Author: The Wanlorn
Title: A World in a Grain of Sand 11/?
Summary: This is a sequel to "Every New Beginning…"
Rating: PG13 for language
Spoilers: I honestly don't know, so beware.
Distribution: Ask, and ye shall receive. Take without permission, then screw the Law of Three, I will cures you with the nefarious curse of…da da dum…WRITER'S BLOCK!!!! BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
Disclaimer: Same as all of the last times, so far.
Chapter Eleven
Natalie giggled as she watched Nick trying to untangle lights for their Christmas tree. It had finally spread out to what she deemed its fullest extent. They (being her, Nick, and Abel) had wrapped all of *her* lights around, starting at the bottom. Unfortunately for Nick, they only reached halfway up. His lights were still needed.
Now, she and Abel leaned over the back of the couch, watching Nick on the floor. She poked Abel lightly in the shoulder. He only flinched a little.
"Watch," she pointed. "He's going to break another one."
True to her word, they heard another tinkle and a curse from Nick. Natalie laughed, and caught a tiny, almost silent giggle coming from Abel. Nick tried to ignore them. They were almost untangled (the lights, that is). Natalie had bet him that he wasn't going to be able to untangle the massive knot, and he was bound and determined to prove her wrong. She and Abel had been watching him for most of the evening.
"Don't you guys have something to do?" he asked. "Specifically, away from here?"
Abel glanced at Natalie to see what to do. He had somewhat attached himself to her. As she put to Nick, "He's looking for a mother. He may be twenty-one physically, but he's younger emotionally. I must have done something right."
Natalie did nothing but laugh again, so Abel stayed put. Nick growled and cursed through another knot. Never again would he just dump *anything* into a box.
"Explain to me again why you won't help?" he asked Natalie through gritted teeth. The broken ones were going to be hell to get out of the sockets.
"Because. Not only is it a painless way to teach you that your actions have consequences, but it's hilarious."
Nick growled something under his breath, fighting not to smile. One more devilish tangle and it would be done. Then he just had to replace all of the bulbs he had managed to break. He glanced up at the two heads leaning over the back of the couch, one pair of eyes sparkling with mischief, the other slightly fearful but mischief buried deep in there. He could see in Natalie's eyes the consideration that maybe she *should* help him, but then mischief overwhelmed her again. Thank God he was almost done.
"Ha ha!" he crowed, standing up. "I did it! Looks like we *don't* need more."
"You assume I have replacement bulbs. I know you don't, I already looked." Natalie smiled smugly.
"But we don't need new lights!" he told her in a smug tone to match her smile.
Abel felt a small smile on his lips as he watched their playful banter. How different they were from his parents. They looked so loving, like they actually loved each other. It had to be a show, though. Probably the way he was always cleaned up nice and pretty and his parents miraculously didn't fight when someone came over their house. Either not everyone was like his family, or they were pretending for him. But either way…
Natalie laughed as she went around the couch to find her extra bulbs. As she dug through a box, she shook her head in amusement. "You're the only guy I know who would actually sit there and untangle all of those."
Nick grinned boyishly. "What can I say? I like rising to a challenge."
Natalie tossed him a pack of bulbs. They each started on an end and worked towards the middle. Nick's fingers were getting cut up, but Natalie expertly managed to unscrew the jagged-edged tops without once getting drawing blood. Abel watched them, trying to figure out how to ask if he could help. It wasn't that unscrewing shattered bulbs and putting new ones in looked particularly fun. But being part of 'putting up the holidays'… It made him feel like he belonged somewhere. He was part of something fun and unpainful. He watched with yearning eyes as they wrapped the lights around, Nick reaching up as high as he could get to put them around the top.
Natalie had Nick plug the lights in once they were finished. Then they ooed and aahed over the pretty colors for a few minutes. Nick stood behind her, his arms around her waist. She giggled a little as he nuzzled her neck, whispering into her ear, "*Our* Christmas tree."
She murmured back to him, "Not until it's got ornaments on it."
He stepped away, moving to find the boxes they had put aside. "Then let's not wait."
Natalie turned to Abel, who was still leaned across the back of the couch. She could see the masked yearning in his eyes. "Are you going to help?"
He nodded, quickly coming around the edge of the couch. Natalie smiled at the eagerness he tried to hide. He hadn't magically become unskittish, but whatever she had said to him that night had earned her a slight more degree of trust.
"You know, you can ask if you want to join us," she told him.
His lips twitched slightly. "I know," he said quietly. Sure, he knew. But he would never dare. Play it safe, the way he always did.
Nick came over with a pile of boxes, putting them on the floor. Natalie saw the sudden uncertainty on Abel's face. She opened a box of simple balls, taking one out for herself and handing one to Abel.
"There's no such thing as too many ornaments on a tree," she told him with a devilish grin. "Just don't put glass near the bottom because Sydney likes to take off anything hanging and play with it."
Nick laughed at that. "You've got to be kidding."
"Nope." Natalie shook her head. "Wait and watch."
They filled the air with light, happy chatter. Attempts were made to include Abel, and some of them actually worked. Nick smiled, as he watched Natalie and Abel, slightly detached from the goings on. She had the young man laughing slightly at something. A happy look had filled her face as the three of them worked together. He supposed that he had the same happy air about him. He and Natalie *lived* together. They were spending Christmas together. They were a family.
Finally, they both had a family to spend the holidays with.
Abel, thrown into the mix, was just another extra element. Not a bad one, either. Watching Abel drew a connection to Kane, which reminded Nick that the trial was going to begin soon. Natalie would have to testify. And Abel could be considered a character witness. Nick didn't know if either of them would be able to go through with it. One day, something was going to happen to Natalie, and she wasn't going to snap back the way she always did. So many bad things had happened to her in her short mortal life…
Nick's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of tinkling glass and a sharp indrawn breath. Abe had started getting into putting on ornaments, and stopped being super-duper careful. One of the cheap glass balls had slipped out of his hands and smashed to pieces on the floor. A look of sheer terror filled his face. His mouth gaped open and shut like a suffocating fish. If it hadn't been so sad, it would be hilarious.
Natalie's response was immediate and soothing. "Take a breath, hon. These things come a dime a dozen." She handed him another.
Abel took a deep shuddering breath and regarded the round object in his hands. "I probably shouldn't," he dared to say softly.
"Nonsense," Nick said as he came back with the vacuum cleaner. He had to get up the broken shards from the lights, too. "One down, two to go - everyone always ends up breaking something."
Natalie was grateful for Nick's input, which seemed to calm Abel down. Then she realized what the vampire was doing. "Nick, love, the big shards are going to cut up the bag. You need to get them up with a wet paper towel, first."
"Oh," was his inane comment as he went and ran a handful of paper towels under the faucet.
Natalie rolled her eyes at Abel, smirking slightly. Nick came back, handing Abel a wad of paper towels.
"Can you get that?" he asked, pointing to the shattered ball.
Eager like a puppy to please, Abel put down the ball in his hand and carefully scooped up the broken glass. He obviously had practice. Quickly, he walked over and threw away the wet towel.
"Thanks," Nick said as they passed each other. True to his character, Abel flinched when he spoke, then looked relieved when that was all that was said.
"*Now* you can vacuum," Natalie said, laughing.
Nick grabbed her and nuzzled her cheek, nibbling on her ear. She giggled happily. She hadn't felt this happy since… since never. It had been too long; they had waited almost too long to finally admit their love. She was so deliriously happy right now, that she could not imagine surviving life without Nick.
The three of them finished decorating the tree, once Nick vacuumed up the rest of the glass. It was one more happy memory to add. Nick flicked off the lights and turned on the tree. He came back to stand with Natalie and Abel, draping his arms around Natalie. He rocked gently back and forth, resting his chin on her shoulder. Abel stood slightly apart, not part of the group. Natalie surreptitiously moved her and Nick closer to him, not quite close enough for their shoulders to brush, but close enough to feel body heat. He glanced at them, considering moving slightly away when he saw how close they were. But something inside of him, some deep-hidden and secret desire, made him stay where he was.
"So this is Christmas…" Natalie murmured softly.
~~~~{@
Nick kissed Natalie goodbye, standing in the door to the lift. "Are you going to be okay?" he murmured.
"Mm," she said, hugging him. "Of course. I'm a big girl."
Nick hugged her tightly, burying his face in her hair. Today, he had to go back to the precinct. Back to work. He did not want to leave Natalie alone, though. Not only for her peace of mind, but for his, too. He finally tore himself away from her warm arms.
"Go, Nick," Natalie said, pushing him into the lift lightly. "I'll be fine, you worry too much."
He kissed her once more, nuzzling her cheek. "I know. I just can't help it. What would I do without my light?"
"Find a candle," she said with a smile as she stepped back and allowed the door to close. "See you when you get home. Love you."
"Love you too, Nat," Nick replied as the door closed.
Natalie closed her eyes as she listened to the lift grumbling down the shaft. Once she was sure Nick was gone and wasn't coming back, she turned and went to the couch, curling up on it. She was totally and completely alone in the loft. Abel was at work, Nick was at work, and the guestroom had been finished, so the workmen were gone. Abel had moved everything of his up there last night, so there was nothing on the couch for her to move.
She already had a line of comedies picked out. Given her druthers, Nick would still be home. As contrary as it was, and as much as her independent nature fought it, she felt safer when Nick was home. But what could she do? He had to go to work, and she would never admit how much she relied on him.
She sighed and tried to quell the anxiety rising within her, starting the first movie.
~~~~{@
Nick smiled happily as he rode up in the lift. Finally, he was home. According to Tracy, he had been "utterly and totally useless" and should "get his pale butt back home to Natalie where he really wanted to be". Of course, he stayed the whole shift, doing paperwork. It was a slow night, thank God.
"Hey Nat," he said as the door rolled shut behind him. "How's your day been?"
"Boring," she said, clicking off the television. Immediately, she got up and walked over to him, hugging him tightly.
Nick could see how tightly her nerves were strung from the way she was walking. He hugged her tightly, burying his face in her wild mane of chestnut curls.
"Mm, I missed you today," he murmured into her hair.
She sighed happily, resting her cheek on his chest. "Missed you, too."
They stood like that for a long while. Nick waited until he was sure she was sufficiently soother, feeling safe again, before letting go. Feelings of guilt welled up within him. He should stay home for another couple days. She wasn't ready to stay home alone, and… and he was not ready to leave her anywhere alone.
"Is Abel home yet?" Nick asked her, nuzzling her cheek.
"Yeah, he's up in the guest room doing… whatever."
Nick listened closely, and could hear the young man's heartbeat. He could also hear the sounds of his deep, sobbing breaths. If he had not been able to sense a vampire approaching, one he recognized but could not place, he would have ignored Abel and continued cuddling with Natalie. At least for another couple seconds.
Instead, he said, "Love, maybe you should go check on him."
Natalie thought that a little strange, but kissed his scratchy cheek and complied. "Sure, Nick."
As she went up the stairs, she heard the lift starting up. It made sense now; Nick was getting rid of her because a vampire he did not recognize was coming up. Still, she went down the hall to listen outside of Abel's door. Nick could have just told her to go upstairs, but he didn't. There was always that possibility that there was a reason. From the sounds within, Nick had sent her upstairs for a dual reason. Abel was softly sobbing in his room.
She knocked softly on his door. "You okay, Abel?"
There was an abrupt silence, and she knew he was trying to gain control of his voice. How many times had she done the same? Finally, he said evenly, "Yeah, I'm fine."
"Can I come in, honey?" The lift was still running. She could feel Nick's confusion as he puzzled over how was coming up in the lift. This link thing could come in pretty handy sometimes.
"Sure," he said immediately. She should have known he would not say no.
She came in and eased the door shut behind her. Abel was sitting on the edge of his bed, with red-rimmed eyes and tearstains down his cheeks. She sat down on the chair put randomly in the middle of the room. Right now, he had a chair and a mattress. On Nick's first day off that coincided with Abel's the three of them were going to go buy furniture.
"Are you okay sweetie?" Natalie asked him gently.
He nodded slightly. As usual when he was lying through his teeth, he stared at the floor directly in front of him. She would have said something else, but a sudden well of elation, relief, and love came from Nick.
"What the…" she murmured, standing up. Technically, she should stay here and find out what was wrong. But the rush of feelings through her and Nick's link was just too disturbing for her not to at least take a peak. "You don't look okay," she told Abel was she walked past him to the door.
She went out on the catwalk just in time to see Nick lean forward and kiss Janette.
(A/N: Ba da dum. The reintroduction of Janette. Is she going to wreak havoc with Nick and Natalie? Is she just here to kill Nick for bringing her back across? Or is she mortal again… And what was wrong with Abel? All these questions…but are there answers?)
