Subject: Things are Seldom What They Seem - introduction (1/?) Date: Wed, 4 May 2005 10:53:25 -0400 From: Debbie Clarke To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Things are Seldom What They Seem (1/?) Introduction. This story started off as a recognition of those times you just know you’re being manipulated but even knowing that you are powerless to do anything about it, let alone stop it from happening. Since then it has undergone many modifications including an addition of a part two. I should say at this point that I have always disliked the ending to Forever Knight and have spent many an moment while walking the dog mulling over a way by which I could bring Natalie and Nick together without either of them having to undergo a complete personality change. As I see it. the rules of Forever Knight are quite simple. Natalie is mortal. Mortals and vampires can’t have a relationship unless the mortal has a death wish. Nick hates what he is ergo Nick won’t bring her across. LaCroix won’t bring her across either though not for the same reasons as Nick. Since I couldn’t come up with any valid reason for Nick to change his views about bringing Natalie across I decided to look at LaCroix to see if I could think of any circumstances under which he might decide to bring Natalie across. I finally came up with one which I don’t think anyone else has ever used. If you have I apologize. All I can say is great minds think alike. For the purposes of this story I have decided to accept LaCroix’s statement to Janette when she suggests that he should find someone else to replace Nicolas that he doesn’t want another one. He likes this one. (Father Figure) at face value. Usually I have a terrible time thinking up titles but for this story I seem to have come up cwith a plethora of titles. Because of its length I have divided this story into two parts both of which go under the Master title of “Things are Seldom What They Seem.” “Things are Seldom what they seem” is the title of a song in the HMS Pinafore by Gilbert and Sullivan. Buttercup and the Captain sing it together at the beginning of the second act. Basically it’s Butterfly saying I know something you don’t know. The first part of my story I’ve chosen to call “Wheels within Wheels” which is another quotation. This one comes from P. G. Wodehouse’s character Monty Bodkin, whom I believe he first introduced in Heavy Weather. Monty uses the expression “Wheels within Wheels” in order to explain anyone who wants to listen why it is that even though he’s financially independent and doesn’t need to work, he is unable to marry his beloved Gertrude Butterwick until he’s proved he can hold down a job for a year. The second Part is simply called Cat’s Paw. This may be a quotation as well but since it is also in the vernacular I feel I can use it without fear of repercussions Now for the formalities. I don't own Nick or Nat,or for that matter LaCroix, Sony Tri-Star does. I just borrowed them for a while. Permission granted to archive at the FTP site. Assuming that is you want to. Events touched on in passing for Wheels within Wheels come from the following episodes: Dark Knight For I have Sinned I will repay Killer Instinct The Fix Be my Valentine A more permanent Hell Night in Question Fever Dead of Night The Human Factor Francesca P.S. One more thing for those of you who don’t agree with some of my interpretations of past events as told to Natalie by LaCroix please bear in mind that one should take everything LaCroix says with a grain of salt after all he is a master manipulater and “Things are Seldom what they seem.” TBC Debbie Clarke Dittany121@hotmail.com Subject: Things are Seldom What they Seem - Wheels within Wheels (2/?) Date: Wed, 4 May 2005 10:59:39 -0400 From: Debbie Clarke To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Refer to introduction for rights, and other formalities THINGS ARE SELDOM WHAT THEY SEEM PART ONE WHEELS WITHIN WHEELS (2/?) Prologue September 1994 “Who is she?” LaCroix demanded. Janette froze. Up to this point their conversation had been pleasant, non controversial, in other words, neither of them had brought up the subject of Nicholas. Now this, out of the blue,. Of course it had been too good to hope that LaCroix would overlook Nicolas' recent problem with the law, especially since it went without saying that he was the one behind it. Still Janette had hoped that LaCroix wouldn’t learn of Natalie’s presence in Nicolas’ life quite so soon. Her initial impulse was to obfuscate, loyalty to Nicolas demanded that much of her, so she replied in what she hoped was a conciliatory voice, “I don’t know whom you mean.”. “Oh yes you do.” replied LaCroix trapping Janette’s eyes in his. “Nicholas has never been able to keep a secret from us, not for as long as we’ve known him. So I ask you again, Janette, who is that has him so enthralled? I will have an answer.” It had been a forlorn hope at best. LaCroix was right. They had never been able to hide anything from him. I’m sorry Nicolas, Janette thought, but you must have known he’d find out sooner or later. “Her name is Natalie Lambert.” she answered attempting to choose her words carefully “She is a forensic pathologist.” “Am I to assume, by your tone that Nicholas is in love?” asked LaCroix bitingly. “I don’t know” replied Janette hesitantly. “I’m not sure if even Nicolas knows.” “Indeed.” LaCroix remarked. He eyed daughter sardonically “It is strangely unlike our Nicholas not to know his own mind.” Seeing her flinch, LaCroix smiled. “So I right.” he remarked silkily. “Well, if that is the case, I think I should make arrangements to meet this Natalie Lambert, don’t you agree?.” “I you should tread warily.” warned Janette. It was weak, she knew, but for Nicholas’s sake she had to try. “Oh and why is that?” LaCroix purred. It did amuse him when Janette tried to stand up to him. “We have both been worried about Nicolas. He is so unhappy, trying to live the way he does. He refuses to live with in our world yet he cannot live with them.” “Nicholas is an adolescent fool. I gave him the world”. “Oui je sais.” said Janette, soothingly “ But unfortunately he does not see it that way. You know he has never let go of his mortal wish for a wife and family.” LaCroix frowned irritably. Much as he hated to admit it Janette was right. In a perfect world she would have been the one, but then how could he have known? “Lately I have been afraid he might do something desperate.” Janette continued. “Nonsense.” LaCroix snapped, angrily. “Nicholas would never take his own life. Why he regards suicide as a sin”. “Perhaps you are right,” said Janette slowly, “But there are other ways to die. He met this Dr. Lambert because he foolishly threw himself in front of a pipe bomb. He has been taking far too many such chances with his life. I think he believes his sins will be forgiven if he can die a hero’s death” “Are you telling me she knows what he is?” asked LaCroix, surprised by this. This was a complication, he hadn’t anticipated. In spite of his faults, which admittedly were many, Nicholas usually had more sense than to reveal what he was. “Yes, she has been trying to help him find a cure. So far she has been most discreet”. “Nicholas’s eternal quest.” LaCroix sneered . “When will he learn? Sensing the question was more rhetorical than anything else, Janette didn’t attempt to answer, causing LaCroix to frown at her balefully. “While I can concede there might be some excuse for Nicholas’s foolishness, this is, after all, Nicholas we are talking about”, he said biting off every syllable. “I see none at all for yours. Kindly explain to me why you have permitted this outsider to know our secrets.” “Because she makes Nicolas happy. Because since he’s met her he’s been more relaxed than I’ve seen him in years. Because under her influence he’s stopped taking foolish risks. She has great courage, this Dr. Lambert. I’ve seen her calm Nicolas when even I was afraid to approach him. He listens to her.” “Does he really?” LaCroix snorted disparagingly. “How ... nice for us all.” he remarked in voice which clearly meant just the opposite. Janette winced. She had gone too far. It was always a danger. She of all people should have realized how much LaCroix would resent Natalie’s influence over his beloved son. “If she is as perfect as you say she is then maybe we should consider making her a member of our family. ” continued LaCroix spitefully. He had spoken sarcastically, but much to his astonishment, Janette agreed. “You are right, of course” Janette said. “And I confess the idea has crossed my mind.” “Had it, indeed?” LaCroix asked, becoming intrigued in spite of himself. This Lambert woman must be a rare find, indeed, for Janette to even contemplate such an action. Janette had never been one to share, especially in matters concerning Nicholas. “However Nicolas would never consent to it.” said Janette, sadly. “You know he regards his existence as a curse”. “Nicholas is a fool.” snapped LaCroix . He glared at Janette daring her to challenge him on this fact. She very wisely did not. “If he does not act he will lose his Doctor. She is mortal and therefore will die.” “I know. But at the moment Nicolas does not consider that. He thinks only of joining her in the mortal world.” “That will never happen.” said LaCroix, decidedly . “Then it is true, there is no cure?” asked Janette curiously. She had always wondered, since LaCroix made such a determined effort to stop Nick from finding one. She was not particularly surprised when LaCroix didn’t answer her. It was the one question her master never did answer. But as the silence grew between them Janette found herself wondering what he was thinking. Stealing a glance at him, he seemed more lost in thought than anything else. Janette didn’t know if that were a good thing or a bad thing. Not that it mattered to her she told herself. Her conscience was clear. She had done all she could. Nicholas was just going to have to handle the rest himself. She had a club to open. “So you think the Doctor would consent to join us in the night ?” LaCroix said breaking the silence. Janette blinked. Those were the last words she ever expected to hear come out of her master’s mouth. If the truth were known Janette wasn’t entirely sure what she thought about the prospect of Natalie becoming one of them. But for Nick’s sake she made a sincere effort to put aside her own feelings. “I think so ... given the right incentive.” she replied hesitantly. “She loves Nicolas, you see, and does not want to lose him. However, because she loves him, she will not easily acquiesce to anything that would upset him. And you know his views.” LaCroix nodded. He did indeed. “Then if necessary we will just have to see what we can do about changing those views. In the meantime I will investigate the good Doctor. If I find her worthy, perhaps something can be arranged.” With that rather oblique comment LaCroix got up and stalked away. Janette stared after him, wondering what exactly he meant. Knowing LaCroix it could be anything. dittany121@hotmail.com end of part 2/? TBC Subject: Things are Seldom what they seem -Part 1 Wheels within Wheels (3/?) Date: Wed, 4 May 2005 11:10:52 -0400 From: Debbie Clarke To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Things are Seldom what they seem -Part 1 Wheels within Wheels (3/?) For acknowledgement of rights and other formalities see Introduction Several years later Natalie stirred uneasily. Instantly a glass was pressed against her lips. Instinctively she drank Thoughts of Nick began to whirl through her brain. Wonderful thoughts. “Nick??” Natalie queried. But even as she spoke, she sensed the presence of something else, something much more dark and sinister. “Welcome to the family, Doctor.” A voice answered, a voice which Natalie knew most decidedly was not Nick’s. “Family? Who? What did he mean?” It was if a bucket of cold water had hit in her in her face. It was all wrong. The voice. Everything. Natalie put her hand up to her forehead. She felt different somehow. Not sick. Far from sick. If anything she felt better than she had in a long time. And that in itself was wrong, considering, how rotten she had felt when she came home. Natalie ran over the events as much she remembered them. She had been called in on her day off, for an emergency and had stayed afterwards to run a few tests on Nick. Originally they had planned to make a movie date of it, since he too had the night off. However at the last moment she had been forced to beg off. The cold, which she had been hoping all day would not be a cold, had suddenly taken matters into its own hands and decided that it was most definitely a cold. Natalie had started to sneeze somewhere around four o’clock in the afternoon and hadn’t stopped sneezing since. The good news was she was no longer sneezing, nor did she feel any inclination to sneeze. The bad news was she was no longer sneezing and somewhere inside her, there was a part of her which wondered if she was ever going to sneeze again. Not yet prepared to consider the consequences of what might mean, Natalie pushed the it away and asked instead. “What’s happened to me? Did I faint or what?” She rather hoped she had fainted. That, that was the reason she was lying on her sofa. . “No, Natalie” answered the voice, which she knew now definitely was not Nick’s. “You did not faint. And as to what has happened to you, I suggest you open your eyes and find out.” It had already occurred to Natalie to open her eyes. She could sit up as well. But for some reason, beyond her comprehension, she didn’t want to do either. “Nonsense” she told herself firmly . “Whatever is wrong, whatever had happened to you, you’re going to have to deal with it sooner or later, so you might as well begin now.” Natalie, therefore, sat up and opened her eyes. She looked around her and swallowed nervously. It had been well after dark when she got home, and since she knew for a fact she hadn’t had any time to turn on any lights when she came in ... before ... Natalie’s brain quit there, refusing to take that thought any farther. First deal with the concrete she told herself. Not that that the concrete was helping her in this case. If anything it was quite the reverse, since according to every law of science Natalie had ever learned, the fact that there were no lights on in the room meant it should be as dark as a pocket in her apartment. But it wasn’t. If anything it was the opposite. Everywhere she turned there was light and colour. “Oh my God.” gasped Natalie. “This can’t be happening. It’s got to be some kind of a mistake ... some strange anomaly, a trick of the light....” she protested. But even as she said the words Natalie knew, in her heart of hearts, that it wasn’t any of those things. It was exactly what it appeared to be She’d changed. And nothing was ever going to be the same again. Her first thought was for Nick. She had to find Nick. He’d know what to do. What had happened to her ... Natalie continued her survey of the room, hoping beyond hope to see Nick lurking somewhere in background, but much to her alarm Nick wasn’t anywhere around. “I don’t understand” Natalie muttered. “He wouldn’t just walk out on me. Not after doing something like this. “ “Unless, of course, it wasn’t Nick who did it.” Natalie heard the voice whisper, the same voice who had spoken earlier. “No” Natalie said, desperately trying to deny the voice and the implications of the thought. Nick had been here. She knew he had. She didn’t quite understand how she knew that, but he been here. “But if he was here where is he now ?” she asked out loud “Where is who, Natalie?” This time the voice came from a place directly behind her. Natalie spun round. Oh my God. she thought, putting her hand up to her mouth. That part hadn’t been a dream. LaCroix was here. In her home, sitting in her best armchair, large as life and twice as natural. Natalie swallowed nervously “Where is ?” she demanded hoarsely. “If you’ve hurt him, LaCroix.” she snarled threateningly, only to freeze dumbfounded at that fact that she, Natalie Lambert, had actually snarled. “Hurt him? Hurt whom, Natalie? ” asked LaCroix interestedly. “Don’t play games with me, LaCroix.” Natalie snarled again. However, this time she welcomed the snarl and the sense of power that came with it. “ You know perfectly well who I mean. Where’s Nick. What have you done to him?” “Why nothing at all, my dear Natalie. Why on earth would you suppose I would ever do anything to harm Nicholas?” “Oh I don’t know,” Natalie replied sarcastically. “Maybe because it’s what you like doing. Or maybe it’s because, I know Nick would never let you to bring me across without a fight.” Bring me across. There, she had finally said it out loud. It seemed to her that the words hung in the air. “That is, alas, only too true, more’s the pity, ” acknowledged LaCroix, sadly. “Which is why, my dear Natalie, Nicholas is precisely where he should be, at home in his loft. Natalie stared at him blankly “ At home in his loft?” she repeated. She looked around her once more. If LaCroix was telling the truth then Nick wasn’t here. And if Nick wasn’t here that meant that LaCroix must have ... Not Nick but LaCroix. Her mind fought to escape the thought. He was lying to her. He had to be lying to her. Please let him be lying. Nick had been here. She knew he had. “Yes, Nicholas is at home.” LaCroix continued . “And judging from the state he was in when I last looked in on him, I’d say he’s going to stay there for quite some time. You could even say he was dead to the world.” LaCroix chuckled merrily at his own wit. “What do you mean dead to the world?” Natalie said. Her panic made her voice sound unnaturally loud even to her own ears. “Tell me What have you done to Nick?.” If LaCroix had killed Nick ... “Oh I assure you I did nothing quite so permanent as that, Doctor,” LaCroix said soothingly, “ Nicholas will recover ... in time.” “Recover? Recover from what? What the hell did you do to him?” Natalie yelled angrily. “Nothing much. I just added a little curare to his bottles of cow blood.” “ Curare ?” Natalie said, stupidly she knew, but then again she felt stupid. “Why?” she asked, after a moment, thinking she had him there. “Nicholas can be such a downer at times like this.” LaCroix explained. “ A downer.” repeated Natalie. She was beginning to feel as if the whole world had suddenly gone mad, herself included. “But. ... I mean ... He ... I thought ...” she stammered. Nick had been here she knew he had. “Yes I know what you thought.” answered LaCroix. “And to some extent, you were right. You see, once I’d made sure that Nicholas wouldn’t bother us, I paid a visit to your laboratory where I took the liberty of removing the vials of blood you took from him earlier this evening.” “Are you telling me you stole Nick’s blood samples?” said Natalie, trying desperately to make sense of what LaCroix had done to her “ Stealing is such a harsh term. Lets just say I recovered something you should never have had in the first place.” LaCroix commented softly but there was enough menace in his voice to make Natalie pause. Tread carefully, her mind warned her “Stealing also suggests some kind of forcible entry on my part.” LaCroix continued. “I can assure you, my dear, I did nothing of the kind. As it turned out it was totally unnecessary. If anything your staff were only too eager to help me find what I wanted.” Scared as she was Natalie couldn’t help gasping at the sheer audacity of the man, or rather vampire she told herself. She opened her mouth to make some equally sarcastic retort only to close it again. As tempting as it would be to let herself be sidetracked and to respond in kind with a commentary on vampires, who used God knows what means to break into her private safe, not to mention her home (in short to talk about anything except what he had done to her) Natalie knew she would only be wasting her breath. She needed answers and she needed them now. “Why?” she asked, going directly to the heart of the matter. “Why did you do it? Dittany121@hotmail.com End of (3/?) TBC Subject: Things are seldom what they seem - Wheels within Wheels (4/?) Date: Thu, 5 May 2005 19:12:40 -0400 From: Debbie Clarke To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU See part one for credits and formalities Things are seldom what they seem - Wheels within Wheels (4/?) Very good Doctor, LaCroix applauded mentally. You’ve passed the first test with flying colours. Maybe there’s hope for you, yet. Considering what he had just done to her, she was actually managing extremely well. Nicholas’s taste in women would definitely seemed to have improved. “Let’s just say I had a feeling you would respond better to my son’s blood than to mine.” he explained. “As it turns out I was right.” “ So that’s why I thought Nick was here.” said Natalie finishing the thought. “You used Nick’s blood to bring me back.” Although she was still confused over the details, a few things were starting to gel in her mind. She had just stepped through the door of her apartment when LaCroix grabbed her. Not Nick. LaCroix. “Not exactly. Let’s just say I added a few drops of Nicholas’s blood to the mix to sweeten the blend.” said LaCroix “Not enough to dilute my own blood, mind you (that would never do) . A fledgling can not serve two masters. You are my daughter, Natalie, not Nicholas’s. If it had been feasible I would have drunk directly from the source before I came but unfortunately, with Nicholas being so under the weather, that would have been most imprudent. The curare, you see,” he explained. “I see.” said Natalie, endeavouring to sound as matter of fact as LaCroix and failing dismally. One thought kept repeating over and over in her brain. LaCroix turned me into a vampire. I’m a vampire. “Good,” answered LaCroix politely. “I’m so pleased I could clear the matter up to your satisfaction.” Once again Natalie had to literally will herself to remain calm. As infuriating as LaCroix might be, and he was infuriating, she knew she would achieve absolutely nothing by losing her temper. The best thing she could do right now was try to find some way to keep him occupied until Nick got here. Natalie was pretty sure Nick would show up sooner or later, despite the curare. He had been quite worried about her when she left to go home. He didn’t like it when she got sick. Having decided upon her course of action all she had to do now was find a way to implement it. Nothing ventured nothing gained Natalie thought and taking a deep breath she plunged in. “But that still doesn’t ex.... I mean from what said ...” “Yes, Natalie? And tell me, pray, just what did my oh so very “indiscreet” son say?” inquired LaCroix. “He said ...” Natalie stopped. Once again she felt as if she had been hit with a bucket of very cold water. Maybe her plan of talking to LaCroix wasn’t such a good idea after all. LaCroix eyed Natalie quizzically. “Go on, Natalie” he said. “What’s done is done. It is too late now to put that particular horse back in the stable. I’ve known for a long while, that Nicholas has told you things about us. ” ( Loyal too, he thought. Better and better.) Since LaCroix didn’t sound overtly angry about it, Natalie did go on “Nick told me that you had to agree to come across for it to be work.” she said finishing in a rush. She had suddenly become acutely aware of a strange feeling developing in the pit of her stomach. It wasn’t exactly a pain, yet, (‘Yet’ being the deciding word.) but whatever it was it was most uncomfortable. Natalie shifted slightly on the sofa trying to see if she could find a more a comfortable way to sit. “You’re here, aren’t you? You came back didn’t you?” answered LaCroix in a bored tone of voice. “What? said Natalie. LaCroix thought she sounded slightly distracted which Natalie was. The feeling she was experiencing was starting to make it harder and harder to concentrate on what LaCroix was saying. Changing her position hadn’t worked. If anything it had made it worse ( Oh God Nick, Natalie thought, Please come soon I need you. If something is going wrong,....) “I said you came back didn’t you?” LaCroix repeated Natalie forced herself to focus once again on LaCroix. He was right she had come back. There had been a bright light and then just as she was about to go towards it, something ... someone called her back. She thought it was Nick but ... “If it makes you feel any better, I’m sure Nicholas never meant to mislead you.” said LaCroix. “Mislead me?” Natalie said. He would say that she thought angrily. but before she could say something cutting back, her stomach give a vicious twist, the room turned red in front of her and she found herself instead biting back a groan. “Is something the matter, Doctor?” LaCroix inquired gently, knowing full well there was. So it she had pride as well as courage, he thought. Better and better. Both were qualities he appreciated. By this time Natalie had reached the point where she could no longer pretend that something wasn’t wrong. Logic, common sense, even self preservation were quickly ceasing to have real meaning. There was just the pain and LaCroix and as far as Natalie was concerned one symbolized the other. After all he’d done this to her. “You bastard. You’re enjoying this.” she spat out. glaring at LaCroix through crimson eyes. ( It should have been Nick who brought her across. Not LaCroix. Never LaCroix.) to you this is just one big sick joke at my and Nick’s expense. Well, for your information I’m not laughing.” “Indeed, Doctor.” answered LaCroix. He smiled. “Dear me. And pray just what do you propose do about it?” he inquired curiously. “What do I propose to do about it?” spluttered Natalie. By now she was nearly beside herself with fury and pain “You want to know what I propose to do about it. While I’ll tell you. This ” As she spoke Natalie stood up, with every intention of launching herself at the master vampire and ripping that sanctimonious smirk off his face. At least she would have the satisfaction of wiping him off the face of the earth before she died. But before she could do anything the pain intensified yet again Now it seemed as if her whole body was on fire. This can’t be right she thought, fear now replacing her anger. Something must have gone wrong. Such was her desperation Natalie found herself looking at LaCroix for help Shegot so far as to take a tentative a step towards him her hand stretched out beseechingly before she suddenly remembered who he was and stopped. LaCroix saw a shudder of despair ran through her body nefore her knees buckled and Natalie crumbled to the floor. end of part (4/?) TBC. Debbie Clarke Dittany121@hotmail.com Subject: Things are seldom what they seem -part one - Wheels within wheels (5/?) Date: Thu, 5 May 2005 19:19:30 -0400 From: Debbie Clarke To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Things are seldom what they seem -part one - Wheels within wheels (5/?) For credits and formalities see introduction. “ My God, what have you done to me?” Natalie moaned. “I made you my daughter, Natalie.” replied LaCroix, in his silky voice. Natalie cringed. She didn’t want any part of LaCroix. She most definitely didn’t want to be his daughter. LaCroix was a monster, an evil reptilian kitten eater. Everyone knew that. “You should be honoured, my dear.” continued LaCroix, crouching down beside her. “ Immortality is not a gift I give to just anyone.” and as he spoke he stoked Natalie’s hair Instinctively Natalie pulled away from his touch. “Honoured,” she gasped curling up in a tight little ball as she spoke Only a fool would believe anything LaCroix said, she reminded herself. But then as the pain continue to weld up inside her it began to dawn on her that foolish though it was, it was just possible, she didn’t have any choice in the matter. She had to trust him after all any port in the storm was better than no port at all Like it or not Nick wasn’t here. Nor, if Natalie believed LaCroix, was he liable to be here anytime, soon. In short Natalie had no idea how long it would take for Nick to recover from affects of the curare LaCroix had given him. So if she going to survive she was going to have to accept whatever help LaCroix offered. That is, she thought bliquely, always assuming, he intended to offer any. Knowing what Natalie did about LaCroix, she felt that it was equally possible that having got her into this mess, he fully intended to leave her in it. In which case ... what? Natalie had been around vampires long enough to know what happened when a vampire didn’t feed. The thought that she could go on a killing spree the way Richie had terrified her, Even now she becoming increasingly aware of the sounds of heartbeats all around her. . Her neighbours no doubt. There was one in particular .... . Natalie caught herself just in time. No, she thought clenching her teeth together determinedly. She would not go there. She would not give in to the beast if only to deny LaCroix the satisfaction of making her kill. For all she knew that had been his plan all along. Turn her into the epiphany of everything Nick hated, and then make Nick deal with the consequences. No way, Natalie said. She would rather die first then see Nick hurt like that. If only it didn’t hurt so much. The pain was fast becoming more than Natalie could bear, more than anyone could bear. Then just when Natalie thought she had reached the limit of her endurance she felt an arm go underneath her and the next thing she knew she was back lying on her sofa. So it would appear LaCroix didn’t intend to totally abandon her. Maybe he mean’t to help “Please LaCroix .... Something must have gone wrong. The pain...” she heard herself plead humbly. Her pride gone. If humbleness was what he wanted from her, she would give it to him “Do not be alarmed , Doctor. The pain you are experiencing is a perfectly normal part of becoming a vampire. We call it the first hunger. “The first hunger,” Natalie repeated. “You sound surprised, Doctor, You mean to say Nicholas didn’t tell you about this part ..? But I would have thought ... Nicholas would have mentioned it at some point in time. After all it isn’t as if he didn’t tell you everything else, or did he?” LaCroix sneered maliciously. It was a shot in the dark on his part, but one if he was right, he knew, would penetrate her defenses. “I... Nick ...” Natalie stopped. It occurred to her that this was neither the time or place to admit to LaCroix that Nick hadn’t told her everything and that more often than not Nick been quite parsimonious with his information. However Natalie had caught herself a little too late. Her face had already told LaCroix everything he needed to know. Really, he thought, Nicholas could be so predictable. It stood to reason he wouldn’t tell Natalie about the first hunger. To tell Natalie about that would have meant having to explain Janette’s part in getting him through it. Nicholas had more sense than to brag about his conquests to another woman. The doctor might be understanding, but she wasn’t that understanding. “Dear me,” LaCroix continued to rub salt in the wound. “And here I was thinking that Nicholas had told you all there is to know about being a vampire. . I realize of course, that nothing anyone could say could ever prepare one for the actual experience, but still I would have thought he would have touched on the First Hunger at some time or another.” Natalie shook her head. “No,” she whispered, in spite of herself . She felt as if the word was being pulled out of her but surely LaCroix couldn’t do that, or could he? “ You do astonish me, doctor. I was quite under the impression, knowing how close the two of you are, that he would have told you , how he and Janette ... LaCroix saw Natalie stiffen at the mention of Janette’s name. A range of emotions played across her face. LaCroix smiled . “You mean he didn’t tell you about Janette either? It would seem as if I have misjudged the boy. So he wasn’t being nearly as indiscreet as I thought he was. How very ... encouraging.” Not to mention useful, LaCroix thought. **** Not for the first time in her life Natalie found herself wishing she’d kept her big mouth shut. Damn LaCroix anyway, she thought resentfully. Why couldn’t he leave her with at least some of her illusions intact. The fact was as much as Natalie might want to believe that Nick’s reticence stemmed out of the fact that he was trying protect her from the rest of his kind, she wouldn’t have been human if she hadn’t resented the fact that he kept so much of himself from her. Human right she thought even as she said the word it seemed to her as if she could hear LaCroix mocking voice declaring in her brain, “But my dear Natalie, you’re no longer human, are you?. You are a vampire.” For a few seconds Natalie felt almost grateful for the pain. At least it stopped her from thinking about things she didn’t want to think about. Let’s face it its hard to concentrate on your problems when you’re being wracked with pain But on the other hand, she thought after a particularly vicious spasm coursed through her body there is such a thing as too much of a distraction. “For God’s sake,LaCroix,” The words tore from her throat without her knowledge. “Don’t just stand there, gawking at me. If you’re going to do something do it. If not then leave, now and let me die in peace. ” . “My dear child, ” LaCroix sounded horrified. “What kind of father do you think I am. How could you even think I would leave you at a time like this. ” “Yeah right.” thought Natalie. “Of course I’ll help you. I would have done something sooner but I wasn’t sure you wanted me to. I got the distinct impression that you were ... Now how shall I put it? Reluctant to have anything to do with me?” The term I think you used was evil reptilian kitten eater. Really Natalie. Had she really said that out loud? . “Damn it LaCroix, what do you want from me. If you want me to beg, I’m begging” said Natalie. “Help me, LaCroix” My dear Natalie, nothing would please me more than to help you. The solution to your dilemma is quite simple. You must feed. ” replied LaCroix, very deliberately. “Feed?” Natalie repeated. “On what” she started to say. There was a range of possibilities in his words. Some of them didn’t bear thinking of. “Really Natalie surely I don’t have explain that to you of all people. Blood of course.” “Oh God”. was Natalie’s first reaction. It was a turning point. How she handled these next few minutes would determine, whether or not she could make it as a vampire. LaCroix had been telling the truth when he said Immortality was not a gift he gave lightly. It was most definitely not a gift that should be shared with just anyone. Consent freely given. You must choose. Those were the rules. Natalie had neither consented nor chosen. She had returned for Nicholas’s sake not for his. Left to his own devices, LaCroix would never have chosen to make Natalie a vampire let alone his daughter. She was far too nice a person. Her better nature and instincts would constantly be at war with each other, much the way Nicholas’s were. But unlike Nicholas, Natalie had never been in a situation where she had to kill to survive. If she was to make it all as a vampire, she was going have to learn how to accommodate what she was with who she was. Still on the plus side, judging from what LaCroix had seen in her blood, there was a toughness in her, a strength of mind and character. Life had not always been kind to Natalie, the death of her brother, her grandmother, for instance. But in spite of everything she had always managed to land on her feet . “You need blood, Natalie, ” said LaCroix speaking patiently now much as someone would to a small child. For what was a fledgling other than a small child? “You are a vampire.” he said. He eyed her carefully for a moment trying to gauge her reaction to the word. Much to his relief, on the surface at least, she showed none. As far as he could tell Natalie was no longer was trying to fighting the fact she was a vampire. So far so good. thought LaCroix as he headed into the kitchen. It was time to move on to stage two. Natalie watched LaCroix go with her eyes. To say that she was totally at ease with her situation was not exactly true. Still LaCroix was right. Like it or not she was a vampire. And blood as LaCroix so rightly said, was what vampire’s fed on. It was not now so much the thought of drinking blood that bothered Natalie. It was the question of what kind of blood? Knowing LaCroix’ views on Nick’s choice of diet, Natalie doubted very much the ancient vampire meant cow blood . That left human. But how human? Did LaCroix still hunt? Natalie didn’t really know for sure. It was not something she and Nick had ever discussed. If anything, Nick seemed to shy away from the subject. Which meant, knowing Nick as well as she did, that LaCroix probably still did hunt. In which case the odds were, that was what he would give her. My God, Natalie suddenly thought, hearing that heart beat again, he might even produce a victim for me to kill. It was not as if she had been given any time to look around her apartment before she was attacked. God knows what LaCroix had hidden away. Given the choice between committing cold blooded murder and enduring the pain Natalie almost thought she would prefer to endure the pain. But then again as the pain began to rip through her again, maybe not. What was it taking LaCroix so long. Didn’t he know that if she didn’t feed soon she would ... would .... Natalie didn’t know what she was going to do, but she knew whatever it was, it was not going to be pretty. “You have to control the beast inside, that’s what Nick always said. Easier said than done Natalie thought as she felt the pain ricochet inside her. A vision of Richie out of control flashed into her mind. She couldn’t be like that. She wouldn’t. She had to control her hunger . For Nick. For herself. For both of them. And she could do it too if ... the pain would only ease up a moment. Just long enough to give her a moment to catch her breath. To get a grip on it. But it didn’t. It kept getting worse and worse. “I am Natalie Lambert, Natalie Lambert. I am a doctor I preserve life I do not take it.” Natalie cried out in a futile attempt to regain control over the gnawing hunger which was now consuming her. “Mortals die.” The words seem to come out of nowhere. Was it LaCroix’s voice who said that or was it her own? Natalie didn’t know. She wanted to believe it was LaCroix but was terrified that it wasn’t “ That being so what difference does it make when they die.” The words kept going on and on. Pounding into her consciousness. Natalie closed her ears. She had never dreamed it could be as hard as this to control it. How did Nick manage to do it? It was taking everything she had just to hold on to her sanity. All she could think about was feeding, sating her thirst .... killing. “Sorry Nick” Natalie whispered as she felt the last vestiges of her control slip away. “I tried ...” end of part (5/?) TBC Dittany121@hotmail.com Subject: Things are seldom what they seem part one - Wheels within Wheels. (6/?) Date: Thu, 5 May 2005 19:24:27 -0400 From: Debbie Clarke To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Things are seldom what they seem part one - Wheels within Wheels. (6/?) For Credits and formalities see Introduction. It was the vampire who sat up. It needed to FEED . It sniffed the air and listened. Yes there it was again. The sound which had been calling to her ever since she woke up - the sound of a beating heart. LaCroix emerged from the kitchen, carrying a carton and two glasses just in time to see Natalie disappearing down the hallway in the direction of her bedroom. Guessing what she was after, LaCroix dropped the carton and glasses he had been carrying on the coffee table. Pausing only long enough to snatch one of the bottles out of the carton he moved quickly to intercept her. He had nearly left it too long. Pleased though LaCroix was to see that Natalie’s vampire instincts had kicked in, he did have his standards and they most decidedly did not include cats on the menu. “No, Natalie” LaCroix said, arriving in the nick of time to stop her from entering her bedroom door, “You don’t want that.” Natalie most decidedly did. She lashed out at LaCroix, snarling. “I said no,” said LaCroix and this time he unleashed the full force of his personality down upon her. For a brief moment he thought she would to continue to defy him, caught as she was in the thrall of that heartbeat coming from the bedroom and being LaCroix he was quite prepared to deal with her if she did. However he sincerely hoped he wouldn’t have to. For his plans to work he needed Natalie to remain as she was, and not some broken down shattered husk of her former self. So he was very relieved when Natalie shrank back against the wall and lowered her eyes submissively “That’s better.” said LaCroix, approvingly. Good behaviour should always be rewarded. “But I hunger,” Natalie whimpered. “I know,” said LaCroix, speaking not entirely without sympathy. He uncorked the bottle he had brought with him and held it out to her. “Here,” he said “Drink.” There was a blur of movement as Natalie snatched the bottle from his hand and drank from it veraciously. . So far so good. LaCroix thought, watching her. Although he doubted very much somehow if Nicholas would agree with him. ***** The empty bottle dropped from Natalie’s fingers onto the floor. “More” “My dear. There is a whole carton of blood waiting for you, on the coffee table in your living room. ” said LaCroix. Before he was done speaking Natalie was gone. LaCroix followed. He caught up with her just as she was about to dive into the carton. Once again LaCroix stopped her. Natalie hissed. “ Patience, child.,” LaCroix said “All in due time. First,” he instructed, pointing to the sofa . “You must sit.” Once again he thought she might defy him but then Natalie sat. Much as she might resent his control her need to feed was stronger than her pride. As soon as she was sitting LaCroix handed her the bottle. He had no desire to torture her needlessly. It was sufficient that she obey - not that he really had any doubt that she would in the end. In a way he was pleased to see she had a mind of her own. For the once in in his life, Nicholas had chosen well. “More.” Natalie demanded again holding out the empty bottle. Again LaCroix made her wait, this time, while he poured the blood into a glass. “Control is very important” he said. “If you can control your baser hunger you will find you pretty much have the freedom to take whomever you want. Knowing when to strike is really just a question of good timing. Natalie gave no indication that she had heard him. Her attention seemed totally fixated on the blood flowing into the glass from the bottle. The second the glass was full she snatched it from his hand and downed the contents in what seemed to LaCroix to be one swallow. He filled a second glass, and then another and another. Each met a similar fate. It’s so simple an equation, Natalie thought somewhere around her fourth glassful. She was surprised no one ever thought of it before The more you drink, the less the pain. But as she now found out, there was a lot more to drinking blood than just the satisfying of her thirst. To be sure Nick had told her there was. (What was it that he had said? “Every drop of blood contains your whole life.”) At the time she had been fascinated. But nothing in his words had even come close to preparing her for the outpouring of sensations she was experiencing now At first they came as hazy impressions, vague pictures of a girl giving blood, going out on on her first date, having her first kiss, but as Natalie’s hunger began to ease, the images grew stronger until it seemed to Natalie as if the girl’s soul, her very essence, were being opened up to her. The girl, for that was all she had been, had been a musician of no mean ability and Natalie who had never taken a piano lesson in her life suddenly realized with a thrill that if a piano were placed in front of her she too could play as the girl had. Much to her amazement she found this thought extremely exhilarating . “Excellent doctor, LaCroix thought smiling secretly to himself at the variety of emotions which were playing across Natalie’s face. She was responding exactly the way he wanted her to. It was nice to know he hadn’t lost his touch. LaCroix had given a great deal of thought as to what to give Natalie to ease the pangs of her first hunger. Not just anybody’s blood would have done. Natalie was a doctor, a healer, a saver of lives. “Donated?” queried Natalie putting down her empty glass. “ Very good, Doctor.” LaCroix applauded “ You see, already you are beginning to learn.” It was at that point, Natalie was later to tell Nick, that her situation finally hit home. She was a vampire. Not only that, she had just drunk someone’s blood, and what was even more startling to her, found she had enjoyed every last drop of it. end of (6/? TBC Debbie Clarke Dittany121@hotmail.com Quotation taken directly from Francesca written by Gillian Horvath Subject: Things are Seldom What they seem - part one --Wheels within Wheels (7/?) Date: Fri, 6 May 2005 09:58:34 -0400 From: Debbie Clarke To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Things are Seldom What they seem - part one --Wheels within Wheels (7/?) For credits and other formalities please refer to Introduction If I have repeated the first paragraph I apologize. I lost track of the exact place where the sixth instalment stopped. So rather than risk you missing a paragraph I added it in. On the whole LaCroix was pleased by Natalie’s progress and if the truth were told, also a little relieved. He had been playing a dangerous game bringing her over the way he had, arbitrarily, without so much as a by your leave. But he considered it had been and still was the only viable solution to what had been a potentially dangerous situation and as such, well worth the risk. Fortunately, thanks to Nicholas’ indiscretions, she was not totally unprepared for what lay ahead. . “Why?” Natalie demanded. As she spoke, she ran her tongue experimentally across her teeth. Yup the fangs were there. She was a vampire “Why did you do it?” Never in her wildest dreams had Natalie pictured LaCroix being the one to bring her across. It had always been Nick. Damn it.” she said, voicing her anger, frustration and to some extent her disappointment that LaCroix had done it and not Nick. “You didn’t even ask.” For some reason that bothered Natalie more than anything. He hadn’t asked. She felt violated. “You at least, owed me that courtesy, considering the number of times I’ve helped you and covered for you.” “So you’ve helped us. So what. What on earth has that to do with anything? ” asked LaCroix. “You seem to be harbouring under the rather bizarre delusion, my dear, that goodness is rewarded. Quite frankly, Natalie no one owes you anything, least of all I. You should be grateful that I did it. To put it bluntly you’ve been nothing but trouble from the moment Nicholas clapped eyes on you.” “So I’m trouble am I?” hissed Natalie, outraged. “ If you mean by my being trouble my trying to cure Nick. Well I can see why might feel that way. She glared at LaCroix. To her fury LaCroix didn’t attempt to deny it. “My God,” Natalie said “So that is what this was about. You were actually afraid I was going to succeed” (She had been making progress she knew) “And you think that by bringing me across that I’ll ... I’ll stop looking for a cure. Well forget it. LaCroix. I have no intention of quitting. Not now. Not ever. All you have accomplished by making me one of you is to give me more time to find the cure ... for both of us.” she finished, triumphantly. “Don't be stupid, Natalie” LaCroix said, sourly. “The likelihood of your ever stumbling on a medical cure for Nicholas so called condition, as you euphemistically like to call it, is as remote today as it was the night you started on this foolish quest. However, since you’ve brought the matter up, tell me, doctor, just out of curiosity, did you ever once stopped to consider the consequences of making Nicholas human. “ The consequences would be Nick could live a normal life.” Natalie shot back at him. (Free of you, she thought, but didn’t say. “But for how long?, Doctor.” “I don’t know how long. “ said Natalie somewhat waspishly. She was tempted to say only God knew the answer to that, but somehow she didn’t think that would go over very well with LaCroix. “Nick would live as long as any normal human male. “ “ You think so , Doctor.” LaCroix answered sarcastically. “Working as a policeman?” “Yes.” snapped Natalie “If that’s what Nick wanted.” “I see. You would appear to have quite a selective memory, Doctor.” “ Selective? I don’t know what you mean.” “Don’t you? Tell me, out of interest, just how many bullets have you dug out of my son?” “Bullets?” “Yes bullets. Even if you don’t know what selective means, surely you know what a bullet is, Doctor. A small missile fired from a revolver or rifle often used in the killing and maiming of mortals.” “Okay so I’ve had to dig out a few bullets out of Nick.” muttered Natalie. “ But that still doesn’t mean ...” “Only a few?” said LaCroix talking over her. “ Your memory really has slipped, Doctor. Now, let me see, there were the ones he got from that hunter, and the one he got last Wednesday when he was shot taking down that gang member and don’t let us forget the one he got the time he was shot in the head. But then again I guess you can’t really count that one since you needed the vampire to fix it.” Natalie shifted uncomfortably . “Nick ...” she started to say “ Nick... taunted LaCroix “Isn’t here. Nor is he liable to be here anytime soon. This is just the two of us talking now, Doctor. So I ask you again, knowing Nicholas’s proclivity to throw himself in front of bullets, how long do you suppose it would take the mortal Nicholas to get himself killed. A year, a month and hour? Come, speak the truth, now. You claim to be an intelligent woman, a scientist who deals with facts. You can’t tell me the possibility that Nicholas could get himself killed once if he became mortal has never ever entered your mind.” LaCroix continued inexorably. “Well, hasn’t it?” he said “I realize, of course,” Natalie said carefully, and not quite meeting LaCroix’ eyes. “If Nick ever did become mortal he would have to make a few adjustments. Given time.” Natalie continued more confidently “He would learn to adapt.” And Nick would, she told herself, with her help. “You think so.” said LaCroix acidly “And you claim you know him so well. Really, Natalie. We are talking about the same Nicholas here, aren’t we? Blond man, roughly six feet tall, My Son, the man whose first impulse when you injected him with the lytovuterine was to run out into the blazing sunlight.” Natalie flinched. Put like that LaCroix had a point. However she quickly reminded herself the euphoria Nick experienced in that instance had merely been a side affect of the lytovuterine-B itself. She had warned him about the risk right from the start. She had simply underestimated it’s affect on him. “ He would learn to adapt.” she insisted again “Right.” said LaCroix “All I can say I if you believe that, there’s a bridge in Brooklyn I’d be interested in selling to you. For not only are you extremely naif, Doctor, but you would appear to be totally clueless about Nicholas.” Natalie stiffened. “ Unlike you.” she commented sarcastically “ Of course not. He’s son.” replied LaCroix, haughtily. “Yeah, Right. You understand Nick so well. In that case why can’t you get it through your thick skull that Nick doesn’t want to be a vampire any more.” demanded Natalie, angrily. “Oh bravo, Doctor.” LaCroix snapped. “Nicholas doesn’t like what he is so that gives you carte blanche to inject him with noxious drugs ” “That only happened the once.” Natalie said defensively and was furious with herself for letting it show. “Once was more than enough, wouldn’t you agree, Doctor?” “Okay, if it makes you happy, I’ll admit I did make a mistake with the lytovuterine” Natalie snapped back. “Is that how you describe it, Doctor, a mistake? Nicholas could have died that day. He very nearly did.” Once again Natalie found she had difficulty in meeting LaCroix’ eyes, partly because she knew he was right. “But we’ve made progress.” she said. “And we will continue to make progress.” she added defiantly. Now that I have all of eternity to find a cure. she finished mentally. “Progress.” sneered LaCroix. “Show me this progress. Where is this so called progress of yours? You and your cures.” he snarled. “ Nicholas is a vampire. He is not sick. “I’ve forced nothing on Nick.” said Natalie. “Everything we’ve done he has done willingly.” “Indeed Doctor? Just whom are you trying to fool? Me or yourself. Do you really expect me to believe that you are completely unaware of the amount of influence you have over Nicholas?” asked LaCroix bitterly. (He was bitter. Janette had been one hundred percent correct. Nicholas did listen to Natalie. In the ideal world LaCroix would have killed her and been done with it. The wench appeared to have no idea whatsoever of how irksome it had been for him during these last couple of years, to stand by and watch Nicholas defer to her words over his. Oh well, if you can’t beat them join them, or so they said. At least this way he was able to neutralize the real threat she posed.) “And what have you done to repay his trust. You’ve tried to wean him off the very substance that sustains his existence. Blood ...” LaCroix said “Human blood.” he added with relish. And as he spoke he picked up one of the few remaining bottles out of the carton on the coffee table and poured himself a drink. end of part 7 / ? - TBC Debbie Clarke Dittany121@hotmail.com Much to Natalie’s fury she found herself eying LaCroix’s glass greedily. Seeing that Lacroix poured her a glass as well and handed it to her. Natalie drank it down thirstily. . “You know perfectly well I had nothing whatsoever to do with Nick’s stopping drinking human blood.” replied Natalie “Nick quit drinking that long before I met him.” she said, and as she spoke she slapped her empty glass down on the table and glared at it as if it were somehow its fault she had needed it. “I am painfully aware of that fact, Doctor. But you have to admit ... that you have only exacerbated the problem.” said LaCroix glowering at her in turn. Then with a supreme effort he forced himself to rein in his anger. The past was over, he told himself, Natalie was one of them now, his daughter, in fact. She would soon learn the error of her ways. Taking a deep breath, LaCroix continued in a calmer voice “I will tell you this much. Doctor. As much as I might abhor Nicholas choice of diet over this last century, cow blood is still blood. If Nicholas elects to ruin his palette with it, so be it. There is no real harm in it. It might slow some of his instincts but that is nothing that can not be mended with the addition of a little human plasma to his diet. But you Doctor, you with your protein shakes and garlic pills and whatever else you have foisted on Nicholas in the name of this so called cure of yours, you, are actually doing real damage to his health. Under your regime , Nicholas has grown weaker. He no longer heals as quickly he should. He tires when he shouldn’t. He ...” “In short.” interrupted Natalie “He is becoming more human.” “Oh come now, Doctor. Surely you don’t really believe that do you? ... You do?” LaCroix shook his head. “Well in that case, tell me, how does starving someone make them more human? You know, throughout the centuries I have heard many excuses for the existence of famine among your kind, but I must say yours beats them all. How gratified the hungry must be to know that what they are experiencing is not starvation, but merely a growing awareness of their own humanity.” Natalie gasped with indignation at these words. She opened her mouth to protest, but before she could get a word in edgewise LaCroix was already going on. . “No Doctor.” he said, “You and your so called remedies have not brought Nicholas any closer to mortality. If anything they have made him worse off than he was before the two of you met.” Subject: Things are Seldom what they seem - Part 1 --Wheels Within Wheels (8/?) Date: Fri, 6 May 2005 10:04:43 -0400 From: Debbie Clarke To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Things are Seldom what they seem - Part 1 --Wheels Within Wheels (8/?) For Credits and other formalities please refer to Introduction. “I don’t believe you”. said Natalie. If what LaCroix were saying was true. ... No she told herself. She couldn’t have been that wrong. She was forgetting whom she was talking to. LaCroix. He was up to something. Something diabolical no doubt. “Believe it.” said LaCroix dryly . “And believe this as well. If Nicholas continues to abuse his body the way he has, he will end up going on a killing spree, the like of which you have never seen before.” “No” said Natalie “ Nick wouldn't.” “Nick, as you seem determined to call him, most decidedly would.” LaCroix mocked back. “The hunger you experienced here tonight is nothing compared to what your treatments are putting him through. Even as we speak Nicholas thirsts for the kill. He just doesn’t know it yet. You see Doctor ...” “You can talk all you want but I don’t believe you.” said Natalie interrupting. “Don’t believe me or won’t believe me?” asked LaCroix, catching Natalie’s eyes in his and holding them there. Natalie was silenced. “As I was going to say, Doctor, before I was interrupted, there is a limit to our control,” LaCroix said. “One which Nicholas is fast approaching. If he were younger he would have cracked under the strain long ago. As it is his hunger is growing daily and the time is fast approaching when he will kill to satisfy it.” “Not Nick.” said Natalie, confidently “You know, for a moment there, you almost had me going. You’re losing your touch, LaCroix. For years now, you’ve been trying to get Nick to kill again. And now you tell me I have to stop my treatments because you are afraid he’ll go on a killing spree? There’s a computation error here and it isn’t mine. You must have been really desperate to resort to doing something like this.” She waved her hand at herself. “However it won’t do you any good. You can’t frighten me. You say I don’t know much about Nick. Well let me tell you this. The one thing that I do know about him is that he doesn’t like to kill .” “Au contraire, Doctor. Nicholas enjoys killing very much. problem is that he feels guilty afterwards. But that, as his late and very much lamented partner, Schanke, would have said, is BAU, business as usual with Nick.” LaCroix glared at Natalie. “And furthermore contrary to what you may think, Doctor, I have no reason to lie to you, anymore. You seem to forget you are now a member of my family. Natalie hissed. “So believe me when I tell you, I do not want Nicholas lose control of his vampire nature. Damage control is so boring, and I might add, expensive. Not to mention there are those in the Community, who would like nothing better than to have an excuse to stake Nicholas. My son has made his share of enemies over the years. “Enemies?” repeated Natalie, somewhat desperately. It had been one hell of a night and despite her bravado Natalie was feeling more than a little overwhelmed. Two hours ago the only thing she had had on her mind was her cold, and a hot bath . Since then she had been turned into a vampire, and then tossed without warning into a game of mental gymnastics with LaCroix. What she really needed was time to think. Time to adjust to what had happened to her. Time, which evidently LaCroix had no intention of giving to her “Yes enemies. Well it stands to reason. If Nicholas has one fault, it is that he has a tendency to be a little judgmental of others, particularly those who interfere with his precious mortals. Take that business with Spark .” “Who?” asked Natalie, a shade too quickly. “Oh come now, Doctor.” said LaCroix “Spark. You must remember him. You , after all, the reason Nicholas staked him. As I heard it you wanted Spark to bring you across during the asteroid scare.” Natalie winced and stared at the floor. He would bring that up. “I see nothing to be embarrassed about, Doctor. Admittedly your timing could have been better, but other than that ... Well what can I say except we wouldn’t be having this conversation if I didn’t approve of the sentiment. ” Natalie choked. Could her stupid behaviour that night be the reason LaCroix had brought her across? She quickly rejected the thought. If that were true, why had LaCroix waited so long? The incident with Spark happened ages ago. LaCroix smiled to himself. How very like Nicholas she was. He could well comprehend their affinity for each other. They both shared that same curious blend of naivety and intelligence. He went on. “You know Natalie, you really should have been more appreciative that Nicholas came when he did. You would not have enjoyed being Spark’s daughter. There’s bad blood in that family.” “Bad blood in family.” snarled Natalie “That’s rich coming from you, LaCroix.” LaCroix frowned “Temper, temper.” he said. “I will excuse your bad manners ... this time. But only this time.” He warned. “As your father I expect to be treated with respect”. He considered Natalie for a moment intently and then curious to know just how strong a will she had decided to push on their link, Natalie wriggled uneasily. She wasn’t at all sure of what LaCroix was doing to her but she knew she didn’t like it. Then all of a sudden it flashed through her mind that he was trying to make her apologize. She was damned if she going to she lashed back at him mentally. At which point the pressure on her mind increased and soon Natalie realized she had no choice in the matter. “Sorry” she muttered, resentfully “Now, that wasn’t too hard, was it my dear?” LaCroix purred. In a way, LaCroix was pleased to have her try to resist. If she could stand up to him, she would certainly be able to hold her own against Nicholas. Fond as he was of his son it would never do for Nicholas to get it into his head he could have his own way in everything. Too perturbed by what had happened Natalie didn’t even try to reply. For a few seconds there it had felt as if LaCroix was inside her mind. It still did. She could still feel him there now, waiting ... watching her. Does he really know what I’m thinking, . He always seemed to know with Nick. Natalie used to wonder how that was. She guessed now she knew. “Now let me see, where was I?” said LaCroix continuing on as if nothing our of the ordinary had just happened. “ Ah yes, we were talking about Spark. As it turned out Spark’s master was quite put out by Spark’s death “Put out?” repeated Natalie. . LaCroix’s reply was scathing. “Yes, Natalie, put out. What did you think he’d be? Happy? You forget Spark was his son ... His blood .... And once he discovered that Nicholas was responsible and why... Oh my God, Nick, thought Natalie What have I done? And why didn’t you tell me what was going on? Visions of Nick being hunted down and staked by a revenge seeking vampire filled her mind. “You can’t deny it, Natalie.” LaCroix’s voice went on implacably “You were after all the aggressor in the affair. You did lead Spark on then change your mind, didn’t you?” demanded LaCroix sharply. “Yes.” whispered Natalie. She was beginning to understand how a butterfly must feel when it is being pinned on a page. She wished she could to sink through the floor. For with the memory of Spark came the memory of Nick’s refusing to bring her across. “Oh God, Nick.” she murmured softly, and it now occurred to her to wonder how Nick would react to her becoming a vampire? “Oh don’t think I’m blaming you, Natalie.” continued LaCroix now speaking in a milder voice and totally ignoring her last comment. (He too wondered how his son was going to take Natalie’s transmogrification to the other side. Or rather LaCroix didn’t wonder, he knew. And even as he spoke to Natalie about other things, he was considering how to manipulate his son’s fury to his advantage. He was pretty sure he could do it with Natalie’s help. It was really just a case of finding the right way playing Nicholas’s and Natalie’s weaknesses off against each other. ) “It is, after all, as they say,” LaCroix went on, “A woman’s prerogative to change her mind . Anyway as a result of your..., now let me see, what word would you say best describes it? .... lapse?” he asked gazing inquiringly at Natalie as he spoke. For her part Natalie continued to stare determinedly at the floor. LaCroix smiled and went on. “Yes, I do believe lapse will do. As a result of your lapse, Natalie, Nicholas killed Spark. That being so, it is only natural that Spark’s master would like to return the favour.” “ He wouldn’t ... You wouldn’t ...” stammered Natalie. Fear for Nick making her look at LaCroix “Of course not. What do you take me for, Natalie?” said LaCroix haughtily. “I permit no one to touch my son. Not Spark’s master, not the Enforcers, not even the council of Elders. No one.” “The Council of Elders?” repeated Natalie, not that she really cared at the moment who they were. It was just something to say. Her feeling of being overwhelmed was growing by the second. It was so much to take in. Still she knew she had to concentrate. To focus. If she didn’t she would lose herself. The Council of Elders he said. Great. Whatever. What difference did it make? True Nick had never told her anything about a Council of Elders. But then it had become increasing clear with every work LaCroix said, that there were a lot of things Nick hadn’t bothered to tell her about. But then perhaps she was being unfair to him. She knew how protective he was of her. And he had no way of knowing that LaCroix would do this to her. And he had told her about the Enforcers. “The Enforcers work for the Council of Elders” said LaCroix. “In case you were wondering.” he added Natalie jumped nervously. She wished he would stop doing that. It was hard enough just talking to him without having to protect her thoughts from him as well She found herself hoping he had missed her worry about Nick. “The Enforcers work for the Council of Elders?” she asked, trying to read in LaCroix’s face whether or not he had picked up any of her thoughts about Nick . So far, she found, these telepathic powers, if that is what they were, seemed to work only one way. “Well it stands to reason, they have to work for someone.” LaCroix replied choosing not to enlighten her on whether he had or not picked up her thought about Nick He had. And very encouraging he had found it. Little did she know she was playing right into his hands. “The Enforcers are not the most intellectual members of our race.” LaCroix explained. “I think the term, brute would just about sum them up Still, they are a necessary evil. And as long as the Council holds their reins ...” “But I still don’t understand.” said Natalie interrupting this flow. “What does this Council of Elders have to do with anything?” More importantly she thought, what do they have to do with Nick? “ Oh come now, Doctor Surely you don’t seriously think that Nicholas could get away with killing a member of our community without any repercussions.” Natalie stared at him. “ Repercussions.” she repeated She was beginning to sound like a parrot she knew, but she didn’t know what else to do. She remembered feeling much the same way during one of her orals in medical school. The professor who had given it had seemed to take sadistic pleasure in pointing out her shortcomings. But he was nothing at all compared to LaCroix. “Yes, repercussions, Doctor.” said LaCroix patiently. “Like you in the mortal world, we too have our rules. Having taken Spark’s life Nicholas had to answer for it in front of the Council of Elders. ” “Nick had to answer for it in front of the Council of Elders?” repeated Natalie again. She really had to stop doing this. “Yes.” answered LaCroix calmly. “ After all, it was only fair that Spark’s master should receive some sort of compensation for the loss of his son, especially when you consider the circumstances under which Spark died. ... You very attractive, my dear.” LaCroix smiled at Natalie, appreciatively . “Compensation? What kind of compensation?” Natalie demanded, shrugging off the compliment. “ Why financial, of course. What did you think I meant? The council fined Nicholas a million dollars. ” “A million dollars.” whispered Natalie. Nick had been fined a million dollars because of her stupidity that night. “You feel it was too little? ” asked LaCroix, sounding surprised. “ Well, I suppose you may have a point. Spark’s master agrees with you. or so I’m told. Mind you he’s never said anything to me, about it. For some reason it never occurred to him that he could come and complain to me.” end of part 8/? TBC Debbie Clarke dittany121@hotmail.com Subject: Things are Seldom what they seem - part 1 Wheels within Wheels (9/?) Date: Fri, 6 May 2005 10:10:18 -0400 From: Debbie Clarke To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Things are Seldom what they seem - part 1 Wheels within Wheels (9/? For Credits and other formalities please refer to Introduction. There was just enough menace in those words to make Natalie quail. . What was going on here? What exactly was LaCroix after? Why is he telling her this, now? For that matter why tell her anything? The very fact that he was even answering any of her questions was in itself suspicious since she was pretty sure he was trying to play on her nerves. God knows it wouldn’t take much at the moment. Still the very thought that LaCroix was endeavouring manipulating her terrified her. She was going to have to be very careful not to let him trap her into saying or doing something she didn’t want to. The sensible thing would be to stop talking to him. But since there was no way she knew, he was going to let her do that, she was just going to have to play whatever his game was to the bitter end. If she didn’t he would no doubt find some way make her and God knows what she might say then. Just stick to the subject at hand she thought. You can’t get into any trouble doing that. Who knows you might even learn something useful. “Spark’s master wasn’t satisfied?” she asked “Oh, I think you could say that he was far from satisfied. From what I’ve been told, he considered the amount paltry, to say the least.” “Paltry” Natalie whispered. “Since when is a million dollars, paltry?” “It is all relative, my dear. Spark’s master saw the death of his son as an excellent opportunity make his fortune at my son’s expense. Fortunately for Nicholas, the Council did not agree with him. Not that Nicholas couldn’t afford to pay more. That is beside the point. As I told the Council., it is the principle of the thing. Spark should have known better than to go anywhere near one of my son’s pets.” Natalie’s jaw dropped. Now she knew she really was losing her mind. Did LaCroix just call her Nick’s pet?. I suppose, said LaCroix eying Natalie with some amusement ( She was really doing very well, he thought considering how terrified she was) “ I could have got the fine thrown out all together. But what would be the point of doing that? If I have told Nicholas once I’ve told him a thousand times. No matter how much I may sympathize with his desire to solve a problem permanently, and believe me, my dear I do sympathize, (there have been many a time when I too have found my patience tried to the point of madness by a certain blue eyed blond vampire), he just can’t go around killing his own kind simply because they’ve annoyed him. It makes the community very nervous. “Why didn’t Nick tell me?” asked Natalie letting this last remark by LaCroix slip by without comment. He should have told me, she thought. She couldn’t help squirming under the memory of the terrible things she had said to him in the precinct the next night. Now to be find out he had gotten into trouble all because of her “Nick didn’t tell me. I didn’t know.” She was deeply chagrined. “No, he didn’t.” said LaCroix. “To do so under those circumstances would have violated the every tenet by which Nicholas lives.” Natalie stared at LaCroix. “You said that without sneering.” she commented. It occurred to her immediately afterward that that probably wasn't wisest thing she could say to him under the circumstances, but after all that had happened to her tonight, she was rapidly losing her capacity to care. “I may not agree, but I do understand, Doctor.” commented LaCroix dryly. “For Nicholas the money was never the issue.” “He still should have told me,” argued Natalie, Then again, she thought, you didn’t exactly give him any reason him to want to and if you hadn’t been so stupid as to encourage Spark in the first place, none of this would have happened. Perhaps.” agreed LaCroix. “But for what it’s worth, even if Nicholas had told you, you could not have done anything to help him. The Council does not look fondly on vampires who break the code, no matter how charming their reasons are.” He considered Natalie for a moment, thoughtfully. He was right to have been concerned. She did care for his son. It wasn’t Nicholas’s money that attracted her. Nor was she getting a cheap thrill out of being with him because he was a vampire. She really did love him. “It was never my intention to rehash the past or stir up what is obviously a bad memory for you, my dear.” he now said gently “Those should be left in the past where they belong. Whatever you choose to do with your life after this, do not make the mistake of falling into Nicholas’s trap of dwelling on your failings. Eternity is too long a time to waste time regretting any errors in judgment we’ve made along the way.” Natalie looked up at LaCroix startled . Could it be he was actually trying to be nice to her? “Besides which ” LaCroix said, totally destroying the moment. “Spark is not the first vampire to die for going after one of Nicholas’s pets.” “Pet.” interrupted Natalie indignantly. There was that word again. Evidently she hadn’t misheard him the first time. “Pet” she repeated, even more angrily. She suddenly had a vision of spending eternity listening to LaCroix refer to her as Nicholas’s pet, Natalie. “Yes, Pet” repeated LaCroix. “Such an appropriate description, don’t you think, to depict the relationship between a mortal and a vampire. Kept woman has such a derogatory meaning to it.” He looked at Natalie and smiled. “The truth is, Doctor, mortals are no more our equal than that mangy cat is yours.” Sydney, Natalie thought guiltily. What with everything that had happened to her tonight, she had forgotten all about Sydney . Natalie looked around the room. There was no sign of her pet. “LaCroix?.” she started to ask and then stopped. For some reason she didn’t fully understand, she was almost afraid to ask the question. LaCroix gestured towards the hall . “Don’t worry.” he said. “Your cat is safe. He retreated to your bedroom shortly after I arrived. He’s still in there as far as I know.” “Oh” said Natalie. Thank you.” she said, not entirely certain what exactly she was thanking him for. “Not at all. It suited me to have him run and hide. I had no wish to create a Carouche tonight.” “A Carouche?” asked Natalie. “When we are in the throes of the first hunger we will feed on anything. A friend. A lover. Or in your case, a cat. Natalie froze, remembering. Oh my God, The heartbeat. That was Sydney? “If we feed on humans we will always crave human blood. But if we feed first on one of the lower species, their blood is what we hunger for.” “I’m surprised you cared.” Natalie remarked after a brief silence. “Sydney.” she muttered. “I might have killed Sydney.” The thought appalled her even more so because she knew it was true. “I do have my standards, Natalie. Admittedly, you are not what I, would have chosen for Nicholas but seems to like you. And I expect you will grow on me in time.” commented LaCroix indifferently “Don’t flatter yourself, LaCroix, I have no desire to grow on you. And if you felt that way about me,” Natalie snapped angrily, (again with the hot and cold, she thought.) “Why did you bring me across? You have yet to give me a straight answer to that one. ” “My dear, you mean you still haven’t figured that out. . I would have thought by this time my motives for doing so would be quite obvious ... I brought you across for Nicholas.” “You brought me across for Nick.” Natalie repeated. Of all the reasons she had expected LaCroix to give, this was not one of them. “I don’t believe you.” she said after a moment. LaCroix looked mortified. “I am not unreasonable, Doctor,” he commented, “Despite what Nicholas may have said about me. Natalie snorted. “Yeah right,” she muttered. “Tell me another.” LaCroix stared down at her. “I have no wish to see my son unhappy.” he said virtuously. “Laying it on a little too strong, aren’t you, LaCroix? You forget, whom you’re talking to and that I know all about your relationship with Nick.” **** “Do you, Doctor?” LaCroix purred “Do you indeed? And pray just what do you think you know about Nicholas’s and my relationship ” “Well for one thing I know that you constantly interfere with him and that you have gone out of your way to make the last eight hundred years as miserable for him as you possibly can. Can you deny it?” . “My dear Doctor, I do indeed. I am not responsible for making Nicholas’ life miserable. I assure you Nicholas is perfectly capable of doing that all by himself ” replied LaCroix icily. “ If anything I have been overly indulgent with the boy.” he added, and his voice sounded to Natalie as if it were dripping in sanctimony “ Overindulgent? You? That’s a laugh.” Natalie said contemptuously. “Let me see. Just how have you indulged Nick. The first time you came to Toronto, you killed a guard at ROM, smashed the Mayan cup and murdered his friend, Dr Alyce Hunter right in front of him . The next time you came you framed him for murder ...” “But, my dear Natalie,” LaCroix protested “ Nicholas is a murderer. He has killed more times than you can possibly imagine. “So have you.” retorted Natalie coldly . “True. But unlike Nicholas, I am not such a hypocrite as to try to pretend otherwise.” LaCroix eyed her narrowly. “ And, you also forget that Nicholas tried to kill .” “Can you blame him after what you did to him ?” “Yes.” said LaCroix succinctly “I can.” Natalie looked disgusted. “Your loyalty to my son is touching but misplaced, Doctor. You can not make Nicholas’s past go away by simply ignoring it. Nicholas is not some misguided juvenile delinquent, who just needs a little love and understanding to change his ways. He is a vampire. A killer. And no amount of wishful thinking on your part is ever going to change that fact. “I know what Nick is and what he has done.” said Natalie quickly. The fact that vampires killed was not something she really wanted to think about right now. “Do you Doctor? Do you really. And knowing that, you can accept what he’s done, you, who have sworn to do no harm?” LaCroix asked curiously. He had always wondered how the good Doctor got around that moral paradox. “Yes Because I know underneath that everything Nick is a man of honour and integrity.” said Natalie “Not that I expect you to understand that. .” “Oh I understand the concept all right. And a fat lot of good Nicholas’ honour has ever done him except nearly to get him killed on more occasions than one. Honour, Integrity.” LaCroix sneered. “You accuse me of hounding Nicholas throughout the centuries. I say he left me no other choice. As his father it is my duty to protect him. He is very impulsive, my son, reckless to a fault and add to that his tendency to support the underdog and you more likely than not end up with an extremely volatile situation. In short Nicholas has gotten himself into more trouble than all my other children put together. ” “Oh come now LaCroix that’s coming on a little too strong even for you. Is that what you think you do? Protect him. Give me a break. Where I come from, LaCroix, tormenting and hurting someone is not protecting him.” “Well, you know what they say. Spare the rod and spoil the child. Fond as I am of Nicholas, there are some things that I simply can not allow him get away with. For his own sake, you understand, not mine. However we won’t go into any of that now . Nicholas’s faults are Nicholas’s business and as such should not be bandied about by me. Let’s just say that he has learned not to make the same mistake twice and leave it at that. Natalie shivered. end of part 9//) TBC Debbie Clarke dittany121@hotmail.com Subject: Things are seldom what they seem - part 1 --Wheels within Wheels (10/?) Date: Sat, 7 May 2005 09:20:14 -0400 From: Debbie Clarke To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Things are seldom what they seem - part 1 --Wheels within Wheels (10/?) For credits and other formalities please refer to Introduction. “And for your information, Doctor, since you seem concerned about her fate, I did not kill Alyce Hunter.” Natalie interrupted “You forget LaCroix, I was there. I saw her body.” “I forget nothing.” said LaCroix, imperially, holding up a white hand. “However the fact remains that unless you have been lying to Nicholas all these years about his condition, Alyce Hunter is no more dead than he is. She is a vampire.” “A vampire?” repeated Natalie startled . “You turned her into a vampire? “Yes Doctor, I turned her into a vampire. It was, after all, what she wanted.” “She wanted to be brought across?” squeaked Natalie. If LaCroix was telling her the truth then Nick had lied to her. “Oh did Nicholas neglect to tell you that as well? Apparently he did.” LaCroix said . “Well, take it from me Alyce wanted to be brought across. The only thing I did was suggest to Nicholas that he grant her her wish.” “Are you trying to tell me you wanted Alyce brought across?” asked Natalie, incredulously “Quite frankly, my dear, I didn’t particularly give a damn one way or another. But since it was quite apparent, to me, that Nicholas was strongly attracted to her ...” LaCroix saw Natalie flinch and . smiled “I thought why not. You know, Doctor,” he purred, “Your concern for Alyce fairly warms the cockles of my cold heart. It would appear that Nicholas is not the only one with, how should I phrase it ... altruistic tendencies?” Natalie sat stunned. She still couldn’t believe Nick had out and out lied to her. LaCroix had to be lying to her. But why would LaCroix lie to her ... LaCroix laughed out loud. “Then again maybe not. Face it Doctor, You’ve always wanted him for yourself, haven’t you? Why else have you been trying to make him mortal?” Natalie flashed back “I’ve been doing it for Nick.” “Of course you have.” agreed LaCroix soothingly “ Tell me Doctor, did it never occur to you to wonder why the Enforcers left you alone? Surely you didn’t believe it was because you and Nicholas were being discreet.” LaCroix asked sarcastically. Natalie didn’t have an answer for that. “You did? said LaCroix incredulously “And here I thought you were cleverer than that.” Lacroix shook his head. Natalie stared at him, totally confused. What was going on here. What he after? What did he want from her? Thanks for keeping the enforcers away from her. She didn’t think so. They would have taken Nick down as well. And though LaCroix might not care what happened to her, she knew he did care what happened to Nick. “Smart girl” said LaCroix, when it was clear to him Natalie was not going to rise to his bait. But to go back to Dr Hunter. Knowing Nicholas’s predilection to get into trouble, I make a point of keeping an eye on him at all times. So I knew as early as 1989 that Nicholas had gone to Toronto And although this may surprise you , Doctor, I was neither surprised nor particularly perturbed when I heard he joined the police force, there. You see, for years now Nicholas has been playing at being mortal. In many ways.” LaCroix commented sardonically, “He is not unlike those mortals who pretend to be vampires. Since I was fairly confident Janette’s presence in the city would be enough to make him toe the line, I decided to let him be. Nicholas’s escapades into the mortal world seldom last long. His temperament is such that he soon bores of the restrictions placed on him by the mortal existence. I knew he would tire soon enough of being a homicide detective And contrary to what you may think, Natalie, I do have other things to do with my time then baby sit my son. But then I began to hear rumours that Nicholas had acquired a new mortal pet ” “Pet” repeated Natalie looking cross. There was that word again. LaCroix smiled sweetly. He picked up the last remaining full bottle on the coffee table and poured a glass of blood wine for himself and Natalie. He handed the glass to Natalie Natalie stared at it. She was strongly tempted not to drink on principle but the scent was too powerful to resist. She drained the glass. LaCroix smiled at her. “Good girl.” he said approvingly “ Now where was I? Ah yes Nicholas’s acquisition of a new pet.” Natalie fumed in silence “I was not particularly surprised by the news Few mortal women can resist us,” he commented dryly. “And fewer still are able to resist Nicholas’s charms.” LaCroix looked at Natalie and said in an amused voice. “Come Doctor, surely you don’t think you are the first mortal woman to catch Nicholas’ fancy, do you? Nicholas has had a steady stream of followers from the day he was brought across. He even married one of them.” He paused. Once again it was a shot in the dark, but one he was fairly confident would strike home. That Natalie loved Nicholas was a given. And he was quite prepared to let her have him ... up to a point. But no one ever said the course of true love had to run smooth. And besides which, there was still the little matter of Fleur to be settled. “Married one of them?” squeaked Natalie. Much to her fury this time instead of answering LaCroix chose to pick up his glass and drink from it. . “You know this is truly superb ...” LaCroix remarked, holding up his glass and gazing meditatively at the blood in it. “What is?” snapped Natalie. She was too distracted to be cautious If LaCroix was telling the truth and Nick had married a mortal .... Her mind refused to complete the thought. She didn’t know who she was madder at. LaCroix for telling her? Nick for not telling her? Or herself for being such a fool as to believe someone like Nick could ever care for her. “This.” said LaCroix waving his glass in front of her. Natalie stared at the glass in his hand. You’re nuts she thought. Or I am.” Nick should have told her. Why hadn’t he told her? “I realize of course, my dear,” said LaCroix in what was for him a chatty voice. (He was really enjoying this.) “ That as yet, you don’t have a palate to appreciate the nuances of a good vintage, but take my word for it, this is one of the finest I have tasted in long while. Now I remember one time ...” First he humiliated her by dropping the bombshell that Nick had married a mortal. and now instead of explaining to her how it happened he was launching into a discussion of various blood wines he had tasted ( A topic Natalie considered was in bad taste at the best of times, considering where most of them probably came from ). She was strongly tempted to snatch up the bottle and throw it at him. And even as she debated on doing just that a picture of Nick hurling a bottle across the room flashed into her mind. Mad as she was at him she found herself wondering if LaCroix was the reason Nick had developed the habit of hurling bottles across the room. .... and that thought brought her right back to her to the question of Nick and whether he cared for her at all. LaCroix broke into this last thought. “ But I forget my manners.” he said “Please you must allow me.” and as he spoke LaCroix poured her a drink. “Damn you , LaCroix.” Natalie said, eyeing the glass in front of her resentfully LaCroix blinked, “ My dear doctor, You seem distressed” he said. “Is there something the matter? I hope it was nothing I said.” Natalie ground her teeth audibly and in doing so discovered that grinding teeth took on a whole new meaning when you have fangs “Really, Natalie, there is no need for you to hurt yourself.” said LaCroix “If you are having a problem just tell me.” . “Did Nick really marry a mortal?” Natalie growled “ Oh, is that all that’s troubling you?” LaCroix inquired. “For a moment there, I was afraid it was something serious.” “Spare me the crocodile tears, LaCroix. Just answer my question.” demanded Natalie. . “Did Nicholas marry a mortal? “Well Yes. As a matter of fact he did ” LaCroix answered in much the same tone he would have used to discuss the weather and he leaned back in his chair and eyed Natalie thoughtfully. This next bit was going to be very interesting, he thought. “Married” whispered Natalie in a stunned voice. She couldn’t help but remember that in all the time she had known him, Nick had never once mentioned the possibility of marriage to her. “ You mean to say ... Nicholas never told you about Alyssa. My dear child, ... if I had known ...,” LaCroix said, his voice fairly oozed sympathy “I would never have brought the subject up. Oh well. Not to worry. You’ll have lots of time to go into it with him, now.” “Who was she?” Natalie demanded hoarsely and hated herself for asking. And what happened to her? she wondered. She knew Nick had had a long liaison with Janette but to find out that he had married a mortal ... . “She was the daughter of one Baron von Lintz. Very beautiful and very rich. Her father owned a large estate in Austria. Everyone thought it was an excellent match,.” replied LaCroix. Natalie swallowed. She could feel LaCroix making comparisons between them ( no doubt to her disadvantage). “What happened to her?” she inquired as soon as she felt she could control her voice. “What do you think happened to her?” replied LaCroix, sounding surprised that Natalie would even ask. “She died of course. Nicholas killed her on their wedding night trying to bring her across. As I recall it cast quite a pall over the marriage celebrations.” “My God, Poor Nick.” said Natalie digesting the information. Assuming it was the truth, it might explain why Nick was so afraid to touch her. “ Not at all” commented LaCroix, “Indeed your sympathies, my so very good Doctor, are quite misplaced. Had Nicholas succeeded in bringing Alyssa across, then you might indeed have had reason to pity him.” Natalie eyed LaCroix questioningly . LaCroix explained “The kindest thing I can think of to say about Alyssa is that she was a complete nitwit. Believe me if Nicholas had managed to bring her over, he would have been bored to tears with her within the month. Immortality is not a gift that should be squandered on just anyone, my dear. ” “Indeed,” said Natalie coldly “ Well don’t hold your breath waiting for me to thank you for it . ” “But Natalie” protested LaCroix, softly. “I no longer have to breathe and neither do you.” Natalie eyes flashed dangerously. End of (10/?) -- TBC Debbie Clarke dittany121@hotmail.com Subject: Things are seldom what they seem - part 1 -- Wheels within Wheels (11/?) Date: Sat, 7 May 2005 09:26:56 -0400 From: Debbie Clarke To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Things are seldom what they seem - part 1 -- Wheels within Wheels (11/?) For credits and other formalities please see Introduction LaCroix chuckled. She did have spirit. “No,” he said “In all I consider Nicholas to have had a very lucky escape. Mind you, at the time, he didn’t see it that way. Still doesn’t, for that matter. Nicholas is really quite conventional in his thinking. Take this need of his to get married for example. So unnecessary for one of our kind. Still as I said before I am not a monster and ... ”. “And all you want is for Nick to be happy.” Natalie spat out sarcastically. “Save it LaCroix, we’ve done that already.” “I see no reason for you take your anger out on me, Doctor when it is Nicholas who let you down .” LaCroix replied. “I wasn’t ... He didn’t ” Natalie stammered. “I’m not ... “Indeed. You surprise me. If I found out my boyfriend had been concealing from me the fact that he had been married before, I would be most annoyed with him.” Was that what LaCroix wanted? thought Natalie. For her to get mad at Nick. Well I’m not going to do it. “I am not angry, just surprised” she said firmly. “I see. How really ... commendable of you.” sneered LaCroix. ” “ However I do confess I am surprised to hear,” repeated Natalie determinedly “That feeling the way you do about Alyssa that you let Nick marry her in the first place” Natalie was damned if she was going discuss her feelings for Nick with LaCroix. “I’m assuming, of course, you did consent.” she said sarcastically. “ Since we both know how much you care about Nick’s happiness and all that.” LaCroix smiled appreciatively. “How well you understand me.” he commented. “We really are quite alike, you and I.” Natalie had to purse her lips together quickly to stop herself from saying something really suicidal. How dare he suggest that they were alike, when all she did was think of the worse thing she could possibly think of anyone to do and apply it to LaCroix. “Don’t flatter yourself, LaCroix. You and I. We are nothing alike. I can’t even pretend to understand what motivates you but since you’ve made it a point to tell me how you are always there for Nick and since you also made it quite clear you didn’t like the girl, I think the expression you used was she was complete nitwit, I can’t help but ask myself why you let Nick take it as far as he did. Bringing her across. What if he had been successful?” Natalie stopped. A thought suddenly entered her head But surely even LaCroix wouldn’t have been depraved as to try something like that. She stared at LaCroix. Then again on second thought maybe he could. “My God, You wanted Nick to fail.” LaCroix beamed, approvingly “Excellent doctor. And you thought you didn’t understand me .... You are perfectly correct, my dear. I did want him to fail.” “ You admit it?” she said “Of course I admit it . I am not ashamed of what I did. In fact I count it as one of my better successes.” Natalie spluttered incomprehensibly. “ And of course, you are perfectly right if I had had any real belief that Nicholas might have succeed in bringing Alyssa across, I would never have permitted him to take it as far as he did. I had no wish to spend five minutes in Alyssa’s company, let alone an eternity, no matter how beautiful she was. And Alyssa was very beautiful, ethereal almost, I can well see why Nicholas fancied her” It was like a slap in the face. No one had ever called Natalie ethereal nor ever would Natalie stared down at her hands which were beginning to show a marked tendency to curl into claws and very deliberately forced herself to unhook them. LaCroix appreciated her restraint. “ On the other hand I don’t think the woman had a thought in her head that Nicholas didn’t put there. Oh well as they say love is blind. Of course in his defense he was still on the rebound from Janette. ...” “You took a chance though.” interrupted Natalie spitefully. “ Supposing Nick had been successful.” There was no way in hell she wanted hear about Janette just then. God knows how LaCroix would describe Janette. Bewitching , fascinating were some of the adjectives that immediately jumped into Natalie’s mind. More than anything in the world she would like to believe Nick found her attractive, but Natalie had few illusions about her own appearance. Unlike Janette who even when she was a mortal and wounded still looked knock out dead beautiful. Natalie often had dark shadows under her eyes, her hair was occasionally a mess and she frequently smelled of formaldehyde. Natalie knew there were lots of other women out there far prettier than she was. She had seen Nick check a few of them out. Women certainly checked Nick out. There were many days when Natalie had a hard time making herself believe that someone as attractive as Nick was would want to be with her. “Fortunately there was little likelihood of his doing that.” answered LaCroix, at the same time noting with interest Natalie’s careful avoidance of the subject of Janette. “I knew at the time Nicholas did not have the control to stop. He barely has it now and he most decidedly doesn’t have it with anyone he really cares about. I guess I must have forgotten to teach him that lesson.” LaCroix remarked significantly. “You sadistic devil.” Natalie hissed. “Not at all. On the contrary Nicholas should thank me for omitting that lesson. Natalie gasped. “Thank you .” Yes, his lack of knowledge has saved him from many a disaster. You see, my dear Nicholas’s taste in women leaves much to be desired.” There was a pregnant pause. ‘Present company always accepted.” said LaCroix. Natalie had to will herself from hitting him. “ That still doesn’t explain why, you let them marry.” she asked. “For the money, of course.” said LaCroix, simply. “The money.” repeated Natalie, stunned. “Yes, the money. A good father should always look out for the interests of his son. As Alyssa’s husband Nicholas gained control over her estates. And knowing how short her life was going to be you may be sure I made sure the marriage contracts were checked over by my lawyers. There was to be none of this foolish nonsense of tying the money or property up in her children. Of course after she died Nicholas claimed he wanted no part of any of it. He had some foolish notion that having taken Alyssa’s life he was not entitled to her property. All very dramatic and histrionic, which suited me just fine at the time. Since it was evident to everyone concerned, that Nicholas was too overwrought by Alyssa’s death to be involved in the settling of her estates, it was only natural that I as the head of his family should step in and represent his interests in the matter. I agreed on his behalf, that he receive a large compensation in lieu of the estates he had been given in the marriage settlement. And I must say that money proved to be quite useful over the next hundred years. “Forgive me if I don’t applaud ,” said Natalie sarcastically “Tell me, LaCroix do you actually believe what you are saying or is it just one a sick joke.” “It is no joke, doctor. It is well known that some people learn by example, some learn by being told and others like Nicholas have to find out the hard way by doing it themselves. Nicholas has always been fascinated by mortals. I tried warning him to keep his distance. I pointed out to him that if he persists in playing with his food, he’s the one who will get hurt. But nothing I ever said made any impact on him. Nicholas simply refused to listen. He can really be quite mulish at times. He always thinks he knows best. “Is there a point to all this. LaCroix?” asked Natalie coldly A very good point, Doctor. You see by dying, the way she did Alyssa taught Nicholas what I hadn’t been able to, the absolute folly of vampires mixing with mortals. It was a lesson he never forgot. That is until he met you.” said LaCroix scowling at Natalie. Natalie was appalled. He really was a monster. She no longer tried to hide the fact her fingers were curling into claws.” “But enough about Alyssa.” said LaCroix “She was a bore when she was alive and as far as I am concerned she still is. Besides which you really wanted to hear about Alyce Hunter End of (11/?) -TBC Debbie Clarke dittany121@hotmail.com Subject: Things are Seldom what they seem - part 1 -- Wheels within Wheels (12/?) Date: Sat, 7 May 2005 09:31:24 -0400 From: Debbie Clarke To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Things are Seldom what they seem - part 1 -- Wheels within Wheels (12/?) For credits and other formalities please refer to the Introduction. What Natalie wanted was for LaCroix to shut up and for Nick to come, even if he had lied to her. If he had? Right at the moment Natalie wasn’t certain whether he had or hadn’t To be sure LaCroix said he had but then why she should she believe LaCroix. In fact she didn’t even know why she was listening to him at all, except for the fact she still believed that knowledge is power and the more she would understood the way LaCroix thinks the better able she would be to defend herself against him. “When the rumours that Nicholas had acquired a new pet grew steadily more persistent,” LaCroix continued. (It’s like chinese water torture. Natalie thought. He just keeps going on and on.) “I decided I should check up and find out just what kind of mess Nicholas had gotten himself in now. I do have my standards after all. As it turned out it was a good thing I came when I did. For I no sooner arrived in Toronto, when I saw in the paper that ROM was getting ready to open an exhibit on items found at Atun Kinal.” “The Mayan cup. Well I can see why that might worry you.” commented Natalie bitingly. “I am not certain,” replied LaCroix thoughtfully “When Nicholas decided that he could cross back over and become human again. I am not even sure why he persists in resisting his true nature. He wasn’t always that way. There was a time when Nicholas reveled in the kill. It would be too simplistic to blame Joan of Arc for stirring up his doubts, for I suppose they were always there. Even after his first kill Nicholas worried. I thought he had grown out of it. Then suddenly it came back. The killer with a conscience. The vampire who tried to retain some part of his humanity, some connection to the man he once was before the cynicism he had learned in the crusades set in. For a while he tried to sate his guilt by only killing the wicked. A pointless distinction. So very puritanical and tiresome of him. It quite put a damper on any social gatherings. Of course that fell apart after he killed the dancer Sylvaine. He blamed me for it. Nicholas always does. Anyone but himself. He just can’t accept it was his own animal lust that drove him to take her life, and not some moral superiority.” “With justification.” said Natalie “Considering how you tricked him into killing her.” “True. And I admit it was a serious miscalculation on my part.” Natalie stared at him. “It just never occurred to me that he would stop killing all together and give up drinking human blood for cow, or that he would walk away from his family. Which is what he did. Oh he visits occasionally. Sheer loneliness drives him to come but as soon as he can, he’s off again.” “ Are you asking me to feel sorry for you?” said Natalie sarcastically. “In your dreams, LaCroix.”. “No Doctor.” was LaCroix’s surprising reply. “That is not why we are having this conversation. I neither seek or require your pity.” Natalie didn’t know quite what to make of this. “Then why exactly are we having this conversation?” she demanded . She didn’t think he would answer her but much to her surprise he did. “Eternity becomes dull without some kind of diversion. I confess mine for last eight centuries has been Nicholas.” He stopped and stared into his glass reflectively for a moment before continuing. “Quite frankly I’ve missed him. And I don’t want to lose him. Oh I appreciate that he’s at that awkward stage in his life when he feels the need to rebel. We’ve all been through it. Even I. ..” Natalie looked at LaCroix curiously intrigued by this statement. A multitude of possibilities ran through her mind. However much to her disappointment LaCroix chose not to elaborate and when he next spoke he was back on Nick again. “However like everything else he does, Nicholas takes his to an extreme. Given time he will come around. Provided he doesn’t get himself killed first. Which brings me back to his quest for a cure. For what is a cure but an invitation to death. For what its worth,” LaCroix said now looking at Natalie, “I don't know if the jade cup at Altun Kinal held the cure for vampirism. In truth I don’t believe it did. I stole the cup from the museum to bring Nicholas to me. Of course he thinks I stole it to keep him from using it. If that had been all I would have simply smashed the cup and sent him the pieces. Seeing Nicholas and Alyce together I made the erroneous assumption that she was the mortal I had been hearing so much about. The one Nicholas had made a pet of. The one helping him find the cure. The one he thought he was in love with. To make sure I tested him by offering him a choice between the cup and the girl. It was Nicholas’s decision to sacrifice the cup for her life.” “ Just as you knew he would.” said Natalie. “Yes, just as I knew he would.” agreed LaCroix. “Poor Nicholas. He really is his own worst enemy. But look on the bright side Doctor. At least I saved him the dilemma of having to decide which of his mortal friend he should sacrifice to test his so called cure.” “How very fatherly of you.” “I thought so.” **** “And I'm sure we are all very grateful to you.” snarled Natalie. “I must say, LaCroix, I’ve found it most enlightening listening to you try to justify your treatment of Nick. I might even believe you except for one thing. You see I know all about Nick’s sister and the pact you made with Nick to spare her life.” “Ah ... So you remember Azure’s” said LaCroix conversationally “I wondered if you did. Nicholas has never had much skill with resisters. He has ... far too gentle a touch.” At the time he had hoped to scare Nicholas into moving on. But although the reminder of their pact had been sufficient to frighten Nicholas into making him back off from Natalie it had not been enough to force him to move on. Still he had achieved that much. And who knows it might even have worked if fate hadn’t cruelly decided to interfere. But how could he foresee the day would come when the community could be wiped out by a something as insignificant as a virus or that Natalie Lambert would be the one to save them. When that happened Natalie became a real threat, for not only had she managed to worm her way back into Nicholas life, she was now part of the community’s life as well. Things had been much a whole lot simpler in the olden days LaCroix couldn’t help but feel. “Unlike you.” Natalie spat out spitefully. Yes, she remembered Azure’s all right. starting off with the sound of Nick saying “I do not love this woman.” How those words had stung. They still did. Even now after a particularly hard day Natalie would hear them again and find herself wondering how it was possible, someone like Nick could ever love someone like her. However, since she was not about to share those doubts with LaCroix. So before he could pull image out of her mind and use it against her she added quickly “Of course, I remember. “Why would I ever want to forget our time together.” “Watch it, Doctor. You’re starting to try my patience ....” warned LaCroix icily. Natalie was silenced. She felt a little as if she had mentally crashed into a wall and she couldn’t help wondering if this was how Nick felt when he and LaCroix clashed. LaCroix glared at her balefully. “Having upheld my side of the bargain, he said biting off the words, “I naturally expected Nicholas to do the same.” “It’s wrong, LaCroix.” said Natalie firmly. She was fully aware that he could kill her for disagreeing with him, but, she was damned if she would kowtow to his perverse view of morality. She might be a vampire but she still had standards. Surrender those and she would lose the essence of who she was. “Is it, Doctor? Fleur meant more to me than life itself. I offered her eternity. Instead she died. Because of Nicholas.” “He was only thinking of her happiness”. said Natalie defending Nick “She his sister after all.” “Wrong, Doctor. As usual Nicholas was thinking only of himself. Just because you had a close relationship with your brother, doesn’t mean Nicholas and his sister had the same.” Natalie winced at this casual reminder of Richie. The last thing she wanted to think about right now was Richie. For with the memory of Richie came the nightmare of his death at Nick’s hands. “Back in those days,” continued LaCroix, “Young men did not spend time in the nursery entertaining their female siblings. The truth is Nicholas hardly knew Fleur . She was a mere child when he left for the crusades. And before that he was seldom at home. No, Nicholas did not stop me taking Fleur out of any great love for his sister. He had a far more selfish reason than that for preventing Fleur joining us in eternity. Nicholas and Fleur were the last of their line. When Nicholas crossed over, Fleur was the only one left to carry on his family name. Something which was surprisingly important to him.” LaCroix eyed Natalie scathingly. “Apparently it still is, ” he commented sarcastically Natalie was too astonished by bitterness she heard in LaCroix’ voice to inquire into what he meant by that. LaCroix had cared for Fleur, she realized, suddenly. A part of her wondered what he would have been like if Nicholas had allowed him to take his sister. She wanted to ask what happened to her, it not being something she had ever felt comfortable about asking him about. Much to her surprise LaCroix answered her question . “The family, with Nicholas’ blessing, married her off to some wealthy lordling, who only did one sensible thing in his life. That was to fall off his horse and break his neck. The real pity was he didn’t have the intelligence to do it six months earlier.” “LaCroix?” asked Natalie gently. “Fleur was already pregnant when he died. There were complications, a common enough occurrence in those days. The child was still born. As for Fleur, well she was never quite the same afterward. She lingered on awhile, a shell of her former self, but in the end she simply faded away.” LaCroix fell silent. “It’s ironic don’t you think? Nicholas saving her from me only to give her to her another man to kill.” LaCroix took a drink of blood wine and glared bitterly at Natalie over his wine glass. “So you see Doctor,” he said with relish, “Nicholas does owe me.” LaCroix said . Hearing that Natalie’s sympathy died on the spot. “And just many lives, does Nicholas owe you, LaCroix?” she challenged. “As many as it takes, Doctor.” was LaCroix’s blunt reply “As many as it takes,” repeated Natalie. “You sick bastard!” she spat out, now totally repulsed by him. “What happened to Fleur was not Nick’s fault. And you know it.” To think she had almost felt sorry for him. Well she wouldn’t be so gullible a second time. “And you have a hell of a nerve to claim you’re killing these women out of love for Nick’s sister. Why you don’t even know the meaning of the word, love. If you had truly loved Nick’s sister, LaCroix, you would never hurt her brother. No. this is just a game for you. It always has been. For some reason you take sadistic pleasure in killing every woman Nick so much as looks at. Then you use what happened to Fleur as an excuse for your depravity. How fortunate it was for you, that Fleur came along when she did otherwise you might have had to invent her. What is it LaCroix? Are you so jealously possessive that you can’t bear the thought of sharing Nick with anyone?” LaCroix’s expression darkened. How dare she speak to him in that tone of voice. He was strongly tempted to strike her down where she sat. “Understand this doctor,” he snarled. “Nicholas is my son, my creation, made in my image. And I will not allow anything or anyone to take him away from me.” he snapped “Not Sylvaine. Not you, not Al ...” “Not Alyssa.” finished Natalie, angrily. “Yeah right. Tell me something I don’t know, LaCroix.” . LaCroix blinked. He hadn’t been going to include Alyssa in his list. Alyce but not Alyssa. Alyssa had never been a threat to him, only an inconvenience, one which he had easily turned to his advantage “Not anyone, Doctor.” said LaCroix, snapping his mouth shut. Once again he had to force down his wrath. As irritating as Natalie might be, the consequences of killing her were far worse. “Understand this, everything I do, I do to protect my son.” “Yeah right. You protect Nick by never allowing him to love” “ Of course.” LaCroix replied, as if astonished that she would challenge him on something so obvious. “Love is a human emotion and as such deadly to us. It alone can .... It seemed to Natalie that he hesitated then but just as she was about to comment on it LaCroix went on. Love weakens us.” he said. “It makes us forget what we are ... who we are .... You have no idea how dangerous a lapse like that can be to one of our kind. Nicholas is far too trusting of mortals. So if by knowing that I am out here waiting, and that I can and will demand payment for his sister has given him an incentive to keep his distance from them, so be it. Who are you to criticize me or my motives. ” He had nearly slipped up there. It was becoming increasingly apparent to him that he was going to watch what he said around this woman. She was just a little perceptive for comfort. The last thing he wanted was for her, or for that matter Nicholas, to get even an inkling of the real reason he had brought her across. It was time to move the attack to her. end of part (12/?) I probably won't send any tomorrow. It depends on how much time I have. Debbie Clarke dittany121@hotmail.com Subject: Things are seldom what they seem - Part 1 -- Wheels within Wheels (13/? Date: Mon, 9 May 2005 09:10:27 -0400 From: Debbie Clarke To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Things are seldom what they seem - Part 1 -- Wheels within Wheels (13/? For credits and other formalities please refer to the Introduction. LaCroix looked at Natalie. “You are threat to us. You are a threat to me. And you endanger Nicholas’s life. My bargain with Nicholas aside, for those reasons alone you should be killed. The truth is Doctor you know too much about us.” Natalie made a motion of protest, but before she could say anything, LaCroix cut her off. “ Oh don’t bother telling me you’d never betray us. For what it’s worth I believe you honestly think you wouldn’t. But the fact remains, Doctor, we simply can’t afford to take the risk . “We? You said we. Who do you mean by ‘we’?” asked Natalie, pouncing on LaCroix’s choice of pronoun. In spite of everything he had said, Natalie still couldn’t make herself believe LaCroix was acting entirely on his own. Not only doesn’t the leopard change its spots that much, every word he uttered made it more and more apparent that he would have preferred to see her dead. LaCroix frowned disapprovingly. “Grammar, Natalie. Whom do you mean, not who. ” he corrected. “Never mind my grammar.” spluttered Natalie. “Damn my grammar” Nana used to do that to her, too. Find some way to put her in the wrong every time she came close to winning the argument. It had infuriated her then and it infuriated her now. “Just answer the question, LaCroix. Who gave the order to bring me across? I bet I know It was that council of Elders of yours, wasn’t it ? ” “Really, Natalie. How many times do I have to tell you. No one orders me to do anything.” said LaCroix deliberately. “Not the council. Not anyone. Particularly in matters concerning Nicholas. It was time to show her just how powerful he really was. “I don’t understand then. If they didn’t tell you to, why did you do it? ” “ You still are not listening to me, Natalie. I’ve told you why I did it. I did it for Nicholas. Everything I do, I do for Nicholas. It simply could not go on the way it was. You are a loose cannon, Doctor. Someone had to do something about you. And since Nicholas wouldn’t, it was up to me .” Natalie became very still . “ Nick ...” she said. She stopped and tried again “He ...” “Refused you when you asked him to, didn’t he.” said LaCroix, his voice coldly deliberate Natalie looked away . “Yes but ...” Damn LaCroix. Why did he have bring that up now? It had always hurt that Nick had never invited her to join him in the darkness. It was even more painful now knowing he brought Janette across. Admittedly Janette had been dying at the time but still .... She had tried to understand his point of view, but she knew there was part of her that didn’t. Rejection was rejection no matter how you cut it. “There is no “but” about it, Natalie. “As I recall he turned you down flat, didn’t he?” LaCroix continued inexorably Natalie looked mortified. “Yes” she whispered. LaCroix scowled “The stupid thing is he does love you, you know. Not that that would be really important in the long run.” he stopped and shook his head “ Or it wouldn’t be except for the fact that mortals die. And when that happens to you ....” LaCroix’s expression darkened ... “The trouble is I can’t watch him all the time. If I could ...” “Nick loves me?” Natalie asked. She eyed LaCroix uneasily uncertain whether to believe him or not. There were times when she thought Nick did, but there were also a lot of times when she was afraid he didn’t. And even if supposing he did, she couldn’t help feeling that it was totally out of character for LaCroix to tell her he did. And supposing Nick did would he still love her like this? she wondered once again “ I just told you he did.” LaCroix snapped. He glared at her inimically. “And you needn’t get smug about it, Doctor.” he added, sourly, “For all that Nicholas might love you, he still intended to leave you behind when he moved on.” . “ Nick meant to leave me behind?” whispered Natalie, in a chagrined voice. “Well he can’t very well take you with him as a mortal , can he?... However, if it’s any consolation to you, Nicholas sees his leaving you as the ultimate gesture of his love for you .... In fact if I have been reading him correctly, his latest plan is to walk into the sun on the day you die. Something about the two of you being united in death.” and LaCroix’s expression darkened even more ominously as he spat out this last sentence. “United in death?” repeated Natalie, frowning,. She wasn’t sure she liked the sound of that. Enjoying her discomfort, LaCroix sneered. “ Don’t act so surprised, Doctor. Knowing him as well as you do you of all people should understand. Natalie stared at him blankly. “Understand?” “Of course. You said it yourself. Nick doesn’t want to be a vampire. That being so, how can he possibly condemn the woman he loves to a life which he has described ad nausea to anyone who would listen to him as being equivalent to a living hell? No, Doctor, if anything, Nicholas wants you to have the life you would have had if he had never met you. The proverbial white picket fenced house in suburbia. He wants you to have children. Something he can never give you. I told you Nicholas is very conventional in his thinking. That is, after all, what women did in his day. That is the reason he condemned Fleur to her death. It simply would never occur to him that you don’t care about those things. If you did, you would have married that college boyfriend of yours, Fred Summerhill, I believe was his name. He did ask you, didn’t he” Natalie looked at LaCroix in amazement. “How?” “ Don’t be so obtuse, Doctor. From your blood, of course”. “Damn.” Natalie said, humiliated by the knowledge that she had shared her most intimate feelings and memories with him. It should have been Nick. “Don’t be such a prude, Natalie You gave me nothing I haven’t seen many times before. Believe me I took no pleasure in your memories of your very tedious love affair with Mr. Summerhill. If he was anything near as dull as you remember him to be, believe me, you made the right decision.” Fred Summerhill Natalie had nearly forgotten all about him. LaCroix was right. Fred had wanted her to marry him. He had asked her on the day they both graduated from medical school. She had come very close to saying yes, but at the last moment she hadn’t been able to bring herself to do it . There had to be something more out there she remembered thinking. Not that there was anything really wrong with Fred. He was just terribly, terribly dull. The last Natalie had heard of him, he had three children, a house in suburbia, complete with a white picket fence, a good job, chief of staff at Mercy General and a dutiful wife, something she knew she could never have been. “Poor Nicholas,” went on LaCroix, “Is now caught in a trap of his own creations. If he takes you the way he wants, he either kills you or he damns you to what he believes is a hellish existence.” “If I could be with Nick, I wouldn’t care.” Natalie couldn’t help thinking . “You know that and I know that.” agreed LaCroix. Natalie jumped. She wished he would stop doing that. “But the fact remains, Natalie,” said LaCroix, “If you had gone to Nicholas and told him that, he would have been horrified. He would see it as proof positive he had contaminated your virtue. No, Natalie, this is the only way it can work. This way he is faced with a fait accompli. This way he’ll never know how much you wanted it.... You really should thank me.” he said. “Thank you?” Natalie gasped, “For murdering me.” “Good girl, Natalie." LaCroix retorted, “Very well said. You almost convince me you believe what you’re saying. However, I suggest you save your histrionics for Nicholas. He’ll appreciate them far more than I do, and be only too happy to sympathize with you. But tell me, just between you and me, are you really that upset about what happened here tonight?”