Concerto for Souls, Part Three:
                         FALL FROM GRACE
                              by Darkangel

     "No!"  Natalie Lambert screamed.  She sat up suddenly, the
blood sweat pouring from her.  She felt gentle hands on her,
calming her.
     "Another dream, cherie?"  Janette's soft whisper cradled her
even as the dark-haired vampire held her like a child.
     Natalie didn't answer; there was no need.  Janette knew all
too well the source of her anguish.
     Nick rolled over, his voice fuzzy with sleep.  "Nat?"  He
sat up groggily.  "You okay?"
     Natalie calmed herself.  "I'm fine.  I think I'll go have a
drink.  You two go back to sleep, okay?"  
     Before they could stop her she was out of the room.  Nick
leaned back against the pillows. "Janette, I'm worried for her."
     "As am I.  The best thing we can do is distract her, or
exhaust her."  She felt something moving in the bed, and pursed
her lips in distaste.  "And as much as I love Natalie, I cannot
stand this flea-ridden creature she insists on keeping!"  She
repressed a delicate shudder.  "Why does it have to sleep with
us?"
     Nick reached beneath the blankets to his feet and picked up
Sidney, who had been stalking his toes under the covers.  The cat
purred, recognizing him, and stared at Janette triumphantly, or
so it seemed to her as she tied the sash of her dressing-gown
around her waist. 
     "I think he's cute, Janette."  Nick grinned boyishly.  "And
see?  He even likes me."  Janette sniffed.
     "I'm going to check on Natalie.  I hope you and that...
_creature_ enjoy each other."

     Janette emerged from the back of the Raven to find Natalie
sitting at the bar, holding a bottle of blood in one hand and a
cigarette in the other.  
     "Natalie, cherie, you look like one of the mortal drunks who
I have to throw out at night."
     The coroner smiled weakly at the sound of Janette's voice. 
"Does alcohol work on vampires?"
     "You have to mix it with blood first, either in a glass or
in a victim."  As she talked, she poured brandy into Natalie's
half-full goblet.  She stirred the mixture with her index finger. 
"It's actually quite good..."  She brought the finger to her
mouth and sucked the red liquid from it, not breaking eye contact
with her lover.  She smiled and set the cup before Natalie,
smiling.  "There, cherie.  Enjoy."
     The coroner lifted the glass to her lips and drank deeply. 
She set the empty cup down and smiled bitterly.  "You don't mind
if I--"
     "Go ahead.  It might do you some good."
     Natalie poured herself another glass, and drank away the
memory of LaCroix.

     Janette sighed and went to lie beside the sleeping Nicholas,
thinking about Natalie.  She didn't know the exact details of
that evening; while she could easily extract the specifics from
her protege's mind, she remembered the agony of having memories
pulled unwillingly from the mind.  It was something LaCroix had
often done without even blinking.  While she and Nicholas has
grown used to expect it from their master as the centuries
passed, neither had ever grown used to the pain.  She would not
be the cause of such torment for Natalie.  She sighed, and stared
at the black silk bed hangings.  She could well imagine what it
must have been like for Natalie - LaCroix was the only person
Janette had ever known, mortal or immortal, who could cause
pleasure even as he inspired hatred.  Natalie's blush at any
mention of the ancient vampire proved that she still wanted him,
and hated herself for it.  And the fear that filled her lover was
tangible, coming in waves over their bond every night as Natalie
relived the last time she had seen Janette's master.  Natalie had
not slept alone since, hoping that spending her days between
Nicholas and Janette would somehow make the nightmares go away.
     The worst part, Janette thought, was that Natalie would no
longer allow her lovers to be intimate with her.  Every time
Janette or Nicholas tried to arouse Natalie's passion, she would
disappear, not to be seen again until the first rays of sunlight
were creeping over the horizon.  They had given up temporarily,
sating each other's desires only when they knew the coroner was
nowhere to be found.  Mortal rape victims had a similar reaction,
she knew. Patience and love, as well as time, were the only cures
for such trauma.  And while Janette had love, she had not needed
patience for a thousand years.  It was frustrating for her - she
had always been able to control her lovers since she'd been
brought across.  She could get whatever she wanted from Nicholas,
and even from LaCroix, to a degree.  But Natalie was different,
not easily manipulated, and as much as Janette admired her for
it, the coroner tested her patience heavily...   Janette rolled
over, pushing Nicholas back onto his side of the bed.  She would
have to think of something to help Natalie soon, before her
sanity went as well.

     Natalie found that spirits worked almost as well on the
undead as they did on the living.  She had either passed out or
fallen asleep, for when she awoke it was twilight.  She exited
the still-closed Raven and flew upwards, letting the cold Toronto
air clear away her exhaustion.  This was her favourite part of
being a vampire - no mortal could ever experience self-induced
flight without straps and motors and other such props.  She could
feel through her bond that Janette had awakened and was worried
at her absence.  Sending a brief wash of love through the tie in
response, Natalie soared into the clouds.  
     Her thoughts drifted, and she found herself thinking of
LaCroix.  She brushed the fear aside, knowing it would ruin the
night.  But the desire...


     Natalie landed in wilderness, and walked aimlessly.  She
took a cigarette from her pocket and searched her clothing for a
lighter.
     "May I?"  He was standing in front of her, smiling with
false politeness.  
     Natalie accepted the light, not surprised to see the dark
figure who towered over her.  She leaned against a tree, waiting. 
She knew what she was going to say to LaCroix tonight; she had a
feeling he did too.
     "You know what I want, don't you?"  He nodded.  She
continued, "What would you say to helping me lose
this...affliction?"
     "But what if I don't want you to lose it, my dear doctor?" 
He moved closer, his voice barely a whisper.  "What if I enjoy
this frustration of yours?"
     "I've thought of that.  If I can rid myself of this curse,
then Nick and Janette will be pleased - and thankful.  But the
longer I remain cursed..."
     "...The more my children will hate me."  He chuckled. "You
are a conniving one, aren't you?"
     "Not usually."  She smiled fiercely.
     "I take it that Nicholas and Janette would know nothing of
this?"
     "I'd... rather them not know."  
     He laughed mockingly.  "I'm sure you wouldn't, cherie."
     She studiously ignored his use of Janette's pet name for
her.  "I'm due for a vacation at work, and I can tell Nick and
Janette that I need some time away.  I'm quite sure they wouldn't
ask questions."
     He walked around her, deliberately crunching leaves and
twigs under his feet.  "And during that time..."  
     "We would be together."
     He sneered.  "Ah, you do believe in facing your problems,
don't you?"  He was facing her again, his lips inches from hers. 
"Will you stay out of my disagreements with the children?"
     "I--"
     "I didn't think you could agree to that one, cherie."  He
moved away and began to walk off.  
     "LaCroix--"
     He didn't turn around.  "Yes, Natalie?"  His tone was
scornful.
     "I--  please?"  She tried to keep her voice even.  "I need
this."
     He turned back to look at her.  "Then you will stay out of
my way when it comes to Nicholas and Janette?"
     She nodded, miserable.
     "Then you will have your way, and I will keep your little
secret."  He held his hand out to her.
     She went to him, placing her hand in his.  He laughed
triumphantly.  "I do so love a woman who begs."


     The vacation had turned into an indefinite leave of absence. 
She occasionally wrote letters to Nick and Janette of her
travels, which were partially true. LaCroix took her to Paris,
Berlin, Rome, where he'd told her stories of times long past...
The first few months had been the most difficult.  He had shown
her how much pain he could bring her in an instant, and then
follow it with waves of pleasure unlike anything she'd ever
known.  As time went on, he began to relax somewhat, and taught
her how the giving could be as equally pleasurable as the
receiving.  She felt a secret thrill at tormenting the monster
who had caused her lovers so much pain.  She was surprised that
he allowed her to dominate him, but he explained it to her once,
in that eternally cold voice of his, how he enjoyed seeing
Nicholas' darling doctor become a cruel, power-hungry monster. 
"Everyone has a dark side, cherie," he had whispered to her as
his fangs hovered just above her jugular vein.  "But it takes a
true artiste to find it in the moral.  Why do you think I find
Nicholas so... fascinating?"
     Their entire existence together was an exploration of power. 
Each night they sought to catch the other off-guard, making a
game of who would wind up begging for mercy first.  She never
killed to eat; instead she drank from him after he'd feasted,
LaCroix laughing at her refusal to hunt.  Sometimes she feared
she was becoming like him; on those occasions she would think of
Nick and Janette and let the sweet tenderness of love run through
her, reminding her that she could feel things other than the
savagery he brought to life in her...
     Six months after their conversation in the Canadian
wilderness, they returned to Toronto.  Rather than cure Natalie's
passion for him, they had only made LaCroix' burn as brightly.
Neither vampire wanted Nick and Janette to discover what was
going on behind their backs, though the reasons for doing so were
wildly different.  Natalie's visits to him would be their secret.

     Janette knew Natalie was in the club before she saw her. 
She waited in her booth, sipping blood and wondering what kind of
reunion this would be.  She ordered the bartender to bring the
bottle and another glass, and had one of the bouncers sent to
collect Natalie's luggage.  She had missed the coroner more than
she would have thought, and was glad to see her smiling as she
approached Janette's table.
     "I missed you."  Natalie sat down and lifted the glass the
bartender brought her, drinking deeply.  It was very strange to
be drinking bottled blood in glasses, as if she was civilized... 
     "Ah, cherie..."  Janette took Natalie's hand in her own. 
"You look well."  She was secretly relieved that Natalie had
worked things out on her own, without Janette having to do
anything.  
     "I'm feeling a lot better."  And she was.  In fact, Natalie
was having a hard time keeping herself from tearing open her
lover's wrist right there, in the middle of the Raven.  "Where's
Nick?"
     "Still at work."  Janette smiled evilly.  "Which, cherie,
gives us plenty of time together before he comes home."

     "What do you think, cherie?  I just had it made."  Janette
held the black lace dress up to her naked body, showing off the
contrast the fabric made against her skin.
     "Gorgeous," Nick smiled from the doorway.  Natalie rose from
her spot on the bed where she was going through her suitcases and
went to him.  She kissed him tenderly.  Nick was as gentle as
LaCroix was cruel, and she enjoyed the contrast immensely.  She
put her hands inside his black trenchcoat to wrap her arms around
him in a hug that would have killed a mortal.  She felt her
passion stir, and pressed her teeth to his neck.  He held her
close, stroking her hair as they drank delicately from one
another.  She ruffled his hair as she drew away.  
     "Miss me?"  She kissed him lightly, letting him taste his
blood on her mouth.
     "Of course!"  He grinned and licked his lips.  Then he
paused.  "I'm glad you're feeling better."  His eyes were full of
love as he held her against his shoulder.  They stayed like that
for another moment before his hands started roaming over her bare
skin.  He looked at Janette over Nat's shoulder, eyes full of
mischief.
     "Natalie, cherie, I suggest you finish unpacking tomorrow." 
The twinkle in the brunette's eyes gave away her intentions. 
"This bed is needed for something more important than luggage." 

     Natalie's return to work was uneventful after the impromptu
party her co-workers threw her on her first night back.  More
often than not, LaCroix would appear unexpectedly at the morgue,
amused at the facade she presented to her mortal co-workers. 
Natalie, in answer to the curious stares from Grace, had
introduced him to her friend as her cousin, who had just moved to
Toronto.  Smiling, he would ask her in front of other staff
members if she was free for lunch, and always seemed amused at
the laughter she kept back with difficulty.  Knowing Nick would
occasionally stop by the morgue when she was out, she explained
to Grace how Nick and her cousin didn't get along, and could she
please tell him that she was out running errands or something? 
Grace agreed, saying she understood.  LaCroix occasionally showed
up only seconds after Nick had left, and would use her love for
the younger vampire to torment her.
     "Poor sweet, gentle Nicholas...Can he ever understand what
you need?"  He would kiss her forehead, her eyes, her jaw, her
collarbone with light, gentle kisses as he spoke.  "We both know
he cannot sate you, don't we?"
     Natalie would try to find herself beneath the waves of lust
which threatened to drown her. "But he does, it's different with
him..."
     "Like this?"  And he would lower his lips to hers and kiss
her as tenderly as Nick ever did.  She did sigh then, their
breath becoming one, and she would relax against him.  His kisses
would trail down her jaw to her throat, and suddenly his fangs
would be tearing her apart, all traces of gentleness gone and his
hand over her mouth stifling her screams as her blood gushed out,
the sea within her bubbling hot before draining out to leave her
dry and barren.  Finally, when she had no more to give, his
laughter would fill her ears as she pierced his neck with her
teeth.  As the blood gave her life, her strength held him tighter
until she felt whole again.  And he would smile with malice, and
stroke her hair with false concern.  "Poor, poor Nicholas.  I
don't think he even knows what he's missing...  Until next time,
cherie."
     And she would clean the blood tears from her face and the
mostly-healed wound at her neck before smoking a final cigarette
and returning to the morgue, hoping that Nick would not come by
and smell his master's touch on her.

     "Hi, Grace.  Where's Nat?"  Nick strolled into the morgue,
smiling.
     "Hey, Nick, you just missed her.  She went to pick up a few
things."
     "Again?"  He looked surprised.  He had shown up during
Natalie's lunch hour for the third time in four days, only to
find her gone each time.
     "Yeah, well, the lab finished some tests for us, and Nat
needed them before they could get them to us themselves.  She
should be back soon, if you'd like to have a seat."
     
     Natalie landed lightly beside the back entrance to the
morgue and smiled, wondering what LaCroix would do to repay her
for the torment she'd just put him through.  She hummed to
herself, thinking of the agony he had been in, stopping in
mid-tune when she saw Nick sitting on her lab table.
     "Hi, Nick.  Need the report on the Woodridge case?"  She
tried to put her guilt aside and busied herself with finding the
file on her cluttered desk.
     "What, no kiss?"  He grinned boyishly.
     "Sorry - work's had me distracted."  She shrugged
apologetically and handed him the file before kissing him briefly
and turning back to her desk, cringing and praying that he
wouldn't notice.
     "So, where are the samples Grace said you went to pick up?"
     "Samples?  Oh, they weren't ready yet.  The lab said they'll
bring them by when they're done."
     He slammed his fist into the table, denting the metal. 
"Were you not going to tell me?"  Natalie stood silent, her back
still turned.  "Did you think I couldn't tell that he's been with
you?" he snarled.  He grabbed her shoulders and turned her
towards him, shaking her.
     Natalie tensed.  "He just came by...  he said he wanted to
talk to me, and apologize for scaring me so badly before.  All we
did was have a glass or two at his place, and then I came back
here.  I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to worry." 
She hoped Nick bought her tale, and mentally crossed her fingers.
     Nick let her go.  "Nat, LaCroix is too dangerous.  And if
he's being nice, it means he's plotting something."  He paced the
room furiously.  "Will you promise that you won't let him near
you again?"  He looked at her pleadingly.
     "I promise, Nick, I won't be taken in by him."  It wasn't a
lie, she reasoned - how could she be taken in by him, when she
knew exactly what kind of creature LaCroix was?
     Nick, satisfied, hugged her fiercely.  "I'll see you at the
Raven?"
     She kissed him.  "I'll be there."

     LaCroix didn't bother to knock, and she hid her surprise
with an expression of concentration on the corpse she was working
on.  She let him stand there as she made the last notes before
setting down her clipboard.
     "Caught red handed, cherie?"  The ancient vampire laughed.
     "I think we should cancel lunch for a while, just until
Nick's no longer suspicious."  The coroner lit a cigarette and
sat down in her desk chair.
     "If that's what you wish.  Of course, it will be worse for
you - after all, I already know what I'm going to do to you next
time I have you to myself."  He was next to her, his fangs
against her throat without piercing the skin.  "Will you miss me,
my pet?"
     She stifled a moan, and tried to keep herself calm - Grace
could walk in at any moment, and she preferred that the other
woman not know her secret.
     He stood abruptly and patted her on the head
condescendingly.  "You know how to find me - if I'll let you."
     "You don't mean--"
     "If you stay away too long, Dr. Lambert, I cannot promise to
keep our agreement.  And you wouldn't want the children to know
what you've been doing in your spare time, now would you?"
     "I--"  But he was gone.  Natalie sank into her chair, her
head in her hands, thinking hard.  There has to be a way to keep
everyone happy, she thought.  There has to be...