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"But?"

He looked back at her with a rueful soodbye And I didn’t want to live afterward You have nights you still debate living as a vampire? Well… so do I So I’m probably biased"

Her heart broke for him; she walked over and kissed his forehead "We’d one"

"I’" Lucien squeezed her hand "Better get out of here if you want to catch that sunset You can take a picture for ot it" She patted the phone in her pocket It was new Baojia broke theuy was loaded

Natalie left the hospital, walking into the afternoon sun and down the path leading toward the ocean Her new ho path that led down to the beach She was still working onhand, but she’d get there eventually For now, she sat down on a clump of rocks that overlooked the Pacific and watched the scarlet sun set into the water She took a few pictures to show Lucien later, and she waited

The salt spray rushed up the rocks as the tide ca water The ocean here sht She worked as e was good Change was living And the world was always changing What wonders would she see if she lived as long as Lucien? Would the world still excite her? Could she ever grow bored? An eternity stretched in front of her if she wanted it An eternity with Baojia by her side An eternity to watch hie

Natalie heard the door to the house close just after the sun slipped below the horizon The sky was growing dilorious color when Baojia settled behind her, wrapping his ar his cheek on her shoulder He placed teasing kisses on her neck, brushing her hair to the side and pulling her closer

"How is everything?" he asked quietly

"Good Everything looks good and normal and no problems"

"Excellent"

She knew her short response wouldn’t satisfy him, and he’d seek out Lucien later for a full report He was thorough that way The thought only made her smile

He craned his neck around "What is that sood news" His hands teased under the shirt the as blowing up "I’ry"

"Lucien says you’re stuck with donor blood until my labs come back He wants to rowled

"Oh" She blushed "Got it"

"I love that you still blush"

"I’lad one of us thinks it’s funny"

He turned her in his ar her mouth as his hands held back her unruly hair and the breeze whipped around the to hi her collar, then up to her ear, whispering promises of what he would do to ainst her skin A year Ten years An eternity She didn’t think she’d ever stop wanting hio in the house?" she said

"Why don’t you do that?" He kissed her once e of the cliff and pulling off his shirt as he walked He turned at the edge of the rocks, s creature that he was He was incandescent against the dying day He ran the last few feet and leapt off the edge of the cliff She gasped in delight as she watched hireet hiht hi ocean, welcohed The deep, joyful sound rushed up the cliff and spread on the breeze, causing her own smile to bloom when she saw him dive deep His happiness only fed her own

"How could I say goodbye to that?" she whispered Then Natalie turned and walked home

THE END