Future Mortality
Part 25/?
By Christine Hantzopulos
“No.” There
was no hesitation in Nick’s answer.
“Even if it means the difference between saving their lives and losing
your own?”
Damn
LaCroix for reminding him of his weakness, of the very real possibility that he
was powerless to protect the woman and child he loved more than his own life.
LaCroix had always known how to prey upon his insecurities, and had grasped at
that self-doubt to serve his own desire, which would always be to bring Nick
back into darkness. But he and Natalie had waited too long for the life that
they now had together. How could they go back to how things had been before?
“You could
always use Nicolette’s blood to become human again,” LaCroix reminded him, as
if knowing his thoughts.
“Perhaps,
LaCroix,” Nick agreed, then posed the real issue that held him back. “But how
will they ever feel safe, knowing that as a man I couldn’t protect them?”
This LaCroix
could not answer.
“Steven
won’t hurt them,” Andy stated with assuredness. “He wants to take them away. Be
a family again.”
Nick fumed
at the words, wanting to remind Andy that they were his family now, but not
wishing to lose the unlikely ally against his brother.
But Andy
quickly supplied, “I think he knows that’s not going to happen as long as
you’re around. Which is why I would be more worried about what he might do to
you.”
“Precisely
why you can’t fight him as a mortal,” LaCroix quickly threw in, in frustration.
“Nicolas.”
He turned
to see Janette step from the living room, where Richie played, oblivious to the
drama transpiring. “He will try to kill you. But you would never recover from
being brought back across before sunset anyway. And if you’re going to have to
wait until then, you might as well wait for us to help you. In any case, you
know what Natalie would say.”
He knew
precisely what Natalie would say. He nodded to Janette. “I also know that
Natalie can’t wait another two hours. I promised I would be there when this
baby is born. And I will.”
“And you
will die,” LaCroix said harshly, though Nick knew there was real concern behind
his veil of disgust.
“No, I
won’t.” He was certain of that. More sure than he had ever been in his life. For he knew that he and Natalie had fought too hard for their life
together. He was not about to let it all be in vain.
“You can do
it, Nicolas,” Janette urged him. “And just remember, even if you can stall him
until sunset—we’ll be there.” She looked at Andy, who had no idea who she was,
though she had heard every word of every conversation he’d had in this house.
“Tell us where he’s holding them.”
“
“Come on,”
Nick told him, and they were gone before LaCroix could utter another protest.
The drive
wouldn’t be long, but Nick wished he could take the wheel and speed there.
Andrew had said nothing since they’d gotten into the car, but now, without
taking his eyes from the road, he broke the silence.
“So they’re
vampires too, right?” he asked. “And you used to be?”
The
matter-of-fact way in which Andy spoke of this made it clear
that he was beyond the point of disbelief. He had seen too much in the last
half hour.
“Yes.” What
more was there to say about that, that wouldn’t take much longer than the few
moments they had in this car?
“So that’s
why you and Nat couldn’t stay together, I gather?”
Nick looked
at him in surprise. Andy could have been a detective. “Yeah.
We were afraid Niki would be in danger.”
“And you took
Niki’s blood?” It wasn’t said like an accusation, but Nick didn’t like the
underlying implication.
“A transfusion. We found out it would make me mortal again, and Niki volunteered.”
Andy said
nothing, simply nodded. “The kid really loves you. Both kids do, and so does
Natalie. I think Steven can see that, but doesn’t want to accept it.”
“I can’t
blame him,” Nick admitted. “But I can’t let him take them away. You know that,
don’t you?”
Andy sighed
deeply. “He’s my brother, but…he’s changed. And he’s not thinking clearly. I
tried to reason with him, but—“ He paused. “I don’t like the idea of
betraying him, Nick. But I can’t let him hurt them.”
“And
neither will I,” Nick said, his meaning clear.
As they
turned onto
“It’s okay.
You’ve got a reason to be,” Andy said grimly. “By the way, I thought bullets
can’t hurt vampires. Don’t we need a wooden stake or something?”
“They’re
wooden bullets,” Nick explained. They’ll immobilize him, but they won’t kill
him.”
But then,
Steven would most likely have to be killed. It wasn’t something Nick
wanted to say plainly to his brother. But he was sure it was an eventuality
Andrew had already accepted.
How many
times had she seen Nick with his fangs bared, his eyes burning with the rage
and desires of a deadly predator? Yet she had never been afraid. But seeing
Steven like this, hearing him speak of how they would
be a family forever—this terrified her. Nick had had centuries to perfect
his control, while Steven seemed barely aware of the transformation even as it
occurred. Had he learned his own strength? Had he mastered control over his
beast, even in times of stress, or anger, or in the presence of blood?
He’d told
her quite plainly that he and Niki could deliver the baby with her direction.
But even Nick, with centuries of practice, grew weak at the sight of blood. God
forbid she did give birth before she could reach a hospital, what would stop
Steven from losing control once he had taken in the scent of her blood?
Especially when she could see the jealousy that raged, in the face of her love
for—and pregnancy by—another man?
Two more
contractions had come and gone, and she was willing her body to calm down,
knowing that the stress had brought on this premature labor. But how could she
relax as he hovered over her, deluded in his fantasy that he would whisk her
and the children away to resume their lives? How could she possibly be calm
knowing that Andy would either bring Richie into the middle of this mess, or
bring Nick into a sure trap? She had no doubt that Steven would kill him. Or
that Nick would die trying to save her.
Niki had
said that Stavros was coming. Had she gotten that message somehow to Andy, so
that he would delay until sundown? Or would Andy obey his brother’s demands,
naively thinking that Steven would honor his promise to let her go to a
hospital? She had no doubt that Steven had no intention of letting her out of
his sight. He knew about LaCroix and Janette, and for that reason alone would
try to take them away just as the sun slid below the horizon.
“Mommy, can
I do anything for you?” Niki asked, coming to sit beside her. She was so scared.
And knowing her daughter, she blamed herself for allowing Dimitri to lead them
here.
“I really
don’t think Dimitri wanted this to happen,” she told her daughter, surprising
her at the insight into her thoughts.
“He didn’t,
Mommy. He didn’t have a choice.” Natalie knew her daughter was hesitant to say
it with Steven listening, but she gathered that he had threatened the boy to do
his bidding.
“I’m sorry,
Natalie,” Dimitri said, coming to stand behind Niki. There was such fear and
regret in his eyes, that Natalie knew he was telling
the truth.
“It’s okay, Dimitri,” she said, shifting uncomfortably as the
baby kicked furiously. “But I think that if we’re going to make that summer
vacation in
Dimitri nodded.
But even that tacit approval of his continuing to see Niki despite what he had
done could not assuage his guilt or sense of helplessness. “The sun will be
down in an hour and a half,” he said with meaning, knowing that Nicolette had
gotten the message through to her that Stavros was really on the way.
“Then let’s
just hope this little girl will calm down until then,” she said, her hand on
her unborn daughter.
Steven
walked towards them, looking at his watch. “Andrew should have been back by
now,” he murmured in annoyance.
“Maybe he
couldn’t find them. Richie and Nick weren’t at home,” she said, not wanting to
give away their actual location.
“I assume
he was cleaning up his mess in his office,” Steven said with a smirk.
“You broke
into his office? To create a diversion?” Natalie
realized at once.
“Last
night,” Steven replied. “Only I expected he would go alone.” Nick’s
relationship with his son obviously was a sore spot. Knowing how complex and
intense Steven’s jealousy was only intensified Natalie’s fears for Nick.
“You don’t
have to hurt him, you know,” Natalie said to Steven. I’ve already told you, if
you want me to go with you I will. Why not just leave the kids with Nick? For now, at least?”
Steven
looked at her with sudden contempt. “You surprise me, Natalie. Your children
have always meant more to you than anything, yet you would leave them behind
and come with me…just to save him?”
She’d
forgotten how well he knew her, and how outlandish that suggestion would seem.
But she was desperate to get him away from Nick and the children, no matter
what sacrifice it meant to her. “I just don’t want anyone hurt, Steven.”
“Except
me?” he asked disdainfully.
“Steven, I
don’t want to hurt you. I never wanted to. I’m sorry. But I can’t help…what’s
happened.” She was going to say that she couldn’t help how she felt, but it
would only enrage him more.
“You’re
mine,” he told her, his fangs descending. “Now, and
forever. And no one will ever touch you again.”
Her heart
began to pound wildly as the meaning of his words became clear. She knew what
he would do. She had known it all along. But had he become so deranged that he
would…while she still carried her baby?! “Steven, please, don’t,”
she said, as he came towards her.
Niki’s eyes
opened wide. “Oh my God, no! Daddy, stop!”
“Steven,
you can’t! She’s carrying a baby! At least wait until she’s given birth—“
“I’m
running out of time, Dimitri. Now, out of the way.”
With a simple swish of his hand he threw Dimitri across the room. Niki screamed
and rushed at him, physically trying to keep him away from her mother, her eyes
burning amber with her tears. But Steven firmly detached her from him, looking
her in the eyes. “Stay back, Niki. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Niki, it’s
okay,” Natalie cried, knowing that if provoked Steven would swat her away as he
had Dimitri, who lay unconscious on the floor. “Just get away from him, baby.
Please.”
Niki
hesitantly stepped away, and Natalie said a silent prayer to God to keep her
safe. Steven’s eyes were ablaze, his face contorted in the emotional pain that
had driven him insane.
“Steven,
please don’t,” she wept, fearing he would spring at her at any moment. “Not
while I’m pregnant. Please. My baby will die. Please…”
“I’m sorry,
Natalie. But you’re mine. And I have to keep it that way.”
She had
hardly gasped when his fangs sank into her flesh. She struggled to free
herself, but he held her like a vise, immobile, helpless, ready
to die or be transformed at his whim. It occurred to her that he could only
bring her across if she drank his blood, and she knew at that moment that this
she would never do. No matter how thoroughly he drained her, nor how certain
her death, she would never drink his blood. The baby was kicking furiously, and
the pain of her contraction began to overwhelm the agony of her torn flesh as
he lapped at her life essence. Oh God,
Nick…I’m so sorry to leave you alone…Please take the kids far away…Keep them
safe…I love you so much….
She was
losing consciousness when the shots rang out. Steven withdrew from her, a look
of pure shock on his face. “You’ll never be mine…” he choked out sadly.
Then he was
being pulled off of her, thrown to the side, as Nick’s face appeared before
hers. “Oh my God, he’s bitten her! Nat, can you hear me! Natalie!”
“Nick?” she
asked weakly. The room was swaying around her, but he was at its center. Was he
really there?
“I’m here,
my love, I’m here,” he said, hugging her to him. “It’s all right. It’s all
right…”
Then
everything went black.
End part 25