Though the distance from where she had slid her car into the snow-covered parking spot and her target destination was very short, the time spent outside was long enough that Natalie was shivering in response to the biting cold as she entered The Raven. Expecting the club to be cool, she was pleasantly surprised at the warmth that greeted her upon entry. She looked around, trying to assess if the scattered patrons she saw were mortals or not. Natalie was slightly concerned that most of them she guessed to be vampires. As one of the few mortals in the room, that made her feel slightly exposed, but she had been at The Raven and had been around vampires enough to know to not blatantly display any level of fear. Fear always interested vampires. Natalie carefully walked through the large room looking for Janette, or at least someone who might know where The Raven's owner could be found and would be willing to tell her. Natalie was on her way out of the club area and headed to one of the back rooms when she was startled by a hand that gripped her shoulder through her brown, thick winter coat.

"Nicolas is not here." Janette released her hold on Nicolas' mortal, allowing the woman to turn and face her.

Natalie looked Janette in the eyes, refusing to break contact. "I was actually looking for you."

Janette raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "Really?" She indicated with her gloved hand one of the small tables, secluded in its own private corner. "Perhaps we should talk then."

Natalie nodded her head and moved to the indicated table. She opened her coat as she sat down, but did not take the garment off. Janette eased into the chair opposite of her, the metal table between them. To break the awkward silence, Natalie commented on the warmth of the club. "I had thought it would be a little cooler in here."

"Even vampires like to be warm, occasionally. Besides, most of the mortals are with their friends or families, or traveling to them, this being the holiday season. So I turn up the heater to compensate for the missing body heat. But," Janette dragged the word out, "you did not come looking for me to see what temperature I set the thermostat on, did you?"

Natalie gave a small shake her head, her hair bouncing slightly with the movement. Janette would have her get immediately to the reason for the visit, either because the club owner was a practical businesswoman or Janette simply wanted her gone as quickly as possible. Natalie suspected the latter as the most probable motivation. "I came to ask if Nick was going to be at his place," Natalie rushed through the rest of her question, noting the not-so-friendly facial expression Janette was displaying at the moment, "or was he going to spend the holiday with you?"

Janette leaned back in her chair, perceiving the discomfort from the doctor. "Why not ask Nicolas yourself? You and he speak of so many topics, I hardly think asking him that question would be more intimate than any of the other inquiries you make to him."

"I didn't want to disturb him. And if he was going to be here, at The Raven, then I didn't want to interrupt anything he might be … you and he might have your own … plans."

Janette allowed a small smile to play across her lips. "Plans?" Though it might have been amusing to play with this mortal woman a bit, she had other activates to attend to and this was a distraction. "No, Nicolas would not be coming over here. I thought he would be at his mortal job that night."

Natalie had watched as Janette's smile turned from amusement into wistfulness, then finally into barely-detectible sadness. She wondered if Janette was saddened because Nick wouldn't be with her, or that he might prefer his mortal life to her and the vampire community. "No." Natalie recalled Schanke's complaining at his attempt to get his Christmas night shift switched with Nick, but Captain Cohen had not approved. Don had too much time to make-up and so had to work that night. Nick had apparently protested, but Cohen was making him take the night off. Nick hadn't told her; she had to find out from Schanke, which had made her wonder if Nick had plans he didn't want her to know about. "Nick's off that night."

"Well," Janette leaned forward, "then Nicolas will be spending the whole night at his place."

Natalie detected an odd note in Janette's voice. "Does Nick celebrate during Christmas?" Being a vampire maybe he didn't, or couldn't; Nick had never said one way or another.

"In his own way, Nicolas celebrates what all the winter solstice holidays celebrate."

Natalie saw a mischievous light in Janette's bright blue eyes. "Which is?"

Janette smiled as she sinuously rose from her chair to leave. "Go over that night and see for yourself. It will be quite … illuminating … for you, I think."

Nick was in his kitchen, rinsing out one of the newly-emptied green glass bottles in the sink when he felt a vibration come through his link, the sensation reverberating through his bones. It was the low thrumming feeling his maker made when he wanted Nick to know he was there. The dominating pulsation LaCroix created when he wanted his presence acknowledged and not ignored. Nick turned off the water and put the bottle down in the sink. "Why are you here? Don't you know what tonight is?" Nick finally turned around, knowing what he would see. His maker stood stiffly in the loft space, the kitchen table separating them. LaCroix's black leather jacket was wet on the shoulders, the only indication his sire had flown through the lightly falling snow Nick could see through the windows.

"Of course I know what night this is, Nicholas. It is the end of Saturnalia and the night the winter solstice is celebrated, give or take a few days. You know how dates can change over the centuries, depending on the calendar used or the location. And how a particular day can be picked for special meaning; the date carrying over to reorganized calendars regardless of date adjustments."

Nick had no intention of being drawn into a history lesson with his sire tonight, nor a discussion of how the old Roman date of the winter solstice, 25 December, was maintained for festivities even though the solstice had actually occurred a couple days before. "I thought you would be out. Or at The Raven. Anywhere but here."

LaCroix smirked. "It is always quaint to see how the mortals through the ages celebrate during this time, incorrect dates aside. Though the revelry is much calmer and more constrained now compared to my mortal days." He quickly glanced down at the item in his left hand before returning his gaze to his wayward son. "I have actually just come from The Raven." He took a right step partially around the table to get closer to Nicholas. "Janette sends her love, of course, and hopes you will visit her soon."

Nick eyed his maker with distrust. He could tell LaCroix was holding something in his hand, but the table blocked what the item actually was. "That doesn't answer why you are here."

The elder nodded, then turned his head to look at what Nicholas had done to the whole loft. "I have come over, in part, to ascertain how you are celebrating the winter solstice season this year." LaCroix returned his gaze to Nicholas. His son had been celebrating like this for more years than he liked to recount. "The same way, I see." He gave a small shake to his head. "When are you going to give up-"

"Hope? Never." He knew LaCroix's visit was for more than just observing how he had decorated the loft space that night. "What do you want, LaCroix?"

"You know what I want, Nicholas; what I would like to have return," LaCroix intensely stated.

Nick shook his head. "No, you've come to remind me of what you think I will never have again."

"Actually, I have come to remind you of what you currently have. The eternal gift I gave you, so that you may see many … days." LaCroix lifted his arm and placed the object he had been holding on the table. "I brought a gift for you; what you really need. Do not even bother trying to deny you have those urges, I can feel them even now."

Nick watched the dark bottle being placed on the table, clinking slightly when the bottom made contact with the flat surface. He knew what would be inside; LaCroix would never have bothered carrying over animal blood. Nick brought his slate blue eyes up to meet his sire's ice blue ones. "I'll just pour it out."

"Perhaps," LaCroix said, as he looked at Nicholas while his fingers, still on the neck of the bottle, stroked along the glass surface. "But you will be thinking about the blood contained within this bottle the entire time until you finally decide to dispose of the contents. The fact that you shall be thinking intently on those thoughts will be enough for me, for now. After all, like all travels, it begins with a single step in the right direction."

Nick closed his eyes, breaking his visual contact with the bottle and his maker. LaCroix was correct on all counts, he bitterly thought. He would think about that bottle until he got rid of it, and it might be a while before he actually did. He opened his eyes, ready to try and order his maker out of his home, when he saw LaCroix jerk his head to one side, listening. Then Nick heard the sound too.

LaCroix smiled at his son. "It would appear this year is different, Nicholas. A warm dinner is being delivered. So much more convenient than hunting them down."

Nick had recognized the heartbeat, then the sound of the freight elevator moving – Natalie was on her way up. He glanced at the door, then back to his maker, his eyes having changed to their golden hue. "Leave." Nick looked back at the door; Natalie would be opening it soon. "Please," he added as he returned his gaze back to LaCroix.

As amusing as it was to make his son irritated, LaCroix did not want to bother interacting with Nicholas' doctor. "It is time I departed anyway." He began to turn to leave, then stopped and turned his head slightly to look at his son. "I almost forgot: vives annos, Nicholas. And be careful to not hurt yourself on the decorations."

Nick's Latin was not that great, but he recognized the traditional Roman words given at midwinter: may you live for many years. Without waiting for his response, LaCroix left through the skylight, and Nick was glad his sire was gone before Natalie arrived and could see who had been here. As the elevator halted its ascension, Nick remembered the bottle on the table. He grabbed it and quickly shoved the temptation in the cabinet under the sink and closed the door just as the metal door slid back and Natalie entered the loft.

Once the freight elevator had reached the floor to Nick's loft, Natalie quickly raised the safety grille and slid the large door to the side. As she entered the space she realized two things: Nick appeared to be safe in the kitchen, and she finally understood what Janette had said a few days ago about having an illuminating experience. She began to walk over to Nick. "Nick, are you alright?"

Nick blinked his eyes a few times, hoping Natalie had not seen their alternative color. "Hi, Nat. I'm fine. Why?"

Natalie looked around the loft. "When I pulled up I saw a lot of light through the windows and I thought there was a problem."

He watched her as she looked around, trying to guess what she was thinking. "No problem, as you can see."

Natalie had never seen Nick's place like this before. Every light was on, there was a fire in the fireplace, and there were numerous candle holders scattered around the space, each filled with lit candles. More candles were placed on every flat surface and on the piano. Dangerously too many lit candles, she thought, considering this was the home of a combustible vampire. Walking further in and glancing under the main staircase, she saw more candles and that Nick was working on a new canvas. He was in the process of painting another sun. She finally stopped in the kitchen area to face him; he seemed slightly nervous about something. "Is everything alright, Nick?"

Nick smiled. "Yeah. I was going to ask you the same question. I thought you were spending the holiday with family. You didn't mention coming over."

"It was going to be a little surprise." She was getting the feeling that she was intruding on something very personal for him. "But maybe I should go."

Nick reached on hand out to her, but let it drop without making contact. "No, you should stay." Plus, with Natalie here, he wouldn't be thinking about that hidden bottle.

Natalie gave Nick a little smile. "Okay."

"Shall I take your coat?" He began to reach out for the garment, to help her out of it and hang it up.

"No, actually I have something I left in the car for you. I'll go get it and be right back." A quick trip to the car chilled her, but soon Natalie was back in the warm living space of the loft with a large bag in hand. "I thought you might like it, might need it."

"What?"

"I didn't know if you decorated for Christmas, so I brought you this." She handed the bag to Nick and watched as he pulled out an artificial garland. "It's for your fireplace. And it has little lights in it." She had considered a real garland but dismissed that idea. With an artificial one, Nick could keep this one and use it again next year.

"Thanks, Nat; it's perfect for the fireplace." He gave her a quick smile, then went off to find an extension cord so that when he placed the garland he could turn the lights on. Less than thirty minutes later, Nick and Nat were sitting next to each other on the leather couch, looking at the lighted garland. Nick had turned off all the other electric lights, but the candles were all still burning, adding their light to push against the darkness. "The garland looks good there."

Natalie agreed with Nick, then finally asked the question that she had been wanting to since she had arrived. "Nick, why all the light?"

Nick took a deep breath, then let it slowly out. He turned to face her, the loft bright enough with the candles that he had no trouble seeing her. "You know about winter solstice festivals, right?" He saw the quizzical look that graced Natalie's face. "Christmas, Saturnalia, Brumalia, Yule, Chaomos, and so many others are celebrations." Nick looked down at his hands, then back to her. "The winter solstice is the day when darkness is the longest. People around this time have beliefs and rituals to encourage and remind them of the bringing of light back into the world." Nick returned his gaze back to the fireplace mantle. "The burning of candles and such symbolizes the hope of the return of light and the lengthening of the day as the darkness is pushed back." With his candles, Nick celebrated the return of the light, both to the world and the hope of light returning into his own life, pushing his darkness away.

Natalie listened to what Nick said, and knew there was much more he wasn't saying. She put her hand gently on top of his, glad he did not pull away from her. More than ever, she was determined to return Nick back to the light.