Romance Fan Fiction ❯ Insatiable ❯ Chapter 4

Insatiable

 

Disclaimer: Nick & crew belong to James Parriott and Sony, not me. I'm just borrowing them to give them a happier life than they had on the show. The song “Insatiable” also does not belong to me. Lyrics are by Darren Hayes.

 

Timeline: A couple of years post 3rd season. Ashes to Ashes happened but Vachon and Urs did not die. Nobody died except Divia. Last Knight was someone's nightmare after eating too much garlic before bedtime.

 

Lemons coming later.

 

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Chapter 4

 

Natalie smiled as she held their trophy. Second place. Tracy and Vachon had won first place, and she had her suspicions that Vachon had “influenced” the DJ... She and Nick had won second place, as the “Most Original” dancers. She couldn't help the smile as she remembered Nick's embarrassment when Commissioner Vetter had commented that their song should be outlawed.

 

It took a few minutes for Nat to realize that they weren't headed for her apartment, but to his. She looked at him curiously, a question on her face, but didn't speak, content to wait and see what he had planned.

 

As they walked into the loft, Nick took her coat and purse and laid them on a chair before picking up one of the many remotes he had and lighting a fire. Loosening his collar, he moved to the refrigerator and pulled out two bottles, then retrieved two glasses from the rack.

 

After setting the bottles and glasses on the coffee table, he took Nat's hand and led her to the couch.

 

“What…?” she began, but he shushed her with a finger to her lips. His cool touch made her lips tingle.

 

He poured her a glass of white wine and handed it to her, then poured himself a glass of blood. Nat was a little surprised, because he usually avoided drinking blood around her. At one time it had bothered her, but not any more. Not since she had finally realized, a couple of years ago, that it wasn't drinking blood that prevented him from regaining his mortality. And at the same time, she'd realized that his diet of bovine blood was hurting him, not helping him. He was severely malnourished. It hadn't been easy convincing him to change his diet to human blood, no matter that he could easily get donated blood, but eventually he had acquiesced. Earning her the eternal gratitude of one ancient vampire.

 

As they sat in mutual silence, sipping from their respective glasses, Nick pondered how to best approach what he needed to talk to her about. He considered several opening sentences and discarded each in turn. Finally, he sighed. No point in beating around the bush.

 

“Natalie,” he said as he set his glass down and met her questioning eyes. “We need to talk. You know I don't have much longer before I'm going to have to move on…”

 

Nat averted her eyes, blinking rapidly at the tears that suddenly gathered there. Swallowing hard, she croaked, “How long?”

 

“A year at the most.”

 

Standing quickly, Nat walked to the fireplace, arms across her chest, as if by holding herself she could keep her heart from breaking. She didn't hear him move, but she felt his arms slide around her waist and pull her gently against him.

 

Resting his chin on her shoulder, Nick whispered, “Will you come with me?”

 

She gasped and spun around, eyes wide and disbelieving. “What did you say?”

 

“Come with me.” He had let her go when she turned; now he lifted a hand to caress her face. “I love you, Natalie. I don't want to leave you behind.”

 

A tear slipped from her eye and quickly traced a hot path down her cheek. “Why now, Nick? What's going on? There's something you're not telling me.”

 

He nodded, his expression serious. “There is more I need to explain.” Taking her hand, he pulled her back to the couch, turning to face her but still holding her hand. “Before I say anything else, I want you to know that I want you to come with me. I have for a long time. But something was brought to my attention tonight that I wasn't aware of…something that forced me to make the decision I wanted to make, but was scared to.” He paused, took a breath. “Your life will be in danger if I leave you behind.”

 

“From the Community? Why?” Nat asked, shocked. “I thought the Community owed me because of the cure for the fever.”

 

“As a whole, the Community does owe you,” Nick agreed. “But that wouldn't stop individuals from coming after you when I leave.”

 

“So you're saying that I really have no choice,” she whispered.

 

Nick shook his head. “Vachon has offered to protect you after I'm gone, but he'll have to leave a couple or three years later, after which you'd still be faced with the same problem. But if you really don't want to go with me, we'll figure something out.”

 

It was Nat's turn to shake her head. “It's not that I don't want to go with you, Nick. It's just that…” She dropped her head and wouldn't meet his eyes.

 

“What?” he asked, lifting her head.

 

She steeled herself to say what she had to say. “I love you too, Nick. You know that. And I don't want you to leave me behind either. But how long would it last? How long before I grow old and become a liability? How long before I become a risk to you and the Community?” She shook her head emphatically. “That's not the kind of life I want. I don't want to grow old while you stay the same.” She took a deep breath. “I'll go with you, Nick, but only if you bring me across.”

 

Surprise, fear flashed through his eyes at her words. No matter that he had already decided that it would be the most practical solution, it was just hearing her say that she wanted to be brought across, especially after he'd turned her down so harshly a few years ago.

 

And to be perfectly honest, it scared him. With his track record with fledglings, the chances were high that she'd either have to be destroyed or that she'd end up hating him. He didn't think he could bear it if either one occurred. Perhaps if he went to his father for help…

 

Smiling softly, Nick leaned in and kissed her, his lips brushing lightly over hers. “Are you sure?”

 

“Yes,” was her whispered reply.

 

His lips pressed more urgently to hers, his tongue sweeping across them. She parted her lips and he swept inside, tasting the warm sweetness of her mouth. Capturing her bottom lip between his teeth. Nibbling at the corners.

 

It was with some effort that he pulled away. She opened hazy eyes to his. “Why'd you stop?”

 

He smiled and chuckled softly. “Any more and we'd have to move on immediately.”

 

She understood right away. A slow, sensual smile crept across her face. “And that would be a bad thing?”

 

Nick grinned and shook his head. “We need to plan for it, Nat. If we just disappeared, there'd be a search and that's attention we don't need.” He took both of her hands in his, rubbing the backs with his thumbs. “Besides, I'm not ready to leave this life and I don't think you are either.”

 

Sighing ruefully, Nat nodded. He was right, but damn! She wanted him so much! Leaning over, she laid her head on his shoulder. He twisted a little and pulled her close, holding her tightly.

 

Breathing in the scent of her, he listened to the cadence of her heartbeat, a sound that he knew perfectly, intimately. He would miss that sound.