Warm Up Story: December 31st. 2003
Title: Final Farewells
Author: Rachel
Standard Disclaimer Reply
Pre-story anecdote: This is a touching little story for me
personally. I have always wanted to write this and I hope the end result is
something you can enjoy. This is set betwen the first
and second seasons.
Without further ado... on
with the show.
--
“Are you sure about this Natalie?”
“Yes, Nick. This is something you
absolutely have to do.”
“I’m not sure whether I really
want this anymore.”
“Look at me Nick.”
Nick slowly raised his eyes to
meet Natalie’s cool gaze. “Are you sure I must?” Nick asked plaintively.
“Yes, Nick.”
“But
Natalie.”
“Nick, if don’t do it then I am
afraid I will have to leave you forever.”
“Nat! How could you say such a thing.”
“It’s the truth. It’s me or it.”
“I can’t believe you would leave
over so small a thing.”
“Nick, I have endured it for the
whole time we have known one another. To me, it is not a ‘small thing.’ You
have to do it. Make your choice now.”
“But, Natalie! You don’t
understand how hard this is for me.”
“Why? Why do want it to stick
around. I can hardly bear the thought that something that hideous shares the
same world that I do.”
“Isn’t that a little extreme.”
“You’re the one who wanted me to help
you become human. No human being would want that around.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
“But, it has been with me for a
long time. Longer than you...”
“Is that your decision then?”
“No, I was just thinking out
loud.”
“Nick! This isn’t that hard a
decision. It is time to end it. The horror cannot go on any longer.”
“If I must...”
“You must.”
Nick got up from his place on the
couch and shuffled over to the table where his remote was resting. He muttered
to himself quietly and pressed the button to open the blinds.
“Nick! What are you doing!” Nat asked hurriedly.
“I want it to see the sun, just
once before I let it go.”
Natalie sighed, but graciously
decided to humor the poor Nicholas. Honestly, it wasn’t that big of a deal.
“Nat?” Nick asked quietly, giving Natalie his best version of
puppy-dog eyes. “Would you please...?”
Natalie sighed again and picked up
the small bundle from where it had been resting on the coffee table. She walked
over the open window and glanced at Nick who was standing in the shade. Rolling
her eyes, she stuck the hand holding the bundle into the shaft of sunlight.
After a few moments, Nick lowered his head and used the remote to close the
blinds.
As soon as the metal blinds had
grinded back into place he walked over and reverently took the small bundle
from Natalies hands. Slowly,
gazing at the bundle lovingly, he made his way over to where a fire was burning
in the fire place. He gazed down at the flames burning in the grate for a few
moments.
“Nick?” Natalie asked inquirigly. But, Nick was lost somewhere out of time. Lost
in his own memorys. Natalie
sat back to wait for a few minutes while he said farewell in the only way he
knew how.
===Flashback=== Aprox. 1983,
Nick walked along the street, lost
in his own guilt as usual. Several other tourists and locals brushed past him,
heading to their own destinations this Thursday night. The weather had just
turned cold lately but Nick hardly felt it. He continued to walk, wearing only
a short-sleeve shirt, as snow flurrys began to swirl
around him. Nick was so lost in thought that he didn’t even notice the snow
until he heard his name called out from across the street.
“Nick!”
Nick looked up despondantly
but made an effort to at least appear cheerful when he saw who it was.
The man had slicked back auburn
hair and a loose, swinging way of walking. Even from a distance, Nick could see
the amusment snapping in his green eyes.
Seamus, a fellow detective, quickly troted across the street and greeted Nick with his usual
energy.
“Nicky
boy! Look at you walking all alone on
this fine night.” Seamus gestured around and for the
first time, Nick noticed the flurrys of snow which
were quickly turning into a full blown snowfall.
“Oh...” He said aimlessly.
“Nick! Helllooo!” Seamus said sarcatically. “Why
are you still standing out here in only a t-shirt? I would be freezing my a---”
“Hello Seamus!”
Nick interrupted loudly. “I wasn’t expecting to see anyone. I thought you were
all off for Christmas.”
“Off? I am never off. But don’t
change the subject lad. Why are you not wearing a coat?”
“ I don’t own one...” Nick replyed
quietly.
“Don’t own one! Imagine that.
Living in
Nick chuckled, “I just have never
really thought about it.”
“Well, if you can take the cold,
wait right here laddie.” Seamus
ordered, then sprinted back down the road, weaving
through a group of tourists who were struggling to seek shelter from the cold
that Nick could still barely feel.
After about ten minutes, even Nick
was begining to feel a bit nippy but thankfully he
spotted Seamus running backdown
the road, carrying something.
“Happy
Birthday Nicky.” He said breathlessly, holding out
the package to Nick.
Nick took it from his hands
reverently and opened it. Inside was a nifty looking coat. For the eighties, it
was quite handsome. Nick reached out and shook Seamus’s
hand.
“Thanks a lot Seamus...
it has been a long time since anyone gave me something this nice...”
Seamus shook his head and said a quick goodbye, heading down
the road in the direction he had been going originally.
Nick put on the coat and walked
through the new snow, no longer feeling quite so sorry for himself.
Who could, when they are wearing such a nice jacket. A
nice jacket that was a christmas
present none-the-less. Nick smiled for the first time in a long time.
---==End==---
“Nick? Are you done yet?”
“Almost.” Nick unfolded the bundle and held it up. He ignored
the gasp of horror from Natalie and ran his hand over the fabric.
The
Purple Jacket. It had acquired a few bullet
holes over the years but was no means beyond redemption, he turned to Natalie.
“Do I have to?”
“Nick, that thing is hideous.”
“It was a gift!”
“When?”
“1983,
Christmas.”
Natalie shook her head. “It is
time to let it go Nick. That thing in gastly.”
“It’s not all that bad.”
“Nick!”
“Okay okay...”
Nick muttered his last goodbye and lowered The Purple Jacket into the flames.
In a few minutes, the jacket was
gone forever.
Natalie sighed in relief. She
picked up the phone and called the precinct, “It is done.” She said happily to
the person on the other line.
Nick could hear the slight pause
as the desk officer must have announced the news to everyone in the precinct.
He even heard the cheer that erupted following the announcement.
Natalie chatted for a few more
seconds then put the phone back on it’s cradle behind
the couch. She turned to Nick with a benign smile on her face.
Nick couldn’t help but smile back.
Then he looked away and sighed quietly, shaking his head.
It hadn’t been *that* ugly...
==
The day the jacket died, many
fans, including myself, rejoiced. People at the precinct were overjoyed and
there was much happiness everywhere.
The end of the ugly purple jacket
was a sad occasion only to Nicholas... for whom it had
been a gift.
I personally, was very glad to see
it go. It is hard to take a vampire seriously when he wears a bright purple
jacket. Very hard indeed.
===
The
End.
Dedicated to Purple Jacket,
1983-Between
the first and second season of FK.
Please Review, trust me, it makes
an author’s day.
Rachel.