Here's the next installment of my 'Changes, Fate and Love' series. Characters
aren't mine, I'm just borrowing them for a bit.  Permission to archive on 
Mel's site and the JADFE site.  E-mail questions/comments to me 
tigrlady@pacbell.net.  Enjoy!
Warning: ADULT situations ahead. Do not read if you don't like this stuff, or
are under 18!

Truce
by KC Smith

  *Natalie sat on the sofa, feeding Brandon a bottle. She smiled down at him, 
as he looked up into her eyes. She turned her head towards the lift, when she
heard it engage and smiled again, when Nick emerged.
 "Hello, my love." Nick said, walking over and kissing her. "How's my son
doing this morning?" He leaned forward and kissed Brandon on the forehead.
 "He's hungry as a bear. Janette said he ate just two hours ago." Nat told 
him. "How are things down at the 96th?"
 Nick went to the kitchen and poured himself a cup of blood. "Hectic. With 
Reese being gone, it's been hell.  And all that power is going to Schanke's
head. I wanted to drain him at least five times tonight." Nick sat down on 
the sofa next to her. 
 Nat looked at him, smiling. She knew Nick would never harm Schanke. Brandon
made a noise and she looked back down at him, to find that he had finished 
his bottle. She threw the towel across her shoulder, then lifted Brandon and 
started rubbing his back. After a few moments, he let out a loud burp.
 Nick laughed and set his cup on the coffee table. Then he reached for
his son. "Come here, BJ, I'll change you, while mom gets ready for bed." 
 Nat handed Brandon over and stood, kissing Nick. "Thanks." 
 Nick grinned up at her. "You're welcome."
 Nick stood, while Nat headed up the stairs. Just then, the phone rang. Nick
picked up the cordless phone, as he carried Brandon upstairs. "Knight."
 "Hey Nick, it's Schanke. Look, I need a big favor from you, partner."
 Nick silently cringed. "What is it?"
 "I need someone to go to Ottawa and pick up a suspect and bring him back
here.  They found Walter Montoya up there, and they're holding him for us.
I'd go myself, but I have to stay here and cover for Reese."
 "Why don't you send Tracy?" Nick asked. 
 "What and have my head served to me on a platter by her old man? No thanks."
 "How about Washington, or Miller, or Peterson?" Nick tried.
 "Washington has the flu, Miller is leaving for Hawaii tonight and Peterson's 
wife is going to deliver anytime, now.  Come on Nick, you're my only hope."
 Nick laughed lightly. "All right. But you owe me. Big time."
 Schanke was too relieved to care. "Thanks, partner. I'll book you a flight 
for sundown."
 "I gotta go, Schank. I have to put Brandon down, and Nat's waiting for me."
Nick said. 
 "Okay. I'll send Tracy over with the tickets around four."
 "Fine. See you later."
 "Bye." Schanke said, hastily disconnecting. He didn't want Nick to have the 
chance to back out.
 Nick hung up the phone and sat in the rocker with Brandon. "Okay, BJ, I have 
to go away for a bit. Take care of Mommy, will you?" He began to rock back 
and forth, singing softly. He felt the now familiar touch of his son's mind,
and he gently reassured him with a light touch of his own. 
 Brandon drifted off to sleep and Nick put him in the bassinet, then silently 
slipped out of the room.

  Natalie was sitting up in bed, reading, while she waited for Nick. When he
finally entered, she set the book on the nighttable and smiled at him.
 "Is he asleep?" She asked. 
 Nick nodded. "Yeah. Soundly." He began to remove his clothing.
 "Who was on the phone?" Nat asked.
 "Schanke. He wants me to fly to Ottawa tonight, to pick up a suspect. I'll 
be back, late tomorrow night." He told her, slipping into bed next to her.
"I'm sorry, Nat, but I'm the only one available."
 Nat leaned over and kissed him. "That's okay. With Janette and Urs and the 
others, I should be fine." She ran her palm along the smooth plane of his 
chest. 
 Nick smiled up at her. "I just don't like being away from you." He said, as
Nat placed soft kisses along his jaw line and down his neck. He turned his
head, as Nat began to lightly suck at the vein on his neck.
 Nat helped Nick remove her nightgown, then leaned forward and kissed him 
deeply. When she pulled away, she rubbed her nose against his. "Then I'd
better make sure you have a good reason to come back." She kissed him again,
wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him close to her.
 Nick kissed Natalie deeply, running his hands over her body. They hadn't had
much time together since Brandon's arrival, and he'd missed their lovemaking.
He wrapped his fingers in her hair, then thrust his tongue into her warm 
mouth. He rolled them over, so that Nat lay beneath him, as he continued to 
kiss her. 
 Nat arched her neck, as Nick began kissing the soft skin of her throat. She 
moaned softly, as Nick found one of her nipples and began lightly suckling at
it. She placed her hand over the top of his, as he massaged the other breast,
then pushed his hand down her body to her moist opening.
 Nick smiled, as he allowed Nat to guide his hand to where she wanted to be
touched. He knew just the right way to touch her and he used that knowledge
to give her pleasure. He placed one finger on her clit and began moving it in
slow circles. 
 Nat's breathing increased, as she frantically kissed every inch of Nick's 
skin that she could reach. She felt a desperation to have him inside of her;
a need for completion. 
 As Nick moved his thumb into position over her sensitive nub, he placed his 
middle finger into her tight core, moving it slowly in and out. He covered
Nat's mouth with his own, as she cried out in release. 
 Before Natalie had a chance to come down from the heights of her orgasm, 
Nick moved and turned her onto her stomach. He pulled her up onto her knees,
then entered her tight opening from behind, keeping one hand around her waist
to continue the torturous pleasure on her clit. 
 Natalie grabbed the top edge of the headboard, allowing Nick to further 
penetrate her. She felt his desperate thrusts and knew he was nearing his 
release. 
 'Nick, take me. Take my blood.' He heard her voice in his mind. 'Give us 
both our release.'  Nick's eyes turned golden and his fangs descended. He
increased the speed and intensity of his thrusts, then leaned forward and 
sank his fangs into the vein in her neck, cradling her body with his own.
 Their orgasms crashed over them like breaking waves, and as the euphoria
began to wash away, Nat turned over and pulled Nick on top of her, wrapping
her arms around his back. 
 Nick placed gentle kisses on Nat's face and neck, softly brushing her hair
from her face. He looked down into her sparkling blue eyes and smiled 
tenderly at her. "I love you, Natalie."
 Nat smiled back up at him. "I love you, too."
 Nick leaned forward and nuzzled her neck, turning them onto their sides. 
 Within minutes, they were fast asleep in each other's arms.

  Natalie paced around the loft, checking her watch again. At last, she heard
the lift motor engage. 
 Urs stepped out of the lift, when it came to a stop. "I got here as soon as
I could. I'm sorry it took so long."
 Nat smiled and hugged her. "It's okay. I just get a little tense when this
happens. I've never had it happen when Nick wasn't around. Is he coming?"
 Urs nodded. "Are you sure you don't want me or Janette to do it?"
 Nat shook her head. "No. For some reason, it *has* to be him."
 Urs shrugged. "I'll go upstairs and see to Brandon, then." She headed up the
stairs and closed Brandon's door after she went in.
 Nat had just moved to the kitchen, when she heard a familiar swooshing sound.
"I wasn't sure you were going to come." She said, turning to face her visitor.
 "I may not stay. What is it that you want?" LaCroix fixed his icy stare on 
Nat. Despite the events of the past few weeks, he still did not care to be in
Natalie's presence. 
 "I need you to kill me." Nat said, getting straight to the point.
 "You *what*?" LaCroix asked, raising an eyebrow. "Do you take me for a fool,
doctor?  I am well aware of the punishment for harming you."
 Nat shook her head. "Not if I ask you to. Look, LaCroix, you may not under-
stand it, but it has to be done." She stepped closer to him. "Nick is usually
the one to do it, but he's out of town. I don't know why they want you to do
it, but I don't have a choice."
 LaCroix shook his head. "Who, exactly, are *they*?" 
 "I'm not sure. Every now and then, I have to die, in order to get some vital
information.  All I know, is that I need to die, and you have to be the one
to do it." She looked directly in his eyes. "Admit it, you old dragon, you've
wanted to drain me since the day we met. Well, now you've got permission to
do so."
 LaCroix looked at her for a moment, then began to chuckle. "Very well, then
Doctor, I will do it." He stepped closer. "How would you like to proceed?"
 Nat hesitated. Usually when this happened, she and Nick made love. She was
not about to let LaCroix do that to her. Finally, she made a decision. She
moved to stand directly in front of him and turned her back to him. She 
grabbed his arms and placed them around her waist, then tilted her head, so 
that her neck was exposed to him. "Just don't let me fall, okay?"
 LaCroix stood silently holding Natalie in his arms. He leaned forward, just 
enough to smell her hair, then closed his eyes. "Are you sure about this, 
Doctor?" He asked her, quietly. 
 Nat nodded. "Yes. Just do it, please?" She closed her eyes.
 LaCroix resisted the urge to kiss her soft skin. He allowed his eyes to turn
golden, then reared his head back and came forward, sinking his fangs into the 
vein on her neck. 
 Natalie let out a slight gasp, as his fangs pierced her skin, then gave 
herself up to the experience, as she'd been told to do. She fell into the 
darkness, and then took one last breath. 
 LaCroix was struck by the intensity of the woman in his arms. She loved his
son, and his 'grandson', more than life. She had a fierce determination and
a gentle compassion. She was much stronger than he'd ever have imagined, and
her blood gave him a sense of peace he'd never experienced. 
 When he released her, she lay limp in his arms. Gently, he laid her on the 
sofa, and kneeled beside her. He didn't know what else was expected of him, 
so he stayed by her side, carefully brushing her chestnut hair from her face.
 Natalie came to after several minutes, and looked up at LaCroix. She smiled
softly at him. "Thank you." She said, simply.
 LaCroix looked slightly surprised for a moment, then his indifferent mask 
fell back into place. "I hope that there is nothing further required of me,
Doctor."
 Nat sat up slowly. "No. That's all. You can go now, if you'd like."
 LaCroix stood and stepped back a bit from the sofa. He watched as Nat stood,
then caught her as she nearly fell. "Perhaps you should sit for a few minutes
longer." He told her. Moving to the kitchen, he retrieved a glass and poured
some orange juice from the carafe in the refrigerator. He moved back to the 
living room and handed her the juice. "Drink this." He ordered.
 Nat accepted the glass from him and sipped at the contents. After she'd 
finished the juice, she looked up at LaCroix. "Don't worry, your secret's 
safe with me." Nat told him.
 LaCroix frowned at her. "And what secret would that be?" 
 Natalie just smiled mysteriously at him. She heard Brandon's cries from 
upstairs, and she stood and headed towards the stairway. She stopped, just 
before she began to climb the steps, and turned towards him. "You know, 
LaCroix, I'm actually glad that this happened. I understand quite a bit more
now, than I used to." She turned and walked up the stairs, then into Brandon's
room. 
 LaCroix stood silently watching the door she'd just entered, for several 
moments. "So do I, Natalie. So do I."  With that, he was gone.

  Nick walked into the loft and hung his jacket on the coat tree by the door.
He'd brought Mr. Montoya back from Ottawa, and now had him safely locked up 
in the 'tank'.  He went to the refridgerator and pulled out a bottle of 
blood, taking a long drink from it. He could hear Natalie upstairs, talking
softly to Brandon, so he headed up to check on them. 
 Nat looked up from the changing table and smiled at Nick. "Well, hello 
there. How was your flight?" She turned back to the task of getting the 
diaper on her squirming son.
 "Fine. Everything went very smoothly, after I 'suggested' to Mr. Montoya 
that he didn't want to get me angry." 
 Nat looked up and grinned ruefully at her husband's smirking face. "I see."
She shook her head and lifted Brandon from the changing table. "Okay, young
man, time for bed."
 Nick set the bottle on the dresser and reached for him. "May I?"
 Nat nodded, as she walked over and handed Brandon over. She kissed Nick 
tenderly, then brushed his blonde curls away from his forehead. "I missed
you." 
 Nick kissed her nose. "I missed you, too." He said, sitting in the rocker
with Brandon. "So, anything interesting happen while I was gone?"
 Nat had moved to the changing table and was straightening up the room. "Oh,
nothing much, really. I got a 'call' and had to have LaCroix come over and
kill me. Then I came to and went back to business as usual." She said, 
casually.
 Nick looked up sharply at Nat. "You *what*!?"
 Nat laughed lightly and went over to kiss the top of his head. "It's okay.
Really. I'll explain, later."
 Nick looked at his wife for a moment, then shook his head. "I go away for 
48 hours, and what does she do? She goes and gets herself into mischief."
He said to Brandon, tickling his son's tummy. 
 Brandon smiled at Nick, then burped again. 
 Nick and Nat both laughed. 
 "Why don't you get him settled, then come and join me in the tub?" Nat asked,
as she headed through the door that joined the two rooms. 
 Nick leered at her a moment. "Sounds like an offer I can't refuse."
 Nat just smiled at him, then turned and disappeared out of sight.
 "What am I going to do with her?" Nick asked Brandon, kissing his son's
head. 
 Outside, LaCroix looked through the bedroom window and raised an eyebrow.
'What indeed, Nicholas? What, indeed?' He thought. Then he turned and 
disappeared into the night.

>END
KC Smith
tigrlady@pacbell.net