Janette burst into a fit of laughter when LaCroix finished telling her about his unexpected visit the night before.
"It's *not* funny, Janette," snapped LaCroix.
"But it *is,*" giggled Janette. At his murderous glare, however, she sobered a bit. "I'm sorry, you're right. This is a terribly serious situation. We should be discussing it rationally."
"I quite agree, my dear. I was hoping you could answer a few questions for me... regarding Natasha."
"Such as...?"
"Such as, why is she like this, when Natalie Lambert was such an intelligent woman?" LaCroix asked.
"I don't know," Janette said sadly. "I've been wondering myself what made her this way." She walked over to her desk and fished a book out of a drawer. It was a book on pop psychology. She handed it to LaCroix. "I bought it after Natasha came to me. I was wondering... " she flipped to a section on hypnosis and repressed memories. "Do you think it would be possible to help her remember, LaCroix. I know she, or Natalie rather, is a Resistor, but you could get around that, couldn't you?"
LaCroix considered her suggestion while he read the section she'd pointed out to him. He didn't, as general rule, believe in the notions of pop culture. Things like that he tended to scorn. In this case, however, Janette was correct. "It's worth a try," LaCroix told her. "But I need more time with her. Were I too restore all her memories at once, it could seriously damage her mind."
Janette agreed to let LaCroix spend time with Natasha,
though inwardly she worried that LaCroix would not be able to resist the
gifts Natasha seemed determined to give him.
They were about to leave the office and go in seach of Natasha, when Jasmine knocked gently on the door and entered.
"Jasmine..." Janette smiled. "You know LaCroix, don't you?"
Jasmine smiled slightly. "We met at the Raven a few times." She cleared her throat nervously. "I have to speak to you about Natasha."
"What about Tasha? Is something the matter with her?" Janette asked.
"Well, she's not coming to work tonight," Jasmine replied.
"Why not?" LaCroix and Janette asked at the same time.
"Ummm... well, it has to with what happened last night after she showed you to your rooms, Mr. LaCroix. She says she made a fool of herself in front of you and can't bear to be around you now. She thinks you hate her."
Janette and LaCroix exchanged looks of surprise.
LaCroix took Jasmine by the arm, saying, "Why don't you take me to her and we'll straighten this out?"
"You're *not* angry with her?" Jasmine asked incredulously.
LaCroix shook his head. "I was at the time, but
no longer. Come now... let us go."
"We share this apartment," Jasmine told LaCroix as she opened the door and stepped inside. He followed her. "Janette wanted someone to watch out for Natasha until her memory came back."
LaCroix looked around the apartment. It was small and fairly cozy-- nothing he would have expected of a vampire, even one as young as Jasmine.
"Jas! Is that you?" Natasha's voice came from the hallway.
"Yeah, Tash!" Jasmine called out. "There's a visitor here
for you!"
Natasha emerged from the hallway, scrubbing her wet hair with a towel. She was wearing a pair of blue, baggy sweats and a cut off T-shirt. Her feet were bare. LaCroix thought she looked sexier now than she had before.
Natasha froze when she saw him. Her eyes dropped to the ground as she refused to make eye contact with him. "I'm sorry for last night," she mumbled.
"There is no need to apologize, my dear," LaCroix told. "I'm not angry with you. I was merely taken by surprise."
"You're not mad!?" Natasha exclaimed. Neither of them had noticed that Jasmine had slipped out the door, closing it behind her.
"No, I am not. In fact, nothing would please me more than to spend this evening getting to know you, my dear," LaCroix said, his voice sensuously low. "What were your plans for this evening?"
"I... I was going to read," she stammered, holding a book out to him. LaCroix took it gently from her hands.
"Ahhh! 'Wuthering Heights!' One of my favorites," he said, smiling at her. He led her over to the small couch and they sat. "You wouldn't mind if I read to you for awhile?" LaCroix asked, surprising Natasha completely.
"No... I don't mind. It might be fun," was her replied.
LaCroix began to read. Natasha was soon snuggled close to him, listening intently to his words, a dreamy look on her face. LaCroix wondered if Nicholas had ever done something like this with Natalie. It was difficult for him to keep in mind that he was doing this so he could bring Natalie back to Nicholas safely.
After reading for awhile, LaCroix set the book aside. "Tell me, my dear, why do you like this book?"
"I... I don't know. I just remember having read it once... more than once, many times... and liking it. It's romantic," said Natasha.
"It is indeed," LaCroix agreed. "You don't remember when you read it?" He queried.
Natasha shook her head. "No... it must have been from my past.... from before I came here, but I can't remember when that was."
LaCroix was surprised to see tears in Natasha's eyes. "Are you all right, Natasha?" he asked.
Swallowing down a sob, Natasha nodded. "I'm fine... I just don't like to talk about... back then. It hurts me to try and remember."
LaCroix held her to him as she began to cry harder.
Cradling her in his arms, he soothed her as her emotions came tumbling
out...