Subject: 1 Things are seldom what they seem - Part 2 -- Cat's paw Introduction (1/?) Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 19:46:48 -0400 From: Debbie Clarke To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Things are seldom what they seem - Part 2 -- Cat's paw Introduction (1/?) I hope you’re still with me. In part 2 the scene shifts to Nick’s loft where Nick is recovering from the Curare LaCroix fed him. Once again 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 in Cat’s paw come from the following episodes: The Code Be my valentine The code Blood money. TBC PS One more thing I do know how to spell bleakly and I apologize for its misspelling in Wheels within wheels. I have since written it out 10 times and I promise it won’t happen again. Enjoy! Debbie Clarke Dittany121@hotmail.com Subject: 2 Things are seldom what they seem - Part II -- Cat's Paw (2/?) Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 19:50:21 -0400 From: Debbie Clarke To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Things are seldom what they seem - Part II -- Cat's Paw (2/?) Nick Knight put his hand up to his throbbing head and groaned. He hadn’t felt this wretched in years. Not since ... ... And there flashed into his mind a picture of himself and another man sharing a bottle of whisky by a camp fire, and followed by the image of himself passing out. “Curare ... But who?” Nick asked. Then answered his own question. “LaCroix.” Trying not to move any more than was absolutely necessary, Nick scanned the general vicinity around him for the bottle he had been drinking from last night. He located it on the floor beside him where he cleverly deduced he must have dropped it when he passed out. Leaning over gingerly, for his head was still pounding, Nick retrieved the bottle. After which he sat very still, and took several deep breaths in an effort to i control the nausea even that small movement cost him. When his stomach finally settled down again Nick brought the mouth of the bottle up to his nose and sniffed it tentatively . Yup. Curare. Just as before. He swore fluently and graphically in several languages. Having got that out of his system, Nick closed his eyes and mentally ran over the events of the previous evening. He had risen at his usual time, come downstairs, and discovered much to his surprise that sometime during the day, someone had left a bottle of the Raven’s special blend on his dining room table. There had been a note as well, a nasty sarcastic note, written in his father’s distinctive handwriting. Just thinking about the note’s contents was enough to make Nick angry all over again. However last night it had made him furious enough to carry LaCroix’s gift out to the kitchen and pour it down the drain. At the time he thought he had shown great restraint in not hurling the bottle across the room. Nick still did. But as Natalie pointed out the last time she had seen him do something like that there really wasn’t much point in it. For not only did it accomplish nothing, it only made work for him, since he was the one who had to clean it up. Then she had stood over him and supervised him while he did clean it up. That was typical of Natalie. Never afraid to say what she thought, no matter how foul a mood she found him in. He was going to miss her when he moved on. If only they .... “No.” said Nick aloud, denying the thought. He couldn’t let himself go there. He must be the worst monster alive, since more and more, he found himself contemplating the unconsciencible “No.” he said again. “I can’t do it. And I won’t risk it.” Nick pushed the thought of life without Natalie to the back of his mind (it was after all, no more than he deserved) and went back to concentrating on the problem at hand, namely LaCroix. As he recalled hunger had driven him to his refrigerator. At the time he intended to drink one of Natalie’s potions, just to prove to his master, when he did finally show up, (and the one thing Nick did know for certain was LaCroix was going to turn up sooner or later) that even if LaCroix had offered him the best of his cellar on bended knee, Nick still would have refused to drink it. He would rather starve first. Fine words. Five seconds later it looked as though he might actually have to live up to them. For when Nick opened his refrigerator door he discovered it devoid of both Natalie’s brews and cow blood. Instead, sitting and lying on all the shelves were bottles of Human blood. Lots and lots of bottles. In fact you could barely see the shelves for all the bottles. LaCroix’ plan was now obvious. Nick would either drink human blood or go hungry. “Why did I even bother to look.” Nick muttered, slamming the refrigerator door shut in a fury. “It won’t work LaCroix,” he shouted to the room in general . “I won’t be manipulated by you, any more.” And then he stood, waiting, half expecting his master to suddenly materialize in front of him bearing yet another bottle of human blood. Much to his annoyance that didn’t happen. Indeed nothing happened, a fact which only served to make Nick even more angry if that were possible. Defiance is all very well, but it works best when you have an audience. Nick wanted to see his father’s face when he turned down his offering. For what LaCroix didn’t know and Nick did, was that in anticipation of just such a catastrophe, Nick had stored a back up supply of cow blood in a secret place. “Yeah secret, right, as in past tense,” Nick now thought bitterly. He guessed he hadn’t been as clever as he thought. Yet at the time he had been so sure, so confident that he had finally won, that this time he had managed to be one step ahead of his father. Nick remembered going upstairs to his secret cache, taking a bottle of cow blood and bearing it downstairs in triumph. He remembered sitting on his leather couch and uncorking the bottle. He now somewhat shamefully recalled the battle he had had to fight to make himself drink it, knowing that he didn’t have to, that sitting in his refrigerator not twenty feet away were dozens of bottles of the finest human blood. Ambrosia just for the taking. But Cow blood, however putrid it might taste when compared to human, was still blood. Nick had learned long ago that the trick was not to inhale as he drank or do anything to trigger a comparison between it and the human blood he truly craved. . In other words drink and don’t think. Which was precisely what Nick did. Lifting the bottle up to his mouth, he had drained its entire contents in a manner of seconds. And passed out Nick glanced at his watch. It was now close to five AM By his calculations he had been unconscious for roughly twelve hours. But why? What perversity would possess LaCroix to slip him a Mickey Finn. And why the elaborate ruse. Why hadn’t he simply put the curare in one of the bottles of cow in the refrigerator, where it would have been equally as effective. For that matter why this sudden determination to force him back to drinking human? Nick knew LaCroix didn’t approve of his drinking cow. He never had. But over the years Nick thought they’d reached a sort of understanding about it. But then again he had also thought they were getting along better than they had in years. Evidently he was mistaken on both counts. Nick heard a noise behind him. Immediately he stiffened. LaCroix. Well, it stood to reason he’d show up now. “Come to gloat over your handiwork LaCroix?.” Nick remarked bitterly. Fury and nausea kept him from turning around to look at LaCroix For her part Natalie thought Nick sounded slightly drunk. Must be the curare she thought. She glanced anxiously up at LaCroix and realized much to her alarm that he was watching Nick closely, and that his expression was more coldly analytical than she had ever seen it. He’s up to something she thought apprehensively and with that thought all her doubts and fears started to resurface again . The brief euphoria she had experienced at her apartment had already begun to dissipate thanks in part to their slightly less than auspicious method of transportation to Nick’s loft. Once outside Natalie had quite naturally headed in the direction of her car. She had hardly gone two feet when LaCroix stopped her, saying curtly “Nicholas may like to travel in a metal box I do not. We will fly.” Natalie stared up at the sky and winced. Heights had never been her strong point. “If you don’t mind,” she said “I would prefer to go in my car.” Thinking about it afterward she supposed what she really wanted was to regain some control over her life. She should be so lucky. “I do mind” replied LaCroix, coldly And without any more warning than that, he wrapped his arms around Natalie and leapt into the air. The next thing Natalie knew she was moving through the sky at a tremendous speed. Feeling more .like sack of potatoes than anything else, Natalie did the only thing she could do under the circumstances. She tightened her grip around LaCroix’s neck and closed her eyes. Only when curiosity got the better of her did she venture to open her eyes very slightly and look down. Surprisingly it wasn’t nearly as bad as she thought it was going to be. Who knows she might even grow to like it if she had Nick with her instead of LaCroix. To her amazement everything beneath her seemed a total blur. “How do you know where to go if you can’t see any landmark?” she asked . Much to her disappointment LaCroix didn’t deign to answer her. So we’re back to cold again Natalie thought. Then immediately stopped thinking as she felt them start to plummet . Expecting at any moment to be smashed into the ground Natalie, instinctively closed her eyes again. It was not until she heard Nick speak that she dared open them again. At which point she found herself standing in front of LaCroix in Nick’s loft with his hands resting on her shoulders. Natalie opened her mouth to say something. Instantly the pressure on her shoulders tightened warning her to keep silent. She waited. “My poor Nicholas, you don’t look at all well.” LaCroix said, mockingly. “I expect it was something you ate. Well, you can’t say I didn’t warn you, my boy, about the perils of ingesting the wrong food. Oh well, never mind. I’ve got something here, which I guarantee will have you back up on your feet in no time. ” Not bothering to turn around Nick replied “I can’t think of anything you could possibly give me that I would want, LaCroix. Look, you’ve had your fun, so why don’t you go away and leave me in peace.” It was evident to LaCroix, by Nick’s slurred speech and hesitant movements that his son was still very much under the influence of the curare he had given him, which was exactly the way he wanted him to be. “Oh I think you will like this gift. ” replied LaCroix, chuckling slightly. end of part (2/?) TBC Debbie Clarke dittany121@hotmail.com Subject: 3 Things are Seldom what they seem- Part II --CAT'S PAW (3/?) Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 19:53:09 -0400 From: Debbie Clarke To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Things are Seldom what they seem- Part II --CAT'S PAW (3/?) That laugh was enough to make Nick lose what little temper he had remaining. “That’s what you think, LaCroix” he hissed spinning around to confront his master. “Well, let me tell you this. I’ll walk out into the sun before I’d ever accept anything from you again. And if you think, you can simply waltz in here and ....” Nick broke off abruptly in mid word. Only now did he realize LaCroix was not alone. He had Natalie with him and worse yet he had his arm around her, proprietarily. “Nat....???” Nick ejaculated staggering to his feet, “Nat?” he repeated swaying dizzily. His gaze shifted from Natalie to LaCroix. What he saw in his master’s face did not reassure him. “You take your hands off her.” Nick suddenly roared and so saying he lurched unevenly over to where Natalie was standing, seized her by her arm and yanked her away from LaCroix. “Nat, Are you all right” Nick asked worriedly, pulling Natalie into a tight embrace, and wishing he felt better. His brief burst of activity had done nothing to ease the effects of the curare he had imbibed. It was taking everything he had just to maintain his balance. “Nat?” he asked again. Disturbed that Natalie still didn’t answer him Nick, loosened his grip on her and stepped back a little. He looked down at Natalie “Nat” he questioned a third time Natalie must have run through this meeting a hundred times since LaCroix brought her across, but in all the scenarios she played out in her head the possibility that Nick might not know immediately what had LaCroix had done to her, had never once occurred to her Nick frowned. LaCroix’s scent was on Natalie. It shouldn’t be . “ Nat?” he asked again . “ Nick ....” Natalie began, then stopped again. She was at a total loss for words. Much to her disgust she found herself turning to LaCroix, pleadingly , hoping he would step in and explain, but to her alarm LaCroix just looked amused. It was then that Natalie felt a cold chill run down her spine. Nick glared accusingly over Natalie’s head at the master vampire. “He knows.” thought LaCroix, staring blandly back into his favourite’s eyes. “He just doesn’t want to accept it yet. “If you have harmed her, LaCroix” Nick started to bluster, “I swear I’ll ...” He suddenly broke off in mid sentence. Once more Nick stared worriedly down at Natalie, this time taking her extreme pallor. He had seen she was pale when she arrived but since she had been pale, last night because of her cold, he hadn’t thought given it much thought, but now suddenly he was no longer sure if that was all it was .... It had begun to dawn on him that something was missing . Something that should have been there, but wasn’t. Suddenly Nick realized what that something was. Natalie’s mortal heart beat was gone. He drew in a furious breath. “ Nick.” pleaded Natalie, daunted by the rising fury she saw in his eyes. . “No.” whispered Nick hoarsely . “It can’t be.” He stared at Natalie wildly . “No.” he yelled . Natalie cringed as she watched all her hopes for a happy ending plummet to the ground. “Nick, please.” she whispered. Please take me in your arms and tell me you still love me. That was what she wanted to say but didn’t quite dare. She felt Nick’s hands tighten on her shoulders and waited, her face turned hopefully up to his in anticipation of his kiss, but to her utter dismay instead of a kiss, he flung her aside “Please Nick,” Natalie whimpered, not yet willing to accept what had happened. There has got to be some mistake she thought. The Nick she knew would never walk away from her. Not when she needed him. Then again according to LaCroix that was precisely what he had been intending on doing when he moved on. “Back off, Nat.” snarled Nick, his mind totally intent on killing LaCroix . Natalie backed off. She had got the message. This was worse than she had ever imagined. She felt vile, unclean. No wonder LaCroix looked so smug. It had been a trap all along. He had known Nick wouldn’t want her like this. She had been a fool to ever think he would. Nana had been so right. Just because you want something doesn’t necessarily make it happen. Nick turned and faced his master. “How dare you, LaCroix.” he thundered. The fact that in spite of all his best efforts he was still barely able to maintain his equilibrium only served to intensify his anger since LaCroix was responsible for that as well. “You promised you would leave my friends alone.” LaCroix eyed his son somewhat warily He had known right from the start that Nick would not take Natalie’s transformation well. That was why he had fed him the curare - to put him at a complete disadvantage. It was not because LaCroix was at all afraid of Nick, though, even he had to admit, Nicholas in a rage was something to be seen, but rather because he felt it very important for them to get through the next few minutes as quickly as they could, with the minimal of damage to either of them. LaCroix had no desire to see himself beaten to a pulp, and it would serve no earthly purpose as far as he knew, for him to beat Nicholas to a pulp. All that that would accomplish would be to upset Natalie needlessly. And as much as she might deserve to be punished for her presumption in believing that she could interfere with his son, she wasn’t the problem now, Nicholas was. “I do not love this woman.” The words Nick had spoken at the Azure now tore through Natalie’s brain. “I do not love this woman.” Over and over again like some cruel mantra, “I do not love this woman.” And if that wasn’t bad enough with the words came pictures. Pictures of Nick and Janette together, pictures of Nick with Alyce Hunter, of Nick with that psychic Denise Ford, of Nick with Emily Weiss, of Nick with a whole series of women, all of them ethereal, all of them beautiful, and not one of them Natalie Lambert. A low animal like growl erupted from Nick’s throat. Since Natalie couldn’t fight he would be her champion Nick’s eyes turned amber and then crimson, and he slowly began to circle LaCroix. There would be no mercy this time. LaCroix’s evil stopped here. Once he had taken care of LaCroix, he would devote the rest of his life to trying to make up to Natalie what LaCroix had stolen from her. “You really should thank me.” taunted LaCroix, continuing to bait Nick. “Thank you.” roared Nick. He was quite beside himself with rage, now. “Why would I thank you?” “I do not love this woman.” Once again those words drummed in Natalie’s mind. "It is not every day I give away the gift of immortality.” said LaCroix “How dare you?” hissed Nick. By now he had reached a point in his fury where he was totally blind to how much at a disadvantage he really was. “You swore to me you would leave Natalie alone.” With a guttural roar Nick lunged for his master’s throat. He thoroughly intended to rip LaCroix’s head off with his bare hands. Staking hadn’t worked. Maybe decapitation would. LaCroix was ready for him. Halfway into his assault Nick reeled. Before he could regain his balance, LaCroix struck him across the jaw with the back of his hand knocking him to the floor. Down but not out Nick forced himself back on his feet. LaCroix didn’t bother to wait for this next assault. Taking advantage of Nick’s lack of coordination he seized Nick by the scruff of his neck, hoisted him up high in the air and slammed him into the wall. “I lied.” snarled LaCroix shoving his face into Nick’s . “But then again, Nicholas, so did you. You swore to me, you didn’t love this woman.” Nick fought back hissing and snarling. There he had said it again. “ I do not love this woman.” Natalie didn’t think she had ever been so miserable in her entire life. She wanted to die but then remembered she couldn’t Not unless someone staked her or she burned up in the sun. Natalie wasn’t sure she could force herself to run on a stake so that left only the sun. How cruelly ironic she found herself thinking in what she even felt was an oddly detached sort of way, that she who had feared performing autopsies on burn victims should be doomed to a fiery death. Nevertheless it was her only recourse. She might have lost her humanity but she still had her pride. There was no way she intended to spend eternity crawling to Nick begging him to love her. If Nick didn’t want her that was that. Nick didn’t want her. How those words stung. Her romance with him had been nothing more more than a fantasy, a cruel joke. It had been her humanity he had wanted. Not her. Never Natalie Lambert. Natalie had known all along there was a ruthless side to Nick’s charm. He was a vampire after all. But it had never occurred to her that he would use it against her, or that she could be so easily taken in by it. “Let’s face it Lambert” she said “You saw what you wanted to see and heard what you wanted to hear, and made excuses for everything else. You even covered up for them.” What a fool she had been. What a blind stupid fool. LaCroix had sure got it right when he called her Nick’s pet. “Here Natalie. Sit Natalie. Cover up this kill, Natalie. Dig this bullet out of me, Natalie. Find me a cure for vampirism. There’s a good girl Natalie. Here have a biscuit for your trouble.” Or in her case a few flowers. That’s not to say LaCroix wasn’t just as bad. Worse in fact. He had played her like a fiddle. Why she ever been so stupid as to believe anything he said? And Natalie knew she had believed him Even when she knew he was lying to her, she still had believed him. Why? Not for any rational reason. But because she wanted to. Stupid, stupid fool! “Perhaps I have,” LaCroix had said when Natalie accused him of manipulating her, of having an ulterior motive for bringing her across. But she knew even as she accused him if the truth were told she didn’t care what his reason was as long as she could be with Nick. “Fool” she said again “Blind, stupid Moronic fool. I should have know better. I did know better.” God knows Nick had never said he loved her. Care was about as close as he had ever come to the word. So why had she believed LaCroix ? Because he told her what she wanted to hear? That he was afraid of what Nicholas might do on the day she died? “Losing his son to the sun” was how he had worded it. And he’d had the nerve to call her melodramatic. Well surprise, surprise the liar had lied Oh it had been about losing Nick, all right. That much was true. But it wasn’t about losing him to her. It was about losing Nick to mortality. That’s what had really driven LaCroix to bring her across. . For all his fine words to the contrary LaCroix was actually afraid she was going to succeed in curing Nick. And ... and LaCroix knew she would keep on working on a cure as long as she remained under the delusion that Nick loved her. Strip her of that illusion and she’d stop. And he couldn’t have been more right. Too bad it had taken the loss of her humanity for her to find out. Natalie glared over to where Nick and LaCroix were still clawing at each others throats. She tried to force herself to look at them dispassionately The fight, if that was what you could call it, had now deteriorated into more of a shouting match than anything else. One, which as far as Natalie could tell, was going absolutely no where in a hurry Oh to be sure LaCroix still had Nick immobilized against the wall, and every once in a while she could see him give him a little shake but that was the sum total of what he was doing to him. “It figures.” Natalie muttered grimly. “It doesn’t mean anything” “It’s just a game for them . None of it is real. LaCroix pushes Nick, and Nick pushes back.” It isn’t fair Natalie thought and she found herself becoming more and more resentful the longer she watched the two vampires face off . It isn’t fair. “I never did anything to deserve this.” she said out loud. However she might just as well have saved her breath for all they cared. The realization that they were totally ignoring her made Natalie simply livid with rage. Where the old Natalie might have hesitated to interfere with two angry vampires. The new Natalie found she didn’t care. It wasn’t as if she really had anything to lose. if they killed her for it. So what Let them kill her. She couldn’t be any worse off than she was now. Anyway anything was better than emulating herself in the sun. Once again Natalie welcomed the surge of power the vampire gave her. Right now she didn’t know which vampire she hated the most. The one who had brought her across or the one who had rejected her. What she did know was she was going to give them both a piece of her mind. end of part 3/? TBC Debbie Clarke dittany121@hotmail.com Subject: 4 Things are Seldom what they seem - Part II -- CAT'S PAW (4/?) Date: Thu, 12 May 2005 19:05:13 -0400 From: Debbie Clarke To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Things are Seldom what they seem - Part II -- CAT'S PAW (4/?) For credits and other formalities please refer to the introduction. Letting the vampire loose Natalie stormed across the room snarling To her fury neither LaCroix nor Nick so much as blinked. It was at that point that Natalie really went berserk. Yelling “Stop it both of you” Natalie seized LaCroix by his arm and began to try to rip him off Nick. Much to her amazement he nearly came. Vampire strength does have its advantages Natalie thought pulling harder on the master vampire. “When I said stop it I meant Stop it ” she screamed. To her surprise, LaCroix responded. “But if I do that, Natalie.” LaCroix hissed even as he rammed Nick back into the wall. “ Nicholas will just try to kill me again.” “Frankly, LaCroix.” Natalie snapped back. “ I don’t give a damn. The pair of you can spend the rest of eternity killing each other for all I care. In fact, I hope, someday you succeed. But right now you’re going to listen to me.” It was the moment LaCroix had been waiting for. Contrary to what Natalie thought LaCroix had been paying a great deal attention to her. He had seen her despair when Nick had thrown her aside. and her growing resentment as it slowly began to dawn on her how he had set her up. And she was right, he had set her up although not in the way she thought he had. You see it wasn’t just enough to bring her across. He had to convince Nicholas that it was the right decision. LaCroix had told Natalie nothing more than the truth when he said that Nicholas would never bring her across. He knew his son would never abandon Natalie, now that she was a vampire, but there is more than one way of abandoning someone. LaCroix knew that Natalie rather would rather walk into the sun than to know Nicholas was only with her out of a sense of duty. Therefore if LaCroix’s plan was to succeed Nicholas had be to made to realize that his love for Natalie was stronger than any moral concerns Nicholas might have over Natalie becoming a vampire. To achieve this he needed Natalie’s help. And now she was giving it to him. “LaCroix, I’m warning you.” said Natalie, in a menacing voice. By this time she was too far gone to even consider the consequences of threatening someone like LaCroix “Very well, Doctor, it shall be as you say.” replied LaCroix. Shaking Nick one more time for good measure, he flung him to the floor. Staring down on Nick, who was already scrambling to his feet, to have yet another go at LaCroix, LaCroix said dispassionately “Your new sister would appear to have something she wishes to say. Since whatever it is, it no doubt concerns you, Nicholas, I advise you to listen to her .” But Nick was not listening. LaCroix doubted if he even heard him. “This isn’t over between us, LaCroix.” Nick snarled. He was on the verge of hurling himself at his master when to his great surprise Natalie stepped between them. “Out of the way, Nat.” Nick said, preparing to go around her. To Nick’s astonishment Natalie grabbed hold of his arm and stopped him. “Don’t you even think of it, Nick Knight.” Natalie said pushing Nick away from LaCroix, “I meant what I said. Back off.” . LaCroix smiled. “But Nat.” protested Nick totally floored to discover she was including him as well as LaCroix. “I was only trying ...” “Don’t you dare “But Nat’” me.” interrupted Natalie Nick stared at her in stunned silence. But if he was totally amazed by that statement he was even more shocked by what she said next. “Tell me, Nick” asked Natalie “Did you ever care about me at all or was it always just a sham.” It was not what she had meant to say . In fact it was the last thing she had ever intended to say to him, especially when she was terrified of his answer. “Now, that is a very interesting question, Nicholas”. commented LaCroix, watching his son. Very interesting indeed he thought and a far better beginning than he could have hoped for. “You, shut up.” Natalie roared turning and glaring in turn at LaCroix . “You’ve done enough damage for one night.” LaCroix inclined his head regally “Whatever you say, my dear.” He eyed Nick quizzically “Well Nicholas, the ball would appear to be in your court.” “ But Nat ...” repeated Nick and the look of dumfounded confusion on his face grew even marked. How could Natalie doubt he loved her? LaCroix had to work to keep himself from laughing out loud. How typical of Nicholas not to have a clue. Not to know how much he had hurt Natalie when he had so seemingly rejected her. Or for that matter, when he had refused to bring her across. “For your information, Nick,” continued Natalie “I didn’t ask to become a vampire.” LaCroix smiled secretly to himself. Well said Doctor. You almost convince me. “I know, Nat.” Nick said quickly. Damn LaCroix for feeding him the curare. he thought. He could barely stand let alone think. Of course, being shaken like a dog hadn’t helped or for that matter done anything to cure his aching head or his powers of concentration. “Believe me, I never thought you did. Not for an instant.” Nick said trying desperately to reassure Natalie, with words that he thought would comfort her. It went without saying Natalie would never have agreed willingly to give up the light. It was true, she had once asked him to bring her across but that had been under extraordinary circumstances. She would have thought better of it. She had thought better of it. If she had agreed to this at all it was because LaCroix had tricked her or threatened her in some way. “And rest assured LaCroix will pay for what he did to you. This is not over between us, LaCroix, not by any matter of means.” Nick shot at the master vampire “I said enough all ready” snarled Natalie once again interrupting Nick . “ I’m doing the talking here and you’re doing the listening.” She glared at Nick “And for God’s sake, spare me that crap about making him pay, It’s not going to happen. You know it and I know it. You talk big, Nick Knight, but you have no intention of killing, him any more than he does you. If you had, one of you would have done it centuries ago.” “ But Nat.” protested Nick again, totally flabbergasted that she could say such a thing, to him, let alone think it. “And you’re certainly not going to kill him over me. You have to care about someone to want to do something like that. And you don’t care.” He couldn’t have heard her correctly. The curare must be affecting his hearing as well as making his head swim . There was no way Natalie could ever think he didn’t care about her. “Nat, you know I care about you. ” Nick said worriedly. “Yeah, right. So you say.” replied Natalie bitterly. Big deal, she thought. Even now you can’t bring yourself to say the word love. “ Face it, Nick, all you cared about was my humanity. Well for your information, that’s gone .” “ Nat,” protested Nick. He was beginning to feel as if the world had gone mad “It must have been a real kick to your ego, having me around knowing that all you had to do was whistle and I would come. Like some kind of vampire’s version of a lap dog.” Natalie said. She turned her head and walked away quickly so Nick wouldn’t see the blood red tears which had despite of all her endeavours to remain unemotional started to run down her cheeks. Damn it Why is it? she thought angrily brushing them aside. Why is it whenever a woman gets mad and wants to tell somebody off, she ends up crying? “But, Nat.” protested Nick going after her. This can’t be happening he thought . “Nat” he repeated gently You’re upset and ... “ he was forced to stop there as wave of dizziness sweep through him “ Of course, I’m upset.” Natalie pounced, totally misinterpreting Nick’s reason for hesitating, ( he still can’t make himself say it she thought.) “Why shouldn’t I be upset.” she spluttered “Do you have any idea of how it makes me feel, Nick. To know that all I ever meant to you ... that you thought of me as ... you pet, some kind of vampire equivalent of Sydney.” There she had finally got it out. . “Sydney? ... Nat, You’re not making any sense . I never ever thought of you as a pet. Please. I do care about you. You know I do.” Nick said, endeavouring once again to take her in his arms. To Nick’s shock Natalie refused to be embraced. Instead she shook his arm off and shoved him away with enough force to send him careening across the room into his piano . Bravo, Natalie, thought LaCroix. “Nat, please.” Nick pleaded. He couldn’t believe she had just done that to him. This night had become a nightmare. On top of that, his head was still spinning. Nick leaned against the piano for support. He looked so pale and forlorn there standing all alone, that Natalie nearly relented. She managed to stop herself just in time. If there was one thing her research about vampires had taught her, it was they healed quickly. Nick would recover from affects of her shove, a lot faster than she would from her broken heart. “Stop lying to me.” Natalie shouted madder than ever before to find that in spite of everything Nick had done to her he still had the power to play on her sympathies. “Stop pretending you care when you’ve made it perfectly clear that you don’t .” She glared at Nick. End of part (4/?) TBC Debbie Clarke dittany121@hotmail.come Subject: 5 Things are Seldom What they seem - Part II -- CAT'S PAW (5/?) Date: Thu, 12 May 2005 19:08:35 -0400 From: Debbie Clarke To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Things are Seldom What they seem - Part II -- CAT'S PAW (5/?) For credits and other formalities please refer to the introduction. “Nat, you know that isn’t true.” stammered Nick. He couldn’t understand why was she so angry at him when it was Lacroix who had done this to her. “Look, Nat” and LaCroix thought he was starting to sound sound a little desperate. “I can understand that you’re upset. God knows, you have good reason to be. What LaCroix did to you was unforgivable. But we’ll make it through this somehow and ...” “Unforgivable.” said Natalie. “Yeah Right. would say that ... Unforgivable ...” Nick stopped and looked confused. “I should have realized you didn’t love me.” commented Natalie sadly. “ After all it’s not like you ever offered to bring me across. In fact, if anything it was the opposite. I just hoped that now that I’m a vampire we could ...” At which Natalie’s voice broke in spite of herself and she stopped, unable go any farther. Although she did manage to bite back her sob, two fresh streams of blood red tears started to run down her face, an incongruous contrast to her golden eyes and fangs. “ Nat please.” said Nick, shocked. Surely she didn’t believe the reason he hadn’t brought her across had anything to do with his not loving her. Moving circumspectly because his head was still swimming. Nick walked over to where Natalie was standing. . “Nat?” he asked tentatively, then stopped. He wanted to reassure her but he wasn’t sure what to say since everything he had said so far had been wrong. “Don’t, Nick .” Natalie said, turning away. (Well done, Natalie. LaCroix thought appreciatively Make him sweat a little more.) “Don’t make things worse by pretending to care about me now.” Natalie continued. “ That it was me you loved, not my humanity. That you weren’t just using me to find your precious cure.” “ Nat ...” Nick said again. He glared at LaCroix “This is all your doing, LaCroix .” he accused. That had to be it. He should have realized it right from the start. He would have if his brain hadn’t been messed up by curare “I don’t know what you said or did but you did this. You turned Natalie against me.” . “I turned Natalie against you, Nicholas?” asked LaCroix . “ Au contraire, I assure you I did no such thing. If anything it was just opposite, wasn’t it Natalie?” Natalie didn’t answer. What LaCroix said was true up to a point. Or was it? There was still the question of his motives. She had yet to figure those out. “I can’t say I blame her for not wanting to speak to you, Nicholas,” LaCroix slipped in glibly, “But in point of fact Nicholas, this is your handiwork, not mine.” Nick’s expression darkened ominously “Oh yes, Nicholas.” LaCroix continued caustically “This is all your doing. I didn’t tell you to reject Natalie because she’s a vampire.” “I didn’t reject her.” protested Nick indignantly. “I would never reject Natalie.” “Didn’t you? Think again, Nicholas.” said his master mockingly. “ I don’t blame Natalie for being angry, with you. Here’s she been wondering and worrying about whether you would accept her as a vampire . And what do you do when you find out? You shove her away. You throw her aside. Oh no, Nicholas. This is most decidedly not my fault. This is all you. If Natalie were still speaking to you, which she’s not, she would tell you,” LaCroix added virtuously “how I leaned over backwards to reassure her and tell her I thought she was being unduly pessimistic about how you would react to her new situation. I even told her you loved her. Yes Nicholas, I told her you loved her . How was I to know you didn’t. That you had just been using her? That all you cared about was her humanity?” LaCroix turned to Natalie and bowed slightly. My apologies, Doctor, for ever having doubted you. It appears you were right all along. What can I say? Except you do understand Nicholas a lot better than I do.” “Damn you LaCroix.” Nick snarled in a mixture of frustration and rage. “Don’t listen to him, Nat.” he pleaded desperately. “None of what he said is true.” LaCroix laughed derisively. Nick suddenly realizing what he just said stammered out “No I don’t mean that ... at least not the way it sounded. I care about you, Nat, really I do.” “Well if that’s true you sure have a funny way of proving it to me, Nick Knight.” Natalie snapped. And stamping away from him she went over to stand by the fireplace “Care about me? What the hell is that supposed to mean? Because I sure as hell don’t know.” “ Nat.” Nick pleaded once again trailing forlornly after her. “ I love you, you know I do. ” “Out of curiosity, Nicholas, just how does she know that?” LaCroix interrupted. (Not so fast Nicholas, he thought) “It’s not like you ever told her you loved her before. And you’ve consistently refused to bring her across.” “Will you shut up.” Nick snarled “Haven’t you done enough damage for one night?” “ Nicholas, Nicholas you’re beginning to make me believe you are ungrateful for my gift.” replied LaCroix, his voice dripping with mockery. “I should be grateful?” Nick hissed at LaCroix, then broke off when once again he heard Natalie choke back a sob. “Yes.” agreed LaCroix, “ I would stop there, if I were you.” Nick glared furiously at his master. “Damn you, LaCroix. Nat,” he said “I didn’t mean it the way it sounded. You know I didn’t ” “Then how did you mean it, Nick?” asked Natalie. “Because it sure as hell sounded to me as if you didn’t want to have anything to do with me” “You know why I’ve never brought you over, Nat. I wanted to spare you this ... this ...” Nick struggled for the right words. “This hell of existence.” LaCroix chimed in helpfully “Been there. Done that. Tell us something new Nicholas.” Nick glared at him. “Damn you LaCroix ...” he began. “ You know Nicholas if its any consolation to you I shouldn’t be a bit surprised if Natalie didn’t agree with you. ” said LaCroix getting in first. “In that living with you would be something akin to hell. I know I have found it that way sometimes.” “Believe me the feeling is reciprocated.” Nick spat out. “You know, Nicholas, you really need to work on your sneer. As it stands now it lacks a certain je ne sais quoi .” “LaCroix, I’m warning you.” hissed Nick. “Either shut up or ...” “Or what Nicholas?” LaCroix asked silkily “Enough” Natalie shouted interrupting them ,“You’re doing it again.” She was having a hard enough time dealing with what had happened to her without having to listen to them argue again “Doing what again Natalie?” inquired LaCroix, innocently. “Bickering, Trying to have the last word. Forgetting I’m in the room. Oh what’s the use?” she asked. She felt drained physically and emotionally. Natalie went over to Nick’s leather sofa and sat down. “For what its worth, Nick,” she reminded him again “I was the one violated here tonight, not you.” “I know, Nat.” said Nick still glowering at LaCroix. For his part LaCroix looked distinctly unimpressed. Giving up Nick went over and sat down beside Natalie. However, this time he very carefully didn’t try to touch her. “I know. But it will be all right, Nat, I promise you.” he said gently. End of part 5/? -- TBC Debbie Clarke dittany121@hotmail.com Subject: 6 Things are Seldom what they seem - Part II --CAT'S PAW (6/?) Date: Thu, 12 May 2005 19:12:10 -0400 From: Debbie Clarke To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Things are Seldom what they seem - Part II --CAT'S PAW (6/?) For Credits and other formalities please refer to the Introduction. “Will it Nick?” Natalie asked meeting his eyes. Mad as she was at Nick , she couldn’t prevent herself from taking in how pale he was, and the dark smudges under his eyes, She probably should do something about it ... Natalie stopped. There you go again. she thought . Proffering help when he doesn’t need it. He can’t possibly feel any worse than you do right now, she reminded herself. “I do love you, Nat.” Nick said softly “You mean more to me than life itself.” “Oh be still my bleeding heart.” LaCroix commented sarcastically. Natalie remained silent. “Nat” said Nick,becoming alarmed when she wouldn’t answer him. “Have I gone so far beyond the pale you can’t even talk to me?” Natalie looked at Nick. When she finally spoke her voice was so low that even with vampire hearing Nick had a hard time hearing what she said “LaCroix said you were going to move on and leave me behind, Nick. Is that true?” It was something Natalie needed to know. Nick hesitated. It would be so easy to lie, to deny what LaCroix had told her, but this was Natalie. One of the things he had always admired about her was her truthfulness What did it say about him if he returned that honesty with a lie? “Yes ” he said “I mean to leave you behind. Though it would have been one of the hardest things I had ever done in my life. You have got to understand, Nat ....” “Understand what. What’s left to understand? You’ve made your feelings perfectly clear.” said Natalie dejectedly as her last fantasy perished in the sea of what might have been but never was. She stared morosely into the fireplace. LaCroix been telling the truth. Nick did mean to abandon her. “Yes, Nicholas,” chimed in LaCroix “What’s there to understand? You were going to ditch her. End of story. Did he have to shout it to the world. Natalie thought. “ Nat, You’ve got to let me explain.” said Nick, sounding more and more desperate with every word he said. “It wasn’t like that at all.” “Explain, understand, talk.” said LaCroix. “ That’s all you ever want to do, Nicholas. I for one am sick of your explanations and your speeches. I’m sure Natalie is as well” Natalie frowned. It suddenly occurred to her that LaCroix had been just a little too quick to cut in, then. They say the hand moves quicker than the eye. But this time the hand moved and she had seen it move. It was almost as if he didn’t want her to hear what Nick said. If that were the case maybe she should listen. “ Nat, please ” begged Nick “ You’ve got to understand. No matter how much I want you, I could never ask you to give up the light for me. I’m not worthy of the sacrifice.” There it was in a nutshell. Not worthy of the sacrifice. Trouble was Nick actually believed that. Natalie supposed she should feel flattered, that he had put her on so high a pedestal. The question was how to get off it “Oh I quite agree, Nicholas. You’re not worthy.” continued LaCroix, “But don’t worry , considering the way you’ve treated her, I doubt very much if Natalie wants anything to do with you, any more.” remarked LaCroix acidly. ” There. He’d done it again. Put words in her mouth. Words he knew would hurt. Fanning the flames of their disagreement. Manipulating them. Keeping them apart. “If you knew the things I’ve done, Nat.” Nick continued, becoming more and more frantic with every second she didn’t answer him. He had to make her understand he hadn’t rejected her, that he had been trying to save her. “You wouldn’t want to have anything to do with me.” The problem was Nick actually thought that. “ Nick.” said Natalie slowly “Don’t you understand I don’t care what you have done. I never have.” “It’s you who don’t understand, Nat. I’ve killed, so many times ... more times than I can remember.” “I know you've killed. There were no blood banks then . But Nick, you’re not the same person you were. You’ve more than made up for what you did in the past. “ Nick shook his head as much to say it’s not enough. “Nick, you help people now. There are a lot people, myself included, who wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for you. Not to mention the good work you do through the De Brabant foundation.” “De Brabant Foundation. Yeah right. You know Nat, you couldn’t have picked a better example of my depravity if you tried. But then again I never told you, did you, the story of how I got the money to create the de Brabant foundation ? Damn. The boy would bring that up now, thought LaCroix, frowning irritably. It was moments like this that he quite despaired of his son “ Nick,” said Natalie “ Where you got the money isn’t important any more.” “Isn’t it. I wonder . You see Nat, You’re wrong in thinking I just killed to survive, I killed for other reasons, as well. I wanted to be rich . Knowing the Dauphin was in need of money, I came up with a scheme to solve both our problems. I suggested he stage his own kidnapping. The poor fool thought it would be great sport to steal money from his father the king. It never crossed his mind that I had no intention of ever keeping my end of our arrangement. You see to do that, would have entailed handing over the lion share of the ransom to him. Why would I do that when I could have it all.” Nick stared off into space. “What happened Nick?” asked Natalie. She was almost afraid to ask, but with LaCroix watching her, she couldn’t afford to back away now. “What do you think happened, Nat?” Nick said brutally “The king paid the ransom, and we, myself and my accomplice, a mortal whom I had met at the gaming table, murdered the Dauphin. Once that was done ... I killed my ... accomplice and took the money.” Seeing that Natalie looked a little sick. LaCroix sneered . “So it seems we are not quite as forgiving of Nicholas’ past as we claimed to be, are we Doctor.” Natalie glared at him. Oh I wouldn’t say that LaCroix she thought pulling herself together. She was now even more determined than before, not to dance to his tune. She said gently, “ Nick. That’s all in the past. You are not longer a killer and believe me the good work you have done since, with the de Brabant Foundation, has more than made up for what you did to get the money.” “Nat, becoming a vampire isn’t just about killing or giving up the sun.” Nick said “It’s about losing your soul, your ability to feel life, to care about life.” “Great Nick, How encouraging.” said Natalie, feeling a little as if she had been slapped in the face. So much for taking the high road. she thought. Why couldn’t Nick understand what she needed now was to be reassured, reassured that she wasn’t going to turn into a monster Richie had . Instead, what did she get? A speech on how she lost her soul. “Yes really Nicholas. Where do you come up with these ideas? Losing your ability to feel life. Such twaddle. It is bad enough that Natalie has to deal with your rejection of her without having you pile your feelings of guilt on her as well.” end of part 6/? -- TBC Debbie Clarke dittany121@hotmail.com Subject: 7 Things are Seldom what they seem - Part II -- CAT'S PAW (7/?) Date: Fri, 13 May 2005 09:35:07 -0400 From: Debbie Clarke To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Things are Seldom what they seem - Part II -- CAT'S PAW (7/?) For Credits and other formalities please refer to the Introduction. “ I haven’t rejected her. I would never, ever reject Natalie.” Nick shouted frantically . “Anyway she wouldn’t have to deal with anything if you had left her alone, the way you promised to, LaCroix.” Nick snarled at his father. He turned back to Natalie “Nat, please ...” “Really Nicholas?” interrupted LaCroix, “You think so. What about death. Mortals die, remember It is their nature. Or had you forgotten?” LaCroix asked. “I hadn’t forgotten.” replied Nick “But ...” “Do you really expect me to believe, Nicholas ,” interrupted LaCroix “That the thought of Natalie dying one day, didn’t bother you. Come, I know you better than that.” “Yeah it bothered me. But we are talking about life here as well, LaCroix. A long and enriching life,” said Nick. “ Surrounded by her children and grand children. . .:” “Now wait just a minute.” interrupted Natalie, somewhat taken aback by this flight of fantasy on Nick’s part. “What children.” “ Nat, it’s okay.” said Nick. soothingly “It is most decidedly not okay, Nicholas de Brabant Knight. I want to know where these mysterious children came from.” “Nat, you know you like children.” replied Nick, becoming somewhat flustered by her question . “I’ve seen how you enjoy being with Amy and Jenny. I guess I just assumed that after I left, you would marry someone and have children.” “Did you indeed? And while you were assuming this did you, in your infinite wisdom, happen to decide I was going to marry,” I hope you noticed that whom, she thought remembering LaCroix ’ criticism of her grammar earlier. “Nat, Of course not.” “You mean you were actually going to give me a say in in the matter? How flattering of you. Knowing your propensity for making highhanded decisions for me I was sure you would have wanted to pick out my husband for me. Tell me Nick, while you were arbitrarily arranging my future for me, did you also decide on the number of children I should have. A girl would like to know. ” “I don’t understand. What are you saying, Nat?” stammered Nick. “Simply that I’m more than a little ticked off by your blasé assumption that you know what’s best for me. Your presumption that you could just walk out on me and I would live happily ever after. How convenient for you. No responsibility. No consideration of my feelings in the matter. No you know best. For your information Nick, this is not the thirteenth century Women have rights now. They can no longer simply property to be married off at will . Hell they even have the vote. That being so I think I should get some say in how I choose to live the rest of my life, and with whom I am going to live it.” LaCroix smiled appreciatively. (Well said Natalie, Now let’s see you dig yourself out of that hole, Nicholas.) “Nat, I know all that,” Nick said, in an effort to placate her. “And naturally I would never dream of arranging your life. It’s just that ...” He stopped, realizing with a start he really didn’t have a leg to stand on, that Natalie was right he had been trying to arrange her life for her But it had been for a good cause he told himself. Natalie had needed to be protected from them. She didn’t understand. “Oh don’t stop there, Nicholas.” La LaCroix commented sarcastically . “I do so much enjoy listening to you try to defend your egocentric behaviour. ” Nick shot LaCroix another furious look but other than that he refused to take the bait. “All I ever wanted,” he said, “Was for you to be happy, Nat, and to have the things that other mortal women have, like marriage , children. The things you would have had if I had never entered your life.” “Lot’s of women never have any children Nick . And as for marriage I could have just as easily ended up miserable and divorced.” replied Natalie. “It happens, Nick. What is it now? Four out of every ten marriages?. Or is it six? Or... I could have stayed single. “Now we both know would never have happened, Nat.” said Nick “Someone would have snatched you up in no time.” “Yeah right. Like they were hammering on my door before I met you. Okay, even supposing you were right and someone did show up, tell me, Nick, why would I ever trust another man after you walked out on me and broke my heart?” “ Nat ...” protested Nick “I broke your heart?” LaCroix now decided he had heard enough. Amusing though this conversation was, it was beginning to verge on the maudlin. It was also starting to go nowhere. Natalie had made her point. it was therefore time to move on. “You know Nicholas, he said. “This utopian existence you concocted for Natalie, out of your guilt, is really quite entertaining, but it is nothing but a fantasy” Nick swung around and stared at LaCroix. “What do you mean?” he demanded harshly. “Did you really think that the community would have allowed her to live after you left? That is pure folly, Nicholas.” “Why not?” demanded Nick angrily. “ Natalie has proved time and time again she can be trusted Not only that but we owe her our very existence. She discovered the cure for the fever. She covered up for us in the asteroid disaster. She ...” “You know, Nicholas,” said LaCroix interrupting. “You and Natalie should deal very well together. You both seem to share a great many nonsensical ideas. While it is true that Dr Lambert has been of great help to our community, it still doesn’t change the fact her knowledge of our kind is a threat to our very existence. In short, we managed quite well before we had Dr. Lambert to help us and we could manage very well without her.” “What are you saying?” Nick stammered out, shocked “I don't know how I can put it any plainer than I have already, Nicholas, but I will try. What I am saying is that Dr Lambert is totally expendable in the great scheme of things. We only tolerated her knowledge of us, because you were here to guarantee her silence. Once you’re gone her life would be forfeit. In short she would have be killed before the dust even settled behind you.” “LaCroix.” “Don’t look so dismayed, Nicholas This is how we sustain our secret. You know that as well as I do. So you see, this was and is really the only solution to your dilemma.” “You mean it is the only solution you’re prepared to let us have.” Nick said bitterly. End of part 7/? TBC Debbie Clarke dittany121@hotmail. com Subject: 8 Things are Seldom what they seem - Part II --CAT'S PAW (8/?) Date: Fri, 13 May 2005 09:41:55 -0400 From: Debbie Clarke To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Things are Seldom what they seem - Part II --CAT'S PAW (8/?) For Credits and other formalities please refer to the Introduction. When LaCroix and Nick started to argue again, Natalie’s mind began to wander. She tried to fight it, since she knew she should be listening, but she was just too tired. Tired of fighting. Tired of thinking. Tired of coping with what had happened to her. She just wanted whatever was going to happen to be over so she could get some perspective on all that had happened. Right now she felt a little as if she had been turned upside down, spun around, kicked a few times then dumped God knows where. There was a part of her which knew life would go on. It always did. Not necessarily the way she wanted it to. but it went on. It had gone on after her parents had been killed in that car crash and it had gone on after Richie had died. It would go on now. With or without Nick. It was the “without Nick” part that was where her mind balked. “Nicholas,” continued. LaCroix, “You are an ungrateful child. I mean this is the only solution the community will let you have. I am not the one being unreasonable here. You are. I consider myself to have been more than generous with you. You seem to forget you still owe me a life for Fleur. I could have very easily taken Natalie’s life, but I chose not to. Instead I brought her across for you. I can’t believe you’d turn your back on her. “I haven’t,” Nick said. quickly “I would never do such a thing.” He glanced worriedly at Natalie. It now occurred to him she was being a little too quiet. To be sure dawn was fast approaching and with the dawn, Natalie would have to sleep but Nick didn’t think it was just that. He found himself wishing she would say something. Anything would be better than this apathetic state she appeared to be lapsing in.. He wasn’t sure she was even listening anymore. But Natalie was listening in so much as she had heard Nick’s last sentence. She supposed on the whole she should be gratified to find out that Nick had no intention of abandoning her. But even if that were the case she didn’t want feel he was only staying with her out of a sense of obligation. Nick said he loved her. Natalie knew he did, up to a point. At least he had loved her. The question was did he love her still? Now that she had, in his own words, lost her soul? Nick claimed he wanted her to be happy. What he didn’t seem to understood was that all she needed to make her happy was a certain tall blue eyed blond vampire by her side. It was not some mythical husband and children. Natalie didn’t know when she had crossed that particular Rubicon. Perhaps it happened the night Nick woke up in morgue. Or maybe it was the day she turned down Fred Summerdale’s proposal in order to go into forensics. Nana had warned her when she did that she would probably never get as good an offer again. “Face it, Natasha men aren’t interested in women who are too clever.” “Then what is your problem, Nicholas?” asked LaCroix “Don’t tell me you’re jealous because I was the one who brought Natalie across instead of you. Let’s face it, boy, your success rate in that department is not the greatest .” “No, that isn’t it either.” said Nick quickly before LaCroix decided to bring up the matter of Alyssa. There were some things he preferred to tell Natalie himself. “ What is it then ? ... Tell me why my bringing her across was so wrong .” Nick didn’t answer LaCroix, instead he turned to Natalie and said “ Nat, forgive me. It never occurred to me that the Community would doing anything like that. All I ever wanted was for you to be happy.” “It’s okay, Nick.” Natalie said, mechanically. “No. It’s not okay.” said Nick. “ Nat please,” Natalie didn’t answer. Nick wasn’t sure she had heard him. “Oh hell.” he cried out, “I’ve made such a mess of everything.” He felt like a fool, either that or the wickedest hypocrite on the face of the earth. He didn’t know which was worse. Either way Nat probably would probably never forgive him. The truth was deep down inside him he knew he wasn’t that angry about what LaCroix had done to her. He should be, but he wasn’t . He wanted her. He had always wanted her. Now he could have her. And that thought frightened him. Frightened him because he knew he ought to feel guilty about it. All these years he had looked on his eternal life as a curse. Nick supposed in a way he had seen his leaving Natalie as the ultimate penance for his crimes against humanity, the extreme sacrifice as it were, a sacrifice which thanks to LaCroix’s interference he no longer had to make. Assuming, that is, that Natalie still wanted to have anything to do with him and that she could forgive him for not being the one to bring her across. Nick didn’t want to think of what he was going to do if she didn’t. LaCroix smiled. Gotcha he thought. Such a useful emotion, guilt was, especially when applied by a master. Mind you, he had to admit Natalie’s performance, up to this point in time, had been most adroit as well. In fact she had done far better than LaCroix ever expected she would. She now had Nicholas so off balance, the boy didn’t know which end was up. Not that it was all that difficult to make Nicholas feel guilty. Sometimes it seemed to LaCroix as if the boy spent his entire life in a perpetual state of guilt. The hard part was to get him to feel guilty about the right things. In this case Nicholas had to be made to understand there was vast difference between his giving Natalie up in some kind of a noble gesture to redeem his soul and his losing her because she walked out on him. Not that LaCroix believed for an instant Natalie intended to walk out on Nick. Once she realized he loved her as much as she loved him, all would be forgiven. Therefore i amusing as this evening’s entertainment had been, it was time to start phase two. Safe in the knowledge that Nick and Natalie were each so caught up in their own misery to pay any heed to anything he might do, LaCroix slipped into the kitchen area. He opened the refrigerator door and took out one of the bottles of Bloodwine he’d put there earlier. Setting it down on the counter, LaCroix reached up to a shelf and took down three crystal goblets. In order for Nicholas to recover from the curare LaCroix had given him he needed blood. More specifically he needed LaCroix’ blood. However LaCroix knew that if he offered to share his blood directly to his son, Nick would turn him down flat. But if, Nicholas didn’t know what he was being offered ... LaCroix smiled.... Once more LaCroix glanced over to where his two children were sitting despondently together and saw there was no danger of interruption from either of them. Natalie was still staring morosely into the fireplace and for his part Nicholas, though he had edged slightly closer to Natalie, was likewise engaged in eying the floor with an equally mournful expression. Good, thought LaCroix, satisfied. Standing with his back to his children so that there was not chance that Nicholas would see what he was doing LaCroix tore open the vein in his wrist with his fangs. He then held his wrist over one of the glasses and filled it with his own blood. The glass was only about half full when blood flow began to slow. A few seconds later it had stopped completely. LaCroix frowned slightly at the amount. He considered opening his wrist again and adding to the glass but in the end he decided not to. Any more and Nicholas might become suspicious. LaCroix picked up the bottle he had taken from the refrigerator and uncorked it. He filled the two remaining empty glasses with its contents and topped off Nicholas’ glass. He then carried the drinks out into the living area. Keeping one for himself he handed the other two to his children, making sure that Nick got the one containing his blood. Nick took the wine glass from his father’s hand. Shooting LaCroix a scathing glance he promptly set it down on the coffee table and pushed the goblet away, pointedly. For over hundred years he and LaCroix had been playing this game. LaCroix offered him human and Nick refused to drink it. end of part 8/? TBC Debbie Clarke dittany121@hotmail.com Subject: 9 Things are seldom what they seem - Part II -- CAT'S PAW (9/?) Date: Fri, 13 May 2005 09:46:22 -0400 From: Debbie Clarke To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Things are seldom what they seem - Part II -- CAT'S PAW (9/?) For credits and other formalities please consult Introduction Natalie who had been on the brink of picking up her glass and draining it stopped as well when she saw Nick push his away, froze. Great Natalie, she thought Guzzle down blood in front of Nick . How not to convince him you’re not a monster. Especially after you made such an issue of every time he backslid and upped the allotment of cow blood you allowed him. And it’s not as if this were cow blood. It’s human. The cure. Her cure. How very far away that all seemed, now. Natalie had had such high hopes. She would cure him and they would be together. But now what? Cure herself? How? If LaCroix was right, all her research and ideas had ever accomplished was to starve Nick. Her brief existence of being a vampire had shown her how hungry they got. Why she had almost fed on poor Sydney. Then again why would she ever believe LaCroix ? Practically every thing he had said to her tonight had been a lie. Hell if he told her it was raining outside and she would probably go check first just to make sure before getting her umbrella. What had Nick said about him? LaCroix generally tells the truth. The problem was more often than not it ends up meaning something entirely different than what you thought it did when he was telling it to you. Or something like that. If only she had remembered that earlier. “Nicholas.” said LaCroix reprovingly interrupting Natalie’s thoughts “You forget your manners. It is not polite for a host to make his guests drink alone.” He nodded significantly at Natalie. Nick followed his gaze and realized to his dismay Natalie had not touched her drink. . LaCroix was right. This would not do. As a fledgling Natalie needed to feed often . On human blood. Nick shared LaCroix’ low opinion of Carouches. Fortunately thanks to LaCroix he now had a oodles of the stuff on hand. Normally he wouldn’t have had, Wait a minute he did have oodles of the stuff. In spite of himself Nick couldn’t help brightening. That must mean his father intended for Natalie to spend, at least some of her time at the loft. Maybe even stay. Though mind you if she did stay, LaCroix would more likely as not insist on staying as well, since there was no way on earth Nick knew, his father would ever abandon one of his fledglings. Least of all to him. Nick’s heart quailed slightly at the thought of having to live under his father’s roof again, even if that roof was technically his own, and always assuming his father even let him stay under it while Natalie was there. Why it wouldn’t be five minutes before LaCroix started rearranging life to suit himself. Still .... if it meant he could be with Natalie , he could endure it. He could endure anything as long as he had Natalie with him. “ Nicholas.” LaCroix said again and this time there was sufficient warning in his voice to make Nick jump. Quickly Nick picked up his glass and handed Natalie hers. “ Nat.” he said, smiling encouragingly at her. “What say we drink it together.” Natalie stared at her glass in her hand. She couldn’t pretend she didn’t want it. She was incredibly hungry. What had Nick called it .. a hunger without end. Perhaps she thought if she could just sip it, she would prove to Nick that she was still the same person. That, she, Natalie Lambert, was in control of the beast, as Nick called it. Control meant everything to Nick. You had to control the beast within. How many times had she heard him say that? Natalie had lost count. Natalie put her glass up to her lips and took a single sip. Then she took another and then another. She couldn’t stop. The taste was wonderful, even better than before. In no time at all she had downed her entire glass. “I’m sorry,” she muttered, looking everywhere but at Nick. He might as well stake her now and get it over with. “See what you have wrought with your guilt, Nicholas.” said LaCroix bitingly. Nick winced but other than that he ignored his master’s comment. “ Nat.” Nick said, “Look at me.” Natalie turned slightly at his words , but she still felt too ashamed to look him in the eyes. Damn it, LaCroix was right. Nick thought This was his fault. All of it. Putting his hand under Natalie’s chin Nick gently lifted her head up . “Nat.” he said reassuringly “It’s all right. Please don’t look like that As if you thought you thought I was going to blame you” he said cursing the inadequacy of his words. But with the curare still lurching around in his system they were the best he could come up with at the moment “I couldn’t stop.” muttered Natalie. “ Nat, no one expects you to be able to stop. In fact I would be alarmed if you could. The hunger you are experiencing is perfectly normal at this stage in the game. It will get easier in time and you will learn to control it, I promise you. Cut yourself some slack . You are doing much better than I did at the beginning I hate to have to tell you how long it was before I could drink with even a modicum of control.” Nick said smiling “ Indeed, Nicholas?” mocked LaCroix. “And you think you have restraint now?” Nick grimaced. How typical of LaCroix to put him down. A part of him wanted to lash out at the elder vampire, but Natalie was right. This was about her not him. He took a sip from his own glass and stopped. A feral expression swept over his face. He stared at it and then at LaCroix “Just a little something to help you recover from the curare, Nicholas.” said LaCroix lightly. watching him with some amusement. But Nick was no longer listening. He was too rapt up in the sheer pleasure of Lacroix’ blood. If Natalie didn’t know better she might have thought he inhaled it. At first she thought he was only doing it to make her feel better about herself. But then as she watched Nick stick his finger in his glass in an effort to get all dregs long after the glass was empty , she realized that was not the case. “I’m flattered, Nicholas. I didn’t think you still cared .” commented LaCroix, sardonically Natalie glanced at LaCroix questioningly. She knew from her research blood especially human blood was a panacea for most vampire ailments, including it would appear curare. She also knew that subsiding on cow the way Nick did, human blood often had an intoxicating impact on him. Something equivalent to an addict getting his fix. “There is plenty more where that came from,” said LaCroix. “You have only to ask, mon fils.” Nick came back to earth with a start. “Damn you, LaCroix.” he said, smashing his glass down on the table. “I’m glad to know you’re back your old self again , Nicholas.” LaCroix remarked somewhat dryly. “Your thanks are not required.” “That’s a good thing.” replied Nick icily “Because I have no intention of extending them. If you hadn’t slipped me the curare in the first place, I would have had no need of your blood.” So that was it. thought Natalie. “Well I had to do something, Nicholas. You are impossible to reason with when you lose your temper.” “In that case you shouldn’t do things to provoke me into losing my temper.” Natalie winced and shrunk back in her seat. (Excellent Natalie, LaCroix thought. Continue to work on his sensibilities. Now if you could just add in a few tears we could get this matter settled in no time) “ Nicholas, you’re a fool ” commented LaCroix. “ A fool ...” started Nick, furiously. “Yes, a fool.” LaCroix quickly interrupting. Normally he would enjoy a battle of words with his son but the simple fact was they were starting to run out of time. Dawn was fast approaching and there still a lot they had to resolve before Natalie succumbed to the sleep of a new born vampire. “ You keep insisting on missing the point” He said gesturing towards Natalie who was looking shattered again . Oh God though Nick taking in Natalie’s woebegone demeanor. LaCroix was right. Natalie was most important thing in the room right now. “Please talk to me. Nat. I don’t think I can bear it if you shut me out. I love you so much. You mean everything to me.” he said awkwardly. And Nick couldn’t help thinking as he spoke that this would be hell of a lot easier if LaCroix weren’t standing there critiquing every word he said. Debbie Clarke dittany121@hotmail.com Almost there. Tomorrow should finish it. Subject: 10 Things are seldom what they seem -- Part II-- CAT'S PAW (10/?) Date: Sat, 14 May 2005 07:36:45 -0400 From: Debbie Clarke To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Things are seldom what they seem -- Part II-- CAT'S PAW (10/?) For credits and other formalities please refer to the Introduction. At first Nick was afraid Natalie wasn’t going to answer. “Nat?” he asked after what seemed to him to be an endless silence between them but which in point of fact was only about half a minute, “ Do you hate me so much you can’t even talk to me?” Natalie shook her head. She was aware he was doing it to her again. But if there was even the remotest possibility Nick loved her she owed it to herself to find out. “God knows, Nick, I want to believe you love me. she said . But how can I? she asked I mean you never said anything before and ...” “ Nat, there was a very good reason why I couldn’t.” And Nick shot an angry look at LaCroix. “ I suppose,” interjected LaCroix “You’re going blame me for that. Though why I have to be held responsible for your ineptness in this situation ....” “You know perfectly well why, LaCroix.” snarled Nick. “You’re talking about Fleur.” said Natalie, jumping in before they could start one of their quarrels again. “He told you about Fleur.” asked Nick, spinning around and staring at Natalie in astonishment. He found himself wondering what else LaCroix might have told her. “LaCroix didn’t have to, Nick I know what happened at the Azure. Your hypno whammy thing didn’t take.” “Yes, Nicholas, remind me to have a chat with you some time about your technique.” LaCroix interrupted again and at last he got the response he had been waiting for all evening in that both Nick and Natalie turned and glared at him in unison . Perfect he thought. He had been wondering how long it would be before they joined forces against him. Nothing like a common enemy to bring two people together. “Oh did I interrupt something important.” LaCroix asked innocently. “My apologies.” This time Nick frowned and eyed his master warily. It was practically unheard of for LaCroix to apologize for anything. He was up to something. However before he even began to deal with whatever LaCroix was concocting against him, he had to fix things up with Natalie. “ Nat,” said Nick, “If you remember what happened at the Azure then you have to know I love you.” “Yes.” said Natalie slowly. The problem was it had taken her several days to remember everything. By then the damage had already been done. “I do not love this woman.” Strange how she had remembered those words before she remembered anything else. In the cold light of day Natalie knew Nick had only said them to convince LaCroix not to kill her, but the fact that he could say them so convincingly had hurt nonetheless. It was unreasonable that she should feel that way she knew, but there it was. Who said love had to be reasonable? “ Nat.” said Nick worried once again when she didn't answer . “Please talk to me. I don’t know what to say to you, if you won’t talk to me.” There were so many things Natalie wanted to ask him about. First of all there was the business of Alyssa. Though logically she understood why Nick hadn’t told her about her, a part of her still wished he had. Then there was his refusing to bring her across, and the fact that he had intended to move on without her. Looking at it that way it really all boiled down to whether or not he loved her. “I think, Nick.” Natalie said after a moment’s silence. “ What I really want to know is do you still love me. Now that I am a vampire. One of the damned. A killer, a monster, just to name just a few of the words you have used to describe what you are. I don’t feel like a monster or even a killer, but that doesn’t mean I’m not one. After all she thought guiltily she had come very close to killing Sydney. “Yes, Nicholas, do tell.” commented LaCroix Nick stared at Natalie. Had he really said all that to her? LaCroix was right. He had burdened her with his guilt. “You are the woman I love.” he said, firmly. “You could never be a monster, Nat. As for being damned. I don't pretend to know what will happen to us, or more specifically to me if I should ever die, but what I do know is that no God in His right mind would ever condemn you to the fiery pits of hell.” LaCroix looked slightly disappointed at that. He couldn’t help but wish Nick had taken the thought farther. Perhaps, he was right they were all damned but since they weren’t either of them going to die what difference did it make. Still he supposed it was a beginning, albeit a small one. “Are you sure, Nick?” asked Natalie, “You’re not just saying that to make me feel better, are you?” “No Nat, I am not just saying it to make you feel better. I wish I knew how to convince you, but ...” “Oh come now, Nicholas” said LaCroix interrupting again. “ I thought I told you to shut up.” said Nick, shooting him a withering glance. “ Nat ...” “You can’t think I’m going to sit idly by and listen to you talk nonsense, Nicholas. You don't know how to show Natalie how much you love her? Come, come Nicholas, Have you forgotten everything there is to know about being a vampire” “ are you talking about? ” asked Nick, furiously “This” And as he spoke LaCroix grabbed Natalie suddenly roughly by the arm, twisted her hand over and slashed open her wrist with a knife. ” What the hell do you think you’re doing, LaCroix snarled Nick, angrily. Five seconds later he found himself in the same boat. Saving your bacon, Nicholas” said LaCroix and with that he slammed both their wrists together. “Of course” He commented. “If you are afraid of what she might find out?” “ Nick.” said Nat, in a small scared voice not being exactly certain what LaCroix was doing to them. “It’s all right, Nat” said Nick as consolingly as he could under the circumstances. Then suddenly Natalie knew it was. As Nick’s blood flowed into her Natalie stopped being afraid. For the first time since LaCroix brought her over she felt complete. This was where she was supposed to be. In Nick’s arms. Being kissed by Nick, being loved by Nick. Nick.” whispered Natalie, her voice becoming husky with her need for him Natalie had never known love could be as powerful as this. Nick loved her. Her , dumpy Natalie Lambert. The Natalie who was not pretty enough to catch a man or so her grandmother had said. The same Natalie who had always thought there must be something wrong with her because no boy ever asked her out during high school. The same Natalie who had , or so her Grandmother claimed, had lost her only chance for a husband when she had turned down Fred Summerhill’s marriage proposal. Nick loved her. . She meant everything to him. Without her he was nothing. She was his sunlight and his starlight, his moonlight ... Then .... Natalie growled in a mixture of rage and frustration when LaCroix separated them She had wanted the moment to last forever. She needed Nick to understand how much she the back of it with his lips. “I know, and it will.” She saw Nicks eyes were glowing as well and knew that it was. “So we’re feeling better now.” asked LaCroix sarcastically “All our doubts removed.” If she had been still mortal, Natalie would have blushed. But having shared Nick’s blood, albeit briefly she knew that no matter what she did she could never be embarrassed in front of him. They were part of each other. There was nothing she couldn’t tell him and nothing he couldn't tell her. For his part Nick still hadn’t forgiven LaCroix. He had picked up enough of Natalie’s memories to have a pretty good idea of just what his master had done to her. Natalie, picked up what he was thinking and intervened. Having come this far she didn’t want to lose him to LaCroix. “ Nick, Let it go.” she said. “We’re together now and that’s all that matters.” “Yes, Nicholas.” said LaCroix mockingly . “Natalie’s right You really must learn to let things go.” End of 10/? TBC Debbie Clarke dittany121@hotmail. com Subject: 11 Things are seldom what they seem -- Part II-- CAT'S PAW (11/12) Date: Sat, 14 May 2005 07:39:52 -0400 From: Debbie Clarke To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Things are seldom what they seem -- Part II-- CAT'S PAW (11/12) For credits and other formalities please refer to the Introduction. “You had no right, LaCroix.” Nick said coldly “Yes, yes I know. I’m a ba-a-a-d person. And you hate me . So what. Plus ca change plus la même chose.” “When I think of what you did to her. The shock could have destroyed her mind.” “ Fortunately It didn’t. As it turns out Natalie’s mind is a lot more resilient than you give it credit for.” “But that still doesn’t excuse ...” “Enough, I do not justify my actions to anyone, least of all you, Nicholas.” said LaCroix icily Nick bridled. “Besides why are you so upset? Natalie appears to have survived the experience without any ill affects. Nick frowned. He still wasn’t convinced but before he could say anything in return, LaCroix added “Besides which I have something far more a important to be discuss with you now.” “More important?” spluttered Nick irately. “What could possibly be more important than Natalie?” LaCroix spoke over top of him, “ I’ve decided to go away for a while.” Natalie looked at him startled . Admittedly she didn’t know LaCroix very well but from what little she did know this sounded strangely out of character for him. He’s up to something she thought again. “Go away? What do you mean go away? ” spluttered Nick, angrily “If you mean by going away, you are going to take Natalie away with you. I won’t allow it LaCroix.” “ won’t allow it, Nicholas? And just when did you get a say in anything I do.” “Take it easy, Nick .” interrupted Natalie. “It’s not as though I don’t have any say in this. I assure you no one is going to take me anywhere I don’t want to go.” Much to her surprise this statement was meant with a devastating silence. Nick didn’t know how to break it to her that if LaCroix wanted her to go with him she would go. I do get some say in this, don’t I?” Natalie asked turning to LaCroix somewhat nervously. ” To her annoyance the master vampire chose to ignore her question. “Well ... Nicholas,” said LaCroix. “You were saying.” “I’m sorry, LaCroix.” Nick apologized carefully. “I spoke without thinking. What I should have said is when do we leave?” “That is marginally better. To answer your question Nicholas leave tomorrow night.” “Tomorrow night,” said Nick looking at Natalie . “It’s short notice, but I guess I can be ready by then.” “How very gratifying to know, Nicholas, “ said LaCroix, “Since I was unaware that I asked you to be.” “I just thought.” said Nick, “Now that Natalie ..”. “You thought wrong, Nicholas. You see I have been doing a great deal of thinking about you lately, and I have come to the conclusion that you are right. It is high time I cut you some slack. So I have decided to grant you have your wish and give you your freedom.” “My freedom,” gasped Nick, looking utterly dismayed LaCroix smiled. “What’s the matter.” he queried, sardonically That what you’ve been asking me to do all these centuries, isn’t it? You should be happy, Nicholas.” “Yes, But ...” Nick stammered. He didn’t know what to say. LaCroix couldn’t be so cruel . To bring Natalie to him then deprive him of her, thirty minutes later. On the other hand that was precisely the kind of thing LaCroix would do. There was still the matter of Fleur between them. “Please, LaCroix .” Nick begged him. “Don’t do this ... Natalie ....” “Will also not be coming with me .” said LaCroix, having decided Nick had suffered long enough. There was no need to overdo it. It was sufficient for Nicholas, and for that matter, Natalie, to understand he could take her away from his son whenever he wanted to. Discipline must be maintained. “I meant it when I said I was giving her to you, Nicholas.” “Giving me to him?” said Natalie. Much as she wanted to be with Nick she didn’t like the tone this conversation had suddenly taken. It reeked of proprietorship and domination. LaCroix might be her master but he had no right to speak of her as if she were a piece of property or something he could barter away whenever the mood swayed him. “Now see here LaCroix ... ” she started indignantly. “Are you trying to tell me, Natalie, that you don’t want to stay with Nicholas? And here I thought you had resolved all the problems between you ” asked LaCroix, in a surprised tone of voice. “ Well, if that is case, I suppose I could leave you with someone else ... I’d take you with me but my business dealings are such that I wouldn’t have time to tend to your needs”. “I don’t want anyone else.” spat out Natalie. With her luck she thought LaCroix would probably decide to leave her with Janette. “That’s not the point.” said Natalie, looking at Nick. “It’s the principle of the thing. You understand don’t you, Nick?” Nick nodded. “If I stay with Nick, it should be because I want to, not because you are dumping me here. I may be a vampire, I may even be your daughter, LaCroix,, but there is no way I’m going tolerate being handed over to Nick like a ... like I was your pet dog. “You know, Natalie I am starting to get concerned about this propensity you seem to have towards thinking of yourself as some kind of domestic animal.” LaCroix commented “Well, you were the one who called me Nick’s pet.” said Natalie bitterly. “To be sure I did.” He smiled. “My dear child. The word pet applies only to mortals. It symbolizes the vast gap between us and them. You are no longer mortal. Ergo the word no longer applies to you. As for the rest, you must stay with someone. So why not Nicholas? You like him. He likes you. I believe was the word he used. ” he finished sardonically “Are you sure that’s all you meant?” “ It is.” At this Nick eyed his father dubiously. Experience had taught him nothing was ever quite that simple with LaCroix However, the last thing he wanted to do was to give LaCroix an excuse to change his mind, he decided not to challenge the master vampire on it. “It’ll be all right, Nat.” said Nick, as comfortingly as he could. “Look at this way we’ll be together.” Natalie snuggled up beside him and rested her head on Nick’s shoulder. She was starting to find it harder and harder just to keep her eyes open. It was not surprising she should feel tired, she thought, considering all she been through tonight. “Don’t get too carried away yet. ” commented LaCroix, dryly, “ There are still a number of things that need to be ironed out before I go.” “You’re really going away? ” Nick asked, frowning. “You’re not just saying it?” to lure me into a false sense of security he thought but didn’t say. “Now why would I do that?” commented LaCroix, quite amused by his son’s concern. “Yes, Nicholas, I really am going away. But don’t worry, it will only be for a short while , six months maximum, during which time I am going to put you in charge of Natalie’s training.” (During which time you will also re-hone your own training , he thought but didn’t say.) “My training?” questioned Natalie, shaking herself awake at these words. “Yes Natalie.” LaCroix explained patiently. “Your training. As a vampire there are certain things you need to know . I think on the whole you will find Nicholas to be an excellent teacher. His mortal students at University always did.” Nick’s jaw dropped. Talk about lions whelping in the streets This night had to be one of the weirdest to quote Schanke he had ever experienced. A compliment. In the midst of everything LaCroix had paid him a compliment. Nick couldn’t believe his ears. Up to now LaCroix had always it seemed to him gone out of his way to sneer at him for even presuming he could ever teach anyone anything and his master’s comments, the year he had taught Roman History, had been the stuff nightmares were made of. Not to mention the fact if LaCroix had told him once he had told him a thousand times that he was the last person that should ever be allowed near a fledgling. It was remembering this last comment that made Nick eye LaCroix warily. “ What is this, some kind of a trap, LaCroix?”, he blurted out “ Are you hoping I’ll make a mess of Natalie’s training so you’ll have an excuse to destroy her.” That had to be it Nick thought. That was the only thing that might explain his master’s bizarre about face. It was either that or believe LaCroix had undergone some kind of personality transplant. end of part 11/ 12 TBC Debbie Clarke dittany121@hotmail.com Subject: 12 Things are seldom what they seem -- Part II-- CAT'S PAW (12 a/12) Date: Sat, 14 May 2005 07:44:32 -0400 From: Debbie Clarke To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Things are seldom what they seem -- Part II-- CAT'S PAW (12a/12) For credits and other formalities please refer to the Introduction. “Now wait just a minute.” interrupted Natalie alarmed. Nick put his hand over hers protectively. “Really Nicholas. That is nothing short of sheer paranoia.” said LaCroix glancing at Natalie “ Why would you even think I would do such a thing ?” Nick frowned worriedly. There were a lot of reasons why he would think it but with Natalie sitting beside him he didn’t really think he should start listing them. “Oh don’t anybody pay any attention to me.” muttered Natalie cross to find that she was being left out of the conversation. It was all very well for Nick to hold her hand but the fact remained it was her life or lack there of they were discussing “ Why would you? Who am I?” “ You are my daughter, Natalie.” said LaCroix overhearing her and at the same time giving her one of his cat like smiles. Natalie stared at him skeptically. A series of warning bells went off in her head. Yeah right she thought. Your daughter maybe but that is not quite the same as being your son now, is it? Her mind flashed back to a comment LaCroix had made earlier that night at her apartment. “Nicholas is my son, my creation, made in my image I will not let anyone take him away from me.” LaCroix snapped “Not Sylvaine. Not you not anybody ...” He had been angry at the time, but Natalie had found that people who were angry quite often said what they really meant. So if that was the way he truly felt about her, and Natalie thought probably it was, why had he brought her across? For Nick he had said repeatedly. But in what capacity. Once again Natalie was convinced LaCroix was up to something. That being the case it behooved her to listen carefully since everything he had said and done done tonight, the curare, telling her the things he had, had been done with the sole purpose of leading them to this point. But where exactly was she still didn’t have a clue. “ My dear Nicholas” LaCroix continued, smoothly, “If you are feeling that insecure about your ability to train Natalie, I will leave you some guidelines to follow. However I feel I should point out to you that I would not leave her with you if I did not have total confidence in your doing an excellent job.” “Confidence? In me?” said Nicholas in a stunned voice. He stared at his father in disbelief. Natalie didn’t blame Nick for being stunned, she was herself. This was starting to sound a little too good to be true. Whatever LaCroix was up to it had to be something big for him go to all this trouble. “Certainly. After all you know as well as I the consequence of failure.” Ah so there are still claws in the velvet paw, thought Natalie. “Is that a threat, LaCroix?” asked Nicholas stiffening. “Not at all, my dear boy. Quite the opposite. I was merely pointing out to you that just supposing I did as you suspect, harbour some kind of nefarious intentions in regard to Natalie’s life further down the line, you have it within your means to circumvent me.” Nick frowned at him . “How so?” he asked “Simple. By seeing that she learns what she needs to know. That means drinking human blood, not animal. Cow blood is not an appropriate beverage for a fledgling. But, I know I don’t have to tell you any of this . You know the rules as well as I do. However I will leave you with one small bit of advice. I strongly recommend you switch to human blood as well. for the duration of Natalie’s training. You will want to be at the peak of your strength in order to control her. ” Nick’s expression darkened. He might have known. LaCroix smiled at him. “It is only a suggestion, my dear boy. But one I think you would be wise to bear in mind, knowing what the consequences will be if you fail. ” Yes Definitely claws. thought Natalie. She was not surprised. She had suspected all along that LaCroix was using her to bring Nick back into the fold. Well he would soon find out he had misjudged his pawn. She was not so easily manipulated as that “I know.” said Nick softly. He too was fully aware that he was being manipulated but he also knew there was nothing he could do about it. “And I intend to.” he said and his voice sounded only marginally defiant. “Good” said LaCroix, “I’m so glad we understand each other. But then again I always said we were kindred spirits. ” Once again Nick bridled., but before he could even begin to reply in kind, Natalie interceded whispering in his ear, “Nick, It’ll be okay, As soon he’s gone, we can do as we like. That includes switching me to cow. I don’t have to drink human.” “No. Nat.” Nick said quickly. “LaCroix is right. You’re far too young to play around with something like that. At your stage you are going to need all the control you can get. Control which only a diet of human blood can give to you.” “Okay, So maybe I can’t right away, but that doesn’t mean you have to switch.” Nick had struggled so hard to find his humanity. She hated the thought that she might be responsible for taking him further away. “It’s okay, Nat.” said Nick, “Don’t worry about it. It’s just a temporary set back.” (Not if I had anything to do with the matter, thought LaCroix listening.) He now cleared his throat meaningfully and went on. “That only leaves one more thing to be settled, Nicholas. Be warned, I will suffer no weaklings in my family. If Natalie is going to be one of us,” said LaCroix ruthlessly “ She must learn to hunt and kill. .” Nick looked sick. But before he could say anything, Natalie jumped in . “No,” she said firmly “There, I draw the line . There is no way I’m ever going to hunt people. Nor will I kill.” . “It is a part of what we are, my dear.” said LaCroix gently. “You will not be able to deny it.” “It may be a part of who you are, LaCroix.” Natalie stated determinedly. “But it is not a part of me. I’m no killer. And I have no intention of becoming one, simply to satisfy some vampire macho image of yours. You forget there are blood banks now. I may have to drink human blood but I don’t have to kill to get it” she said looking at Nick. She felt as if she were swearing an oath to him. It was his worst nightmare she knew to see her turn into a cold blooded killer. Hers too. she thought, remembering Richie . LaCroix smiled knowingly but other than that he didn’t comment. He could afford to be generous here. Patient as well. She didn’t understand. Sooner or later she would kill. Much to her annoyance now Natalie yawned. In spite of the euphoria she had felt from the infusion of Nick’s’ blood, the fatigue which she had been feeling for the last twenty minutes was becoming harder and harder to ignore. “Sorry.” she apologized “I don't usually ...” Nick picked up the remote on the coffee table and aimed it at the windows closing the blinds. “It’s all right, Nat.” he said “It’s simply the vampire warning you that sunrise is approaching ” “But the sun won’t be up for at least another twenty minutes.” protested Natalie. snuggling closer to Nick. Ever since she had met Nick she had made a point of keeping track of the times when the sun rose, and set. She closed her eyes. Nick looked down at her and said to LaCroix, “She’s nearly asleep. “As is to be expected , Nicholas.” said LaCroix. “She is very young.” “ I’m not asleep.” muttered Natalie, drowsily contradicting them. “I can hear every word you’re saying. I’m just resting my eyes. Besides which I have not intention of sleeping while the two of you arbitrarily decide what I am going to do for the rest of my life. This is not the middle ages Nor is it” Natalie said to LaCroix “The Roman Empire,” “Yeah I know, Nat.” replied Nick. “But nevertheless, you will sleep. Don’t worry, I give you my word we won’t make any more decisions without your input, will we LaCroix? said Nick looking at his master pointedly. To his surprise the LaCroix nodded. “Well see that you don’t.” said Natalie as severely as she could between yawns. “I may be a vampire but I’m still a person.” “ That you are.” replied Nick. He scooped her up into his arms “With your permission , LaCroix,” Nick said looking at the master vampire. “I’ll take her upstairs and put her to bed.” LaCroix nodded “If you think ,” said Natalie, even as she sleepily arranged her head more comfortably on Nick’s shoulder. “That after waiting for nearly six years to be invited up to your bedroom that all we’re going to do is sleep, you’re sadly mistaken. Nick laughed as he bore her away. “Don’t worry my love, there will l be lots of other days.” “An eternity of them in point of fact.” said LaCroix helpfully. “An eternity for me to find a cure for us.” whispered Natalie to Nick “I haven’t given up Nick . And neither should you. We will walk in the sun again, I promise you.” “I know my love.” Nick answered softly end of part 12/13 -- TBC Sorry about that. I had hoped to be able to send it all today, but it's just a little too long. I'll try to get the conclusion off tomorrow night. If not then I'll send it first thing Monday Morning. Debbie Clarke dittany121@hotmail.com Subject: (12b) Things are Seldom What they seem -- Part II -- Cat's Paw (12b/12) Date: Mon, 16 May 2005 09:49:53 -0400 From: Debbie Clarke To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Things are Seldom What they seem -- Part II -- Cat's Paw For credits and other formalities please refer to the Introduction LaCroix smiled as he watched them climb the stairs Nicholas and his quest for a cure. The next few centuries were going to be most interesting. He walked to the kitchen, took a bottle from the refrigerator and poured himself another drink. On the whole he was well satisfied with his night’s work. Sex could be such a powerful incentive, in this case it had been powerful enough to bring Nicholas back into the fold. Mind you LaCroix had few illusions that Nicholas intended to stay there. It went without saying that sooner or later he and Natalie would go back to testing various remedies on each other and much as he knew it would astound Nicholas to hear him say it, LaCroix wouldn’t have had it any way. It added spice to their lives. He wondered what bizarre solutions they would come up with this time . Eye of newt? No, Nicholas had already tried that one. With Natalie now part of the equation it would more than likely than not be some new fangled medical drug with an unpronounceable name. Not that it mattered any more. It wouldn’t work. None of them would work. He’d seen to that. LaCroix had realized fairly early on that his son was in love with Natalie. But since he was pretty certain Nicholas wouldn’t try to consummate their relationship, (the lesson Nicholas had received with Alyssa had pretty much guaranteed that ) he had been content to ignore it. He probably would have continued to ignore it hadn’t been for Janette. After all the years of protecting Nicholas from himself it seemed cruelly ironic that Janette of all people should have stumbled on the only cure for vampirism. He could only put it down to one of those vicious twists of of fate which plague mankind and occasionally even vampires. Still LaCroix hadn’t weathered nearly two thousand years of existence without having learned how to adjust himself to the hand which was dealt to him. LaCroix had known long before his former daughter made her misguided visit to Toronto that things were not as they should be with Janette. Their link had been growing weaker steadily ever since Janette left Toronto for parts unknown. At first he thought she was just blocking him. It had never occurred to him that it could be anything more sinister than that, or that after all his troubles with Nicholas, that Janette , of all people would fall in love with a mortal and regain her mortality or that having done so she would stupidly come to Toronto and tell Nicholas how she’d done it. LaCroix had spoke no more than the truth when he told Natalie that Nicholas did not had enough control to stop taking the blood from someone he loved and that he deliberately neglected to teach him that lesson. No one knew better than LaCroix his son’s susceptibility in that area. Nicholas was drawn to mortal love like flies to honey. Sometimes it seemed to LaCroix like he had spent most of the last eight hundred years rescuing Nick from some kind of entanglement with mortals of the opposite sex. Far better lose for Nicholas to lose the occasional lover than risk losing his immortality in a moment of passion. For what was mortality but an invitation to death. All of which brought him back to the problem of Natalie and her quest for mortality. Knowing what happened to Janette, LaCroix knew, it was only going to be a matter of time before Nicholas attempted to try her cure. That left LaCroix with only two choices. Do as he had done so many times before - kill Natalie. Even now LaCroix had to admit he had been highly tempted to do just just , in spite of Nicholas and the rulings of High Council and what he had said to Natalie he was fairly confident he could handle Nicholas, always assuming, of course, that fate didn’t suddenly decide to throw him another curve. As for the High Counsel’s views, LaCroix considered himself above them and whether they liked it or not, the fact remained, no matter how much they might claim to respect Natalie, she was still a mortal whose knowledge of their kind was a threat to them. No, it was not Nicholas nor the High Council that had held his hand. What held his hand was that old cliché of shutting the barn door after the horse has already left the stable. Like it or not Nicholas now knew the cure. That being so, it was only a matter a time before he tried it. No doubt he would make a complete botch of it, but there was always that remote chance he might succeed. Nicholas was getting older and with age came more control. LaCroix wasn’t sure he was prepared to take that gamble . Since LaCroix honestly believed that his son’s quest for mortality was merely a phase he was going through, one which he was bound to get over in time, always assuming, of course he didn’t do something foolish before hand (Janette had had a valid point there, when she said that there were others ways of dying outside of suicide), it became a question of deciding which was the more important -- saving Nicholas from himself, or claiming his debt for Fleur. Nicholas was his creation, his masterpiece. LaCroix had no intention of losing him now. Since the boy was in love with Natalie, the simplest solution was to let him have her, on LaCroix’s terms, of course. As far as mortals went Natalie stood above most of her kind. She had both brains and a strength of character which LaCroix respected. She was still a little too good for his tastes but he had to admit, tonight she had show definite signs of hidden talents, She had not only proved she could think on her feet but that she was quite capable of standing up to Nicholas, as well. There was also a certain practicality about her which LaCroix appreciated, and from which Nicholas could benefit. As for the rest, LaCroix was fairly certain that too would come. For despite all Natalie’s protestations to the contrary the fact remained that by taking Nick’s blood, as she was no doubt doing, right now, she was already well on in the process of learning how to kill. It’s amazing what a little sex can do to help overcome a fledgling’s inhibitions. He had used much the same technique with Nicholas when he brought him across. Therefore it was with the greatest pleasure that LaCroix now lifted his glass upwards towards Nick’s bedroom in a toast to the happy couple. “To your eternal love Nicholas.” he said. He meant it sincerely. He truly hoped Nicholas’ and Natalie’s love for each other would last for eternity. In fact LaCroix wouldn’t have it any other way. For as long as Nicholas and Natalie remained faithful to each other Nicholas was his forever. The end. (12b/12) Thanks for reading. Debbie Clarke dittany121@hotmail.com