or any of the other traditional FK characters. I'm just playing with them.
This story was first posted earlier today on the fkvals mailing list and is
dedicated to them-- my Valentine support group.
Archiving: The fkvals fanfic archive, www.fkfanfic.com
and my own web site.
All other people must ask first.
"The Halloween Party"
a Val story
by Fleurette B
Part 1
"So... are you going to go or not?" Natalie
Lambert asked the blond detective
standing before her. He had just
shown her a black envelope which had come to
him through the mail. It was an
invitation to a Halloween party--hosted by the
NightCrawler. "Nick?" she asked
again when he still had not answered her.
"I don't know, Nat. I must admit, I *am*
curious as to what LaCroix has planned
for the evening, but I don't think
I want to go."
"Oh," Natalie sounded disappointed. She'd
read the invitation. It clearly said
"bring a date." When she'd seen
the words, she automatically hoped Nick would
offer to take her. Why else would
he show her the invitaion? Nick wasn't a
guy who came out and said what he
meant. He could easily have been inviting
her without wanting to voice it.
Apparently, however... that's not what he'd intended.
******
(Halloween Day)
A package for Natalie with the mail. Opening
it, she found herself staring at a
beautiful Elizabethan Era gown.
It was a shade of deep purple and made
entirely out of velvet and lace.
Unerneath the dress was a golden mask and a
black envelope. Curious, she picked
up the envelope and began to read the
silver script:
"I see that Nicholas did not find it in
his heart to invite you to our little
party, my dear," the message read
in LaCroix's near-perfect handwriting. "I am
certain this is an oversight on
his part. Please accept these gifts, along
with my sincerest apologies. If
you would, join us this evening as my honored
guest." It was signed "Lucien LaCroix"
Underneath the message were directions
to the party's location, a mansion in one
of the oldest, weathiest areas of
Toronto.
Natalie stood there, staring at the invitation
in shock. LaCroix was inviting
her to the par--... A smile suddenly
appeared on her face--a wicked, wonderful
smile accompanied by an equally
wicked idea. Nick was obviously going to this
party; otherwise, how would LaCroix
know that Nick had not invited her?
Natalie decied then and there to
take LaCroix up on the generous offer. She'd
go to that party as *his* guest
and surprise Nick.
She was dressing when the telephone rang.
It was Nick. He was calling to let
her know that he'd decided not to
go out at all. She asked if he wanted her to
drop by with some movies. His answer
was made with tell-tale hesitance. No,
he'd informed her. He wanted to
be alone tonight. Natalie knew then that he
was lying. Well Nick, she thought
when she hung up the phone, I guess you'll
be in for the surprise of you life,
won't you?
*******
The mansion was crowded with both humans
and vampires, all costumed--faces
hidden from the world. Natalie was
thankful for the golden mask hiding her
face, epscially when she recognized
Tracy and Vachon dancing amid the sea of
other dancers. Showing her invitation
to the man at the door,
she took a deep
breath and joined the party-goers.
It didn't take her long to spot Nick. He
was dressed all in black, looking very
much like a certain Melancholy Dane.
The upper half of his face was covered by
a black mask, but she'd still have
recognized him anywhere. He was standing in
a corner of the ballroom, but not
alone. A blonde in an elaborate
Antebellum-style gown was with him.
They were standing *very* close together
and seemed quite oblivious to the
rest of the throng.
Nat's heart caught in her throat. She never
really thought she'd come face to
face with Nick's lies... least of
all in such a public place. Her emotions
boiled inside of her, struggling
between confrontation with Nick and a swift
exit. Both seemed like equally good
choices.
While she stood there, frozen, she felt
a presence behind her. Unable to take
her eyes off Nick and the blonde,
however, she did not look to see who it was.
Nor did she need to, as a voice
soon accompanied the cool body which now
slightly touched her own. "I see
you came after all, my dear," LaCroix said in
smooth tones. "It really is a wonderful
little gathering, although I must
admit, the entertainment is somewhat
lacking. Wouldn't you agree?"
She slowly nodded. Then LaCroix's hands
were on her elbows and he was guiding
her away from the awful scene.
********
"Why did I even come here?" Natalie asked
aloud once LaCroix had ushered her
into a private area of the mansion.
It was a spacious den with a fire place
dominating one wall.
"Why did you indeed, my dear, if what you
have seen upsets you so? Surely you
knew that this very thing might
happen?" As he spoke, LaCroix eased her onto
an over-stuffed leather couch.
Natalie sank into the leather softness,
sighing heavily. "I don't know!" she
exclaimed. "I just wanted... I thought
I could..."
"That you could what, Natalie?" he asked
her, sitting down beside her and
leaning in as if listening intently.
His voice was low and sultry. "That you
could make Nicholas see what he
is missing when he roams to other women?"
Natalie nodded, tears gathering in her
eyes. That had been exactly what she'd
wished to do.
LaCroix reached out with one long-fingered
hand, gently wiping the tears from
her eyes. "Do not cry over him;
he is hardly worth the effort, wouldn't you
agree?"
"If he's not, then why did you invite me
here tonight?" Natalie asked him, her
voice trembling. LaCroix's intimate
touch had had thrilled her in ways she had
never thought possible, and yet,
she was afraid of him... and that thrill.
"Is the answer so far from your own thoughts,
my dearest Natalie," he asked her,
"that you cannot recognize it?"
Natalie found herself suddenly encircled
in LaCroix's embrace, and it amazed her
at how good that felt. She looked
up, meeting his masterful gaze with her
hesitant one. "Why?" she asked.
The only answer she received was his lips
upon her own. As LaCroix kissed
her, Natalie's head whirled and her heart
began to race. Nick had never kissed
this way before, not even on that
Valentine's Day so long ago, when
he declared that he loved her... and he
certainly hadn't done so since then.
"Why?" LaCroix mused in a low, smouldering
voice when their lips finally became
unclasped. "Perhaps because you
are a beautiful, desirable woman... one whom I
have long admired from afar." He
smoothed her cheek with the back of his hand,
caressing her skin gently. "Perhaps
because I can longer bear to see Nicholas
mistreat you... taking for granted
the love of a good woman." He leaned towards
her again, this time lightly brushing
her lips with his own and then retreating
from her. "Or maybe it is simply
that I am lonely... as are you. It could be
that we have more in common than
it first may seem."
Natalie's head swam as his words entered
her soul. LaCroix thought she was
beautiful, even desiring her. He
couldn't bear to see Nick hurt her. None of it
made sense, neither his admission
nor the way those words and his kisses made
her feel.
"It makes no sense, I know," he said suddenly,
as if reading her thoughts. "But
love is rarely ever logical." She
nodded, struck speachless by his simple
statement. As if sensing htis, LaCroix
said to her, "You need not speak, my
dear, my love. Simply allow me to
hold you and kiss your sweet lips and I
shall know how you feel."
Somehow, she trusted him and allowed herself
to be gathered into his arms once
again. This new kiss seemed to encompass
her entire being, even as his own
being seemed to wrap itself around
her as a comfortable blanket. Wanting to be
closer to that comfort, Natalie
snuggled deeper in to his embrace.
LaCroix held her close to him even after
the kiss ended. After several minutes
of silence, he spoke. "I should...
return to my other guests, my dear."
Kissing her forehead, he asked her
if she might accompany him. "I should most
put out if you did not dance every
dance with me tonight."
Fin
