Subject: These Three 1/15
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2004 09:38:40 -0700
From: Kristen Fife <fenix23fyre@YAHOO.COM>
To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU

Well, here is my longest fic yet. Took me several
weeks, lots of hours, etc. I think it will fit nicely
into the request for a virtual 4th season that I just
saw :)

MANY MANY MANY Thanks to Maggie and Ang for beta
reading this.

Usual disclaimers: I don't own the FK characters, they
belong to Sony/Tristar. Any new characters are my own
creation (I don't want to give you any spoilers, but
there is one very special new mortal and several
vampires.)

This story takes place mostly in Portland, OR. I lived
there, so I'm familiar with the area. The places are
real, with the exception of the Elysium and the house
on SW Timmons.

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy!
====================================

So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the
greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13

Portland, OR

2003

She looked up from the electron microscope, and
realized it was time to go home. She put away the
research materials and packed up her laptop.  Grabbing
her raincoat, she headed out into the soft spring
rain. It was still light outside, one of the
advantages to having an early schedule. As she pulled
out of the parking garage and wound her way down the
hill leading away from the Oregon Health and Sciences
University research complex, she turned on the radio.
The Dixie Chick's remake of "Landslide" came on. She
smiled fondly.

Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love
Can the child within my heart rise above
Can I sail thru the changing ocean tides
Can I handle the seasons of my life

Well, I've been afraid of changing 'cause I built my
life around you
But time makes you bolder
Children get older
I'm getting older too

So many changes in the last ten years. So many
wonderful and terrible moments.

She pulled into the parking lot of the preschool,
parked her car and got out. As she was walking up to
the building, a small whirlwind raced out, pink rain
slicker shedding water, a long ponytail flying behind.
"Mama, Mama, Mama, I made a DINOSAUR today! Come SEE!"

She bent down just in time to avoid being bowled over
by her five year old daughter as Nancy, her pre-school
teacher, followed her, a smile on her face. "She
really did do a great job. She's been waiting all
afternoon just to show it to you."

Picking up her squirming daughter, she grinned. "Well,
I guess I'll just need to see this amazing dinosaur,
now won't I?" Big blue eyes looked back at her, and a
miniature version of her own face smiled and nodded
back at her.

Nancy, still smiling, turned and led the mother and
daughter into the school. "This way, Natalie. You'll
be quite impressed with Nikki's work."

Toronto, Ontario
1996

She woke up slowly, the hum of machines and the swish
of rubber-soled shoes telling her she was in a
hospital. She tried to remember what had happened.
Suddenly, it all came rushing back. She tried to sit
up.

"Nick..." her voice croaked out as a hoarse whisper.

Just then a nurse was wandering by, and saw her
struggling to sit up. "Whoa, stay still. Let me call
Dr. Anderson." She gently pushed Natalie back down
before walking back out the door.

Natalie looked around her, trying to determine what
had happened. Her last memory was hazy. She remembered
Nick's fangs piercing her flesh, and the feelings that
accompanied that action. Images had started flashing
into  her mind. Images of Nick's past--- his far past
and his recent experiences. Then, everything went dim.
She vaguely remembered someone else in the loft, then
she was picked up. And she remembered a terrible
fatigue. Finally, darkness.

At that moment, a tired-looking woman in a white lab
coat came in. She looked to be in about her
mid-forties, with short dark hair. She picked up
Natalie's chart from the end of the bed, flipped
through it, and then looked at Natalie.

"Well, Dr. Lambert, you are finally awake.  You were
in a coma for almost three days. We were very worried
about you. I'm Dr. Louise Anderson. How do you feel?"

Natalie sighed. "I'm tired, but other than that I seem
to be ok." Her voice came out rather hoarse but
intelligible.

Dr. Anderson smiled. "Well, the lassitude is to be
expected. You had severe blood loss. We had to give
you almost 2 liters. How's your neck, any pain?"

Natalie concentrated and realized there was a dull
throbbing in her throat, just under her right ear. "It
aches, but it's manageable. I didn't even feel it
until you said something."

Dr. Anderson nodded. "Good. You're healing. Now, can
you tell me what happened? The gentleman that brought
you in gave us your name, then disappeared. No one
remembers seeing him leave. He told us you had been
attacked in an alleyway."

Natalie frowned. "No, I really don't remember anything
other than leaving work. I was going to stop by a
friend's place to give him some news, and that's all I
remember."

"OK, don't worry about it for now. The police have
been here every day to check on you. I'll give Captain
Reese a call and let him know that you're awake, he's
been calling three times a day checking in on you. You
should probably sleep some more. You've got a lot of
resting up to do." Dr. Anderson turned to leave.

"Uh, Doctor Anderson, the gentleman that brought me
in, what did he look like? I'm wondering if my friend
started looking for me and found me..."

Dr. Anderson nodded. "Tall, blond hair, older
gentleman. Is that your friend?"

Natalie shook her head. "No, that wasn't him. It must
have been a good Samaritan. Thanks."

Dr. Anderson left and Natalie started thinking.
Obviously LaCroix had brought her to the Emergency
Room after Nick had drained her. But where was Nick?
Was he OK? What had happened after she blacked out? As
her mind started swirling, she
felt...something...flutter in the back of her mind.
She tried to isolate it, but it eluded her. She
started falling asleep, her small reserve of strength
deserting her.

Nick felt Natalie stir in the back of his mind through
their shared blood link. It took every ounce of will
power he had not to push into the link and send her
feelings of love and reassurance. He shut his eyes,
fighting the blood tears that welled up in his eyes.
His ever-present guilt was now an almost overwhelming
constant in his life. He was deeply ashamed of himself
for what had happened with Natalie. He had almost
killed the one person that meant more to him than
anyone in the world ever had.

He looked around the loft at the dust cloths covering
what few belongings still remained. He had already
turned in his resignation at the station, and was only
waiting to make sure that Natalie was going to recover
before he moved on.  Distance was the only thing that
could assuage the ravening urge for Natalie's blood
that now burned within him; and even distance would
never truly calm his hunger. As long as Natalie lived,
they would share a blood link and Nick would crave
completion of the deed he had started...to drain her
life and make her one with him.

He returned to composing the letter he intended to
leave for her. Even calling her on the phone would be
too dangerous. Once he had finished the letter, he put
it in an envelope with two other pieces of paper and
sealed it, then placed it on the mantel. The last
thing he would do before he left Toronto would be to
deliver it, along with two very important objects, to
her apartment.

Three days later, Grace arrived at the hospital to
take Natalie home. After Natalie's "attack", Grace had
gone to her apartment to collect Sydney and take the
feline home with her.  As they rode home, Grace
couldn't help but notice how quiet and withdrawn
Natalie seemed. She knew Natalie had found out from
Captain Reese that Nick had resigned, and that when
she tried calling his home phone number the line had
been disconnected. In her own mind, Grace cursed
former Detective Nick Knight up one side and down the
other. If she ever saw him again, she intended to give
him a piece of her mind. The man had vanished just
when Natalie needed him the most. After her friend's
suicide and Tracy's death, then being the victim of a
vicious attack, Grace was seriously worried about
Natalie.

Granted, Nick was probably extremely upset about his
partner's death, but one would think he would want the
comfort that Natalie would be able to share with him.
Those two were in love with each other, and no one who
had ever seen them together was likely to think
otherwise.

As they pulled up to Natalie's apartment building,
Grace parked her car and turned off the motor.

"Nat honey, I'd feel a lot better if you would come
over to my house for a few days. Sydney is still
there, and you know you are welcome to stay as long as
you want."

Natalie didn't look at her. She just stared out the
window into the darkening sky. Finally, she turned her
head and smiled weakly.

"Grace, thanks for the offer, but I'll be OK. I'll
come get Syd tomorrow. I just need some time at home."
She opened the car door and got out. She closed the
door behind her and trudged up the sidewalk to her
front door.

Grace watched her, a look of worry on her face. But
she didn't say anything.   She considered following
Natalie, but decided to give her some space and call
her later that evening.

For her own part, Natalie was barely functional. When
she had found out about Nick's resignation, she had
immediately called the loft, only to discover that his
phone had been disconnected. In her heart she knew
what it meant. Nick had left, or would soon be
leaving, Toronto.  She wasn't sure she would be able
to go on with her life. Everyone she cared about was
either dead or gone. She had contemplated ending her
own existence, but she just didn't have a suicidal
nature. Her mind argued that without Nick and the work
she had done for him, she had no real purpose to her
life.

As she trudged up the steps to her apartment, tears
threatened, yet again. She opened the door and walked
into an empty home. Devoid even of the loving presence
of Sydney, the walls started to close in on her. She
got the door shut, then collapsed. She slid down the
door to the floor, sobs starting to rip her heart and
soul apart.

Subject: These Three 2/15
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2004 09:49:10 -0700
From: Kristen Fife <fenix23fyre@YAHOO.COM>
To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU

At the Raven, Nick sat in LaCroix's study staring at
the flames in the fireplace. Loneliness and pain were
constants, when suddenly he felt the ripping tear of
Natalie's grief. He cried out loud in anguish, just as
LaCroix entered the room. The ancient vampire strode
quickly over to him.

"Nicholas...what is it?" Concern tinged his voice; he
felt the pain emanating from his son like a physical
presence.

Nick fell into LaCroix's arms, blood tears streaming
down his face. "Natalie..." he whispered in anguish.

"Is she in danger?" LaCroix tried to discern the
nature of the pain.

"No...she's in agony. And it's all my fault. Why? Why
Nat? She never hurt anyone?" The sheer emotion in both
Nick's voice and their shared bond spurred LaCroix to
action.

Catching Nick's eyes with his own and exerting his
powerful will, he locked on to Nick. "Nicholas, listen
to me. You are going to sleep. You will sleep deeply
and without dreams until I awaken you." He blanketed
Nick with his will, and slowly Nick fell forward into
a stupor in his arms. LaCroix picked him up gently and
laid him on the chaise next to the fireplace. He
tenderly covered Nick with a blanket.

"Oh mon fils, I know what you feel. I miss your sweet
sister even now." He leaned down and tenderly laid a
kiss on Nick's forehead before turning to go out the
door.  Although the sun had barely traveled below the
horizon, LaCroix took to the air.

He landed lightly on Natalie's balcony and peered in.
Natalie was still on the floor in front of the door,
sobbing. Her knees were drawn up to her chest, her
arms hugging them to her body. Her head rested on her
knees, and her auburn hair spilled over her legs.
LaCroix silently opened the French doors to the
balcony and entered. He looked at the mortal before
him, and felt sympathy, an emotion he never expected
to feel for her.  Through her actions, and Nicholas,
his son was returned to him, their old debt paid. He
thought he would feel triumph, but all he felt was
compassion for the two lovers.

"Doctor Lambert. Please, I need to speak with you."
His voice was not loud, but it carried and pierced her
misery.

Natalie looked up and saw him. All her previous fear
and hatred of LaCroix was gone, replaced by the
knowledge that he knew what had happened to Nick.
She stood up on shaky legs and approached him, her
face stained with the tracks of her tears, her eyes
filled with a haunted sorrow. He noted her paleness
and the bandage on her neck.

"LaCroix, where is he? Is he all right? Please, I need
to see him. Please..." Her voice trailed off as she
begged the master vampire to take her to Nick.

He held his arms open and she moved into them, the
tears starting yet again. She sobbed, but her strength
was rapidly failing her. LaCroix picked her up and
carried her over to the sofa. She was as light as a
doll in his arms, and her sorrow was pounding against
his mind. The strength of her feelings shocked him.
Through their shared links with Nick, he was able to
feel her. If his son was feeling even a portion of
what HE was, it was no wonder Nicholas was crippled.

"Shhh. I know it hurts. Let it out." He crooned to her
as he stroked her hair. Finally, after almost an hour,
Natalie's physical strength spent itself. She was
incapable of any more weeping. She looked at him, and
her soulful blue eyes were mirrors to Nick's own.

"Natalie, my dear, he is physically fine, but his
sanity is slipping. He can feel you through your blood
link, and your pain is his but magnified tenfold. He
feels extreme guilt over what he did to you."

"But, it wasn't his fault. It was mine...I begged him
to..."

"I know that, but Nicholas will never accept that. Do
you understand what happened between you? What the two
of you have wrought?"

She started to speak, then stopped and shook her head.

"Let me tell you. By taking your blood, Nicholas has
reawakened his nature, and he hungers for you. The
vampire will not give him any peace until he has
drained all of you, all that you are, all that you
have ever been. Do you understand? He can barely
control the hunger right now. If he were to see you,
you WOULD die. At his hands. And THAT would be a death
sentence for him. I can feel it. And if you try, so
can you." He stopped and watched as she concentrated.

Natalie recognized a...presence...in the back of her
head. She gasped as she realized it was Nick. When she
probed the link, the overwhelming guilt overcame her,
coupled by an anguish that matched her own. "Oh
Nick..." she whispered.

LaCroix watched her carefully, as she tested the link
she had with Nick. He studied her face as she found
the overwhelming guilt and anguish that poured out of
Nick, even as he lay unconscious.

"Natalie, Nicholas must leave. If he stays, one or
both of you WILL die. I can help him with his
struggle, but YOU must let him go. You MUST control
your sorrow, for his sake. Can you do this?"

She looked at him, panic written clearly on her face.
"How can I live without him? How?" Her plaintive plea
touched the ancient's heart.

"If you DO want to live, and you want HIM to live, you
MUST be strong enough. There is no other way. He would
not even be able to control himself enough to bring
you across at this point, and he extracted my oath
that I would not do it, either at your request or
against your will. Do you understand? There IS no
other way. And, my dear, believe it or not, I AM
sorry." His ice blue eyes filled with a compassion
rarely ever present.

LaCroix realized than in her exhausted state, he would
be able to make her sleep, resistor or not. As he had
done with Nick, he captured her eyes with his own,
locked on to her heartbeat, and imposed his will upon
her to sleep. She fought him, but soon was
unconscious. As he had done with his son, he gently
covered Natalie with a blanket, kissed her brow, and
went back to comfort his son.

Natalie awoke the next morning, dazed and disoriented.
She was in her apartment, asleep on the sofa. Suddenly
the events of the previous evening came crashing back
and a tear coursed its way down her cheek. "Oh Nick,
what have we done?" Her whisper went unanswered in the
emptiness of her apartment.

She concentrated and felt Nick's presence in her mind,
apparently still asleep. She sent a pulse of love to
him, then decided that she needed something to eat and
drink. Her energy was amazingly low. She wearily
trudged into the kitchen and poured a glass of water.
She gulped it down, then followed it with a more
leisurely glass of orange juice. She sighed and went
into her bedroom, intending to take a shower and try
to get some more rest.

As she walked into her bedroom, she noticed a box and
an envelope on her pillow. Puzzled, she walked over to
them. With a trembling hand, she opened the box. It
couldn't be...but it was. Joan's cross. And lying atop
it was a gold chain, with a sapphire and diamond ring
strung on it, next to a pendant of a sunburst. She
pulled the necklace out, and opened the catch. She
pulled the ring off and put the necklace on. She
slipped the ring onto her left ring finger, knowing it
would fit her exactly. The bright blue stone was the
exact color of her own eyes, a large pear-shaped stone
surrounded by scintillating diamonds. Fighting more
tears, she opened the envelope. There was a letter, a
document, and a business card. She put the document
and the card down and opened the letter.

My Dearest Natalie,
Words cannot express to you how difficult this is for
me. I need you to know that I am not leaving you
because I don't care for you; on the contrary, you
mean more to me than I ever thought possible for any
one person in my life. I have waited centuries to find
you, and now I must let you go.

Please know that I am doing this only to save your
life. After what happened between us, the vampire
inside of me has developed an insatiable craving for
you...and this is something I cannot control. I cannot
tell you how very sorry I am that I endangered you.

Natalie Lambert, I want you to know that I love you
with all that I am, all that I have. If you ever need
anything please call the number listed and I will get
the message. I am also leaving the deed to the loft
for you. You may keep it or sell it, as you see fit.
Nick Knight will soon no longer exist,  but Nicholas de
Brabant will always carry your face and every precious
memory we have made together in his heart and whatever
soul may still exist. I am leaving you the only symbol
of faith I have ever had until I met you. Keep it, and
remember me. Know, also, that I pledge my heart to you
now and forever.

This is not the ending I wanted for us, but I will not
endanger you any more.

All my love eternally,
Nick

The tears started afresh, but she struggled to keep
her grief contained, to erect a mental barrier against
the bond she could feel with Nick. She knew that for
both their sakes she needed to wait until he was far
enough away that she could no longer feel his presence
in her mind before she gave in to the breakdown she
could feel pending.

Sniffling, she pulled out a phonebook and found the
number for the Raven. She dialed and heard it ring
several times until she got an answering machine
message.

“Um, this message is for LaCroix. This is Natalie
Lambert. Please call me when you get a chance at
555-2410. Thanks.”

Sighing, she went to the kitchen and listlessly made
herself a sandwich. As she worked, her eye was drawn
to the ring on her finger. She wondered when Nick had
gotten it, and whether he had ever planned on giving
it to her. Regardless, she knew she would always wear
it as a symbol of their love.

Finishing her lunch, she went to take a shower,
covering up the bandage on her neck. When she got out
of the shower, it was to the ringing of her phone.
Running to grab it, she answered.

“Hello, Natalie Lambert speaking.”

“Doctor Lambert, this is Lucien LaCroix. I was
returning your call.” The cool tones emitted made
Natalie wonder if she had imagined his compassion the
evening before.

“Thank you for calling me back. Can you please…please
tell Nick that I received his letter, and that I
understand? And will you somehow let me know when he
has left Toronto?” The last sentence caught in her
throat. She was still trying to block the presence of
Nick in the back of her mind.

“Yes, I will give him your message. And he will be
leaving Toronto tonight, as will I. Is there anything
else?” A hint of warmth crept into his voice.
“No. There isn’t anything more to say. Thank you for
everything.”

“You are very welcome. And for what it is worth, I am
sorry for the wasted time between us, and I do wish
you the very best. If you ever need anything you can
contact me. I will leave you a means to get hold of
me. Best of luck to you, my dear.  Goodbye.” With that
he hung up the phone, and Natalie realized that the
chapter of her life that included vampires ---and
Nick---was almost over.

“Goodbye my love…one day I have faith that we will
meet again.” She whispered as she gently set the phone
back in the cradle and went into her room to cry fresh
tears, knowing that the loneliness in her life was
only just beginning.

Subject: These Three 3/15
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2004 09:56:01 -0700
From: Kristen Fife <fenix23fyre@YAHOO.COM>
To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU

Six months later

Natalie walked into her support group meeting.  She
was amazed at how much it helped her to talk to others
who had lost loved ones to an addiction. She had
realized shortly after she went back to work that she
needed therapy. She had gone to see a counselor and
had finally decided to talk about Nick as someone who
had died due to an addiction. It was the closest she
could come to talking to someone about her loss in
terms that were understandable to others.

Surprisingly, her counselor Marcia Grinnell had
recommended a special support group for her, one that
dealt with the loss of loved ones due to addiction.
Many of the members were parents who had lost children
to drugs or alcohol, but there were a few adults that
had lost their spouse or partner.

As she entered the library room where they had their
monthly meetings, she noticed someone new. He was
about 40, ruggedly handsome, and had a lost look about
him. She walked over to him and introduced herself.

“Hi, I’m Natalie. You have that look that says you’ve
never been here before.” He looked at her, and smiled
as he took her hand.

“That obvious, huh? I’m Tony. This IS my first time.
My wife died in a car accident last month. She was an
alcoholic.” The last sentence rushed out of his mouth
accompanied by a look of intense pain.

“Welcome to the group, Tony. My fiancé was killed six
months ago. I never thought a support group would help
me deal with the devastation, but I’m slowly
rebuilding my life. Come on, let’s go sit down.”

They went to sit down, and soon the rest of the group
was gathered, and Marcia presided.  The session went
for about two hours, and Natalie felt better talking
to other people that had gone through the same
feelings she had. Their situations might have been
different, but each of them was dealing with the
anger, pain, and feelings of helplessness.  Tony
introduced himself, and told a little bit of his
story, but mostly listened. Natalie had done the same
thing the first few visits, until someone made an
observation that resonated within her. After that, it
got easier to share with the group.

As the meeting concluded, Natalie went to get her coat
and ran into to Tony. She looked up him and smiled.

“So, I hope we didn’t scare you. I know I was
uncomfortable my first few sessions, but it really
does get easier and it truly DOES help.”

He looked at her and smiled faintly. “I can feel the
rapport, and I think this will help me in the end.
Thank you for helping me. May I walk you to your car?”

In the weeks that followed, they started spending some
time together. Tony was a professor at the University
of Toronto, teaching chemistry. They had a lot in
common, and although Natalie felt a physical
attraction to him, she knew neither one of them was
ready for an emotional relationship. But it was with
some surprise that she woke up one morning to find
herself at Tony’s house and in his bed, and remembered
that they had gone out for coffee late the night
before, and had ended up talking until dawn. The
coffee shop was close to Tony’s house, so when she had
looked exhausted enough to fall over, Tony had
insisted that she stay at his house.

She didn’t quite remember how they had ended up in bed
together, but it was nice to have someone to hold her.
It had been so long since she had been with anyone.
Tony had been a considerate and caring lover, but both
of them knew it was just a mutual need born out of
loneliness and longing for comfort. Natalie was still
devoted to Nick, and Tony was still grieving for his
wife Kathy.

She got up and got dressed, following the smell of
coffee down the hall to the kitchen. Tony was dressed
in a bathrobe, making toast and scrambled eggs. She
sat down, afraid that there would be some awkwardness
between them. He turned as she was sitting, and
wordlessly poured her a cup of coffee. She smiled as
she accepted it. He finished the eggs, and gave her a
plate with toast, and set the bowl of eggs in the
center of the table.

Neither one spoke for a moment, when finally Tony
broke the silence. “Natalie, I want to thank you for
last night. I hope this won’t prove too awkward for
you. I…I know it’s probably the wrong thing to say,
but I’m afraid I might have made a terrible mistake
and I don’t want you to get the wrong impression…I
really like you, but…”

She leaned over and put her hand on his. “Hey, it’s
OK. It was a nice evening, and I really enjoyed
myself, but I know neither one of us is ready for a
relationship. Right?”

His face relaxed. “Thank you. It’s been a long time
since I’ve been with anyone other than Kathy. I didn’t
want you to think that you aren’t special, because you
are AMAZING. But, you’re right; we’re not ready. Can
we still be friends?” He looked at her, his green eyes
hopeful that they hadn’t ruined their friendship.

“Of course, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Now,
let’s eat. I’m starving and I know I probably have a
lot of work waiting for me at the morgue.”

Two weeks later, Natalie opened the door to her
apartment just as the phone started ringing.

“Natalie Lambert speaking.”

“Hi Nat, it’s Tony. I wanted you to be the first one I
told. Remember I told you I had applied for a teaching
position in England for a year? Well I got it! I
received a letter today telling me that the University
of Sheffield is inviting me to be a guest professor. I
leave in two weeks. Can you believe it?”

Natalie smiled. She hadn’t heard Tony happy or excited
about anything in the four months that she had known
him. “Oh, Tony, that is great news! I’m so happy for
you!”

They talked some more, and she promised to help him
pack on her days off. He had a lot to get ready before
he left in just two short weeks.

The time flew by, and as they were packing the last of
his belongings that were going into storage, they sat
eating Chinese take-out in his bare living room. A
young couple was going to rent his house while he was
away.

“Natalie, thank you for all your help these last few
weeks. I don’t know if I could have done this without
you. I have to tell you, the thought of getting away
from Toronto and all the memories here is really
appealing to me. Please say we’ll stay in touch?
You’ve really been a huge support during this time for
me.”

She patted his knee. “I’m glad you’re excited. A
change will do you good. And you’ve given me a lot of
support, too. You know my number, I’m only a five-hour
time zone phone call away.” She grinned. “Now, let’s
finish up the last of those textbooks. You have an
early flight to catch tomorrow.”

Tony left the next morning, and Natalie never heard
from him again, although she thought of him fondly in
the months and years to come. Especially when she
discovered, three weeks later, that she was pregnant.

She sat in her doctor’s office, stunned. “I’m WHAT?”

Doctor Jones looked at her. “I said, you’re pregnant.”
Natalie just stared at her.  “Are you SURE? Absolutely
positive?”

Doctor Jones just raised her eyebrow.

Natalie shook her head. “Wow.”
“Natalie, I assume you know who the father is?” The
question was said gently.

“Oh, yes, and I can tell you exactly what night I
conceived.” She picked up the desk calendar. “Five
weeks and three days ago. This is unbelievable.” She
set the calendar down. “Wow.”

“Natalie, are you OK with this? Do you want to carry
this child to term?” Dr. Jones searched Natalie’s
face.

“It’s so much to take in. I really need to think about
this. But, yes, I’m going to have this baby. Thank you
so much. I’ll call my OB/GYN and set up an
appointment.” Natalie got up to leave, her mind racing
with the news.

As she got in her car, she started thinking of all the
differences having a baby would make in her life. She
thought about contacting Tony to tell him the news,
but she realized that she didn’t want Tony involved in
either her life or her child’s. With a jolt, she
decided that she wanted a fresh start. A new life with
her child, in a new place.

Two months later, she accepted a position in the
States, on the other side of the continent, doing
genetic and forensic research in Oregon.  When she got
to the states she changed her name to Natalie Lambert
Knight, and when her daughter was born, she named her
Nicole Lucia Antoinette Knight.

Subject: These Three 4/15
Date: Sat, 14 Aug 2004 11:09:39 -0700
From: Kristen Fife <fenix23fyre@YAHOO.COM>
To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU

“Wow sweetheart, that is a GREAT dinosaur! I bet it’s
the BEST orange and pink polka dotted dinosaur ever!
Are you ready to go home and get some dinner?” Natalie
coaxed Nikki into the car with promises of a chocolate
chip cookie if she finished her dinner.

As they got onto the bridge, Natalie kept up a
conversation with Nikki who wanted to know how
butterflies tasted flowers. Luckily, Natalie was able
to answer that they tasted with their feet.

“Their FEET? Mama, that’s just gross!” The precocious
five year old answered, and Natalie chuckled at the
expression on Nikki’s face.

The sun had set and the evening was darkening when
Natalie pulled in to the driveway of her small house.
She got Nikki out of her car seat, took her hand, and
led her inside. She helped Nikki take off her coat,
put Beauty and the Beast in the DVD player for Nikki
to watch, then went back outside to her car to
retrieve her laptop and notes. As she came in she
smiled to hear Nikki singing along with the movie. She
shook her head and smiled. The fact that her
daughter's favorite movie was about a beautiful young
woman falling in love with a horrible monster with a
kind heart brought a short stab of pain as she thought
about Nick. At night she still sometimes cried herself

to sleep, missing him. Her fingers unconsciously
strayed to the sunburst necklace she never took off.

She started dinner for the two of them, put it in the
oven, then took her laptop and went into her office.
She connected the modem cable, then started
researching on the Internet for some papers she had
been referred to by a recent medical journal. She was
researching blood-borne pathogens, and had recently
made some startling discoveries that she had hopes
might lead a greater understanding of one of the main
components of HIV, as well asprogress on a potential
cure for Nick some day. She became engrossed in her
research, printing up articles and notating
bibliographies to research later. Finally, the timer
went off and she sighed as she put her research
away. She got up and went to get Nikki and eat their
dinner.

Three hours later, Nikki was safely tucked in bed.
Natalie returned to her research. She was engrossed in
her work when she suddenly heard a -thud- coming from
right over her head in Nikki's room. She frowned, then
got up to go check on Nikki. She had had a couple of
episodes of sleepwalking in the last year, and had
fallen out of bed earlier in the month. As she climbed
the stairs, she felt a gust of cold air coming from
Nikki's room and ran up the steps and into her
daughter's room. She looked over to the empty bed and
noticed that the window was open. Nikki was nowhere to
be found. She raced across the hall to the bathroom.

"Nikki! Honey, where are you? Nikki!" Adrenaline was
pumping through her blood just as the phone rang. She
ran down the short hallway to her own room
and picked it up.

"Hello?"

"If you aren't aware of it, Dr. Knight, we have your
daughter."

"Who are you? What do you want?" Tears formed in her
eyes.

"Let's just start by saying that first of all you'll
need to get $5 million, of course in unmarked bills.
You have 72 hours. We'll contact you to let you
know the rest of our demands.  Needless to say, if the
police become involved, you'll never see your daughter
again. And that would be a pity, as she is just as
pretty as her mother." The line went dead.

"Hello? Hello! Oh my god." The phone dropped from her
fingers as she sank to
the floor sobbing.

Two hours later, Natalie was in the police station.
The environment was familiar and oddly comforting. She
looked around, part of her expecting to see a certain
blond detective showing up at any time. She sighed and
sniffed again. She turned her attention back to the
two officers that she was talking to.

"Dr. Knight, can you think of any reason why these
kidnappers might target you? Anything to do with your
personal life, or any projects at work?"
Lieutenant Nate Scott was in his fifties, kindly and
graying. His young partner, Jason Nguyen was just
returning with a cup of coffee for Natalie.

She frowned. "It COULD be related to some research I'm
doing, but there would be no way for them to know
about it. I haven't told anyone, not even my research
director."

"OK, let's assume that is what they are after, and
that the money is just a ruse. I'm assuming you aren't
a rich heiress hiding several million dollars
in a Swiss bank account. What makes them think you
have access to that kind of money?"

Natalie pondered, then remembered a business card with
a number on it. A number she thought she would never
need to call. If these kidnappers knew anything about
her, her past, and Nick, they would know that she
would have no problem coming up with the money. She
also remembered her last conversations with LaCroix.
Was it possible that these criminals somehow
knew about vampires?

"I'm not an heiress, but I do have a well to do family
member that would be able to raise the money. I
haven't spoken to that side of the family in
several years, and there is a lot of...bad blood
between us. They don't even know about Nikki." She
snorted internally at her very bad pun.

Jason smiled at her. "Can you contact this family
member? Explain the situation to him or her, and see
if they are willing to help out?"

She nodded. "Yes. I have contact information at home."

"Dr. Knight, you might want to contact them from
somewhere you don't normally go. They may have somehow
tapped your phones and be monitoring your
communications."

She nodded. "I understand. What else should I do?"

The two officers looked at each other before Lt. Scott
spoke. "You should probably take some time off of
work, and make sure that all your documentation on
this research you mentioned is in your possession."

"No problem. I have to tell you, though, that I'm
scared. What if they hurt my little girl?" Tears
welled up in her eyes.

Jason reached across and patted her hand. "Don't
worry. We'll make sure there are plainclothes officers
watching your house, and we'll find her. Do
you want us to take you  home?"

She nodded. "I'll go to a hotel after I get some
things together and I'll call my relative."

Their surprise was evident. "In the middle of the
night?" Lt. Scott's unvoiced opinion was clear.

"He's a night owl, and besides which, it's only a
message number that I have." She got up. "Thank you
for your help." Lt. Scott motioned for another
officer to come over to escort her home.

"Everything will be fine, Dr. Knight. You did the
right thing coming to us."

"I used to work as the Medical Examiner for the city
of Toronto. I know how law enforcement works." She
smiled as their eyebrows both shot up into their
hairlines.

Jason got a frown on his face. "Is it possible that
this isn't related to your work at all, but is someone
from your past, perhaps someone that you
testified against?"

Natalie thought for a moment. "It's possible, but not
only do I have a different name now, that was in
Canada. I can contact the team I used to work with and
see if they have any ideas." She made a mental note to

call Joe Reese in the morning.  She shrugged into her
coat and went out into the wet night, memories of her
past crowding to the fore.

Three hours later, she checked into the Heathman Hotel
in downtown Portland. She went up to her room, set
down her small suitcase, laptop and work files,
then went to the bed. With trembling hands, she pulled
an envelope out of her shoulder bag and opened it.
There were two pieces of paper inside. One was the
card she had gotten from Nick with his letter and the
deed to the loft. The other was a piece of paper with
a solicitor's name on it, and a phone number to call
in London. She debated which number to call. She knew
that Nick would do anything in his power to help her,
but she also remembered LaCroix's warning and his
offer of help. Finally, she picked up the phone and
called the London solicitor, figuring that if LaCroix
was unable or unwilling to help her, she could call
Nick.

"Good afternoon, Smythe and Berwick Barristers." The
crisp British accent on the other line answered after
two rings.

"Hello, I was wondering if I could speak to Mr. Daniel
Smythe? I was given his number by a client to
contact."

"May I tell him the name of the client and your name,
please?"

"My name is Natalie...Lambert, and the client is
Lucien LaCroix."

"Thank you, please hold." Soothing music played in her
ear as her stomach did flip flops.

After only a few seconds, the line picked up and a
deep voice picked up. "Ms. Lambert? This is Daniel
Smythe. Mr. LaCroix told me that I might one
day receive a call from you. How may I help you?"

"Hello. I need to get in contact with him, and it is
rather urgent. Do you know the best way to accomplish
that?"

"Yes, please tell me what number you can be reached
at, and I'll have him contact you within the next few
hours."

Natalie gave him the name and number for the hotel and
her room number. "Please tell him that I'm registered
under Natalie Knight. And, thank you for your help."

"My pleasure. Please let me know if you need anything
else." The line went dead, and Natalie placed the
phone back in the cradle, praying that she had
made the right decision in contacting LaCroix.

She looked at the clock. It was 4:30 AM. As tears slid
down her cheeks, she realized she was exhausted and
laid down to sleep. "Oh baby, I love you" she
whispered before sleep overtook her.

Subject: These Three 5A/15
Date: Sat, 14 Aug 2004 11:35:12 -0700
From: Kristen Fife <fenix23fyre@YAHOO.COM>
To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU

The list serve didn't like my section lengths, even
though I DID a word count TWICE. Sorry for the delay,
folks.
===========================

The shrill ringing of the phone woke her up. She
grabbed it.

"Hello?" Her heart in her mouth she answered.

"Dr. Lambert? It's Lucien LaCroix. I got a message
that you needed to reach me. What may I do for you?"
The aristocratic voice on the other end of the phone
made Natalie both shiver and filled her with a sense
of reassurance.

"Thank you so much for calling me back. I don't know
where to begin. My five year old daughter was
kidnapped last night, and the kidnappers are demanding

five million dollars by Thursday. I didn't know where
else to turn...please, can you help me?" She started
crying again.

"Of course my dear. Where are you? Exactly?"

She told him the address of the hotel.

"Stay there, don't do anything. I'll be there by
tonight."

She whispered, "thank you, LaCroix." The phone went
dead.

She set the phone back down and tried to go back to
sleep. She tossed and turned and finally got back up
and ordered room service. She went into the
bathroom and took a shower, then put on fresh clothes.
It was 8 AM. She picked up the phone and called her
office. She told her director that she was ill, and
that she wouldn't be in that day, but that she might
stop by to pick up some work later.

There was a knock at the door, and she opened the door
to find breakfast. She tipped the server, then sat
down to eat. She wasn't very hungry, but knew she
needed to keep up her energy. After she finished, she
took out her research and started to try and distract
herself. At about 6 PM, fatigue finally overcame her
and she crawled back into the bed, tears falling down
her cheeks as she fell asleep and prayed for her
daughter's safety.

A knocking at the door woke her up. She looked at the
clock and saw that it was just after midnight. She
stumbled out of bed and went over to the door.
She looked through the peephole and saw LaCroix
standing on the other side of the door. Relief swept
through her. She opened the door.

"LaCroix, it's really you. Please come in." He hadn't
changed, of course. He wore a black Armani suit and
carried a black trench coat over his right arm.

He looked at her, and marveled that Natalie Lambert
hadn't changed very much in the intervening years. Her
hair was shorter, but she still lacked the lines on
her face that would indicate her advancing years. He
did a mental calculation and realized that she was
about 43. She didn't look anywhere near that. He
narrowed his eyes. In fact, she didn't look even close
to 35. She still looked like a woman in her early
thirties. He entered the room and
looked around.

She nervously went over to sit in one of the chairs
flanking the small table where her work was laid out.
LaCroix put his trench coat on the foot of the
bed, then sat down in the other chair.

"You're looking quite well, my dear. The last few
years have been very good to you, it appears. So, tell
me about your daughter and this situation."

Natalie told him about Tony, finding out she was
pregnant, moving to Portland, changing her name, the
birth of her daughter, and the events
of the last day.

"Her name is Nikki. Nicole Lucia Antoinette Knight.
She's amazing. Everyone says she looks like me, and
she is the most important thing in my world."
She got up and went to her wallet, pulling out a
picture that had been taken at Christmas. The two of
them were wearing matching green velvet dresses,
and Nikki was sitting on her lap next to a huge
Christmas tree. She handed the picture to LaCroix. He
wordlessly took it and noted that Nikki was a
miniature version of the woman in front of him, right
down to their smiles.

"She's lovely. She does look exactly like you. And I'm
honored that you named her after me." He inclined his
head at her, and smiled as he returned the photo to
her. "So, does her biological father know about this
situation?"

Natalie shook her head. "No, he doesn't even know she
exists. Tony lost his wife a few months after Nick
left, and he moved to England for a teaching
position. I considered telling him, and I know it's
probably selfish of me, but I wanted her to myself.
Tony is a wonderful man, but the relationship we
had wasn't something I wanted to continue, and he
wasn't ready for a child." She sighed. "I've lost so
much in the last ten years, I didn't want to give
up any part of Nikki. She's my world, LaCroix. She's
the only thing that keeps me going." She started
crying again.

LaCroix took a pristine white handkerchief out of his
pocket and silently handed it to her. She accepted it
and dried her eyes.

"Thank you. I'm sorry." She composed herself. Finally,
she steeled herself to ask the question that was
burning inside of her. "So, have you seen Nick?
How is he?"

LaCroix studied her for a moment, weighing his
response. "Nicholas is...fine. I saw him last year. He
is here in the States, working as a private
investigator, of all things. He's out east." He didn't
elaborate where "out east".

"Natalie, I need to ask you. Why did you contact me
instead of Nicholas? I know he gave you a means to
contact him, as well. I believe you made the
right decision, but what made YOU decide to call me?"

She looked at her hands, clasped in her lap. When she
looked up at him, there was anger blazing in her eyes.
"This isn't just about money, LaCroix. These people
took my DAUGHTER. I want them to pay for what they are
putting us through. I don't want them to be able to
hurt anyone else, ever. And if anything happens to
Nikki, I want to be there to watch them suffer. Do you

understand?"

He smiled slightly and nodded. "Yes, I do understand.
You have grown very wise through the years, my dear.
Very well. They said they would contact you within 72
hours. That gives us two days left. I have a few
errands to run before dawn, and some arrangements to
make. But before we do that, shall we go to your place
of employment and retrieve your work?" He stood as
Natalie nodded and reached for her briefcase. She put
her laptop in its case, gathered all her
documentation, and got her coat on. They left the
hotel and headed for her laboratory.

LaCroix left Natalie at the hotel at 4 AM. She had
retrieved her files, both computer and paper, from her
lab, and she realized she was bone weary. She
also knew she had another phone call to make. She
picked up the phone and dialed directory assistance in
Toronto. She called the old precinct, praying
that Joe Reese was still around. She spoke to the
switchboard and sighed in relief when she heard the
operator say, "Hold just one minute while I
connect you."

Soon a remembered voice, sounding tired, answered.
"Captain Reese."

She smiled. "Hi Joe, it's Natalie Lambert."

"Natalie?! Wow, it's great to hear from you. How have
you been? Where are
you?"

She laughed. "I'm fine. I live in the States now, in
Portland, Oregon. But, I have to ask you a favor. Last
night my daughter was kidnapped, and the
police here thought it might have to do with a past
case, maybe someone I testified against and is out
now? Is there any way to check on that?'

"You got it. Give me the names and contact information
for the officers working on the case. I'll have recent
release records checked and send the information to
them."

"Thanks, Joe. Oh, and by the way, make sure you tell
them it is for Natalie Knight." She held her breath,
knowing that Joe would leap to the obvious
conclusion.

"Knight? Natalie, please tell me that means that you
and Nick got together and have a family?"

"No Joe, sorry. I haven't seen Nick since he left
Toronto. I don't know where he is, other than that he
is out east somewhere. I wish that were the
case. I just wanted a fresh start when I moved, and I
wanted to honor Nick's memory. I'm sorry, but I really
don't want to talk about it, please?" She hoped he
wouldn't probe.

He sighed. "OK. It's none of my business. I'll get
that information to them. Is there a number I can
reach you at?"

She gave him her cell phone number and email address,
then hung up. Memories started surfacing, and she
realized how much she missed Nick. With Nikki gone,
she felt her loneliness even more strongly.  Tears of
loneliness and frustration, fear and helplessness
welled up in her eyes. She turned out the
light and curled up in bed hugging a pillow to her
chest as she finally succumbed to the weariness she
was feeling.

Subject: These Three 5B/15
Date: Sat, 14 Aug 2004 11:38:34 -0700
From: Kristen Fife <fenix23fyre@YAHOO.COM>
To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU

LaCroix entered the small club off of Burnside just
inside the gates to Chinatown. He looked around,
noting that most of the patrons, both mortal
and immortal, had left. Only a few hearty souls
remained, either brooding in one of the small booths
lining the wall, or else involved in an intense
conversation in one of the three alcoves off toward
the back of the room. The DJ had already stopped
spinning dance music, and a lone young vampire
sat on the stage playing an electronic mandolin. The
young one was quite good, LaCroix noted to himself.

He approached the bar and felt that the woman behind
the bar was a vampire, at least two hundred years old.
He sidled up to the bar and asked for the "house
special". She looked at him and caught the resonance
that accompanied his age and power. She poured some
bloodwine into a goblet and handed it to
him.

"Tell me, young one, how do I contact your Community
Elder? I need to converse with him or her." His tone
wasn't friendly, but he wasn't threatening, either.

She held up a finger, asking him to wait. He inclined
his head. She disappeared into a door at the back of
the bar, and a few minutes later came back followed by
a beautiful woman dressed in a red velvet dress.
LaCroix's expression became one of shock.

"Janette? I can honestly say that THIS is one of the
biggest surprises I've had in many years."

A smile played at the edges of her sensuous mouth.
"Well, it's nice to be able to do something
unexpected. How are you, grand-pere?" She leaned over
and kissed him on the cheek.

LaCroix growled deep in his chest. Grand-pere?
GRANDFATHER? How DARE she...

He calmed down and looked at his one-time daughter. He
mentally reached out yo her and discovered that he
could still feel a link with her, albeit quite
a faint one. He took her hand and brought it to her
lips. "You are more beautiful than ever, my child." He
released her hand, and she gestured for
him to follow her. They went through the door she had
emerged from, and he found himself in a well lit
paneled corridor. The hallway ran for several
yards before dead-ending. To the right was a stairway,
to the left was a heavy wooden door marked "PRIVATE".
Janette took him through the door. They entered a
spacious office. There were no windows and there was a
gas fireplace against one wall, a small bar, and a
large wooden table---which obviously served as her
desk, dominating the long wall of the room directly
across from the door. She walked in and proceeded to
sit down behind the table.

"So LaCroix, what brings you to Portland? I would
think this town is a bit too small for you. Seattle,
perhaps." She picked up a glass that had obviously
been recently poured and took a sip, studying him.

"I am here on personal business, at the request of a
friend. What inspired YOU to choose this quaint little
burg, Janette?" He suspected he knew the
reason, but wanted to hear it.

Her expression remained inscrutable, but finally she
seemed to make a decision. "I am here on Nicholas'
behalf, although he does not know where I am. When he
left Toronto, he called me and begged me to watch over
Natalie for him. He told me what had happened. He knew
I would understand the loss he was experiencing, but
he also knew that he must not know where she is,
lest he become obsessed with her. Our Natalie has
proven to be quite...resilient. She is here, in
Portland, and she has a child. Nicholas does not know
about the girl. I have made sure that the local
community knows that she is under my protection."

LaCroix decided to put his cards on the table. "I am
here because Natalie asked me to come. Her daughter
was kidnapped last night and the kidnappers have
demanded a five million dollar ransom."

Janette immediately reacted. Her eyes flashed golden
and she stood, leaning her hands on the desk. "WHAT?!
Someone has STOLEN her daughter and DARES to make
demands? Who is it... tell me LaCroix, who has DONE
this thing?"

He regarded her with intense satisfaction. "We do not
know as yet. Nikki was taken right from her bedroom.
Natalie does not even know why she was targeted. She
has contacted the local authorities, and has gathered
all her work project notes together. She even called
Toronto to see if it could possibly be related to a
case from her past. But I will tell you this,
Janette. She wants revenge. 'Sweet Natalie' is out for
blood...literally and figuratively. Which is why she
called ME instead of Nicholas."

Janette sat slowly back down, still seething with
rage. Although Natalie was not aware of her presence
in Portland, she had kept very close tabs on
Natalie and Nikki, for Nicholas' sake. She had told
him when Natalie had left Toronto, and pledged to
follow her. Once a year she sent him a letter
detailing Natalie's work and that she seemed to be
happy. She had thought long and hard about telling him
that Natalie had not only had a daughter and
named her Nicole Knight, but that she had been unable
to determine who the father of the child was. There
was no man in Natalie's life, and Janette had
seen the ring she wore on her ring finger, suspecting
it was from Nicholas. Reluctantly she had concluded
that if he knew Natalie was a single mother
raising a daughter, with no partner, that he would
risk both their lives to be with her. She knew that
someday, somehow, they would come together. But
not yet.

"All right, LaCroix, since she seems to trust you,
perhaps we should work together, hmmm? I did not know
that you had 'mended your fences' with her,
so to speak. How did this happen?"

Patiently LaCroix told her about the last few days in
Toronto with Nicholas, and how he had gone to Natalie
to explain to her what had happened and the
consequences of their fated encounter. He admitted
that he had misjudged Natalie, and that he had given
her his contact information should the need
ever arise. He also told her about Nikki's father,
relaying the story he had heard just hours ago from
Natalie.

Janette sat silently through his recital. Finally,
when he had completed his narrative, she spoke. "So,
THAT is the story of little Nicole. Tell me
LaCroix, does Nicholas know of your relationship with
Natalie?"

"No. He does not know of my change of heart, as it
were. I deemed it wiser if he still feared for her
life on my account, as a further buffer to
keeping him away from her.  The good doctor has
continued to surprise me. Pleasantly, I might add. Did
you know her daughter's full name?" Janette
shook her head. "Nicole Lucia Antoinette Knight.
Supposedly after Nicholas, myself, and a passing
acknowledgment to her biological father. I must say I
was touched. I feel almost like the child is
a...goddaughter of sorts."

"Well, LaCroix, what are we going to do? By the way,
it is almost dawn. Do you have accommodations?"

He shook his head. "We wait until the kidnappers call
back. And no to your other question. I went straight
to Natalie's hotel when I arrived. Are you
offering?" He tilted his head to one side and
contemplated her.

She laughed. "Yes, I suppose I am. My suite is
upstairs, as I'm sure you have surmised by now." She
rose and offered her hand to the ancient being.
He took her hand and raised it to his lips. A frisson
of pleasure shivered up her spine. It had been many
centuries since she and LaCroix had
been...intimate. She found the thought of it quite
pleasant and anticipatory. She led him up the steps
across the hallway from her office,
and neither of them spent the day alone.

Subject: These Three 5C/15+
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2004 09:11:59 -0700
From: Kristen Fife <fenix23fyre@YAHOO.COM>
To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU

OK, my profound apologies for the breaks and missing
parts.
======================================
Natalie woke slowly, just as the sun was sinking. She
looked around her, disoriented at her surroundings.
Then it all came back to her in a rush. She groaned
slowly, remembering Nikki's kidnapping, as well as
LaCroix's visit. She rolled over on her back. She
hadn't felt this helpless in over seven years. Why was
this happening to her? Why did she always lose
everyone that mattered to her? Self pity overwhelmed
her for a short time, but anger soon replaced it. She
got up, showered, and changed.

LaCroix had told her he would come to the hotel around
8 PM, and it was 6:30. She called room service,
ordered a light dinner, and sat down to check
her email. She hooked her laptop into the data port,
and spent the next 30 minutes reviewing both her
personal email and her work mail. Both were
light, and she didn't reply to anything other than an
email from her sister-in-law, letting her know that
her niece Amy was graduating from high school in June,
and would she be interested in coming to Vancouver for
the celebration? Natalie sat, stunned. Amy was 18? She
shook her head and hit the reply button, telling Sarah
that yes, she would plan on coming up to Vancouver.
She asked for the date and details. She didn't mention
Nikki's kidnapping.

Her dinner arrived just as she was shutting down her
laptop. She turned on the television, not even tasting
the food as she watched reruns of "Friends" and
"Dharma and Greg". Finally, at 8, she turned off the
TV and got up. She started pacing restlessly. At 8:10
there was a knock on the door. She opened
and saw LaCroix standing in the hall...with Janette.

Natalie's jaw dropped. She had believed Janette dead
for the last seven years. "Janette?
How...where...when?"

Janette pushed LaCroix into Natalie's room, following
him. She turned and looked at Natalie as LaCroix
walked over to look out the window.

"Hello Natalie. Before you ask, yes, I'm a vampire
again. As to the specifics, it was Nicholas who
brought me back across, in Toronto. I did not
know he had not told you. I am sorry to shock you."

Natalie sat down on the bed, her head reeling with the
implications. She looked at LaCroix, but he was still
peering out the window into the rain-drenched
darkness. Turning back to Janette, she composed
herself.

"Well. How did you get here so quickly? LaCroix only
showed up last night."

Janette and LaCroix had already discussed how much
information to share with Natalie. Given the
situation, and the fact that she already knew about
them and the existence of their kind, they had decided
to be honest with her.

"I did not have to 'get here'. I live here. I'm the
local Elder. I've lived here for over five years. And
to answer your questions, yes, I have known the entire
time you have been here. I came here to keep watch
over you, for Nicholas. He does not know where we are,
nor does he know about your daughter. But I have kept
watch over the two of you since you moved here.
You are under my personal protection with the local
Community, and you have whatever resources we can
muster to resolve this...situation."

Natalie stared at her, stunned. As Janette's words
sank in, LaCroix turned around.

"It appears that you have been followed, and I'm not
referring to the ineffectual mortals in law
enforcement. The van across the street has been
there since I arrived last night. Luckily, I checked
this establishment for electronic infiltration devices
last night, and I had one of my people come in last
night while we were gone. There were a few listening
devices planted in this room, but I had them moved to
another occupied room. Natalie, I suggest that we
adjourn to your home, if you are willing?”

Natalie nodded, still stunned.  She mechanically got
up, packed her belongings and got ready to check out.
The two vampires followed her to the lobby. She went
to the desk to check out. The stunned night clerk
tried to argue with her that she would have to pay for
another night, regardless of whether she stayed or
not. Finally, LaCroix stepped up to the desk.

“She understands that she will incur charges. She does
not CARE. Just check her out.” He handed the boy a
platinum American Express. Natalie started to protest,
but one look from him quelled her. The clerk rang up
the bill, LaCroix signed it, and the three proceeded
to the garage.

“LaCroix, why don’t you drive with Natalie. I’ll
follow. Natalie, what is your address?

“2320 SW Timmons. My cell is 555-1322.” She started to
offer to write it down, then remembered that vampires
had perfect, photographic memories. She smiled
sheepishly to herself.  As she and LaCroix proceeded
to her car, she tried not to think of Nikki, alone
with strangers. Hopefully she was safe and cared for.
As they approached the car, Natalie’s cell phone rang.
She reached inside her outer purse pocket to grab it,
juggling her car keys and laptop.

Subject: These Three 5d/15+
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2004 09:14:03 -0700
From: Kristen Fife <fenix23fyre@YAHOO.COM>
To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU

“Hello, this is Natalie.”

“Natalie? Joe Reese. I have some bad news for you. Do
you remember Sergei Andropov? Well, he’s out. He
actually escaped when his escort on the way to an
appeals hearing was attacked two months ago. Rumor has
it that he’s in the States. It’s a good bet that he’s
the one responsible for this. And if he’s after you,
he’ll probably be going after Nick, too. I’ve already
called the Portland PD and given all the information
we have on the guy to them, and also the FBI. We got
the RCMP to cooperate on this since it looks to have
gone international.”

Natalie dropped her keys, stunned. “Thanks Joe. I
really appreciate your help.”

“Natalie, this guy is dangerous, you know that. You
and Nick put him away for 55 years, and he is known to
exact revenge on his enemies. Be very careful of this
scumbag.”

Natalie glanced at LaCroix, knowing he could hear
every word. “Don’t worry Joe. I’ve called in some
heavy duty back up. If it IS Andropov, you can feel a
bit sorry for him. Thanks again. I’ll be in touch.
Bye.” She hit the disconnect switch and went to grab
her keys, but LaCroix had already picked them up with
vampiric speed. He handed them to her. She smiled her
thanks.

“So, I assume you are going to tell me about this Mr.
Andropov?”

“Let’s get in the car. Did your people check it for
bugs?”

He smiled ferally at her. “Of course. They found
three, which are now attached to the bottom of a pizza
delivery driver’s car.”  She chuckled in appreciation.

She hit the electric lock and the door opened. LaCroix
crossed over to her side, opened the door for her, and
handed her in. She slung her laptop and briefcase into
the back as he opened the passenger door and got in.

They pulled out of the hotel’s garage, and sat in
silence until they were on SW Salmon. Finally, Natalie
started speaking. “In 1994 we had a series of murdered
prostitutes, most of them under the age of sixteen.
They were all illegal immigrants, all of them from
Russia. It took us almost six months to determine that
the prostitution ring was being run by Sergei
Andropov, the head of the Russian mob in Eastern
Canada. We were never able to pin the murders on him,
but we WERE able to prove that all the hookers that
had been killed had been brought to Toronto by him,
and that he was their employer, as it were. It took
the Vice department almost another four months to nail
him. They were able to arrest him on charges of
prostitution, harboring illegal aliens, racketeering,
tax evasion, and a number of other crimes. But it was
when Nick discovered that his first three wives had
all died under similar circumstances, and confronted
wife number four, that we got a break. I was able to
present forensic evidence that he had been at the
various prostitutes’ homes, and his wife finally
realized that her life was in danger. She testified
against him, then promptly disappeared, in one of the
witness protection programs. At the trial, both Nick
and I testified against him, and he swore he would
come after us. Neither of us thought he would ever get
out of prison. Nick figured he would have already
moved on by then, and I figured, well, I don’t know
what. Obviously both of us were wrong.” She stopped
speaking.

LaCroix finally spoke up. “Do you think he will use
your daughter to try and get to Nicholas?”

“I wouldn’t doubt it. LaCroix, if he has Nikki,
there’s no telling what he would do to her. Those
teenage hookers weren’t just killed. They were raped,
beaten, and then they were…flayed alive. It was
horrible.” She flinched at the memory of the
autopsies. There had been eleven young girls and women
in all, possibly even more.

“Don’t worry, Natalie, we WILL find your daughter. And
then I promise you, this animal will pay for
everything that he has done. I have a feeling that
Janette will be particularly interested in your story.
I don’t know if you know anything about her past, but
she has a weakness for young women and girls forced
into sexual slavery. It has to do with her own
experiences as a mortal. She doesn’t like to talk
about it, but trust me when I tell you that she is a
force to be reckoned with when she hears about
situations like this.”

They were pulling off the main streets into the
Raleigh Hills district where Natalie had her house.
They pulled up, and Janette was waiting for them in
the driveway. There was an unmarked car down the
street from them, and Natalie recognized the officers
from the station. As she pulled in to the garage, she
felt a sense of nervousness descend on her. Nikki had
been taken from her home. She hadn’t even been able to
protect her daughter.

Janette came into the garage before Natalie closed the
garage door. She looked around at the signs of
domesticity. Nikki’s bicycle, the lawnmower and
gardening implements on the wall. All the trappings of
a normal, suburban household. With two very old, very
powerful vampires standing in the garage. Natalie
shook her head.

“Is something wrong, Natalie?” Janette had seen the
shake of Natalie’s head.

“I was just reflecting on the fact that my life has
just re-entered the Twilight Zone again in the last
24-hours.” Both Janette and LaCroix chuckled as
Natalie led them into the house.
============
Kristen Fife, 2004 All Rights Reserved

Subject: These Three 5e/15+
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2004 09:15:20 -0700
From: Kristen Fife <fenix23fyre@YAHOO.COM>
To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU

They went into the living room, and both vampires
looked around, taking in the simple yet tasteful
décor. Janette wandered over to the fireplace and
noted the pictures, mostly of Nikki, but she saw one
in the back that caught her eye. She pulled it toward
her. It was a picture of Nicholas and Natalie at some
police function or other. Nicholas had his arms around
Natalie, and she was leaning against him. Both of them
were smiling, and their obvious affection for one
another brought a stab of sympathy to her. She had
only one picture of Robert, and she cherished it. She
carefully placed the picture back in its place and
went to sit down.

“I’m sorry I don’t have anything to offer either of
you. Needless to say, I wasn’t expecting company,
especially not with your dietary needs.”

LaCroix spoke up. “We’re fine. We both fed before we
came to your hotel, but thank you for the thought. I
think you should repeat your story of Mr. Andropov for
Janette’s benefit.”

So Natalie relayed her story again. When she described
the murdered prostitutes, Janette’s eyes began to glow
golden and she hissed in rage.  LaCroix watched
sardonically, having predicted her reaction. After
their intimacy of the previous day, they had
re-established a strong blood link, and her fury was
vibrating along it.

“This animal DARES to treat young women like this? Not
only will he pay for what he has done to you and
yours, he will answer to ME for his depravities. He is
 MINE. I stake my claim. Do you both hear me?” Janette
turned her feral eyes first to Natalie, then LaCroix,
daring either one of them to contradict her.

Natalie stared at her, while LaCroix just stood
watching her, a bemused look on his face.  “Janette my
dear, I think you will be…amused…at what Natalie told
her former police captain. She told him that he should
probably feel sorry for Mr. Andropov.”

Janette’s eyes were returning to their normal blue.
She looked at Natalie, and the evil smile that crossed
her beautiful features sent a shiver down Natalie’s
back. She silently thanked the universe and any
watching deities that these powerful creatures were on
HER side.

LaCroix cleared his throat. “Natalie, Janette and I
have discussed some of the options open to us. I would
like to offer to stay here with you if you can
accommodate my requirements during the daylight hours.
Janette can supply my dietary needs. The decision is
yours, but you know that until this fiend is taken
care of, you are in danger. And, quite honestly, I
doubt the abilities of those ‘officers’ outside.” He
watched her face.

Relief swept through her. If her choice was between a
friendly vampire and being alone, waiting for the
phone to ring, there was no choice. “Thank you
LaCroix. That goes a long way to easing my mind. I
happen to have a finished basement with no windows.
There’s a spare bed down there. It isn’t the Hilton,
but it should work.”

LaCroix inclined his head. Janette stood up.
“LaCroix’s belongings are in my car, along with
several bottles of bloodwine. I’ll be right back.” She
went out the front door to her car. Natalie looked
over at LaCroix, and her she marveled at how different
her life had become in the space of 24 short hours.

“LaCroix, I need to ask you a question. Do you think
there is any chance of the Enforcers getting wind of
this? If we nail Andropov, I don’t want to spend the
rest of my life, and Nikki’s, looking over my
shoulder. It was one thing in Toronto when I only had
myself to worry about. But now…” her voice trailed
off.

He crossed over to her, and took her hand in both of
his own. “No. There will be no reprisals. One of the
things that happened in the community after we left
was that a Tribunal of Ancients was called. Nicholas
and I both attended. We were required to testify about
the plague. When your name was brought up, both
Nicholas and I told the Tribunal about your part in
it, and the fact that when we left Toronto you made no
move to seek out others in the Toronto community. When
you left Toronto and in essence disappeared and
returned to a normal mortal existence, the Tribunal
issued a decree that you were under a protected
status. In essence, it grants any vampire the right to
interact with you without censure. In addition,
Nicholas claimed you as a family member. He stated
that he had marked you by your blood link. The
Tribunal agreed, although they did not understand why
you were set free. It is an unusual situation, but
hardly unique in the history of our culture.”

“That’s a relief. What does it mean that I’m ‘marked’
by my blood link with Nick?” Natalie’s expression was
one of confusion.

LaCroix sighed. “When a vampire takes blood from a
mortal, but doesn’t kill them or bring them across, it
leaves a…psychic resonance, if you will. To any
vampire that meets you, you have a distinct aura. That
aura would immediately be discernible as belonging to
Nicholas if the vampire had ever met him. Considering
Nicholas’ power and age, it is a formidable asset to
you when dealing with anyone in the community.”
=============
Kristen Fife, 2004 All Rights Reserved

Subject: These Three 6A/15+
Date: Sun, 15 Aug 2004 11:01:40 -0700
From: Kristen Fife <fenix23fyre@YAHOO.COM>
To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU

Natalie’s mouth had formed an O of astonishment as the
meaning of Nick’s claim sank in. “LaCroix, is it
possible that Nikki has, oh I don’t know, inherited
some of this aura?”

LaCroix frowned in surprise. “I don’t know. I’ve never
heard of a mortal bearing a child while being under
the mark of a vampire. It’s entirely possible. What
makes you ask?”

Natalie got up and paced, her arms folded across her
chest. “Sometimes, especially since Nikki started to
talk, I can almost feel her in the back of my head. It
sort of reminded me of the feelings I had with Nick
before you took him away from Toronto. It’s much
fainter, but it is very real. I can always tell when
Nikki is hurt, or upset. It never crossed my mind that
it could be related to Nick in any way.”

LaCroix stood up and walked over to her, putting his
hands on her elbows. “Natalie, if that is the case, we
may have the means to trace your daughter. The blood
link is not only emotional, it is spatial. Even now, I
can tell you that Janette is walking back toward the
house.  If you can concentrate and reach out to Nikki,
we may be able to find her before her captor calls
again.”

Just then Janette opened the front door, and carried
in a suit bag over one shoulder, a large carry case,
and wheeled a small suitcase after her. She put the
two bags down, being careful with the large carry
case. She propped the rolling suitcase against the
wall, then hefted the large carry case and looked
around until she saw the short hallway to the kitchen.
She looked in at Natalie and LaCroix, then headed
toward the kitchen.

Curious, Natalie headed after her. She saw Janette
open the valise and pull out several wine bottles and
put them in the refrigerator. She glanced up when
Natalie stopped inside the doorway. “Don’t worry, it’s
all donated. I am the local supplier, so I know
exactly where every bottle originates.” Natalie was
strangely comforted by the fact that Janette took the
time to explain the origin of the blood to her. She
smiled faintly. She looked up at the clock above the
stove, and was shocked to see that it was already
after midnight.

Rather than close the valise, as Natalie expected her
to, she turned back to it and took out several large
black bulging plastic pouches. She began stacking them
on the counter. Natalie looked on in confusion,
wondering what was in the pouches. There were almost a
dozen of them.

“Janette, what is in those pouches?”

Janette looked up at her. “Money. Didn’t LaCroix say
the ransom demand was five million dollars in unmarked
bills?”

Natalie’s eyes bulged. “You brought it HERE? But, I,
what…” she floundered, the shock of having five
million dollars sitting on her kitchen counter leaving
her almost speechless.

LaCroix came up behind her silently. “Natalie, you DID
call me and ask me to provide the ransom. That is the
primary reason I am here, after all.”

Natalie turned to stare at him, her mouth still
hanging open. Finally, she managed to close her mouth.
Her eyes shut for a moment, and a tear slipped down
her cheek as she whispered, “thank you.”

Janette crossed over to her and wrapped her in an
embrace. “Shhh. It’s just money. If I had known that
you needed it, I would have gotten it for you.”  She
pulled back. “Now, we don’t know for certain that this
kidnapper is MISTER Andropov. It seems likely, but in
case the motive for all this is NOT revenge, but truly
is money, we need to make sure that your little girl
is safe. Don’t worry, we will find her.” She leaned
forward and planted a cool kiss on Natalie’s forehead.

LaCroix watched Janette’s affectionate display, and
felt her protectiveness toward Natalie surge across
their link. His own face wore a small smirk. Janette
pulled back and put her arm around Natalie’s shoulder.

“Come, you should sit down.” She led Natalie back
toward the living room, LaCroix following.

When they were all seated again, LaCroix told Janette
of the theory that Natalie might have a tenuous link
with Nikki. Janette frowned in concentration.

“Hmmm. It IS an intriguing thought.” She turned to
Natalie. “My dear, have you tried contracting little
Nicole through this link?” Natalie shook her head.
“Perhaps now might be the time to do so.”

Natalie was dubious about the process, but she nodded
in agreement that it was worth a try. She shut her
eyes and concentrated on the link with Nikki. She
felt, as always, the very faint presence of Nick. It
was tenuous, but it was there. She probed the other
sense of “connectedness” in her mind, and was shocked
to discover not one, but three. Her eyes flew open as
she looked at the two vampires, realizing that through
her link to Nick, she was also connected to Janette
and LaCroix. They both smiled and nodded
acknowledgement of her discovery. Both of them had
felt her very faint reaching out to them.

Closing her eyes again, Natalie found the trickle of
emotion that signified her daughter. She pushed into
the link, trying to determine what Nikki’s emotional
state was. She was asleep, and seemed confused,
unhappy and scared, but the fear wasn’t overwhelming.
She seemed to be as well as could be expected, and
didn’t seem to be in pain. Natalie breathed a sigh of
relief. Carefully standing up, she slowly turned her
body, trying to use the link with Nikki as a compass
point for her to lock onto.  Suddenly she got a
“tugging” from her daughter. She opened her eyes and
noted that she was pointed vaguely to the southeast.

She looked at the two vampires. “When I turned, I
suddenly felt like I had a string that pulled at me.
Is that what it feels like?”

LaCroix and Janette exchanged looks, then Janette
nodded at Natalie. “Yes. It is a bit different for us,
but essentially the same.  What do you say we take a
little drive, the three of us?” Natalie didn’t say
anything but went to retrieve her coat and purse.
They went out to Janette’s Lexus, and Natalie got in
the front seat, LaCroix in the back. As she
concentrated on finding her daughter via their link,
She also probed around the links she had to the
vampires sitting with her. The link to Nick was also
present, although much fainter. She remembered him
telling her that physical proximity strengthened the
links. With LaCroix and Janette sitting close to her,
she was able to discern that their presences in her
mind were both linked very closely to the fainter
entity of Nick. It was interesting that she could tell
which link belonged to which vampire; each one had a
distinctive “flavor”, just as the connection to her
daughter was very clear to her as “Nikki”.

As they started driving on the Beaverton Hillsdale
Highway heading toward the city, Natalie concentrated
on the connection to Nikki. She felt a steady tugging,
and once it “moved” to her left, and she directed
Janette. As they got closer to the river, she felt a
sharp tug to the west. They entered the city proper,
and headed toward Janette’s haunts, over by the
Burnside Bridge. As the started driving toward the
Pearl District, Natalie felt the tugging growing
stronger. She realized they were heading out past the
city proper, toward what passed as an industrial area,
with large warehouses.

Suddenly, she lost the connection. She cried out, and
Janette pulled over.

“Natalie, what is wrong?”

“It’s gone…I can’t find the direction any more.” She
still felt the emotional bond with her daughter, but
she couldn’t discern her direction anymore. Tears
welled up in her eyes. “What happened? Where did it
go?”
========================
Kristen Fife, 2004 All Rights Reserved
fenix23fyre@yahoo.com

Subject: These Three 6B/15+
Date: Sun, 15 Aug 2004 11:02:55 -0700
From: Kristen Fife <fenix23fyre@YAHOO.COM>
To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU

Janette started cursing in French. LaCroix frowned.
“But you can still feel her in general, yes?” Natalie
nodded her head. “She is probably in transit then, or
has been taken underground. This is not an exact
science, and since your bond is very faint, we cannot
become disheartened.”

They agreed to head back to Natalie’s house. She cried
silently the entire time, but sent feelings of love
and reassurance along the emotional link connecting
her to Nikki. As she became more aware of the other
presences within her mind, she realized that she was
feeling something very faint buzzing along her link to
Nick. She quickly tried to damp down her own emotions,
knowing that if he felt them it would only serve to
make him curious and restless.

They arrived back at her house around 3:30 AM. Natalie
was amazed at how easily she had reverted to a
nighttime lifestyle. Janette dropped them off, and
left to return to her club. Natalie pulled a wineglass
out of the cupboard and offered it to LaCroix along
with a bottle opener. He silently inclined his head,
then proceeded to open one of the bottles Janette had
brought.

Natalie took the pouches with the money and put them
in a trunk in the closet; she still wasn’t comfortable
with the idea of five million dollars lying around her
house. Even with LaCroix there, she was still nervous.
LaCroix didn’t say anything, just watched her with
that smug smile that in past times had infuriated her.

Finally, she showed him to the basement.  He looked
around in appraisal.

“This will do quite nicely, thank you.” Natalie left
him to settle into the room, and went upstairs. She
gathered her mail and sifted through all the bills,
credit card offers, and other pieces.

LaCroix came back upstairs about twenty minutes later.
He looked at Natalie going about her life tasks and
finally went to her bookcase and chose a book to read.
He sat down in one of the overstuffed chairs and began
reading.

Finally, Natalie got up and nervously started pacing.
LaCroix ignored her until she walked over and sat down
facing him. He looked up, to see her nervously biting
her lower lip.

“Is there something you wanted?”

“Since we seem to be in a lull, and all we can do now
is wait, I was wondering if you can tell me how Nick
is really doing. When you left Toronto you told me
that you could help him control his…cravings, I guess.
Please, I just need to know that he is OK.” She looked
at him, her blue eyes filled with such longing that it
touched his heart.

“Very well. The first thing that I did when we left
Toronto was to get Nicholas to stop drinking that
swill he had been digesting.  One of the reasons he
had difficulty controlling himself with you is that he
had been half starving himself for decades. By denying
himself human blood, he had set himself up to fail at
any exercise of control. Add to that the fact that
Nicholas was also drawn to you emotionally, it was no
wonder that the beast inside of him almost killed you.
He had lost the skills and finesse needed to control
his primal desires, and like an alcoholic that has
abstained for many years, allowing himself to feed on
you awakened all his urges with a vengeance.”

Natalie sat listening, trying to be detached and
unemotional, but his explanation of the disastrous
ending to her relationship with Nick brought those
last few moments together crashing into the forefront
of her memories.  Tears started slipping down her
cheeks.

“Are you sure you want to hear this, my dear?” LaCroix
asked.

She nodded.  “Yes, I need to know what happened.”

LaCroix inclined his head. “After we left Toronto, we
went to Paris for a year, and Nicholas and I worked on
his control. The City of Lights always has had a
calming effect on Nicholas, and this was no different.
We joined the local community there, and Nicholas
rejoined his kind. He is still a troubled individual,
but he now has the support of his own kind. He still
interacts with the mortal world, but he keeps himself
aloof. It still troubles me that he still keeps
himself apart from his own kind as well, but
eventually Nicholas WILL come to terms with himself.
He has a strong sense of survival, regardless of his
lingering humanity and this pointless guilt which
follows him. I know you may not be happy with the fact
that Nicholas has turned back to embracing his nature,
but it truly is for the best.” LaCroix watched
Natalie, trying to determine what she was thinking.

“Thank you LaCroix. I’ve done a lot of thinking over
the years, and I honestly believe that part of Nick’s
problem, his depression, was his constant battle with
himself. He was a man divided. I’m not saying that
becoming mortal wasn’t a very real objective for him,
but I truly believe that he came to be too dependent
on the dream, the possibility of becoming mortal
again, so much so that he refused to live in the
present. I won’t lie to you and say that I would be
happy if Nick became mortal and we were able to live a
full and happy life, but I’m not even sure if
attaining mortality would make him happy. Part of me
thinks that it is HAVING a dream, something to strive
for, that is what he needs. I just don’t know. And now
I never will.” A tear slid down her cheek. “I love
him, and will until my dying day. There IS no one else
for me, there never could be.”

LaCroix looked at her speculatively and asked the
question he had toyed with for many years. “I must ask
you. Now that you have had several years living a
normal mortal existence, how would YOU feel about
coming across if you were offered the choice, and have
had time to weigh the differences? And I mean for
yourself, not for Nicholas. If it was your choice,
freely made?”

Natalie looked down at her hands in her lap. She
finally started speaking, picking her words very
carefully. “I always thought that the worst thing
about being a vampire would be moving on, making a new
life for myself every seven to ten years, leaving
everything and everyone that I had grown to care for.
In the last ten years, I HAVE lost everyone and
everything that has mattered to me. And now with this
situation with Nikki, I realize that it doesn’t matter
whether I’m a mortal or a vampire, there will always
be loss. I’ve started over in my life three times, and
each time I’ve lost or said goodbye to my old life. I
think with that realization, I have a better idea of
what it is to move on. And, truth be told, I HAVE
thought about the wonder of living through changing
times, to see history and science advance. My only
hesitation with becoming a vampire is the blood lust,
the urge to kill.” She looked up at him, a steely
determination in her eyes. “I’m a doctor, LaCroix,
pledged to save life, not take it. I don’t know that I
could survive the self-hatred of killing another
sentient being. THAT is what drives Nick. He regrets
the lives he has taken and destroyed, all the pain he
has caused. And in that respect, I support him one
hundred per cent. I know that in this modern age a
vampire doesn’t NEED to kill, but from the
conversations Nick and I have had, the vampire ENJOYS
killing, the hunt. And that is the part of being a
vampire that I don’t know that I could handle. I
cannot make a decision like that, not in theory.
Maybe, if I was faced with the decision due to a
life-threatening situation, I’d be able to say finally
‘yes, bring me across’, but I cannot say that for
sure, right now, that that is what is what I want.
But, if I was dying and the possibility existed that I
COULD make that choice, I guess I would have to say
that yes, I would want to be given that option. From
what Nick has told me, the final decision of whether
to come back, is mine and mine alone.”

LaCroix nodded. “Yes, that is true.  It is the choice
of the individual. Thank you for your honesty, my
dear. After we left Toronto, Nicholas spent many
months trying to decide whether or not he should have
attempted to bring you across as you lay dying. I
think he believed that it is not a choice you ever
wanted, that you only wanted him if he was to become
mortal.”

Natalie stared at him. “How could he believe that?
Doesn’t he know that I love ALL of him? I love the
person he IS, not what he MIGHT be. Yes, the chance to
have a family and grow old together was what we both
longed for, but we both knew that that possibility
might not exist.  I TOLD him that night that if he had
to make the decision to bring me across that he should
do it so that we could be together.” She shook her
head at the sadness of the situation.

LaCroix leaned over and put his hand on hers. “My
son’s greatest failing when it comes to his heart is
that he always tries to make decisions based on HIS
beliefs. He doesn’t always honestly listen to the
wishes of others. His hubris in life is that he thinks
he knows what is best for anyone who knows him. And we
both know that is not always the case.”

Natalie nodded, remembering all the times that Nick
had tried to shield her from things, to “protect” her,
and that he never listened to her when she told him
that he didn’t have the right to make decisions FOR
her.  Oh, Nick, she thought.

LaCroix leaned back. “It is nearing dawn, and I am
going to retire for the day. Tomorrow we should find
out what the kidnapper wants us to do. I know it will
be difficult, my dear, but you should try and get some
rest.” He stood up. “Good day, I shall see you this
afternoon or evening.” He leaned down, took her hand,
and placed a cool kiss on the back of it before
leaving to go to the basement.
=====================================
Kristen Fife, 2004 all Rights Reserved
fenix23fyre@yahoo.com

Subject: These Three 7A/15+
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2004 13:58:13 -0700
From: Kristen Fife <fenix23fyre@YAHOO.COM>
To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU

Natalie sat in the living room for a while longer.
Finally she got up and wandered over to the mantel,
and pulled out two pictures from the myriad scattered
there. One was the photo that Janette had looked at
earlier, with Natalie and Nick sitting on a picnic
table together, his arms wrapped around her shoulders
and her leaning back into him, both of them smiling.
It had been an unusually light moment for Nick. She
smiled fondly. The other picture was of Nikki dressed
up for Halloween the previous October. She had been
dressed as an angel, with large wings and a long white
gown, her smile large and impish at the same time.
Tears formed in the corners of Nat’s eyes as she gazed
at both pictures. The two people she loved most in the
world, both of who were lost to her.  She closed her
eyes and willed herself not to weep. She had shed so
many tears in the last two days that she wondered that
she was still able to cry. Finally, a slow-burning
anger replaced her anguish and helplessness. She
slowly started burning with a rage against the person
who had stolen her daughter from her. He would pay,
she would see to it. In one respect, she knew exactly
why she had called LaCroix; he would understand her
need for revenge and would be willing to act on her
behalf to make sure that the monster that was doing
this to her was unable to ever hurt anyone else again.
She sighed to herself, wondering why she felt so
driven by to punish the scumbag that had stolen her
daughter, rather than be content to let the law take
care of it. She wondered what Nick would say if he
knew that she was being so base and petty. Oh well. He
wasn’t here, and LaCroix was.  Weariness finally
caught up to her as she put her photos back and
trudged to her own room to get some sleep.

Natalie’s alarm woke her up at 4:00 PM. She got out of
bed and headed to the bathroom to take a shower. She
was tense and hadn’t slept well, knowing that today
was the day she would hear from the kidnappers and
hopefully get Nikki back. While she was in the shower,
she reached out with her mind along the link she
shared with Nikki. She felt fear emanating from her
daughter, and sent back feelings of reassurance and
love, masking her growing fear. She hurriedly finished
her shower and if up in a robe. She went down to the
kitchen, not sure LaCroix would be awake.

She didn’t see the ancient master vampire anywhere,
but she noted that although it was raining, there was
still some weak light coming through the open windows
and French doors leading from living room into the
back yard. She went over to the windows and closed the
blinds and curtains, cutting out even the pale, watery
daylight. It would soon be dark. She turned on lamps
around the house so she could see. After finishing
that task, she went to start a pot of coffee for
herself, feeling the need for caffeine to help her
face the evening’s ordeals.

Suddenly she felt a prickling on the back of her neck
and turned to see LaCroix standing in the doorway to
the kitchen, dressed in his habitual black Armani
suit. He had approached silently. She realized that
her knowledge that he was there was very much part of
her attenuated blood link with him, through Nick.

Subject: These Three 7B/15+
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2004 13:59:15 -0700
From: Kristen Fife <fenix23fyre@YAHOO.COM>
To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU

“Nikki is frightened. I picked up her feelings about
20 minutes ago.”

“We shouldn’t have much of a wait to hear from the
kidnapper.” LaCroix walked to the refrigerator and
opened it, pulling out a bottle of bloodwine, which he
opened and poured into one of the wine glasses Natalie
had shown him the previous evening.

Natalie watched him, feeling strangely calm with the
tall vampire filling up the space in her modest
kitchen.  She decided that she needed the reassurance
of mundane chores to help her keep herself calm. “I’m
going to get dressed, then make something to eat. Do
you need anything?”

“Thank you, no. I shall remain here.” He inclined his
head as he headed into the living room, sat down in
one of the chairs, and picked up the book he had been
reading the previous evening.

Natalie went back up to her bedroom and closed the
door. She reached out with her senses to Nikki again,
but all she got was the same feeling of fear. A tear
slipped down her cheek. “It’s OK baby, I’m here.” She
tried to send reassurance again along the link,
frustrated by her inability to do anything more.
Finally sighing, she went to her bureau and pulled out
a pair of jeans and a light sweater. If she had to go
somewhere suddenly to meet with the kidnappers, she
wanted to be comfortable and in versatile clothing.
She looked at her watch and saw that it was just after
five p.m.

When she entered the kitchen, she made herself a
sandwich and poured some coffee. The stress of the
situation was beginning to wear her down, and knowing
that Nikki was afraid only set her nerves more on end.
 Finally deciding to try and do some research, she
finished her lunch and announced she was going to try
and get some work done, then went into her office.
LaCroix raised his eyebrow, but said nothing. After
2000 years, he had patience to a fine art.

As Natalie opened her laptop and started delving into
her work, she managed to distract herself enough that
she lost track of the passage of time. Suddenly the
doorbell rang, and she bolted upright, trying to
figure out who it could be. The kidnappers had
indicated that they would contact her via telephone,
but she still had no idea what time to expect the
call. She left her office to answer the front door and
found Janette standing there. It was full dark, and
after eight p.m. Without saying anything, Natalie
ushered Janette in.  The beautiful vampire went to the
kitchen, opened the door and pulled out the opened
bottle of blood wine. Natalie produced a glass for her
just as LaCroix walked into the kitchen. He walked
over to Janette and kissed her on the cheek. Natalie
noticed the easiness between the two vampires and
wondered about their relationship. LaCroix refilled
his own glass and the three of them went into the
living room.  Finally Janette broke the silence.

“It might be prudent if we have some sort of a plan,
no?” Gracefully, she sat down on the sofa, her casual
slacks and sweater reminding Natalie of a 1950’s
starlet.

LaCroix returned to the chair he had been occupying.
“Yes, I have been considering some of our options.
Much will be dependent on whether or not this affair
truly is the work of Mr. Andropov.” He looked to
Natalie. “I am assuming that of primary importance is
getting Nicole safely back into your custody, then
secondarily…eliminating…this trash. Is that your view,
Natalie?”

Natalie nodded. “I don’t care what happens to the
kidnapper once I have Nikki back. That is ALL I care
about right now. If he disappears off the planet, I
won’t lose any sleep over it.”

Both LaCroix and Janette got a predatory look on their
faces and Natalie shivered at the twin expressions on
their faces.

Janette took a sip of her blood wine, then looked at
Natalie calculatingly. “I think it is safe to say that
this particular individual, whomever he may be, will
never bother you or anyone else after this is
resolved.”

LaCroix merely nodded and started outlining his
thoughts. “I suggest, Natalie, that you explain to the
kidnapper that I am providing you with the money and
that I am insistent upon accompanying you, assuming he
gives the standard ‘you will come alone’ speech. And,
of course, you should insist on speaking to little
Nicole. He does not know of your blood link to your
daughter, and will expect you to demand proof of her
continued well-being.”  Natalie nodded miserably.

“It also a somewhat logical assumption that he will
either choose to have you go on a scavenger hunt or
else he will try and choose a relatively remote
location and give you a very tight schedule. Now, my
one question is: do we fly or drive?”

Natalie blinked at him. The thought of flying had
never occurred to her. She had completely forgotten
the vampiric ability which could be highly
advantageous in the current situation. Janette got a
speculative look on her face.

“LaCroix, I would like to make a suggestion. Perhaps
it would be wise to take a two-pronged approach to
this. You and Natalie take her car, and I will take to
the air. I am guessing that this person will somehow
be following Natalie’s actions. If I leave here soon,
he will have no reason to suspect that I am part of
whatever rendezvous he has planned. You can alert me
to the plans via our blood link, and I can precede you
to the meeting point, and then we will have an
advantage they could not possibly know about.”

LaCroix nodded. “An excellent plan, my dear. Natalie,
do you agree to this?”

Natalie nodded.

“Excellent. So Janette, you should be off before they
call.”

Janette stood, as did Natalie. She walked over to hug
the shorter woman. “Do not worry, Cherie. We will get
your little one back, and make sure that this animal
never troubles you or anyone else again.” She kissed
Natalie on one cheek then walked out of the house.
They heard her car start and pull out of the driveway,
and knew that she would only drive a few blocks away
before taking to the air and finding a waiting place
that would allow her to take off as soon as possible.
“Natalie, I think it would be prudent to have
everything in readiness. You should get the money out,
and put it in a satchel so that when the call comes we
are ready to go.”

Natalie nodded, then went to the closet where she had
hidden the money, and pulled it out as well as a
nondescript gym bag. She started stuffing the money in
the gym bag, but then pulled it out. She pulled the
pouches open and started emptying the cash directly
into the gym bag.  When she had finished the task, she
closed the zipper and took the parcel into the living
room.  She pulled out a jacket, her cell phone, and a
medical bag to be ready to leave on an instant’s
notice. She glanced at LaCroix, then went into the
kitchen and pulled three bottles of blood wine out of
the refrigerator and put them into the valise that
Janette had originally transported them in. She took
the valise into the living room and put it next to the
medical bag and the gym bag. LaCroix looked askance at
her.

“If you or Janette should for some reason become hurt,
you’ll need blood. I don’t have any whole blood here,
so I want to make sure we have something on hand for
you.”

”Excellent thinking. I think this person has vastly
underestimated you. Not only your own resourcefulness,
but also your intelligence. A pity for him, but he
will soon learn the error of his oversight.”

Subject: These Three 7C/15+
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2004 14:00:10 -0700
From: Kristen Fife <fenix23fyre@YAHOO.COM>
To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU

They sat looking at one another. Natalie glanced at
her watch. It had been just after nine when Nikki had
disappeared, and it was eight fifty-five. There was a
palpable tension in the air. Natalie got up and
started pacing, looking at the phone. LaCroix merely
watched her, his expression unreadable. Suddenly the
phone rang, shattering the silent tension. Natalie
rushed to the cordless and hit the speakerphone.

“Hello?”

“Speakerphone, Dr. Knight? That doesn’t bode well for
this conversation.”

Natalie recognized the voice from the night Nikki was
kidnapped.

“I have someone here who has a vested interest in this
conversation; he is the one who is providing your
ransom money. He is an old family friend.”

“Hmmmm. I suppose that’s acceptable, assuming he isn’t
a law enforcement professional. Speak up, family
friend. What is your name?”

“My name is Lucien LaCroix. I am most definitely NOT
in law enforcement. There is no love lost between the
authorities and myself.” LaCroix’s cold, aristocratic
tones sent shivers down Natalie’s spine.

The disembodied voice chuckled. “Well. That’s
refreshing. So. Do you have ALL the money, in cash,
unmarked bills as I specified?”

“Of course. We expect some indication that Dr.
Knight’s daughter is still alive and well. You will
put her on the phone. Now.”

“I don’t think that you are in any position to
dictate, Mr. LaCroix.” The voice had become menacing.

“Let us just consider this a business transaction, and
as such agree that I am paying you top dollar for
merchandise, which I expect to be in mint condition
for the money I am providing.” LaCroix’s eyes were
starting to glow golden; Natalie was very glad that
the caller couldn’t see the dangerous gleam in his
eyes.

“Well, I think I can agree to that. Very well. One
second.” There was a muffle on the receiver, and a few
sounds that could be made out in the background.
Natalie’s heart was racing and adrenaline was pumping
into her system.

There was a sound on the phone and a whispered command
“Say hello to your mommy.”

“Mama? Are you there?” Natalie’s heart broke to hear
Nikki’s voice.

“Nikki, are you ok? It’s me. I love you, Baby.”

“Mama, when am I coming home? I miss you.” There were
tears in her voice, and Natalie could feel the fear
from her daughter in the back of her mind.

The phone was muffled again, then the kidnapper came
back on. “There, as you can hear, she is fine, for
now. I think this conversation has gone on long
enough. Dr. Knight, I suggest you get in your car and
head toward the city. I’ll call you on your cell phone
once you are en route with further directions.” The
line cut out.

Natalie was already moving, putting on her coat and
grabbing her purse, keys, medical bag and the duffel
bag. LaCroix reached over for the valise of blood wine
and went to the door into the garage, holding it open
as Natalie walked out.

They went to her car and got in, opening the garage
door. Natalie took her cell phone out of her purse and
handed it to LaCroix. She backed out and headed back
toward the Beaverton Hillsdale Highway, fighting the
tears that were threatening to spill.

As they got onto the road, LaCroix closed his eyes and
pushed into his link with Janette, letting her know
that they were heading toward the city. He received a
flash of confirmation from her, and an indication that
she would fly toward the city and wait for more
information from him. They drove in silence. LaCroix
had an air of threat about him, and his demeanor
reminded Natalie of the years when they were
adversaries. She was amazed at how things had changed
so much over the intervening years.

Subject: These Three 8A/15
Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2004 20:28:51 -0700
From: Kristen Fife <fenix23fyre@YAHOO.COM>
To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU

As they sped toward the city, her cell phone rang.
LaCroix answered.

“This is LaCroix.”

“Well, I think I will enjoy doing business with you,
Mr. LaCroix. Tell Dr. Knight to take the Hawthorne
Street Bridge to Mt. Tabor Park off of SE 60th.” The
line went dead. LaCroix repeated the instructions, and
then sent a mental message to Janette, and received a
flash of triumph and predatory glee in return.

“So, Natalie, what is this Mt. Tabor Park?”

“It’s a hill, with trees and a reservoir on it. Did he
say where we are supposed to go? It’s a fairly large
area.”

”No, but I have no doubt that he will contact us
again. Janette is already on the way and should be
there shortly.”

Natalie shot a glance at him. “How are you able to
communicate with her so easily? I thought Nick was her
master now.”

”That is true, but Janette and I have recently
established a vampiric blood link by sharing our blood
with one another. My link to her, while not as strong
as her link with Nicholas, is still quite effective.
Especially since Nicholas is not here.”

They drove for another 15 minutes, crossing over the
bridge and then driving up Hawthorne, then approaching
the park. Natalie’s phone rang again. LaCroix,
answered.

“LaCroix here. Where do you want us to go?”

There was a chuckle. “Tell Dr. Knight to park her car
next to the reservoir and to go into the building
there. It will be open. And for her daughter’s sake, I
hope that the two of you are alone.” Silence.

“We are to go to the reservoir and enter a building
there, he said it would be open. Do you know where it
is?”

Natalie frowned. “I think so.” They pulled into the
driveway leading into the park and took a right turn
and LaCroix could see the reservoir. He could feel
Janette’s presence in the immediate vicinity. Natalie
pulled up into the service driveway. There were no
other cars, but there was a dim light inside the
building. She parked the car, turned off the motor and
reached into the back for the duffel bag. LaCroix
caught her hand.

“Natalie, remember, if anything starts happening, you
will need to grab Nicole and then GET DOWN. Bullets
obviously won’t hurt Janette, or myself but you and
little Nicole are very vulnerable.

Natalie nodded and the got out of the car. Natalie
nodded; they got out of the car, closed the doors, and
walked over towards the high fence that surrounded the
reservoir.  They noticed a gate left wide open;
LaCroix went through it first, his senses extended and
alert. He sensed one heartbeat inside, and two others
within several yards of the building. He felt Janette
on top of the building, lying flush against the roof.
He sent her a silent warning to wait and she
impatiently agreed.

They walked into the building. Natalie could barely
see in the dim light, but LaCroix saw the machinery
lining the walls and the body heat of a man standing
behind one of the large pumps.

“That’s far enough. Put the money on the floor and
kick the bag toward me. And I have a gun, so don’t try
anything.” The voice was the same one from the phone.
Natalie dropped the gym bag to the floor and then gave
it a quick kick toward the voice. A dark figure walked
forward and Natalie could see light gleaming off the
barrel of a gun. LaCroix had made no move, but stood
in front of her, watching. The figure bent down, never
letting the muzzle of the gun waver.

LaCroix could see the man perfectly clearly with his
enhanced vision. The man had on a hat and was keeping
to the shadows in the dim light cast by a lantern. But
his face was that of a man in his mid forties, with
the build of someone used to hard physical exercise.
Powerful and confident in his own strength. The man
opened the bag enough to see the money in it, then
slung the bag over his shoulder.

“Very good, Dr. Knight, Mr. LaCroix. I’ll assume that
the correct amount is there.”

“Where’s Nikki? Your money is all THERE.” Natalie
finally demanded.

The man chuckled. “Well, you see Dr. Knight, I’ve
grown rather fond of your daughter, and I think I
would like to keep her company for just one more day.
But we have an old friend in common that I haven’t
seen in so long, and I think that he should join us,
and we can have a reunion. Then perhaps your daughter
can go home to her mommy.”

Natalie was angry. “Who the hell are you talking
about? What do you want?”

The figure chuckled. “Why don’t you have Detective
Nick Knight come join us for a visit? I really would
like to see him again. Now, you have 24 hours to get
him to Portland. I’ll call you at midnight tomorrow
night and we can arrange a little family reunion.”

Natalie started to walk forward, but LaCroix put his
hand out in front of her. She stopped, but he could
feel rage seething along even their very weak link.

“What do you want with Nick? And WHERE IS MY
DAUGHTER?”

“Temper, temper, Dr. Knight. As I said, I just want a
little get together. I’ll call you with instructions
tomorrow night, at midnight.” He shot the gun on the
floor at their feet, then backed through a second
door. “Oh, and I wouldn’t recommend that you follow
me. That would be bad for your daughter’s health.”
With that he backed out the door and sprinted across
the grass toward a waiting car.

LaCroix could feel Janette ready to spring after him,
and he sent her a sharp command to stay where she was
until they were sure that the kidnapper was well away.
When he could sense that the three heartbeats had left
the vicinity, he called Janette to join them. She did
so, her eyes golden with rage.

“Why didn’t you let me follow that scum, LaCroix?” she
hissed.

“Because he did not have little Nicole with him, and
until we have her safely within reach we will need to
act cautiously.” He turned to Natalie who was crying
silent tears of rage and frustration.

“Natalie, let us go back to your house. I think it is
time that we contact Nicholas.”
============================
Kristen Fife, 2001 All Rights Reserved

Subject: These Three 8B/15+
Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2004 20:29:29 -0700
From: Kristen Fife <fenix23fyre@YAHOO.COM>
To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU

She looked up at him, her blue eyes sparkling with the
emotions blazing inside of her.

“Fine. Let’s GO.” She stalked out of the small
building. The two vampires looked at one another, then
followed after the irate woman.

An hour later, they were at Natalie’s house. She was
still enraged as well as frightened. She had pushed
into her link with Nikki and it appeared that she was
asleep. She was pacing in front of the fireplace. Both
Janette and LaCroix were seated, glasses of blood wine
in their hands.

Finally Natalie stopped pacing and whirled to face the
two vampires.

“Well, let’s do it. You said you wanted to contact
Nick. Let’s call him.” Her blazing eyes challenged
both of them.

Janette put her glass of blood wine down on the coffee
table and gracefully walked over to the phone sitting
on its credenza. She hit the speakerphone and dialed a
number.

The phone rang three times until it connected and the
familiar voice picked up.

“Nick Lambert here.”  A sad smile crossed Natalie’s
face as she realized that he had taken HER name for
his new identity, as she had taken his.

“Bon nuit, Nicholas. It’s Janette.”

“Janette? Why are you on a speakerphone? Where are
you?”

“I am in Portland, Oregon. I’m here with Natalie and
LaCroix, we need to talk to you.”

There was a pause and then an almost reverent whisper.
“Natalie?”

Tears filling her eyes, Natalie spoke. “Hi Nick. I’m
here.”  Even across the 3,000 miles separating them,
Natalie could feel a spark along the blood link they
shared.

“LaCroix is there with you? What’s going on? Are you
ok?”

LaCroix sighed. “Oh Nicholas, please cut the
melodrama. Yes, I’m here, and it is at Natalie’s
request.”

Stunned silence greeted them. “Nat? Why is LaCroix
there?”

“I asked him to help me, Nick. Three days ago my
daughter was kidnapped and I needed to come up with
the ransom. And before you tell me I should have
called you, I had my reasons for contacting LaCroix.
It doesn’t matter now. It looks as if the kidnapper is
Sergei Andropov. I talked to Joe Reese and Andropov
escaped a few months ago. We delivered the money
tonight, but he didn’t have Nikki with him, and he
gave us until midnight tomorrow to get you to Portland
before he releases her. He wants us both there.
Please, will you come?”

“Oh Nat…of course I’ll come. I’ll leave on the next
flight I can get out of Logan.”

Janette spoke up. “Nicholas, contact me on my cell
with all your flight information and I will make sure
you are picked up at the airport. My number is
503-555-1002.”

“Thank you Janette. LaCroix, can you please pick up
the phone so I can talk to you?”

LaCroix stood up and walked over to the phone to pick
it up. Janette and Natalie exited the room. Obviously
Nick wanted to talk to LaCroix alone.

“Natalie, come. You should eat and I would like to
refresh my glass.” Janette held her hand out to
Natalie. Both women suspected Nick’s desire to speak
privately with LaCroix had to do with how Nick would
handle seeing Natalie and how they could accomplish it
safely without endangering her.

As they walked into the kitchen, Natalie could feel
Nick more strongly through their blood link. Janette
could also feel Nick and was carefully watching
Natalie. Janette went to the refrigerator and pulled
out a bottle of blood wine, and Natalie pulled out a
wine glass for herself and pulled a bottle of red wine
out of a cabinet. Janette raised one eyebrow. Natalie
looked at her and smiled as she opened the bottle.

“After all the stress tonight, I need to unwind just a
bit, and I can feel my link to Nick fairly vibrating.
Hopefully the wine will blunt it just a bit.”

Janette smiled back and nodded. “Oui, it may help at
that.” She carefully considered her next words to
Natalie.  “Natalie, you must realize that when
Nicholas gets here your life will be in danger. As
soon as the two of you are in the same place together,
his vampire will surface. I know that LaCroix spent a
year working with him on his control, but there are no
guarantees when the two of you see one another.
Between us, LaCroix and I * might * be able to exert
enough control over him, but Nicholas is very strong
when his full vampire is unleashed. Have you thought
about this?”

Natalie sipped her wine and nodded. “Yes, it was the
first thing I thought about when Andropov pulled his
little stunt. The only thing I can think of is to see
if Nick and I can stay separate during this whole
thing. The most important thing in this is Nikki.”
Tears welled up in her eyes. “Janette, if anything
happens to me and Nikki manages to come through this,
will you make sure she is cared for? I only have my
sister-in-law in Vancouver as family, and she is
remarried with three kids. I know she’d take Nikki in
a heartbeat, but I want to know that Nikki is
protected. If…if possible, would you ask Nick to raise
her? I know she isn’t his daughter, but she knows who
he is to me. I think she imagines him as her father in
some respects. If he cannot or will not, I guess the
next thing is to call Sarah.” The tears spilled down
her cheeks.

Janette walked over to Natalie and pulled the mortal
into an embrace. “Shh. Of course I will make sure your
Nikki is cared for. And, if for some reason you are
not able to care for her, I promise I will make sure
that Nicholas knows your wishes. I cannot imagine he
would say no to you or your daughter.”

All the fear, anger, and frustration Natalie had been
experiencing finally burst the tight emotional control
she had been leashing on it. She started sobbing into
Janette’s embrace, knowing that Nick would probably
feel it along their link, but knowing that he would
understand. Her slender body shook with the intensity
of her sobs. Janette stroked her hair and crooned
wordlessly to her while her emotions spent themselves.
After a few minutes, Natalie raised her head,
sniffled, and tried to pull herself together.

“I’m sorry Janette. It’s just all the stress of this
whole situa---“

“Hush. There is no need to apologize. You have been
dealing with a terrible situation and sometimes tears
are a needed release. You should finish your wine,
yes? I believe LaCroix has finished his conversation
with Nicholas. Let us see what he has to say.” Natalie
nodded, got her glass of wine, and the two women
walked back to the living room just as LaCroix was
putting the phone down. He looked at both women
speculatively.

Subject: These Three 8C/15+
Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2004 20:30:03 -0700
From: Kristen Fife <fenix23fyre@YAHOO.COM>
To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU

“Nicholas thinks he can be here before sunset. He is
going to order the jet from the de Brabant Foundation
to meet him in Boston and then bring him directly
here.” His look softened. “Natalie, we need to plan
for his arrival. I’m sure you are aware of the fact
that this situation is going to put you in danger.”

She nodded. “Janette and I were just talking about
it.”

“Excellent. The first thing we can try is to see if
there is a way to keep this…meeting…with Mr.
Andropov…between only the two of them. If he insists
on the two of you meeting him, the best that we can do
is try and set up a buffer between the two of you.” He
turned to Janette. “Janette, how many members of the
community are there here? And, do you have any
fledglings of your own here? It * might * be possible
to control Nicholas if there are enough of us within
the family here.”

Janette nodded. “There are about 100 vampires in
Portland. There is a fairly large population in
Seattle, and if I make some calls we can have
reinforcements here by sunup. It is only about an hour
flight here from there. I have two fledglings here in
Portland, and I believe Landon is still in Seattle. I
shall call him.” She pulled out her cell and started
making calls.

Natalie turned to LaCroix. “How would having Janette’s
fledglings with us help control Nick?” Her curiosity
was piqued.

“The ties between a master and fledgling are the
strongest known among vampires. Just as I can control
Nicholas to a degree, and he in turn can impose his
will upon Janette if he so chooses, any others of our
direct lineage can help impose a measure of control
because of our shared blood.  If Janette’s fledglings
are with us, they can help bolster her strength
against Nicholas. Perhaps enough so that SHE can
control him. If her fledglings get here soon enough, I
can share blood with them and reinforce the familial
blood links. As I’m sure you are aware, the older a
vampire is, the stronger their power. As I am one of
the oldest, I can magnify and help amplify the power
of my children and grandchildren. I believe Landon,
her fledgling in Seattle, was created about one
hundred years ago. If that is the case, he is close to
me, as she was MY child when Landon was created. Hmmm.
This could be very interesting.”

“How so?”

“No vampire has ever become mortal, then been brought
back across. Janette has a different master now. Her
situation is unique among all vampire lore.  I have
not asked her how her ties to her older fledglings
were affected by her recent transformations. I don’t
know if she even retained or reestablished her links
with them after she was brought back across.”

 Natalie pondered all this information about vampires.
Nick was always guarded with what information he
passed on to her when they had been working on a cure
for him, and although she had known some of the
information about a master and fledgling, she had
learned more in the last five minutes about vampire
“family” relationships than in her six years working
with Nick on his vampirism.

Janette returned. “Landon will be here in two hours,
and he will bring his daughter Jillian with him. He is
going to try and see if he can get any of the Elders
from Seattle to join him. I have called a conclave at
the club in three hours to see how many local
community members we can get together. Both Arthur and
Cecile will meet me there.” She tilted her head at
LaCroix. “Lucien, do you want to join our gathering?
Should Natalie come as well?”

LaCroix weighed their options. “Yes, I will come. And
I believe that Natalie should join us. The edict from
the Tribunal has made the rounds in the last few
years, so there should be no problems. Nicholas’ mark
on her will be apparent to all who meet her, and you
said you have already claimed her as under your
protection. I shall add my support to that
proclamation, and let all know that she and her
daughter are part of OUR family.” He smiled grimly. “I
doubt anyone will be willing to incur MY wrath.”

Natalie listened to the interplay between the two
vampires, and realized that the vampire subculture
spanned the globe and existed within all mortal
civilizations. It was truly amazing to realize the
existence and organization of it. She glanced at her
watch, shocked to see that it was only just after
midnight. She felt as if it should be much later. The
meeting at Janette’s club was slated for around 3 AM.
Still the middle of the vampire’s “day”, but after
most bars closed their doors for the night.

She was tired. Not only physically, but emotionally
and mentally as well. The last few days had been so
draining. And the knowledge that she would probably
soon see Nick and that it could be the end of her life
warred with worry over Nikki. She was walking a fine
line, and it was taking its toll on her energy.  She
sat down on the sofa and cupped her head in her hand,
feeling weary beyond belief.  Eventually she drifted
off to sleep while the two vampires discussed their
strategy for combining the strengths of the various
community members from Portland and Seattle, and
reviewing practical and theoretical ways to control
Nick if he and Natalie were put in a position that
would unleash his bloodlust.

Subject: These Three 8d/15+
Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2004 21:06:12 -0700
From: Kristen Fife <fenix23fyre@YAHOO.COM>
To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU

Suddenly Natalie jolted awake. Janette was leaning
over her. “It is time. Do you have the energy for
this? It has been long since you were among the
immortals of the night.”

Natalie smiled and nodded. “Yes, I’m coming. I need to
know what we are going to do. “ She glanced around
Janette to LaCroix slyly. “I’m not as much of a
control freak as some people, but I do like to know
what is going on.” She held her breath to see what his
reaction would be.

He stared at her intently for two seconds, then became
very interested in his shoulder, dusting an imaginary
piece of lint of his immaculate black suit. He ignored
her jibe and she chuckled, and Janette also smiled.

She stood up, stretched, and they headed to the door.
Natalie grabbed her coat and purse as they went out to
her car. She handed the keys to Janette without a word
and got in the back seat. Her subtly passive behavior
was not lost on the vampires. As the local Elder,
Janette had precedence in the city, and LaCroix’s
position as an Ancient and of her bloodline was a
subtle reinforcement of her importance in the vampiric
hierarchy.

As they drove in silence toward downtown Portland,
Natalie reached out along her link with Nikki. She was
asleep. Tentatively, she also reached along her link
to Nick and was shocked to feel the reverberation of
his consciousness along it. She sent a very small
pulse of love along it, and was instantly rewarded
with a flash of love returned followed quickly by a
surge of what could only be described as
possessiveness. She quickly shut down the link and set
a mental block up.  She started worrying that perhaps
she had aggravated the situation. But the thought of
seeing Nick, even if it meant the end of her life, was
a bittersweet ache.

She had lived the last seven years missing him so
much. His friendship, support, and love. She had gone
on a few dates, but it was pointless when her heart
belonged to Nick and she knew it always would. So many
times she had thought about picking up the phone to
call the number he had given her, just to hear his
voice and know that he was dealing with their
separation, regaining control of the vampire, hoping
that somehow there would be a way for them to be
together.  The feeling she had just gotten from him
seemed to indicate that he was still trying to control
the vampire, and that knowledge saddened her.

The car stopped and lurched her out of her thoughts.
She looked around and saw that they were in Chinatown,
just off of Burnside. She had been here several times,
but never at night, and never on the small side street
where the car was now parked. Janette and LaCroix were
opening their doors, and Natalie scrambled out of her
seat. The cool, moisture-laden air felt clammy even
through her clothing. She pulled her coat tighter
around her and shivered. The damp air didn’t affect
the vampires, of course, but she was getting chilled.
She glanced at her watch and saw that it was 2:15.

They walked around the corner and stopped in front of
a doorway in an old brick-façade building. An elegant
wooden door with a brass handle and a stained-glass
window with a red rose, a single drop of red blood
below it, proclaimed the establishment as the Elysium
in elegant amethyst colored glass. Janette opened the
door and gestured for Natalie to follow her, with
LaCroix bringing up the rear.

As they entered, Natalie’s hair began standing on end.
There was an energy in the club that was subtle but
very powerful. She realized that it was the resonance
of vampires. Many of them. They walked down a
dark-paneled hallway and into a large, long room. The
two-storied ceiling rose above them, painted a dark
maroon. To their left was a long room with a stage at
the far end, and a DJ booth in one corner. There was
currently no music. Looking back, she saw that along
the last quarter of the room was a long bar,
reminiscent of the Raven. It was made of carved, dark
wood and there was a long mirror backing it, showing
off the many bottles of alcohol lining the glass
shelves. Glasses hung from a suspended rack,
reminiscent of the Raven. She looked at the bartender,
and felt a flash of familiarity, and the name “Alma”
popped into her mind. There were booths against the
far wall, and as they passed through the long
passageway toward the bar, she turned and saw that
there were tables on the other side of the wall of the
corridor they had just come through. There seemed to
be at least fifty people in the club.

Janette steered them through the archway leading onto
the dance floor. They headed toward the first booth on
the left. As Natalie and LaCroix sat down, Janette
left to get drinks for all of them.  When she
returned, drinks in hand, she was towed by four other
vampires. Natalie’s brow wrinkled. As the other
vampires approached, she could detect distinct
emanations from them. LaCroix was looking at her.

“You can sense them. They are family.” His softly
spoken comment sank in and made sense to her.

Janette approached the table and set down the drinks
for Natalie and LaCroix. Natalie picked up the white
wine and took a sip, hoping to calm her nerves a bit.
Janette turned around and pulled forward an exquisite
petite redheaded woman. Natalie knew that her skin had
been pale even as a mortal. Her large green eyes were
opened in surprise as Janette introduced her to
LaCroix.

“LaCroix, this is Jillian, Landon’s latest fledgling.
Jillian, this is LaCroix. I know you’ve heard quite a
bit about him.” A smile tugged at the corner of
Janette’s mouth.

LaCroix reached forward and pulled Jillian’s hand to
his lips. “Enchanté, my dear.”

Jillian was trembling as the master vampire kissed her
hand, and she seemed overcome as he dropped her hand
and chuckled. Finally, she shook her head and looked
at the floor, embarrassed by her display of awe. A
vampire of medium height, with brown hair and eyes,
stepped forward and extended his hand to LaCroix.

“It’s been a long time, Lucien. It is good to see
you.” His eyes sparkled with mirth and Natalie felt an
instant liking for the vampire.

LaCroix took his hand, and smiled. “Hello Landon. Yes,
it is good to see you. How long has it been…sixty,
sixty-five years?”

Landon laughed. “More like eighty.” After LaCroix
dropped his hand, he stepped back and Janette came
forward again, her arms looped around the shoulders of
a tall blond man and a willowy brunette woman with
flashing dark eyes. She pulled them forward.

“And these are the latest additions to the family,
LaCroix. This is Arthur and Cecile.  Arthur, Cecile,
this is Nicholas’ creator, LaCroix. You’ve heard me
speak of him.”

Arthur extended his hand and bent his head. LaCroix
chuckled and took it, shaking it.

He dropped Arthur’s hand and turned to Cecile. Her
body language radiated challenge and defiance. She
didn’t extend her hand, and LaCroix’s smile grew
larger. He slid out of the booth, and stood before
her. He reached down to take her hand in his, and as
he did so, he dropped his shields just enough to let
her experience some of his ancient power. She gasped
and dropped her eyes in submittal.

“Well, I see that Janette has brought another spirited
woman to the family. How refreshing.” He sat back
down, then nodded once at Janette. She slid into the
booth next to Natalie and gestured for the family to
gather chairs or join them in the booth. Landon slid
in next to LaCroix, leaving the younger vampires to
find chairs from nearby tables.

Subject: These Three 8e/15+
Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2004 21:06:41 -0700
From: Kristen Fife <fenix23fyre@YAHOO.COM>
To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU

When everyone was seated, Janette began to speak. “All
of you know the story of my relationship and past with
LaCroix and Nicholas. Landon, I’m sure you heard the
edict from the Council about the mortal from Toronto
who had been granted immunity after saving the
community there from the plague several years ago?” He
nodded. “Well, that mortal is Natalie.” She put her
arm around Natalie.

The eyes of the younger vampires all turned toward
Natalie. She smiled and knew they could all hear her
heartbeat speeding up.  A stray thought entered her
mind about being a lobster on display at a seafood
restaurant. She smiled at the analogy and for some
reason it put her at ease.

Janette continued. “Cecile and Arthur are aware of
Natalie’s presence in Portland. Landon and Jillian,
I’m sure you can sense Nicholas’ resonance around
Natalie.” They both nodded.  “Both LaCroix and I
consider Natalie a member of this family.
Unfortunately, her blood link with Nicholas, while
strong, almost resulted in her demise. Nicholas barely
stopped himself from draining her. Nicholas loves this
woman more than any other woman I have ever known him
to care for. Myself included.” She paused, letting the
information sink in. All of the vampires were aware of
her history with Nicholas.

Janette continued, amber sparks appearing in her blue
eyes as she spoke. “Natalie has a mortal daughter, and
her child has been taken from her. The man who has her
also knows Nicholas, and has demanded that Natalie and
Nicholas meet with him tomorrow nigh