Subject: Christmastime in the City (1/8) Date: Mon, 15 Dec 2003 13:51:55 -0800 From: April French To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Christmastime in the City--a Forever Knight story By April French Author's Note: Written for the DarkNN List Christmas contest. This is an adult story, and not particularly jolly for a Christmas story, but it's not violent or anything like that. ::wry grin:: Kinda reflects my view of Christmas this year... Takes place during the third season, after 'Strings.' Once completed, this story will be archived at my site, Knightwalker, at its new address, once that's up and running. Permission to archive is given to KC, of course. Anyone else, please ask first. ~~~ Christmastime in the City (1/8) Prologue Toronto: December 6th, 1995 "Silver bells," sang Bing Crosby from the stereo's speakers, "silver bells. It's Christmastime in the city..." Settling in his chair, Nick Knight leaned back and closed his eyes, determined to enjoy the one of two nights off he specifically requested during the entire year. December sixth, the feast day of St. Nicholas of Bari. LaCroix could scoff all he liked; vampire or not, Nick would observe his patron saint's feast day, even if he could only acknowledge the day by not working. The other night he insisted upon was in April, the anniversary of his conversion; that night, he usually celebrated by getting as mind-numbingly drunk as he could. He would not so defile his saint's day, but as the years passed, it did become more and more tempting. Nick both loved and dreaded the winter holiday season. On the one hand, it gave him an acceptable excuse for buying gifts for various friends and colleagues, for Nicholas Knight was a naturally generous soul and truly loved to give presents. He enjoyed watching the expressions on people's faces when opened their gifts, or even when they saw the first snowfall--although, when one lived in Canada, the first snow generally happened long before Christmas. But he recoiled from both the commercialization of what had once been a primarily religious holiday, celebrated with food and revelry, yes, but without the massive amounts of useless junk-gifts, and from the religious connotations themselves. And since he generally worked Christmas Eve at the precinct, he got to answer all the gruesome late-night calls. They were always terrible. On Christmas Eve, they were purely inhuman. Then there were the parties. There had been a time when Nick had honestly loved big parties, but now they just tended to make him feel more isolated from the rest of humanity... more lonely. The cow's blood was bland and lifeless on his tongue, but Nick swallowed it anyway. The only thing more tasteless was one of Natalie's abysmally pale protein shakes. Nick forced down a mouthful of one of those next. "Ugh." He kept drinking from both glasses, alternating one mouthful after another, until both the blood and the shake were gone. Wiping his mouth in disgust, Nick took both glasses to the sink. He washed them and put them away, trying to ignore the ornate little card sitting on his counter. "Soon it will be Christmas Day..." *** December 7th, 1995 Natalie popped a Hershey's Kiss into her mouth and savored while she waited for the person on the other end of the phone to pick up. "Hey, Nick, what're you up to?" "Oh, just watching LaCroix's favorite movie." "'The Silence of the Lambs'?" Natalie guessed. She could hear the grin in Nick's voice as he answered. "'The Nightmare Before Christmas.'" "You're pulling my leg!" "Don't tell him I told you so; it's not something he's proud of." Incredulous, Natalie helped herself to more chocolate. "If it ever comes up in conversation between us," she deadpanned, "I'll be sure to remember. Anyway, I called because I thought you might like to swing by on your way to the precinct. I've got the autopsy in the Rollins case for you." "Great!" "So, did you enjoy your night off?" A sigh came over the receiver. "It was quiet. Restful, you know, typical night off. I was going to invite you over..." He hesitated, "but I was kind of mopey and I would've made terrible company." "It's okay," Natalie assured him. "I understand. I know how much you the holiday season." she said to herself, "I understand," she told him again. "Thanks, Nat," said Nick quietly. "I appreciate that... a lot. I'll see you in a couple hours." Natalie hung up the phone and played thoughtfully with her pen. "Was that Detective Knight?" asked Grace, coming over with some test results. "How'd you guess?" Grace gave her friend a knowing grin. "You don't get that expression on your face except when you're talking with him. Kind of a mixture of happy and completely frustrated." Natalie had to chuckle. "Yeah, that about covers it." "So what's up with him tonight? Not a Christmas person?" "Not really," Natalie shook her head. "He's got kind of a seasonal depression thing. Christmas blues," she added, wondering if antidepressants worked on vampires. "That's too bad," said Grace sincerely. She liked Detective Knight; everyone did, really, except those few who'd made the mistake of getting on his bad side. "Doesn't he have any family to spend the holidays with?" "None to speak of," said Natalie evasively, deciding that LaCroix didn't really count as 'family,' at least not the type one spent a festive winter holiday with. "Richard and Sarah invited him for Christmas dinner the year before Richie died, but he wouldn't come; usually, he either works that night or just stays home." "Well, you shouldn't let him do that this year," said Grace firmly. Natalie looked up at the technician, amused. "You shouldn't! He's been so down lately, what with Schanke--" Grace broke off. When she resumed speaking, she said, "Nick needs to get out and live a little." "Y'know," Natalie mused, "if Schanke was here, he'd be the first person to give Nick a swift kick in the butt and tell him to get on with his life." "You know what you should do?" "What's that?" "You should ask Nick to take you to the Christmas Ball." Natalie snorted. "Nick doesn't do parties. And," she added, teasingly but with a hint of warning, "I don't need you playing matchmaker for me." Grace shrugged and refused to be embarrassed. "Anyway, Nat, that man needs something to get him out of his apartment. Come on. When the employees of the city morgue start worrying about someone, there's got to be a reason to worry." The test results, which hadn't been all that engrossing, quickly lost all hold on Natalie's interest. *** "No." Nick took the Rollins autopsy report and shook some snow out of his loose blond curls. "Absolutely not." "Aw, but Nick..." "Natalie, I appreciate the offer, I really do. But you know how I feel about parties. The temptation, the noise, the alcohol... and especially Christmas parties..." He managed a weak, humorless smile. "'Peace on Earth and goodwill towards men' doesn't mean much to a hungry vampire who's just been presented with an all-you-can-eat buffet." "That," said Natalie after a moment, "was a horrible joke." "Who said anything about a joke? I've lost control at parties before, Nat, and fixing the mistake is a logistical nightmare--I can't hypnotize everyone there." Nick's luminous blue eyes glowed darkly, not with the hunger of the vampire but with the pain of a human being. "Nick, I appreciate how you feel. But you've changed a lot in the past few years, and if you want to take even one step towards mortality, you're going to have to put those changes to the test." She waited, while Nick worried at one of his canines with the tip of his tongue, and wouldn't look at her. "I'll think about it, okay?" "That's all I ask," said Natalie, patting his arm. Nick looked down at the hand on his sleeve. "I have to go," he said, his voice lower than usual. "I'm late." End Part One April French daomir_darkfell@yahoo.com ===== ~Knightwalker: Forever Knight Fan Fiction -- http://www.geocities.com/runeshard/fkficindex.html ~The Corvina: Original Fiction, Poetry and Fan Fiction -- http://www.geocities.com/runeshard/index.html "The Devil and I had a chat this morning..." -- Charles Baudelaire __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? New Yahoo! Photos - easier uploading and sharing. http://photos.yahoo.com/ Subject: Christmastime in the City (2/8) Date: Mon, 15 Dec 2003 13:52:40 -0800 From: April French To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Disclaimers in first post. Christmastime in the City (2/8) Nick got into his car and slammed the door. "You coward," he cursed himself. Yes, he had lost control at parties before... when he was about four hundred or less. He was too old and well-conditioned now to make such a juvenile mistake. A big party was only marginally more tempting than being in the crowded precinct. And Natalie was smart; she'd figure that out eventually. But somehow, he just hadn't been able to bring himself to tell her the truth--that it had nothing to do with the blood. But the overwhelming isolation he felt the celebration was over... the depression that followed the elation of mingling with mortals was just too oppressive to risk. The truth was, that he the camaraderie, the companionship of being a vampire among vampires. There was a closeness and a surprising warmth in the relationships between siblings, between friends, that surpassed the other, baser joys inherent in vampirism, and that mortals could not begin to emulate. It had been a struggle for Nick to give up killing, but it had been a sheer test of inner will and strength when the Community had begun to ostracize him for his beliefs. For the sake of his soul, he had tried to become mortal. Now, the price of his soul seemed to be his sanity and self-respect. he realized, not for the first time. Nick leaned his forehead tiredly against the Caddy's steering wheel. It had not started after the demon, but the demon had exacerbated the condition, of that, Nick was certain. was the conflict that the creature had sensed, and used to gain its way into Nick's soul. But he had beaten it. LaCroix had said how. "'There is good in you. There is God in you.'" His master had a powerful way with words, he knew how to make them achieve his desired ends. But LaCroix had been right. There was good in him, goodness that the vampire had never been able to destroy. His morals, his ethics, his conscience, his burgeoning conviction that God was a being of forgiveness, not punishment, all these things in him that neither the demon nor the vampire had tarnished. It was a sobering thought, that one could be both a good man and a vampire. But therein lay the crux of the matter: he was a vampire, and a vampire he wished to remain. Because he was too weak and too afraid to face the thought of losing the vampire's comradeship. He trusted Natalie too much, respected her and cared for her too much to burden her with that knowledge. <'m not going to ruin her holiday with any of my problems. Or any of my inevitable decisions.> *** He dropped the autopsy report onto his desk and sank down into his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose to forestall a splitting headache. "Hey, Nick." "Tracy," he grunted in response. His partner perched on the desk's edge. "Are you feeling okay? You don't look too good." "Seasonal complaint," Nick evaded, massaging his temples. "I brought the Rollins autopsy over." Tracy picked up the folder and opened it, grimacing at the graphic photographs. "Are you going to the Christmas Ball?" "Hadn't thought about it. You?" "I think so." "Alone?" "I hope not; I've got a date in mind." Nick thought uneasily. Tracy really was becoming far too interested in the Spanish vampire for his comfort, and he made a mental note to visit Vachon to make sure he behaved himself. "Are you going with Natalie?" Nick gave her a look. "Tracy, I just said I didn't know if I was going." "Okay, okay," she said quickly. "Sorry. Didn't mean to pry." The phone rang, and Nick picked it up. "Detective Knight." A beat. "Where?" Two beats. "We'll be there." Nick hung up the phone and nudged Tracy. "Body near Dundas. Let's go." He swirled his coat around his shoulders, grabbed his keys and swooped out, with Tracy struggled to keep up. "Could you wait a minute? God, are you training for a marathon or something?" "Just trying to keep busy," said Nick, by way of apology. "To keep my mind off of... things." *** The body on Dundas turned out to be a routine homicide, if there was such a thing; just a body with a bullet hole through it, nothing spectacular, and this time there were witnesses. In fact, as Nick and Tracy were questioning them, a call came in from the precinct that the shooter had turned himself in, and was at this moment giving a full confession. "That's what I call an early Christmas present," said Tracy, climbing into the Cadillac. Nick thought soberly. Back in September, Schanke had been ranting about the great present he was going to get his daughter Jenny for Christmas. Then, Nick mentally kicked himself. Oh, well, he had three weeks to decide what to get Natalie. The more important question was, would he be there to see her enjoy it? End Part Two April French daomir_darkfell@yahoo.com ===== ~Knightwalker: Forever Knight Fan Fiction -- http://www.geocities.com/runeshard/fkficindex.html ~The Corvina: Original Fiction, Poetry and Fan Fiction -- http://www.geocities.com/runeshard/index.html "The Devil and I had a chat this morning..." -- Charles Baudelaire __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? New Yahoo! Photos - easier uploading and sharing. http://photos.yahoo.com/ Subject: Christmastime in the City (3/8) Date: Mon, 15 Dec 2003 13:53:27 -0800 From: April French To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Disclaimers in first post. Christmastime in the City (3/8) December 13th, 1995 Leaning his cheek on one hand, Nick picked out the opening bars of "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" on his piano with the other. "'I think you're avoiding me,'" was the message Natalie had left on his machine, and Nick had to admit that it sounded like a valid theory. He shook his head, disgusted with himself. he jeered. Nick straightened abruptly. "No, my inner monologue should sound like LaCroix..." He debated for a moment going and seeing his master, to be railed at and sneered at, but perhaps also to be comforted in a roundabout way, and to immerse himself, if only briefly, in the cocoon-like familiarity of LaCroix's presence. But in the end, Nick decided against it. Relief from the loneliness was and would always be only fleeting, compounded by the fact that although he was a vampire, he could never be the kind of vampire that wanted, not anymore. They had made some progress in repairing their relationship since his bout of amnesia, but small progress from LaCroix's point of view--along with all the good memories had come all the bad ones as well, and Nick's reasons for leaving in the first place, and the old arguments had surfaced... the gulf between father and son did not need to be made wider than it already was. He needed to do something, though, so Nick grabbed his coat and made for the abandoned church that the Spanish vampire Vachon called home. Perhaps it was the ever-present 'bad boy' image in Vachon that Tracy found so attractive, or simply the fact that he was a living, breathing--within reason--vampire that fascinated her. Regardless of the rationale, Nick couldn't understand it. Javier Vachon was a like a thousand other vampires he'd known over the centuries--irresponsible, happy-go-lucky, as charming as the wind and just as passing. Although, he didn't seem to be passing through Toronto as quickly as he would have liked, and Nick knew he was to thank--or to blame--for that. "You're not nearly as afraid of me as you'd like me to think," he pointed out, refusing the younger man's offer of a drink. "Why are you still here?" Vachon shrugged lazily. "I like the city. I like the nightlife. And Tracy's really not so bad, once you get used to her." "She's attracted to you." "I'm supposed to be able to help that? Come on, Knight. We like to think we can make women fall in love with us, but sometimes they just do without any help." Nick silently agreed. "Is the feeling mutual?" Vachon hesitated. "What if it is?" Nick raised an eyebrow. "I really am kinda scared of you." Nick grinned slightly, exposing just a bit of fang. Vachon licked his lips. "No, I'm not in love with Tracy. And no, I'm not just saying that. She's curious, Knight." There was a short pause. "And to be honest, I'm mildly intrigued that she's not afraid of me. But that's not love; you don't have to be in love with a mortal to spend time with one, as long as you're careful." "All right, I'll buy that. But that doesn't explain why you're still in the city. I've taken mortals under my protection before--if you'd skipped town, I would have done the same for Tracy. Why not run?" "Aside from the Enforcers?" Vachon leaned his chin on the rim of his wine bottle. "Because I don't have to run anymore," he said finally. "The Inca is dead, Knight. There's no reason for me to keep on running. It's nice to not have to move on after a couple months... a couple years... years earlier than I'd have liked to. I'm gettin' to know this city. It's a new thing for me. And... I do like Tracy." Vachon shrugged again. "Keeps me from being bored, that's for sure. Keeps me from being lonely." A frown creased Nick's handsome face. "Well, at least that's good." The Spaniard considered his visitor thoughtfully. Vachon had seen depressed royalty before, and he was seeing it now, although why Knight reminded him of royalty he had no clue. "You, um... you got a problem?" he ventured. Nick shrugged. "We've all got our problems." "Hey, it's Christmastime," said Vachon by way of excuse. "Speaking of Christmas... has Tracy mentioned anything to you about a Ball?" This time, Vachon squirmed. "Um, well, yeah... She did ask if I'd go with her to some Christmas Ball..." "And did you say... yes?" Nick prodded. "What if I did?" Nick closed his eyes, then opened them, nodded and smiled. "Just behave yourself," he admonished. "Are you gonna be there, too?" Nick shoved his hands into his coat pockets. "No, I don't think so." Vachon nodded knowingly. "Too much strain on the heartstrings, eh?" "What do you know about it?" asked Nick with a dark glare. "More than you'd think," Vachon returned softly. He had no sympathy for Knight's purported search for mortality, although it was none of his affair, but he knew about being alone. "Running away is a lonely business. Running from a brother... a father... yourself... doesn't matter who you're trying to escape, you can't take the chance of bringing someone else along for the trip." "You have friends," Nick began, "and a fledgling--" "Where are they now?" asked Vachon, gesturing with his hands to the large and empty church. "They all got tired of running, so I ran alone." Nick thought of Janette, and Schanke, of all the friends he'd either lost or driven away or simply grown away from. "It's a lonely business, living forever." "Yeah, it is," Vachon nodded his agreement. "If we let it." Nick shot him a glance and, a little hastily, departed. Vachon shrugged and took a deep draught from his wine bottle. End Part Three April French daomir_darkfell@yahoo.com ===== ~Knightwalker: Forever Knight Fan Fiction -- http://www.geocities.com/runeshard/fkficindex.html ~The Corvina: Original Fiction, Poetry and Fan Fiction -- http://www.geocities.com/runeshard/index.html "The Devil and I had a chat this morning..." -- Charles Baudelaire __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? New Yahoo! Photos - easier uploading and sharing. http://photos.yahoo.com/ Subject: Christmastime in the City (4/8) Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 08:29:44 -0800 From: April French To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Erm, I made an oops in the Author's Note in Part One. This is NOT an adult story. It was supposed to be, but I ran out of time. Repeat--no sex. Further disclaimers in first post. Christmastime in the City (4/8) He hadn't been home more than half an hour when his door buzzer sounded. Nick checked the monitor. "Myra!" The face of Schanke's widow greeted him. "Come on up!" The elevator whirred to life, and a few moments later, Myra Schanke, a little apprehensive, stepped into Nick's loft. "I hope I'm not bothering you, Nick," she began. "No, no, not at all." He smiled. "Let me take your coat?" She did, and while he hung it up, Myra wandered a few feet further into the apartment. She was changed, Nick noticed, from the vibrant, outgoing, and--to be frank--pushy woman he'd met when she was in the company of his late partner. "Make yourself at home," he offered. "Can I get you some coffee?" "Thanks, that would be lovely." Myra sat down in the living room, and admired the various exotic trinkets Nick had scattered about. It was, as Donny had said, a very strange home for a cop. Nick brought her a steaming mug of coffee. "Black with two sugars?" "You remembered," Myra smiled, accepting the mug. She sipped gingerly at the hot liquid. "Thanks, Nick. I didn't realize how much I needed that." "You're not the first person to say so," said Nick with a wry grin. "So... what brings you here?" Reaching into her purse, Myra pulled out a Christmas card, which she handed to Nick. Bemused by her nervous expression, Nick opened the envelope. Staring up at him was a picture of himself. In a bright red Santa suit, fuzzy white trim and all. "What the...?" "Donny did it. On our home computer. He had them all made up and written out months ago; said he wanted to give your 'dignity' a little shaking up." She wiped her eyes and smiled. "He would never have forgiven me if I hadn't sent them out. I hope you don't mind." Nick slipped the card into his shirt pocket to read later and gave his partner's widow a comforting hug. "It's okay, Myra. I'll get some ribbing at work, but it'll be worth it." He softened his voice. "How are you, and Jenny?" "It's hard, Nick. Our first Christmas without..." Myra sniffled into Nick's shirt. "He was talking about getting her a new bike." "Yeah, he had mentioned it." "He said he had it all picked out. But he wouldn't tell me anything about it." She laughed. "He wouldn't even show me the flyer. God, that's so like Donny. He always wanted to seem like a magician to Jenny and me. A magical miracle worker." Myra dug a tissue out of her purse. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be dumping all this emotion on you." "No, it's all right." Nick squeezed her hand. "You know I'm here." "Are you... going to the Christmas Ball?" "I don't think so..." At Myra's downcast expression, Nick trailed off. "Why?" "Oh, no reason. I was just hoping you'd be there. Don and I always had such a nice time, and he'd never forgive me if I didn't go this year and I just... well, I just thought that having you there would make things a bit easier." She dabbed her eyes one final time. "Well, I should be going. I have some shopping to finish up... I just wanted to give you fair warning about the cards." She grinned through her tears. "They should be all over the precinct by tomorrow morning." "Oh, joy." Nick gave her a chaste kiss on the forehead. "Take care, Myra, and tell Jenny I said hi." "You have to come over for Christmas dinner." Nick gaped. "Oh, no," he blurted, "I couldn't--" "I'm not taking no for an answer from you, mister," Myra declared, poking his shoulder. She had rallied back from her little crying spell quite nicely, and seemed more like the Myra of Schanke's endless complaining-slash-bumbling adoration. "I know you always spend Christmas alone, so you can just come and spend some time with Jenny and I--Jenny's been wanting to see her 'Uncle Nick' anyway." Nick felt a supremely stupid grin bubbling over his face. "You really know how to convince a guy," he told her. "Oh, all right. I'll come." "Thanks, Nick. And I'll hold you to your promise--" "All right!" he laughed. "If I had one handy, I'd swear on the Bible. Good enough?" "Can't ask more of you than that." Nick helped Myra into her coat. "I'll see you for Christmas dinner," he promised . When she was safely on the ground floor, Nick pulled the card out of his shirt pocket. The image of himself in a Santa suit looked so comical... "Oh, I'll never live this one down," he moaned. "Schanke, if you weren't already dead..." He opened the card. Dear Nick, Lighten up! It's Christmastime, man, go out and have some fun! Eat some fruitcake, sing some carols--and hey, get some mistletoe and go find Natalie . That is not a suggestion. Merry Christmas, buddy! Your friend, Don PS: As soon as you and Nat come to your senses, I want a wedding date, ya hear me? "If you weren't already dead, Schank..." Nick shoved the card back into his pocket to protect it from the thick red tears trickling down his cheeks. Dashing his fists across his face, Nick went and retrieved Myra's still-steaming coffee, emptied the mug into the sink, washed and put it away. His eyes fell on the silver and white invitation he'd received the week before. He considered it for a minute or two, then wandered over to the piano and depressed a few keys here and there, in a meandering fashion. Then, with a resolute motion, he turned down the lid, strode over to the phone and dialed a number. "Hello?" "Hey, Nat? It's me. Listen. Is that invite to the Christmas Ball still open?" End Part Four April French daomir_darkfell@yahoo.com ===== ~Knightwalker: Forever Knight Fan Fiction -- http://www.geocities.com/runeshard/fkficindex.html ~The Corvina: Original Fiction, Poetry and Fan Fiction -- http://www.geocities.com/runeshard/index.html "The Devil and I had a chat this morning..." -- Charles Baudelaire __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? New Yahoo! Photos - easier uploading and sharing. http://photos.yahoo.com/ Subject: Christimastime in the City (5/8) Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 08:30:27 -0800 From: April French To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Disclaimers in first post. Christmastime in the City (5/8) December 21st, 1995 "You still haven't told me what changed your mind," Natalie said. She was seated next to Nick in the car on the way to the hotel where the Ball was being held this year, and for the first time in living memory, the Caddy's interior was warm. "And when did you get the heater fixed?" "Hmm? Oh, a couple days ago." Nick glanced at her briefly and smiled. Natalie waited. "Well?" "Well what?" "What changed your mind?" "I said I'd think about it," Nick reminded her. "I thought about it and I decided to go." Natalie wasn't convinced, but she decided to let the matter slide. "Well, you could've fooled me." Through the snow, Nick saw a long line of cars ahead, and mindful of the roads, pulled the Caddy to a halt behind them. "Drops from Heaven, Nat," he said cryptically. "Did you get one of Schanke's cards, too?" "Oh, yes," she laughed. "It's sitting right on my desk. Y'know, you look really good in red." She stopped laughing abruptly when she realized how that might be taken, but Nick did not seem offended or despondent. Actually, he chuckled, and when he turned his head to look at her, Natalie swore she saw a bit of gold flash in his cobalt-blue eyes. "Must be my complexion," he drawled. "What did Schanke write in yours?" "Oh, nothing much. Just the usual Christmas platitudes." Nick refrained from grinning at the blatant lie. Knowing Schanke, his late partner had probably given Natalie a slightly modulated version of the "loosen up and get a life!" message that he himself had been given. "They've stopped calling me 'the Knightmare' at the precinct. And started calling me 'Saint Nick,'" he added with a grimace. Natalie shorted. "Aw, poor you." "What in the world is going on up there?" Nick wondered aloud. It was hard to hear anything through the running engines, the radios and the grumbling motorists, but under the din, he could have sworn... "I'll be right back, Nat." He got out of the car, buttoning his overcoat. "I want to see what's happening." Nick wasn't bothered by the cold, but the snow stuck stubbornly to his shoes, so it took him a few minutes to trudge to the head of the line, but when he got there, he was taken aback by the sight that met his eyes. "What the...?" He couldn't help it; he chuckled. Then he went over to the driver of the carriage. "Here, buddy," he said, laying a hand on the animal's heaving flank. "Let me give you a hand." *** Nick was caked in snow when he finally got back to the car, and, Natalie was surprised to hear, was singing under his breath. "'It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas... ev'rywhere you go...'" There was something about Nick's singing, husky and low and not too accurate, that always moved Natalie. "Nick? What happened up there?" "Nat, you're not going to believe it..." *** Vachon tugged at the scalp-chafing band Tracy had talked him into tying his hair back with. He'd even gone and shaved for this bean feast. He wasn't really a Christmas party type of guy, but the chat he'd had with Knight had got him thinking, eternity really a long time, if you let it go on and on. And provided Tracy didn't try anything stupid like putting a Santa hat on his head... "Where is he?!" "Trace, he told you he might not be coming." She shook her butter-blond head. "No. Natalie told me that Nick was bringing her. As a date. They were coming together!" "Well, you don't see her either, do you? It's nasty out, maybe they got stuck in traffic--" "Nick!" Tracy called, seeing her partner and his date finally walk in the door. Nick looked towards the voice and grinned. "What took you guys so long?" "We got caught in a traffic jam." Vachon gave his date an 'I-told-you-so' look. "Was it an accident, or just the snow?" Nick got a very strange look on his face, like he was trying to hold back his laughter. Natalie wasn't even trying. Nick muttered something. "Sorry?" "Someone was trying to move a sleigh across the road, and the reindeer pulling it suddenly decided she had had enough. So, yeah, we were held up by a reindeer." Nick shrugged. "Merry Christmas!" His eyes fell on Vachon. "Hey, Nat, you want something to drink?" "Sure, Nick," she smiled, "that would be great." Then she shivered. "Something , please." Vachon took the hint. "Um, Tracy, you want something?" He followed Nick to the drinks table. "Thought you weren't coming." Nick gave him a glare. Then he grinned devilishly. "Has Tracy introduced you to her father yet?" "No, thankfully," Vachon shuddered. "I'm doing my best to avoid him, and so's she, I think." There was coffee and tea and mulled cider, but Nick knew Natalie's tastes, so he fixed her some hot chocolate, added some big fluffy marshmallows, some whipped cream, and a candy cane for good measure. Natalie's eyes went wide when she saw it. "Oh, wow... that's what I call hot chocolate... Nick, bless you." One of his eyebrows twitched minutely. "Eh," Nick shrugged, coloring just a bit. Tracy, who was sipping gingerly on the hot cider Vachon had handed her, elbowed her date in the ribs. End Part Five April French daomir_darkfell@yahoo.com ===== ~Knightwalker: Forever Knight Fan Fiction -- http://www.geocities.com/runeshard/fkficindex.html ~The Corvina: Original Fiction, Poetry and Fan Fiction -- http://www.geocities.com/runeshard/index.html "The Devil and I had a chat this morning..." -- Charles Baudelaire __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? New Yahoo! Photos - easier uploading and sharing. http://photos.yahoo.com/ Subject: Christmastime in the City (6/8) Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 08:31:46 -0800 From: April French To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Disclaimers in first post. Christmastime in the City (6/8) The night was pleasant enough; the hotel ballroom was filled with the scents of Christmas, pine and peppermint and all kinds of spices, and there was live music from a local group, playing all the old chestnuts, and Nick was determined to enjoy himself and to not dwell on the emotions that would come later. He certainly enjoyed seeing the look on Myra Schanke's face when she caught sight of him. "You big liar!" she scolded him, hugging him nonetheless. "You said you weren't coming." "I was convinced otherwise," Nick quipped, glancing at his date. Myra all but pounced on the unsuspecting coroner. "Oh, Natalie, how'd you do it?" "Me? Oh, nothing, I--" "She swept me off my feet with the most eloquent argument you could think of," Nick interrupted, snaking an arm around her waist. His hand brushed over the small of her back and Natalie jumped. "Natalie, that's fantastic." Myra smirked. "Donny and I always knew you two would hook up together eventually. So, is there... anything... that I should know?" "Oh, no, Myra, honestly--" She glared at Nick. "--there's really nothing going on--" "Well, we're keeping things under wraps for now, but the truth is--" Oh, God, she had to find a way to shut him up, before Myra the matchmaker started picking out wedding singers! Thinking fast, Natalie grabbed for a nearby bowl of candy. "Have a candy cane, Nick!" she exclaimed, shoving one into his mouth. Nick choked and his eyes teared up as the confection was rammed halfway down his windpipe. "So nice to see you, Myra, we'll talk later, hmm?" She dragged Nick into a corner. "May I ask what that was?!" Carefully, Nick removed the peppermint stick from his mouth. His blue eyes sparkled mischievously. "Just trying to give Myra something else to think about," he explained. Irritated, Natalie sighed. "You do realize that whatever we're 'keeping under wraps' is going to be all over the city by Christmas morning? Myra is one of the major junctions on the Toronto Metro Line of the Gossip Train!" Nick cocked an eyebrow at her. "I know. But Nat--there's a rumor about us flying around. Besides, the honest truth is, people are going to be talking about you and me anyways, and by morning." "Really? Why?" "Look up." The color drained from Natalie's face. "Oh, no. No, Nick, we're not--" "Afraid so, Nat. But don't blame me for this one; you picked the corner." His eyebrow was still raised, his eyes still sparkling. He peeked out of the corner. "And they're watching us." Nick's arm crept once more around her waist. "What say we give them something to watch, hmm?" Natalie gaped. "You're serious." Nick nodded. Leaning down, he lightly touched his lips to hers, and she responded; it wasn't a lover's kiss, but it certainly wasn't a 'just a friends' kiss, either. "Aw, come on, Nick!" someone shouted. "Myra," Natalie groaned. "You can do better than that!" "Tracy," Nick added. " could do better than that!" "Vach--! That's it." Natalie took two steps forward. Nick hooked a candy cane into the collar of her blouse and drew her back to his side. "Why don't you let me handle this one, eh?" "But Nick--" "Here, Nat." Nick popped the red-and-white-striped treat into her mouth and winked. "Have a candy cane." He saw the band readying themselves to play. "On second thought..." He offered her his hand. "You're in a really weird mood tonight," Natalie proclaimed, letting him lead her to the dance floor. She clasped her warm hand in his cool one. He smiled. "Must be the peppermint." And they danced. Slow, and close. And I'd give up forever to touch you 'Cause I know that you feel me somehow You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be And I don't wanna go home right now When all I can taste is this moment And all I can breathe is your life And sooner or later it's over I just don't wanna miss you tonight And I don't want the world to see me 'Cause I don't think that they'd understand When everything's made to be broken I just want you to know who I am Natalie leaned her head on Nick's chest. She felt a low, vibrating rumble under her ear. His hand moved from her hip to the small of her back and pressed her close. And you can't fight the tears that ain't comin' Or the moment of truth in your lies When everything feels like the movies Yeah, you bleed just to know you're alive And I don't want the world to see me 'Cause I don't think that they'd understand When everything's made to be broken I just want you to know who I am I just want you to know who I am... End Part Six April French daomir_darkfell@yahoo.com ===== ~Knightwalker: Forever Knight Fan Fiction -- http://www.geocities.com/runeshard/fkficindex.html ~The Corvina: Original Fiction, Poetry and Fan Fiction -- http://www.geocities.com/runeshard/index.html "The Devil and I had a chat this morning..." -- Charles Baudelaire __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? New Yahoo! Photos - easier uploading and sharing. http://photos.yahoo.com/ Subject: Christmastime in the City (7/8) Date: Wed, 17 Dec 2003 14:47:48 -0800 From: April French To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Sorry for the delay; had two finals today, plus I only got three hours of sleep last night on account of going to a midnight showing of Return of the King. I am a GIANT GEEK! HUGE!!!! Disclaimers in first post. Christmastime in the City (7/8) December 23rd, 1995 Natalie let herself into the loft. She found Nick painting by candlelight. "How can you see?" she asked, shaking the snow from her coat and draping it over one of the kitchen chairs. "I don't need light to see," he reminded her huskily. At his tone, Natalie looked up sharply. "Are you okay?" Nick plied his brush listlessly. "I've been better," he admitted. Slowly, Natalie made her way over to him. "You left pretty quick after brought me home from the party. I was hoping you'd stick around." "Why?" "I don't know. Maybe to talk?" There was a long pause. Then Nick set down his brush. "You're right," he said, turning to face her. "We do need to talk." He didn't sit, nor did he think to offer Natalie the chance to take her ease. Standing there in the studio, he told her about everything. About the loneliness, the elation, the depression... about not wanting to be mortal. "I didn't want to tell you about that," he said softly. "With everything that's happened this year... Schanke... the amnesia... the demon... I didn't want to give you that burden. But when I kissed you..." Now Nick had to find a chair, and he sank down into it as though he had no strength. "I couldn't have stayed at your place, Nat." "What are we gonna do about this?" Natalie asked softly. Nick didn't look up; she was going to ask how to overcome his new desire for vampirism, even though it wasn't for killing... "About how we feel?" Nick heaved a deep sigh, and passed a weary hand over his face. That wasn't what he'd expected, and not what he'd prepared for. "I'm tired, Nat," he said at last, anger coloring his deep voice. "Tired of trying to be human, and tired of trying to deny what I feel inside, in my heart. Tired of living, and tired... tired of trying so hard to die. I'm tired!" He threw up his hands in resignation. "I don't know what we're supposed to do," he continued, more calmly. "If I trusted myself enough--which I do not!--I'd suggest just abandoning ourselves to fate, letting it take us where it wills. But I don't. I don't." Kneeling in front of him, Natalie took Nick's hand. "But I do." Slowly, as if afraid she might evaporate into a dream, Nick raised his free hand and, with feather-light fingertips, traced the line of her jaw. Cupping Natalie's face with his palm, Nick leaned down, and gingerly touched his lips to hers. They were soft and pliable, and sweet to the taste. "Just like I remember," he murmured, bringing Natalie's hand up to his shoulder and enfolding her in a tight hug. Natalie could feel his body trembling. "You're shaking, Nick." "I'm so scared, Nat," he whispered. "I don't want to hurt you." "You won't, Nick." She parted his lips with her fingers, lightly touching the shining lengths of his fangs. "You won't." *** He held her against him, later, contemplating the tiny puncture marks he had inflicted when they made love. She was alive, and he was a vampire... a good man. Nick felt... he felt shakingly afraid. But for once, not of the vampire. Holding Natalie tightly, he tried to stop shivering. He felt replete, contented, and the vampire was satiated and at rest. He felt... warm. So why was he still so afraid? *** Natalie looked up from her book and wine, to see Nick standing in front of the high window--the window ten feet up from the floor--brushing snow from his collar. "Well?" she asked, eyes sparkling. "It went perfectly," grinned Nick, floating down to her level. "Not even a rustle of sheets." "Nobody stirred?" she joked, wrapping her arms around him. Nick rolled his eyes. "Not even a mouse." "She'll love it." "We'll see, tomorrow." He peered over her shoulder. "I see you finished decorating the tree." "It didn't take too long. It is a small tree," Natalie pointed out. "It fits on your kitchen table." "Well, cut me some slack. It's been a long time since Christmas and I were friends." "I take it vampires don't celebrate Christmas?" Nick shrugged. "Even without all the religious connotations, it's not practical," he murmured, rubbing his hands over her shoulders. He kissed her forehead and leaned his cheek against it, holding her close. "We're all from so many different nationalities and backgrounds... when we do decide to celebrate a festive winter holiday, it's usually the Winter Solstice." "Does this Community celebrate?" "It did when Janette was here; she was the de facto leader and it falls to the leader to organize it. If LaCroix decided to hold one, he didn't tell me about it." "Would you have gone, if he had?" "Probably not." Natalie pulled back and looked at him quizzically. "But I thought..." "I had a prior engagement." Nick grinned. "That was the night of the Christmas Ball." "Hmm. Good to know where your priorities lie," she teased him. Kissing him deeply, she purposely teased at his fangs until they dropped. Nick hissed, but to Natalie's pleasure, didn't pull away. "I just want you to be happy, Natalie," he told her when she finally had to breathe. "I be happy with you, Nick. Vampire, mortal--Cadillac--" Nick snorted. "It doesn't matter. It's you." "And the future?" "We'll confront it together," Natalie promised. "But we'll deal with it when it gets here, and not before. It's not going to ruin Christmas for me or for you. And speaking of that..." She squirmed out of Nick's embrace and darted up the stairs. Nick shoved his hands into his pockets; if he'd had a hat on, it would have been pushed back in wonderment. Natalie came back downstairs with a box. "Merry Christmas!" she said, breathless. "Hmm," said Nick consideringly, taking the brightly wrapped-and-bowwed package. "Well, it's too big to be a pillbox or a watch..." Natalie smacked him on the arm. "Ow!" "Just open it!" Ripping off the paper, Nick opened the pasteboard box and pulled out the styrofoam filler. "Oh, Nat..." He was breathless. "This... This is beautiful." Gently, he lifted the snow globe out of its protective confines. Trapped inside the glass ball was a frozen scene from his--and Natalie's--favorite musical, "The Phantom of the Opera": the Phantom, holding a hypnotized Christine in a light embrace, singing softly to her. "Look underneath." The snow globe was also a music box. Nick wound the key. Tinkling strains filled the loft. "'The Music of the Night,'" he smiled. "I love that song." "I know," she hugged him. "It's beautiful, Natalie, thank you." Nick placed the musical snow globe carefully on a flat surface. "I guess it's your turn." Walking over to one of his bookcases, Nick reached up and took a large black velvet jeweler's box from the highest shelf. "I didn't get a chance to wrap it," he said by way of apology. Nervously, he shoved one hand into his back pocket. "I... hope you..." But he didn't get a chance to finish; the look on Natalie's face told him everything. "Nick, you shouldn't have..." she said, awed. He grinned. "I guess that means you like it, eh?" She was still speechless, so Nick took the box from her hands. He removed the necklace, and with deft, gentle hands, he fastened the double strand of garnet and crystal around her neck. "The French call the garnet 'goutte de sang.' 'Drop of blood,' he translated. "It's a stone of passion, and of fidelity in love..." He trailed off, gazing into Natalie's eyes. "Still think I shouldn't have?" In response, she threw her arms around his neck and held on as thought she meant never to let go. "Merry Christmas, Nat," Nick murmured between kisses. "Same to you, Nick," she whispered. "And many more." End Part Seven April French daomir_darkfell@yahoo.com ===== ~Knightwalker: Forever Knight Fan Fiction -- http://www.geocities.com/runeshard/fkficindex.html ~The Corvina: Original Fiction, Poetry and Fan Fiction -- http://www.geocities.com/runeshard/index.html "The Devil and I had a chat this morning..." -- Charles Baudelaire __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? New Yahoo! Photos - easier uploading and sharing. http://photos.yahoo.com/ Subject: Christmastime in the City (8/8) Date: Wed, 17 Dec 2003 14:51:42 -0800 From: April French To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU For anyone who's been panicking over the absence of the remainder of "Art Imitating Death," I promise, it will be finished before New Year's. And after that I'm disappearing. I've got something bubbling in the ol' cauldron and it needs lots of attention before it'll be ready to share... Disclaimers in first post. Happy festive winter holiday everybody! Christmastime in the City (8/8) Epilogue December 25th, 1995 Using the key Schanke had given him months ago, Nick unlocked the front door and let them in. "Hello?" he called tentatively. "Merry Christmas?" A small figure in plaid dress and braids appeared in the living room doorway. "Uncle Nick!" Jenny shrieked, running over and welding herself to his legs in a shin-breaking hug. Natalie looked at him. "'Uncle'?" A little embarrassed, Nick smiled. "The first time I came over, she adopted me." "She is her father's daughter," said Natalie dryly. Jenny grabbed both of their hands. "Come see what Santa left me!" she exclaimed, dragging them into the living room. Myra Schanke was sitting on the couch, still in her bathrobe and slippers, staring at the Christmas tree and the gleaming pink-and-white bicycle resting beneath it. "I don't understand," she said, over and over again as Nick and Natalie greeted her. "Where did it come from?" "I told you, Mommy!" said Jenny, planting her hands on her hips and rolling her eyes in childish exasperation. "Santa brought it!" "That was not there when I went to bed!" she hissed to Nick. Then she saw the grin tugging at the corners of his lips. "What?" she asked suspiciously. From inside his coat, Nick pulled out a photocopied toy store flyer, and a small house key, and laid them in Myra's hand. "Oh, Nick... you didn't." Nick held a finger in front of his lips and motioned to Jenny, who was happily spinning the wheels on her new bicycle. "Let's say I didn't," he whispered. "We all need a little magic in our lives now and then." Myra pulled him into a tearful hug. "Thank you," she whispered. Then, to Nick's surprise, she kissed him on the cheek. "What was that for?" She gave his arm a playful smack. "If you have to ask..." Then she winked. "Besides," and she pointed upward. Nick looked up; he was standing under a sprig of mistletoe. "You two make yourselves comfortable; I need to go get dressed. God, five in the evening and I'm still in my nightgown!" They watched her go. "She is a force to be reckoned with," Nick commented. "Yup. Learn to deal with it; it's a woman thing." "Huh?" "Excessive emotion. We females tend to deal with it by either jabbering incessantly or by plying everyone with mountains of food." "Hmm." Nick pretended to frown. "I think I'd rather contend with the food." He cocked an eyebrow. "Why do you and I always get stuck under the mistletoe?" Natalie put her arms around his neck. "Magic?" she suggested with an impish smile. Nick returned her grin, and kissed her softly. And then again. The kiss deepened-- "Are you guys in love?" They broke apart, Nick leaning his forehead against Natalie's hair. "Y'know, munchkin... I think we are." "Yay!!!" Jenny clapped her hands. "Are you gonna get married?" Nick pulled back and looked down at Natalie questioningly. After a moment, a slow smile spread across her face. "Y'know, Jenny," she said, "I think we are." She kissed Nick's nose, making him twitch and grin sheepishly. "But not for a while yet, so don't tell anyone." Jenny made a gesture of turning a key in front of her lips. "I haven't heard a thing," she vowed. At that moment, Myra came bustling back into the living room, affixing her earrings. "You'll stay for dinner, too, Natalie," she said. "No, no, I insist! I'm Italian, I have to cook a big meal. Jenny, come and help me get the turkey ready." Reluctantly, Jenny abandoned her new bike. "Do you want--" "No, Natalie, that's okay. You and Nick just sit down and take it easy. By the way, that is a gorgeous necklace!" And then they were alone in the living room, with the softly glowing Christmas tree. And the mistletoe. Nick stroked Natalie's face with his cold, silky finger tips. "I'm afraid, Nat," he admitted. "So am I," she confessed, hugging him tightly. "But you know what I think?" "What's that?" "I think that sometimes, fear can feel a lot like hope." "Maybe." Nick exhaled when he realized he was holding his breath. "I don't know how we're supposed to go about this... what I am... what we're doing... it's dangerous. And I don't believe in magic anymore." Natalie thought of Jenny's smile, of Myra's happiness over Nick's unexpected generosity. "But I do." "You, Nat? The pragmatic, skeptical scientist?" "There are all kinds of magic," she murmured, before kissing him deeply. Her warmth permeated Nick's being, breaking through the barriers he had created to hold back the emotions of the past tumultuous months, and beneath that sprig of mistletoe, the vampire slumped into Natalie's comforting embrace, and cried. ~Finis--December 14th, 2003~ Notes: I don't remember if "Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls had been written in 1995, but it was the song that inspired this story in the first place, so I stuck it in anyway. It just wouldn't have been the same story without it. There was supposed to be an adult segment, but I ran out of time. Maybe I'll add it in later. Also, many thanks go out to the Patrick Stewart and Alistair Sim versions of "A Christmas Carol," which I watched many, many, times as I was writing this thing. April French daomir_darkfell@yahoo.com ===== ~Knightwalker: Forever Knight Fan Fiction -- http://www.geocities.com/runeshard/fkficindex.html ~The Corvina: Original Fiction, Poetry and Fan Fiction -- http://www.geocities.com/runeshard/index.html "The Devil and I had a chat this morning..." -- Charles Baudelaire __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? New Yahoo! Photos - easier uploading and sharing. http://photos.yahoo.com/