From: To: Subject: Here's Football Date: Thursday, July 20, 2000 3:51 PM Subj: Football Date: 00-03-07 22:07:38 EST From: ejdeal@SGA.QUIK.COM (E & J Deal) Sender: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU (Forever Knight TV show stories) Reply-to: ejdeal@SGA.QUIK.COM (E & J Deal) To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU All the usual disclaimers apply. This has NOT been beta-read so read at your own risk. Permission to archive granted. All commentary - good or bad- is welcomed at ejdeal@sga.quik.com Football By Elise Autumn. Beautiful cascades of leaves in red, gold, scarlet, and burgundy swirled from the trees. Sunny blue, blue days were followed by nippish nights that hinted at the promised bitter chill of winter to come. Nostalgia gripped the populace, driving many to melancholia and depression and sending others reeling with laughter at memories suddenly relived. But most of all, autumn meant football. Nick loved this time of year. The days grew shorter and the nights grew longer, giving him more freedom from his lonely loft. This in turn lifted his spirits causing his faith in a cure for himself to hold steadfast. And with this faith came his hope for a mortal life with Natalie. It was for her and their growing love for one another that he had allowed himself to be talked into attending the Annual City Picnic. Most of the events were held during the day, and Nick had missed some of the more "fun" events. Natalie had held him enthralled with stories about the pie eating contest, won last year by his own Captain Stonetree. Then there was the three-legged race, the wheelbarrow race, the egg toss, and a whole host of similar events. He arrived just after dark to find the picnic area down by the lake crowded. Glowing embers from the grills shown like eyes in the dark night, and the succulent smells of mortal dinners cooking wafted skyward into the rapidly cooling night. Touching down just inside the trees, Nick walked with a spring in his step into the crowd, searching for his dear Natalie. What he found instead was his partner, sweaty, filthy, and impassioned. "C'mon, Knight, we need another player. Mikey McDaniels just broke his thumb." Don Schanke grabbed Nick by the shoulder and compelled him forward. "But, Schanke." "No `buts' about it," Don insisted. He shoved a ball at his partner. "You're playing." Nick handled the oblong shaped ball back and pulled his partner to the side. "Schanke, I don't know how to play," he whispered fiercely. For a long moment Schanke stared in incredulous wonder at Nick Knight. "Where the hell did you grow up? Mars? Everyone knows how to play football." Nick shook his head in negation and sighed with relief. It was a far better thing to have his partner think him a bit weird than to make an utter ass of himself on the playing field. "You mean you don't know how to play American football," Schanke tried to clarify the problem in his mind. Smiling broadly, Nick shrugged. "Sorry." Maybe he had misled Schanke, but at least that would let him off the hook. Whoever heard of a vampire playing football - American or otherwise? With a huge grin erupting across his face, Schanke threw a companionable arm around Nick. "No problem, Pal-o-mine," he stated, "you can be a linebacker. All you have to do is tackle the guy with the ball." "But Schanke." Don Schanke turned to face Nick and skeptically eyed his exasperated friend. "What's the matter? Afraid you'll muss up those pretty blond curls?" That decided it. No male ever allowed a challenge to his manhood to go unanswered or risked damage to his ego without engaging in battle, especially eight hundred year old vampires. A deliciously wicked grin slowly spread across Knight's face. "Let's play," he growled. * * * The game began, and Nick's first time jitters quickly gave way to an immense satisfaction and enjoyment. Here in this game he could unleash his beast - to a mild degree. Many elements the beast most relished were present in this American football. He wondered why he had never bothered with the game before and made a mental vow to pay much closer attention to it in the future. As soon as the ball was snapped, the beast surged into action. First, he must track his prey, this ball carrier person. Then, he must chase him, avoiding colliding with the other players. It was an added challenge not to use his vampiric speed, and both the beast and the man savored a good challenge. Finally, there was the capture, where the prey was thrown to the ground. As long as he kept his eyes blue and the bloodlust under control, he could play without damaging his opponent or his reputation. He was getting rather good at the game, and, in fact, helped carry his team to victory. As cheers and good wishes were directed at him, Nick found himself humming happily and feeling better than he had in a long time. Grass stained slacks, a torn shirt, and mussed up blond curls were a very small price to pay for this moment of belonging. As the game ended, a screaming Schanke rushed over to Nick. "Yeah!" he bellowed as he pounded Nick on the back. "Thought you said you didn't know how to play." Nick grinned happily in return. "Well, maybe just a little," he conceded. It was, after all, just a little white lie. "Okay," Schanke explained, "the next team we play is co-ed." Nick, along with his teammates, took their places along the line of scrimmage. He carefully engaged the beast, drawing upon its ancient power, and as soon as the ball was snapped, Nick dove into action. The ball carrier had just broken through the lines in front of him and was headed for the goal line. A reddish haze swam across Nick's vision. He lowered his head and chased the dark jacket of his prey. Yes! The prey was now within his grasp. Eagerly, he grabbed his opponent's jacket, but before he could slam the ball carrier to the ground, he lost his footing in the slick mud. Both Nick and his opponent hit the ground in a tangled mass of mud covered limbs, forcing an explosion of air from both sets of lungs. Nick was the first to recover. Victoriously, he rolled atop his breathless prey and looked around for his teammates. "No, Knight!" Schanke screamed as he was rushing across the field in a frenzy. "In a co-ed game you don't tackle." Confused, Nick looked down at the ball carrier. It was Natalie. Nick grinned lopsidely at her. Surprisingly, she smiled back. "Nick!" Schanke and the others had reached them. "You just don't tackle girls!" Schanke cried out and stomped his foot for added emphasis. "I don't know there, Schanke," Stonetree drawled. He pointed to where Natalie lay beneath the detective. "Looks to me like tackling girls is more fun than regular football." Soon the night air was ringing with good-natured yet naughty comments. "Way to go, Knight!" "That's not how you catch a woman!" "Wanna trade places, Knight? Nick could smell Natalie's heated blood scent as she blushed furiously beneath a layer of mud. She threw the ball at Stonetree and pushed at Nick. "Get off," she muttered. Gallantly, he climbed off and helped her to her feet. His eyes never left hers. The onlookers suddenly ceased the rather rude commentary, and began nudging one another and trading sharp, knowing grins. "Time to eat!" a voice called out. Everyone quit the game and hurried back to the grills and picnic tables. Sports were one thing, but eating was another. Natalie and Nick found themselves alone on the playing field. Timidly, Nick touched her hand. "I'm sorry, Nat." He smiled at her mud covered jeans and sweatshirt. They were clinging to every curve of her body. "Guess I got carried away." Natalie stared at him intensely for a few moments. He was spattered with mud, but his blue eyes sparkled. "Well, I need to get cleaned up, Nick," she told him. "Maybe you could give me a ride home?" Her voice was hopeful. "I'd like that," he answered. "Maybe you'd let me buy you dinner? I mean, to make up for any bruises I might have inflicted." "Chinese?" "Anything you'd like." "Great! Just let me get my keys from Myra. I rode over here with them." While Nat was waiting for Myra to locate her keys, Schanke waltzed over and clapped Nick on the shoulder. "Good game, Knight. I especially liked that last play." He paused to eye Myra appreciatively. "I think maybe I'll try that play myself later tonight." Nick grinned back. "Just not as rough, huh?" Both men laughed. Schanke turned his back to the women and moved the two of them a few steps away from them. "How about you and Lambert?" He jerked his head to the side. "You two gonna finish the game later?" Nick frowned. In his heart, he knew that he would dearly love to play that particular game with Natalie, but he could never risk her life. Maybe one day they would play but not now. "I've told you, Schanke," he began his pat answer. "Natalie and I are." "..are just friend," Schanke finished for him. "You know, Knight, that answer is wearing a bit thin, and no one, I mean not a single soul, really believes it." "Ready to go, Nick?" Natalie, keys in hand, joined them. They waved their good-byes, and Nick handed her into his Caddy, wincing slightly as her mud clad body settled on the upholstery. He walked around the car, stopping briefly before climbing behind the wheel. Staring up at the starry sky, he whispered, "I don't believe it myself, Schanke." The end. ----------------------- Headers -------------------------------- Return-Path: Received: from rly-yh04.mx.aol.com (rly-yh04.mail.aol.com [172.18.147.36]) by air- yh01.mail.aol.com (v69.17) with ESMTP; Tue, 07 Mar 2000 22:07:38 -0500 Received: from LIME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (lime.ease.lsoft.com [209.119.1.41]) by rly- yh04.mx.aol.com (v69.17) with ESMTP; Tue, 07 Mar 2000 22:07:08 -0500 Received: from PEAR.EASE.LSOFT.COM (209.119.0.19) by LIME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (LSMTP for Digital Unix v1.1b) with SMTP id <5.0053676A@LIME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>; Tue, 7 Mar 2000 22:03:18 -0500 Date: Tue, 7 Mar 2000 22:22:11 -0500 Reply-To: E & J Deal Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: E & J Deal Subject: Football To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Message-ID: <200003072207.CNVa00988@rly-yh04.mx.aol.com>