Vampire love story

Natalie sat at her desk reviewing her notes. For three weeks she'd been taking blood samples from both Tracy and Vachon. The results were inescapable.

Vachon's blood was changing. Tracy's was not. The agent that Natalie had discovered in Nick's blood was present in Vachon's, but each sample showed less and less.

Vachon was becoming mortal. She was going to have to talk to him, to tell him what was happening. He already suspected, but seemed unwilling to stop drinking Tracy's blood. She wondered if this would be good news or bad.

Nick walked into the lab, carrying another present. This was getting ridiculous, Natalie thought. "Maybe it's time we talked, Nick."

Nick paused, measuring her mood. "Am I going to like what you have to say?"

She smiled. She'd been softening towards him since the night she received her first present. She realized now that her pride had been holding out much longer than her heart. "Sit down, Nick."

Taking a chair in front of her, Natalie took his hands in hers. Seeing her gather her thoughts, Nick braced himself for the worst. He waited, not wanting to rush the words that would banish him from her life.

Looking at his hands, Natalie bent to kiss them. "Thank you for all my presents. They were all beautiful." She looked around the lab, finding the gifts. Looking into his eyes, the insecurity she saw surprised her. "Are you free this weekend?"

Nick was taken aback. "Sure, why?"

"Well, I want to go away this weekend. I love you, Nick. I want us to be lovers."

Nick's smile blinded her. She laughed. She was so glad he courted her. She now believed in his love, and knew he was willing to make the big play for her.

She also wanted to decide before Nick learned of Vachon's results. She wanted to know that he wanted her, not just her blood.

"Come home with me tonight, Natalie. Let's not wait till the weekend."

"No, Nick. I want the big weekend."

"You can have the big night."

"I sincerely hope that wasn't a very bad pun."

Nick swept Natalie in his arms and kissed her. He felt joyous, something that had escaped him these past 800 years. They were kissing when Vachon and Tracy swept in, arm and arm. "Looks like the standoff's over, Trace. Think we should come back later?"

Nick put Natalie down, but wouldn't release her completely. He felt if he weren't touching her, she'd change her mind. "Perfect timing. What are you doing here?"

"Tracy and I just needed to make some plans," Natalie jumped in. Vachon looked confused. "And YOU need to go make some plans." Her eyes sparkled as she whispered. "Pick someplace really special, okay?" Nick didn't kiss her, just leaned in and gently touched her forehead with his own.

"Don't be too long, Trace. I hear the Captain's looking for both of us."

"I won't be long, Nick."

As Nick left the lab, both Vachon and Tracy turned to Natalie. "What was that all about?" they asked in unison.

"Nick doesn't know I've been working with you, and I'd rather he didn't right now." Natalie went to get her papers as they sat down. Natalie turned to Vachon. She studied him a moment, looking for some outside clue to what was happening inside his body. "We do have to talk. How are you feeling?"

"Fine." He looked worried, as if he knew what was coming. "What do you have to tell us?"

"Your blood is changing, Vachon. Have you noticed any other changes with your abilities?"

Vachon and Tracy looked at each other, weighing each other's response and their own. "I don't heal like I used to. You know that. I don't have to drink her blood every time we make love. I still do often, but not every time."

"What about you, Tracy? Have you noticed anything different about him?"

Tracy was quiet, looking down at the hands in her lap. Too many emotions were running through her for her to speak. She realized now that she had hoped this would happen. She wanted Vachon to become mortal, to live a normal life with her. As much as the vampire in him thrilled her, she wanted to be rocking in a chair with someone fifty years from now. She wanted to grow old with him.

"Tracy?" Natalie urged. "Have you noticed anything different?" Refusing to meet his eyes, she shook her head 'no.'

"How do we stop this, Doc?" Vachon asked quietly. He could hear Tracy's sudden intake of breath, but wouldn't turn to her. "We have to stop this."

Natalie could feel the tensions between them building, and wondered if leaving them to talk would help or hinder things. She decided to answer Vachon's question first. "I don't know, Vachon. My best guess would be to stop drinking her blood altogether. Of course, there is one other option."

Tracy still hadn't looked up from her hands. She felt like someone was squeezing her heart. Breathing was painful. At the thought of another option, she forced herself to speak. "What other option?"

Natalie was quiet, agonizing over her next words. She knew the words would either be their salvation or their doom. Finally, she spoke.

"Tracy could be brought across." Seeing Tracy's shoulders droop, Natalie stood up, kissed her on the top of her head, and left the lab.

Vachon got out of his chair and knelt before Tracy. "Look at me, Tracy," he commanded. Tracy's eyes remained glued to her hands. Taking her chin in his hand, he urged her eyes to his. The tears he saw didn't surprise him.

"Would it be so terrible, Javier? Would living a mortal life with me be so bad?" A tear escaped, burning his hand.

"Tracy, I've never wanted to be mortal. I am a vampire, and I've never thought of anything else." When Tracy didn't answer, he continued, a little desperately. "Have I ever even hinted I wanted to become mortal?"

She shook her head, then began to cry. Taking her in his arms, he held her, wondering how to even phrase his next question.

"Tracy, join me. Come with me and live forever. Let me bring you across, and we can share eternity." He didn't want to lose her, but he wasn't ready to give up eternity yet.

"No." Tracy kept shaking her head, her sadness a living thing in the room. "I can't Javier. Please don't ask that of me."

"Why not, Tracy? You love me, so I know that the thought of vampires isn't disgusting to you. I know you, Tracy, and I know that part of the reason you love me is BECAUSE I'm a vampire. So why is it so out of the question for you?"

"Javier, don't ask me to explain my faith right now. My brain is just not up to that."

"Faith. This is an issue of faith?" Javier spoke just a little too quietly. "You think I'm damned?"

"No! I swear I don't, Javier. I know the goodness in you, and I know you're not damned, at least not just because you're a vampire." She took a deep breath, and squared her shoulders. This part of herself she could not deny. "But if I make this choice for myself, I WOULD be damned. Javier, I can't explain it, but I guess that's where faith comes in. This choice would mean my damnation."

Vachon put his head in her lap. His heart ached, not knowing which way to turn, or what he wanted more. He wanted everything. He wanted Tracy and he wanted eternity. He wanted her love and he wanted the lifestyle of the vampire. Hey, he liked not having a job!

He was losing Tracy. His heart broke.

Still with his head in her lap, he spoke quietly, "Trace, I need to think. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Later as in after work, or later as in 'later'?"

Vachon looked up as a single blood tear rolled down his beautiful face.

"I'll see you later, Tracy." Before she could blink, he was gone.

***

Natalie returned to the lab to find Tracy alone. "Where's Vachon?"

"Gone."

Natalie measured all that the single word conveyed, and walked over to Tracy. "He'll be back, Tracy. He's scared, but I truly believe his love for you is stronger than his fear." Natalie smoothed Tracy's hair. "Am I to assume you don't want to be brought across?"

"I can't Natalie. Not even for Javier." Tracy looked so woebegone.

Natalie's heart ached for her. She and Nick wanted the same thing: mortality. She didn't know what she'd do if Nick walked away from her now. "Oh, Natalie, what am I going to do?"

"Have faith, Tracy. Have faith in Vachon, and have faith in each other." Returning to her work persona, she scolded Tracy, "Now then, young lady, I hear a certain Captain is roaring through the precinct looking for a certain lady cop."

****

Captain Reese filled them in on the latest nutcase in the city. Where they all come from, he'll never know, he thought disgustedly. Now we've got one taking potshots at crime scenes. What next?

"From what we know, this fool shows up at crime scenes and has been taking shots at anyone there. He shot a paramedic yesterday, and today he got a reporter. The paramedic's gonna be okay, but the reporter died at the scene. We're not sure how he's finding these crime scenes, so be careful. We need to stop this guy before anyone else is hurt."

"Right, captain. We'll be careful. We need to go check out that murder-suicide scene now. I think Tracy should wear a vest."

"You both should. Now get going."

Nick looked at Tracy, wondering if she'd even heard the captain. Walking back to their desks, he ventured, "Everything okay, Trace? You seem a little out of it."

"I'm fine. No, I'm not fine. Nick, I'm taking off. You can handle this alone, can't you?"

"Sure, Tracy. Anything I can do?" He was at a loss. Just minutes ago he saw her and Vachon arm in arm, so there didn't seem to be a problem there. Maybe her dad's giving her a hard time again.

"No, I'll just see you tomorrow." Tracy needed a break. Her life had been on high speed pursuit for a month now. What she needed tonight was a bottle of wine, privacy, and the dawn.

***

Vachon roamed the streets, hunting. He felt trapped, caged. He was being pulled apart. He wanted to run. He thought of just taking off, leaving Tracy behind, and picking up the life of vampire where he left it a month ago. How did things get so complicated?

His acute hearing heard the sound of a woman struggling, a slap. Within seconds he was on the scene of the attack, a dirty drunken man taking life's problems out on his wife's face. Grabbing the man, he spun him around, letting him feel the fear as he stared into the face of the vampire. Growling, he jerked the man's head aside as the wife's screams raged in his head. Sinking his fangs deeply, he killed with savagery, making him feel the pain.

Feeling the life leave the husk of the man, he tossed him aside and approached the still shrieking wife. "Quiet!" he ordered, mesmerizing her. "You don't remember what happened. Your husband was beating you, and he knocked you out. When you came to, you saw a dog attacking your husband."

"A dog attacked my husband," she repeated dazedly. Vachon took the skies, filled with the lifeblood of the weak, stupid man.

***

Tracy sat on the hillside, finishing the last of the bottle. A bottle of cheap wine and a night watching stars had given Tracy two things: the start of a cheap wine hangover and the certainty that she must remain mortal. The latter hurt far more than the former.

Watching the dawn had always filled Tracy with peace. The renewal of the day was a balm to her soul, and she knew it could never be her enemy. Would her decision cause her to lose Vachon?

Hell, Trace, maybe you've already lost him. Gathering up her things, Tracy walked back to her car. Guilt filled her as she prepared to drive home. "Why am I so stupid?" she yelled. "I can sleep with a vampire and justify that, but I can't drive home after drinking cheap wine without guilt?"

An hour after dawn, Tracy felt more sure of her blood alcohol level and drove home.

Entering the apartment, Tracy was so weary. Thinking she may even call off work that night, she stumbled to the bedroom. She was brought up short by the sight of Vachon. Already asleep in their bed, she noticed the empty private label bottle next to the bed. Knowing he had filled himself with someone else's blood that night, Tracy climbed in and hugged her side of the bed, not wanting him to awaken. Crying silent tears of jealousy and loss, she slipped into a restless slumber.

***

Vachon awoke with a start to the buzzing of the alarm. Tracy slept on, unfazed. Reaching over Tracy to turn it off, he nuzzled her warm neck. Normally, she jumps out of bed the instant it goes off, full of energy. Oh, well, maybe I can wake her up slowly...

He tried to take her in his arms, only to find her stiff and resistant, even in sleep. He petted her with long slow sweeps of his hand down her back, over her hips. Nothing. Turning her towards him, he studied her face. Seeing the ravage marks of crying in her sleep, he felt the pressure around his heart increase.

We're both miserable, he thought. Why can't we at least comfort each other? Trying to insinuate himself closer to her, she again resisted. Hurt, Vachon settled for holding Tracy, hoping her response would be different when she awoke.

An hour later, Tracy still slept. Vachon began to worry that she may be sick. He'd drunk so much of her blood this past month, maybe she couldn't recover as quickly. Deciding for her, he dialed Knight to call Tracy off work.

Climbing back in their bed, Tracy began to stir. Holding her, needing her, he began to kiss her awake. This time she kissed him back, pulling herself away from her dreams, needing Vachon's strength. Opening her eyes, she looked into his. Seeing his need, feeling her own, she gave herself to him with a desperation, praying he would drink.

Kissing him with all the passion her desperation tapped, she refused to break the kiss, maneuvering herself under him and taking him in. Still kissing, rocking their bodies, she felt his fangs descend and finally broke away. "Bite me," she begged. "Drink my blood. Do it now, Javier, please!"

"No, Tracy, not tonight." Fighting his need for her, remembering the bitter taste of the man the night before, he turned his head to her breasts, needing to get away from the irresistible pull of her pulse. Drawing on her breasts, the smell of her blood intoxicated him, giving the beast more and more control.

Resisting the blood so readily offered made him savage. Tracy could feel her body bruising, yet refused to let go or cry out her pain. Instead, she worked him with her words. "Taste me, Vachon, you know you want it. Imagine your fangs sinking into me now, sucking, sucking, drinking the blood you need, you want-"

Hearing the low animal growl as he threw his head back and bared his fangs, she offered her neck. He plunged into her, drinking what he had to have. He tasted her sadness mixed with her joy as they completed their dance together.

Collapsing on top of her, Vachon took a moment to catch his breath. Rolling to their sides, Tracy refused to look at Vachon. She knew she had forced the issue, and feared his anger and disappointment. Then she remembered the bottle next to the bed, and her anger and jealousy became her focus. Pulling away from him, she looked him right in the eye and slapped him.

"What the hell was that for?"

"You drank someone else's blood last night, you bastard. I saw the bottle."

Vachon looked at the bottle, and thought of the man he had killed last night. "I did more than that Tracy. I drank a man dry last night. What a shocker, huh? What do I think I am, a vampire?" His venom hit the mark. Tracy pulled further away.

"You killed a man last night?"

"Yes, I did Tracy. The sonovabitch was beating his wife and deserved to die. So I took care of it."

Tracy promptly ran to the bathroom and threw up. She knew what he was, she knew he had killed before. This time was different, though. He didn't need to kill, he could drink from her forever if he wanted -- well, not forever. For as long as he wanted to stay around, though.

Putting her head on her knees, she cried for what was slipping through her fingers.