Date:         Thu, 16 Dec 1993 10:59:13 EST
 
Christmas Challenge Story #4--Part 1
 
 
Trick or Treat
 
A Forever Knight Story
 
by Susan M. Garrett
 
 
 
 
        Natalie hummed a Christmas carol softly to herself as she rode the eleva
up to Nick's loft.  The brown paper bag crackled ominously and she shifted
the package in her arms.  She wasn't about to spill a morning's work all over
his elevator.  Even if it wasn't <the> solution to his problem, it was a good
start.  She'd dropped by his loft on her way to work this evening, eager to
show him her results.
        The elevator stopped with a slight jump and the door opened.  Again shif
the brown paper bag, Natalie walked into the loft, heading for the kitchen
area.  "Sorry to drop by unannounced, but I think you'll actually like this
one.  The color and texture are right--"
        There seemed to be no one in the loft and the shutters over the windows
remained closed.  Then Janette's head appeared over the edge of the leather
sofa.  "Dr. Lambert," she purred, rising and crossing the floor in a fluid
movement, like a great cat.  Pausing, she smiled.  "I mean--<Natalie>.  How
nice of you to drop by."
        Forcing her lips to match Janette's smile, Natalie placed her burden on
counter, concentrating on the paper bag and its contents.  The hair on the
back of her neck tingled whenever she ran into Janette.  The scientist in her
told her that her reaction was natural--even Nick's presence made her skin
crawl at times, especially when he did weird stuff.  The remnants of a number
of previous psychology courses supported her suspicion that her reaction also
made sense in the area of 'female competition for the attention of the male.'
        But Janette also happened to be a friend of Nick's . . . a very <close>
friend, from what she'd seen.  And if she was going to be able to help him,
she had to deal with Janette one on one, without animosity or fear or the
need to compete.  It was time to ply her skills as a consummate professional.
        If only the hair on her neck wouldn't tingle . . . .
        Janette moved beside her, peering into the paper bag.  "Hmn, is that for
Nicola?  He's upstairs at the moment, dressing.  For all they pretend, they
preen before a mirror as often as we do."  Then she cast Natalie a
sympathetic smile as she reached into the bag and pulled out one of the
thermoses.  "Well, <some> of us."
        Self-consciously, Natalie reached up her hand to push her hair back from
face and under her ski hat.  She reached for the thermos, but Janette moved
away quickly, dancing just beyond her reach in a movement that as swift as it
was delicate.  With one twist, she unthreaded the lid and the cap came off in
her hand.  She looked down at the liquid inside and pursed her lips.  "How
unpleasant.  And the stench is . . . remarkable."
        "I haven't started working on that end of it, yet," said Natalie
defensively.  Tearing off her mittens, she flung them onto the counter,
beside the bag.
        "It would seem you have your work cut out for you."  Janette opened the
refrigerator door and placed the thermos on a lower shelf.  "Now, I thought
Nicola might enjoy a change of pace from your potions," she said, reaching
inside and withdrawing a corked wine bottle.  "It's from my private stock."
        Natalie didn't have to have the senses of a vampire to know that the bot
contained human blood, instead of the cow blood on which he'd been surviving
for some time.  She looked away, uncomfortable with the idea that the bottle
contained something that flowed through her own veins and kept her alive.
"He's been trying to cut back."
        "Not from what I saw today."
        She saw of the empty bottles scattered across the living room, just as
Janette spoke.  There were at least three in her line of sight, and no doubt
more beyond the couch.  A part of her stomach twisted in disappointment and
there was a sudden tightness in her shoulders, caused by not knowing whether
to blame Janette for tempting him or Nick for succumbing.
        But she had to give him the benefit of the doubt, at least for the momen
Nodding, she met Janette's victorious look with a grim smile.  "I
understand."
        "Perhaps you only <think> you do," warned Janette.  "But there are some
things about him that you will never know."  Placing the bottle back into the
refrigerator, Janette closed the door.  "For later," she explained, facing
Natalie.  "And I should get back to the Raven."
        "Well, don't let me keep you."
        Janette's look almost dared her to try.  "We're so busy this time of yea
she explained.  "So many mortals become depressed around the holidays."
        "I'd think it would be worse for your kind--after all, with all your fri
and family dead . . . ."  It was a cheap shot and Natalie regretted it
instantly.  But it did hit home.  Janette turned her face away, her ivory
profile cold and perfect.
        It was marred only by a sudden frown.  "<Merde>.  I forgot to file my fl
plan.  It'll take me twice as long to get back, now."
        "Flight plan?  Are you going somewhere for the holidays?"
        "No.  Just back to my club."  Janette looked back at her and raised an
eyebrow in surprise.  "Nicola hasn't explained about flying?  And after all
this time, too.  I really thought he trusted you."
        "What <about> flying?" asked Natalie cautiously.  There was an edge to
Janette's voice that made her uneasy.  "You're not telling me you have to
file a flight plan to fly across town?"
        The look on Janette's face was that of a teacher indulging a slow pupil-
made Natalie's cheeks burn.  "There are so many of us, we have to take
precautions to avoid collisions.  And with taller and taller buildings rising
at a moment's notice, not to mention high tension wires, television
transceivers, power conductors, or the occasional low flying plane . . . . it
is only common sense, <n'est-ce pas>?"  Sighing extravagantly, as if bored,
she covered her mouth with her hand, a dainty gesture.  "Ask Nicola, by all
means.  He'll explain it to you.  As for me, I <must> fly."  She slinked to
the elevator door, then turned, waiting for it to open.  "Merry Christmas,
Natalie.  And . . . give my love to Nicola, won't you?"
        "Yeah, sure," answered Natalie, after the elevator door closed behind
Janette.  "When Hell freezes over."
        After tossing her attempt at maintaining a professional attitude into th
empty paper bag with an overhand throw--"Two points"--she snatched the bag
from the counter and headed out into the living room, promising herself that
she wouldn't try to figure out which bottles had held human blood and which
had held cow blood.  She could, at least, make a fairly accurate count of the
number that Janette had downed--the red lipstick was unmistakable.  There
were some pretty odd things about Nick, but wearing lipstick wasn't one of
them.
        She heard the bedroom door close and looked up.  Nick was walking down t
staircase, slipping one arm into a suit jacket and checking the sleeve for
some imagined flaw.  "Janette, what do you think about--"
        To his credit, he stopped cold when he saw her, but then continued down
steps almost mechanically.  "Nat--hi.  I didn't know you planned on dropping
by."
        Trying her best to maintain an even expression, Natalie brandished one o
the empty bottles at him.  "Obviously."
        "You shouldn't be doing that.  Leave those, I'll take care of them later
He surreptitiously kicked two bottles under the couch--no lipstick--then
froze a second time and glanced around the loft.  "Janette--?"
        "Just left."  The paper bag was full.  Hoisting it into her arms, and
avoiding Nick's attempt to take it from her, Natalie returned to the kitchen.
 "I should have called before I dropped by," she apologized.  "But I spent a
few extra hours in the lab, after shift.  I think I've come up with a couple
of improvements for the protein drink.  Of course, the red dye causes cancer
in laboratory rats . . . but doesn't everything?"
        She abandoned the bag of bottles on the counter.  Slipping behind her, N
quickly dropped the entire thing into a garbage can and closed the lid on it.
 It was such a pathetic move, it almost made her smile.  He even tried to get
between her and the fridge, not realizing that she'd already seen what
remained of Janette's idea of holiday cheer, but she slipped underneath his
arm and took out the thermos.
        "And speaking of laboratory rats . . . and other kinds . . . try <this>.
        He jerked back as she shoved the open thermos underneath his nose.  "Of
course, I have to work on the smell," she admitted, holding it close to her
own nose and taking a whiff.  To her senses it was slightly less nauseating
than rotten meat, but with his acute vampiric senses--it <would> expalin why
he turned a rare shade of green.  "But the color's closer.  And it's less
lumpy.  You want to give me a taste test?"
        Nick, bless his little ten-beats-a-minute heart, took another step back
even the hint that she'd hand the thermos over to him.  "Maybe later.  I'm
not really hungry right now."
        "Oh, yeah.  Right."  She put the cover back on the thermos and spun it
tightly into the lock position--it made her feel better and no matter how
tight she made it, Nick would be able to get it open later.  But then when he
re-opened the refrigerator door, her gaze fell on the bottle of human blood.
 
        And she couldn't look away, even as she placed the thermos, as Janette h
on the lower shelf.  "I told you--you won't get anywhere if you keep going
back to that stuff."
        "We've had this conversation before--" began Nick.
        Natalie slammed the refrigerator door, stalking into the living room.  "
we're having it again.  And we're going to keep having it until you decide
whether you're serious about becoming human again . . . or you tell me to
drop the whole thing."  She whirled, then fell back a step, not having
realized how close behind her he was.  "Is that what you want?" she asked
harshly.  "Because if it is, I can walk out that door, and you won't have to
deal with any of this ever again."
        "That's not what I want and you know it."
        Natalie took a deep breath and walked a few more steps away.  Because he
didn't have to breathe like her, he could mask the fact that he was pissed
off when he wanted to.  She, however, was letting him know just how she felt.
 And as long as she was on the subject--"Look, you're going to have to do
something about Janette."
        "Oh?"
        She wasn't certain <what> she heard in his tone of voice, but Natalie wa
pretty sure she didn't like it.  Taking another deep breath, she faced him
and found the couch between them.  "She's your drinking buddy.  You take one
step forward with me, then she takes you two steps back.  If you want <this>
to continue, <that> has to stop."
        His eyes met hers for a second, then he looked away.  "Janette's . . . b
with me for a long time.  It's hard to refuse her."
        Remembering that perfect profile and the slinky dress, Natalie smirked
inwardly and muttered, "I'll bet."  He tilted his head slightly at her
comment and she cursed herself for not remembering how good his hearing
really was.  Objectivity--that was the key.  She'd lost some ground and she
had to stay objective to pick it up again.
        "I don't care if you <see> her," she answered, wondering if that super
hearing would hear the lie in her voice and the skip in her heartbeat.  "Just
don't <drink> with her.  I can't say that I understand the relationship
between you two.  You told me she brought you across, right?"
        Nick shook his head slightly, turning his back to her.  "Almost.  She wa
the bait.  LaCroix brought me across."  His shoulders slumped.  "Janette
wasn't to blame."
        "Yeah.  They said that about the iceberg that hit the Titanic, too."  Sh
was instantly sorry for the comment when he froze in place.  "Nick--I--"
        "We've dealt with that, Janette and I.  At first, it didn't really matte
        There was something in his stance and the set of his shoulders she didn'
like.  Natalie took a step forward and put her knee on the leather couch, but
hesitated in reaching out to touch him.  He hadn't told her much about the
first few hundred years he'd spent as a vampire, but from what she'd heard,
it hadn't been good.  <He> hadn't been good.
        Seeing him now, as vulnerable as he was, it was hard to believe.  But th
were moments, when his eyes changed color and he snarled, fangs
extended--inwardly she shuddered, the memories too fresh to bear.  When that
happened, he scared the hell out of her.  And she could well believe he'd
been the monster that he claimed.
        Nick chose that moment to turn and his face softened in concern almost
immediately--he must have seen the fear in her eyes.  "Nat--look, I'm sorry.
It's . . . well, it's Christmas.  Janette and I were kind of talking over old
times.  We haven't shared many Christmases together lately.  There was some
catching up to do."
        "That's really none of my business, isn't it?" she said softly.  Backing
away from the couch, and him, she looked at the shutters that still covered
the windows.  "Your relationship with Janette is between you two.  I'm just
sticking my nose in again."  Shaking her head, she forced a smile.  "Old
nosy-Parker Lambert."
        "I'll try the drink later," said Nick.  "I promise."
        The forced smile was replaced by a real one.  Turning on her heels, Nata
nodded at him and shook her finger.  "You'd better.  And if you don't get a
move on, you'll be late and Stonetree'll dock you from the Christmas caroling
session tomorrow night."
        His eyes went wide and he ran a hand through his hair nervously.  "Uh, N
about this caroling stuff--"
        "And speaking of late, I've got two autopsies scheduled and a half dozen
reports to finalize."  Zipping up her jacket, Natalie headed for the
elevator.  Once there, she stopped and turned.  "Oh, and there was something
I wanted to ask you.  Janette said something about having to file a flight
plan?"
        "A <what>?" asked Nick, taking a step toward her.
        The suspicious tone in his voice gave her a second's pause and she began
believe she'd been had.  Swallowing hard, Natalie forced another smile--she
was getting better at them, with all the practice--and said, "Oh, nothing."
Then she punched the button for the elevator again.
        But Nick walked toward her, smiling.  "You said 'flight plan'?  As in
<fly>ing?"
        Looking skyward, Natalie announced, "I want to die.  Here.  Now."  It wa
only when he started laughing that she felt her cheeks go crimson.  "Well, I
never <know> with your kind," she protested.  "You can be so deadpan--"
        That set him off even more.  But he seemed to calm down when he began to
realize how angry she was.  Hands raised in surrender, he stood across from
her, trying to fight back a smile.  "Okay--you're right.  That wasn't nice of
Janette.  But you can't blame her.  It's tradition."
        She rolled her eyes at the word--again with the 'blame'.  What was Janet
made of, Teflon?  But the rest of his excuse intrigued her.  "Wait a minute,
this is something I missed.  So, you get some poor mortal to believe two
stupid things a day or what?"
        Nick was still trying not to laugh.  He had to turn away and mumbled a
gruff, "Sorry," under his breath, collecting himself before he could face
her.  Finally, he coughed a few times and turned, more or less composed.
"It's out of the riddle tradition--you tell riddles at Christmas to confuse
the bad spirits and keep them from ruining the good time.  It usually started
out innocently enough, but by the time the party had gone on a good two or
three hours, it got pretty raw."
        "Do you remember any of the riddles?"
        Nick opened his mouth, then closed it again.  He looked down at the floo
then away.  And she realized, after a second, that his very pale cheeks were
doing their version of blushing.
        Laughing, she pointed at him.  "Hah!  I knew it!  You only remember the
dirty ones!"
        At that, he laughed and rubbed his chin.  "They <were> pretty bad.  And
they're not all that dated, either."
        "Some things get better with age.  And people."  Their eyes met for a
moment.  There was something there, between them, something she wasn't
certain <should> be there--it was too soon.  Looking away, toward the kitchen
and anything other than those very intense eyes, she cleared her throat.  "So
what does that have to do with Janette making a damn fool out of me?"
        "That's the word--fool.  It was called foolscapping.  You played a pract
joke on someone.  If it succeeded, it meant that you'd have good luck in the
coming year--"
        "At their expense," guessed Natalie, her lips twisting in a wry smile.
then, a completely impossible and daringly brilliant idea began to form in
her mind.  "And this goes on for how long?  Although I'm certain I'm going to
endure a lot of 'flight' jokes in the near future."
        Nick bit back a smile.  "From St. Thomas' Day . . . the twenty-first--"
        "Okay, 'doubting Thomas.'  I get that one."
        "Until Christmas Eve, which is tomorrow.  So you're relatively safe unti
next year.  It's bad luck to foolscap the same person more than once."
        "Is the foolscappee allowed to become the foolscapper?"
        Nick shrugged.  "Yes.  It's happened."  Then his eyes narrowed.  "Natali
tell me you're not thinking what I think you're thinking."
        "Only if the next words out of your mouth are--'and I want to be a part
it,'" she warned.
        "You have no idea--"
        "Look," she said, pointing toward him with her mittened hand, "we mortal
have been putting up with this sort of shit from you people for centuries.
And it's about time we got our own licks in.  So, are ye for me or agin me?"
        Again, Nick held up his hands in a pretend surrender.  "All right, I'll
help, I'll help.  But I hope you know what you're doing."
        "Oh, I know <exactly> what I'm doing."  She turned away, eyes gleaming,
Nick's worried expression only fueling her fire for revenge.  Objectivity be
damned, Janette was going to get her own back--in spades.  "I'm going to give
Janette her worst nightmare."
        Nick expressed interest with the quirk of an eyebrow, but his expression
still worried.  And Natalie's heart sang at the thought that she--little
Natalie Lambert, mortal coronor extraordinaire--could scare the willies out
of a former big, bad vampire.
 
 
 
        "Come on, come on," said Nick, reaching into the elevator and grabbing h
arm.  He all but dragged her into the kitchen.  "She'll be here any second."
        "Give me a minute, will ya?"  Shaking him off, Natalie slipped out of he
coat, which Nick tossed halfway across the living room, then moved over to
the bag of provisions he'd gathered at her request.  "We had two accidents
this morning, so I had to stay late.  I almost showed up covered in blood."
        "I should be so lucky," he answered.
        Deciding to ignore the comment, Natalie sat down on a chair Nick pulled
for her and looked into a small makeup mirror he'd provided.  "I look too
healthy."
        "Red-blooded," he agreed.  He dumped the contents of the bag onto the
countertop and fished through the makeup, presenting her with one.
        Natalie wrinkled her nose at the color.  "I don't think I should look <t
dead."
        "Would you <please> hurry?"  He stalked to the windows, the shades open
admit the first blues and blacks of twilight.
        Shaking her head, Natalie dropped the tube of stage paint and chose anot
from the selection.  "You're really getting into this, aren't you?  And you'd
better close the shades--we don't want her peeking in on us."
        "Oh, you're right.  What did I did with the--there!"
        The sounds of the shutters humming down into place barely sank into her
conscious thoughts.  Knowing the whole thing wouldn't have to last for long,
she loaded up on the heavy paints, giving only half a thought as to how she
was going to get the muck out of her pores before they went caroling later.
        But her plan was doomed to failure if Nick continued to blunder around l
a schoolboy waiting to be caught in the middle of a prank by the headmaster.
"So, what did you tell her?"
        "I embellished our argument last night--told her we'd really had it out.
He returned to her side and got his finger smacked away when he tried to
smooth out her eyeliner.  "Ow!  Then I said you came by this morning, after
our shifts were over.  We started a dual apology, things got away from us,
and . . . it was over before we knew it had happened."
        Natalie frowned at the white faced horror apparition in the mirror.  "Uc
        "Your face or my story?"
        "Both."  Abandoning the makeup, she dug the contact lens case out from
beneath a pile of tubes and flipped it open.  "This stuff is heavy.  And . .
. I sound cheap."
        "Sorry."
        "Yeah."  Picking up the colored contact on the tip of her finger, she le
toward the mirror and opened her eye, holding the lid up carefully.  "And
then?"
        "So I called her a little while ago and said you were kind of upset with
situation.  That maybe she could calm you down, because I kept saying or
doing the wrong thing."
        "So what else is new?"  The contact adrift on her eyeball, Natalie blink
and reached blindly for a tissue, trying to stop the tearing.  "Ow, it
smarts."
        "The real thing doesn't hurt."
        "I'll stick to contacts, thanks."  After a second's pause, she slipped t
other contact into place, then picked up the false vampire teeth caps one of
the lab techs had run up for her last night.  Those fit easily over her
teeth.  Turning to Nick, she asked, "Ow's dat?"
        He wrinkled his nose and shook his head.  "Won't work for long."
        "EEe on't eed <ong>.  EEe eed yock yalue."
        "Well, it's pretty shocking."
        Rising to her feet, Natalie took the caps off her lower teeth.  "How do
talk with this things on?  I think I cut my lip."
        "Let me see," asked Nick, with interest.
        The contacts blurring her sight, Natalie pushed away in his general
direction and actually managed to hit him.  "Grow up.  Now walk me over
there, or there's going to be <real> blood on the floor.  I can't see a
damned thing."
        Catching her hands, Nick led her to the living room, within sight of the
elevator.  Moving behind her, he helped her down to her knees.  It was hard
for her to get used to the contacts, but by the time he handed her the mallet
and broken table leg, they were almost <too> clear.
        She saw him wince as she hefted the mallet.  "Too close for comfort?" sh
asked.
        "Just be careful where you swing that thing," he warned her.  Then Nick
down on the floor beside her and stretched out.  There was a wet-looking red
paint stain down his left side and arm.  Taking her hand, he positioned the
ready made--and pre-bloodied-stake between his arm and his side.  "That'll
look real enough."  He paused.  "Are you sure you want to go through with
this?"
        "<Now> he gets cold feet?"
        Nick sat up on his elbows.  "I'm serious.  A startled vampire can be
dangerous."
        Natalie paused and hoped he couldn't hear the blood in her body suddenly
drain from her heart and gather in the toes of her shoes.  "Define
'dangerous.'"
        Lying down again, Nick squeezed her shoulder with his free hand.  "Nat,
know I'd never let her anywhere near you."
        "That's comforting."  Still, she looked over at the elevator door, wonde
how fast Janette could move.  "No, I'm okay.  Besides, I'm armed.  How about
you?"
        "Fine.  I'm going to tell her it was your idea."
        Natalie waved the mallet at him.  "Coward."
        "Did you practice your snarling?"
        "After the day I've had, I didn't need to practice," promised Natalie.
looked up, hearing the sound of the elevator.  "She's herrrrre!"
        "Put your teeth in!"
        "Oh, yeah."  Natalie dropped the mallet onto the floor and placed the ca
over her teeth.  She positioned herself beside Nick and picked up the hammer,
raising it, as if for a mortal blow, just as the elevator door opened.
        Janette's heels clicked on the floor as she left the elevator.  "Nicola,
don't know what in the world--"  Then she froze.  And screamed.
        The noise was so loud and piercing, Natalie didn't have to pretend to be
surprised.  She looked up at Janette, opened her eyes wide, and snarled, just
the way Nick taught her.
        A shiver went through her as Janette's eyes turned golden- red instantly
Before Natalie could blink, Janette had launched herself across the room,
nails outstretched and fangs bared.
        But Nick was suddenly between her and Janette, his body a shield as Jane
barreled into them, full tilt.
        It was something like being hit by a train.  Only it hurt worse.  Natali
at the bottom of the three bodies, groaned.  "Will you guys get <off> me?"
        She heard Nick saying, "It was a joke, Janette.  Just a joke."
        Her French wasn't good enough to pick up more than one out of every thre
words Janette hurled at Nick, but the ones Natalie did know she'd learned at
truck stops.  First Janette's weight, then Nick's, lifted from her.  Natalie
cushioned her head with her hands and sighed, content to simply breath in
peace.
        There were a few more angry comments from Janette--it seemed Nick wasn't
able to get a word in edgewise-- then her heels clicked back to the elevator.
 Only the closing of the door cut off the invectives.
        "Before you ask--I'm fine," said Natalie.  Opening her eyes, she blinked
The force of the blow had popped one of the contacts right out of her eyes.
"That was a stupid thing to do, wasn't it?"
        "It was."  Nick seated himself on the floor beside her, taking great car
with his left side as he moved.  "But I'd do it again in a heartbeat."
        "About ten times a minute, then."  Stifling the groans from her protesti
muscles, Natalie managed to push herself to her knees.  Then she realized
that Nick was very quiet.  She fished the other contact out of her eye,
trying to get a better look at him.  "Nick?  How are you doing?"
        "Bruised . . . uh, rib."  His answer ended on an octave above the beginn
 When she started to move toward him, he said, "No, I'm fine.  It'll be
another . . . minute before I can move, though."
        "That's all right for you.  But I'll be black and blue for <weeks>."
Shaking her head, Natalie blinked until her vision cleared, then rose to her
feet.  She stumbled into the kitchen, making a mental note to go back and
find the fang caps that had scattered around the room.  "I'm damn lucky I
didn't lose my  real teeth."  Turning, she smiled in Nick's direction.
"What'd she call you?"
        He licked his lips, sitting unnaturally still.  "You know those riddles?
        "Yeah?"
        "This was worse."
        Natalie chuckled under her breath.  "Gotcha!" she breathed, making a fis
and drawing her elbow back in a victory gesture.  "Mortals one, vampires one.
Next one takes the game."
        "We're not doing <that> again," called Nick, from the living room.
        "Don't talk, you'll heal faster.  I'll get you something to drink."  Nat
scavenged through his cupboards and found two mugs.  She poured water into
hers, then opened the refrigerator.
        There was the cow blood.  And her thermos.  And Janette's bottle of bloo
        For a moment, she paused.  Then she picked up the thermos and poured Nic
mug half full of the reddish stuff.  Sniffing again at the mixture, she
shrugged.  Natalie dumped the water from her cup and poured the protein drink
into her own mug, as well.  It was only fair, after all--if she made him try
it, she should try it, too.
        Sniffing again at the contents of the thermos, she paused before closing
cap and returning it to the refrigerator.  What was she thinking?  This
wasn't going to help Nick.  In fact, he'd probably use his injury as an
excuse to get out of going caroling in another hour.
        Natalie stared at the bottles of blood in the refrigerator and sighed.
Maybe she <was> pushing Nick too hard when it came to backing off the blood..
 She had no idea what Nick really needed to survive--it could be that she was
doing him more harm than good, trying to wean him off even the non-human
diet.
        "Nat?" he called.
        "Coming."  Without further thought, she lifted Janette's bottle from the
refrigerator.  The cork was loose enough to twist out with her fingers.
Carefully using her own body to keep him from seeing what she was doing,
Natalie poured some of the human blood into Nick's mug, then stirred it with
a spoon.  It disappeared quickly into the near-blood protein drink.
        Satisfied, she popped both the bottle and the thermos back into the frid
Then, placing a helpful smile on her face, she headed for the living room.
        Nick had actually shifted since she'd left him and, when he saw her, he
tried to get up.  "Nat, I don't think caroling is a good--"
        "Sit down," she ordered, alarmed at seeing him moving, and handed him a
        He winced as the smell hit him, then looked up with pleading eyes.  "Nat
it's one thing to hit a vampire when he's down, but--"
        "Drink!"
        Her tone of voice left him no other options.  Still making a face, Nick
brought the mug up to his lips.  Silently, she counted to ten as he took a
hesitant sip . . . then a gulp.  Then another gulp.
        He nodded at her, as he lowered the mug.  "Not half-bad.  Still, the
smell--"
        "I'm working on it.  Sheesh, give me a chance, will ya?"  If he hadn't
looked so pitiful, she would have thrown a pillow at him.  As it was, she
filed away a few mental notes on how to bait future protein drinks.  Then she
took a sip of hers.
        Natalie spit out the stuff, then coughed.  A shudder ran through her and
made a face, tasting the stuff again.
        "It's not <that> bad," commented Nick.  He took a healthy swig from his
        Natalie covered her hand with her mouth, feeling like she was going to
vomit.  Then, staring down at her mug, she realized she'd handed him the
wrong mug.  Nick had the pure protein drink.
        <She'd> gotten the blood.
        She almost couldn't get off the couch quickly enough.  Heading for the s
she grabbed a glass from the cupboard and ran water into it, downed a full
glass, then part of a second.  But she couldn't get the taste out of his
mouth.
        Nick was suddenly behind her.  "Toothpaste helps," he said, gesturing to
the staircase.
        "Thanks."  Natalie turned and ran for the staircase, then stopped when s
was halfway through his living room.  "Wait a minute . . . how did you--?"
        Nick touched his ear with the tips of his fingers.  "You keep forgetting
Plus, I caught the scent as soon as you opened Janette's bottle.  You've been
foolscapped <again>."
        The taste of the blood-mixture in her mouth paled when compared with her
disappointment.  "You mean, you really <don't> like the new drink?"
        "Actually, it <wasn't> half bad."  Then he shifted, testing his ribs by
stretching out his left hand.  "Why don't you go get that goop off your face?
 Schanke's singing should be enough to scare most of Toronto, without you
looking half-dead."
        Natalie touched her face, suddenly realizing that she was still covered
the thick make-up.  "Oh, uck!  You're right.  Could you get my bag out of my
car?  I brought a change of clothes."
        "Sure."
        Her foot was on the first step when he called, "Natalie?"  When she turn
he held up a two fingers.  "Vampires <two>," he corrected.
        Pretending to ignore him, she hurried up the steps, but paused at the to
Wait a minute--Nick liked the protein drink.  And that in itself was small
victory.  "Mortals <two>," she whispered.  "Next point decides the game."
        And she knew that downstairs, Nick had heard her, loud and clear.
 
The End