Hi! Okay, I know I should be working on the other stories, but I promise this won't take too long to type. I promised not to post things by other authors, but I was told co-authored pieces are okay. If not, I thought they were, flame me, but don't blame me, I was misled. This was written by hand around Thanksgiving during open periods at Westside High, by me. It's not really my style, but that's because everyone I have open periods with wanted to add something. So thanks to Alicia Steeves, Jordan Campbell, John Rambo (I'm serious, that's his name), Dan Pinkerton, and Amy Feldman. Disclaimers: FK belongs to TPTB at Paragon, although they are canceled they live on in our hearts (and in V4S!) Christmas carols are traditional to several cultures, except for the spoof one, which was Alicia's contribution. No copyright infringement was ever intended, and no animals were harmed in the writing of this story. I have no idea as to whether or not there is a Deifenbaker Bridge anywhere in Toronto, I just made it up. If there is one, please send one cute FBI agent to investigate the fact that I'm psychic, followed by three hot male vampires. Warnings: Well, no major spoilers, this takes place in the middle of the third season, specifically at Christmas time. There is some violence, maybe to a P-13 level, but nothing major. Room Enough 1996 by Marc Ferraro and the Usual Gang of Psychopaths. "Aah, Christmas. And what comes to mind when one thinks of Christmas, gentle listeners? A vision of the birth of child that will one day grow to be a king, a king who will be strung out on a piece of wood as blood runs in thick rivulets from nails embedded in his tired flesh? Not a pretty picture, not very festive at all, is it? Or perhaps one is caught up in the artificial cold glow of lights, the advertisements plaguing us as we struggle to make due in a commercialized world where twisted logic rationalizes the fact that we dwell more on the irrelevant and self-indulgent nature of the times. "How many people still see Christmas as a time for family, hmm? How many flock from their loved ones at this time of celebration to hide under the arms of false love, of insincere generosity? You may choose your friends, people who side with you in petty arguments, who seem to be forever at your side. But when will that stop, when will that font of kindness dry up? Your family you may not choose, for they are the people you were meant to be with, on every level; the people who hold true love for you. For to family you will always, and in every aspect, be connected to, sometimes even painfully, they will always be a part of you. "And now for a few calls..." The radio was silenced as Nick stepped out of the caddy and walked through the lines of parked cars to the doorway. He was supposed to have the holiday off, but he had come in last night, and, much to the dismay of Captain Reese, was coming in again; and he would probably end up annoying the hell out of a couple of the rookies that got assigned to this beat. "Knight, what are you doing here?" Nick started as he saw Captain Reese there before him, blocking the way to his desk. What had he been doing, anyway, waiting for Nick to show up? Then Nick realized what he had been doing: there was a water mark on the captain's tie. "I thought I gave you the nights off from the 21st to the 26th off." "I thought that you might need some help here, you know, to pick up the slack with so many people gone," Nick glanced back to see that two of the youngest detectives were playing darts. "Actually, it's been slow lately, real slow. In all honesty, Knight, we only have four investigations going on now, and those are being covered by perfectly capable teams." Nick started to open his mouth, but was stopped by Reese. "Go home, Knight. Drink eggnog, put your feet up, watch "It's a Wonderful Life." Reese turned and left, after giving Nick the, expression. Nick turned and headed out the door, then slowly made his way back to the caddy. A light snow was falling around the cars, adding to the high drifts at the sides of the road and covering the city in a pristine blanket of white. Nat had gone out of town to visit relatives, Tracy had been dragged, kicking and screaming, to her parents' ski lodge, for a family reunion / Christmas party. Nick slowly made his way back to the loft. Eight o'clock. It was going to be a long Christmas Eve. +++ "Well, that certainly was an inspiring comment you made to the young man. Should I paint 'Scrooge' on your back now, or wait until Christmas Day?" LaCroix gave Urs one of his looks as he walked out of the sound booth. The Raven was unusually quiet; all the people at clubs on Christmas Eve were depressed, lost souls, getting drunk to relieve their feelings, and they chose the cheaper bars. "Come on, Lucien, show some Christmas spirit," Urs laid a hand on his sleeve, only to have it rather forcefully removed. "Call it post holiday depression, my dear, Saturnalia ended on the 18th." He poured himself a glass of his 'special vintage' and sat down. "What happens on Saturnalia? Does Zeus come in at midnight to give presents to good little Romans?" Urs asked, still trying to cheer him up. "Ursula, on Saturnalia, there is joy, togetherness, and feasting, followed by blood sacrifices to a being that attempted to eat his children." LaCroix said. Maybe letting her seduce him wouldn't be that much a waste of time, anyway. A good way to loose a night that held no meaning for him anyway. "Eat his children?" Urs's interest in the subject seemed sincere enough, so LaCroix decided to explain. "In the beginning, there was Chaos. Then from Chaos came Gaia, the earth, and Uranus, the sky. They mated, and from the depths of Gaia rose monsters and hideous beings, which Uranus ignored. Then came two gods, Saturn and Rhea. Uranus had a vision that his cruelty to the monster children would be stopped by one of his children, so he tried to destroy them. Saturn cut off his head, then married Rhea. They had several children, the Titans, powerful yet disfigured creatures, and the first of the true gods. Rhea and Gaia were amazed that Saturn could dismiss his children the titans just as Uranus did the beasts, so they put a hex on Saturn, that the prophecy would repeat itself. So Saturn swallowed all the gods whole." Urs stared at him, dumbstruck, "He swallowed his children?" "Yes, marvelous way of controlling one's progeny, don't you think? Anyway, Rhea gave him a rock instead of Jupiter, the king of the gods, and there is another story of how the prophecy was fulfilled." "Will you tell it to me?" Urs rubbed her shoulder against his seductively. LaCroix smiled, and a complete lesson in Roman mythology began. +++ Nick grimaced as he forced down Nat's latest attempt at a protein shake, then walked over to the couch and pointed the remote at the stereo. An all-male chorus came on, singing: The restroom door said gentlemen So I went right inside. I took two steps and realized I'd been taken for a ride. I heard high voices all about and turned around to find Two nuns, three old ladies and a nurse, what could be worse? Than two nuns, three old ladies and a nurse. The restroom door said gentlemen It must have been a gag I walked right and later I was met by some old hag She sprayed me with a can of mace and whacked me with her bag I could tell this just wouldn't be my day What can I say? I could tell that it just wouldn't be my day. The restroom door said gentlemen And now I'd like to find The creepy little jerk that had the nerve To switch the sign. 'Cause now I've got two black eyes and one high heel up my behind and I can't sit with comfort and joy Boy oh boy No I cannot sit with comfort and joy. Nick turned the radio off and switched to the TV. "It's a Wonderful Life" was on again, George Baily running around town proclaiming what a merry Christmas everyone should have. Nick flicked it off and opened the window, then flew out and into the night. +++ "Where's my angel, huh? Where's my little old guy waiting to get his wings?" Nick was screaming it at the top of his lungs from the top of Deifenbaker Bridge. Icy wind whipped around him, snow falling profusely to the ground. He sat and thought about what life would be like if he had never been born, then started to laugh miserably, a dull, sardonic laughter that broke the stillness of the night sky. "I'll tell you what it'd be like if I'd've died long ago! Hundreds of people wouldn't of died, Schanke and Cohen would be fine, and Nat would have a decent life! And that's just the icebreaker! "So where the hell is my messenger from God, huh! Damn it!" Nick's screams were interrupted by the sound of a motorcycle. A long-haired leather-clad, handsome young vampire on a Triumph, a young mortal girl clinging to his waste. Nick raised an eyebrow when he saw that all the girl was wearing was a long, blank white smock. "Knight, what're you doing here?" Vachon asked as he pulled the bike to a stop in front of Nick. "I was, I just," Nick began, but Vachon's girl cut him off. She really didn't seem like his type, with no makeup and plain brown hair. "You'll always be your own angel, so long as there's room enough in your heart for you to be that. Never forget that, Nicholas," the girl's voice was high and sweet, and Nick gasped when he realized she had said it in old-style French, not English. He stared at her, then heard another voice, Vachon's voice, as if it were in the distance. "What?" he asked, then turned to Vachon. "I said this is Donney, a friend of mine," Vachon said, pointing to the figure on the back of his triumph. A tall girl with long black hair in black jeans and a leather jacket, her makeup heavy and sexy, clung to Vachon. "Hi," she said without letting go of Vachon, who obviously meant to pull the old "sip it and leave it" routine. "Say, aren't you about to freeze?" she asked, and Nick realized that he wasn't wearing a coat; the wind having ripped the top button off of his shirt. He looked at the girl, then at Vachon. "Yeah. I'd better get back to.. My place. Be seeing you," he said, and Vachon gave him a few puzzled blinks before starting his engine again. The two of them rode off in silence. Nick stared after them, then walked back to his loft at a human pace. He glanced at his watch. 12:02. Vachon and Donney had showed up right at midnight. Right at Christmas Day. He looked off towards the bridge again, then continued on his way home.