The Black Taxi Part 3
by Olivia Jean Ecklund
Nick was looking over her face, and then down to her neck. His eyes rested on the dark scar at the base of her throat. It spread into other marks along her throat. It was not the way he'd left her. He reached tentatively and touched it. "How?"

"Nick, the night you left, I was nearly drained. You said LaCroix was there. He must have made it look like an animal attack. My throat was so swollen, I couldn't breathe. The doctor had to perform a tracheotomy. I suffered a mild stroke from loss of oxygen and I've been in rehab for two years." She saw tears of guilt spring into his eyes.

"Don't feel responsible, Nick. It was my fault. I realized it long ago. You were an emotional wreck and had been starving. I shouldn't have offered myself."

He blinked away his tears, but it didn't take the lump out of his throat.

It was his fault, he should have been more in control. "How were you found in time?'

"The door to the loft was open, and the phone had been dialed to 911. The police concluded that a homeless person may have called, but didn't want to get involved. The case was closed." She looked into his eyes. "You didn't make the call?" She'd always thought that maybe he had.

He wanted to turn away from her steady gaze, but he met her stare as he tried not to let his guilt overpower him. She raised her hand to touch his face, and gave him a smile, that wonderful love-filled smile she'd always bestowed on only him.

He let the guilt go. "No. I wasn't able too."

"LaCroix." she whispered.

"Yes, LaCroix." He told her about the walking staff and how LaCroix had brained him rather than take his life as he had requested. I woke in France, in a gilded cage. Literally. It was nearly six months of prison before I gave in and promised I would not walk into the sun."

"Nick, no! I would never want that from you."

"I promised you that we would be together, no matter what, but I couldn't stand the cage, Nat. He finally let me go and gave me my own room in the villa, but there were always guards. I got sick. I couldn't feed and I couldn't eat and keep it down. I began to make the protein drinks using trial and error. They helped and gave me back my strength."

"You don't drink blood anymore." She was amazed and smiled at his nod.

"No, one day LaCroix came to my room. He was furious. I didn't know why. He grabbed me and held me by my neck," his hand rubbed it, as he remembered the pain. "He bared his fangs and then said an astounding thing."

"What?" Nat asked as she touched his face.

He said, "Your heart is beating."

Natalie looked into his eyes, astonished. "It worked?"

"Yes and no," Nick shook his head. "Not entirely." He took her hands, "I'm sort of halfway in between."

"What happened with LaCroix?" Natalie was unsure what she wanted to hear first.

"He was going to drain me and try to bring me fully across again. It terrified me the thought that it would take your gift of half-life away and make your sacrifice worthless. I didn't drink blood anymore and I was happy that way. I jerked away so quickly, it took him by surprise. I flipped backwards onto the bed as he lunged at me. I kicked at his chest with both legs and he flew up and back, so fast he didn't have time to react. He shattered the window as he went through it, tore the curtains down. He fell into full sunlight. I jumped forward and reached out to him. Nat, as much as I hated him, I tried to save him. He was my master. I went out into the sunlight.

"Everything went into slow motion as LaCroix seemed to hang there a moment in time. His lips formed my name. "Nicholas," his eyes filled with sadness and my fingers barely grazed his when he screamed in rage and vaporized.

"I felt him die in my head, in my soul, if you will. I hurt and my skin was red. When I ran back inside, I blacked out and fell back behind the bed into the darkness. When I came to, the window was still open and it was still day, but it was a cloudy stormy day. I had only a sunburn and he was dead. The others who had helped keep me captive had left and I was free to walk into the day. But as I walked, I realized the day held no joy for me. You weren't there to share it with me. So I came to New York and began to live on the night shift again.

"Nick, if you had known I was alive..."

"I would have never stayed away, Nat. Never. I would have been there to help take care of you. Helped you take your first step. You should hate me, Nat. Look what I've done to your life. Three years of struggle and pain. How can you look at me with love in your eyes?"

"You are the most wonderful sight I've seen in those three years, Nick. Can *you* still love *me*? I'm crippled and scared. When I saw you again, you it made it all worth it."

He leaned forward and captured her lips. Nick kissed her until they were both breathless. "I have never loved anyone more." When he released her, it was still Nick's blue eyes that looked back at her.

"The vampire, Nick? Is it still there?" She pressed her hand against his chest.

"Yes, but it's weak and I can control it. Maybe in a few more years I will be human. I seem to be stronger, and it's getting weaker as time goes on, but the limbo is hard."

"Maybe we could hurry it along?" she suggested with an seductive grin.

He smiled back, amazed at her love for him.

"Come back to Toronto with me. Come back to the loft."

"The loft?"

"I live there. I sold the apartment and moved in. All your things have waited for you. We can have our life together."

"How?"

"A lawyer gave me the deed and the contents. I thought maybe you wanted to know were I was, in case you decided to return so I stayed."

"Who would do that? No one knew were I was except..."

"LaCroix," she finished for him. "Maybe he was getting anxious about your health and wanted to have a fall back plan? Send you back if he could not turn you? In his own twisted way, he did love you, Nick."

"Father." Nick whispered to himself.

"I've also been given power of attorney at the De Brabant foundation. I have done my best, but I would be glad to turn it over to the master. "She smiled. "Please come back." Her whisper was sweet, and Nick could hear the voice he loved amidst the hoarseness.

He drew her to her feet. "Let's go back. I never want to draw another breath without you by my side. Marry me?" She drew back from his arms and saw his eyes meet hers. Both sets were filled with love, hope and desire for the future.

"Yes," she cried as his lips covered hers.


The End.
By Jeannie Ecklund Gersknightlady@cs.com





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