Disclaimer: The characters in this story are not mine; they belong
to TPTB of Forever Knight.

This is my season 2 Christmas story.  I know it's a little early, but
I'm getting into the mood.  I just can't help it!

Please send any comments or whatever to me at zeke@rt66.com.
As I've said before, I love the mail!


Christmas, As It Was Before (Part 1 of 6)
by Sarah Baker (zeke@rt66.com)

Schanke shifted his weight from one foot to the other and rubbed
his gloved hands together.  He turned his back to the wind as he
looked around.  The blowing snow obliterated the view beyond the
edges of the overpass, giving the protected underside the eerie
feeling of living walls.  He examined the assortment of boxes and
shelters huddled together at the bridge abutments.

"Man, it's hard to believe that people can survive like this,
especially in this weather."

Nick stood up beside him, still looking at the battered body.
"Some don't," he replied somberly.

"Yeah."  Schanke turned to give the body one last look.  Except for
the missing front teeth, the woman probably hadn't been all that
bad looking before the beating.  She looked about forty, but was
most likely only in her early thirties.  'This life ages them quickly,'
he thought to himself.  Her hair was blonde and shoulder length,
but the edges were matted with dried blood.

"So what do we know?" Nick asked him.  Schanke noticed, with
some annoyance, that Nick didn't even have his coat buttoned.
How on earth did he put up with the bitter cold?  Why the hell
didn't it bother him?

"Not much.  She had been living here, if you want to call it that, for
about a week.  No one knows where she came from.  No one knew
her last name.  No one saw anything.  Same ol' story."  Schanke
nodded toward a group of uniformed officers who were
surrounding a small girl.  Her knotted blonde hair was sticking up
out of the blanket they had wrapped around her, and her eyes were
brimming with tears.  The girl seemed to be staring at the ground,
unaware of the crowd around her.  "That's her daughter, Cindy.
They think she's eight, but they can't get her to talk."

"How do we know her name?"

"Her 'neighbor', Jack Gardner, told us.  He seemed to know them
better than anyone, and that's not saying much.  He's the one in the
green plaid coat."  Schanke indicated Mr. Gardner with another
nod to a different group of people.  Nick headed toward this group
with Schanke right behind him.  A uniformed officer was taking
notes as Mr. Gardner spoke.  She gladly stopped when Nick broke
in and let him take over.  This gave her a chance to put the pen in
her pocket long enough to try to warm up her hands.

Nick introduced himself and Schanke, and smiled reassuringly at
the man. "Do you have any idea what happened?" he asked.  Mr.
Gardner shook his head and looked at the ground.  "I have no idea.
When I left here this mornin', the two of them was the last ones
here.  Most people have moved to the shelter, you know.  There's
only a handful of us still here.  When I got back tonight, I found
Patty there like she is now, and Cindy sitting next to her on the
ground.  It was weird -- the girl was just sittin' there staring at her
mom.  She wasn't even crying or nothin'."

"Why aren't you at the shelter, Mr. Gardner?" Nick asked with true
concern.

The man smiled sarcastically at Nick.  "I guess you've never stayed
at one of them shelters, have you?  Well, let me just say that I'd
rather face the cold than a bunch of crazies at night.  I get more
sleep here, you know?"

Nick looked at him with something between amazement and
perplexity.  Mr. Gardner laughed to himself as he walked away.

Schanke checked the officer's notes on Mr. Gardner's statement
while Nick walked to the circle surrounding the girl.  One of the
officers was gently stroking the girl's hair and asking her questions.
Cindy was not responding.  Nick put his hand on the officer's
shoulder and whispered to her, "Let me try, okay?"

"Sure, Detective.  Go for it."  The officer stood up and moved
aside.  Nick knelt in front of the girl so that their eyes were at the
same level.  His voice was soft but stern.  "Cindy.  Cindy, listen to
me."  Nick tuned himself to the beating of the girl's heart, and
heard it speed up slightly as she lifted her head to stare into his
eyes.  Her blue eyes were clear and surprisingly unafraid.  "Do you
know what happened to your mother?"  Cindy nodded slowly.
"Did you see who did this to her?"  Again the girl nodded slowly.
"Can you tell me?"  This time she just returned Nick's stare without
responding.  Nick was getting absolutely nothing from her, and
was sure that he could push her for an hour without getting a
response.  Maybe she needed a little time to recover.  He broke off
the stare.

As Nick stood up, the female officer raised one eyebrow at him and
smiled.  "Well, you got more than any of us did."  Nick shrugged
his shoulders.  "Social Services picking her up?" he asked.  "Yeah.
At least she'll be warm tonight."  Nick shook his head and turned
away.  He looked around for his partner and nearly jumped as
Schanke spoke from behind him.

"Let's get outta here, huh?  Natalie's working on the woman now
and says to stop by later."

Nick and Schanke headed toward the Caddie.  As they stepped out
into the snow, Nick felt a strange sorrow sneaking up on him as he
thought about this homeless girl now without even a mother.
Schanke just felt cold.

**************

"Look, I know it's against the rules, but would you *please* just do
me this one favor?  Please?" Schanke pleaded with such sincerity.
Nick gave him an 'I can't believe you talk me into these things' look
and gave in.

"So where do you want me to pull over?"

"The next block on the right. Great, Buddy!  You won't know how
much I appreciate this until you have a daughter of your own
someday who has you wrapped around her little finger.  Right
here."  Schanke pointed to the open space in front of the record
store, and hopped out as soon as Nick had nearly stopped.  "Be
back in one sec."

Nick laughed to himself and shook his head as he watched his
partner trotting into the store, barely managing to stay on his feet
on the ice.  Schanke was trying to find the last item on Jenny's wish
list.  It seemed that every teenager in Toronto wanted the same
things for Christmas, which resulted in panicked parents all over
town.  Schanke was certainly no exception.  As much as Nick
thought that he might someday want a child, someone to care for
and share himself with, he certainly didn't regret missing this part
of it.  At least, not much.

Schanke returned in just over his promised second with a Cheshire
cat grin and a small brown bag clutched to his chest.  He jumped in
the Caddy and quickly closed the door.  "I can't believe it!!  I think
I got the last copy of this CD in Ontario!!  I'm one lucky guy,
Knight."

Nick grinned at his partner's enthusiasm.  "Does that mean you're
ready to get back to work?"

Schanke grinned back.  "Yeah.  And thanks... really."  Schanke
reached into his coat pocket and produced a list.  He held it up to
the window to review it by the light from the passing stores.  "I
think I've actually got everything.  It is really a Christmas miracle!"
Schanke chuckled.

"There's only one more thing I promised Myra I would do."
Schanke looked hesitantly at his partner.

"What now?"  Nick was starting to look a little annoyed.

"Well, I *promised* Myra that I would get you to agree to come
over to the house Christmas Eve night."  Schanke looked like he
was waiting for a bolt of lightning to strike.

Nick raised his eyebrows and started his apology.  "That's really
nice of you, Schank, but I've got other..."

"No, you don't understand," Schanke interrupted.  "I *promised*
Myra.  If you don't show up, I'm in the dog house big time.  Look,
she knows you are on a weird diet and promised not to get
offended if you don't eat anything.  She says we'll just have
everything out buffet-style."  Schanke had his most wounded look
on. Nick cringed.  Schanke continued, "Myra *really* wants to do
this.  Her father is going to Florida for Christmas so she won't have
any family around.  Myra *hates* not having family around during
the holidays.  She insists on having a few of our 'orphan' friends
over.  Pleeeease, Nick."

How could Nick possibly resist such a pleading?  "Okay, okay,"
Nick relented.  "Please thank Myra for the invitation for me.  What
time should I be there?"

Schanke grinned.  He just won his five dollar bet with Myra who
had insisted that there was no way he would be able to talk his
partner into showing up for a social function.  This was his first
success in two years.  "Anytime after six.  And you might want to
ask Natalie if she wants a ride."  Schanke raised his eyebrows in
feigned innocence and smiled.

End Part 1.

Please see part 1 for disclaimers.

Christmas, As It Was Before (Part 2 of 6)
by Sarah Baker (zeke@rt66.com)

"There are no signs of rape.  There were three blows to the head
with what looks like a crow bar, tire iron, or some other heavy
metal object.  I'd say the killer was trying to kill, not torture.
Maybe a case of seeing something she shouldn't have."  Natalie
pulled the sheet over the dead woman's head, pulled her gloves off,
and tossed them in the medical waste bin.  She turned to face the
two detectives who were standing nearly shoulder to shoulder.
Natalie couldn't help but smile.  As much as the two looked like
opposites, they were also starting to really look like a team.  Sort of
two sides to the same coin.  She never would have believed this a
year ago.  Schanke looked at her questioningly.  "What?"

Natalie shook her head.  "Nothing."

"Any idea on TOD?" Nick asked as if he hadn't noticed the
exchange.

"It's hard to tell offhand with the temperature outside.  The body
cooled off very quickly.  If I had to guess though, I'd say sometime
between noon and four o'clock.  Is that close enough?"

Nick nodded.  Natalie walked to the sink and began washing her
hands, and Schanke leaned towards Nick.  "You gonna ask her if
she wants a ride?" he prompted.  Before Nick could answer,
Schanke announced his intention to depart.  "I'll wait for you
outside."  He promptly turned and left.

Natalie turned to Nick as she was drying her hands.  "What was
that all about?"

Nick shoved his hands in his coat pockets and walked toward
Natalie.  He leaned against the counter and chuckled.  "Schank
wants me to ask you if you want a ride to his house for the party."

Natalie's jaw dropped.  "*You're* going to Schanke's party?"  Nick
rolled his eyes and nodded.  "Won't that be a little dangerous?"
Natalie asked.

"I hope not."  Nick thought about the possible pitfalls.  Christmas
did tend to incorporate religious symbols, but he had some
tolerance built up for those.  And there was the possibility that
someone would try to force him to eat.  He smiled at Natalie.  "I'm
glad you'll be there to pull me out of the tight spots."

Natalie returned his smile.  She couldn't imagine what Schanke had
said to convince him.  "Well, you could pick me up a little before
six, okay?"

"Sure."  Nick reached out and squeezed Natalie's arm
appreciatively.

***************

"Knight."  Nick scowled and nodded at the phone.  "We'll be right
there."  He returned the receiver to the cradle, stood up, and slipped
into his coat all in one fluid, practiced motion.  "C'mon.  We've got
another one."

Schanke, much less fluidly, kicked his chair under his desk as he
pushed his arm into his coat.  He grabbed his scarf on the way past
the coat rack.

In the Caddy, with the light flashing on top, they sped wordlessly
to the same crime scene as the night before.  As they got out of the
Caddy and headed under the overpass, Schanke noted that snow
wasn't falling tonight, but the wind seemed to be about twice as
cold.  He shivered as he tucked his chin into the collar of his coat.
Of course, Nick was ahead of him with his long black coat flying
open like a cape.  "Damn," Schanke muttered.

They both spotted the green plaid coat on the victim and looked at
each other.  "Gardner" they said simultaneously.  Natalie was just
kneeling to examine Mr. Gardner when they arrived.

"Looks like the same MO, more or less," she told them without
looking up.  "Looks like two blows to the head with a heavy, blunt
instrument.  This victim also has an arm wound.  Looks like he
might have been trying to block a blow.  I'll know more for sure
when I get him back to the lab."  Natalie looked up at the pair of
detectives as she finished her statement.  This time they didn't look
as much like a matched set with Schanke shivering and stamping
his feet and Nick standing perfectly still, his open coat fluttering in
the wind.  Natalie tried unsuccessfully to repress a smile.

Nick looked at her questioningly.  "What?" he asked.

"Nothing."  Natalie stood up, shaking her head.  "I'll see you two a
little later."  She left the body to the attendants who prepared it for
transport.

Nick walked over to the officer who had found the body and
Schanke wandered off in the other direction.  "Anything?" Nick
asked the young man.

"No witnesses.  Two boys found the body and their parents called it
in.  We've got two men at their houses now taking statements.
Sounds like they were out sledding when they found him.  Other
than that, no one else has been around here."  Nick looked around
as the young man spoke.  The underpass looked exactly as it had
last night.

"Has anyone checked out the shelters?" he asked.

"Yes sir," the officer replied.  "We didn't find anything...
suspicious."  The officer crinkled his nose at this statement.  He
had obviously not enjoyed searching the seedy boxes and lean-tos.
Nick could appreciate this.  He was trying his best not to breath
because the stench was overwhelming.  Nick patted the officer on
the shoulder as he walked off towards his partner.

"I don't know," Schanke started without looking up.  "Lots of prints
in the mud, but no real clear ones.  Must be loads of people
walking under here every day."

"But no one saw Mr. Gardner until the two boys found him.  Seems
kind of strange, don't you think?"

"Maybe he saw something yesterday that he didn't tell us about."

"Seems likely."  Nick had thought about this possibility too.

Schanke looked up and started rubbing his arms in an attempt to
shed some of the cold.  "Forensics is getting lots of pictures.  Let's
head back, okay?"

Nick nodded in agreement.  They walked silently back to the
Caddy and got in.  As Nick was pulling the red light off the top, the
radio blared out, "81 Kilo.  81 Kilo.  Respond."

Schanke grabbed the microphone.  "81 Kilo.  Go ahead."

"Detective Schanke, call dispatch for a message."

Schanke replaced the transmitter and Nick handed him the mobile
phone.  Schanke dialed the number.  "This is Detective Schanke.  I
have a message?"

Nick was lost in thought and very purposely did not listen to the
voice on the other end that he could have heard quite clearly.  He
was thinking about what could possibly be happening under the
overpass to result in two dead people in as many days.

"Son of a bitch!"  Nick snapped to attention.  He listened to both
ends of the conversation.  'Your wife and daughter are at the
station.  They'll wait for you here.'  "Are they alright?" Schanke
nearly yelled. 'They're fine, Detective.  They'll be here when you
arrive.'  "Okay, thanks."  Schanke punched the button on the phone
and handed it back to Nick.  Nick was waiting with concern written
all over his face.

"Son of a bitch!"  Schanke repeated.  "Can you believe it?  My
house was broken into!"

"Jenny and Myra okay?" Nick asked, although he already knew the
answer.

"Yeah."  Schanke was shaking his head in disbelief.  "They're
waiting for me at the station.  Can you believe it?  I was robbed!"

Nick started the Caddy and drove quickly back to the station.
Schanke was muttering something about the suburbs and
Christmas presents and the lack of morality in today's society most
of the way back.

End Part 2.

Please see part 1 for disclaimers.

Christmas, As It Was Before (Part 3 of 6)
by Sarah Baker (zeke@rt66.com)

As they walked into the station, Jenny ran, weeping, into her
father's arms, and Myra wrapped her arms around both of them.
Nick graciously left them alone and went to his desk.  He decided
the best thing he could do was concentrate on the case and let
Schanke be with his family.

Nick looked through the notes from the crime scenes and the
photos from last night.  There just wasn't anything that jumped out
at him.  It had been a day since Cindy was taken by Child Services;
she was the only witness.  Nick had given her time to calm down.
It was time to talk to her again.  He dialed the number and found
the address of the foster home where she had been taken.

Nick stopped in front of Schanke.  "Look, Schank, I'm going to talk
to Cindy again.  Why don't you take whatever time you need to
straighten things out, okay?"

"Thanks, Nick.  I'll do that.  I'll give you a call later."  Schanke led
his family out of the station, their arms entwined.  Nick headed out,
too.

***************

The foster home where Cindy was staying at the moment was a
warm, large house in the suburbs run by a warm, large woman.
She introduced herself to Nick as Martha Leggard, "but you can
call me Marty.  Everyone does."  Nick liked and trusted her
immediately.  She led him into the family room, talking quietly as
she went.  "She's watching TV with the rest of the brood.  What a
sweet child.  Poor thing hasn't said a word since she got here.  Not
that I can blame her, after what she's been through."  Marty's voice
was nearly cracking with emotion.  Nick wondered how Marty
could afford to get so emotionally involved in her business.  When
he entered the family room and saw the two dozen children, his
question was answered.  Some were rolling on the floor, some
were sharing coloring books, and some were engrossed in the TV
show.  All looked incredibly happy to see Marty enter, except one.
Cindy sat on the sofa wrapped in a blanket and staring at the floor.

"You think I could take her out of here for awhile?" Nick asked.

"I don't know, Detective.  That's sort of against regulations."  Marty
hesitated.

Nick used his kindest voice and smile in an attempt to win her
over.  "I promise to have her back in less than an hour.  I just need
to try to get her to talk, and I thought maybe some ice cream would
help."

It worked.  Marty acquiesced.

The other kids made way for Nick as he walked to the sofa and
knelt in front of Cindy.  She looked up at him.  Although her
expression didn't change, Nick saw a glint of recognition in her
eyes.

"Cindy, do you want to go for a ride with me?  Maybe we could
talk a little."  She nodded, pushed off the blanket, and stood up.
Marty handed Nick a coat that was slightly too big for the girl, but
warm.  Nick helped her slide into the coat and led her toward the
door.  He thanked Marty on the way out and renewed his promise
of an hour only.

Marty watched the two of them walk toward the car.  Halfway
down the front walk, Cindy reached up for Nick's hand.  He was
obviously startled, but wrapped her small hand in his.  Marty
smiled to herself.

**************

Cindy still wouldn't talk, but she would nod or shake her head to
Nick's questions.  She certainly hadn't hesitated to nod at the offer
of ice cream.  Nick drove the Caddy slowly into town.

"Cindy, we really want to find out what happened to your mom,
and I need your help."  She looked at him with concern in her eyes.
"Don't like to talk, huh?"  She shook her head.  "Did you see the
person that attacked your mom?"  She nodded.  "Was it a man?"
She nodded again.  "Had you seen him before?"  Another nod.  "Do
you know his name?"  This time she shook her head.  Nick stopped
to think.  This twenty questions stuff was going to take forever.
Cindy, realizing he had stopped talking, looked out of the car
window.  She seemed to be absorbed by the storefront lights.

Nick slowed to a stop at a red light.  He was trying to decide on the
most efficient way to proceed.  Maybe he should take Cindy to the
station to work with an artist.  It would be slower that the usual
suspect sketch, but it might work.  He would have to call Marty
and let her know that he would have Cindy longer than he had
planned.

Suddenly, a deafening scream was emanating from the seat next to
him, and Cindy was as close to him as her seat belt would allow.
She was terrified by something she saw through her window.  Nick
looked out as he reached for her arm to calm her.  All he could see
was people strolling by and a Santa ringing his bell for change.
Cindy continued to scream in panic.  Nick checked the direction of
her stare several times before he was sure she was screaming at
Santa.

"Cindy! Cindy, it's okay!"  Nick raised his voice over hers and
reached across the seat to grab both of her arms.  It worked; she
stopped screaming and looked at him.  "Is that the man that
attacked your mother?"  She nodded furiously.  Nick threw the
Caddy into park and was about to jump out when Cindy screamed
again.  This time she was looking out of his window.  Nick jumped
and followed her eyes.  Across the street was another Santa with a
bell.  He suddenly realized that it wasn't the man she was seeing,
but the Santa.  Nick unbuckled Cindy's seatbelt and pulled her into
his arms.  She stopped screaming and sobbed into his chest.  He
held her and tried to sooth away her tears.  It took quite a long
time.

****************

Nick sat on one side of Cindy with the sketch artist on the other.
He asked the questions and Cindy's nods guided the artist.  After an
hour of work, the sketch was complete.  Nick knew the drawing
must be close because of the girl's trembling when she looked at it.
The man they had drawn look an awful lot like the typical Santa.
He had a long, full white beard, small dark eyes, and a pug nose.
Thankfully, Nick had thought to ask about scars and found out the
suspect had one visible just over his left eye.  But the main
difference that he could see between the suspect and Santa was the
plain red stocking cap that replaced Santa's elaborate fur lined hat.

Nick ordered an APB put out on the suspect, and gently led Cindy
out of the interrogation room.  As they walked past the desks, Nick
saw Schanke headed in the front door.  Schanke was still shaking
his head, but looked considerably less worried.

Schanke stopped in front of them and bent forward toward Cindy.
"Hi, Cindy.  How are you tonight?"  Cindy grabbed Nick's sleeve
and pulled it protectively in front of her.  Schanke smiled up at
Nick.  "Looks like you've got a friend there."   Nick returned the
smile.

"Is everything okay, Schank?"

"Yeah, just great," Schanke responded somewhat sarcastically.
"Myra and Jenny left for the grocery store just after I left for work.
It was definitely the work of pros.  Nothing was taken but
Christmas gifts and jewelry.  No prints, nothing.  At least they
waited until Myra and Jenny were gone."

"I'm really sorry about that, Schanke.  I assume the party is
canceled."

"No way.  Myra is more insistent than ever.  She says that if we
can't have the gifts for each other that we'd planned, at least we can
be surrounded by friends."  Schanke grabbed Nick's shoulder and
shook it with enthusiasm.  "I'm headed home, but we'll see you
tomorrow night, right?"

"Right."  Nick forced a smile which soured a little after Schanke
turned to leave.

*******************

Marty was obviously relieved to see Nick returning with Cindy.
When they stopped in the front entrance, Marty noted that Cindy
had a firm grip on Nick's hand.  Nick smiled at Marty.  "Cindy did
a great job of giving us a description of the suspect.  She was very
brave."  Nick squeezed Cindy's hand and she moved closer to him.
"She spoke?" Marty asked excitedly.

"Well, not exactly."  Nick and Cindy exchanged a smile. "But we
found other ways to communicate."

Marty nodded her approval at this handsome blonde detective.  She
knew instantly that he didn't have any kids, but she was pretty sure
that she could make an excellent father out of him with very little
effort.  That was certainly rare these days.  Marty offered Cindy her
hand.  Cindy hesitated, glanced up at Nick, and then released his
hand for Marty's.  Marty led her back into the family room and
took off her coat.  "You go ahead and make yourself at home,
Sweetie," Marty gently ordered.  Cindy joined several other
children on the sofa, and Marty turned to see Nick out.

"So what happens to her now, assuming we don't find any living
relatives?"

She could tell that Nick was genuinely concerned, and he deserved
the truth.  "It is up to the court, of course, but she'll probably be
sent to another foster home."

"Can't she stay here?"  Nick looked around at the happy young
faces.

"The Province doesn't give us enough money to hire another live-in
adult, and we're at our maximum number of kids now.  I'm allowed
two temporary spaces for cases like tonight, but that's it.  We have
the room.  I'm just not going to cut back on food or anything else
important in order to take in more kids.  I wish I could keep her
here, though."  Marty looked over at Cindy with concern.  "She
needs some very special attention, and she might not get it at the
next place."

Nick nodded in agreement, and then shook Marty's hand.  He left
quickly.

End Part 3.

Please see part 1 for disclaimers.

Christmas, As It Was Before (Part 4 of 6)
by Sarah Baker (zeke@rt66.com)

Natalie opened her door to find Nick grinning with one red rosebud
extended toward her.  He looked great in his black coat over the
deep red silk shirt.

"Eeeww," she teased. "You look good enough to be a Christmas
present!"  Natalie was almost sure she saw Nick blush, possible or
not.  She ushered him in and took the rose with a smile.  "I'm
almost ready."

Nick watched her rush into and out of the kitchen, producing an
overstuffed bag.  He was admiring her green dress, and everything
else about her.  She put the bag down and stopped in front of him,
handing the rose back to him, minus most of the stem.  "Pin it on
for me?" she asked and handed him a golden pin.  Nick smiled.  He
very carefully placed the rose just below her left shoulder and ran
the pin through the stem and the fabric.  He hoped Natalie hadn't
noticed that his hands were shaking just slightly.

She hadn't.  She was busy studying his eyes as he concentrated.  It
was so easy to get lost in those eyes.  When he had completed his
task and his eyes met hers, she realized she was staring.  She felt
the color rise in her face and grinned sheepishly.  "What?" he
asked.  Natalie laughed.  "Nothing.  You ready?"

Nick took a deep breath and let it out. "I hope so," he answered
honestly.  He was slightly reassured by the silver flask he had
tucked away in his jacket.

Nick picked up Natalie's coat from the back of the chair and helped
her into it.  He then picked up her bag and followed her out.

**************

Nick stood a step behind Natalie as she rang the bell.  Myra opened
the door and seemed genuinely surprised and happy to see them
both.  She gave Natalie and Nick each a quick hug and led them in.

The house was glowing with colored lights both inside and out.
The warmth hit Nick like a pleasant wave.  He had been inside
Schanke's house several times during the past two years, but never
when it looked like this.  The Christmas tree was just inside the
door, covered with lights and homemade decorations, some
obviously the work of a very young child.  A fire roared in the
fireplace, and several people stood around it sipping drinks and
pleasantly talking.  Another wave hit Nick, this time almost
knocking him down.  This one was the smell of cinnamon and
cloves mixed with fumes of  mulled wine.  It brought back
memories he had not thought of in centuries.  He saw his own
mother leaning over the pot that was suspended above the fire,
stirring the warming wine.  He tried to shake off the memory
before it brought tears to his eyes.

"Don!  Look who's here!"  Myra called out to the kitchen.  Schanke
backed through the door, a platter of goodies in each hand.  "Hey
Nick and Nat!  I'm glad you two made it!  Pull your coats off and
come on in.  There's drinks and food all over the place.  Let me set
this stuff down, and I'll be right with you."

Nick helped Natalie out of her coat and hung it on a hook behind
the door.  He handed the bottle of wine that he'd brought to Myra,
and then placed his own coat next to Natalie's.  Myra thanked Nick
and examined the bottle of wine as she headed into the kitchen.  It
looked awfully expensive.

"Myra, I'll follow you.  I brought a few things with me," Natalie
called after her and left Nick standing a little uncomfortably by the
door.

He continued to look around.  Fortunately, Schanke didn't go in for
a lot of religious symbols.  There was a crucifix on the mantle,
Nick noted, and several touchy ornaments on the tree.  He'd just
avoid standing too close to these, if he could.

Schanke strolled over to Nick and slapped him on the arm.  "I'm
really glad you made it, Partner.  Come on in and meet everyone."
As he passed the tray of mulled wine, he picked up a glass and
handed it to Nick.  "Here."

Nick followed Schanke around the room as his partner proudly
introduced him to everyone.  There were several old friends of
Schanke's from the precinct, and about twenty others.  Schanke
was right: the house wasn't overcrowded.  Just enough to be cozy.
Nick struck up polite conversation with the last couple he had met
while he waited for Natalie to reappear.

Natalie and Myra walked out of the kitchen together, each carrying
a tray of cookies.  "Everyone, Natalie made us some great looking
Christmas cookies.  They're on the table, if anyone wants to try
one."  Several people in the room applauded; Natalie took an
overstated bow.  She picked up a glass of wine as she walked over
to stand beside Nick.

"Nat, do you know..."

"Anne," Natalie said as she gave the woman a polite hug.  "Roger,"
she nodded.  Glancing over Roger's shoulder, she waved
recognition to several others.  Obviously, Natalie knew a few more
people here than Nick did, and felt quite at home.  He suddenly felt
a little like an outsider, like he was intruding.  The warmth of this
gathering was shared by, and meant for, mortals. He felt the mask
slipping.  At any moment, he would be exposed as the impostor
that he was.

Nick was surprised that Natalie seemed to sense his feelings.  She
slipped her arm through his and pulled him away from the growing
group that was standing in front of the fire.  "You okay?" she
whispered to him when they were ten feet from anyone.  Nick
looked around and stood with his back to the room.  "I don't
know," he answered as he poured most of his drink into Natalie's
glass.  He then reached into his pocket and removed the silver
flask.  He quickly twisted the top open, filled his glass, and closed
and returned the flask.  He grinned apologetically to Natalie, and
was surprised not to find reproach in her eyes.  She quietly clinked
her glass to his.  "Cheers," she whispered.

Schanke walked into the middle of the room to make an
announcement.  "Alright, everyone, you all know the drill."
Schanke's gaze stopped on Nick.  "Well, most of you do, anyway.
Everyone grab a chair and get your vocal cords loosened up.  It's
time for Christmas carols.  Of course, you don't *have* to sing, but
no fair putting your fingers in your ears."  A chuckle rose from the
room as everyone milled around to find the right seat.  Natalie
pulled Nick to a large stuffed chair, nudged him into it, and sat on
the footstool in front of him.  Fortunately, she had picked the chair
as far away from the piano as possible.  Nick leaned forward in the
chair and pulled the stool back so that Natalie was sitting between
his knees.  He held her shoulder gently with one hand.  Natalie
smiled back at him with approval.

Jenny joined the grownups for the singing, looking like a character
from the Nutcracker.  Schanke beamed from head to toe with pride,
and sang along with most of the room to Myra's accompaniment.
"This reminds me of my childhood," Natalie whispered back to
Nick between verses.  Nick squeezed her shoulder in
acknowledgment.

The singing lasted for nearly an hour.  Although some of the notes
made Nick cringe, the joy everyone was sharing was contagious.
He couldn't help but join into the laughing when one of the songs
went totally wrong.  Finally, Jenny went around the room to say
goodnight.  When she got to Nick and Natalie, she gave them each
a warm, sincere hug and then headed off to bed.

A few people left, and the rest worked at refilling their plates and
glasses.  Nick and Natalie were fairly isolated in the room.  Natalie
turned toward Nick, leaning back on one of his knees.  "Are you
enjoying this?"  Nick thought about the question, looked around
the room, and smiled at Natalie.  "Yes, I am."

Natalie kept her voice down so that their conversation wasn't
overheard.  "What was Christmas like when you were a kid?"  Nick
lifted his eyebrows in surprise at her question, and then lowered
them in thought.  It had been so long since he'd thought about his
childhood.  The smell of the wine heating in the fireplace came
back to him again, and he could even hear his mother's sweet voice
as she sang an ancient verse to accompany her stirring.  He
suddenly saw his sister's face, beaming with joy as he tied her
golden curls back with the blue silk ribbon he had given her.  She
had trotted off to the closest looking glass to admire her own
beauty with the innocence that only a five year old could possess.
Nicolas and his mother had both tried to suppress their amused
laughter at Fleur's prancing.  Nick remembered the richness of the
spiced wine that warmed the places the fire couldn't reach.

Natalie was watching his eyes wander through time.  She tried to
nudge him back to reality.  "Nick?"  He looked up from his glass
and into her eyes and smiled.  "It was very different than this, and
..." Nick glanced around the room again,"... not so different.  It was
a time of warmth and joy like this is."  Nick looked back at his
glass.  He again felt like a thief trying to make off with something
he was not supposed to have.  He knew that the darkness inside
him could so easily absorb all the light in this room.  Natalie
watched the change in his expression; it worried her.

"Nick, finish your drink," Natalie instructed as she grabbed his
arm.  He looked up at her and obeyed.  "Now, come dance with
me."  She pulled him by the hand to the middle of the room.
Several other couples were dancing slowly to 'I'm Dreaming of a
White Christmas', but Nick hadn't noticed them until now.  Natalie
wrapped her arms around Nick's waist and put her head on his
shoulder.  After getting over the initial shock, Nick followed her
lead and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.  He closed his
eyes, leaned his head against hers, and listened to the beat of her
heart as it matched the rhythm of the music.  Surprisingly, Nick felt
a warmth taking over him that was not accompanied by the Beast.
As close as Natalie was to him, he felt nothing but goodness.  He
smiled to himself and held her tighter.

Across the room, Don Schanke nudged Myra's shoulder with his.
"See? I told you there was something going on there," he
whispered as he nodded toward his partner and the doctor.  Myra
nodded back as though she was conceding the point.

End Part 4.

Christmas, As It Was Before (Part 5 of 6)
by Sarah Baker (zeke@rt66.com)

Several hours later, the last of the guests, including Nick and
Natalie, were finally leaving.  Natalie had pointed out the bare area
under the Christmas tree to Nick as they headed for the door.  She
whispered to Nick her admiration for the entire family's braveness.
To Nick, however, it seemed like they were simply happy to have
each other.  Schanke had made some comment about how he was
in the doghouse with Jenny because she'd never believe that he had
actually gotten everything she wanted before the thieves took it,
but he laughed when he said it.  They would survive.

Nick sincerely returned his partner's bear hug.  "Hey, man, I'm
really glad you came over tonight," Schanke gushed as he held his
partner's sleeves.  Then he whispered evilly, "And it looked like
you were having fun."  Nick shot him a 'back off' look, and then
slapped his arm.  "See you tomorrow night, Schank."

Natalie, a step ahead of Nick, pulled her coat tightly around her
and 'brrrr'd as the wind hit her on the porch.  Nick grabbed the edge
of his open coat and wrapped it around her.  They walked to the
Caddy like this.

Schanke was standing behind his wife at the door, watching them
depart.  "You see what I mean?!" he asked emphatically.  "He must
be from way the hell up north, 'cause I swear he doesn't feel the
cold!   It's so annoying!"  Myra laughed at her husband.  Only he
could get upset about something like that.  She knew it wasn't
Nick's insensitivity to the cold that Don was upset about, but at not
knowing where Nick was from.  "What?" he looked at her
questioningly.  "Nothing," she responded as she headed for the
kitchen.

*************

"So what *was* Christmas like when you were a kid?" Natalie
asked, now that they were safely out of earshot.  Nick answered
without taking his eyes off the road.

"We celebrated Christmas, but it didn't have quite the trappings
that it has now.  Families spent the time together, like they do
now."  Nick smiled as he saw his mother's smiling face again.
"And there were special foods that we ate only at Christmas, much
like today.  My mother made *great* spiced wine.  Saint Nicholas
brought gifts for the children, and family members sometimes
exchanged gifts, but not like it's done now.  If you really cared
about someone, you gave them a very special gift.  It wasn't
obligatory."

Natalie was fascinated.  "Like what?" she asked.

"Well, I carved a horse for my sister one year."  Nick remembered
Fleur's tears of joy as she threw her arms around his neck.  She
grasped the horse so tightly that she nearly left indentations in the
wood.  Nick also remembered the months of carving and
smoothing that he had done with such loving care. The smile on his
face darkened a little as he remembered the rest of it.  "It was the
last Christmas I spent at home."  The statement sounded so
ominous to Natalie that it sent a shiver down her spine.  They
continued to Natalie's building in silence.

Nick parked on the street.  He wanted to walk Natalie upstairs and
continue this glorious evening, but he also didn't want to spoil what
had passed between them already.  "You want to come up for
awhile?"  Natalie asked almost timidly.

Nick pressed her hand to his lips and smiled at her.  "I don't think I
should," he almost whispered.  She smiled back and nodded as if
she understood.  Nick couldn't imagine that she could even begin
to understand the situation, but, then, he had made the mistake of
underestimating her before.  He tried his best not to do it now.

Nick walked around the Caddy and held the door for Natalie.  He
walked her up to the main door of her building and stopped.
Natalie turned to face him from the step above, giving her almost
an inch in height advantage.  He smiled into her eyes.  There were
so many things that he wanted to tell her.  He wanted her to
understand that she was the most important person in his life since
his mother and sister.  He wanted her to know that she was his only
reason for fighting to stay in this mortal life.  He wanted to tell her
that he truly loved her, but he couldn't take the chance.  She looked
questioningly at him.  "What?" she finally asked.  "Nothing," he
replied, his smile growing to a grin.  Natalie squinted suspiciously
at him.  "I enjoyed spending the evening with you, Nick."  Her
voice was as soothing at the sweetest music he had ever heard.  He
reached up and gently kissed her lips.

As he started to pull away, Natalie wrapped her arms around his
neck.  She enjoyed being this close to Nick and didn't want to let
him go.  Nick put his arms around her waist and held her as tightly
as he believed he could without hurting her.  He wanted to will his
thoughts into her so that she would understand how he felt.  As
they stood together, wrapped in each other's arms, he listened to
her heartbeat and breathed in her scent.  It horrified Nick that he
could feel the vampire struggling, wanting to ruin this perfect
moment.  He closed his eyes and tried to will it into submission,
refusing to be forced to let go of Natalie.

As though she was taking a cue from his struggle, Natalie slowly
released her grip and pushed Nick back.  She kissed his cheek and
smiled at him, then turned to walk inside.  He watched her leave,
not daring to move.  Her scent lingered for a minute of two after
she was gone.

End Part 5.

Christmas, As It Was Before (Part 6 of 6)
by Sarah Baker (zeke@rt66.com)

Nick took in a deep breath, slowly let it out,  and wandered back to
the Caddy.  He didn't really feel like going home just yet, so he
drove toward downtown enjoying his memories of his youth.
Shortly after he passed over the recent crime scene, he stopped the
car.  He wasn't really aware of what had caused this action when he
realized he was watching a man who was walking down the
sidewalk towards the overpass, glancing suspiciously around him
as he walked.  The man looked a lot like Santa, and, with the red
wool cap, looked exactly like Cindy's sketch.  Nick slipped out of
the Caddy and ducked into the shadows behind the man.

Nick followed the suspect to the overpass.  He flew to the opposite
side so that he could monitor the man's actions.  The suspect
crawled into one of the deserted shelters, and emerged with an
armload of boxes.  He waited for several minutes until a car
stopped near the abutments,  then walked to the car with the boxes
and exchanged them for a wad of bills.  'A fence,' Nick thought to
himself.  This place was probably a short-term cache, he reasoned,
since they hadn't found anything in the search.  Patty and Jack
Gardner must have seen this man stashing stolen merchandise.  It
probably was simply a case of being in the wrong place at the
wrong time.

As soon as the car pulled away, Nick noted the license plate and
then instantly closed the gap between himself and the suspect.  The
man let out a yelp as he turned around and nearly ran right into
Nick.  Nick grabbed his arms, twisted them effortlessly behind his
back, and walked him to the Caddy.  There, Nick pulled a set of
handcuffs out of the glove compartment and placed them on the
suspect as he recited the man's rights to him.  Nick shoved him into
the back seat and used the car radio to inform the precinct of the
arrest.

Several marked cars arrived on the scene within five minutes.  One
officer took the suspect into custody, while the other officers
helped Nick search the shelters.  Once they were able to adjust to
the stench, Nick and the officers found a crow bar and at least a
dozen sacks containing wrapped gifts and jewelry.  They pulled
them out to the middle of the area, where Nick searched each sack
carefully.  He was finally rewarded when he found a tag on one gift
with 'For Jenny' written in his partner's hand.  Nick picked up the
sack and headed to the Caddy.

"Uh, Detective Knight, that's all evidence," one of the officers
hesitantly pointed out.  Nick turned to him and stared into his
brown eyes.  He concentrated on the officer's heartbeat and spoke
calmly.  "You have plenty of evidence here.  You don't need this
bag.  This bag never existed.  Do you understand?"  "Never...
existed," was the whispered reply.  Nick broke off the stare,
glanced around quickly, and then continued to his car.  He felt a
tiny twinge of guilt, but decided that it was worth it.

*****************

Nick listened at Schanke's front door to be sure that everyone was
asleep.  He felt awkward, but a little excited, about breaking and
entering.  He quietly turned the knob until the lock gave way and
slipped inside.  Continuing to listen for any stirring or irregular
breathing, Nick quietly pulled the gifts out of the bag and placed
them under the tree.  He found a handful of jewelry in the bottom
of the bag, and looking around for an appropriate place to put it,
spotted a stocking with 'Myra' sewn on it.  The weight of the
jewelry stretched the stocking out to almost double its original
length.  Nick looked around the room and smiled, then slipped
back out the front door.

Nearly shaking with excitement, Nick climbed back into the Caddy
and pulled off quickly.  He was beginning to feel a little like
another Nicholas of long ago.  He checked his watch to be sure that
he had enough time before daylight to complete his missions.
Reassured, he clicked on the radio as he headed across town.

"So is a man to be judged by his deeds or his thoughts?  No matter
what you believe, my children, a dozen purely good deeds will not
erase one purely evil thought.  You can not change your basic
nature.  Don't waste your time trying."

Nick glared at the radio and turned it off.  He was *not* going to
let LaCroix ruin this night for him.  It was the first time in ages that
he *knew* he was doing the right things for the right reasons.  This
was the most mortal he had felt in 800 years.

Nick stopped in front of Marty's house.  He walked quietly up to
the door and placed the envelope in the mailbox.  The cashier's
check inside would finance another adult supervisor, and quite a bit
more, and the anonymous letter requested that Cindy be allowed to
remain if at all possible.  He knew that Marty would take care of
the rest.  There wasn't much, other than maybe money, that Marty
needed help with.

Nick had one more stop before he returned to the loft for the day.
The sky was just starting to lighten.  He really needed to hurry.

*************

Natalie pulled her robe over her pajamas and turned the fire on
under the kettle.  Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she stumbled to
the door to bring in the paper.  When she opened the door, the
small item on her doorstep nearly tripped her.

Natalie knelt down to examine the item.  It was a wooden figure of
a horse.  There was a tag tied around the neck that said, 'Natalie'.
Nothing else.  Natalie picked up the horse and studied it.  Each
detail was so carefully carved and the wood was an incredible
golden color.  It must be very old.  Natalie suddenly smiled to
herself as her hand, holding the horse by the back, slipped into
almost invisible grooves worn by earlier loving fingers.  She gently
cradled the horse in her arms and walked inside, leaving the
forgotten newspaper in the hall.

THE END