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"So where exactly are we going soul mate?" Nick asks, looking at Carrie.
"Well Nick, you'll just have to wait and see!" she says. 'Thank God he finally, after all of those hours of conversing, believes all of our past. It's so good to see him smile at me the same way. I can tell the feelings are genuine too.'
"I like it when you say Nick now. It reminds me we have a fresh start."
Carrie smiles. "It is a fresh start to what I hope will be a happy ending. I'm just so thankful that you seem to truly accept all that I told you. I thought you would have freaked out on me. You've done that before."
Nick looks over at her briefly. "I have?"
"Yes. Perhaps your memory wasn't completely erased as it has been before but I can sense you were never a believer in soul mates and the supernatural in this life."
"How do you know that?"
"I can sense it in your essence. I have powers that allow me to know a lot about a person without them knowing I'm even looking," Carrie explains, smiling at his puzzled look.
"I guess there's a lot I have to learn about you. It's funny though that you mentioned that. I have never believed in soul mates but there was something different about you from the start. I didn't know what it was but it was because of that difference that I think I've allowed myself to accept that you are the one meant for me."
"Take a right turn onto that road and then a left on the third street," Carrie directs. "Nick, tell me about this group you say you are part of. It's called 98 Degrees, right?"
"Well, we're basically a pop music group. My brother Drew is in it, along with two other guys. We've done pretty okay for ourselves, I think."
"So you go on tour and everything? That must be cool."
Nick makes the final turn. "Now where?"
"Just follow this road. It will continue on for a good while."
Nick settles back into his seat. "Just let me know when. Come to think of it, how is it possible that you never found me before a few days or so ago? I mean, my picture has been places and stuff."
"No offense, but I've never heard of 98 Degrees before and I don't pay attention to media really."
"Well I don't blame you. We haven't really become popular yet. In fact, we are just trying to slowly build whatever we can."
"Nothing is wrong with that. It makes me sad though that it did take me so long to find you."
"I agree. Why don't you tell me more about this Matthew guy?"
Carrie sighs. "Do I have to? Things were going so well! I mean, I don't want to overwhelm you. You learned and processed a lot tonight."
"You have to. If I'm going to help you defend my life and you, I need to know everything."
"Wait a minute. Who said anything about you defending me? I can take care of myself hun. I am definitely more worried about you. He's never tried hurting me."
"Oh, so I'm just the one who gets killed. Great! Well, now I definitely want to know more about this guy so spill."
"First, turn right at that upcoming road."
Nick does what she says and parks at the side of an old cabin. "I'm assuming we are here."
Carrie looks at Nicholas. "Yes Nick, we are here. Welcome to my cabin of solitude."
"It won't be a cabin of solitude much longer!" he exclaims, giving Carrie a bright smile that warms her all over.
'I hope you're right,' Carrie thinks, as she leads the way to the front door, key in one hand, Nick's hand in the other. 'This feels so right. God, how I've missed this feeling.' The two walk through the door and Carrie flicks on the lights, immediately locking the door behind them.
After hearing all of the clicks, Nick turns around and notices that there are three locks on the door and a deadbolt. "You need all that in the middle of no where like here?"
Carrie looks startled. "You can never be too safe."
"Okay. So are you going to show me around or am I going to blindly find my way through this place?" Nick kids.
"Of course I'll show you around." Carrie takes Nick's hand in her hand again and shows him the kitchen, downstairs bathroom, living room, upstairs bedroom, bathroom, and study.
"Wow. I never knew cabins could be so big."
"It's not that big. It suits what I needed it for. I don't have food in the fridge so I'll have to go grocery hunting in the morning for you."
"No food? Then what do you… Never mind."
Carrie smiles. "It's okay. Yes, I don't eat your type of food. Why don't you go settle in? I have some things to do."
"Some things? What perhaps are they?" Nick asks, intrigued with how vague Carrie has become so suddenly.
"Stuff I need to do. I promise it won't take long. I just need some time to myself. I'll be up in a minute. Holler if you need me."
Nick looks at her but shrugs. "Sure. Holler for me if you need anything doing whatever it is you are doing."
Carrie smiles. "Will do," she says, watching him go up the stairs and disappear. 'At least you are safe here.'
"For now he is."
Carrie whips around. "Leo! Stop doing that!"
"Shh! You'll alert him of my presence and that will not be a good thing I tell you!"
"He knows all about me and our past. He's accepted it pretty smoothly this time."
"I know you told him all of that but I'm here to tell you that you can't tell him any more."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, stuff about the Council or anything else like that. No human should know about its presence. If they ever found out, it would be the end of us."
Carrie nods her agreement. "I know. The Council is the most sacred thing to the Night World. The thing that keeps Balance. I know better than that Leonard."
"I'm just making sure. Don't let me keep you from your dinner. I really do wonder if eating the way you do is healthy for you."
Carrie walks over to the fridge and opens a secret compartment on the bottom. She pulls out a plastic bag. "And eating rats is healthy? I'd think you'd get twenty more diseases doing that."
"But at least they are alive. You're just sucking blood out of a bag like a kid would out of one of those Capri Sun drinks they seem to like. Where's the sport to that?"
"You forget. I hate being what I am and I will do whatever I can not to be fully what Matthew has changed me into."
"Yes, I do forget but still. Carrie, think about it. Blood out of a bag that has been refrigerated versus warm, fresh blood. I think freshness is healthier."
"Why are we even talking about this Leo? I'm not going to hunt. I've done it before and I hated it, you know that."
"I know but I was thinking, why not change lover boy into a vampire?"
"NO!"
"Shh! You'll alert him!"
Carrie stops and hears the shower running. "You are crazy. Is that the solution the Council has formed? If it is, I will have no part in it and won't allow you to do it!"
"Calm down. It was just a suggestion from me. The Council is still discussing things. They sent me to remind you how important it is for Nicholas never to know about them but to also reassure you that they are working as hard as they can to try to save you two. Hopefully, they will find a way for Matthew to be stopped forever. I've got to go. Enjoy your refrigerated choice of beverage my dear." With that taunting wish, Leonard vanishes from Carrie's sight.
'God, you can be so frustrating!' she silently screams at him as she begins drinking the blood from the container. After closing her eyes and feeling the blood give her new energy, she throws away the bag. 'I better go and get upstairs otherwise Nick is going to wonder where I am.'
Carrie goes upstairs and finds her nightgown that she never wears anymore. 'I might as well put up a show that I at least sleep.' She goes back downstairs and takes a shower in the bathroom down there. After she is done drying her hair, she slips the nightgown over her head and heads to the bedroom. She opens the door and stops. There, sitting at the edge of her bed, is the love of her life, shirtless and just in boxers. 'God, he is definitely more buff than last time.'
Just then, Nick looks over at her and smiles. "I hope it's okay I'm just in my boxers. I sleep better without a shirt."
"That's fine," Carrie manages to get out. "I thought I'd let you take the bed and I'll go sleep on the couch downstairs."
"No!" Nick says, instantly regretting how loud he protested. "I thought, if it was okay with you, we could share your bed. I mean, it's a queen size. There's no reason for you to feel like you need to inconvenience yourself in your own home."
"Are you sure that will be okay with you?"
"Sure. Besides, I'd like to talk more and there is a definite chill in here. You still have a few things left to explain to me."
"Like?"
"Matthew?"
'Crap! I wish he had forgotten about that.' Carrie looks over at Nick and sighs. "Well, I guess if you want to know, I can't stop you from knowing. Why don't we climb into bed and we'll talk so you stay warm?"
Nick gets up and crawls under the comforter and sheet, then holds up the other end for Carrie to crawl under. The two lie on their sides, looking at one another. Carrie takes in a deep breath and closes her eyes, allowing herself to travel back in time. "I met Matthew when you and I first lived our lives together, meaning the first time our souls had met. It was in France and I was working as a maid in a big mansion that was used as a hotel like business. Anyway, to make a long story short, you and I had a big fight one day and you left me. I never heard from you for months. During one of those months, Matthew began enchanting me. He was a guest at the hotel and would always talk to me and counseled me. He told me I should never have to feel as hurt as I did by you by any man. I believed him. Eventually, he started to tell me about his life. One where no one ever lost their beauty and they never got hurt. As the days went by and the pain of losing you never lessened, I gave in. Matthew gladly started transforming me into what I am today. The sad part is that after the second exchange of blood, you came back to me. I was so happy I forgot all about the transformation and Matthew all together."
"Then what happened?"
"A few days went by with no word from him. I quit my job and spent all my time with you. God, those few days were the happiest we ever had in that lifetime. Eventually though, he found me and he was so angry. He threatened you and I told him I'd do anything to protect you."
Nick feels his heart constrict as he sees a few tears escape from Carrie's closed eyes. He brushes away a tear from her cheek and feels her sigh. "You don't have to go on if it is too rough. I'll understand."
Carrie shakes her head. "No, you need to know this. You have a right to know." She opens her eyes and Nick can see her eyes shining with all those unshed tears. She reaches for his hand and grasps it tightly in hers. "He came to me that one night you dreamt about. The night I begged you to not leave me but you had to go do that thing, I forget what. Well, you know what happened."
"No, I don't. My dream only experienced me leaving you and finding you dead. What happened in between?"
"Matthew snuck in right after you left me and took me against my will. He silenced me and took the last feeding from me he needed, then proceeded to drop drops of his blood into my mouth when he forced it open. With that, the transformation was done. I appeared dead when you found me but the day after I was buried, Matthew came and got me out of my coffin. That was my first day as a vampire. I tried to go to you but he held me hostage. He basically told me that if I was ever successful in communicating with you that he would make sure you died a painful death. I couldn't accept that so I watched you from afar. It hurt that I couldn't be with you but I was also very weak. Without Matthew, I would not have survived that first stage when my body was changing from human to vampire. It hurt being apart from you but I knew that if I didn't talk to you it would be for the best for you, to keep you alive. I watched you recover from your grief and find another woman to love. I saw you raise a family. I saw you grow old. All the mean time, I wished with all of my heart I could redo my mistake but alas, I couldn't."
Carrie is openly crying now and Nick can't stand it. He gathers her into his arms and starts stroking her long, soft hair. "Shh… It's okay now. I'm here. I'm here with you. There's no other woman in my life but you and there won't be. Caroline, please, calm down."
Carrie stops sobbing and looks at Nick in astonishment. "Did you just call me Caroline?"
"Wow, I did. I don't know where that came from."
"That's what you used to call me when we first met. That is what I went by. Caroline. Was I just crying?"
"Yes, of course you were. Are you okay?"
"I am now that I'm with you but I can't believe I was crying."
"Crying isn't anything to be ashamed about."
"It's not that. I've never been able to cry before. Ever since I became a vampire, I've been taught that I can't cry or experience human like behavior. That's so odd."
Nick brushes a strand of hair behind Carrie's ear. "Hmm… Maybe we could go to the library and find out some stuff about vampires and see what is happening."
Carrie looks at Nick and smiles. "Nick, the stuff you'll find there will all be fiction I'm willing to bet!"
Nick laughs. "You're probably right. Come here," he says, pulling Carrie to him in a tight hug. He places his index finger under her chin and raises her head so she's looking into his eyes and slowly kisses her. After a few moments, Nick pulls back and looks at Carrie. "God, you really do feel perfect here, in my arms, with me now. How'd I live without this great feeling?"
Carrie smiles. "You didn't know what you were missing until now but I did. There will be time for more of this tomorrow. I want you to get your sleep. It's important to your health after all."
"I guess it is. Stay with me?"
Carrie nods. "Of course. Sweet dreams my sweet Nick."
"Sweet dreams Carrie," Nick mumbles as he slowly closes his eyes and drifts into dreamland.
'Good, he must have forgotten I don't sleep. Now, I definitely have to go talk to Leonard about what happened tonight!'