From: Stapleton Subject: DTD / Song-Story Well I've decided to kill two birds with one stone - write an ending to Susan's Dusk To Dawn challenge,as well as writing a story from a song DTD - The Flag Nick was busy trying to, not so delicately, pull open the second bag of blood, that he had lain on the counter, when he heard the elevator car come up the shaft and the door open. Without so much as a warning, Janette plowed through Nick's loft with deft speed, and snatched the bag from him. "Careful, Nicholah! You're going to spill it!" Janette remarked coldly at him. Reaching into one of Nick's cupboards, she removed two crystal wine glasses and poured the bags contents into them. "Why are you here, Janette?" Nick replied stonely. "You're the one that called me, remember? Or do you forget everything lately? It's getting late, Nicholah. What do you want, now?" Janette's voice held an edge of contemption that he hadn't really heard in many years. "No. I remember. We have to talk, Janette." Nick gathered his thoughts for a moment, in strict silence, as he moved away from Janette. "I'm sorry I hurt you last night. I did not mean it, mon cherie. I do not know what came over me. Everything is moving too fast, lately. The incident with the asteroid, Natalie's request, Spark, LaCroix." Janette looked at Nick. He was falling apart at the seams. His mortal quest would yet again be his downfall. She took a sip from her glass and nodded, for Nick to continue his tirade. "It seems that my life has become like that of a racing track, I keep get trampled on. Natalie with her promises to make me mortal again. I love her so much. But LaCroix. If thought for one moment that there was truly a way, he would kill her or worse, bring her across. That much I could not take. I'm stuck in the centre, in the middle of the race, but no is winning, but each with a strong hold over me." Janette became fed up with his continuous self-loathing and depressing mood, and she left him to deal with it himself. But for some reason, whether it be their strong past bond of passion, or the need to straighten Nicholas out, she returned to his loft the next night. And with all intense of purpose to drop his latest self-guilt trip, she turned on all her charm, and her power over him, and he gave into her passion, with abandon. He escaped into the sweetness of her embrace, and made love to her. When it was over with, she just lay there, and wondered. *Why do I still need him? Why do I keep returning to him? It's not like we've been together all of these centuries. I've been with others.* Quietly, she leaned over his body and whispered into his ear, "You've never really known, that when the white flag is flown, no one has won the war. Not even you, mon Nicholah." She got up from the bed, covering herself with a sheet, until she located her black dress that lay strewn over the stair rail. Slowly, she replaced her the sheet with the dress and then tossed the sheet back to the bed. As she went to the fidge to pour herself a glass from the remaining bag of blood, she began to think of their situation. They were complicated people. Immortals leading complicated lives. Only Nick kept complicating their problems by telling complicated lies. That partner of his is so dense sometimes. And then there's Natalie - the only mortal privy to Nick's secret, but she was so stubborn when it came to him. Nick woke, to Janette's musings. His vampiric senses telling him more than any mortal could. He knew she didn't regret their recent behaviour, but knew there was someting on her mind that troubled her. "I'm sorry," Nick spoke quietly. And to further complicate matters, rather than sharing the blood with her, he poured one of Nat's protein drinks. "It's over, Nicholah. No more. I can't take it." "Janette. I really am sorry." Janette repeated her morning whisper, "You've never really known, that when the white flag is flown, no one has ever won the war." Nick simply nodded as Janette finished the contents of her glass and placed it on the counter. She gathered her cape from the back of the leather couch and left, before the sun rose. ================================================================ Okay. Here are the lyrics to "The Flag" by The Bare Naked Ladies. The Flag The phone rings, it's early, it's 7 o'clock, You said sorry I woke you but I just had to talk. You know last night, remember when I tried to choke you, I didn't mean it, I was drunk, it was only a joke. You should know that by now, when the checkered flag comes down, No one, no one, no one has won the race. The next night he's over and over and under, And after he's finished, she lies there and wonders, Just why do I need him, and why do I stay here? And then in the darkness, she quitely says dear, You've never really known That when the white flag is flown, No one, no one, no one has won the war. They're complicated people leading complicated lives And he complicates thier problems telling complicated lies. He tells her he's sorry, she tells him it's over, he tells her he's sorry, She says over and over, You`ve never really known, That when the white flag is flown No one, no one, no one has won the war. There goes a forest and there goes a blue bird There goes a partridge and there goes a go-train There goes an angel and there goes a steeple There goes a ca-ca and there goes an eagle There goes a raven and there go the ribbons There goes a raven and there go the ribbons There goes a raven and there go the ribbons, the ribbons, the ribbons The ribbons of The Flag, The Flag, The Flag, The Flag, The Flag, The Flag.