Future Mortality
Part 21/?
By Christine Hantzopulos
christine@forevernickandnat.com
It was good
to see Nick so at ease. Natalie had imagined the worst as she’d seen her
husband in a near panicked state at the thought of meeting their daughter’s
boyfriend. But now, the tension was gone, and they were all laughing and
talking as if they had known each other for years.
The fact
that Dimitri was Stavros’ son had certainly made them both feel more at ease.
Stavros had been a friend to them, and it was now obvious why. He’d empathized
with Nick and Natalie, perhaps seeing in them the love and life he might have
had if circumstances had been different. It was comforting to know that he
would protect their secret, and their child, with the compassion of one who had
just as much to lose if the truth of his own son were known. Natalie was sure
that the fact that Dimitri would be returning to
Dimitri was
a nice boy. That was obvious. And that too was playing a large role in Nick’s
acceptance of him, as well as her own.
They were
waiting for dessert and coffee as Nick’s cell phone suddenly rang. He reached
reluctantly to answer it, though they both wondered who could possibly call
him. Had Janette or LaCroix awoken and discovered some danger? The thought had
struck Nick too, she knew, as concern crossed his eyes. But it dissipated,
replaced by annoyance as he listened to the other end.
“Yes, this
is Professor DeBrabant, but it’s a bad time. Is there some problem?”
His face
seemed to register surprise, then a bit of concern, though not the type that
signalled danger. “All right, I can be in in an hour or so, but right now—“
The voice
on the other end cut him off, and he sighed in irritation as he said sharply,
“Fine. I’ll be there in a few minutes. Good bye.”
He hung up
the phone and slipped it back into his jacket pocket.
“Problem?”
Natalie asked with concern.
“The
Archaeology lab was broken into last night,” he replied in exasperation. “They
may have taken some of the new Velociraptor bones that came in from
“Right
now?” she asked, aggravated.
“They’ve
brought in the FBI. They’re there right now, and they need me to come.” He
looked up at Nicolette and Dimitri. “I’m sorry, I
really have to get over there right now.”
“But we
didn’t even have our dessert yet!” Niki complained. Natalie knew it was more
than the dessert. She didn’t want to cut short her time with Dimitri,
especially now that that time would be limited by his imminent departure.
Nick’s face
softened at his daughter’s distress. “Look, why don’t you all stay. I can catch
the bus back to campus.” He turned to Nat. “Is that all right, Nat? I’ll leave
you the car. Are you feeling up to driving?”
“Yeah,
sure,” she said, disappointed but glad his was giving Niki a chance to spend
more time with her young man. It was a good sign. He wasn’t concerned leaving
them alone, but then why should he be? Especially in the
middle of the day?
“Thanks,”
he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. He placed a hundred dollar bill on the
table for the check, dropping the car keys on top.
“Daddy, can
I come?” Richie whined. He had already been getting antsy. “You promised I
could see the dinosaur bones.”
Nick looked
at Nat for approval and she nodded. It would be easier on her anyway, and
without Richie beginning to nag, she would be able to get to know this Dimitri
a little better.
“Okay,” he
said,smiling at the boy, and holding out his hand.
“Let’s go.”
Dimtri
stood as Nick got up to leave, and held out his hand. “It’s been a pleasure,
sir,” he said politely.
“Yes it
has,” Nick replied in kind. “And I hope you’ll bring your father over to visit
before you leave for
“Absolutely,”
the handsome young man promised, as Nicolette beamed watching the exchange.
“Be good
for Daddy,” Natalie told Richie as he gave her a hug good bye.
The little
boy promised he would as Nick scooped him into his arms and carried him from
the restaurant.
Dimitri
didn’t want this afternoon to end. But to his dread, it would have to. Exactly
how, he wasn’t sure. But he knew that what might happen next might cause an
irreparable break between him and the young woman he knew he was falling in
love with.
Niki’s
parents had been everything she’d said they were. Natalie was kind and loving,
much more demonstrative than his European mother had been, though he’d known
she’d loved him more than her own life. He could see why Steven was obsessed
with regaining the family he had lost.
But it was
clear to Dimitri that that would never happen. Natalie and Nick were blissfully
in love. Each glance between them, each stolen caress or kiss, made it evident
that neither of them had ever been happier. Nick had said so himself, in his heartfelt plea
for Dimitri not to even consider giving up his humanity. Nick’s life, his
example, was proof of what his own father had tried to tell him all along.
Humanity and all that came with it was a gift, even greater than that of
immortality.
Nick’s
departure with Richie had been fortuitous. Dimitri had no doubt Steven would
murder his rival in cold blood. And though he would never hurt his son, the
emotional damage of seeing the new father whom he obviously adored murdered by
his natural father would be overwhelming.
How he
wished they could while away the entire afternoon here, waiting patiently for
sundown, when his father had promised to come. Yet whatever safety Nick felt in
leaving Natalie and Nicolette alone in his presence during the afternoon, there
was no doubt that Nick would abandon everything to make sure his family was
safe in his presence in their home way before dark.
His father
had told him to play along with Steven. But just that morning, Steven had
warned him that if he came home without Natalie and Nicolette, he would kill
him. Dimitri knew that he would. Even now, as he engaged in conversation with
Niki and her mother, his mind was racing. If only he could tell them the truth,
and warn them! If only he could await his father under the protection of
LaCroix and Janette. But Stavros had warned him not to confide in the other
vampires. He had disobeyed his father one too many times. He couldn’t do so
again, even if it meant that he would go home to face Steven and certain death
alone.
“Can I give
you a ride, Dimitri?” Natalie asked as she paid the check.
“Uh, sure,”
he answered hesitantly. It was happening now. He had to decide what to do…
He told
them the address and sat in the passenger seat as Natalie found the house he
had rented with Steven. “Looks nice,” Natalie commented as she stopped in front
of the large white colonial home. “Are you staying here all alone?” she asked
with the concern of a mother.
“No, I’ve
been staying with a friend,” he said simply, almost jumping out of his skin as
his cell phone rang. He forced an awkward smile as he excused himself and
answered. “That’s…him now,” he mumbled.
“Dimitri, I
can see you outside. I know they’re with you. Bring them inside.”
“Well, I would,
but they can’t right now. Maybe another time.”
The silence
did not last long. “Let me speak to Natalie.”
“What?!” he
asked, unable to disguise his disbelief.
“I want to
talk to her. Now.” Steven seemed so sure of himself.
Didn’t he realize that it would frighten her away? Good. Maybe this was the way
to get out of this terrible lie, this insidious plot.
Dimitri
turned to Natalie. “My friend…wants to talk to you,” he told Natalie, holding
out the phone. At Natalie’s questioning look, he said, “He knows you.”
Nicolette
was leaning over the partition between his seat and Natalie’s just as curious
as he mother. Natalie took the phone, alarm suddenly on her face. “Hello?” she
said shakily.
The color
drained from her face, and her jaw dropped as she listened to the voice at the
other end. “No… this can’t be…” she whispered.
“Mom, who
is it?” Niki asked, then suddenly stiffened in fear.
“Mom, it’s a vampire! Quick! Let’s get out of here!” she cried frantically.
But Natalie
had already thrown open her car door and was running towards the house.
Nicolette
seemed to struggle against her own fear as she grappled with her seat belt,
pushing her own door open. But before she ran from the car after her mother,
she turned to Dimitri, her eyes blazing amber with fury and horror. “What did
you do?!?!?!!?” she screamed at him.
Dimitri had
no answer for her. But then again, she didn’t wait for one as she ran into the
trap that he himself had set.
End part 21