Part 1 Summary

Nathaniel Hamilton gets mortally wounded by a mortar shell going off unexpectedly at close range during an American Civil War battle in 1864. Left behind and forgotten, Augustus Terra finds him...

and keeps him from dying in his own special way. side note: Nate's 'dark gift' is an exceptional ability to read people, even animals.

Now to the present day....

Gabriella Hudson is a psychic. She can't control it. Every vision she's ever had has been horrid. When they happen, it only takes a second, but a whole scene is stuck inside her head.

While shopping, she has one...

It's about a vampire trying to turn her. There's so much emotion involved as he's desperate to save her even though she asks him not to. He says, "Don't you leave me."

To her horror, she turns and sees that same vampire standing before her, Nathaniel. He shared the vision with her. He was forced to read her without trying.

She freaks out and runs out of the store. He follows her into the shade of the school gym. He asks her what all that was about. She explains to him that her visions come true. Always. She's upset that this one will come true as well. Feeling angry and mildly compassionate to her distress, he says he'll just stay away from her then to keep it from coming true.

There's just one little problem with that plan. Nate can't stop hearing her thoughts. What's more, he experiences her emotions as well. He hopes it's either temporary or she will be able to make it stop somehow.

So, the next day, he finds her house and pays her a visit. He asks her to get out of his head. She tells him she doesn't know what he's talking about and that she wouldn't know how to even begin to stop it from happening.

Nate is aggravated because all Gabby has been thinking about the past 24 hours has been pretty much a pity party, and he's sick of it.

They're both angry that they feel like their choices have been taken from them, and that a vision told them they were going to end up together. They don't see how this could be since they get on each other's nerves so much.

There's a moment when Nate has Gabby trapped up against her sink because she made him really mad and he wanted to get up right in her face and argue with her. Sparks flew that they didn't expect, and it made both of them wary of the other one.

Before Nate leaves, Gabby walks up behind him and apologizes for what he has to put up with, even if it isn't her fault. Nate is surprised, and gets angry that he feels like his heart is softening for the girl.

Well, well, well! Look who's back. Augustus decides to visit with Nate for a while. 

He's intrigued by what Nate tells him about Gabriella and constantly hearing her thoughts plus feel the emotions. August offers to try and help him block her.

There was a slight "problem" with that. The harder he tried to occupy his mind, the more powerful the connection became until not only was he hearing and sharing emotions, but seeing what she saw. It just so happened he saw her glance at herself in the mirror before getting in the shower.

August is aggravated that he can't read Nate's mind to see what he sees. August isn't good at reading at all, and he feels cheated by that, but he can't get a thing out of Nate's mind about Gabby.

Nate "offers" August the 2nd biggest bedroom in his house, knowing the man is there to stay no matter what he says.

The next day, Gabriella's sister, Caitlin, pays her a visit. Gabby explains to her about her most recent vision about the vampire. Caitlin is sympathetic, but then the two of them decide to go shopping to try and forget about it for a while.

Gabby has a vision of Caitlin getting mugged and shot while they are out. The girls go home, Gabby being exhausted. Caitlin asks if the vision was about her, then says she doesn't want to know when Gabby says it was. Gabby asks Caitlin to leave, that she's just not ready to talk to anyone yet. 

It's not much longer and she IS ready to.

Nate, having heard and seen the vision and worried ever since Gabby had it, rushes over to try to help, unwittingly torturing himself in the process. There's a moment when he fears he's about to kiss her, but he goes flying backwards off the bed to avoid it.

He knows he needs to do something to stop the connection before this goes too far. He decides to see if there's anything else August could try, and if it would help to have Gabby in attendance.

He introduces her to August, whom she dubs "Gus". Gus recommends that Nate go off into the stables while he and Gabby go off to the other end of the house to chat while he tries to clear his mind instead of over-occupy it. While upstairs, Gabby asks Gus about vampires.

(I particularly like my idea of how the whole vampirism works, and I actually recommend reading this one.

6: Gus)

Well, if you read it then you saw that Gus wants Gabby to work on her 'gift'. She condescends to try and sees a, guess what, terrifying vision of something Gus will do before that heart-wrenching moment in time that Nate tries to turn her.

While Nate tries to comfort her, she gets a phone call from the hospital. Caitlin has been mugged and beaten, but is otherwise okay.

Nate is there when Gabby exits the hospital and happily comforts her yet again.

However, the two of them, during the course of a conversation, get into a fight where Gabby says she wants nothing to do with him. Angry and hurt that he let her get to him, he leaves.

For days the two of them try to ignore each other. Actually, the first night, Gabriella wants to apologize for what she said, but, unfortunately, Nate has figured out a way to block her just as she's asking him to visit and talk. 

However, the act of totally blocking her gives him a headache--very strange for a vampire to have. So, he works on making her like background noise.

She eventually gets fed up and braves visiting his house, worried about a run-in with Gus. (who's not there--he's on an extended hunting trip)

Nate discovers he just can't stay mad at her. Also, during the course of their conversation, he discovers she has a funny way of getting flustered when he compliments her. Ever eager for a little fun, he tosses a few more at her to see what she'll do. She gets mildly upset, but asks him to accompany her to a work function in a few days. He happily says he will.

Nate feels shocked to see Gabriella in none other than the dress she wears in the vision of the two of them. He points this out to her, and she tries to stay calm. To distract her, he asks her to dance, being sure to throw more compliments at her for the fun of it. (saying he could "go all night" with the--compliments.. yeah the compliments, sure that's what he meant)

Nate meets Gabby's boss, the mayor. (It's a fundraiser for his campaign.) Nate hates politicians He blames them for starting "that stupid war" in the first place.

He particularly doesn't like this one when he reads his mind, which is thinking not-so-gentlemanly thoughts about Gabriella. He convinces him to hang around someone else while he and Gabby go have a heated discussion where Gabby accuses him of acting jealous when he has no real excuse to be. Nate somewhat apologizes and "offers" to walk her home which Gabby refuses, but he won't be told otherwise.

The walk home is only one block away, but the two of them take their time. On the walk, there's a nearby car accident. Nate panics and pulls Gabby off to the side rather unnecessarily. There's yet another moment when it looks like he could kiss her, but he realizes she's unsure if she wants him to. He doesn't want to force the issue.

As the pair arrive at Gabby's house, Nate reveals that he was just about to ask her out before she had the vision in the shop that day. Gabby wonders whether or not she would've said yes. He says she would, and explains to her how he knows while throwing in a few more compliments just for good measure. Everything combined makes Gabby go weak in the knees, and Nate asks her out. She says yes as if in a trance (no 'vampire thing' needed). They go out the next day.

Gus comes back, getting on Nate's nerves. Nate asks him to leave for Gabby's sake. Gus says no. Also, in the course of this discussion Nate is forbidden to call him Gus. (but I can!!) In this chapter we learn that makers have a high level of control over their 'children' until they decide to release them from that bond. Even when the bond is released, a small amount of control can be exerted over their progeny. Small. Still, Nate can't order him away.

That brings us up to the date. There are two moments of a botched kiss attempt. The first one Nate unintentionally causes Gabby to think of the vision, which freaks her out and sends her running home. Nate runs after her and convinces her that they are out because they want to be and not because of some vision telling them what to do. He realizes he's fallen in love with her.

The second half of the date, Nate decides to teach Gabby to dance, since she was uncomfortable on the dance floor the previous night. To his delight, she wants to learn to waltz, his favorite. :) She learns surprisingly fast, so he decides to have a little fun again and purposefully makes errors, causing the two of them to collide a few times. Gabby accuses him of messing up on purpose, to which he replies that of course he did and while he does this he dips her. The two of them remain in that position for several seconds in which Nate debates, yet again, if he should kiss her. He decides he's going to whether she's ready for him to or not. 

Suddenly, her phone rings. Caitlin has been shot dead.

At the funeral, Nate meets Gabriella's mother, Marge. (her father died) He discovers that her mother has the same 'gift'. Also, he is totally unable to read her at all. Her mother's gift isn't as powerful as Gabby's because Gabby also gets the ability from her father. It's genetic. Nate is surprised. 

Marge doesn't see her gift as a curse the way Gabby does, and she has a good grasp of it. She knew Gabby would meet a vampire one day that would hopefully be able to help her daughter through a dangerous moment. She couldn't see any details about it, though.

During the funeral, there's an entertaining (for me anyway) moment that Gabriella gets jealous of the women flocking around Nate while she's standing to receive visitors as they come in. She walks up and accuses him of enjoying the other women's flirting. He reminds her that this is how he feels every time that mayor gets near her and asks her to not work for him anymore. She's upset by that, but says she'll think about it after a discussion.

That evening, Gabby can't stand being in her house, so she heads out to the graveyard to visit her father's grave, knowing that Caitlin will be buried there the next day. Nate figures out she's over there and rushes out to be with her.

Gabby once again discusses her fears about the vision, and Nate tells her, yet again, to not let it rule her life. He asks, at any rate, for her not to push him away again. She says she doesn't think she could even if she tried. 

That's when Nate could feel that Gabriella loves him, even if she doesn't know it herself. Happily, he pulls her into a standing position and tells her he loves her. Just as Gabby's about to (be good and kissed, but it messes up again because..) tell him how she feels...

Gus imposes his terrifying presence upon them.

Nate is really, really mad. One: he'd asked Gus to leave them alone. Two: Yet another moment for a really sweet first kiss was interrupted. Three: He knew that Gabby was about to tell him she loved him, and Gus interrupted that too.

Gus wants to talk to Gabby, and he still doesn't understand why the two of them are treating him like a bad guy. He doesn't like that Gabby is terrified of him.

Tempers flare. Nate punches Gus. 

Gus in turn beats the crap outta Nate. Nate is just flat out out-matched. Gus moves his attention to Gabriella. Gabriella says she refuses to be his little "pocket fortune teller" that he wants her to be. Getting angry, but hiding it, Gus decides that since Gabby won't listen to reason then he'd just have to try force.

Recovered now, Nate puts himself in the way. Gabriella falls all over herself trying to get away. Gus easily avoids Nate's punch this time.

Then deals one of his own. (I love those pics!) Gus threatens to kill Nate, but Nate reminds him that if he did, Gabby would never forgive him for that. Gabby goes and hides.

Gus knows where she is, and decides that he wants to turn her himself because that would give him ultimate control over her. Just as he tries to get to her, Nate attacks him yet again. This time, however, Nate (finally) uses his superior ability to read to know what Gus is going to do as he decides to do it. It's a nearly even match now.

Gabby runs out of hiding, afraid Gus is going to kill Nate. She promises to work on her gift (what Gus has wanted) if only he'd spare Nate. Gus prefers a peaceful relationship, and concedes.

Nate isn't happy with Gabby about that.

There's another touching scene to which Gus is an unwelcome voyeur. So, Nate kisses her on the forehead and says he'll visit her the following evening. She'd asked to be given a little time to think.

Now we're to the finale of the section/season/part.

Nate has tuned out Gabby all day, per her request, but then realizes that may not have been a good thing when he visits her in the evening as he'd said he would. Gabby has decided to stop their relationship before it can get any further, and she's gong to work on her gift with her mother. Nate is even more hurt that he wants to let on. Gabby hates what she's doing, but she thinks she's doing the right thing by "setting Nate free so he doesn't have to worry about her anymore". Hurt and angry, Nate storms off.

In the middle of the night, after a dream where she chases Nate's retreating form in an enormous skirt that keeps getting in the way, Gabby realizes her mistake. She thinks to Nate "vision be damned" which is something Nate had said previously.

Nate, realizing the door is locked, merely twists the doorknob off the door to get inside.

He's determined to finally freakin kiss her already! However, it bothers him how he senses Gabriella's extreme nervousness. So, he gradually works on making it happen by kissing her face, neck and shoulders before lingering near her mouth until she decides to turn her face towards him.

Finally!!!! 

He kisses her until she faints.

When she comes to, he tells her his plan to get rid of Gus. He asks her to move in with him. That way she can order Gus away. (He came up with this idea while he'd loitered at the hill near Gabby's house before Gabby thought to him that she'd realized her mistake. I never mentioned that in the story. Just didn't work it in, but that's when he came up with it.)

She, after a little convincing, agrees to. Then she laughs at the outrageous grin on Nate's face among other things (mostly relief).

Nate brings her laughter to his lips and feels determined to make up for all those previously lost opportunities. 

That brings you up to the end of the first section/season/part. :)