for the gift, I gave her a pair of earrings. Happy?" "Hmmm. Those must have been some earrings. Here it is- 12418 Colder. Let's go see what we can find out, shall we?" Nick and Tracy got out of the Caddie to find a uniformed officer waiting for them. He handed Nick the search warrant as he approached and said,"Nick. Tracy. Here you are. Captain wants us to go back through that house with a microscope if need be." "Hey, White, thanks. Where are the parents?" Nick asked as they approached the door. "Don't know. Just arrived myself." White stood to one side of the door as Tracy knocked. The door opened and Mrs. Binnings peered out. Recognizing Nick and Tracy from the night before, she said, "Good evening, detectives. Can I help you?" "Mrs. Binnings," Tracy nodded in greeting. "We'd like to ask you and your husband a few more questions, if we may." Glancing backwards into the house, Mrs. Binnings answered, "Yes, of course. Please come in." She opened the door and gestured for them to enter. Nick and Tracy walked in and motioned for Officer White to follow. Nick looked around the front room as Mr. Binnings came in. "Going somewhere?" Nick asked as he looked pointedly at the suitcases by the door. "Yes. We are going to my mother's house. I just can't stand to be in this house now that Aaron is gone..." Mrs. Binnings voice trailed off as she looked to her husband for confirmation. "Ann and I hardly slept at all yesterday. We just kept waiting, hoping to hear Aaron cry and let us know this was all just a bad dream. Of course, it didn't happen. We need to get out of here for awhile." Mr. Binnings put his arm around his wife's shoulders as she wiped away a few vagrant tears. Tracy nodded sympathetically as she said to them, "We need to take a look around. We do have a warrant, if necessary, but I was hoping you'd comply without us having to use it." "What's happened? Why do you need to conduct a search? We thought cause of death was due to SIDS. What's changed?" Mr. Binnings asked. "That is what we initially believed. However, the toxicology report came back, and it appears that your son was poisoned." Nick gauged the reaction of the couple at this latest bit of news. Mr. Binnings opened his eyes wide with shock, as Mrs. Binnings appeared about to faint. If they were guilty, they did a good job of hiding it. "We need to find out who killed your son, and in order to do that, we have to search every inch of your home for clues." "By all means, Detective." Mr. Binnings said to Nick. "Do whatever it takes to find out who killed Aaron. I'll help however I can." "Thank you," Nick replied. "We need to have you come downtown to give a statement. Just routine procedure, you understand." "Yes, of course. Anything." Taking his wife's arm, he followed Officer White to the patrol car outside, as a search team entered the house. Later that evening at the station, Nick was sitting in the observation room adjoining the room where they conducted the questioning. He was looking through the one way mirror at Mrs. Binnings, trying to read any reactions from her, when Nat entered the room. "Hey, you. Have you got anything yet?" she asked him as she walked over and leaned against the table next to him. "Not a thing. If they did it, I can't tell. Even with my "unusual abilities" to help me, I just don't know." He turned and wrapped his arms around her waist, taking in the feel and scent of her. It was strangely comforting to have her near. "How about you?" "We're checking all of the baby bottles and spoons from the house. Both parents tested clean of any residual traces of the poison, but it HAS been more than 24hrs. I'm also checking the bedding. I'll let you know if I find out anything else." She shivered involuntarily, and he tightened his hold on her. "Nat?" he asked quietly. "You okay?" He noticed that she had been staring at Mrs. Binnings through the glass on the other side. This case was upsetting for everyone, but she had seemed really shaken by it. "Yeah, I'm okay. It's just that... this case..." her voice trailed off and her eyes grew distant. "Natalie? You here? What in the world is wrong with you?" Jonah came in the door and searched the living room with his eyes, looking for her. "Jonah!" He heard her call from her bedroom upstairs. "Jonah, help!" In a flash, he was up the stairs to find Natalie lying on the bed clutching her stomach in agony. He ran to her side and asked desperately, "What's wrong?" "Jonah, help... It's the baby... It's coming!" "Are you sure? It's too early. The baby isn't due for two more months." Fear gripped his heart as he gently lifted her in his arms and carried her to the car. He drove at breakneck speeds to the hospital, unaware and uncaring of any traffic or police. He pulled into the emergency room entrance parking and ran around to the other side of the car and lifted her out. As he ran into the ER, he yelled, "Somebody help me! She's having a baby!" As nurse Carol watched the young man carry the young lady into the room, she shook her head in quiet amusement. 'Another first time father,' she thought to herself. But as she looked more closely, she realized that the young woman really was in distress. She raced over to her side and began to take her pulse as she signaled for a gurney. With sudden alarm, she yelled, "Somebody call Dr. Morse in here. NOW!!" Natalie felt herself being laid on a gurney, and moaned softly as another wave of wracking pain coursed through her. She felt so weak. She heard a woman's voice ask her what her name was, and she barely managed to answer. Cold fear enveloped her. It was too early; far too early... "Nat?" Nick's voice brought her back to the present with a start, and she smiled a sad smile at him. "You okay?" He asked again. "Spacing out is my department, remember?" He gave her a slight nudge, then kissed her temple. "Yeah. I know." She looked at him for a moment, then noticed that the interview with Mrs. Binnings had come to a close. Tracy and Captain Reese would be there any moment. "You aren't the only one with a past you'd rather forget." She told him quietly as she moved from his embrace. Nick was about to pull her back to him, and ask her what she meant by that, when Tracy and Reese came in. Reese looked at the two of them with an unspoken question in his eyes. "I have to get back to the lab to speed things along. They always move faster if I'm there breathing down their necks." Nat said to them as she prepared to leave. She looked at Nick and smiled, "I'll see *YOU* in a few hours." She jiggled her head slightly, and Nick noted with a grin that she was wearing the earrings he had given her earlier. As the door closed behind her, Cpt. Reese looked archly at Nick. "Is there something you'd like to share with us?" he asked. "Or are you two just playing cat and mouse again?" The comment illicited a laugh from Tracy, and Nick turned to glare at her. "Something funny?" he asked her with raised eyebrows. "No, not at all." She tried to look innocent, but did not really succeed. "Can we *PLEASE* get back to the case then?" Nick asked. "Fine by me," Reese said as he shook his head. He never would understand Nick. Or Natalie for that matter. Why did they put themselves through hell, instead of just admitting how they felt and moving on from there? "Neither parent seems to have a clue as to how this baby swallowed rat poison and I am not buying it." He told them. "One of them-or both-is lying. Find out who and why. Got it?" Nick and Tracy nodded in unison. "Got it, Cap." Tracy said. "Good. Now go home. No more OT for either of you this month." Capt. Reese said as he headed out the door. Tracy and Nick went back to their desks to collect their things. As they reached their destination, Tracy turned back to Nick and said with a grin, "Looks as if Christmas has arrived early for you, too." Nick looked at the small package lying ornately wrapped on his desk. With a puzzled look, he read the attached card. 'Nick: I loved the earrings, but the best gift was the one you can not see or hold. I can't wait to be with you. *LOVE* Nat' He smiled to himself, and placed the package in his pocket along with the card. As he picked up his jacket, he noticed Tracy eyeing him. "You're not going to open it?" she asked. "No." he said, smiling. Tracy's eyes narrowed, and she let out an explosive sigh. "MEN!!" she said in frustration as she turned on her heel and stormed from the room. Nick smiled to himself as he left the station. Time for part two of his special holiday plan. *Natalie sat deep in thought when the ringing of the phone startled her. She looked at it for a moment, willing Nick to be on the other end. "Natalie's Bed and Breakfast!" she said cheerfully. "Hey, Nat!" Nick's voice came through the receiver. "Are you about finished, or should I meet you at your place?" "My place? Nick, wouldn't you rather go to the loft?" Nat asked. She was surprised that he would want to go to her place. He usually preferred the much larger space of the loft. "Nope. Already picked up what I needed from there. I thought you might enjoy a day at your own home. I mean, you are paying rent. Seems silly to pay for a place you never get to be at, doesn't it?" Nick crossed his fingers and hissed at the stinging sensation from the action. He smiled to himself at the thought that he would have to work harder on that. "In that case, I'll meet you there. I have to finish up a report that's due by eight. It's going to take me at least another hour, and if you come here, it'll be well past sunrise before we get to my place." She smiled as she wondered to herself at the unusual changes in Nick's behavior. She was puzzled, but she was pleased as well. "Alright, I'll see you soon. And Nat? I love you." He smiled as he hung up the phone. She would be home soon. That only gave him a few hours... As she heard the click of the line disconnecting, she sat for a moment in stunned silence. What did he say? She had heard him tell her earlier last night that he loved her, and her heart had swelled to near exploding with joy. But to have him say it so casually, as if it were something he said to her everyday, it was...well, just...a smile curled up on her face as she placed the receiver back on the cradle. She tried to force herself to concentrate on the report on her computer screen, but thoughts of Nick just kept pervading. What was going on? Nick was acting really strange. He never liked to be around people, but now he wanted to meet her family. He usually preferred the seclusion of the loft, but now he wanted to spend the day at her place. He usually hid his emotions, and only occasionally did he ever give her gifts, but now he was openly expressing his love, and had even bought her an extravagant gift-one she knew had cost him at least a small measure of pain. Enough of this! She had work to do. Nick would be waiting for her to return to her apartment. She started back to work on her report. *Nick looked around Nat's apartment, wondering if all the work he had done would please her. More than anything, he wanted to make her happy. He didn't have much time left before she was due to arrive, so he moved to put the last little touches on his surprise for her. Natalie arrived at her apartment and shivered as the cool air whipped around her. She opened her door and stepped inside-- and stopped dead in her tracks. Her whole apartment was decorated with evergreen boughs, holly, and beautiful poinsettias. Christmas lights were intertwined amongst the other decorations, giving off a soft, colorful glow. She stepped inside with eyes wide, and breathed in the definite scent of pine. As she turned to look for Nick, she spied the deep green Noble Fir standing in front of her front window, undecorated, but beautiful nonetheless. "Do you like it?" Nick's soft voice whispered against her hair. She turned to look at him, her eyes moist with tears. "Oh, yes," she whispered to him. They stood quietly in the dimly lit room for several minutes, just basking in the comfort and love of each other. After several moments, Natalie looked at the tree standing in front of the window. "I don't have anywhere near enough decorations to properly trim that poor tree." Nat sighed. Nick kissed her cheek and smiled, "Not a problem," he said with a grin. At Natalie's confused look, he pointed to several sacks near the bottom of the tree. "I bought some. This is a good start, don't you think?" Natalie smiled quizzically. "A good start?" She asked. "Yeah. We can collect more each year. I do, however have one very special one for you that I think you should put on the tree first." As Nick moved away from her to retrieve a box on the cofee table, Nat removed her jacket and put her stuff away. As she watched him turn the lights on the tree, she began to wonder what sort of ornament that he could have for her that was so special. 'Probably something *VERY* old,' Nat thought with a smile. Nick walked over and handed Natalie a box with simple green wrapping and a red ribbon around it. Nat looked at the box and smiled as she took it from his hands. "You *know*," she said to him as she began to unwrap the box, "you are going to absolutely spoil me with all of these gifts." Nick raised his eyebrows and grinned at her. "Good," was all he had to say. Nat was about to reply when her eye caught the beautiful star-shaped ornament. It was very delicate, and an unusual color of gold-but it was *clear*. It caught the lights from around the room, and it made the color even more beautiful. As Natalie carefully picked up the ornament to study it, she saw the ends were tipped with what appeared to be diamonds, making it sparkle even more. It was made to be put on top of the tree. "It's beautiful, Nick. Where's it from?" she asked in little more than a whisper. "It was a gift from a friend. A very long time ago. She was trying to help me restore my faith. It didn't work. I guess I just wasn't ready then." He pulled her closely to him and whispered just inches from her lips, "But I'm ready now." Leaning forward, he touched his lips to hers. Nat's eyes widened and she smiled shyly. He laughed and took her hand. "Let's see how it looks on our tree." Natalie took note of the fact that he had said 'OUR' tree. They walked over and Nat carefully placed the beautiful ornament on top of the tree. She looked at it and smiled. "It's beautiful, Nick. All of it. Thank you." She gave him a quick kiss on the lips as she turned towards the kitchen. " I am *STARVING*. How about I eat something, and then we can get the tree decorated?" Nick watched Nat head to the kitchen, and then he followed her. As they walked in, Natalie stopped at the sight before her. A beautifully set table for two was waiting for them, lit only by the two candles in the center. On the table was a magnificent meal of cornish game hen, salad, rice pilaf and several varieties of steamed squash. A loaf of dark brown, freshly baked bread sat there as well, complete with a silver dish of butter. Two bottles sat on the table, one of a very fine old vintage of white wine, one filled with a dark red liquid suitable to Nick's digestive tract. Natalie turned to Nick in wonderment. "What's happening, Nick?" she asked with tears in her eyes. "Nat?" Nick looked at her in puzzlement and concern. Then he realized what was wrong. Nat had wanted for so long for Nick to show her how he felt, to show her that he had faith in her, faith in them. She was fearful that all of this was just an emotional reaction to the holiday season, and that as soon as it passed, so would his behavior. He understood. She was afraid. He walked over and put his arms around her. "I love you. That's what's happening. Oh Nat, I've been such an idiot. All of these years you have had to be the strength and hope for both of us. You had faith in me no matter what I did. No matter how things worked out. When I pushed you away, you pulled me back. Everything you've said and done all this time finally makes sense to me. I am finally ready, and willing, to give back. Will you let me try to make it up to you?" "Nick, I... I don't know what to say." Tears rolled freely down her cheeks as she cried from sheer joy. She could barely believe what was happening was real. After a moment, she regained her composure and smiled lovingly at him, "Of course I'll let you make it up to me." Nick sighed in relief. He had been afraid for a moment that he had waited too long to finally tell her how he felt- that she had decided that things had gotten beyond the point of repair. His heart swelled with joy as he pulled her close to him. He stood there holding her for a moment, then said to her, "You'd better sit down and eat before it gets cold." She smiled at him, and let him help her get seated in her chair. He took the chair opposite her and poured their drinks, then raised his glass to her in a toast. "To life and love and faith. I love you Natalie. Here's to us." Their glasses clinked lightly as they touched, and then Nick braced himself as he readied himself to surprise her yet again. Natalie's hands shook a little as she shared a toast with Nick. As she set her glass back on the table in front of her, she noticed that Nick had set the bottle and his glass of blood aside, and was gingerly poking at a small plate of food in front of him. She leaned back in her chair as she watched him intently for a few moments, then nearly fell out of it as he took a fork full of rice and popped it into his mouth. He grinned at her as he chewed the food, wondering at whether or not he could manage to keep it down. 'NO.' he thought to himself. 'I *WILL* keep it down. For her. For us.' He swallowed the bite of rice, and sat motionless for a moment as he waited to see what would happen. Nothing. No nausea. No wracking pain. He looked at Nat and smiled. "Well?" Nat asked him quietly; breathlessly. "How is it?" "Not bad, actually." He tried a bite of the cornish game hen. Still nothing. He tried the squash mixture, and that was enough. He swallowed hard and sat trying to ward off the nausea. After a moment it passed, and he looked into Nat's eyes. They were sparkling with love and concern, amusement and wonder, but most of all, with acceptance and hope. He smiled as he tried the rice again. He managed to keep it down, so he slowly ate the rice as he talked. Natalie barely heard a word Nick was saying to her. She was overwhelmed by the emotions of joy and surprise, love and concern. Nick was willingly doing things that she had tried for years to get him to do through badgering and nagging, threats and cajoling. She could see the wave of nausea wash over him when he tasted the squash, but was pleased that he had actually managed to keep it down. Since the rice appeared to be the easiest for him to tolerate, he continued to eat that slowly as he sat and talked to her. She smiled at him as she began to eat her own food, uncaring that he washed his down with bloodwine. They ate and talked, and laughed. When they were finished, Nick escorted her out of the kitchen and into the living room. They spent hours decorating their tree, and talking about Christmas traditions of long past. After several hours, Nat began to yawn every few minutes. Nick smiled at her as she stifled her third yawn in two minutes. "Why don't we turn in?" he asked her. She nodded as she yawned again, and headed toward her bedroom. Nick followed her until she went into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. While she showered, Nick slipped into his familiar black silk pajamas and settled into her soft bed. Natalie came out of the bathroom, towel drying her hair, and wearing the same black silk pajamas Nick had seen her in two nights before. It finally occured to him that they were identical to his own. He smiled at the thought, and made room for Nat next to him. She sat down on the edge of the bed for a moment, then turned and looked at Nick. She felt nervous for some reason. They had slept together on their respective couches, and had even shared the same bed on occassion, but Natalie had never felt the nervous fluttering in her stomach that she felt now. She wondered at the idea that somehow Nick's profession of his love had somehow changed their comfortable repertoire. She took a deep breath as Nick took her hand and pulled her closer to him. He put his arms around her and whispered into her hair, "Pleasant dreams, my Natalie." He softly kissed her forehead as she drifted off to sleep. There would be no turning back for him this time. No matter what happened, he was determined to make her happy, and find his long lost mortality. He closed his eyes and drifted into a peaceful sleep, filled with joy and love and faith. *Nick awoke to the sound of the ringing telephone. He rolled over and groggily picked up the receiver. "Yeah, Knight here." Silence greeted him from the other end of the line for a moment, then he heard a man's voice ask, "Umm, is this Natalie Lambert's number?" Nick opened his eyes and looked down at Nat still sleeping comfortably next to him. He was still at her place. "Yes, it is. She's sleeping right now, though. Can I take a message for her?" Nick waited as he listened to the uneasy silence for a moment. "Uh, yeah. Tell her that Justin called. I was just wondering if she'd given any thought to the question I asked her last night." Nick looked at Nat again as he said, "Yes. I'll tell her." He hung up the phone and turned over to pull her close to him. What was going on? What was so important? He knew Nat would tell him eventually, he just had to be patient. He had nearly drifted off to sleep again, when he heard Nat murmuring in her sleep. He frowned as he listened closer to what she said. "No. Please. It's too early. Far too early. Not my baby..." What was she dreaming about that so upset her? Her baby? He pulled her tighter into his arms whispering words of comfort to her. She settled back down into restful silence, as Nick tried to drift back to sleep. Suddenly, with a sharp gasp, Natalie sat straight up in bed. "Joey! NO!" she shouted as she came to wakefulness. She sat shaking and crying, very disoriented. Nick sat up quickly and wrapped his arms around her. "Shh, Nat, it's okay." He tried to comfort her, to bring her back from her dream. Natalie was suddenly aware of Nick sitting there holding her, whispering soothing words to try and comfort her. Her dream had been so real. No. It wasn't really a dream. It was a memory, and a painful one at that. She fell into Nick's arms and wept as the memories of the fear and the loss attacked her in a steady, unrelenting stream. She knew what had brought it on. The combination of the Binnings' case, and the question her cousin Justin and his wife, Nadine, had asked her yesterday. The stress was too much. So she just sat wrapped in Nick's comforting embrace, and she cried. Nick was a bit baffled by Nat's actions. He wondered if maybe she was dreaming about him hurting her again, but realized that she had called out the name Joey. Was she dreaming of the Joey Martin case? He knew that she had felt guilty about having used his blood to help Joey regain his memory. But in the end, it had worked out for the best. Somehow, he did not think that was what was troubling her. "Nat?" he whispered. "Nat, tell me what it is. I want to help. It helps to talk about it." He was doing his best to be strong for her. She had been his strength through so much, only rarely did he get to help her. She was one of the strongest people he had ever known. After all, she had stood toe to toe against Lacroix, and had never once shown any sign of fear. "Nat?" he whispered again. He gently grasped her cheeks in his hands, wiping away the tears, looking into her eyes. Natalie tried to subdue her sobs; Nick was trying so hard to help her. She took a few deep breaths to pull herself together. "I'm okay, Nick, really. I... I just had a bad dream. I..." her voice trailed off as she saw the look of hurt in his eyes. He knew that it was more, and he wanted to help. "Let me get some tea, then we'll talk. I need to pull myself together first." "Alright. C'mon. I'll help." Nick wanted to know what it was that was bothering Nat, but he didn't want to push her. How often had she done the same for him? An hour later, Natalie sat on the sofa with Nick's arms around her, and an afghan covering her legs. Warm and comfortable, and working on her third cup of peppermint tea, Nat prepared herself to tell Nick the painful truth. Taking a deep breath, she began. "Nick, I haven't *EVER* told anyone about this. Only the people who were there know. I've tried to put it behind me, to move on...to run from it, I guess is the truth." "Nat, I can't imagine you running from anything. You're the strongest person I know." Nick lightly kissed the top of her head. "Nick, please. I need you to understand. I ran from it by burying myself in school, and later, in work. I just wanted to get away from the pain. I felt that by staying busy, I could get away from it." She took a sip of her tea before continuing. "Because of what my grandmother had done to me as a child, I felt the need to prove myself worthy of love and acceptance. I learned early that good grades and success in school got me the attention I craved, so I did better than anyone I knew. I studied and worked until I was in all the top honor roll classes. I went to summer school every year, so that I could graduate nearly two years early. Right after I turned sixteen, I was preparing to graduate in a few months. Top of my class, scholarships up the wazoo; I knew exactly what I wanted. I planned on having my career firmly established, being married, and having had my first child by the time I turned twenty-five." She stopped a moment, and smiled briefly at Nick's surprised look. "I had been dating the same guy all through high school, and we were planning on being married after I graduated. He was a little older than me, so we were graduating the same year. Anyway, we were a little surprised to find out a week before graduation that I was pregnant." She stopped when Nick's head jerked suddenly around, and he looked at her in astonished silence. She nodded her head and continued. "At first we didn't know what to do. We knew we wanted to get married, and we knew that we wanted the baby. But we also wanted our planned careers. We decided to keep it quiet until after graduation, and after we could come up with a definite plan. I was already three and a half months along, so we didn't have much time. I did, however, know that I didn't want an abortion. They were still relatively frowned on, even though they were legal, and I just valued human life too much to even consider it." She glanced shyly at Nick, afraid of what his eyes might tell her about what he was thinking, and was suprised to see a look of wonder and respect on his face. "You never have been one to choose the easy way out," he whispered to her. Encouraged by his apparent acceptance, she continued on. "Well, after we graduated, we sat our families down and told them. They were shocked. And angry. And worried. So many things. I saw the disappointment in my mother's eyes, and that hurt me more than any words ever could have. But I knew that I deserved it. Anyway, we told them that we still planned on being married, only we were going to wait until after the baby came. We were going to attend the local college, and Jonah was going to continue on at his job at the police station as long as he could. It was a decent income, and with all of our scholarships, we could afford to go to school and get a small place. We had everything worked out. Our parents were definitely surprised. They hadn't realized how thoroughly we had thought everything through. The only thing we asked, was that I be allowed to live at home until after the baby was born, and Jonah and I got married. My parents agreed, a bit reluctantly, but they did agree. My dad said that I would really need my mom at a time like this. Things progressed smoothly. I worked the summer at a local hospital, it was a special program that provided the hospital with extra help, and gave pre- med students a chance to get some first hand experience in the world of medicine. Jonah continued on at his job at the police staion in the records department. Most people were shocked to learn what was going on. We all found out who our true friends were at that point. My doctor kept telling me that everything was fine, keep eating right, the baby sounded great. Just past the seven month mark, I was home one afternoon cleaning up and studying my pre-med course requirements, when I started having these awful pains. My parents were gone for the day, so I was alone. I called Jonah at work and told him to get there right now. By then the pain was so bad I could hardly talk. I tried to call my doctor's office, but all I got was a busy signal, so laid down on the bed and tried to breathe." Nick could feel Nat shaking now. He knew that she was fighting back tears. He tightened his hold on her and whispered, "It's okay, Nat. Go on." She nodded and took another deep breath. "Jonah got to my house and came in to find me clutching my stomach and crying. He raced me to the hospital, and I was placed on a gurney and rushed into an examining room. I don't remember much, but the next thing I knew, both of our families were there, and Jonah and I were being told that the baby was coming. They had tried to stop labor, but they couldn't. He said they wanted to try for a natural delivery, resorting to a C-section only if necessary. Less than two hours later, I had a very tiny little boy, hooked up to every machine imaginable. " She took another sip of tea, and fought to stop her shaking hands. "As soon as I was physically able, I went down to the neonatal intensive care unit. I had heard all of the reports, but I wasn't really prepared for what I saw. He was so tiny. He couldn't breathe on his own, so they had him hooked up to a ventilator. He had IV tubes, and heart monitors and brain wave activity monitors...so many things. They were keeping him alive. Jonah wouldn't go in at first. He was, I don't know, afraid maybe. I wouldn't leave at all. I wanted to be with him every second. I kept touching him and talking to him, encouraging him. We named him Joseph Ryan Peterson, but we called him Joey, for short. He held on for ten weeks, at some points doing amazingly well, but in the end, he was too small, and too weak. When we decided to take him off of the machines and let nature run it's course, I thought I would die. They gave us a special room with a rocking chair, a t.v., and a bed. They brought in the other family members. Everyone got to hold him and say their goodbye's, then they shooed everyone out except for me and Jonah. We spent an hour holding him, rocking him, singing to him... finally, he opened his eyes-he never had before-and looked at me. Then he let out a breath and closed his eyes...and left my life forever." She was crying now. The tears running down her cheeks like rain. Nick pulled her to him and held her, allowing her this time to grieve. He was so amazed by the strength and spirit she had. He was more determined than ever to be with her. As a mortal. He knew now that it was possible. It had to be. After several minutes, Nat sat up and dried her tears. She had to finish. "After we buried Joey, Jonah and I grew further and further apart. I immersed myself in school, and the hospital. Jonah decided to pursue police work. Then I decided to leave and attend college in California. We promised to keep in touch and keep our relationship together, but distance, physical and emotional, made it impossible. We saw each other occassionally-" She licked her lips and looked at him. "-A time or two we even slept together again. But nothing was ever the same between us." She looked away. "After that, and then another incident in college ending in another broken engagement, I sort of decided maybe I should just give up on trying to have a romantic relationship with anyone before it killed me." She stopped and turned to Nick. Looking deep into his blue eyes she felt safe and loved. This time, it really *COULD* kill her, but she didn't believe for a moment that it would. Somehow, *THIS* was right. "Until now. I don't know why, Nick, but ever since that first day, I've known that what's between us was right. It's pure and true and real. For the first time in my life, I'm not afraid." She touched his cheek tenderly. His skin was cool to the touch, but it comforted her. She leaned into him, and placed her ear next to his chest. She could never get close enough to him. Nick was speechless. He had no idea the pain she had suffered. He very well could kill her, and yet she was unafraid. She had said that what was between them was pure. How could that be? He was evil, he was...he was a very frightened man. He loved her more than anything or anyone he had encountered in 800 years. More than Janette. More than Alyssa. She wasn't afraid. He didn't know what to say. What to do. So he held her. He could never get close enough to her. *The telephone ringing woke Nick with a start. Nat was still in his arms, but the phone was causing her to stir. As the machine picked it up, Nat sat up and looked at him with a smile. She felt better than she had in years. The machine beeped, and the voice of Justin came over the speaker. "Nattie? Nattie, are you there? Some guy answered the phone earlier, and -" "Yeah, Justin. I'm here." Nat had jumped up and grabbed the phone as soon as her cousin's voice began. "No. It's okay. No. He's a friend. His name is Nick. He's a homicide detective. Justin...Justin...Stop already!" Nick smiled. She must have been bombarded with a flurry of questions. "I haven't had much of a chance to consider it, yet. I've been busy with work. We're working on a really tough case...yes. I'll let you know. I love you, too. Bye." Nat set the receiver back on the cradle, and turned to face Nick. "Justin said he called earlier?" Nick nodded. "Yes. You were sleeping, and I didn't want to disturb you. Then with everything else, I forgot to tell you. I'm sorry." Nat smiled. "Don't be. He was just a little shocked." "Oh. I see." Nick looked around at the beautifully decorated apartment. "Maybe we could book off work tonight and stay here. I don't really want to leave, and you need to rest. It's been an emotional day." Nick looked hopefully at Nat. "With the Binnings case still open? Nick, are you crazy? Reese would skin us both. Besides, I'm fine." She laughed lightly at Nick's crestfallen look. "But if it makes you happier, we can come back later. Maybe book off a little early, rent a movie, get some Chinese?" Her voice became low and seductive, as she inched closer to him. "I promise to make it up to you..." her voice trailed off as he caught her in his arms and kissed her. She was both surprised and pleased. Before they had even started, Nat could feel her heart rate increase. She wanted him. They both knew it. He kissed her with a fire and intensity that told her that he wanted her, too. He pulled back, and looked at her. The look in his eyes told her how much he wanted her, but how fearful he was. She smiled at him, and kissed him lightly on the forehead. "I know. It's okay. For now, that's enough." She stood up and took his hand. "C'mon. I'm starving, and you need to feed-eat." She guided him to the kitchen where she poured him a glass of blood from the refrigerator, and then she made herself some soup in the microwave. They sat in silence as they finished off their 'breakfast.' Then Nick suddenly asked, "Nat? What is the important question your cousin asked you?" Nat sucked her top lip in between her teeth, and looked nervously at Nick. Finally, she took a deep breath and said, "Justin and his wife Nadine have been trying, unsuccessfully, for twelve years to have a child. They've tried everything. Fertility drugs, surgery, even adoption. Last year the mother of the baby they adopted came back and wanted her child back. They fought her, but the court gave Crissy back. They only had her a little over a year. About a month ago, some friends of theirs from their support group had a family member become a surrogate mother for them. It's worked out so well, they started to consider who in the family would make the ideal surrogate. They've asked me, Nick." She looked at him to gage his reaction. "What do you want, Nat?" Nick asked. He wasn't really surprised. He knew why they had asked her. She was single, healthy and young enough to bear children, and she had a heart of gold. Lacroix had always mockingly called her his mortal angel. Lacroix had no idea how close he was to the truth. She looked at him, relieved at the acceptance she saw there. "I don't know, Nick. After what happened to Joey...well, I guess I'm just scared. If something happened, I don't know if I could live with it. Then there's the fact that they live in Arizona, and I live here. If I agreed to this, I'd be going through it all alone." Nick stood up and walked around to where she sat. "Nat, if you want to do this, I promise you, you will *NOT* go through it alone. I'll be here for you. As for what happened to Joey, it was the most awful thing anyone ever had to face, but you survived. It wasn't your fault. You would make it again, if you had to. I'd do my best to help you." He kissed her neck, not even noticing the scent of her blood. "I'm not going anywhere." Natalie grabbed Nick's hands and held him close. She didn't know how, or why, she had been chosen to be the one for him. She was just glad that she was. "Are you sure you know what you're getting yourself into?" she asked. "No. But as long as I'm with you, I can handle anything." He knew that it was the truth. He was stronger with her. He was whole with her. He loved her. "Let's go, or we'll be late for work." He said, as he kissed her neck again. She smiled and said, "if you keep doing that, I won't want to go to work." He pulled her to a standing position, and, laughing, marched her down the hall to her room. *Nick and Natalie arrived at the Coroner's Office at 9:00. Tracy noted with a smile that they arrived together in Nick's car. Natalie looked up at the sky as Tracy approached, and sighed. "Not a cloud in sight," she said in disgust. "I was really hoping for a white Christmas." Nick laughed and steered her toward the door. "Well, it's cold enough." he said to her. "Hi, Trace. Any new developments on the Binnings case?" Nick said to Tracy in greeting. "Hi, Nick, Nat," she smiled at them. "Gee, partner, I missed you, too. NO. Not a thing. Reese is going ballistic. He thinks it had to be one of the parents, but I'm not so sure. They seem genuinely shocked and grieved." As they walked toward Nat's office, Tracy noticed that Nick stood a little closer to Nat than usual, and he had his arm protectively around her waist. Just friends. Yeah, right. "Anyway, Captain is hoping the chemical trace on the stuff we brought in turns up something." she continued. "The parents are at Mrs. Binnings' mother's house, and they told us to feel free to go over the house as often as necessary to get some answers. Either they're not guilty, or they think that there's no way to trace it back to them." "Well, let's see if the CT report is back yet." Nat said as they entered her office. She removed her coat, and began rummaging through the 'IN' box on her desk. "I don't see it here. Let me call Grace and see if she knows where it's at. I want to get this one taken care of before we leave for my cousin's." She looked at Nick as she picked up the receiver to the phone, and smiled. "Grace? It's Nat. Where's the CT on the Binnings case?...There's what?" Nat sat for a moment in stunned silence, her eyes involuntarily filling with tears. "Yeah, I'll tell them and head out." Her voice was little more than a whisper. She looked at Nick and Tracy as she hung up the phone and heard their beepers go off. She swallowed hard, and said, "There's been another infant death. It appears to be suffocation. Nick, they said it's nearly identical to Aaron Binnings' death. I'll send a blood sample over to the lab as soon as they bring him in. Jansen and Miles are at the scene now, and Reese wants you two there as soon as possible." She started to turn away, but Nick caught her arm. "Are you going to be okay?" he asked her. His eyes mirrored the concern he felt, as he took her hand. She nodded. "Yes. This is part of the job, Nick. Much as I hate it, it's part of the job. I'll be okay. We'll talk later." She squeezed his hand, and forced a smile. "Go on. Before Reese comes looking for you." "Alright. I'll see you soon." He lightly kissed her forehead. "But call me if you need anything." Tracy had been quietly watching this exchange. She knew that the 'just friends' stance they took was a myth. She could see it in their eyes, in the way they touched and interacted. She wondered if they were even aware of the electricity that emanated from them when they were together. Whatever it was between them, it was almost tangible. She felt a vague twinge of jealousy. Natalie nodded and then she released Nick's hand. She was beginning to wish that they had booked off and stayed home. As Tracy and Nick left her office, she grabbed her coat and a few other things. Then she realized that her car was still at home. She called the front and told them she needed a ride to the scene, then hurried out the door. *Nick and Tracy arrived at the home of Alex and Jennifer Cadena as the last of the uniformed officers were leaving. "What's up?" Nick asked Miles as they walked in. Miles was a young rookie homicide detective, not much older than Tracy. His reddish hair and green eyes always seemed to catch the attention of the women in the precinct. He looked at Nick gravely as he replied. "Another dead infant. Appears to be suffocation due to SIDS, but with the Binnings' case...I don't know. Too coincidental for me." Nick nodded in agreement. "Where's the body?" Miles pointed toward the back of the house. "In the nursery. Parent's say they didn't hear any noise from him for a few hours. When they went to look in on him, he wasn't breathing. Mr. Cadena tried to do CPR and revive him, but it was too late." He turned back to his partner, as Nick walked back to the nursery. He walked in to find a room decorated to the hilt in trains and teddy bears, and lots and lots of blue. He felt a stab of longing as he looked at the furnishings. A rocking chair in one corner, a dresser on the wall by the door, a cradle in another corner. The baby lay dead in the cradle; someone had at least covered him. Nick walked over and carefully lifted the blanket. The baby was tiny, probably less than ten pounds. Nick stood there staring at him for a moment, when he suddenly realized that there was someone standing near him. He looked up into a pair of familiar hazel eyes, now clouded to almost a grey color. Natalie looked at Nick for a moment, standing there just looking at the baby. What was he thinking about? This whole case was getting to her. Nick looked up at her, and stood looking silently at her for a moment. His eyes reflected a great sadness, and she understood. Funny how they knew what the other was thinking, just by the look in their eyes. She looked down at the baby, and then back to Nick. "They asked me to come and look at him before they moved him. Since I was on the scene at the Binnings'..." her voice trailed off. She moved around the cradle as Nick moved out of her way, and leaned down to look at the child before her. She gently touched his face, and ran the tiny fingers between her thumb and forefinger for a moment. Then, as if shaking herself, she suddenly switched into her 'Dr. Lambert' mode. After a few moments, she stood up and looked at Nick, and Tracy, who had come in from the front of the house. "Cause of death appears to be suffocation, just like they said. No visible signs of abuse or mistreatment. I'll run a tox as soon as I get back to the lab, and yes, I will breathe down their necks until I get it back." "Good." They all turned to look at Captain Reese standing in the door, face like a thunder cloud. "If this baby died of the same thing as Aaron Binnings, that more or less rules out the parents as suspects. If that's the case, I don't like what's unfolding here." Nick looked at Reese and nodded. "A serial killer. That preys on infants." He could barely control the fury in his voice. "Who would do such a thing?" "Someone very sick." Reese replied. You two talk to the parents, while Nat gets the tox. I want this to stop. We all do." He turned and left the room. As Nick and Tracy turned to follow, Natalie caught Nick's arm. "Nick? What's his name?" Nick looked into the eyes that he loved so much. He could see the the tears hovering there, and knew that she was fighting for control over her emotions. This case was really hurting her, and that made him more determined than ever to find the answers. Nick looked to Tracy for an answer. "I don't know. Tracy? Do you?" Tracy looked at Nick, then at Nat. Something about this case was getting to them. True it was getting to everyone, but it was really bothering them. "Alexander. He was named after his father." Nat nodded, almost in relief, and then gathered up her things. Tracy looked at Nick with a puzzled expression on her face as Natalie left. He shook his head and said, "I can't tell you about it. Not yet. C'mon. Let's go talk to the Cadena's." *Five hours later, Natalie sat in front of her computer, glaring at the results of the tox screen that had been sent over. She was angry. Angry that someone could kill a helpless child, with no thought or feeling. Her phone rang, and she snatched it off the cradle. "Lambert!" she said harshly. A few moments later, she slammed the receiver back on it's base, and stormed from the room. Nick walked into the house and looked around him. Another dead baby. Nat had rushed the tox on the last case, and it had come back the same as Aaron Binnings'. Someone had fed him poison. He had no idea who, or why. He walked into the nursery, and found Nat leaning over the crib. "Nat?" he called. She looked up at him, and he could see the anger in her eyes. He knew it wasn't directed at him, but he definitely recognized the look. The pain and frustration she was feeling was turning to anger. He walked over and stood next to her. "Exactly the same as the last two. Nothing. Appears to be suffocation. No bruises, no marks. Nothing. I already know what the tox report is going to tell us, though." She was rattling off the report automatically. He could tell she was trying to stay together. "Nat..." he began. "No. Don't, please. Not here." She whispered to him. "I can't afford to fall apart here." Nick nodded. He understood. He would have to wait for them to get back to her place. "Okay," he said to her. He moved out of her way, as she turned to leave. "Nick, his name is Joseph." she told him as she walked away. Nick watched her leave. He knew what it meant. He had to find something. Think, Nick! What could these boys all have in common? Well, they were all boys. No girls. They were all newborns, two months or younger. Nick grabbed his phone and called the precinct. "Miles?" he asked as the young man answered the phone. "Knight. Look, do me a favor and look up what hospital the Binnings' and the Cadena's sons were born in. See if it was the same one. Thanks." Nick hung up his phone, and went back into the front room to find Tracy. Natalie sat in her office. Nick had called to tell her he was on his way. Three dead baby boys. Why? Why would anyone want to kill infants? How did they manage to get close enough to feed them poison? There were far too many questions. And so far, no answers. Christmas was getting closer, and if this case wasn't solved before then, she and Nick would not be going to her family reunion. She wondered if maybe it was for the best. Her family would bound to be curious as to her relationship with Nick. They would undoubtedly ask a lot of embarrassing questions. Nick was just beginning to express his feelings for her, and she didn't want to frighten him into backing off. She stared at her computer screen once again. Something was nagging at her, but she couldn't pinpoint what it was. She read through all of the reports again. The toxicology reports, the chemical trace reports, the forensic reports. All of them said exactly the same things. Three baby boys, all apparently dead of suffocation due to SIDS. Upon toxicology testing, all three were found to have actually died of stricnine poisoning, due to ingestion. No signs of physical abuse or neglect. Nothing to noticeably connect them. But there was something... "Nat?" Nick whispered as he came up behind her. She didn't even flinch. "Hi, Nick." she said. "I'm almost ready to go. I was just looking over the reports on the baby deaths again. Something keeps nagging at me, but I can't place my finger on it." Nick kissed her on the temple. "Nat, come on. You're exhausted, and Grace says you haven't eaten all night. I'll take you home. We can stop at that Chinese place by your apartment." He grinned impishly at her, trying to cheer her up. Tonight, however, it wasn't working. "I'm sorry, Nick. I'm just so frazzled by this case. How the hell could anyone kill infants? What could possibly going through their minds?" "I don't know, Nat. Even I can't fathom why someone would do such a thing." He pulled her to a standing position, then put his arms around her. Tightening his embrace as much as he dared, he looked down into her eyes. He saw the pain she was trying so hard to fight back. She was trying to be strong. He loved her so much. "Let's go home," he whispered to her. She nodded as she disengaged from his embrace. She quickly gathered up her things, then let Nick help her into her coat. He took her hand as he led her to his car. From the shadows outside the coroner's office, a figure stood silently watching the couple leaving the building. Patience. An opportunity was bound to present itself. Just be patient... *Nick reached over to pull Natalie closer, when he realized that she wasn't there. He sat up and looked around the room. It was very dark in her room, thanks to the specialized drapes she had hung just for days when he stayed. She was sitting at her desk in the corner, looking intently into her computer screen. He shook his head in amazement. He should have known she wouldn't sleep until this case was solved. She had cried in his arms for more than an hour when they first arrived at her place. He knew she was hurting, and he knew he had to do something. He climbed out of the bed, and went to kneel behind her. He put his arms around her waist, and kissed the back of her head. "Hey, you. You should get some sleep." He told her as he tightened his hold on her. "How can I sleep as long as someone is out there killing helpless babies?" She asked him. "I can't close my eyes without seeing him--them." Nick caught the slip, and realized that she wasn't going to be able to rest until this was settled. "Okay. I'll help. Let me get us something to eat, and we'll go back over this inch by inch." She nodded, but kept looking at her computer screen. Nick shook his head again as he headed towards the kitchen. A few minutes later Nick returned and set a tray on the table near her desk. Nat was still going over the files on her computer screen. "I found some fruit and cheese in your refrigerator and I made you some coffee. Hope that's okay." Nick said as he picked up his glass and filled it from the bottle beside it. Nat looked up briefly and nodded. "That's fine. Thank you." She sighed as she turned back to the screen in front of her. Nick moved to stand behind her as he drained the glass he held. He set the glass back on the tray. "Here, Nat. Let me take a look. You need to eat." She stood up and stretched as Nick took her place in the chair she had just vacated. As Natalie picked up her coffee, Nick read over some of the information on the screen. "There's no apparent connection between these infants, or their families. Except for the cause of death. They weren't even born in the same hospitals. Aaron Binnings was born at St. Joseph's. Alexander Cadena was born at Toronto General. Joseph Daughber was born in Montreal. I don't know what would have made them targets for our killer." Nat had been chewing on a piece of apple as she listened to Nick. "Nick!" she said suddenly. "Say their last names again- in order of death." Nick turned a puzzled expression on her, and began ticking off the names. "Binnings. Cadena. Daughber." He said. "Nat, I don't see where this is going." "Each of their last names begins with a letter in the alphabet. B-Binnings. C-Cadena. D-Daughber." Nick nodded in agreement as he realized she was right. "Only we're missing the letter A." Nat looked at him, "Maybe not." At Nick's questioning glance, she said, "Look up all of the files in the last few months from nearby hospitals for a case of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. I'll lay odds that there's a dead baby boy who's last name ends in A." Nick quickly accessed all available files then stopped and frowned. "I need a doctor's secured access code." He said to her. She reached around him, and punched in a few numbers and letters. He tried to hide his smile as he noticed her access code. As the information came up, he looked at the screen. Sure enough, there had been a baby boy just two weeks ago, that had apparently died of SIDS. "Michael Andersen. Just two days old." Nat's head jerked up from the contemplation of her coffee cup. "Two days? Nick!" she looked like she had been struck. He slid off the chair, and took her into his arms. "I know. I know. Don't worry, we'll find out who's doing this." He took her hand, and gently pulled her to the bed. As he took the cup from her and set it on the nightstand, he said to her, "You really need to get some sleep." He turned back to face her, and as he did so, she pulled him to her. The kiss she gave him was soft and exploring at first, but she quickly deepened it to an intensity that hit him like a lightning bolt. Nick tried to pull away a bit, to give them both a moment. But Natalie had other ideas. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her, deepening the kiss. All the reasons why they should stop, why this couldn't be, escaped Natalie as she put all she was into drawing him to her. She knew he loved her. He wouldn't hurt her. She needed him. "Nat..." Nick began as he tried to pull away from her. "Nat, we can't..." She pulled back grudgingly. He was right. Now was not the time. But there would come a time. Soon. "I know. I know. I'm sorry, Nick. I..." "It's okay. " Nick told her softly. "I want you, too. Never think for a moment that I don't. I'm just afraid. I couldn't go on if I ever hurt you. I love you far too much." Nat smiled at that. She just had to be patient. "I love you, too. Let's get some sleep, huh?" She took his hand and pulled him down onto the bed with her. He lay down and wrapped his arms around her. How much longer could they keep this up? He wanted to wake up with her in his arms every night. But he didn't want to put her at risk. Soon they drifted off to sleep. For once they were both too tired to dream. *Natalie awoke and glanced at the clock on the bedside table. 7:00pm. With a groan, she rolled out of bed. They had to be to work in a few hours. She headed to the bathroom and shut the door. Nick heard the shower running and smiled. Nat was awake. He kept his eyes closed. He still had plenty of time to get ready to go. The shower went off and a few moments later, he heard movement in the room. He opened his eyes, and grinned broadly at the sight before him. Nat was quietly digging through a dresser drawer, wrapped only in a bath sheet. Her wet curls dripped slightly, the droplets of water running down her back to meet the towel and quickly be absorbed. Nick was absorbed himself in the sight before him. He had never seen her like *this* before. She was beautiful. Thin and firmly toned, she must exercise to keep in that good a shape. Her skin was a creamy color, untouched by the sun. The thought at once saddened and warmed him. The towel just covered her mid-section, covering the essentials, and little else, hinting at what lay underneath. He liked it. Natalie felt as if she were being watched, and turned slowly around. Nick was sitting up in her bed, looking at her, an appreciative grin on his face. She arched an eyebrow in his direction. "Enjoying the view?" she asked. "Immensely." was the reply. Natalie blushed to her toes. She looked down at her feet, suddenly unable to look at him. "I'll just go get dressed..." she said as she retreated quickly into the bathroom. She closed the bathroom door and leaned heavily into it. As long as his gaze had remained more of a leer, she had felt defiant and playful. As soon as he spoke however, his gaze had turned to one of longing and intense desire. How could he make that one word so sultry, so full of promise? She shook her head. Time to get ready to go. Nick had watched Nat's expression go from playful defiance, to sheer and total embarrassment in the blink of an eye. He hadn't meant to do that, but he sort of enjoyed the rosy flush that had covered her. He heard the racing of her heart as she shut the bathroom door behind her. He smiled to himself as he got up and walked to the kitchen. Natalie walked into the kitchen, dressed for work. Nick noted that she had on a thick black turtle neck, her black wool skirt that came down below her knees, and a matching black wool suit jacket. She also wore the earrings he had given her a few nights ago, and the heart-shaped locket she seemed to be so fond of. He wondered if her choice of outfit was a result of her earlier embarrassment, or due to the cold weather. She silently accepted the mug of coffee he offered her, and headed to the 'fridge. He smiled as he walked towards her room. He stopped when he heard a knock at the door. Without a second thought, he opened it. It was Tracy. Tracy had gotten a call from Natalie earlier. She and Nick had come up with something on the Infant Killings. It had sounded important, so she had decided to stop by Natalie's on the way in. She had half expected Nick to be there. She *hadn't* expected him to be there in his pajamas. She stood outside the door, speechless, as Nick moved aside to let her in. "Hi Trace." he said. "Uh, hi, Nick." She cast a furtive glance at him. "If this is a bad time, I can talk to you later." Natalie had heard a knock on her door, and was going to answer it. When she walked into the foyer, she groaned inwardly at the sight before her. Nick stood there in his pajamas and bare feet. Tracy stood there with her mouth open and a shocked expression on her face. Natalie knew what was going on in that little blond head. She tried to keep her tone light. "Hi, Trace! What brings you here?" she asked as she moved to stand by Nick. She looked directly at him. "Shouldn't you be getting ready to go?" she asked quietly. He nodded and headed down the hall. Tracy watched his retreating form for a moment. The fact that Nat was dressed for work relieved her a bit. At least she hadn't been interrupting anything. She looked at Natalie with an apologetic look. "Nat, I'm sorry. I should have waited to talk to you at work. I just wanted to know what you came up with." Tracy relaxed at the warm smile she received from Nat. She had never had any siblings, but Nat was sort of like an older sister to her. And Nick was like an older brother. She was glad they were together. They were so *right* for each other. "Don't be sorry, Tracy. It's no big deal. Nick and I were just working on the case most of the morning, so he decided to crash here. " She tried to keep her tone light, noncommital. She hoped Tracy was buying it. "Please come in." She guestured toward the living room. As Tracy walked into Nat's living room, she gaped a little at the sight before her. Nat's place was gorgeous. "Wow, Nat, " Tracy said in an awed tone. "You really go all out for Christmas." Natalie smiled again. "Actually, Nick did most of it. It was a suprise for me. We decorated our tree together, though." Tracy caught the words 'our tree', and the loving look she had in her eyes as she looked at it, and tried to suppress a smile. Yes, these two were right for each other. They stood for a moment, silently admiring the beautiful sight before them. Finally Nat shook herself from her reverie, and looked at Tracy. "We definitely have a serial killer on our hands. All the babies are boys; all firstborn, and each one's last name begins with a letter of the alphabet. We checked, and there was a baby boy that died of 'SIDS"- or so they believe- who's last name begins with the letter 'A'. He was only two days old." Nat turned around and looked at her tree again, while Tracy processed the latest information. "So we should start keeping an eye on any firsborn boy under two months, especially if his name begins with the next letter of the alphabet." Tracy said out loud. "*Very* good, Detective Vetter. I knew there was a reason you were in homicide." Nick's voice came from mere inches behind and startled her. She turned to glare at him, but as soon as she saw the playful look on his face, her retort died on her lips. 'How does he *do* that?' she wondered to herself. "*Years* of practice." Natalie said to her with a knowing smile. Tracy wondered how it was that Nat had known what she was thinking, then decided maybe it was best not to know. "Shall we?" Nick asked as he held the door open for them. Tracy shook her head as she stepped outside. She turned in time to see Nick whisper something in Nat's ear. Nat's eyes grew wide, and she lightly poked him in the ribs with her elbow. The smile on her face, and the reddish cast to her skin spoke volumes. She took his proffered hand, and they headed to the parking area. Tracy could tell things were going to get even more interesting from here on out. With a sigh, she followed the two in front of her to the stairs. *Nick and Tracy sat before Captain Reese, waiting for him to comment on the latest information. They knew from experience to just let him think for a moment after giving him any new information. "So you're saying this baby killer is after firstborn male infants, and their last names begin with a corresponding letter of the alphabet?" he asked. "That's it, Cap. Nat spent most of the morning going over files, trying to find a connection. Something about it was nagging at her, but she couldn't quite figure it out. I started helping her go over the information, and she figured it out. It was the fact that all the last names begin with a letter of the alphabet. The only one we had missing was 'A', but we located a hospital that had an apparent SIDS case a few weeks ago, and the baby boy's last name was Andersen. Nat checked, and there *were* signs of poisoning. It's in a different jurisdiction, so we never got wind of it." Nick told him. Reese shook his head in amazement. "I think maybe Dr. Lambert is in the wrong field. *She* should be a homicide detective. If I partnered the two of you, the criminals of Toronto wouldn't stand a chance." He looked directly at Nick, enjoying for a moment the slight embarrassment his comment caused him. "Alright, then. We need to find out who is doing this, and stop him or her. There were no signs of forced entry to any of the homes, so whoever it is had access to each one of them. Find out who and why." Reese looked down at the file on his desk. After a moment of silence, he looked up again, "Why are you two still sitting here? Go!" Nick and Tracy stood up in unison. "On our way." Tracy said, as they shuffled out the door. "So, partner. Where do we start?" she asked Nick. In the short time they had worked together, she had learned to trust Nick's judgment. It was almost as if he had a sixth sense or something, but it made them the most successful homicide team in Toronto. If it ain't broke, as they say... "I'm not sure, Trace. I-" "Knight! Phone call for you, line four." One of the desk sargeants called to him. Nick walked over to his desk and picked up the receiver. "Yeah. Knight here." he said into the phone. Tracy watched his expression go from puzzlement, to sheer joy, as he heard the voice on the other end of the line, and knew it must be Natalie. He only got that expression on his face with her. She tried to conceal a smile as he hung up the phone. "So what did Nat say?" she asked him. "How did you know it was Nat?" he asked her suspiciously. "Because of the look on your face. You had on your 'Natalie's Only' expression." She smiled at him when he looked a bit surprised. "Oh, come on, Nick. Everyone knows you two are crazy about each other. It shows on your faces. You can feel it in the air whenever you two are in the same room. It's like an electric energy bolt sizzling around everything. I don't even think you two notice there are other people around half the time when you're together. It's like a magic that everyone feels from you two, and I think most of us envy you." Nick was shocked. He had never really thought of it quite like that before, but he knew that she was right. He smiled at that. "Trace, sometimes I love her so much, it physically hurts." There. He'd said it, and it felt good. "This case is hurting her, and that's hurting me. We need to wrap it up as soon as possible. She called because she's found something else, and wants us to get over there." Nick slid into his jacket, as Tracy grabbed her coffee. "Okay, let's go." she told him. She was surprised that he had actually admitted to her how he really felt about Natalie. It also pleased her. It must mean that they had finally admitted it to each other. Maybe the cat and mouse game was finally over. They arrived at the Coroner's Building a short time later, and hurried into Natalie's office. It was raining outside, and they both got a little wet on the way from the car to the door. Natalie looked up from her desk and saw the water on their jackets, and their damp hair. Her eyes narrowed a bit as she asked, "Rain?" Nick smiled at her as he removed his jacket. "Yes. It just started." At the disgusted look on her face, he quickly added, "Don't worry. It could still turn to snow. Christmas is still a few weeks off." "Hmmmm," was her only reply. Nick walked over to her and kissed her lightly on the lips. "What's up?" he asked her. She looked at him a moment, relishing the look of love and concern on his face. God, how she loved him. She would do anything for him. Nick was looking into her eyes, as she sat in quiet contemplation. He loved her eyes. The mirrors of the soul, someone had once said. Her soul radiated love. Love for him. It astounded him, as he realized that there must be some good in him, for her to love him as much as she did. Maybe there was hope after all... "Ahem. Nick? Nat?" Nick heard Tracy from over by the door. He looked at her, as she was shaking her head. He stood from kneeling in front of Natalie, noticing the rosy flush on her face as he did so. Tracy walked over to the desk and looked at Nick. "Told you so." she whispered. He just grinned at her. Natalie looked the two of them. 'What did she mean by that?' she thought to herself. She shrugged it off for the moment. They had work to do. "I contacted every hospital within a hundred mile radius of Toronto to get a list of names of baby boys born within the last two months. I put all the information here in this report." She handed Nick a stack of papers. "There are only about a hundred and ten there. It seems that this is the season for girls. Of the three hundred seventy-five babies born in the last two months, the majority have been girls. All of the names there belong to infants that actually live in Toronto, and the ones on the top two pages live in our jurisdiction. They are in order alphabetically, by last name." Tracy looked at Nick in awe. "Maybe the Captain was right about her." she said to him. He looked at her, the pride he felt towards Nat reflected in his eyes, and nodded. "She *is* good." he said. Nat's eyes narrowed a bit. "Just exactly what *did* Reese say about me?" She felt as if she were being kept out of a secret joke about her, and she didn't like it. Nick handed the stack of papers to Tracy, then walked over to Natalie. He put his arms around her waist and smiled at her. "We told him what you came up with about the case, how the last names are in alphabetical order, and he said that you ought to be a homicide detective." he kissed her on the forehead. "I agree. You are amazing." "He also said that if he teamed the two of you up, the criminals of Toronto wouldn't stand a chance." Tracy reminded Nick. She was beginning to feel like an intruder here. "Oh, yeah." He shrugged. "There was that." He kissed her cheek. Nat looked a little embarrassed. She wasn't used to Nick so openly displaying his affection for her. She was just barely getting used to it in private. It *was* kind of nice, though. "Well, I'm glad I can help. I usually feel so useless once the bodies have left the morgue." She paused a moment, then looked apprehensively at Nick. "I talked to a friend of mine at Toronto General. There's a newborn boy there who's last name is Eddings- the next letter. He was born a month ago, preemie, but he's just about ready to go home. He said he could help me get in undercover as a pediatrician. It might help me get an idea as to who has access to these boys." She felt Nick tense and saw the look in his eyes. He didn't like it. "Nat, no. It would put you into danger. I can't allow that." Tracy saw the look in Natalie's eyes as Nick spoke. Time to beat a hasty retreat. They were going to have *words*, and it was better for her to let them settle this themselves. She cleared her throat. "Um, you guys? I'm going to run to the restroom, maybe hit the coffee machine. I'll let you discuss this." She turned and left before they could reply. Grace was just about to go in Nat's office when Tracy caught her arm. "I wouldn't go in there if I were you. They're having a *discussion*." Grace looked at the office door, then back at Tracy. "I agree. Let me buy you a cup of coffee..." Nat watched as Tracy quickly left the room, and silently thanked her. "Nick," she began. "I know you're just worried about me, but I want to do this." She looked at him, tears standing unshed in her eyes. "Please, Nick. I *need* to do this. I can't stand on the sidelines this time." Nick looked into Nat's eyes. He loved her so much. How could he deny her anything she wanted? And yet the fear of her getting hurt was so strong. He squeezed her a little tighter. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked quietly. When she nodded, he reluctantly conceded. "Okay. I'll set it up with Reese. We'll put an undercover cop in there to cover you. But no heroics, you hear me?" He looked gravely at her. She had to smile at that. "This coming from you?" she asked in a playful tone. She turned serious again. "I promise. I'll just go in and quietly observe. See who has access to the infants once they leave the hospital. I'll be careful." She squeezed his waist in a comforting embrace. He looked down at her and smiled, then leaned forward and kissed her. The kiss was long and deep, and full of love and promise. They reluctanly broke the kiss, each knowing that there was work to be done. But they stood holding onto one another for just a moment longer, basking in the warmth and love that surrounded them. "Nick?" "Hmmm?" "Did you mean it when you told me that if I wanted to be a surrogate for Justin and Nadine you would be my support person?" Natalie asked quietly. Something about her tone told him what was coming, and he smiled. "Absolutely. If it's what you want, I'm behind you a hundred percent." He really *did* mean it. "I've been giving it a lot of thought. I want to do it." She searched his eyes for some hint that maybe he was unhappy with her decision. All she saw there was love and acceptance. He smiled at her and kissed her again. He didn't completely understand her reasons for it, but he would stand by her no matter what. "I see you two have worked everything out." Tracy's voice interrupted their kiss. Nick looked at Tracy, and Grace, and noted they both had big smiles on their faces. He shook his head, kissed Natalie again, and whispered to her, "I love you." Then louder, so Tracy and Grace could hear, "I'll make the arrangements with the Captain, and call you later." He reluctantly released his hold on her waist. They had to stop a killer, preferably before he or she struck again. He grabbed his coat on the way out the door. As he left, he heard Grace whispering to Natalie, "Way to go girlfriend!" He smiled at Nat's reply. "Out! Out! Out!" *Nick stood behind the nursery glass at Toronto General Hospital, silently watching Natalie as she examined a newborn. She looked up as she listened to the baby's heartbeat, and smiled at Nick. He was there to pick her up and take her home. She signaled for him to wait a minute, and turned back to her patient. He nodded in acknowledgment and watched her as she gently turned the baby onto his stomach. He was astounded by how easily she had slipped into this role. He wondered if she was thinking about the decision she had made to carry a child for her cousin and his wife. She was such a special lady. She had so much love in her heart for others, and she was so unselfish. He was so lucky. A nurse walked up to him, "Mr. Knight?" she asked. Nick noticed that she had called him 'Mr.' and not 'Detective'. Nat must have kept that bit of information to herself, but he was glad. She was already in enough danger doing this, he didn't want word of his profession getting out and making it even worse. "Yes?" he turned to face the young brunette. "Your wife would like you to join her in the nursery. If you'll follow me?" She motioned towards the door leading into the room where Natalie was waiting. His wife? Did Natalie tell them that, or did they just assume that because he came to pick her up every night since she started? He smiled at the sound of the words. His wife. How he wished it were true. But unless he could find a way to regain his mortality in the next few years, it would be an impossibility. The alternative was simply unthinkable. Natalie looked up at Nick as he entered the room. She waited for the door to close behind the nurse, before she spoke. "Is it clear?" she asked him. Nick stretched out his senses for a moment. "Yes," he replied. "Good. This is Jarod Eddings, the preemie I told you about. He's getting his final checkup today. Aren't you, sweetheart?" She looked down at the infant for a few moments, talking softly to him and gently touching him. Jarod began to shake and whimper, as Natalie continued her examination of him. Nick looked at Nat in concern. "Is he okay? I don't think I've ever seen one do that before." Nat smiled at him. "Yes. He's fine. He's just getting a little cold and hungry, is all." She looked back down at the infant, who's protests were becoming louder. "Almost finished little guy." She told him. She turned him onto his back, and put a one-piece t-shirt outfit that snapped at the bottom on him. Then she wrapped him snugly in a blanket, and picked him up. Gently cradling and rocking him, she began to talk in soft tones again. "Hey there. It's okay. We're all done. You can go see your mommy now." As the infant began to calm down, Nat kept gently talking to him. "That's a good boy. There you go. Good boy." In a few moments, he had drifted off to sleep. Nick had been watching her rock the baby to sleep. Nat would make a great mother. He felt a stab of guilt and longing. Unless they found a cure for him in the next few years, he couldn't give her a child, or even a real life with him. Even if they found a cure, there were no guarantees that he could give her a child then. There were so many uncertainties. Why did she continue to stay with him, to put up with him? Why did he let her? Because he would be lost to the darkness without her. He loved her. Nat had opened the door to the nursery and motioned for a nurse to take Jarod to his waiting parents. She told her to let them know she would be down in a moment to talk to them. The nurse took him and nodded, then quickly left the room. When she had left, she turned to face Nick, who now sat with a familiar dazed expression on his face. She shook her head and walked over to him. "Nick? Earth to Nick?" He pulled himself from his thoughts and looked at her. "Sorry, Nat. Didn't mean to zone out on you." "What were you thinking about?" She asked him. He looked at her, debating whether or not to tell her. "I was just thinking what a great mother you'd make." He said with a sad smile. "And how regretful I am that I can't give you a child." He saw the look of love and understanding in her eyes. She smiled gently, walked closer to him, and slid her arms around his waist. "I know that it bothers you, Nick. I won't lie to you. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have a baby-*you're* baby. But if that never happens, as long as I'm with you, I'm okay with that. Being with you is what makes me happy." She looked up at him with her beautiful, sincere smile, and he touched her face. "I love you," he said as he leaned forward and kissed her. She broke the kiss after savoring it for a few minutes. "I have to go talk to Jarod's parents. I'll meet you in the lobby in about ten minutes." He smiled at her, "I'll be waiting." When Nat walked out of the elevator, she had a puzzled frown on her face. Nick saw the look and wondered what it was about. She looked around at all the people, and shook her head. He took her arm and kissed her cheek. "You ready?" "Uhhuh. I need to talk to you." They left the hospital and headed for the Caddie. Once they were safely on their way to Nat's, Nick said, "Okay. What is it?" "I was giving the Eddings' the final report on Jarod. I asked them if they had any questions. They asked what day the homecare nurse would visit. I didn't know what they were talking about, so I asked them. Mrs. Eddings said that a woman had come to their room a few days before, and told them that they could send a homecare nurse to their house sometime after the baby was sent home, to check him over and give them any necessary help. This was news to me, so I asked the attending physician in charge. He told me that they didn't have a program like that, and he thought that maybe they had just misunderstood. Nick, they were positive. I got a description of the woman, and the number she gave them to call to set up an appointment." Nick looked over at her. 'She's done it again.' He thought to himself with a smile. He grabbed his cell phone, and dialed the station. "Yeah, this is Knight. Is Det. Vetter or Capt. Reese there?" He asked when a desk Sgt. answered the phone. After a moment of silence on the other end, he heard Tracy's voice. "Yeah, Nick. It's Trace. What's up?" Nick smiled at Nat. "You're not going to believe it. Meet us at Nat's as soon as you can. We'd go there, but it's almost sunrise." "Will do. See you in a bit." Tracy hung up the phone just as Reese came out of his office. "Cap., Nick just called. He wants me to meet him at Nat's. Sounds like they've got something." Reese relaxed visibly. "Good. I hope we can put this psycho behind bars before the holiday." Tracy simply nodded in agreement, then went to retrieve her things. *Nick had filled Tracy in on the morning's events, then she had left to go look into the Homecare Nursing Institute. The hospital didn't know who they were, so the other families had been contacted. All of them had set up appointments with the Institute within a few weeks of their sons' deaths. She had asked them why they hadn't mentioned it before, and all of them had said that they were under the impression that it was screened through the hospital, therefore, they didn't think anything of it. Nat asked a few of the mother's with newborn girls at the hospital, and none of them had heard anything about it. Tracy knew they had to be getting close. She hoped they were. Christmas was only a week away. Nat sat on the sofa, sipping a cup of hot chocolate. Mr. and Mrs. Eddings should have Jarod home by now. She silently prayed that he wasn't the next target, but somehow knew in her heart that he was. Nick was in the shower, so she picked up the phone and dialed the hospital. After speaking with a nurse, she hung up the phone and dialed the Eddings' number. "Hello?" a pleasant young voice answered. "Hello? This is Dr. Lambert. Is Mrs. Eddings available?" "This is Mrs. Eddings. Is something wrong?" "Oh, no. I just wanted to see how you and Jarod are doing this morning. Are you settling in all right?" The young woman relaxed. "Yes, thank you. Everything's fine. The homecare nurse just left, and I was just about to take a nap." Nat put her cup down and glanced at her watch. 5:46pm. "Did the homecare nurse feed Jarod at all?" Nat asked in concern. "Water, juice, anything?" There was a pause. "Yes. She gave him some glucose water." Glucose water. They all had had glucose water some- time near death. Nat tried to keep her voice calm. "Mrs. Eddings, have you checked on Jarod since she left?" "No. Is something wrong?" Nat's heart was racing. "Put the phone down, and go check on him. Come back and tell me what he looks like, how he's breathing." She heard the receiver hit the table. A few seconds later, a man's voice picked up the phone. "Hello? Dr. Lambert? This is Kyle Eddings. Jarod won't wake up. He's breathing funny, too." "What do you mean 'funny'?" Nat asked him. "It sounds like more of a rasp or a squeak; like he's having a hard time breathing." Nat's heart sank. "Kyle. Hang up the phone and get your son to the ER now. Tell them he's been stricnine poisoned, and tell them I'm on my way to explain. NOW!" Nat could hear the phone being dropped; Kyle telling his wife to get Jarod in the car; the slamming of a door. She felt so helpless. She jumped up off of the sofa and slipped into her shoes and coat. She grabbed her purse, and rushed out the door. Nick had been in the shower, when he heard Nat's heart speed up. 'What's going on?' he frowned to himself. He quickly dried off and dressed. As he did so, he used his vampiric hearing to listen to the words from the other room. Oh, no. The Eddings' boy. Nick had just put on his shoes, when he heard the front door slam. 'Damn it, Nat! What are you doing?' He grabbed his coat and keys, and moved out the door at inhuman speed to find her. As he came out of the building, he caught sight of Nat. She wasn't alone. A tall dark haired woman had a gun pointed at her. "Get into the car, Dr. Lambert." He heard her say. Nat glanced up at the window to her apartment, then complied. Nick glanced around to be sure no one saw him, then took to the air. He followed the car to an old warehouse section of town, then called for backup. The woman held the gun on Nat, until she got close to her. She grabbed a syringe out of her coat pocket, and pulled Nat roughly to her. She was easily four inches taller than Nat, and she placed the needle right next to the vein in her neck. "You see, Dr., if you so much as breathe wrong, this stuff will go into your system. You'll die in minutes." "Who are you?" Nick could here the steel in Nat's voice, and he shook his head in wonder. Didn't she realize she was *supposed* to be afraid? Her heart rate hadn't even increased. "Who am I? Haven't you already guessed? I believe they are referring to me as the Baby Killer. It doesn't really matter what my real name is." "It matters to me. I want to know how it is that anyone could kill babies. What could they have possibly done to you?" "They survived. My son died, and my husband left me because of it. He was born too soon. He died. But they didn't. So I killed them." Nat's eyes filled with tears. She heard and felt the pain in the woman's voice. She knew how much it hurt to lose a child. "I understand." She said quietly. The woman jerked Nat's head back. "You understand. Sure you do. Everyone understands." Nick could hear the sirens in the background. He sat in the shadows a moment longer. If Nat could talk to her a bit longer... "I lost a son, too. He was born way too early. My fiancee and I just sort of drifted apart after our child died. It was the worst thing I've ever had to face in my life. But I went on. I didn't turn to hurting other couples who had been luckier. It wasn't their fault that my son died. Or yours." The woman loosened her grip a bit on Natalie's throat, and for the first time, Nick noticed Tracy coming up from the side. He moved cautiously forward. "She's right." He said to the woman. "It isn't their fault that you're baby died. Let her go. We can help you." At the sound of Nick's voice, the woman tightened her hold on Natalie's neck. "Don't come any closer, or I'll kill her." She told him. Nick looked at Nat. She wasn't afraid, and for some reason, that bothered him. She closed her eyes, and frowned slightly, then opened them again to look at him. She smiled a half smile, then tensed her whole body. The woman, at that moment, saw Tracy and a few other officers heading in her direction. She looked at Nick, then jabbed the needle into Natalie's neck, and fled. Nick reached Nat before she hit the ground. Tracy and the other's went after the woman, while he sat there cradling Nat in his arms. "Someone call the paramedics!" He yelled. But he knew they couldn't get there in time. The whole world seemed to stand still. Nick pulled Natalie to him. "Lord God," he prayed. "I know that when I chose this existence, I gave up any right to call on you. But for her sake, please help me. I'll leave her, if you require it, just please, help me." Tears flowed freely down his face now, as he held her. He could hear her breathing and her heart slowing. She was dying. "Nicholas." A woman's voice came from behind him. He turned slightly to see a beautiful young woman with long reddish hair. She was dressed in a long, flowing green gown, and seemed oblivious to the cold. "Nicholas. You can save her. Bring her across. It's the only way." She looked right at him as she spoke. "No! I can not! I would rather live without her than condemn her to this existence. I will not have her despise me for making her what I hate." He looked at the woman more closely. "You are not one of us. Who are you?" She smiled at him. "You called for help. I have been sent to do just that." Nick was confused. "Are you saying that God sent you?" She nodded. "We had to be sure that you would pass the test. You did. Nicholas, you have made a mistake in believing that God abandoned you. He abandons no one. It was *you* that turned your back on *Him*. But He still loves you. He still wants you back. You have spent so much of your life convincing yourself and others that you are a creature of irredeemable evil, that you haven't even tried to just *ask* His forgiveness. Each setback, each failure that you have experienced, especially recently, has been an attempt to get your attention. He wants you to know that He loves you. You just have to stop trying on your own. That's why He sent her." She gestured to Natalie's still form. "He hoped that her love and light would draw you to Him." Nick looked at Natalie. She had been heaven sent. And he had messed it up. The pain ripping through his chest was worse than any stake could have caused. "Can you help her, or is she to die?" He was terrified of the answer. "We will help her together." The Angel told him. "You must take some of her blood from her, to get some of the poison out of her." She saw he was about to protest, but held up her hand. "Nicholas. I know that you fear being unable to stop, but you must. If you do not draw some of the poison from her system, I can not help her." Nick looked at Natalie. She was growing so cold. He had to help her. He could stop. He had to stop. He kissed her cooling lips, and whispered, "Forgive me." He then pulled her to him and sank his fangs into her soft skin. As the poison went from her to him, Nick felt as if he were on fire. He took her blood slowly, and when he felt a gentle touch, he stopped. A pair of green eyes gazed into his golden ones. The Angel smiled at Nick, then lightly touched Nat's chest. Nick had heard Nat's heart stop just before he had stopped taking her blood, but he wasn't as terrified as he felt he should be. There was a peace radiating through him, warming him. He looked down at Nat, and saw her chest heave as she took in a deep breath. Joy flooded him, as he pulled her to him. He looked up to thank the Angel, but she was gone. "Thank you. Thank you so much." He said into the cloudy sky. Nick gently touched Nat's face. The paramedics were arriving, and Tracy had the suspect in custody. She tried to keep everyone away from the pair until the medics arrived. Capt. Joe Reese came up and put a hand on Nick's shoulder. "Is she okay?" He asked in barely a whisper. Nat opened her eyes and weakly smiled at Nick. "It's *finally* snowing." She said to him in a barely audible voice. Nick's laughter filled the air as he hugged her to him. "She's going to be fine, Cap. Just fine." He gently lifted her and carried her to the waiting ambulance. As the snowflakes fell silently from the sky, Nick looked up and smiled. Then he climbed into the back of the ambulance with Nat, for the ride to the Hospital. *Nat took another deep breath as they turned a corner. Her heart rate had been steadily increasing since they had started from her apartment. Nick smiled. "Nervous?" He asked. He knew she was. He was, too. She nodded. "I haven't been home forever." At his arched eyebrow, she slapped his arm. "You know what I mean. Did we get everything?" "I hope so." He laughed. "I don't think even the Caddie's trunk could hold anymore." She looked at him and smiled. He had been acting so different since that night a week ago. She didn't remember much about it, just strange, dreamlike fragments. What Nick had told her transpired was incredible. She believed him, though. Somehow in her heart, she knew it was the truth. She took another deep breath as they pulled into the driveway. Nick looked at her. "You okay?" He was still concerned there might be some lasting side effects from the poison, even though the doctor's had assured him she hadn't been given enough to kill her. He knew the truth, though, and he was still a bit worried about her. She nodded. "I guess I'm just a little anxious. And excited." Nick leaned over and kissed her. "Good, 'cause so am I." He got out and walked around to the passenger side to open the door for her. As she got out, she looked contentedly around her at all of the snow. This time, she took a deep breath of the fresh, crisp air. He took her hand and carefully led her up the walk. Once on the doorstep, Nat looked apprehensively at Nick. "Last chance to back out. If you really don't want to do this..." Nick pulled her to him and silenced her with a kiss. A toe- curling, 'I love you with all I am' sort of kiss. When he released her, he rang the doorbell. Within mere seconds, the door flew open and they were blasted by a breeze of warm spicy air from inside. Three small faces looked up at them. "Who are you?" Demanded the tallest of the three. Nick looked a bit taken aback, but Nat just grabbed his hand. "I am your cousin Natalie." She told the taller one. "Where's your mom?" As if on cue, a woman about Nat's age, with a slight resemblance to her came to the door. "Natalie!" She exclaimed. She pulled Nat into a warm embrace. "Hey everyone! Nattie's here!" Nat pulled Nick inside with her. Suddenly the room was alive with activity. "It's so good to see you!" Nat was suddenly surrounded by a flurry of people, all hugging and kissing and greeting her. "Is this the friend you told me about?" The woman who'd met them at the door asked. Nat looked proudly at Nick. "Yes. This is Detective Nicholas Knight. My best friend." She smiled warmly at him. "Nick, this is my cousin Shana." She quickly introduced Nick around the room. As they were being led toward the kitchen, an older woman that Nat looked a lot like, walked out. "My 'Tasha!" She exclaimed. Nat's eyes lit up. "Momma!" Nat rushed to hug her. "How we've missed you," her mother said with tears in her eyes. "I've missed you, too. Where's Daddy?" "Is that my princess I hear out there?" An older man with sparkling blue eyes and an infectious smile appeared from the kitchen. Nat turned to look at him, and tears fell freely down her face. "Daddy!" She fell into his strong embrace, weeping with joy. "Ah, my little princess, how grown up you've become. But not so grown up that you still don't need your Daddy. This is good." His eyes landed on Nick. "Is this your young man?" Nat turned and smiled at Nick. She reached her hand out to him, and he walked over to stand by her. "Yes, Daddy. This is Nick. Nick, this is my father, Richard Lambert, Sr." She added the last with a sad catch to her voice. Nick reached his hand forward to shake the 'older' man's hand. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Lambert." He turned to Nat's mother, and took her hand. He bent forward, and placed a soft kiss on the top of her hand. "Mrs. Lambert. It's very nice to meet you." He said with a smile. He walked over and took Nat's hand. He leaned forward and placed a soft kiss at her temple. She looked up and smiled at him, love sparkling in her eyes. "Such good manners in one so young." Her mother said. Nat and Nick exchanged a quick glance and grinned. "Come, you must be hungry." She started to lead them toward the kitchen. "Actually, Momma, we're not. We could use some help unloading the car, though. We have gifts for everyone, and I brought my Rocky Road Fudge." Natalie said. "Ooh. I'll help with that!" Shana said with a broad smile. Within a short time, they had everything inside. Nat looked at Shana. "Could you show me where Nick's room is? I need to get this plugged in." She indicated the portable electric ice chest she held. Shana looked at Nat. "Well, I hope you don't mind, but you and Nick are roommates. I didn't have anywhere else to put you both." She looked slightly embarrassed. Nat just smiled. "It's okay. Really. We don't mind sharing a room. We have before." Shana raised one eyebrow, but didn't comment. Nick came in, and they motioned for him to follow. After Shana had showed them which room was theirs, she quickly left. Nick looked around as Nat plugged in the cooler. The room was rather large, with a black formica dresser on one wall; a king size, black leather waterbed on the wall just opposite the door, and a t.v., VCR, and portable stereo on the same wall as the door. Large, dark blinds hung on the window, and they were overlaid with dark, heavy curtains. He smiled. Nat must have mentioned his 'allergy' to her cousin. It made him feel welcome, that they would do something special for him. He poked his head in the door on the wall opposite the dresser. Inside, he found a large dressing area and closet. Another door led to the bathroom. "How big is your cousin's house?" Nick asked Nat. She turned and smiled. "Huge. It was once an old ranch house and barn. They rennovated it to make it all one building. She knows how big our family is, and wanted to be prepared for any number of visitors." She walked over, and slipped into his arms. "How are you doing with all of this?" He looked down at her and grinned. "I love it. I never really realized how much I missed being around family during the holidays. I don't know how they'd react if they knew what I really am, though." His expression turned sad. "What you really are, is the man that I love. That's all that matters. No argument." She looked sternly at him for a moment, then smiled. She reached up and kissed him. "I love you more than you can imagine." She told him. Nick thought back to the night a week ago when he had nearly lost her. The poison in her blood had, at first, overwhelmed any thoughts or feelings from her. After a short time, however, he had been able to make sense of it. The memories were there. The loss she had suffered over the years. The joy she had experienced in her life. The memories of the two of them were the strongest. Both good and bad. He realized at that point, that she really did love him. *All* of him. The enormity of the dream she had had after her car accident had hit him, and he understood why it had changed her behavior toward him. But it hadn't changed her love for him. That knowledge warmed his soul. There had been something else...something he couldn't pin down. It was as if she had no desire to acknowledge the existence of that part of her, but it was there. He wished he could figure out what it was. He looked at her with love and joy. "I don't have to imagine. I *know*, remember?" She sort of started at that. He had told her that the Angel had instructed him to take some of her blood, to remove the poison. And she knew from what he had told her, that your whole life is in every drop of blood. The thought that he now knew her very soul, at once frightened and excited her. "I guess you do. Then you know that no matter what, I want us to be together. Mortal or immortal. It doesn't matter, as long as we're together. But, we don't have to worry about that just yet. We still have some time. For now, let's just enjoy this time here, together." She reached up and kissed him again. Nick hugged her, then said, "Let's get this stuff put away, so we can go enjoy the festivities, shall we?" *Nick sat on the sofa, cuddling Nat in his arms before the fire. Everyone else had headed up to bed hours ago. But the two of them, being used to the night shift, weren't even tired. Nat had gone up and quietly retrieved a bottle of Nick's 'food', then had gone into the kitchen to prepare herself a cup of hot cocoa. Now they sat quietly enjoying one another's company. As Nick quietly sipped from the crystal goblet he held, he tried to figure out the mystery of the hidden part of Nat. In all of the nearly 800 years of his existence, he had never encountered anything like what he had felt there. It was new, foreign. It made him wonder if Nat even knew it was there. He wanted to try to uncover what it could be, but to do so, he would have to take more of her blood. He pulled himself from his musings. He had a gift to give her. He got up, and went over to the tree. He dug around the back of the tree for a moment, and came back with a grin on his face. "What?" Nat asked him. She saw the mischievious grin on his face, and knew he was up to something. He came and sat next to her. Wordlessly, he handed her the small box. She eyed him suspiciously. "What's this?" She asked him. "I wanted to give you this, alone. Tomorrow will be busy with everyone opening gifts. This one is special. Just for you. Open it." He gently caressed her face with the palm of his hand. Natalie carefully tore the wrapping off of the small box. As she opened it, her eyes widened in stunned disbelief. Inside lay a beauiful diamond and ruby necklace. The diamonds made up one heart, the rubies another, and they intertwined with each other. They hung from a golden chain, and it sparkled in the dim light. "Do you like it?" Nick asked. Nat looked at him with tears in her eyes, and nodded. "I love it. Nick, it's gorgeous. Thank you." Her words were barely more than a whisper. "The diamonds represent you; the rubies, me. The fact that they are entwined represent our love. I really *do* love you, Nat. I know that we'll find a cure, soon." He leaned over and kissed her lightly on the lips. Natalie tried furiously to blink away the tears. "I love you, too." She whispered to him. "I have a gift to give you, too." She jumped up and retrieved something from under the tree. "I found this in an antique shop several weeks ago. It reminded me so much of you." His curiousity peaked, Nick took the wrapped package from her, and carefully opened it. The box inside looked like an old wooden treasure chest. He opened it to find a silver statuette of a medieval knight on a horse, his fair lady seated securely in front of him (side- saddle, of course). The knight's arms were protectively wrapped around the maiden's waist, and his gloved hands held the reigns loosely, confidently. The maid's head was bowed slightly, but her eyes shyly looked at the knight. The knight's head was bent toward the maiden, his eyes transfixed on her face. Nick gently caressed the beautiful figure. He was astounded. "Nat. This must have cost you a fortune." Nat shrugged. "I wanted you to have it. Money isn't that important. Do you like it?" Nick pulled her to him in a gentle embrace. "I shall cherish it, always. I love it. Thank you." He whispered against her cheek. Nat moved to stand by the front window, as she looked out, she smiled at Nick again. "Let's go outside, it's a beautiful night." Nick smiled at her and stood up. "Okay." He said. They pulled their coats from amidst the pile on the coat rack, and put them on. Nick grabbed his glass, and bottle from the table. "Just in case someone comes down. I wouldn't want someone to accidently drink this." Nat nodded in agreement, then they headed out the door. Once outside, Nick placed the bottle and glass on the porch railing, and took Nat's hand. They walked a short distance, hand in hand, silently admiring the beautiful, clear night. "Have you told Justin and Nadine that you've decided to be a surrogate for them?" Nick asked at last. Nat smiled. "No. I guess they told everyone that they asked me, so I thought I'd suprise them tomorrow morning in front of the family. Are you sure you're okay with it?" Nick shook his head and smiled. She was so concerned about how it made him feel. "Nat. I told you that if you wanted to do it, I'm behind you a hundred percent. That hasn't changed. I love you for your sensitivity, and your strength. For your beauty and wisdom. You are willing to risk a great deal to give them something they want very badly, and I admire you more than you can ever know for that. I love you, no matter what happens from here on out." Nat visibly relaxed at his words. She didn't want to do anything to push him away, especially now that they were getting comfortable sharing their feelings. They continued walking along a snowy path up a slight incline. After several minutes, they came across a small, white chapel at the top of a hill. Nick took Natalie's hand and led her to the door of the chapel. He looked into her eyes, then tried the handle. The door opened with a slightly audible click. Nick stood in the open doorway in a moment of apprehension, then pulled Nat inside with him, and silently closed the door. He looked around the sanctuary for any sign of life, and finding they were alone, led Nat to the altar. Nat was suprised that Nick was willingly entering a church, but also pleased. It meant a lot to her that he was taking the initiative, and though curious as to his next move, she remained silent. He led her to the altar, and kneeled down on one side, motioning for her to kneel opposite him. He clasped her hands in his and kissed her knuckles. He looked into her eyes for several minutes, before speaking. "Nat? What are your beliefs? About God, I mean?" The question surprised her, and she had to think for a moment before answering. "Well," she began, "I grew up in a strict Catholic atmosphere. Mass every Saturday night and Sunday morning. Confession once a week. Very legalistic. I was taught that God was a fiercely jealous and demanding Being, and that only following the rules would get you into heaven. In college, I met a girl that was a 'Born Again' Christian. She told me that God was a Being of infinite good. He loved everyone unconditionally, and all you had to do to gain entrance into Heaven, is ask for forgiveness. For awhile, I tried to deny that He existed at all. The concept of God didn't fit with my scientific ideals." "What about *now*? What do you believe, right here, at this moment?" Nick asked her. "Well, now I guess my beliefs fall somewhere between how I was raised, and what my friend told me. I've seen too many unexplainable things to deny His existence altogether. I believe that He is a loving God. Fierce in His anger, but quick in His forgiveness. He loves us all, no matter how terrible we've been, and He waits patiently for us to talk to Him, seek Him out." She looked at their hands, hers were folded as if in prayer, his covered hers in the same formation. Their elbows were leaning on the altar bench, and Nat noted that Nick seemed unaware that it wasn't hurting him. She raised her eyes to look at him, and he caught her gaze. "Nat," he said suddenly. He squinted his eyes slightly. "Pray with me. I need you to pray with me." Natalie's eyes widened in surprise, but she nodded. They leaned forward, and touched their foreheads together. Nat closed her eyes, and they filled with tears as he began his heartfelt prayer. "Lord, God. I don't deserve to even speak your name. Yet, you sent one of your servants to save Natalie, for my sake. Help us, again. Help us to find a cure for the evil that consumes me, before it's too late. Amen." Nick looked at Nat as she whispered her own "Amen," and saw the tears flowing down her cheeks. "Nat? Nat, don't cry. What did I do?" She looked at him, and half laughing, half crying, wiped at her cheeks. "You've just made me very happy, Nick. That's what you did." She leaned forward, and kissed him softly. Nick looked at her in relief. Then an idea struck him. He kissed her palms, then said to her, "Nat. Marry me. Right here, right now. Just between us and God." Natalie just nodded her head, the tears freely flowing again. As Nick held her hands in his, he said to her, "Natalie Lambert, I love you with all that I am, and could ever hope to be. I take you now, here before God, as my wife. No matter what the future holds for us, you and I shall remain one in my heart, for all eternity." Nick kissed her hand again. Nat took a deep breath, and looked into Nick's eyes. "Nicholas Knight, I love you with all that I am, and could ever hope to be. I take you now, here before God, as my husband. No matter what the future holds for us, you and I shall remain one in my heart, for all eternity." She smiled at him, and he leaned forward and kissed her tenderly. They sat in silence for a long time, then Nick stood and pulled her to her feet. He put his arm around her, and they quietly exited the church. They headed down the hill, back to Shana's house, in silence. At the front porch, Nick retrieved the bottle and glass from the railing. They quietly entered the house, and hung their coats on the coat rack. Nat walked over to the table by the sofa, and picked up the gifts they had given each other. She walked over and whispered to Nick, "We should try to get some sleep. Everyone will be up soon, and they are going to want us to join them." Nick smiled and kissed her forehead. He nodded, and put his arm around her waist as he led her up the stairs. *The next morning, Nick heard a loud ruckus outside their bedroom door. He opened his eyes and sat up, running a hand through his blonde curls. He looked over and saw Nat still sleeping peacefully. He reached out and gently touched her cheek. She stirred a bit, and opened her eyes. As she came fully awake, she looked at Nick and smiled. He leaned forward and kissed her, just as the bedroom door burst open. "Aunt Nattie, Nick! It's Christmas! Get up!" Five little faces stood at the foot of the bed. Nick looked shocked, but Nat just sat up and smiled. "Okay, okay. We're on our way." She told them. Satisfied that they were indeed awake, the children ran back out the door, nearly colliding with Natalie's father on the way down the hall. He stuck his head in the door, and seeing Nick and Nat in the same bed, wearing matching black silk pajamas, arched an eyebrow. "Breakfast is ready." He said to them. "Thank you, Daddy. We'll be down shortly." Nat said to him. She noticed how uncomfortable Nick seemed, and smiled to herself. Her father nodded his head, and closed the door on his way out. "Is it always like this around here?" Nick asked her. She nodded. "Especially when all the kids are around. You'd better get used to it." At his confused expression, she added, "If you're going to be mortal, we're going to be spending more holidays with them. Then there'll be our own kids..." She grinned at him and hopped out of bed before he could reply. She went into the bathroom and closed the door. Nick shook his head and smiled, then walked over and promptly locked the bedroom door. Should he dare hope for a family with Natalie? He had meant every word he had said to her last night, but was it too much to hope for a family life like he wanted; like he knew she wanted? If he became mortal and found that he couldn't give her a child, they could always adopt. He smiled a bit at the thought of giving Nat a child of their own, and the fun they could have trying, as he opened the cooler and removed a bottle of the blood. He had just removed the cork as Nat came out of the bathroom, and he took a drink. He immediately began to choke. "Nick?" Nat rushed over to him. He looked at the bottle in bewilderment, and tried to take a drink again. He gagged at the effort, and rushed into the bathroom. For several minutes, he stood with his head over the sink, the bottle clutched in his hand. "Nick?" Nat stood next to him. "What's wrong?" The frightened look on her face made him set the bottle down and turn to her. "The blood, Nat. I can't drink it. It's making me sick." He looked into her face as the full force of the words hit them. Nat's eyes grew wide, and she grabbed his wrist. He watched her in silence for several seconds, then asked, "Well?" She looked at him and smiled. "Your pulse is faster. Still nowhere near human, but definitely faster." She ran out of the bathroom, and returned with her medical bag. She put a thermometer in his mouth, then began to take his blood pressure. After a minute, she removed the cuff, and looked at the thermometer. She lifted her eyes to meet his, and they were moist around the edges. "Nat? What's wrong?" She blinked a few times, then threw her arms around his neck. "Nick! Your temperature and blood pressure actually register on my instruments! They are still *way* low, but they register!" Nick pulled away a bit and kissed her. He didn't understand how it could be possible, but it was happening. Just then they heard a steady pounding on the bedroom door. "Aunt Nattie! Come and eat!" Nat smiled at him. "Do you think you could get something down?" Nick thought for a second, then nodded. "I can try." Nat took her robe off of the hook on the bathroom door and put it on. She then handed him his robe. "Shouldn't we get dressed?" He asked her. "No. It's sort of tradition. We eat and unwrap gifts, then anyone without kids gets to either go back to bed, or find something to entertain them until lunch. We usually don't get dressed until at least noon." She took his hand and led him from the bathroom. "Shall we?" Nick laughed and nodded as he followed her out the bedroom door, and down the stairs. Later that morning, everyone sat around opening gifts. Nat was pleased that Nick had managed to get some food down. He still had some difficulty, which they passed off as part of his 'allergies', but he had done remarkably well. Nick was suprised that Nat's family had bought him some gifts. Nat's parent's had gotten him a nice silk shirt in a deep maroon. Shana had gotten him an electric razor. Nat had given him several books on recent archaeological findings and some new fiction. She had also given him a couple of new shirts, and a few new pairs of black jeans. Nat received several gifts from family members, but her favorites were the musical snowglobe depicting a scene from the 'Nutcracker', that played the theme song, given to her by her parent's, and the leather jacket she received from Nick. Both of them took great pleasure in handing out the gifts they had brought for the children, Nat's parent's and Shana and her husband. Nat looked at Nick and motioned for him to hand her the box for Justin and Nadine. They had been sitting quietly, watching all of the children, as they excitedly opened one gift after another. "I have a very special gift to give Justin and Nadine." Nat announced to everyone. She handed them the box, and grinned at Nick when she saw their confused expressions. Nadine took the box, and tore open the wrapping. Justin helped her to remove the lid from the box, and they both looked at one another with a surprised look, as they pulled out a large white teddy bear holding a baby bottle. "Nattie?" Justin asked, hope tinging his eyes. Nat smiled as she sat in front of Nick and leaned into his embrace. "Read the card. Out loud." She instructed them. Justin looked at Nadine and shrugged. "You two have been through so much in the last few years, yet you have steadfastly remained hopeful that someday, somehow, your dreams would come true. I admire that so much, that I have a very special gift to give you for Christmas, though you will not receive it until next year. Merry Christmas, 'Mommy and Daddy.' Love, Nattie." Justin's voice broke off as he realized what she was saying to them. "Do you really mean it, Nat?" He asked her in a hushed voice. Everyone in the room seemed to be holding their breath. Nat nodded. "I really mean it. I want to help you two to have a baby of your own. Nick has agreed to be my support person, so I won't have to go through it alone." Nadine jumped up, and rushed over to give Nat a hug and a kiss. "Thank you." She whispered through her tears. "And you, too, Nick." Nick just smiled and nodded, as Justin came over and kissed Nat on the cheek. "Thank you, Nattie. You don't know what this means to us." Nat smiled at him and said, "You're welcome, and I think I do." The rest of the day was spent talking about the arrangements necessary for Nat to be a surrogate, and watching the children play with all their new toys. At 2:00pm, they had a huge meal, and Nick even managed to get some of it down. He seemed to favor the mashed potatoes and gravy, Nat noted with a smile. Nick and Natalie went upstairs for a nap around four. As they headed up the stairs, Nat's mother commented to her father that she had never seen 'Tasha so happy. He agreed. His princess was indeed happy. And very much in love. The thought made him smile. At eight o'clock, Nick loaded their things into the trunk of the Caddie, and everyone said tearful goodbye's. "Take care of yourself, Nattie," Shana told her. "And don't be such a stranger. We all miss you when you're not here." Nat kissed her cousin. "Thanks, Shana," Nat said to her. She turned as Nick was shaking her father's hand. He leaned forward to kiss her mother's hand, and she hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. "Take good care of our 'Tasha," she said to him. He smiled at her. "I will. I promise." Nat kissed her mother goodbye, and walked over to her father. "Daddy." Nat said to him. He pulled her to him and hugged her fiercely. "I love you, Daddy. I'll call you, soon." She took Nick's proffered hand, and they walked down the drive to the Caddie. Nick held the door for her, as she turned to wave goodbye to her family once more, then climbed in. He carefully closed the car door, then hurried to the driver's side. As they pulled out of the driveway, and headed for home, a few vagrant tears rolled down Nat's cheeks. Nick glanced at her. "Come here," he said to her. She slid over to sit close to him, buckling herself into the middle seatbelt. Nick put an arm around her, as she laid her head on his shoulder. Before they had even been on the road ten minutes, she was fast asleep. *New Year's Eve, Nick held Natalie on the dance floor of the ballroom rented for the police charity ball. It was close to midnight, now, and everyone around was dancing or talking. Nat had filled Tracy and Grace in on the details of their visit with her family, excluding the information that she intended to become a surrogate for Justin and Nadine. They had delighted in seeing the necklace Nick had given her. They had all swapped stories of the gifts they received, and laughed at Tracy for frowning on the fruitcake her aunt had handed out to everyone in the family. Nick had been stunned when he had picked Nat up for the ball. She had on a velvet dress in a deep maroon. It hugged her soft curves nicely, and had long sleeves. There was a heart shape cut into the front of the dress, exposing just enough cleavage to make Nick uncomfortable. She wore the necklace and earrings he had given her, and a pair of velvet maroon pumps that perfectly matched her dress. She had pulled most of her hair into an intricate twist on the top of her head, but allowed a few stray curls to hang down for effect. Nick breathed deeply again. The scent of her perfume was delightful, and he leaned closer to her as they danced. He had noticed too many of his fellow officer's eyeing her when they walked in, and he wanted them to know she was off limits. Tracy nudged Captain Reese as she watched the pair on the dance floor. She nodded in their direction at his questioning look. He grinned at her. The music had stopped; everyone now held a glass of champagne, awaiting the stroke of twelve. Everyone, that is, but Nick and Natalie. They remained on the dance floor, peacefully swaying to a music only they could hear. At the stroke of midnight, everyone toasted the New Year, and/or kissed someone near them. "Happy New Year, Nat." Nick whispered in her ear, as they continued to dance. They looked out the huge windows of the ballroom to see the fireworks being shot off over the lake, Nick's cheek resting on hers. Natalie looked up and smiled. "Happy Birthday, Nick." He looked at her in surprise a moment, then smiled as he leaned forward and kissed her. The kiss was deep and soft, and they allowed it to linger as they continued to sway slowly. They were oblivious to anyone else. This year, they both knew, would see many exciting things. This year would see their dreams come true. Two figures watched from the sidelines. No one could see them, but they were there. One was a handsome young man, with a soothing smile and long brown hair, tied back into a ponytail. The other was a young woman in a flowing green gown, with red hair and eyes the color of emeralds. They looked at each other, and smiled. Yes, this year was the end of an age-old quest for one very human vampire, and the beginning of something incredible... The End (for now)