Pawns of Kings -- Parts 27-38
Jarvinia


Pawns of Kings (27/52)

A week and a half later the ride up in the lift was noisy and long, but
for the third time that week Natalie endured it on her way to visit
Nick.  He'd gone back to his place soon after LaCroix had nearly been
killed.  Entering, she found him at the piano, but he wasn't playing,
neither did it appear he'd been doing so.

"Hey, Nick," she began, attempting to start a conversation.  "All of
those laws go into effect tonight, don't they?"

"Officially, it will be another couple of months, but yeah, I guess you
could say that."

Watching Nick's morose features stare at his empty glass, she wondered
what was bothering him.  "Okay, spill it.  I know the laws aren't a
problem, basically they just give you the same rights as mortals with
different conditions."

"And we have to identify ourselves with our mortal lives, ages, etc. At
least the Enforcers are happy.  They get their jobs back."

"Back?  You mean, they lost them?" she asked incredulously.

He nodded.  "The Council disbanded them after knowledge of us was out
in the open, but since we get to take care of our own problems, we need
them back."

"What about LaCroix and Janette?  How are they?" she probed, wondering
if that was what was bothering him.

Hesitating, Nick mentioned, "LaCroix is...agitated.  Revealing our
mortal lives is something he was against from the beginning, but he
didn't get to decide the exact terms that were compromised.  Other
things were more important to the Council."  He paused, looking
slightly away.  "Janette left last night, to Paris."

So, that's what all of this was about.  Janette.  She just wanted to
throttle him, but wouldn't.  He'd known Janette for nearly eight
hundred years, much of that time they were closer than friends, much
closer.  She couldn't compete with all of that time...but she would
try.

Stepping closer, Natalie refilled his glass.  Then, she moved to
massage his shoulders.  Surprisingly, he didn't protest either of her
actions.  After a couple of minutes, he set the goblet down, a slight
rumble beginning in his chest.  It wasn't a growl, but more of a purr.
She smiled, wondering what else she could manage before he pushed her
away.

The purr became deeper, his muscles suddenly tensing under her fingers.
She stopped without comment, eyeing the glass he silently brought to
his lips.  As he drank, Natalie kept her hands resting at the top of
his back.  The blood calmed him, once again relaxing the suddenly taunt
muscles.  After a moment, Nick again set the glass down.

Natalie allowed her fingers to lightly stroke the side of his neck,
eliciting something more feral than the faint purr she had previously
heard.

Nick stood, holding her upper arms in his, two blue-gold orbs starring
down on her, his fangs just barely descending.  "Nat, this isn't such a
good idea.  Your blood, it's calling me...."

"Then listen to it, Nick.  Take what you want, just a little."

He shook his head in horror.  How could he do that after what happened
the last time?  He'd nearly killed her, thought he had.  "Nat....  No,"
he protested even as his fangs itched in anticipation.

"Yes, Nick.  You need it, please...."

With her pleading, his eyes burned amber, her blood pulling at him even
stronger than before.  Moving toward her neck, he froze.  This time, he
would do as he had intended the first time.  Gently, he took her wrist,
kissing first her fingertips, then the palm of her hand, finally
stopping over her wrist and the blood that lay just beneath the
surface.

Abruptly, Nick looked up at her, his gaze questioning.  When she
nodded, he turned back, his lips giving several feather light kisses
down her arm.  Moving back toward her wrist, the tips of his canines
skimmed the surface, but didn't yet make a mark.

He pulled his head back.  At first, Natalie thought he was going to
stop.  Instead, he quickly embedded his fangs into the soft flesh of
her wrist.

Gasping, not out of pain, but the pure pleasure of the sensation, she
found her eyes fixated on Nick.  Despite hating to see him succumb to
his nature, she found his actions fascinating.  He looked so much like
the Nick she knew, but at the same time, seemed like a perfect
stranger.  Then, as suddenly as it began, the sensation stopped.

For several seconds, Nick licked the wound, closing it and starting the
healing process.  Tentatively, his gaze met hers, at which he released
her arm.  "Nat?"  The gold began to fade, fearing her reaction.
"Natalie?" he repeated, shifting his weight until they were nearly
touching.

After she gave him a light kiss on the lips, a corner of his mouth
tweaked up, revealing a partial fang.  Natalie nearly doubled over at
the sight.  For all of the world, he looked like a little boy being
kissed for the very first time, not the eight hundred year old
charismatic vampire that stood before her.

Noticing the scrutiny, Nick backed up, taking the nearby bottle and
glass back to the kitchen.  This night had already gotten off to an
interesting start.  He hadn't even made it in to work yet.  Returning
to Natalie, he watched her run her fingers over the two scabs on her
wrist.  "It will take a few hours, but they should heal pretty good."

"I knew your saliva was a little different, but I didn't know it could
do this..." she mentioned, fascinated at the sight before her.  Then,
she remembered her wounds from the last time.  They were gone by the
time she looked.  Nothing had been said about it at the hospital,
either.  But, Nick hadn't....  LaCroix, he must have.

"It...has its uses," he mumbled, turning away.

Considering the comment, she tensed.  It could be used to keep someone
alive through several feedings, or as in her case, hide the evidence.
"Well, I still think it's amazing."  Feeling a tad lightheaded, she
mentioned, "I was going to offer you a ride to work, but now, I believe
I'm going to need the ride."

Looking her over, hearing her strong heartbeat and even breathing, he
prodded, "Are you okay?"

"Fine, Nick, fine.  I'm just a little lightheaded.  I'll be fine later,
but I probably shouldn't drive right now, and it's getting close to
shift...."

Glancing at his watch, he saw she was right.  Natalie's picking him up
for work had become a bit more.  There was now barely enough time to
drop her off and fly back to the precinct, but it could be done.  "One
condition.  We're taking your car."

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

Landing behind the precinct, he could feel the nearby presence of
LaCroix and another.  Approaching, he found his master speaking with
Ningal.  The words suddenly ceased, at which both vampires turned to
him.

The Council member took several steps toward him.  "Nicholas, tonight
you and Lucius are to reveal yourselves."

LaCroix' eyes narrowed.  "And I say we wait until the last moment. Wait
until these 'laws' become official."

The Roman was getting on her nerves.  He was protesting almost all of
the Council's decisions.  "One side must show trust.  The mortals have
no reason to do so.  You will identify yourselves."  Ningal focused on
the younger vampire, commanding, "Make sure my instructions are
followed."  The vampiress disappeared into the darkness, leaving the
others alone.

Fuming, LaCroix wanted to strangle her.  Despite the fact that she was
double his age and a member of the Council, she was weak and
unprotected.  It would be so easy to make his thoughts reality...and
yet, if he did, the rest of the Council would not respond in kind.
Alone they were weak, but together they were a force to be reckoned
with.  "Infuriating Council!  I make my own choices.  I don't need to
be watched over like a disobedient fledgling!"

The younger held his ground against the golden-crimson, glare.  He
suspected that if the Council would just back off, LaCroix would return
to his 'normal' self.  "I'm not thrilled about her instructions either,
LaCroix.  I think we should wait, but I'm not about to disobey."

LaCroix calmed, but didn't comment.  Instead, he watched as Nicholas
turned, walking toward the street.  After a few seconds, he followed.
Better to get this over with now.  Later, he could complain to the
Council, and he would have the perfect opportunity.

Turning onto the main street, the elder vampire watched Nicholas pause
at the door, waiting for him to arrive.  His child seemed more relaxed
than usual.  Reaching the door, the answer hit him in a waft of air.
There was a faint scent in him that did not belong.  Oh, he smelled of
wine and spices, the hint of honey that never disappeared, but there
was also an addition of roses...the same as the good Doctor's blood. As
they entered, a faint smile lightened his features.  He stood patiently
as his son spoke with his partner, not wanting to ruin the moment.

Then, Nicholas continued to a conference room, knocking on its door.
Listening, he could feel three mortals beyond the barrier.  One was
Reese, the other two being unknown to him.  The door opened, and they
were instructed to sit.  At the table sat Reese and a nervous young man
with a notebook, his heart fluttering rapidly.

LaCroix glanced to the officer, wanting as few present for this
questioning as possible.  Locking eyes with Reese, he stated, "I will
not answer while the officer is present."

The captain nodded to the officer, at which he silently left the room.
"This shouldn't take very long, it's just a few questions."

The young man began, "I'm Herald Newman.  I'll be in charge of all the
records for this city.  I need to know birth name, date and location,
along with the year and location you were...brought across.  You first,
Mr. LaCroix."

Well, he asked....  "Lucius, 34 AD, Rome.  79 AD, Pompeii."

Newman’s face clouded quickly, a touch of amazement nearly lost by it.
"Could you give me a specific name and day of birth?"

"No.  Upon Vesuvius' destruction, I was a general.  Besides, I have
given you my name.  If you want more, look it up."  LaCroix' features
shown with a sense of triumph, and Newman didn't pressure him any
further.

Jotting a couple of words down, he turned to the other.  "Okay, your
turn, Knight."

He sighed.  "Nicolas de Brabant.  Born in 1193 AD.  Brought across in
1228, Paris."

The man's face clouded faintly.  "Day of birth?"

Pausing, Nick considered his answer.  "It will be in records."

LaCroix smiled slightly at his son's response.  Nicholas had been no
more informative than himself, and theoretically, they were done.

Seeing LaCroix move to stand, he asked, "There is one more question....
Who brought each of you across?"

Both tensed at the inquiry.  "That will not be answered.  Now, come
Nicholas, I must speak with you."

As LaCroix left, Nick spared a glance to the Captain.  Then, he
followed his sire to a relatively secluded part of the building.
"What's so important?"

"I am leaving for Europe tonight, Council orders."

"Tonight!" he exclaimed.  Quieting, he asked, "When are you returning?"

"I do not know, nor do I know why I am being summoned."  LaCroix
paused, pulling something out of his pocket, then handed it to
Nicholas.  "While I am away I expect everything to remain in its
place."  After a moment of silence, the Roman left, already running a
few minutes late to his plane.

"So...what was that about?" Tracy asked, looking over his shoulder,
trying to get a look at the contents of his hand.

"LaCroix is leaving town for a while."

Having figured that much out from the part of the conversation she'd
heard, she prodded, "And what did he give you?"  Nick opened his hand
for her, revealing the pin.  "You were wearing that early last week,
after LaCroix had been...disabled.  But, that's LaCroix' isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is."

He moved to fasten the pin, but Tracy took it from him.  "Here, I'll
get that."  She fastened the pin, smoothing out the fabric, and then
stood back.  "The pin suits you."

"Perhaps, but it looks better on LaCroix."

En route to his office, Reese paused, "Knight, Vetter, where's the Reed
case?"

The pair winced.

Regaining her composure, Tracy responded, "It'll be in by the end of
shift."  Reese nodded.  Once the office door had been closed, she
whispered, "I think we better get that finished.  It was supposed to be
done a few days ago."

Other than a faint nod, he didn't comment.  Yes, they needed to get the
Reed case in, but right now, his thoughts weren't on work.  His concern
for Natalie hadn't vanished upon dropping her off.  Although she seemed
fine, what if someone noticed the not quite healed wounds, or the
affects of blood loss?

And then, there was LaCroix.  In the past, his sire had always left
Janette in charge.  If she were living in another city, he would wait
until she arrived.  Yet, two weeks ago, LaCroix had told him to take
over his position, not Janette.  She had left the night before, but
could have easily stayed until LaCroix' return.  The question was, did
LaCroix choose him because he finally trusted him or because Janette
was no longer as easy for him to control?

"Nick?"

He looked up, wondering what she had said while he was lost in his
thoughts.

"Let's get working on that case.  It's not going to write itself, and
I'm not doing all of it."

He gave his partner a second nod, only to get a skeptical look in
return.  "I'll help.  In fact," he said, picking up the relevant forms,
"I'm getting started right now."


Pawns of Kings (28/52)

Although Paris was one of his favorite cities, LaCroix frowned as he
reached his destination.  The weather was a little warmer than usual,
but nothing he couldn't handle.  The building stood nearly in the heart
of the city.  Ascending the steps, the doors were immediately opened
for him.  Entering the foyer, he found an intricately decorated room.
The vampire that held the door was younger than him, perhaps about
Nicholas' age or even younger.

The vampire closed the door.  Turning to face LaCroix, he received an
icy glare.  Hesitating, the vampire nervously gestured to the stairs.
"If you'll follow...."  As the Elder's eyes momentarily flashed gold,
he held his tongue, leading the way to the second level, where the
Council was waiting.

LaCroix was lead to a relatively small room, an office really.  As the
door closed, he focused momentarily on each of the five council
members, starting with Ningal, the youngest member of the Council, and
ending on Aha, the Council's head.  "You have summoned me here.  Why?"

"Nicholas."

The Roman froze.  "What of my son?  As I said before, he is of no
concern to you."

"We are considering making an offer to him.  That, and another...
requirement have forced us to speak to you."  Aha paused.  The vampire
would not like this.  "Lucius, you are not to interfere in any of our
actions.  To do so would be against your well-being."

"What do you plan to do to Nicholas?  To my son!" he hissed.

"He is not yours.  He hasn't been for centuries.  Ningal has alerted us
to something unknown until now."

"Nicholas is mine!  He always has been!"

"He was also drained by an Ancient, then had apparently drank from that
Ancient as well.  If Nicholas belongs to anyone, it is the Council."

"My son did not take the Ancient's blood," he argued, not wanting the
Council to have anything to do with his son.

"So you have mentioned in the past when an inquiry was made about their
death.  Yet, no one checked Nicholas to confirm the truth.  First I
will meet with Nicholas, but he must not know the reason."

LaCroix didn't comment.  Despite the time that had passed, if they
discovered Nicholas had indeed taken the Ancient's blood, they would
take him.  Then, possibly, they would make an attempt to finish the
process.

"Lucius, we must have an understanding.  You are to say nothing of this
conversation to anyone outside this room."

He smoldered under the counselor's gaze.  If he refused, they might
consider his statement for what it was--a lie.  "Fine.  Is this the
only reason I've been called here?"

"No.  For now, we will retire for the day.  At dusk we will continue."
Aha pressed a button on the table, and seconds later the door opened.

LaCroix felt the presence of the same vampire that had led him to the
room.  Shooting the Council a glare, he spun on his heal, then waited
impatiently for the vampire to lead him either to quarters, or to the
entrance.  They continued up another level, their path ceasing in front
of a room.

The younger vampire opened the door, gesturing for LaCroix to enter
before following.  "There is plenty of blood in the bar.  If you need-"

"Get out!" LaCroix hissed, not in the mood for this.

After the other had scurried out of the room, a low growl began in his
chest.  Closing his eyes, LaCroix wondered how the past would affect
the future....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1229

Upon sunrise, LaCroix had quickly taken care of the Ancient's body.  At
first, he thought everything would be fine, that Nicolas hadn't had
enough of the Ancient's blood.  After a few swallows of his blood,
however, Nicolas had pulled away.  His son had thrown up, complaining
of the taste.  Then, he had done everything he could, forcing the
younger vampire to take his blood.  He went as far as repeatedly
draining the child, giving him his own blood in turn.

Nicolas was now sleeping, and had been for several hours.  Janette, who
he had nearly forgotten about, was on her way to their location.  He
wished she would stay out of sight, but perhaps it would be better if
she joined them.  By the time she arrived, this situation should be
taken care of.

Returning his attention to Nicolas, LaCroix' worry increased.  His
son's blood was tainted, it's flavor richer than be fore, but their
link had been made weaker.  Even as he drank it, he could feel its
effects on him.  Brushing back a strand of hair, he watched Nicolas
open his eyes, and then stare blankly up at him.

"LaCroix?  What happened, I feel...different."

Gathering his son into his arms, he soothed, "Nothing, my son.  Take my
blood, you will feel better."

Nicolas hesitated, and after a moment, he took his sire's wrist,
swallowing mouthful after mouthful of the life force.

When he pulled back, LaCroix' concern grew.  His son was still hungry.
He could feel it.  "Nicholas, what's wrong?  You must drink more."

"It doesn't taste right."

The simple statement made it clear what was wrong.  Already, the
Ancient's blood was trying to become dominant in Nicolas' system, but
perhaps his earlier actions had prevented what would normally be
inevitable for one as young as Nicolas.  Holding his son tighter, he
explained, "Do not be afraid, Nicholas.  I'm going to drain you-"  He
stopped as his child tensed.  "You will feel better after you take my
blood again.  Understand?"

First, Nicolas faintly relaxed.  As his son answered with a slight nod,
LaCroix paused a mere second before sinking his fangs into his child's
neck, draining the tainted blood once again.  Nicolas greedily gulped
down his blood before once again falling to sleep.

Carefully, he turned his son, pulling Nicolas' head to his shoulder.
Nicolas was still a fledgling, barely a child by his standards.  Their
bond, still forming, had been nearly destroyed.  At present, he was
barely able to sense Nicolas' presence, no doubt a side effect of his
experience.  The blood had possibly changed him, but how much and in
what way?  Had his actions been enough to purge the Ancient's blood?

Those questions wouldn't be answered now.  Yet, soon he would be
answering some himself.  The death of the Ancient would not go
unquestioned.  As long as Nicolas was kept out of sight and he kept
silent about the extent of the Ancient's attack, there would be no
problems.

In time, Nicolas would recover.  Despite being a mere fledgling, he had
gone through much in the few decades he'd lived.  Three of his siblings
had been assassinated right before his eyes.  Two others had died
within a year of their birth.  Recently, he'd endured the crusades, and
was now struggling with his new nature.

From the start, he had known Nicolas would be difficult.  He had so
much life, something that hadn't been squelched with either the
crusades, or his new existence.

He had been drawn to Nicolas, the child, almost immediately.  As the
child became a young man, then a soldier, he had become even more
interested in the golden mortal whose blood tasted of sunlight, wine,
spices and honey.  Even as a vampire, the light continued to shine, yet
it didn't burn.

Bringing a mortal such as Nicolas across just wasn't done.  To do so,
usually resulted in the destruction of the fledgling.  They couldn't
handle their new life, particularly the killing....  Their need for
blood conflicted with their need to preserve life.  Yet, Nicolas' faith
had been broken, something that had allowed him to revel in his nature.

Now, Nicolas would have to recover from this.  His eyes flashed golden.
The Ancient was dead, his body turned to ashes by the sun, but LaCroix'
anger hadn't subsided.  How dare he be tricked into meeting with these
Ancients, leaving his children unprotected!  They would pay for their
actions, but first, he had to take care of his son....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Trying to relax, LaCroix released a breath.  It had taken weeks for
Nicholas to recover.  And even then, the fear had remained.  To this
day, it was still present.  His son was never aware of the full
implications of that night.  Oh, Nicholas had asked, repeatedly for
several years, but every time the questions were pushed aside.

Through everything, Nicholas had survived, and would continue to do so.
When asking himself if bringing Nicholas across was a mistake, he had
answered no, and had never changed it.  If it had been one, his son
would have been dead long ago.  He had seen Nicholas do so much...and
the Council would not take any of that away.  This time, they would not
succeed.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

Two nights later:

"Nick, Tracy, could I see you in my office?"

The two partners looked to one another.  Reese seemed calm, almost
hesitant.  Yet, if it had to do with the Community, Tracy wouldn't also
have been called, unless it was a case....

As they entered, the Captain handed an address to them.  "I want you
two on this case.  I'll warn you right now, it's fairly high profile. A
homicide at the Kenningtons'."

Nick relaxed.  It wasn't what he'd feared.  Yet, he wasn't entirely
thrilled.  The Kenningtons were definitely high profile.  They were
upper class, and they had plenty of money.  Wealth meant publicity--
lots of it.

"You two are to make no comments to the press on this.  Nothing is
getting out until we have a better idea about what's going on.  Mrs.
Kennington doesn't want the press to get a hold of this, yet refuses to
tell us exactly what the situation is.  We'll know more as soon as we
get some officers on the scene, and I want you in contact with
dispatch."

"Right on it, Captain," Tracy mentioned, tugging on her partner's
sleeve, as he was lost in thought.  They quickly left the precinct,
Tracy starting for her car.  Catching a glance of Nick's car, she was
presently surprised and changed her path.  Nick had driven, which meant
she wouldn't have to drive that night.  She didn't mind, but with Nick
being the senior partner, it just didn't feel right. "So..." she began,
getting into the Caddy.  "I wonder what happened? Mr. Kennington's out
of town, right?"

He nodded.  "We'll find out when we get there."

As Nick still seemed preoccupied, she kept silent.  She knew exactly
who the Kenningtons were.  They were extremely wealthy, and everything
would eventually go to their four children.  Although not entirely
sure, Tracy believed there were three boys and a girl, the eldest being
about twelve, the youngest six or seven.  The Kenningtons were fairly
young, both in their mid-thirties.  Both had few living relatives.
Their house was nearly a mansion, and probably had several servants as
well.  The big question was, who was the victim, or possibly victims?
But, as her partner had answered, they would have to wait until they
arrived.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

Approaching the house, they had to show their badges to pass through
the gate.  Then, it was only a short ride to the front of the house.
Getting out of the car, Nick could see few officers on the scene, most
holding their eyes downcast.

Entering the house, they were led upstairs and down a hall.  At the
end, the scent of blood floated from a large room, windows covering the
far three sides.  The blood seemed fresh, several scents mingling
together.

Taking a few steps into the room, Nick paused, his eyes darting from
object to object.  Immediately, he could tell this room was for
children.  There was a computer to one side.  To the other were a
couple of toy chests, one being partially open.  It wasn't a bedroom,
but more of a play/study area for all of the children.

Within the room he felt something very faint.  It reminded him of the
presence of another vampire, one that was now long gone.  He shook the
thought away, continuing to examine the room.

A large bookshelf, filled with books, trinkets, and other items,
sectioned off a large portion of the room.  Just past the end, Nick
could see the photographer leaving.  Moving forward, he caught sight of
Natalie as well.  Then, he saw the victims, his approach slowing as he
reached them.

Four children lay motionless on the floor, blood seeping through their
clothes and into the ivory carpet.

Natalie stood, glancing toward him.  "The Kenningtons' children;
Robert, Jeremy, Margaret, and Kenneth, ages twelve, ten, nine and
seven."

She continued, outlining the cause of death for each of the children,
but he wasn't listening.  His eyes caught on each of their still forms.
The boys all had straight light blond hair.  The girl's hair was a
touch darker than they boys’, the same as her mothers, it's long waves
framing her pale face.

Closing his eyes for a second, an image flashed before him--a young
girl, her throat being cut with the end of a sword.  As she fell to the
floor, Nick gasped, opening his eyes only to see little Margaret's
innocent form lying crumpled on the floor, her throat also slit.

Glancing to the other children, he took a step back, running into
Tracy.  Nick shook his head, the sight being too much for him to take
in.  Within a couple of seconds, things began to spin, his vision
beginning to blur.

"Nick?  You okay?" his partner prodded, trying to steady him as he
swayed.

He turned to her, but couldn't find his voice.  Was he okay?  No, he
definitely wasn't, but how could he explain?  The present was mirroring
the past, his mortal past.  As his memories replayed themselves,
memories he'd all but forgotten, the room disappeared, being first
replaced with a bright light, then nothing but darkness.


His head was pounding.  Responding to a familiar voice, Nick opened his
eyes.  The bright lights momentarily blinded him, but after a few
seconds, his surroundings became clearer.  He was at the crime
scene...the murdered children.

"Nick?" Natalie called from her position next to him.

Rolling his head toward her, Nick could feel her hand on his shoulder.
Partly realizing what had happened, he tried to sit up, but she
wouldn't let him.

"I think you fainted, but my question is why?" she quietly prodded,
although she already had a general idea of the cause.  Something from
his past had triggered it, something from a long time ago.

Nick tried a second time, using his immortal strength to free himself
from both Natalie and Tracy's proximity.  Standing, his eyes
momentarily locked on the fallen forms.  Then, he turned away, leaving
the room.  He could feel their heartbeats following him, filling his
senses.  Exiting the front doors, he ran straight into Reese.

"Knight, what's going on?"

"Nothing," he muttered, trying to walk past his superior.

Reese took Knight's arm, stopping him.  "I know what happened.  I want
an answer, Knight.  Without one, you will be pulled off of this case. I
have a feeling this is hitting really close.  How close, I don't know,
but...."

"It's nothing!" Nick snapped, his eyes sparkling with gold.

Caught off guard, Reese stiffened at his detective's appearance.  Nick
glided out of the house, heading for his car.

Tracy slipped past Reese, seeing her partner's departing form.  "Nick!
Where are you going?  We're not done yet, and I'll need a ride..." she
trailed off as he turned to her, his eyes shining in the darkness.
Without a word, a jangling set of keys was flying through the air
toward her.  Catching them, she watched him walk farther and farther
from the house, fully aware that he would take to the sky once he was
out of sight.

To her side, Natalie stood silently, staring off in the direction Nick
had gone.  Tracy watched her, wondering what she knew of Nick's
reaction, if anything.

Sighing, Reese gestured to the house.  "Let's get this finished.  I'll
talk to Knight later," he mentioned before disappearing into the house.

Natalie and Tracy glanced at one another.  Each could see the worry on
the other's features, but for now would have to wait.  They returned
inside, where the silence had become more so, methodically beginning
the rest of their tasks.


Pawns of Kings (29/52)

LaCroix glared at the hands holding him.  "Let go of me!" he demanded.
Although the vampires hesitated at the words, their grip once again
became firm as Aha entered.

"They will not release you," the Ancient stated.

Yet, that didn't matter.  Unless two or more of the Council restrained
him, it would be a simple action to shrug out of their grasps.  "I can
simply break free...."

"I know that, but if you do, you'll get a dose of curare.  You are not
leaving this building or this city."

At that, his anger increased.  Now, not only were they not letting him
leave, but they were threatening him as well.  "Nicholas is distressed,
I must go to him!"

"And he is no fledgling.  Nicholas will be fine."

"This matter is different!  It is something buried deep in his past
that he will not even mention to me!  Not then, and not now!"

Aha considered this vampire's words.  "By deep in his past, can I infer
that he was mortal, perhaps a child?"  Watching Lucius' now glowing
eyes, he continued, "And if so, you met Nicholas then, didn't you?  You
decided then that you'd bring him over."

"Perhaps, but there is nothing wrong with it.  It is common to pick a
fledgling while they are still mortal, even when they are children, and
then wait for the right time."

"But, it is not common to erase those memories.  Nicholas doesn't know
of your interference, does he?"  Aha began circling the younger,
pushing him to the edge.  "The question is, what are you so concerned
about?"

"Nothing you need to know!"

"I think it is.  I want to know more about Nicholas, and this sounds
interesting.  Either tell me, or I will take it from you!" Aha
exclaimed, allowing his fangs to drop.

LaCroix fumed.  Yet, he would comply.  If he didn't, the Council would
learn more about Nicholas than they already did.  He couldn't allow
that to happen.  "As a child, Nicholas' siblings were murdered before
his eyes," he hissed.

Aha pretended to ponder the Roman's answer.  He already knew of the
event in great detail, but wanted to hear it from LaCroix himself. "And
what of young Nicholas?  How old was he at the time?"

These questions were too much, but again, he had to answer.  "Nicholas
was thirteen.  He barely survived the encounter.  From what I
discovered, he should have died, either that night or soon after, yet
somehow he had survived."

"And you were not there?" he continued, stopping in front of the
younger vampire.

"At the time, Nicholas did not know of me, and I had planned to keep it
that way.  He was nothing more than a passing interest, something that
had caught my eye.  I had planned on leaving him be, never to see him
again."

"But something enticed you on...what?"

Now, this he would not answer.  LaCroix let his eyes burn crimson, then
snarled, "Release me!  You have received your answer!"

"On one condition.  You will NOT leave this building.  If you attempt
to, one of your guards will administer curare without hesitation."

"Fine, but I expect to leave within a few days."

Aha nodded, the two vampires releasing him in an instant.

The glow dimmed to a light shade of amber.  "Well, I guess you'll know
where to find me."  With that, LaCroix turned, striding quickly back to
the room.  The two who had restrained him earlier followed close
behind, receiving a slammed door for their effort.

Walking to one of the windows, he looked out at the city.  Although he
could just raise the pane and leave, he would never make it out of the
city.  By staying put, he could at least keep tabs on Nicholas.  With
the curare, he would have no such option.

Closing his eyes, he concentrated on Nicholas.  Now, he seemed
relatively fine.  Hs son was trying to push his memories away, but it
wasn't working.  Trying to calm Nicholas, LaCroix reached across their
link, but was confronted with nothing.  His son was lost in his own
thoughts.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

Slumping into Nick's couch, Natalie wondered where he could possibly
be.  LaCroix was out of town and Janette had left several days before.
Yet, the loft was empty.  Staring across the room, she focused on an
unusually empty spot.  Casting her gaze across the rest of the room,
she noticed something was missing.  After a moment, she realized the
missing item was Nick's bike.  It wasn't sitting in its usual spot. She
didn't even know he rode it.  Where was he?

Considering her question for a few minutes, she stood, heading back to
her car.  At the morgue were four small bodies with an unknown killer. 
Right now, her patients needed her.  Nick would, hopefully, be back by
dawn.  She could talk to him then; try to find out what was going on.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

The warm summer air embraced him as he rode through it.  The wind
sliced through his clothes, making his skin tingle.

Nick gunned the accelerator, increasing his speed by another twenty
kilometers an hour.  Traveling down the freeway on his motorcycle was
the closest sensation to flying he could get without actually taking to
the air.

At the Kenningtons’, all of his strength had been drained.  Flying
would only last so long before he plummeted to the ground from
exhaustion, but this...this required virtually none of his precious
blood.  He would just have to make sure he didn't run out of gas,
something he often did while thinking.

Thinking, that's what he wanted to avoid doing.  His present purpose
was clearing his mind.  All day he could think about the case.  Reese
wouldn't take him off of it, even if it meant he had to persuade the
Captain.

Increasing his speed just a touch more, Nick continued in his path down
the freeway.  Just before reaching the city limits, he caught sight of
a patrol car behind him--with its lights on, the siren suddenly
becoming very audible to his senses.

As he slowed to a stop along the side of the road, he sighed.  Tonight
was not going very well, not one bit.  Turning off the ignition, he
stopped and leaned forward shaking his head slightly.

"Sir, I need to see your ID," the officer asked from just behind him.
Without looking back, Nick passed it to him.  Opening the leather
billfold, he found a Toronto PD badge and identification.  Catching the
name, he became a hint nervous.  "Detective Knight, I'll need to see
your driver's license."

He groaned.  This was not his night.  "I...don't have it with me."

The officer raised his eyebrows.  Not only had Knight been speeding and
not wearing a helmet, but he didn't have his license either.

"It's at home...I think."

"Detective Knight, I clocked you going 170 back there, not to mention
not wearing a helmet, or having your license.  I hate to ask, but do
you even have one to ride this?"

"Yes, I do, but it's...."

"Yeah, I know."  The officer held up the badge, mentioning, "Be right
back."

Listening to the officer whisper to his partner and start the radio up,
Nick took in a deep breath.  It's not like the speed or not wearing a
helmet would kill him.  It might not be the most pleasant of
experiences, but it would be no worse than a splinter.  Approaching
footsteps brought him back to the present.

"Uh...Captain Reese wants to talk to you--at the 96th."  The officer
finished filling the ticket out.  Then, ripping the sheet off and
handing it to Knight, he explained, "You'll need both your badge and
license when you pay the ticket."  He watched Knight stare at the
ticket.  A moment passed before he mentioned, "Reese is expecting you,
and he didn't sound too happy.  Might want to get going--but try to go
the speed limit."  For a second he hesitated, waiting for a response
from the detective.  Realizing he wasn't going to get one, he headed
back to the patrol car.

Nick waited until the car had left, his attention solely on the paper
before him.  Only his speed had been mentioned, his badge number
glaring back at him in bright red ink.  Folding the ticket, he stuffed
it in his pocket, then started his way back to the precinct.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

Pulling into the parking lot and turning the ignition off, Nick caught
a couple of glances as he walked toward the front doors.  Ignoring
them, he entered, only to be directed to one of the interview rooms,
not Reese's office.

The room was empty.  Slowly, he sat at the table, wondering what he was
to be told.  Reese entered seconds later, his Captain's glare resting
solidly on him.

"Nick, the speed limit on that freeway is 100.  You were going 170!  I
don't think I need to mention what that will do to your driving
record."  Watching him wince, Reese hoped he would stay put.  "Now,
what I want to know is what is going on with you.  First, you faint at
the crime scene, then you leave, and just now you were speeding down
the freeway!"

Nick squirmed under his captain's scrutiny.  "I don't want to talk
about it."

Trying to remain calm, Reese took in a deep breath.  Something was
bothering Nick.  Just standing there, he could sense the other's
unease.  "Either tell me, or you're off the case."

"But...Captain, I need to be on this-"

Focusing on the two haunted eyes staring back at him, Reese demanded,
"Then tell me why.  I know this is hitting close to home, but what I
want to know, is how close is close?"

He had to stay on this case.  If it was with Reese's approval, all the
better.  If not, he'd stay on it anyway.  "Yes, it's close.  When I was
a boy, two bothers and a sister were killed right in front of me.  I
nearly died that night.  I don't like talking about it, and never
have."  There.  He'd said it.

Reese wasn't sure how to respond.  He had suspected it had hit close,
but not dead on.  "I'm sorry, but-"

"I have to stay on this, Captain."  Nick knew he only had one chance.
Otherwise, he'd have to give a mental push.  "I never knew the real
reason behind their deaths.  I need this case."

"What about what happened earlier tonight?  That can't be tolerated."

"It won't happen again," he quickly countered.

"And how can you be so sure?  You're still on edge."

"At the scene, I was caught off guard.  If I had been prepared, it
would have been different."

He was skeptical.  Nick was clearly caught up in whatever memories he
had, but he also seemed sincere.  Reese sighed.  If he kept Nick on the
case, he probably wouldn't have too many problems, but....  His
detective wasn't exactly normal.  Knight was a vampire.  If he was
mortal, he'd know how to deal with it, but he wasn't.  As such, he
would have to act on his instincts, and his instincts were telling him
that it would be best if Nick stayed on the case.  "Okay, the case
stays yours, but you are going home for the rest of the night.  I mean
it.  Take your bike, drive home, and stay put."

Nick winced.  Home was just about the last place he wanted to go. Going
there, he would just end up remembering everything, something that
hadn't yet hit him.

"You got that, Nick?"

"Yeah, I'll go home."

Reese watched his detective sit calmly in the chair.  "Now, Detective."

Slowly, he stood.  Meeting his superior's eyes, Nick turned, leaving
the small room, heading for the building's entrance.  Passing by his
desk, he felt Tracy move to follow him.  Picking up his pace, he was on
the road by the time she caught up, calling his name.


Pawns of Kings (30/52)

Punching in the security code, Tracy hoped he wouldn't block her out.
She knew Nick was there.  His bike was in the garage.  Unless he took
to the air, that meant that he would be home.  Riding the lift up, she
opened the door to an almost entirely dark room.  Nick was nowhere to
be seen.  After listening for a moment, she could hear the water
running upstairs.

Well, she'd just wait.  Going over to the kitchen, she found Nick's
things on the table.  Her eyes caught on a crumpled piece of paper.  As
she picked it up, she discovered that it was a speeding ticket.
Scanning the form, she stopped on the speed.  Nick had been going 170
in a 100 zone, and without a license.  At least it wasn't her ticket.
Going over to the couch, she leaned back, planning on waiting for Nick
to come down.

Ten minutes after the water was turned off, she still hadn't seen her
partner.  Carefully, she ascended the stairs, pushing the door to his
room open.  Entering, she approached the side of the bed, finding him
lying on his stomach, his face turned away from her.  She didn't think
he was asleep, but wasn't sure how awake he was either.  "Nick, you
okay?"

"Fine."

Fine.  He was something, but fine wasn't it.  "Please, Nick."  Tracy
paused, wondering how to get him to talk.  Sitting on the edge of the
bed, she continued, "I asked Reese what was up, but all he would say
was that this case was close to you, something I've been able to tell
from the crime scene.  I want to know what's bothering you.  Please,
tell me, Nick.  If I can, I want to help."

"I don't want to talk about it," he stated sternly, his emotions
tightly under lock and chain.

Tracy fidgeted a moment, focusing on the sheets.  That didn't go well.
"Okay...then, what if I call Natalie, have her come over?"

"No.  I don't want to bother her."

"But, you would talk to her?"  'And not me,' she nearly added, fully
aware that he trusted Natalie with his secrets far more than he did
her.  "Nick, I'm sure it wouldn't be a bother to her.  In fact, I think
Natalie would be relieved."  When he didn't protest, she moved toward
the phone, dialing Natalie's number at the morgue.

In less than a minute, the phone was back in its place, Natalie on her
way over.  Tracy didn't comment, aware that Nick probably already knew.
Cautiously, she reached forward, resting her hand on his back.  Nick
stiffened at the touch, but didn't push her away.  Gently rubbing, she
felt as he slowly began to relax.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

Arriving at Nick's, Natalie didn't bother announcing her presence.
Instead, she went straight up to his room, carefully pushing the door
open.  Inside, Tracy sat on the bed's edge, one hand rubbing the center
of Nick's back.  Moving to the other side, she leaned over trying to
get a better look at his face.

Starring back at her were two, solid blue eyes, not a glimmer of gold
anywhere.  "Nick, I booked off work, I'll go in early tomorrow night to
make up for it."

"Go back tonight, you don't need to be here."

"Yes, I do.  Besides, the day shift needs the help."  Sitting on the
bed, she glanced toward Tracy, mouthing the words, 'help me.'  Then, as
gently as she could, Natalie tried maneuvering Nick so that he was on
his back.

Once she knew what Natalie was planning, Tracy pulled his shoulder
back.  Nick backed away from each of their touches, effectively
finishing their tasks.

When he stopped struggling, she began, "Nick, I want to know what
happened.  You were thirteen, right?"

Thirteen.  The number almost made him flinch.  How had she guessed so
easily?  He closed his eyes tight and nodded faintly.

Tracy stood, telling Nat, "I'll be downstairs."  Before taking a step,
a light grasp tightened around her wrist, releasing her almost
immediately.

"Stay, Trace.  You have the right to know as much as Nat."

Nodding, she resumed her spot next to him.  "So...you were thirteen,
and...."

Breathing deeply, Nick slowly exhaled.  "It was spring, my father was
away on business.  Originally, my brother, Henri, and myself were
supposed to accompany him, but father abruptly changed his mind.  Henri
was a little less than a year older than me.  Mabelle, nearly ten, and
William, at seven, were my other siblings.

"Three days after our father left, the four of us were on our way to
dinner.  That night, everything seemed quiet, too quiet.  Henri and I
had been cautious since the afternoon.  We had sensed that something
was wrong, but didn't know what."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Brabant 1207

"Belle, stay close," he called to his sister, taking her by the hand.
Glancing back, he watched as Henri silently guided his younger brother
forward.

They would be early to supper, but that wouldn't be a problem, in fact,
Maman would be pleased.  Just before reaching the stairs, he caught
faint movement, manifesting itself in the form of three armed men.  One
seemed to hang back, keeping an eye for onlookers.  A second pulled
William away from his older brother, and the third went for Mabelle.

Sliding his sister behind him, he stood protectively in front of her.
"What do you want?" he barely whispered, his throat suddenly dry.

The man merely smiled, pulling a dagger out of his belt.  As he tried
to reach around the young man, the boy moved, effectively keeping the
girl from him.  "Nicolas, you are unarmed and helpless against us.
Release your sister to her fate."

"No.  I will not give her to you."

"Then, I shall take her."

Watching the man's smile increase in intensity, he backed up.  He was,
as had been pointed out, unarmed, and no weapons were close by.  The
man pounced forward.  As he shielded Mabelle, Nicolas gasped at the
sudden sharp pain in his side.  Falling to his knees, he watched his
sister being pulled from him.

At the same time, he could hear Henri call his name.  Turning, he
watched his youngest brother being taken from the other.  Mabelle
screamed, his attention being brought back to his attacker.  A short
sword, its blade about double the length of the dagger, was held
against her throat, her small hands tightly gripping the man's arms.

Her eyes pleaded with him to do something.  At his slight movement, the
man pulled the sword, the blade slicing into Mabelle's neck, cutting
off a second scream.  The man released her limp form, the next few
seconds passing in slow motion.  As she crumpled to the floor, Nicolas'
anger flared.

The man laughed down at him, the dagger still embedded in his side.
Watching him turn, Nicolas slowly removed the blade, flinching at the
pain.  With a couple of quick and painful actions, he moved behind the
stranger, the dagger effortlessly sliding into the man's chest.  He
watched without care as the man clutched the weapon and quickly died.

Taking the short sword from the now fallen man, Nicolas moved toward
the other.  The sound of approaching footsteps alerted them it was time
to leave, yet none of them moved.

William already lay on the ground, not a sound issuing from him.  Henri
stood frozen before the second man.  Seeing the younger boy's approach,
the man stabbed the blade forward, impaling Henri on its tip.  Nicolas
reacted, letting the blade slice through the air before the man could
act, a bright red line forming across the intruder's back.  When he
turned, Nicolas dug the sword deep into him.

Releasing the weapon, his pain became noticeable and he once again fell
to his knees, Henri lying less than an arms length away.  Pulling his
brother's form to him, he held Henri until everything went numb.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I was in a black sea.  I couldn't see, or feel anything.  After a
moment, however, I could hear my name called by my mother, but I
blacked out after that.  Nicolas...Nicolas..." trailing off, he began
his descent into sleep, Natalie watching as his features softened.

The description of his siblings’ wounds was a very close match to those
the Kennington children had received.  No wonder Nick had reacted the
way he did.

Now, the main question was; how would he handle the case?  Considering
he'd never mentioned any of these siblings to her, she assumed they had
probably died that night.  Obviously, Nick had survived, despite how
crude the medicine of the time was.  Yet, how had he dealt with what
had happened, or had he?


Pawns of Kings (31/52)

It was a couple of hours past sunrise there, in Paris, and his son had
finally calmed.  From Nicholas' now open thoughts, LaCroix could tell
that the Doctor was nearby.  His recent observations of her influence
on Nicholas had been more and more in her favor.  She was mortal, true,
but she could also calm his son.  Few had ever had that ability--
himself, sometimes Janette, and at one time, his mortal mother.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Brabant 1208

As the sun rose higher in the sky, he opened his eyes to familiar, but
forbidden surroundings.  Shifting slightly, he noticed Nicolas, one of
the boy's hands clutching his shoulder, the other wrapped around his
back.  Yet, that was not what woke him.  A few feet away was a second
mortal heartbeat.  With a glance, he made out the form of Nicolas'
mother, whom he had seen several hours before.

She stood at his movement.  "I am sorry for the intrusion, but Nicolas
has not taken to strangers as of late because of..." she trailed off,
her voice beginning to crack.  "I have not told you to leave because my
son seems to trust you.  His nightmares are impossible to calm, at
least by myself.  Nicolas has become too strong for me."

"Nicolas is strong, he will overcome this."

"Yes, he is that, but in the last year he's distanced himself from the
others his age, immersing himself in books, religion....  He's become
quite a swordsman and an even better archer.  I wouldn't get in his way
when he's armed."

"I've...gathered that."  The pressure Nicolas' hand was placing on the
wound, and the pain that emanated from it, were plenty to confirm her
words.  Moving in an attempt to relieve the pressure, he felt Nicolas
stir.

The boy jumped slightly, realizing where he was.  Calming, he let his
head rest where it had been, his eyes focusing on his mother.

"I expect you to come down and eat, Nicolas, and soon.  If you do not,
I will know."  She paused.  As a protest began on her son's lips, she
added, "Please, Nicolas."

Hesitantly, he nodded.  "Yes, Maman."

She turned.  Giving a short glance to the man, she left the chambers.

Nicolas sat up, avoiding eye contact with the man, backing away
slightly.  "Why...."

"Why didn't I kill you?"  At the silent nod, LaCroix considered the
question, coming back with nothing.  "I chose not to."  He paused, and
then commented, "I have a question for you, Nicholas."  The boy
shifted, clearly uncomfortable with his pronunciation of his name. "Why
do you want to die?"

Nicolas pulled further away.  Standing, he turned, his head bowed
faintly.  "I...I shouldn't be here."

LaCroix did what he could to keep his confusion to himself.  The
statement didn't quite make sense.  "If you are here, then you are
here."

"Yes, but my brothers and sister...they're....  I was not the eldest
son.  My father would much rather have had one of my other brothers
survive, not me.  He blames me for their deaths, and I'm not sure he's
wrong."

"Tell me what happened.  Their deaths couldn't all be your fault."

Nicolas rapidly shook his head.  "No, I can't....  I don't want to talk
about it."

Although he had no wish to harm the boy, the information was vital to
him.  Nicolas' blood from earlier was already too thin in his system
for him to glean any information from it.  He would need more, but only
a small amount.  "Then, Nicholas, come here."

"Why?"

"Because your blood contains your thoughts, your memories.  With it,
you need not say a word."

After a pause, Nicolas stepped closer, making an offer as he had the
night before.

Taking the boy's chin, he turned Nicolas to face him.  "I only need a
few drops, nothing more."  Then, he gently took a hand, one fang
slicing the tip of a finger.  Nicolas didn't react, at least, not in
pain.  The boy seemed remotely fascinated by the crimson liquid pooling
in the cut.  Licking the liquid away, he closed his eyes, reading the
mortal blood as if it were his own memories.

Nearly a year and a half ago, Nicolas and his siblings had been on
their way to supper, but were attacked.  He had watched them be cut
down, and out of anger had killed two of the men.  Then, there was a
sudden wash of pain, everything becoming jumbled.  The incident itself
had been remembered in every detail.  Apparently, Nicolas had been
seriously injured in the confrontation.

"Am I to blame?" Nicolas innocently asked, bringing him back.

He shook his head.  "No.  The senders of the assassins are to blame,
not you."  As Nicolas sat on the bed's edge, he watched the boy examine
the cut on his finger.

The wound's rapid healing fascinated the teenager.  "How did you do
that?  It's almost gone."

Turning his full attention to Nicolas, he kept silent.  The boy already
knew what he was.  He didn't need to know more.  The Enforcers would
quietly solve the problem if they discovered the young Brabantian's
knowledge.  "I suggest you do as your mother has asked, Nicholas.  Your
meal will strengthen you."  Standing, he slowly spun, Nicolas sitting,
looking up at him.

"Will you come as well?"

He raised an eyebrow, his distaste at the question flickering in his
expression.

"Maman will suspect something if you do not at least come down."

Again, he responded with silence.  He wanted nothing more than to rest
and allow his wounds to heal.  Yet, he also wanted to know what
happened to Nicolas.

"Lucien, please."

The boy's informality tweaked his anger, but one look into the blue
eyes caused it to melt away.  Once again, Nicolas was drawing him in.
And besides, he was sure his own pronunciation of the boy's name had
become more than a little annoying.  "I will accompany you once I have
changed," he stated, a glance made to the bloodstains on his chemise
and shirt.

Nicolas nodded, the childhood innocence abruptly vanishing, as the boy
did the same through the door.

With the silence, he considered the young man.  On one hand, he still
seemed very much a child.  His curiosity and innocence remained.  He
also had, at least in archery, the skills of a man.  On top of
everything, there seemed to be a lack of not exactly emotion, but the
care for life.

Being immortal, he despised the mortal weaknesses, particularly the
feelings and emotions they were prone to.  But, life, existence as it
was, should not be wasted or simply thrown away.  He had never held
back for fear or doubt, and neither should Nicolas.

*****

Once Nicolas had eaten his fill, enough for two grown men, the boy's
daily tasks had led him outside into the scorching sunlight.  When he
had been trapped in the dark castle, LaCroix had originally welcomed
it.  Now, after his many failed attempts at sleep or even rest, his
patience was waning.

As he freely moved about the structure, he found his attention focusing
on Nicolas' mother, Adelaide.  Carefully following her, for the first
time he really looked at her...examining her.  She was probably in her
late-thirties.  Her appearance of youth was just beginning to be
crushed by the harshness this time gave.  It was a pity that one day
she would have none of that beauty when she eventually died, as all
mortals eventually did.

It was late summer, autumn not far away.  The fields were being
harvested, much of which would either go to the village near the
castle, or to the other villages that weren't too far distant.  As
such, the castle was bounding with activity.

Finding Adelaide alone, he approached her, smoothly commenting, "It
must be busy this time of year, particularly with your husband absent."

"Perhaps M. LaCroix, but no more than other years.  Nicolas takes over
many of his father's duties when he is away."

He took another couple of steps closer, moving slightly to her side.
"Nicolas seems to have, at least in some ways, grown up faster than was
planned."

"In some ways," she echoed.

"What caused this change?  I take it was sudden?" he probed.

"Yes, Nicolas has been this way since his reco-" she cut the word off,
but knew it was too late.  "I cannot answer further.  Again, I ask you
to not mention this to Nicolas.  He doesn't need to be reminded of what
happened."

Keeping a snarl to himself, he slid in front of Adelaide.  As he took
her upper arms in his hands, she pulled away.  "Listen to my voice....
You will remember nothing of our conversation.  Sleep...rest for a
moment...."  He smiled as she began her descent into sleep, barely
needing the coaxing.

He held her against him, letting her head fall to the side.  The
knowledge he wanted would be revealed in her blood.  This way, Nicolas
would not know, and neither would his mother.  Gently pushing the
fabric away from her shoulder, he leaned forward, taking in her aroma--
wildflowers and honey.  Although the scent tempted him greatly, he
would have to take care.  Not only did she need to remain alive and
well, but so too did her unborn child.

Slowly, he allowed his sharp fangs to pierce the skin of her shoulder,
taking in just a mouthful of the sweet flavor, searching for his
answer.  Almost immediately, he found where Nicolas' blood left off....


Pawns of Kings (32/52)

~#~#~#~

1207

Following the servants and commotion, she nearly ran up the stairs, all
but stopping cold at the sight before them.  Her children lay unmoving
and bloodied on the ground.  William and Mabelle lay in two separate
piles, their forms appearing crumpled.  Henri and Nicolas lay in
another, the younger holding Henri to him.  All was still.  Not a
movement came from any of them.

Gaining use of her muscles, she rushed forward, her hand gently
touching her eldest son's form, falling to her knees next to him.  When
a whimper came from not him, but Nicolas, she threw care to the wind,
pulling her son tightly to her, letting her child's head rest on her
swollen abdomen, where the only child that remained unharmed rested.

Looking around the room, she watched as one of the servants gently went
around to her other children.  When none were stopped at, her hope
faded.  "Are they...?"

"No, Lady, they have departed," the woman, one of the cooks, stated
calmly.

She held Nicolas tighter, and even more so as the woman tried to pull
him from her grasp.  "Nicolas still lives.  He will be well soon," she
protested.

"Then why has he not stood, or spoken?"

Closing her eyes, she could not answer.  A slight dampness alerted her
to something.  Glancing down at her hand, she found it covered with
blood--her son's blood.  "Nicolas...Nicolas..." she called, trying to
get him to respond.  Yet, he didn't.  "No, not Nicolas."  This time,
when the woman pulled at her son, she didn't resist, but helped her lay
Nicolas flat.

There, on his stomach just below his ribs, a spreading blotch of bright
crimson stood.  Pulling the fabric away, she found the still bleeding
wound, most likely from a dagger.  As her fingers brushed against his
cheek, she watched his chest slowly rise and fall.  Nicolas would
survive, she would see to it.

-----

Time jumped ahead as he sifted through Adelaide's memories in his
attempt to know the outcome of the situation.  A week, he estimated,
possibly more had passed....

-----

"Nicolas?  Can you hear me?"

"You know he can not," her husband answered, the same as he had over
the past several days.  "His wounds are severe.  Coupled with infection
and fever....  Nicolas is dying.  He should have been gone days ago,
within hours of the injury."

Turning to him in anger, she demanded, "How can you say that?  Of our
own son!  Your only son and heir!"

"Because it is the truth.  All we are doing is prolonging his
suffering.  We should have given him peace already."

She couldn't comment, but knew he was right.  Nicolas deserved a
peaceful, painless death.  She had postponed her husband and others'
suggestions, hoping that Nicolas would soon awake.  Yes, she had
another child on the way and it was figured to be a boy, but she
couldn't lose Nicolas.  Every night she prayed for his survival,
knowing in her heart that he would live.

Yet, now, it seemed as if he were fading away.  Nicolas was getting
paler by the day, his breathing slower, and his temperature higher.
Occasionally her thoughts considered the others' suggestions, but every
time she pushed them away.  No, she would give him whatever chance he
had.  Nicolas had held on this long.  With God's aid, he would last
longer.

-----

1208

Leaving the event, he searched for the conclusion.  Now, the answer he
was searching for wasn't of what happened, but how Nicolas had
survived.

He continued sifting through her memories, his miraculous recovery
turning out to be just that.  With time, Nicolas had recovered by
himself.  Truly a miracle, something that there was no explanation for.

~#~#~#~

Pulling back, LaCroix gently turned her toward him, releasing her from
sleep.  He slid into a shadow before she could spot him, watching as
she walked away, her actions showing her confusion.

Although he hadn't taken much blood, he had gained a wealth of
knowledge.  Nicolas' injury had been enough to kill him, yet he lived.
There was no reason that he should be there now, except perhaps his
unconscious will to survive.

Quietly leaving the area, he noticed the sun was on its way down.
Perhaps he could now find Nicolas....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He recalled every second of the memories concerning his visits with
Nicholas.  Merely two days after 'meeting' the boy, he had wiped his
memories and his mother's, his intention being to never return to the
region during Nicholas' lifetime.

Yet, that had all been changed upon first sight of the mortal with his
Janette....  His daughter's interest in Nicholas had coincided with his
own.  He had turned the situation into what he wanted.  He had brought
Nicholas across not for Janette's pleasure, but his own.  Neither ever
knew about him meeting the mortal child Nicholas had once been, and it
was going to stay that way.

LaCroix sighed.  Time had crawled along since the morning, his concern
for his son outweighing everything else.  The sun was now high in the
sky, making it possible to stand at the window, just out of the light's
reach.  He was fully aware that he was imprisoned, in this house and in
this city, for at least another day.

For some reason, the building seemed empty.  There were no mortals, the
majority of the Council seeming to reside elsewhere.  There were the
two that stood outside his door, but otherwise all he could sense was
vacant space.  In the evening, he would demand to be released.  They
had nothing to say to him that hadn't already been mentioned.  There
was no reason for him to remain.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

Upon waking, he once again found the silence distracting.  Dressing,
LaCroix exited the room, immediately demanding to speak with one of the
Council.

"They are not here at the moment," one of his guards simply stated, as
if that explained everything.

Quickly searching for someone within the building, he discovered that
other than himself, only these two that were supposed to guard him were
present.  The feeling of emptiness had been right on.  None of the
Ancients remained.  A tinge of anger showed in his amber eyes as he
demanded, "Where...are...they?"

"The Council is not here," he repeated.

LaCroix wanted to throttle the younger vampire for the obvious
statement.  "They are not in this building, and most likely, neither
are they in this city, country, or even on this continent!"

As the amber yielded to blood red, the two backed up, suddenly wanting
to be anywhere but there.

"Toronto, that's where they are going...."  Changing his tactics, he
started in on the younger of the two, backing him into a corner.  "When
did they leave?" he prodded.  "Tell me!  NOW!"

Having nowhere to go, the vampire held firm under the Roman's icy
glare.

Feeling the air move behind him, LaCroix caught the other by surprise,
sending them into the nearby wall.  Watching the vampire slide down to
the floor from the blow, he argued, "I know where they went, and I know
why.  Tell me when they left!"

From the ground, the vampire glared up at LaCroix.  With a burst of
speed he pounced forward, a syringe of curare at the ready.

Reacting again in anger, LaCroix ripped the drug form the other's hand.
After slamming the vampire against the wall, he injected the curare.
Turning, he locked his attention on the other guard, a mad glint
directed toward them.  Holding the still partially full syringe up, he
threatened, "Tell me, now, or I will forcibly take the answer."

Seeing his colleague easily overpowered, fright set into the remaining
guard's face.  Pulling back as far as he could, he stammered, "J-just
before...before sunrise.  Th-this morning.  One of the Council left
three days ago."

As his anger hit its peak, he plunged the needle into the younger
vampire, injecting the remaining curare.  Before its effects had
completely set in, LaCroix was already out of the building, his
destination the airport.

By now, the Council would have reached Toronto.  They wouldn't be able
to do much, at least not all as a group, until darkness fell, and dusk
was still several hours away.


Pawns of Kings (33/52)

After the previous night, everything was going well, almost too well.
Both Tracy and Natalie were there as he woke, and after much
persuading, he'd managed to get them to leave.

Now, work was going smoothly.  So far, they had found no leads, but it
was still early in the case.  Hopefully they would find something
tonight.

Tracy had kept quiet about his past, something for which he was
grateful.  He was also pleased that few had mentioned anything from the
night before.  Even Reese had kept silent on that.

Every now and again, he would feel something.  It was almost as if
someone were watching him.  Yet, whenever he tried to focus in on the
source, he would find nothing out of the ordinary.

Several times he had tried to make contact with LaCroix, but he could
feel nothing of his sire.  No thoughts, no presence, nothing.  It was
just like LaCroix to do this.  He wouldn't be surprised to find out
that it was LaCroix taunting him.  In fact, in some ways it would make
sense.

But, whatever it was, it was nagging at him.  As a result, the night
went slow, the majority of his time spent at the precinct filling out
some of his and Tracy's reports and searching for leads on their most
recent case.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

Nicholas seemed calm despite his recalled memories.  Watching from the
shadows of the precinct, LaCroix could feel another nearby.  His son
was being watched, probably by one of the Council.

To add to it, he could occasionally feel Nicholas reach out to
him...but he couldn't make himself known, not yet.  He wanted to know
the Council's intentions before trying anything.

His anger rose, but he pushed it down.  At the moment, neither
Nicholas, nor the other knew of his presence, and it needed to stay
that way.  He didn't know if the Council knew he was here yet, but if
he approached Nicholas, that would change.  As long as they merely
watched, he would watch them.  But one move...one move and they would
regret their actions.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

Starring at the computer screen, Nick sighed.  At the scene, there had
been practically no evidence of the actual crime, let alone its
perpetrators.

"Nick?"

Turning to the familiar voice, he smiled at Natalie's concerned
expression.  "Hmmm....  What are you doing here?  I figured you'd still
be at the morgue."

"I'm done, and I don't like what I found."

The smile vanished.  "What?"

Giving Nick the report, she explained, "The children seemed caught
unaware, as if their attacker, or possibly attackers, were either known
to them, or they didn't have enough time to react.  It would also
explain how they got past security."

"But...."  Tracy stopped, realizing the implications.  "You mean, one
of staff?"

"Or one of their relatives, or a friend of the family."

Nick's statement caught her attention, and Natalie turned toward him.
He seemed focused on the past, but he wasn't yet lost amongst his
memories.  "Remind you of something?"

He shook his head.  "No.  Not really."

"Nick?" Tracy prodded, ignoring Natalie's silencing gesture.

"Trace, I never knew the exact reason behind the murders, nor whom our
attackers were.  Later, I actually suspected my father, but never had
any proof.  But, I felt something at the scene, a presence.  It was
faint, but it was there.  I don't think the children knew their
murderer."

Natalie took the comment about his father in, adding it to the rest of
her knowledge of the situation.  It not only explained why he would
have pushed the event away, but also his necessity to be on this case.
In addition, the second part of his information leant itself to
something more, something she didn't want to think about.  Why would
Nick have felt another vampire at the scene?

Standing, Tracy let Nick's reply sink in.  He was clearly uncomfortable
on the subject, and she suggested, "We should get back to the
Kenningtons’, ask a few more questions."

He nodded, but the two didn't make it very far past their desks before
Reese called them into his office.  Entering, the two found a grim
faced Captain.

"The Kennington case is closed."

"What?" they exclaimed simultaneously.

"It's closed due to some kind of contrived evidence.  It's not my
choice."

"Who's behind it?" Nick inquired, a sinking feeling in his stomach.

Reese hesitated.  "The Commissioner."  His detectives remained silent.
Knight's eyes sparkled with a hint of gold, something he now recognized
as a manifestation of the detective's anger.  "There's nothing we can
do about this, detectives.  I don't like it any more than you."  Tracy
nodded, and turned to leave, her partner reluctantly following.  "Just
a moment, Knight."

Nick slowly turned back, allowing his gaze to meet Reese's, a couple of
golden flecks still dancing among the midnight blue.

As the door shut, the captain looked Knight over.  Other than the faint
touch of gold staring back at him, the detective seemed calm, if a
little tense.  "Nick," he began, "I know you don't have to hide what
you are any more, but I would suggest that you keep a tighter reign on
your emotions.  Your partner and I might not mind, but others do.  I'm
sure I don't have to mention any possible reactions."

No, he didn't.  Marks had been quiet after his last lecture, but some
of the other officers and detectives had similar, yet more private
opinions.  Every night, he could see the cautious glances that said
more than they realized.  To change within their view, if only for a
second, could intensify their opinion.  As he was still on probation,
how the others in the precinct saw him would determine if he remained.

"I also expect you to follow my orders.  You will not pursue the
Kennington case any further, and no exceptions."  Two gold-tinged orbs
shot up at him.  "I mean it, Nick.  I know how close you are to this
case.  I think I can understand your need to be on it, but it's
closed."

It took him several seconds, but he gave a slight nod to Reese.  At the
same time, he hands clenched shut, his nails digging into his palms.
Without a word, he left the office, stopping just outside the door.

There it was again, the feeling that someone was watching him. Resuming
his path, his eyes darted around the room, trying to pinpoint the
sensation's origin.  Just a few steps short of his desk, Nick stopped
once again.  It was gone.

Already, the Kennington case was being pushed to the back of his mind,
his memories of the past just under the surface.  Releasing the tension
in his hands, he felt tiny rivulets of blood trail down toward his
fingertips.  The wounds would heal before the blood was washed away. At
least, the night was nearly over.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

Unlocking her apartment door, Natalie quickly stepped in, leaning back
against the door as it closed.  Finally, work was over.  She had stayed
over when one of her colleagues went home sick.  Now, it was a couple
of hours past sunrise.

She entered the kitchen, planning to feed an undoubtedly hungry Sidney.
However, she found his bowl on the floor, its contents already licked
clean.  Going into the living room, she didn't see anything out of the
ordinary, except that the drapes were closed.  On a hunch, she peeked
into her room, finding Nick sprawled out on her bed.

He was on his back, the covers slightly rumpled under him.  Moving
closer, her eyes adjusted to the darkness.  His shoes and socks were
missing, along with his weapon.  Only a couple of buttons on his shirt
remained in place, the others either undone by hand, or movement.

Nick slept calmly, his body relaxed, stretched out across most of her
bed.  Sitting on the bed's edge, she reached forward, the light touch
of her fingertips pulling a smile to his lips.  His eyes fluttered
lazily open, silently staring into hers.

Nearly a minute passed before Nick shifted, sitting up.  "Nat....  I-I
should have called you, told you I was here.  I'll just go out to the-"

"It's okay, Nick.  You can stay right there."  Silence interrupted, and
she prodded, "I heard the Kennington case is closed."

He sat still, giving a faint nod.

Natalie hesitated, having expected to see his frustration.  "Last
night, it was all you could think about.  That, and what had
happened...."  She stopped, watching him become as hard as a rock.  "Is
that it?"

Something was nagging at him about his childhood, but that wasn't what
really concerned him right now.  Even here, at Natalie's and with the
bright sunlight coming down, he could feel the one that was following
him, watching him.  The sensations he was feeling were leaving his
thoughts on the case out in the open.  Yet, it had been nearly eight
hundred years since his siblings' deaths.  He could wait a few more
days to think about it.  After all, he had all the time in the world.

He again returned his thoughts to what had been following him.  He
closed his eyes, reaching out to it.  At present, it was a dull buzz,
just enough for him to pick up.

As his focus drifted, she realized he was thinking about something, and
asked, "Okay...so, now, what's up?"

"I'm not really sure."  Reaching out again, he felt nothing of the
other.  It was just like in the precinct.  One minute it would be
there, the next it would be gone.  Shaking the thought away, he
answered, "I think someone is watching me, another vampire."

"LaCroix?"

He shook his head.  At first, he had suspected his master, but he
wasn't so sure anymore....  Whenever LaCroix had pulled this trick,
he'd always made sure he sensed virtually nothing, only occasional
hints that he was there, if even that.  What he was presently feeling
was a muffled humming, just in the background.  This was something he'd
never felt until the last couple of nights.  "No, I don't think so.
It's definitely someone else."

Nick's eyes met hers, and she could see his exhaustion.  A second
later, it manifested itself in a slow, fanged yawn.  She smiled, trying
to keep a straight face as he turned to her once again.

"What?"

The innocence of his question made it even harder for her not to laugh.
His guard was down despite his worry.  "Nothing."  He yawned a second
time, his elongated canines again visible.  "I think you better get
back to sleep before you fall asleep on me."  'Or before I burst out
laughing.'  Now was definitely not the time for that.  Nick might be
open to her right now, but that could change so easily.

Standing, she waited a moment before grabbed a few things and going to
change out of her work clothes.  By the time she returned, Nick was
sound asleep.  At first, she simply gazed at him, her thoughts
wandering elsewhere.  After a moment, she retrieved a blanket from the
closet.  Sure, he didn't really need it, but she draped it over him
anyway.  Then, sitting on the edge of the bed, she watched him sleep.

He was so calm as he slept.  Natalie smiled faintly, holding back her
urge to place a kiss on his forehead as he had so often done to her in
the past.  After a few minutes, she stretched out on the bed, keeping
her eyes focused on Nick.  As time passed, she felt herself begin to
nod off, knowing it wouldn't be long before she slipped into her
dreams.


Pawns of Kings (34/52)

Nearly twenty-four hours later, Natalie sighed in relief.  Another long
night at the morgue was done, and now she was on her way to Nick's.

Waking up that evening, she had found Nick's arms wrapped protectively
around her, his grip slightly stronger than a mortal's.  After she'd
gotten ready for work, she had woken him, his golden eyes shining
hungrily at up her.  As there was no blood for him in her refrigerator,
he had left nearly as the sun set.

Right after work, she had stopped by her apartment, and no Nick.  She
didn't know if he would be at the Raven or at his place, but figured
she'd go by the loft.  She really didn't want to talk to LaCroix right
now, not at this time in the morning.

The sun had risen nearly four hours ago.  By now, Nick was probably
sleeping, but even so, she would go in.  He hadn't visited her the
night before, not even during his lunch break.  However, Tracy had, and
during their conversation she had mentioned Nick's strange mood.

That's why she was there, at least that's what she told herself as she
got out of her car, heading toward the entrance.  In reality, she knew
that wasn't it...no, she would have come by without Tracy's comment.
Nick hadn't quite been all there for the last several days.  He needed
to 'talk' about his past, his childhood, or at the very least deal with
it somehow.  Oh, he'd related his memories to both her and Tracy, but
he'd kept his emotions tightly under wraps.  The Kennington case would
have been good for him, yet, now it was closed and off limits.  Other
than herself, the only one Nick might talk to would be LaCroix.

Punching in the alarm code, she tried to shake the thought away.  Right
now, she didn't want to think about LaCroix, or how he fit into all of
this.  Yet, one thing wouldn't rest; if LaCroix had met Nick when he
was fourteen, why hadn't he taken Nick's memories of the event away?
That seemed to be his solution to Nick's problems.  Although Nick
didn't remember the meeting, he clearly remembered his siblings'
murder, something LaCroix had known about for nearly eight hundred
years.  Why didn't LaCroix just take that away as well?

Pulling the elevator door open, she found the lower level dark, a
sliver of light coming through the bathroom door.  Silently ascending
the stairs, she approached the door, lightly knocking on its surface.
No answer.  Cautiously pushing the door open, she found nothing. Slowly
closing the door, she left just enough light for the path to Nick's
room to be faintly illuminated.

Inside, she could see him much as she had the night before.  As he
slept, he seemed troubled, almost as if by a nightmare, but not quite.
His hair was still damp, so he apparently hadn't been asleep for very
long.

Standing there, she could nearly feel his dreams and memories taunting
him.  She didn't know where this came from, and at the moment, didn't
really care.

Reaching forward, her hand hovered a moment just above his bare chest,
and then brushed against his forehead.  Her action calmed him, but he
didn't wake.  Natalie was caught by a faint smile forming on his lips,
her fingers lingering at his temple.

He slowly woke to his surroundings, dark haunting eyes meeting hers for
a mere second before turning away.

"Nick...?"  He remained silent and still.  Waiting a moment, she asked
the question she knew he didn't want to hear, "You okay?"  Instead of
his usual, sharp, 'fine', he continued with his silence.  "Okay...Nick,
I know this is hitting you hard, but-"

"It's not the case.  It's something else."

"Does it have to do with whoever's been watching you?"

Snapping his gaze onto her, he tried to keep his calm. "Not...directly.
I've been trying to contact LaCroix, but....  He's ignoring me, Nat.  I
know he can feel me.  Even though we haven't shared blood, the
connection is always there, but he can cut it off. The last couple of
days, that's what he's done.  I feel nothing from him.  I've tried
everything."

Natalie stiffened.  She had sensed this from Nick for a while.  He had
been ever so slowly drifting back to his father.  If he ever went the
whole way, she didn't know what she'd do.  "Are you going to go back to
him?"

Closing his eyes, he sighed.  "Lately we've been getting closer again.
I thought we actually might be able to reconcile things, but now...I
don't know...."

But she knew he would.  Perhaps not this instant, but he would
eventually.  She knew it as surely as she knew it was day.  "Nick, if
you want to, I won't stop you."  Natalie's last words quivered
slightly, her true opinion revealed.

"I'm not going back to him, not now."  He stopped, his eyes locking on
hers.  "And if I do, I don't know if I'll ever be able to become what
he wants."

With that, he turned away, rolling onto his side.  There was sadness
within his words.  Another one of her senses revealed his
disappointment in himself.  He wanted to please LaCroix, be the son the
elder man wanted, but he couldn't.  It just wasn't in his nature, and
LaCroix wouldn't accept that.  Neither could LaCroix accept failure,
which is what he believed had happened.  And that was the sole reason
that kept them apart.

Slipping her shoes off, Natalie cautiously sat on the bed just behind
Nick.  Her hand approached his back, his muscles tensing in
anticipation.  She paused just above his skin, slowing toward the top
of his back.  Her fingers wrapped around his shoulder, her thumb at the
back of his neck.  Gently, she rubbed, and he gradually began to relax.
Then, she carefully pulled him back toward her.  At first, there was
resistance, but it faded as he again relaxed.

He seemed to lean back into her as she wrapped her arms around to his
stomach.  Nick's skin was its usual cool, one of the things that
separated mortals and vampires, yet drew her closer to him.  As he
breathed deeply and exhaled, she felt a sense of peace, as it seemed to
overcome him.  Within minutes, he was asleep, her own eyes drowsily
closing soon after.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

This was now his third night of vigil.  Still, the Council lingered,
following Nicholas wherever he went, his own form following them.
LaCroix watched from the shadows of the precinct, most of the mortals
being too busy to notice his presence.  The few mortals who had seen
him never got out a word of comment before they were going along their
business as if they'd never noticed.

His son was presently at his desk, having some conversation or another
with his partner.  Nicholas' work was so...boring.  At present, his son
was immersed fully in the mortal world, only occasionally feeling his
watchers or trying to contact him.

Tonight, the Council seemed closer than the previous nights.  Almost as
if....  Yes, that's what they were doing.  They were closing in.  Gold
flooded his vision, and he outstretched his senses.  Ningal, the
youngest Council member had just entered the precinct.  She turned
toward Nicholas and approached him.

Stepping forward, planning on intercepting Ningal, a hand appeared at
his shoulder, its owner hissing, "You will not interfere, Lucius."

The amber intensified, his attention focusing on his son.  Nicholas
tensed, but didn't turn until Ningal stood behind him.  His son waited,
a wary gaze directed to Ningal.  She merely handed a small envelope to
Nicholas, then silently walked away.

"You see, Lucius, there was no need to interrupt."

"What does the note say?"

"A meeting time, nothing more."  Aha smiled, adding, "If you want more
information, I suppose you'll just have to ask Nicholas."

Before his anger could manifest itself, the Ancient slithered out of
sight.  LaCroix slid back into his hiding place, his eyes and ears
open.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

"Who was that?  Another vampire?"

Nick shot a silencing glare to his partner.  Why did she have to be so
blunt?  "Yes, she is, but I don't know why she's here."

"What does it say?"

He turned to the small sealed envelope.  Opening it, he found a simple
message.  '10 o'clock, the Raven.'  Ningal was merely a messenger, but
for whom?  It was most likely for one of the Council, or another
Ancient.  Either way, he didn't like the sound of it.

"So...?"

Crumpling the note, he stuffed it in his pocket.  "Nothing important."
It was already past midnight, so the meeting was for the next night. He
hadn't heard from LaCroix, his prodding having been useless.  He
assumed the elder vampire was still out of town.  Otherwise, wouldn't
he have responded?

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

The next night, Nick left for the Raven with plenty of time to spare,
deciding to take the Caddy.  He wasn't in the mood to fly, and driving
would take longer.  Tracy was back at the precinct.  As far as she
knew, he was on his way to the morgue, but he wasn't.  He would arrive
at the Raven just a few minutes before ten.

He pulled over to the curb in front of the Raven, quickly getting out
and entering the club.  Even though the club had never been officially
off-limits for mortals, lately most of the Raven's patrons had been
vampires.  Yet, he had seen one of the detective's, Garrison, there on
a couple of occasions.  Stopping just inside the doors, two somewhat
familiar mortal heartbeats caught his attention.

He scanned the occupants and paused at one of the back tables.  Brian
Garrison and his partner, Chris Chambers, sat talking at the table, one
of them focusing on him.  Immediately, he crossed the room, stopping at
their table.

The two detectives were clearly surprised, and he was the first to
speak.  "What are you doing here?" he demanded, his voice barely
audible to the mortals.

Glancing at one another, Brian answered, "It's our night off.  What
about you?"

About to answer, he felt yet another heartbeat.  It was Tracy's.
Spotting her coming toward him, he cursed under his breath.

"Reese was looking for you just after you left.  I sort of followed
you....  I guess my father wants to have a 'chat,' he called it.  We
need to get back to the precinct, now."

"I can't," he stated.  "Go back to the precinct, and get them-"
Abruptly, the feeling of being watched intensified, and he cut his
order off in mid-sentence.  "Leave, now.  All of you."

None moved, Brian's eyes focused past Nick, Chris and Tracy's quickly
following.

"There is no need for them to leave, Nicholas."

He turned, locking gazes with the vampire behind him.  The man was
undoubtedly an Ancient, most likely one of the Council considering
Ningal had been the messenger.  He was thin and slightly shorter than
himself.  His hair was nearly black, his skin almost having the
appearance of a tan, but it was still sallow.

Allowing his eyes to wander the Raven, Nick's eyes caught on several
vampires he didn't recognize.  Ningal stood nearby, along with three
more.  That made five.  The Council, it had to be.

Standing still, he kept silent, waiting for them to speak.  When they
didn't, he demanded, "Let them leave."

"They will stay," mentioned one of the others, a woman.  Her hand
guided Tracy into one of the table's empty chairs, her form hovering
over the three mortals.

Nick watched as many of the club's patrons either left, or at the very
least, backed out of the way.  Those that fled were mostly younger
vampires and the few mortals present.  Now, the only heartbeats inside
the building were the three at the table.  His attention returned to
the man, and he demanded, "What do you want?"

"To make an offer."

The short, unhelpful statement made him ask, "To whom?"

The thin vampire smiled, taking a step forward.  "You, of course,
Nicholas."

His curiosity battled with his senses.  This Ancient seemed so much
like the one he had met so many years before.  That vampire had also
made him an offer, one that was not to be refused.  "What is this
'offer'?"

Aha's smile broadened.  Nicholas wasn't ready to dismiss his offer yet,
but his question could not be answered.  Instead, he asked a question
of his own.  "Will you accompany us?"

"No, he will not!" LaCroix' voice bellowed as he stood between Aha and
Nicholas.

"It is not your choice to make, Lucius.  Besides, you were told not to
interfere."  Aha walked around the Roman, so he was once again facing
Nicholas.  "You will accompany us.  Whether by your own will or not, it
is your choice.  Later, we will explain our offer, but only in
private."

"I know what you are, but nothing more.  I have no reason to trust you,
and even less reason to accompany you."  He kept his expression even,
watching the Ancient's eyes burn golden.

"Very well.  We will take you by force."  Aha nodded, two of the others
moving to flank the younger vampire.

Tracy made to stand, but was held in her chair by the vampiress, the
grip bruising her shoulder.

The actions pushed LaCroix past his limits, his rage barely controlled.
Sternly, he stated, "You will not!"  With that, he took one of the
Council members by the arm, effectively throwing them off balance.  The
other one and the woman reacted, pinning LaCroix to the wall just long
enough for Ningal to inject a syringe's contents.

A stunned LaCroix watched as they released him, restraining Nicholas.
The drug hadn't been curare, that much he knew, but he was still
becoming groggy.  As he began to lose control of his muscles, he
threatened, "If you harm my son, you will pay!"

Aha ignored the Roman's hiss, barely noticing as Lucius slid to the
ground.  With a second nod, Nicholas was quickly restrained, his
struggles stopping as Ningal repeated her previous action on the
younger vampire.  The two held him, preventing his fall as the drug
took affect.

Glancing toward the table of silent mortals, Aha momentarily turned
toward the nearly unconscious form of Lucius.  Spinning, he started for
the exit with the others close behind, the few remaining vampires in
the club cowering out of their path.


Pawns of Kings (35/52)

Once the shock passed, Tracy pulled out her cell phone, dialing the
morgue's number.

"Dr. Lambert."

"Um...Nat?  I've got a problem.  Nick's gone."

"You mean he's not at the precinct?"

"No, I mean he's gone.  I followed him to the Raven, and this group of
vampires took him."  She paused, turning her gaze to the fallen form of
LaCroix.  "LaCroix is here, although he's a bit out of it.  They
drugged him.  Nick too."

"I'll be there as soon as I can.  Don't call anyone else unless LaCroix
tells you to.  This isn't under police jurisdiction."

"Okay, I'll-" the other line went dead, and she held the phone out,
putting it away.  Approaching LaCroix, she jumped at a hand on her
shoulder.  She turned, seeing Brian standing there, his partner not far
away.

"We should do something."

"We can't, it's not our jurisdiction," she answered, nearly repeating
Natalie's warning.  She didn't like it anymore than he did.

Tracy took a couple more steps forward, kneeling next to LaCroix.  She
nearly reached out to touch him, but paused at the last second.  Until
Natalie arrived, they couldn't do anything.  Brian and Chris stood
behind her, both trying to keep their distance from not only LaCroix,
but the others in the room as well.

One thing that struck her was the lack of action from the other
vampires.  They would glance at LaCroix, a couple had even made to
approach, but something seemed to ward them away.

Five minutes later, the onlookers once again dissipated, allowing
Natalie through.  She knelt next to LaCroix, pressing the back of her
hand against his face.  He was cold, and seemed in a state halfway
between shocked and sedated.  "LaCroix?" she called in an attempt to
get him to focus on her.  Lazily, he turned toward her, but he didn't
speak.  "What happened?"

"Took...Nicholas..." he slurred.

"Who?  Where?"

"Council.  Where...?"  He shook his head.  "I do not know."

Natalie watched as he started to fade quicker.  It wouldn't be long
before he dozed off.  Remembering seeing the two detectives behind
Tracy, she called, "Brian, Chris, could you two help me?"

"How?" Brian, the younger of the two, asked.

"I want to get him up to his apartment."

He shrugged, "Sure, I guess."  Brian turned to his partner, who, after
a second, nodded his assent.

The two moved to each side of LaCroix.  As they took his arms, the
vampire hissed, "Release me!"

Natalie moved into the vampire's line of sight.  "LaCroix, I doubt you
could stand on your own.  Unless you wish to sit there all night, I
suggest you let them help."

A faint growl could be heard as they approached a second time, but
LaCroix let them continue.

Natalie led the way up to the apartment, and from there, into what she
assumed was his bedroom.  They laid LaCroix on the bed despite the
latter's protests.  Then, she proceeded to herd the three detectives
back into the main part of the apartment.

"Nat?  What are we going to do about Nick?" Tracy inquired.  Not to
mention what she was going to tell Reese and her father.

She stopped, the problem obvious to her.  As both Nick and the vampires
who'd taken him were a part of the Community, only the latter could
deal with the problem.  If the Council had indeed been involved, then
LaCroix was very possibly on his own.  "Tell Reese he's been kidnapped,
but that all we know is they were other vampires."

"We knew who they were, though.  LaCroix said they were the Council,"
Tracy mentioned.

"Yes, but I don't think LaCroix would want that made public, or the
Council for that matter.  None of us can say anything about this.
Especially you two."

As the coroner's gaze stopped on them, Brian and Chris nodded.  "We
won't say a word outside of this group."

"Take the other door when you leave, it will take you to a flight of
stairs, and then the street."

The two detectives nodded a second time.  Then, after a moment, they
slowly left the room.

Tracy remained behind for a few seconds.  "Will you be okay here?  I
mean, with LaCroix and everything?"

"I'll be fine."  The detective didn't move a muscle.  "LaCroix won't
hurt me.  Everything will be fine."

She nodded, adding, "If you need anything, I'll probably be at the
precinct."

Natalie stood still until the door shut.  Then, as a precaution, she
locked the door.  It wouldn't really do much good, but it made her feel
safer.  Returning to LaCroix' room, she found him much as he was left.
His eyes were closed, the lids fluttering in sleep.  He looked so much
like Nick did when he slept.  She found a blanket, covering the
vampire's form.  LaCroix didn't move a muscle.

They looked so different in sleep.  Awake, they easily passed as
mortals, but asleep, they blended in more with the dead.  Also, when
awake, vampires could become every bit as ruthless as the creatures
seen in myth.  Sleeping, however, they were vulnerable, not unlike a
child.

Even LaCroix had a sort of innocence that held her attention.  Yet,
underneath, she was fully aware what lay waiting.  She let her fingers
glide along his jaw line.  Still, he didn't move.  Leaving the room,
she carefully closed the door, leaving a small gap.

Natalie called her supervisor, telling him she wouldn't be back that
night.  After several minutes of arguing, she had managed to convince
them without mentioning a thing about what happened at the Raven.
Although the club was still open, she wouldn't dare go down without
someone she could trust.  Instead, she decided to occupy herself with
the TV until she got tired.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

Natalie woke, the sun less than an hour above the horizon.  With a
combination of hunger and thirst, she left Nick's room and headed for
the kitchen.  Inside, she found LaCroix leaning heavily on the counter,
a bottle of blood and a glass sitting before him.

"LaCroix?"  No answer.  The only sounds were her footsteps and heart,
LaCroix' breathing nearly as loud as her own.  Coming to stand beside
him, she looked up into his hard, strained face.  His eyes were shut
tight, his jaw clenched closed.  "LaCroix?" she repeated.

His eyes opened, seemingly focusing on the unopened bottle.  They were
amber, nearly red.  His knuckles were turning white as they gripped the
edge of the counter.  Silently, she took the bottle and pulled the cork
out.  Swiftly, she filled the glass, watching as LaCroix focused fully
on the liquid.

He stared at the glass for several seconds.  Then, he took one hand and
pulled the glass to his lips.  Slowly, ever so slowly, LaCroix drank
the liquid.  He barely noticed as the glass was refilled, and he drank
and it was refilled again.  When the bottle was empty, he again leaned
on the counter.  This time his knuckles weren't as white, the force
needed to remain standing less.

"What are you doing here, Doctor?" he demanded, not changing his
stance.

"I just thought you might-"

He turned on her, snapping, "I don't need any of your 'help'!"

It took only a few seconds for him to leave the room.  She put the
bottle and glass in the sink, stalling a moment.  Then, following his
path, Natalie stopped just outside the kitchen.  LaCroix hadn't made it
much further than the doorway.  He leaned heavily against the wall,
just a few steps from where she stood.

Natalie approached, taking his arm in an attempt to support some of his
weight.  Expecting him to hesitantly accept her offer, or perhaps a
verbal refusal, she was caught off guard by his reaction.  First, she
caught a firm amber glare.  A second later, she hit the other side of
the hallway, her shoulder getting the brunt of the force.

Turning back to LaCroix, she could see his anger in his eyes and the
elongated fangs bared at her.  Although her first instinct was to
strike out, the action would not be well received.  Standing before the
vampire, Natalie stated, "Either let me help, or stay where you are."
The icy glare remained, not even hinting on the possibility he might
accept.  Looking away, she started back toward the kitchen.

Passing him, he reached out and gripped her upper arm, nearly losing
his balance.  "Wait."

Natalie shrugged out of the grip.  Locking eyes with LaCroix, she
watched them fade to a faint golden glow.  "Are you going to let me
help?"

"Yes," he hissed, his eyes brightening for a second.

She let him put his arm over her healthy shoulder and began the journey
down the hall.  Using both her and the wall for support, it wasn't long
before LaCroix was back in bed.  Despite his protest, she recovered
him, and then headed back to the kitchen.

Returning, she brought another bottle and glass, and was pleased when
she found him still awake, leaning against the headboard.  Without a
word she filled the glass nearly full, and then handed it to him.
LaCroix drank the blood quickly at first, draining the first two
glasses within seconds.  Natalie refilled it silently, watching as his
hunger calmed.  With the last glassful he slowed and merely sipped the
blood, setting the half full glass on a small table.

Again she left, taking the bottle back to the kitchen.  She got herself
a glass of water, drinking it before again leaving the kitchen.
Returning to LaCroix' room, Natalie found him turned away from her.
Upon closer inspection, it was clear he was sleeping.

For now, that was the best.  Nothing could be done until the sun set,
and LaCroix needed rest.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

Nick started awake with a sudden jolt, the events at the Raven coming
back to him.  The Council had taken him; that much he knew, although he
could only name one of its five members.  The room was empty except for
himself.  It was an ordinary room; only the heavy drapes standing out
among the decor.  He could feel the sun on the other side of the
fabric.  By his guess, it would be dusk in about an hour.

Nick stood, first walking carefully to the door, and then opening it.
He was on the second floor of a house, the stairs being just a few
steps away.  Descending them, he headed toward the kitchen at his
hunger's discretion.  The room was spotless, not a thing out of place.
Opening the refrigerator, he grabbed one of several dark bottles.

A hand gripped him, and he turned to face the vampire he'd seen the
night before.

"Nicholas, you may not have any of the blood.  Not yet."

He needed the blood, whatever had been given to him weakening him.
Releasing the cold glass, he turned to face this vampire.  "Why?"

"First, there is the matter of our, or I should say my, offer.  After
you hear it, then you may satisfy your hunger however you wish."

The offer.  It had nearly slipped his mind.  Despite his curiosity,
Nick wanted to at least know these vampire's names.  They were all
standing in the room, each one solid as stone.  "I know you are the
Council, but who are you?  What are your names?"

"I am Aha, eldest of the Council.  Ningal, you have already met.  The
others...they will remain nameless for the time being."  Aha moved
closer, taking the bottle and pouring himself a glass.

Watching the Ancient slowly sip the blood, Nick pushed his hunger down.
Against the five older vampires he had no choice but to listen to Aha's
offer.  Then, he could fill his need.  "What is this offer?"

Aha focused on him, pure pleasure expressed in the faint gold flecks of
his eyes and the smile staring back at him.  "For you to become one of
us--my son."

He backed up.  Aha wanted to do what another had attempted several
centuries before.  Running into something, he felt two strong hands on
his shoulders steadying him.

"This is only an offer, Nicholas.  You do not need to accept unless you
wish it.  You must make your decision before dusk.  The sooner your
choice is made, the sooner you may feed."

Nick held firm against the elder vampire.  "Then, I refuse."

"Do not pass this off," Aha warned.  Then, approaching, he took
Nicholas' face in his hands.  Even as the younger pulled away, the
vampire behind him firmly held him in place.  The Egyptian again
smiled.  "If you accept, you will no longer be Lucius' and he will have
no hold over you or your life.  As my child, you will be free to live
your life as you see fit as long as it does not endanger the
Community."  He paused, waiting for Nicholas to show a hint of coming
over.  Then, trying to get the younger to see his side, added, "Perhaps
this way, you could reconcile with Lucius.  Let him see that you are
not weak.  Consider my words."

Nick pulled out of the touch, but didn't restate his refusal.  He
couldn't.  LaCroix was his master, his sire, and his father...but he
was also his torturer.  He knew LaCroix had always meant well, but also
that he was more of a disappointment to his father than anything.  In a
way, this offer was something he'd wanted for a long time.  He wasn't
sure of LaCroix' present opinion of him, but it couldn't have changed
much.  "I will consider your words, nothing more."

"You have until dusk, no longer."  The Council left one at a time, each
one passing a glance at the younger vampire before exiting the room.

As the tension began to dissipate, he focused on the refrigerator, his
stomach hungry enough to be in pain.  Standing before the appliance, he
reached forward, only to have his arm again restrained.  This time,
however, he was led from the room and into another.  The vampire who
brought him stood in the doorway, blocking the door to the kitchen.  No
other means were required to guard him.  The sun effectively imprisoned
him in this house until sunset.  Then, he would have to make his
decision, whatever it might be.

He sat on the couch, the tan tapestry rough under his hands.  The stiff
cushions made it impossible for him to relax and think clearly.
Considering his choices, his mind wondered between the two, most of his
time spent examining the consequences of accepting Aha's offer.


Pawns of Kings (36/52)

With a start, Natalie woke a second time.  LaCroix had to be awake
since she could hear him walking down the hall.  Standing, she followed
a faint clatter to the kitchen and stood silently as he downed a glass
of blood.  He had changed clothes, and glancing down, she spotted his
shoes.  "Where are you going?"

"To Nicholas," he stated before leaving the room, heading toward the
exit.

"Wait, let me come with you."

Although a refusal sat on the tip of his tongue, he paused and nodded.
The mortal darted from the room, returning less than a minute later
with her shoes on, apparently ready to leave despite her rumpled
clothes.  He again started for the door, heading up to the roof.
Meeting the Doctor's eyes, he reached forward without a word, turned
her in his grasp.  As he wrapped his arms around her, holding her body
against his, he felt a hint of nervousness from the doctor.  Before it
could become more, he took off into the sky.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

"It is time, Nicholas."

His head jerked up, glancing toward the window.  Indeed, dusk had
arrived.

"What do you choose?"

Nick bowed his head.  Even though LaCroix would be angry, the offer was
too good.  At least this way LaCroix would no longer have to watch him
and keep him in line.  Not only that, but his father would be short one
disappointment.  His gift of eternal life had been a mistake right from
the beginning.  Now, it would no longer be LaCroix' concern.  Perhaps
they could come to terms, as Aha had mentioned, if it wasn't for his
father's control.  If he wasn't LaCroix', perhaps they could at least
be friends.  He could live with that.  "I accept."

Aha's eyes gleamed as if a light was shining from them.  It had worked,
the offer being too tempting.  What the younger vampire didn't know,
was that this offer wasn't all that it seemed.  "Then, give me your
life and I shall give you mine."

Nick held firm as the Ancient approached him.  Although he still had
doubt, he told himself that this was best.  He tilted his head to the
side and cold fingers, even to him, gently unbuttoned his collar.  The
warm air of the house caressed his now exposed neck.  A second later a
cold hand followed as Aha moved behind him.

"Your acceptance is not only a gift to you, but to me as well.  Your
potential will never again be held back, nor your decisions.  Are you
sure of you choice?"

He didn't speak, not being able to find the proper words.  If he did,
he would betray the choice he'd made.  He wasn't sure of this choice,
not at all.  But, he would not change it.  Turning away, even more of
his skin was exposed to the Ancient.

A moment later, two sharp fangs pierced his skin, the blood flowing
freely into the elder vampire.  Even as his limbs weakened, he could
feel LaCroix' rapid approach.  This had to be finished before his
master's arrival.

Swiftly, Aha pulled back, turning him to face the other.  Gold
glittered in each of their eyes; one from pleasure, the other hunger.

"Nicholas, drink...take what is now yours...."

He was barely aware of himself as his canines dropped down, the gold
deepening, and Aha's sensitive neck becoming ever closer.  The cold,
thick blood under the translucent skin called to him.  His hunger from
before was now more than a mere want, but a growing need.  Nick could
wait no longer for the blood.  In one quick action his fangs plunged
into the flesh, drawing the mixture of Aha's blood and his own into
him.

It had been so long since he had tasted anything quite like this.  The
blood wasn't like a mortal's, nor was it like any other vampire's he
had tasted--except for perhaps that Ancient so long ago.  He faltered
as he took Aha's blood, the memory coming back to him.  And yet, he
continued to drink.

When he had taken slightly more than the Ancient had from him, Nick
nearly pulled back.  But, the blood was so sweet and so much power was
infused within it that he kept drinking.  Feeling Aha's blood thin, he
prepared to stop, only to feel himself ripped away from the elder
vampire by familiar, yet strange hands.

Hitting the floor, his eyes immediately focused on the intruder.  An
enraged LaCroix attacked Aha, pinning the Egyptian against a wall and
dealing several blows to the other vampire before the other Council
members could take any action.

As LaCroix was held firmly in two of the other vampire's grasps, Nick
heard Natalie's rapidly beating heart for the first time.  She knelt
next to him, her warm fingers first examining the wound on his neck,
and then moving toward his face.  He turned, licking away the blood he
could feel on his lips, not wanting her to see it.

LaCroix watched the mortal, his thoughts focusing on the objects of the
Doctor's concern.  "What have you done to my son?!" LaCroix demanded of
Aha, struggling against his holders.

"He is no longer yours."

"Nicholas is mine!  You cannot simply take him away!"

"I did no such thing.  I merely made an offer; the decision was
entirely Nicholas' choice."

LaCroix' icy gaze turned toward his son, silent disbelief barely
noticeable.  The fear he'd felt from Nicholas had led him to think
otherwise, but....  "Is this true?"  The younger bowed his head,
affectively answering the question.  "Why, Nicholas?  Why?"

Watching LaCroix extricate himself from the vampires' hold, and then
slowly approach, Nick started to move away from him.  As the Roman
stood before him, he was pulled forcibly to his feet.  Nick was too
stunned to push back.

Natalie watched events, wondering just what all of this would lead too.
She couldn't help but be concerned just what LaCroix might do to Nick.
She tried positioning herself between the two, but the elder vampire
wouldn't let her.

"Why, Nicholas?" he repeated, his golden gaze focusing on his son. "Why
have you done this...I don't understand...why would you betray me like
this?"

Although the bond between them was weakened, LaCroix' emotions nearly
tore him in two.  What the precise emotions were, however, he couldn't
quite discern through the overwhelming anger.  But, one word struck him
harder than the rest--betrayal.  "LaCroix, I...."

"You wanted to deal a blow even worse than your foolish quest for
humanity.  You just couldn't resist, could you?!"

LaCroix' eyes burned crimson, his rage directed solely at him.  His
stomach started to churn as he prepared to answer.  "I wanted to free
you of me, of the disappointment that I am.  I did this for you,
LaCroix."  Nausea overwhelmed him.  Twisting out of the grasp, he flew
for the kitchen.  He barely made it to the sink before he lost his
stomach's contents.  Resting his hands on the counter, Nick felt both
LaCroix and Natalie's approach, Aha not far away.

Attempting to rest his arms on his child's shoulders, Nicholas shrugged
away from the touch.  "You are everything to me, Nicholas.  You are
mine.  I have never given that up and never will.  Not even when you
drank that swill, like a carouche, did I ever even consider it."

The words were similar to others LaCroix had said in the past.  Yet
this time there seemed to be something more.  Feeling LaCroix' strong
hands on his shoulders, he again moved away.  LaCroix was right, and he
didn't want to admit it.

Again, LaCroix moved toward him, the elder man's hands resting on his
upper arms.  Turning around, Nick hissed, "Do not touch me, LaCroix!"
Then, he left the room disappearing up the stairs.

LaCroix spun, facing the Egyptian.  "Reverse this!"

"I can do nothing.  Whether or not Nicholas returns to you is now his
choice, and his alone."

"He will return because it is his place."

"Nicholas is a rare find, Lucius.  His blood is unique, which I'm sure
you are well aware of.  What you may not know, is just how much he
cares for you despite all that you have done to him."

"I am his father.  Nicholas is my son.  That's how he has been treated.
I have done nothing that isn't to be expected."

"Perhaps of a Roman father, but Nicholas isn't Roman," Ningal
pronounced.  Both vampires turned to her, and she could see LaCroix'
anger fire up again.

Aha moved between them before anything could happen.  "She is quite
right.  Nicholas is from a different time and culture.  He does not
understand your actions for what they represent.  You must-"

LaCroix pounced on the Elder, his fingers wrapping around Aha's neck.
"I need no lecture on how to raise my son.  He is mine and will remain
so."  The air stood silent for a moment, then LaCroix released his
grip, immediately following his son's earlier path.

Natalie walked hurriedly after the vampire, hoping he wouldn't do
anything before she got there.  If LaCroix messed this up now, he
wouldn't be the only one that would get blocked out.  Nick would push
her away as well, and she didn't want him to do that, not now.

The two found Nick in one of the second floor rooms, searching for
something.  She watched his eyes stop on the far side of the room, at
which she spotted his shoulder holster, gun and jacket.

Nick grabbed the objects, easily sliding into the holster, then gun
quickly being put in his place, his jacket being pulled on over that.

LaCroix approached, gently guiding his son's face to look at him.
"Nicholas?"

The younger pulled back as he had before.  "Give me space, LaCroix."

Stiffening, he asked, "Who is your master?  Is it I, or is it the
Ancient?"

Nick looked up for a second, and then turned away.  He couldn't answer
the question, not without a hint of uncertainty remaining.  Instead, he
muttered, "I never meant any harm to you.  I thought you'd want to be
free of me."

Taking Nicholas' face in his hands, he could feel their link continue
to disintegrate.  "If I had wished to be free of you, you would not be
alive.  Now, what is your choice?  I want to know your answer.  Now!"

LaCroix' words struck him.  They were true.  If his sire had wanted to
be free of him, LaCroix would have staked him without hesitation.  The
elder vampire had even had the perfect opportunity, and on more than
one occasion.  The question was, could he change his mind?  Nick turned
to Aha, and as if he had already asked his question, received a single
nod.  Again meeting LaCroix' eyes, he whispered, "You, I choose you."

Aha stepped back, a faint smile resting on his lips.  He had known
Nicholas' answer from the beginning.  His blood had told all.  Yet,
Nicholas had still received a 'gift' from him--a connection between
them.  It had been his sole reason for making the offer in the first
place.  If he could not keep an eye on Lucius directly, he could do so
through Nicholas' link to the Roman.  The Ancient carefully slid out of
the room, his task done.

LaCroix seemed to brighten at the faint words, if only in the form of
an upturned corner of his mouth.  "Then, my son, fill yourself with my
blood and we shall leave."

Aha had left, but he could still feel his presence, and that of the
other Ancients.  "No, I wish to leave first."  Nick went toward the
heavy curtains, pushing them out of the way to reveal the darkening
twilight.  Opening the doors, he walked out onto a small balcony.

Natalie watched him take off without another word.  Almost immediately
she felt LaCroix' arms around her, the ground disappearing beneath her
feet.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

Within what seemed like seconds, they were on the roof of the loft, and
she watched as Nick unlocked the skylight.  In another moment, she was
standing in the middle of the loft, the tension already rising between
the two vampires.

"We are here.  Now, you must drink before the link fades even more."

"I...I don't know if I..." he trailed off as he felt his father come up
behind him.

"Nicholas, you must," LaCroix whispered, nearly in his son's ear.

As the elder vampire moved in front of him, he again suddenly became
aware of Natalie's presence.  He didn't look at her, couldn't.  If he
did, he wouldn't be able to continue.  LaCroix stood waiting.  Nick
could see his anticipation, and he watched as LaCroix' neck was bared
to him. The invitation was tempting, but he held back for a moment in
thought.

Then, without warning, he struck, his fangs descending just before
reaching the pale skin of his father's throat.  The blood gushed into
his mouth from the artery, his only task being to drink it as quickly
as possible.

After a moment, he felt LaCroix' fangs just barely brush against his
skin, their sharp tips grazing his neck.  Nick quickly pulled away
before his father could continue the action, LaCroix' intentions clear.

The elder vampire let his canines retract, a thin trickle of blood
trailing down his neck as the wound began to heal.  "Nicho-"

"No, LaCroix.  Not now.  I may be your son, but I have not returned to
you."  With that, Nick turned.  Catching sight of Natalie, he paused.

He met her eyes for a mere instant before he walked by her, flying up
to the second level and vanishing into his room.  Starting after him,
Natalie was held back by a firm hand.  She turned to its source,
LaCroix staring down on her.

"Leave him be for now.  I believe he has work tonight, something you
also have, am I not right?"

There it was again.  LaCroix getting her to leave using her work to tie
her in.  "My car is at the Raven," she argued, wondering what his
solution would be.  Probably just fly her to the Raven.

"I also assume you'd like to change?" he asked, stepping up behind her.

The hands around her waist and LaCroix' solid form behind her caused a
small intake of breath, the action momentarily startling her.
Recovering, she relaxed, turning her thoughts back to his question.
"Yes, but-" her reply cut off as she was once again lifted into the
sky.

Despite the unfamiliar view, she knew from the direction that they
weren't heading to the Raven.  They were going to her apartment.


Pawns of Kings (37/52)

Nick heavily slouched into his chair.  He really didn't want to be at
work right now.  Despite everything, he hadn't even managed to be late.
To top it off, he felt like he was going to lose the blood he'd drank
earlier.  Aha's blood had done something to him.  His queasiness only
reminded him of his experience.

Tracy was already there, sitting silently reading over a piece of
paper.  At least she hadn't said anything about the night before.  She
paused in her work, and he took in a lungful of air.

"Reese wants to talk to you."

He sighed.  He'd been at work for about a minute, and he was already
being called into Reese's office.  "Now?"  He dreaded the answer.
Catching her nod, he winced.  He would rather talk to Tracy about what
had happened than Reese.  The Captain seemed to have an interest in
him, one that could prove dangerous if he asked the wrong questions of
the wrong people.

Standing, he made his way to Reese's office, hesitating just before
knocking.  There were three heartbeats on the other side of the door.
Lightly rapping on the surface, he was immediately told to enter.
Inside, Garrison and Chambers sat across from the Captain, a sheepish
expression on both their faces.

The door closed with a click, and Reese explained, "When I asked what
happened last night, these two wouldn't give me the whole story, but I
think they revealed something you'd rather keep quiet."

He felt the blood drain from his face.  What had they mentioned?  The
existence of a Council of Elders, and their presence in Toronto?  Had
they been in the precinct when they slipped?  Did anyone overhear?

"Only those in this room know, Knight.  And it won't leave here unless
you allow it."  The Captain nodded to Chambers, whose pulse increased
dramatically.

"I slipped when asked about what happened, but I didn't realize it
right away.  I mentioned LaCroix was your...father, the one who made
you what you are."

He paled further.  At least the information wouldn't affect the
Community as a whole, but this was something he had wanted no one to
know.

"Do you want this kept quiet?"  The detective didn't answer right away.
"Knight?"

"Yes, no one else must know."

The room went silent.  After a moment, Chambers started to fidget.
Reese noticed, commanding, "Dismissed."  As Knight moved to follow the
others, he called, "Not you, Knight.  I want to talk to you for a
second."  The door slowly shut, and he commented, "So, LaCroix is your
father.  How do you stand that?"

The question was honest, and he replied in kind.  "Sometimes I don't."

"I take it you two aren't getting along very well at the moment?"

"Not really.  Our opinions...differ."

Reese leaned back in his chair.  He could only imagine what Nick had
gone through.  Nick was probably still dealing with it, too.  And why?
All because of 'differing opinions', that was why.

Before him stood a very complicated man, one Reese wasn't exactly sure
how to deal with.  "I want to know something right now, Nick.  As with
your relation to LaCroix, this will not leave this room."  Nick
stiffened, and he wondered if he really should ask.  "I saw what he did
to you when you restrained him in the precinct.  I'm guessing that it's
worse when you're not in public."  The detective held as still and mute
as a statue.  "Is that normal for your relationship, or does it depend
on his mood?"

"Both," he muttered, excusing himself from the office.

"Both," Reese repeated to the empty air.  The normalcy must be the
violence, he guessed.  LaCroix' moods probably determined the severity.
On a hunch, he figured the abuse wasn't entirely physical, but
emotional as well.  He could almost see the harshness of the
relationship in Nick, although he hid it well.

At a knock on the door, he paused in his thoughts.  Telling them to
enter, he received a small envelope.  Dismissing the messenger, he
opened the envelope and read the short note.

The Commissioner would be by in two hours to deal Knight his sentence.
Either he'd be able to stay with metro, he'd be forced to resign, or
he'd be straight-out fired.  It was the same reason Vetter had stopped
by the previous night, only now, Nick had more things going against
him.  What choice had been made?  Only Vetter's pronouncement would
answer that.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

Since she'd awakened at the Raven, Natalie had spent nearly as much
time suspended above the ground, flying, as she had at the morgue.  Oh,
she didn't mind the experience, but would have enjoyed it more if Nick
had been the one keeping her aloft.

After leaving Nick's, LaCroix had first taken her to her apartment,
patiently waiting as she took a shower and changed.  She wasn't sure,
but could swear he didn't move a muscle between when they entered until
it was time to leave.

Then, he had brought her back to the Raven.  After retrieving her
forgotten purse, she had silently left the apartment, finally driving
to work.

LaCroix had been unusually calm as she walked though the apartment
looking for her bag.  Not once did he pay any heed while she was there.

Now, she was at the precinct, delivering a report to one of the other
detectives.  Nick wasn't at his desk.  When she asked Tracy where he
was, she had gestured to the office, mentioning her father was in there
as well.

Sitting at Nick's desk, she decided to wait.  Hardly two minutes had
passed before she felt Nick's approach.  She turned, only to find him
right behind her.

Tracy saw him, catching his grin.  "What's up?"

"I'm staying."

At first his statement didn't make any sense.  Then, Natalie remembered
that Vetter was there.  "You mean a final decision has been made?  You
get to stay?"

"That's what I said," he told her, his eyes sparkling with delight.

"That's great, Nick."

"They can't make me leave.  It's considered discrimination."

"As it should be."

"So..." Tracy prodded. "Do you mind if we come over to your place after
work and celebrate?"

"I don't-"

Natalie stood up and jumped in.  "Come on, Nick, don't spoil the
moment.  It'll just be me and Tracy."

Nick seemed to entertain the thought for a minute, then gave in. "Fine,
but make sure it's just you two.  I don't want to be hosting a party or
anything."

"Make it a half hour or so after you get off.  I need to stay over a
little tonight," Natalie suggested.

"At six then, no sooner."

Natalie nodded, turning and heading for the exit.

Once Natalie was out of sight, Tracy asked, "Does the 'no sooner' part
apply to me as well?"

"Yes, definitely."

Watching him sit at his desk, she figured it didn't really matter. This
way she could talk to Nat and find a good movie to stick in. Smiling to
herself, Tracy went along with her work.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

He just got done searching through the last of his collection.  Most of
the bottles were old, and probably on the strong side.  Yet, within
them were a couple of more recent wines.  One of the bottles he had no
recollection receiving, one of Antonius', at that.

After he had replaced all but the two bottles of wine, he felt a shift
of air.  Turning, he found LaCroix standing calmly, a mere meter away.
"Why are you here?" he asked, walking past his sire.

"Do I need a reason, mon fils?"

He bristled at the last words.  "Do not call me that."

"You have never minded in the past.  What will you tell me to refrain
from next, calling you Nicholas instead of Nicolas?"

His sire's barbs put him on edge.  The laughter was just under the
surface.  LaCroix knew he had hated the elder vampire's pronunciation
of his name from the beginning, but with time he'd become accustomed to
it.  "Please leave, LaCroix."

"Why, because you have guests coming over?"  His son stiffened, and he
smirked.  "You think I wouldn't know?  Come now, Nicholas....  Your
thoughts are mine; you cannot hide them from me.  You are celebrating
the mortal's allowance of your little charade."

"Leave."

About to retort, he heard the elevator engage.  The good Doctor's
heartbeat was slowly approaching.  "Very well, but know this," he
hissed into his son's ear.  "You are mine, and you always will be."
Stepping in front of Nicholas, he took the younger vampire’s hand.
Placing an object in it, he forced the fingers closed, whispering,
"Forever."  With that, he disappeared, the Doctor just making her way
into the room.

Nick didn't even have to open his hand to know what the object was.  It
felt familiar; a watch LaCroix had given him long ago.  One he had in
turn given to LaCroix two years before as a show of friendship.  Even
if he'd been deprived of his sense of feeling, the object's identity
would still have been known.  LaCroix' single word, 'Forever,' was
enough.

"Nick?"

Natalie's voice calmed him, and he finally unclenched his hand.  The
gold timepiece stared back at him.  Catching Natalie out of the corner
of his eye, he put the watch in his pocket.

"That was LaCroix, wasn't it?"

He nodded.

"What did he want?"

"Just a reminder....  That I will always be his."

She put her things down, then the elevator kicked in a second time.
"That'll be Tracy.  She has a couple of surprises for you."

His curiosity peeked, LaCroix' visit was momentarily forgotten.  A
surprise.  What could that be?  Turning toward the elevator, he heard
not one, but two heartbeats.  The door opened, and Tracy and Reese
walked in.

"I hope you don't mind if I stop by for a moment?" Reese asked,
entering the room slowly.

Nick tried to keep his outer surface calm, and responded, "No, Captain,
it's fine."

"We're not on duty, Nick.  Don't be so formal."  Nick kept silent, and
Reese explained, "I want to tell you how glad I am that you're staying.
I don't know what I'd do if you had to resign.  Not only are you one of
my best detectives, but you're also a fine man.  I wish I knew more
people like you."  Nick's haunted eyes made him pause.  "Well, I don't
know about you, but I think I could do with a glass of something you
have over there," Reese said gesturing toward the kitchen.  Receiving a
nod, he decided to check out what was on the counter.

"How long are you staying?" Nick asked, trying to sound civil even as
he shot a glare to his partner.

"Not long.  Denise is waiting outside, so I'll just have a quick drink.
That is, if you don't mind?"

"It's fine.  Just not from the bottle on the corner."

Reese glanced at the forbidden bottle as reached the counter.  The wine
was one of Vinattiere's.  He settled on the other bottle of wine,
pulling out a glass.

After he'd filled it, Natalie took the bottle and filled another two
glasses full with the red wine, the third only halfway.  The remainder
was filled from another green bottle--but it wasn't wine.  She quickly
handed Nick and Tracy their glasses, and then turned to Reese.

"Well, I wasn't expecting a toast, so I'll improvise....  To Nick, may
we all be as fortunate in the length of our lives."  Reese upended the
glass, swallowing all of its contents.

Natalie and Tracy followed suit.  Nick delayed a second before drinking
his glass, and then only a mouthful, as the wine didn't immediately
want to go down.  After a moment, however, it was fine.

Considering Reese's words, he silently hoped that they wouldn't
foretell the future.  He had no wish for any of them, Natalie in
particular, to come into the dark world that he lived in.  Finishing
the rest of his glass in a single swallow, he faintly noted that the
mixture settled in his system better than the plain blood.

"I expect to see you all tomorrow night.  And don't drink too much; I
want two fully operational detectives."

Tracy blushed at the request.  She wouldn't have much, but then, she
didn't really drink either.  Nick, on the other hand, she wasn't sure
about.  When it came down to it, she still knew virtually nothing about
him.

"I'm going to head out.  I just want to say again that I'm really glad
you're staying, Nick.  Hopefully everything will start to settle down,
now."

Nick nodded at Reese's words, silently watching the other's departure.

Remembering the video she had brought, she told him, "I've got another
surprise."  Satisfied that she had his attention, Tracy reached into
her bag, pulling out a movie.  "Entertainment for the morning," she
exclaimed, holding the box up before her partner.

"King Kong?" he read, wondering why she chose the movie.  As Natalie's
heart rate increased slightly, he knew where Tracy had gotten the idea.
He shook his head, took the movie and headed over to the VCR.  He was
having an interesting morning and it wasn't over yet.


Pawns of Kings (38/52)

Opening her eyes, Tracy found a large blue screen staring back at her.
She must have fallen asleep during the movie.  Looking over at Nick and
Natalie, she noted they too must have fallen asleep.  Glancing at her
watch, she read back the time.  It was almost three.  The day was
already more than half over.

Her attention floated back to Nick and Nat, wishing she had a camera.
They had taken over the sofa at the beginning of the movie and were now
both lying across its length.  Natalie rested, curled up in Nick's
arms, her head nestled just below his chin.  Her hands had wrapped
under Nick, pulling them closer together.  Both lay silently, a faint
smile on their lips.  A picture of this would disperse any doubt in the
precinct that the two were more than just friends.  But, she didn't
have a camera.

Carefully, Tracy gathered up their glasses and the empty wine bottle.
Apparently, Nick had finished the bottle off, something she had no
memory of him doing.  When he woke, he would either be fine, or he'd be
sick.  She really didn't know how a vampire's system dealt with
alcohol.  She hadn't even known they could have anything other than
blood.  True, she'd seen Nick eat, but then he had been taking
something to suppress the vampire.

Turning off the screen, she found the tape already rewound.  Retrieving
it, she quietly gathered her things, taking the stairs out in order to
avoid waking Nick and Nat.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

"So, partner, you made it in."

Nick glanced over to her, surprise clearly on his features.  "You
didn't think I would?" he asked, a grin slowly appearing.

Tracy fidgeted.  "Well, considering what you celebrated with this
morning, I wasn't sure...."

The grin became wider.  She didn't know everything about vampires.
Neither did Natalie, for that matter.  "My physiology gives me a few
advantages in that regard."

"I'll bet.  Does that mean you can't get drunk?"

"No, definitely not.  In fact, it gives us another option."  Before she
could comment, he felt Natalie's approach.  "Hey, Nat."

Natalie smiled before focusing on Nick.  "You look pretty good.  Do I
sense you returning to your old self?"

"Old, you have that right."  He replied, trying to get Natalie to stay
as long as possible.  He really didn't want to work right now.  He
didn't feel all that great.  The wine was the last thing he'd had, as
he had forgone any of the blood for fear it would bother him.  As a
result, he was getting hungry.  Why couldn't it be his night off?  And
yet, if it were, he wouldn't know what to do with the time.

"Come on, Nick.  You know what I mean."

"By 'old self', I guess you're referring to before all of this
started?"  She nodded.  "No.  Everything's different, and I'll need to
change too."

"Knight, Vetter, in my office!"

He winced.  Lately Reese's office was becoming a second desk for him.
"Well, perhaps not everything...."

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

LaCroix stood in the shadows of the precinct.  He'd become used to the
noise over the past week.  Nicholas and his partner were called into
the office, passing oh so close to his hiding place.  His son didn't
even sense him.

Their bond had grown weaker, mainly as a result of Aha's 'offer.'  To
Nicholas, it had the appearance of one, and he took it at face value.
But, it had to be more than that.  The Ancient hadn't seemed to care
when Nicholas picked him as master.  In fact, he had remembered a smile
on Aha's features.

The day had given him time to consider the offer in more detail.  At
Nicholas' age it would require more than the sharing of blood Aha had
done with Nicholas.  The action would have needed to be repeated over a
period of weeks before the change would really occur.  But, Nicholas'
blood had already been tainted by an Ancient, and it did seem to be
affecting his son, although minutely.

His anger flared.  Nicholas belonged to him.  No one would do anything
to change that, particularly not this self-appointed 'council.'

Watching his son and the mortal re-enter the main part of the precinct,
he focused on Nicholas, willing him to turn his way.  A few seconds
passed, and Nicholas did just that.  He smiled, and the younger paused
for just a few seconds before returning to his normal routine.

There was no animosity in his son's eyes, but there was nothing else
either.  Nicholas simply walked out the door.  He seemed more at ease
than he had for a long time.

The smile deepened, and he headed out of the building.  Preparing to
take to the air, he suddenly felt the presence of another.

"Lucius, what brings you here?"

LaCroix focused on Aha with hatred.  "I have more right to ask that
question than you."

"Just checking up on Nicholas."  The Egyptian started to circle him.
"He has held up through everything quite well, don't you agree?"

"Held up through what?  Your trick with the offer?"

"It was no trick, Lucius, far from it.  Neither was the death of the
Kennington children."

That caught him off guard.  Immediately, he recognized that the elder
vampire was talking about a case of Nicholas', one that had upset him
greatly.  "Were you responsible for their deaths?"

"Showing a bit of care for the mortals?"

"They are nothing.  I could care less if those children lived or not.
However, if this was done on purpose...to get a reaction from my son-"

"Then what?  What will you do?"  He laughed.  "It reminded Nicholas of
certain memories which weakened him enough to take our offer.  It did
exactly what it was supposed to."

LaCroix pounced forward, throwing the elder vampire against the
building.  Preparing to strike a second time, he paused seeing Aha's
smirk.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you.  Reach out to your surroundings.
What do you feel?"

He did as told.  The rest of the Council was nearby.  One wrong action
on his part and they would act.  He kept his ground, his eyes glowing
crimson.  "Leave Nicholas alone."

"Or what?  You know there is nothing you can do.  Don't worry, we are
leaving for Europe tomorrow night.  I just wanted a connection to your
son...and I got it."

"For what reason?"

"To keep an eye on you, why else?  The Council does not trust you.  You
are in too important a position for us to not have control of you.  We
like our control, and we cannot allow any interference."  Aha stood,
staying just out of the other's immediate reach.  "Take care in your
actions, Lucius."  With that, they all took to the air.

He closed his eyes against the scene.  They were playing with him.
Nicholas was merely a means to an end.  It was the only thing that
could control him.  Nicholas was his weakness, and they had found it.
This whole time, that's what they'd been trying to do.  Control him.
And, it had worked.

The less his son knew about all of this, the more control Aha and his
Council had over him.  If Nicholas knew what was happening, it would
change the situation completely.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

He stood at the counter, waiting for Nicholas to return from his work.
As the elevator started up, LaCroix smiled.  His son was alone.  He
turned watching the younger slump into the sofa.  The smile
disappeared. Nicholas had taken no notice of his presence.
"Nicholas...."  The younger looked up to him, the surprise just
evident, but mostly hidden by a hard, rough exterior.  "No comments?
No...suggestions?"

"Just one.  Leave."

"I'm afraid I can't do that, not yet."  He paused, watching as the
younger vampire attempted to ignore him.  "The events of the past
couple of weeks, in the least, have been more than mere coincidence.
The Kennington murders were planned by the Council, just as was my
absence. It was to weaken us both.  The purpose was to get you to
accept their offer, gaining even more control of everything in the
process." His son closed his eyes, in denial no doubt.  "They used us,
Nicholas, and we cannot let them continue."

During the past two nights of work the taste of Aha's blood had
lingered in his mouth.  Nothing had succeeded in ridding him of the
taste.  LaCroix' present word made that same taste foul and nauseating,
the same nausea he had felt more than a day before.  "They arranged the
children's deaths?"  Seeing his sire nod, he couldn't take it in. Their
deaths hadn't been for revenge, hadn't been for profit...they were done
for the sole reason of affecting him, and in turn, LaCroix. His stomach
continued to churn at the thought.  To top it off, he hadn't suspected
a thing with their offer.

"We have conquered over the mortals with few losses.  Our identity has
been revealed, but we still have the majority of what we are left. Now,
we should be allowed to continue as before, but instead we have to keep
this new system.  The Council has decided it."

Nick considered the words.  Yes, the Council was taking over too much
in his opinion as well.  But now was also not the time to act.  He
shook his head.  "Now is not the time.  If you thought it was, you
would have challenged them by now."

"Yes, quite right, Nicholas."  Approaching his son, LaCroix sat in the
armchair, leaning back into the soft cushions.  "The point is, I will
need your help.  Remember what I told you yesterday?  Forever, mon
fils.  Forever.  You are what you are.  You are my son.  You must
accept it, and join me."

Nick shook his head.  He couldn't do that.  LaCroix abruptly stood,
moving toward him.  Mirroring his sire, they stood merely a foot apart.

"I know that you will not fully return," LaCroix said, one hand gently
holding his son's chin.  "I only ask that you stand by me, for your
family, for our people."  Nicholas pulled away from him, and he gripped
his son's face in both hands.  "Will you do this for me, Nicholas?"

LaCroix' fingers held him tightly in place, the icy eyes nearly
pleading with him.  "I will stand by you, but not yet.  I need time,
and so does the Community."

Releasing his hold on Nicholas, LaCroix took a step back.  "Yes, a
little time is needed, I will agree with that.  But, we must begin
making our plans now as because we are weak....  In this city, other
than ourselves, Antonius is the only one on our side, and I am not sure
where his loyalties lie.  I've heard rumors that he wishes to overthrow
me."  He locked eyes with his son, wondering what Nicholas knew of this
plot.

"They are more than rumors."  Sensing LaCroix' anger, he added, "I also
know that what he wishes to overthrow corresponds to the Council more
than you.  He would almost assuredly join us if he knew what was
happening."

"Then you will deal with that.  Janette should also be here.  I will
call her later today, asking her to move-"

"LaCroix...."

"Nicholas, we work better as a 'family'.  Janette may no longer be
mine, but we are still family.  Her mere presence will help us in this
matter.  She will come."

Nick shot a glare at LaCroix, but he wouldn't win this one.  "Fine," he
muttered as he sat on the couch, leaning as far back as he could. "Now,
will you leave?"

"If that is what you wish...but I expect you to call Antonius and
explain our intentions.  If he will not side with us, make sure he does
not interfere either."  Turning, LaCroix walked a few steps away before
turning back.  "You must recover quickly, as we will need to plan
before acting."

Watching his sire raise out of the room, Nick didn't fully relax until
he heard the skylight latch closed.  He closed his eyes, basking in the
silence.  Finally, he had peace.

For nearly a half an hour he continued to rest.  Feeling a faint brush
against his mind, he sat up straight.  The sensation was unexpected,
and just as suddenly as it had appeared, it was gone.  He didn't think
it was LaCroix, but it was familiar.  But, then, perhaps it was his
sire, just checking up on him.  Passing it off, he returned to resting,
falling asleep shortly after.



...continued in part 39




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