SECRETS - Parts 1-6 - Jarvinia Please send all comments, questions, and suggestions to: jarvinia@gmx.com This story is a Forever Knight / Highlander crossover, which takes place during the third season. This section only contains the concept of Immortality used in Highlander, not the actual characters. They will be brought into the story in the second section. The first section can stand alone, however to read parts 7-12, it would be bit confusing without reading this section, but could be done. DISCLAIMER: The concepts of vampires as used in this story and the characters of Forever Knight are the property of James D. Parriott, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Columbia TriStar Television, and the Sci-Fi Channel, and are used without permission. The concepts of Immortality and the Watcher organization are from Highlander, and are the property of Davis/Panzer Productions, Inc., Rysher Entertainment, and Gaumont Television, and are used without permission. Other characters not part of either series are mine. This is an amateur publication intended solely for the entertainment of its readers. No infringements intended on copyrights, etc. ~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~ Secrets - Part 1/12 Tracy was sitting at her desk watching her partner avoid the paper work as usual. 'Can't understand how he can do absolutely nothing and look so busy,' she thought to herself, shaking her head slightly, and returning to the report in front of her. Suddenly Nick stood up and put on his jacket, and with an innocent expression that made him appear ten years old, asked, "Could you please finish the Turner report?" Slightly whining because lately she had been doing virtually all of the paperwork, Tracy responded, "Nick, why can't you do it?" He nodded toward the window and the approaching dawn. "Because I don't have any control of when the sun will get up, and Reese wants it this morning, no excuses." Realizing she had momentarily forgotten about her partner's unusual allergy, she told him, "Oh, sorry. Yeah, I'll finish it for you." Nick was the only person she knew that was actually allergic to the sun. Yeah, Vachon couldn't go out in it, but that was because he was a vampire, he wasn't actually allergic to it like Nick. "Thanks, Trace," was heard, and he was out the door, heading through the false dawn to his car. When he exited the precinct, he felt a presence of a very old member of his kind, but it seemed slightly different. He was going to find who it belonged to, but remembered the sun was on its way up. He would barely have enough time to get home as it was, and really didn't feel like spending the day in the trunk. Besides, he'd have trouble explaining it to Natalie, she was coming over to his place to watch a movie that morning, and really didn't want anything to interfere. *+.*+.*+.*+.*+. Fifteen minutes later Tracy was dotting the i's and crossing the t's before turning in the Turner report and leaving for home. It was only a couple of minutes before dawn when she reached her car. Before she got the key in the door, she heard a moan coming from an alley near the precinct. As she approached the sound, it suddenly stopped, and she could see a young woman laying face down on the damp pavement. The woman had waist length blonde hair, darker than her own, perhaps lighter than Nick's, she couldn't quite tell in the dim light. It had a slight wave, almost a curl to it. As Tracy approached the woman, she noticed that there was no blood on the scene, and that her clothes, jeans and a sweatshirt, were damp as if she had been outside for a while. Tracy reached down for the woman's wrist to check for a pulse. When she felt none, she brushed some of the woman's hair away from her face. She gasped as she saw the woman's face. The features were those more of a teenager than of a woman, her color paler than pale. Tracy checked her neck for a pulse, and when she again found none, reached for her cell phone. Suddenly a frail hand connected to a boney wrist stopped her hand with amazing strength. She looked down and saw the gold-tinged eyes of a vampire. At first she was going to back off, natural instinct kicking in, but she stopped herself, realizing the woman wasn't going to hurt her. She was too weak. "What happened to you?" was the first thing she could think to ask. At first the young woman appeared confused at her question, then in a heavy French accent, she responded, "While I was in Montreal, I was attacked and injected with something. I didn't think anything of it. Then a few hours ago, just after arriving in Toronto, I started to get really weak. The last thing I remember was feeling dizzy." She pondered the situation, wondering what she could do. She knew it was almost dawn. The sun was already above the horizon and quickly rising higher. She had to at least get the young woman to shelter. She hoped the vampire didn't completely disregard mortal life, she really didn't want to become a meal, but she didn't think she would. Something about her reminded her of someone, but she couldn't think who. Tracy decided that she was going to help her, and asked, "Can you stand up?" After a moment, the woman weakly answered, "I don't think so." "What's your name?" The woman thought for a moment, as if deciding between several, then told her, "Fleur." "Fleur, I'm going to help you up, and then I'm going to take you to my apartment. Okay?" Fleur held up her hand and protested, "No. No, you mustn't, you'll be in danger . . . " Tracy cut her off, "It's okay, I know about you, about what you are, and I won't hurt you. Now come on." Tracy helped the young woman to her feet, and took her to her car in its parking spot a short distance away. Fleur was taller than Tracy, but appeared starved, the bones around her neck, and her wrists were overly defined. Tracy opened the front door of her car and sat Fleur down, then opened the trunk, retrieving a heavy blanket and wrapping it firmly around Fleur, making it so the sun would not hit her skin. "Will you be all right for the next ten minutes?" "Oui," Fleur answered, starting to shake slightly, her gaze drifting toward the first light of dawn. Reassuring herself with Fleur's answer, Tracy walked around her car getting in and driving off to her apartment through the first rays of dawn slightly faster than the speed limit. When Tracy pulled into her parking space, she looked briefly at Fleur, worried about the young woman, the vampire, she was taking into her apartment. She was extremely weak, and it took a lot to weaken a vampire. 'What could have possibly done this to one of them?' She supported Fleur's weight as they made their way into the building, up the elevator, and finally into her apartment. Once they got inside, she took Fleur into her bedroom and covered her up with the blanket, then pulled the curtains closed, taping them with masking tape so she would be safe from the sun. She then realized something that she hadn't thought of when she offered her help. 'How am I going to help her? With Vachon gone, I have no way to find out what is wrong, to get help for her.' "What can I do? Is there someone that can help you?" "Oui. Call the Raven, ask for de Brabant. He will be able to help, and give him this," she handed a key to Tracy, one she recognized as to a locker in the Civic Center. "There are important papers for him." Fleur drifted off into a fitful sleep as Tracy started to rummage through a drawer looking for where she had at one time written down the number to the Raven. 'Where is it?' About five minutes later when she had finally found the number, written on a matchbox from the Raven Vachon had given her, she reached for the phone and dialed. After the second ring it was picked up by the owner, LaCroix, and in a smooth voice she heard, "The Raven." "Um . . . You're the owner, correct?" Tracy asked, getting nervous just from talking to LaCroix, even though it was over the phone. For some reason she didn't like him, ever since the first time she met him. "Yes, I am. How may I help you, Detective Vetter?" 'Great, he knows it's me.' "I need to speak with someone. I was told he might be at the Raven. His name is de Brabant." LaCroix almost choked, however hard that may be for a vampire, then calmly asked her, a smile coming to his face, "Why do you want to speak with him?" She thought for a moment, then answered, "I need his help. I have a friend that is very sick. When I asked her who to contact, she told me to call the Raven and ask for de Brabant." He listened to her answer, and asked, "What is her relationship to de Brabant?" When he answered, she recognized the way he was able to say the name easily, and in the same accent as Fleur had, as if the name was familiar to him, very familiar. "I don't know what her relationship with him is, just that she needs help." Pausing, she decided she might as well tell him a little more, 'After all, he is the owner of the Raven, he must know what's being served.' "And she can't get that help from a hospital." LaCroix, didn't answer right away. He weighed his choices, and decided to make Nicholas' life just a bit more complicated, after all that's what he loved to do. An evil smile came to his lips as he answered in an almost amused voice, "I shall call him and have him contact you." The last sentence rang in her ear as he hung up without saying another word. She put the phone back on its receiver, and went back to sit by Fleur to wait to be called back. *+.*+.*+.*+.*+. Natalie punched in the security code and got into the elevator and punched two, then waited patiently for the elevator to reach its destination. When she entered, she saw Nick standing, watching what little of the sunrise he could without being burnt too badly. As he heard Natalie, he closed the shutters with the remote, and to her concerned expression, commented with a smile, "Don't worry, I won't become a pile of ashes." Not wanting to talk about it too much, afraid he'll find out just how afraid she was of that very situation, she changed the subject slightly. "Well, are you ready for movies and popcorn?" "The movie yes, but I think I'll pass on the popcorn." "Oh, no, you don't. Remember our deal? I told you I'd watch 'Interview With a Vampire' if, and only if you agreed to eat something." "But I don't have any popcorn, you made the last one a couple of weeks ago," he said with a grin, thinking he had gotten away with it this time. "You might not have any left, but I brought some with me. I'll get the popcorn made, if you'll get the movie set up." As she said the last sentence, she had already put the popcorn in the microwave, and was looking for a bowl to put it in when it was done. By the time she found it, the popcorn was done, and she emptied the bag into the bowl. Nick started the movie as she sat down on the couch next to him, holding out the bowl of microwave hot popcorn to him. He hesitated, but realizing he wasn't going to be able to get himself out of this one, gingerly took a piece and after staring at it for a few seconds put it in his mouth. He was expecting it to taste like all of the other foods he had tried, so when he tasted virtually nothing, and felt no nausea, he was surprised. "So, what's it taste like?" she found herself asking, since Nick didn't run for the garbage can, the sink, or even make a face. Overall, it was a very puzzling reaction, very different from what she had expected, and what she had gotten in the past. "Nothing. It tastes like nothing." Surprising enough, he found himself reaching for another piece, and then another, watching as Natalie smiled that they had made some progress, however small it may be. Soon, with both of them eating the popcorn and watching the movie, the bowl was empty, and Natalie went to make another. When the movie ended, the second bowl was empty as well. "I should have tried popcorn before. How much did you eat anyway?" The excitement in her voice, and her eyes was an unusual sight for him, especially when it had to deal with the cure they had been working on for almost the past six years, and it pleased him. She could still be happy, and not become unemotional when something had to do with his vampirism, and the cure. In the past few months they hadn't gotten anywhere, they were being forced backwards with all of the recent events, and she wasn't even sure he wanted the cure anymore. "I think it was about two-thirds of what was made, and I don't think I should have eaten that much. I feel a little sick." Natalie looked at him and noticed that he was a little paler than his usual. She decided he looked like a little ten-year-old boy that had gotten sick from eating too much ice cream or chocolate, way too much. Before she could say anything, the phone rang. Nick picked it up and said, "Knight." "Ah, Nicholas," came the silken voice of LaCroix. "What do you want?" Nick asked, the tone of his voice immediately lowering. He _really_ didn't want to talk to LaCroix right then. "I don't want anything. I'm just forwarding a message." "A message? From whom?" he asked, getting suspicious. 'Why would LaCroix forward a message to me?' "A Detective Tracy Vetter. It seems she has an unusual guest that is unwell, and this guest told her to speak to you. Although, she doesn't know it is actually you, she is asking for. As far as she knows it is a mysterious man, probably a vampire, by the name of de Brabant." He laughed slightly. "She is expecting to be called back." He paused then said, "She shouldn't be kept waiting, now should she, Nicholas." With that, a soft chuckle then an audible click could be heard, after which Nick slowly put the phone down. "That was LaCroix, wasn't it?" she asked, standing up and approaching him. "Yes, it was. It seems I need to have a talk with Tracy. She has a guest that told her I could help, that de Brabant could help. Well, I knew it would happen sooner or later." "What are you going to do?" Natalie asked, knowing there is only one thing he could do. "I'm going to have to call her and talk to her. I think for now I will keep my identity hidden. I want her to find out in person, not over the phone." "How are you going to do that?" "Well, how about like this?" he answered with a heavy French accent. It surprisingly hid his voice quite well, and would hid it even better over the phone. If he wasn't standing right in front of her, she wouldn't have recognized it. "Yeah, that'll work. Do you want me to stay here?" "Yes, that way if I need your help I can get it." Nick then walked back toward the phone and picked it up, pushing the memory button for Tracy's home phone number. *+.*+.*+.*+.*+. Tracy had been waiting for almost three hours. It was almost 10 o'clock, when the phone finally rang, startling her awake. She walked over to it, and picked it up, "Vetter." "Detective Tracy Vetter?" asked a man's voice, almost cold in nature, one with an accent exactly like Fleur's. "Yes," she responded slightly hesitantly, hoping she didn't make a mistake, and hoping her caller wasn't like LaCroix. "I am de Brabant. I was informed you wished to speak with me." He stated, hoping she would say something else, and not listen to his voice too much. "Um, yes I do. I found a young woman this morning, and I think she is like you." She paused, listening for his reaction. When she got none, she continued, "She is very sick, with what I don't know, but she said you could help her." "What does she look like?" Nick asked, trying to figure out who this mystery vampire was. 'Maybe that is who I sensed when I left the precinct.' "She has waist length, wavy blonde hair, is about 5' 10"," Tracy paused and then added, "And she said her name is Fleur." Nick immediately knew who it was, someone he hadn't seen since just after he was brought across. She was a young woman that had lived at Brabant Castle and was treated like one of the family. He had always thought of her as his own sister. She, and his younger sister, Fleur got along very well and many times would spend most of their time together. He was sure she used the name Fleur, his mortal sister's name, to help him remember. The last he heard of her, she was living at Brabant, and was posing as the heir's younger sister, his younger sister. Nick was pulled back to the present by the familiar voice on the other end of the line, "Monsieur de Brabant?" Coming back to the present he asked, almost forgetting to add in the accent, "What is her condition?" "She has almost no strength, is freezing, and appears to be starving." The last comment caused him to make his next decision, "Meet me at the Raven between three-fifteen and three-thirty this afternoon. Leave her where she is right now, and come alone. Do you understand?" His voice was commanding, and unfortunately also sounded intimidating. "Yes," she replied nervously. "Good," and then Nick hung up. 'Well, that's over with. His voice sounded slightly familiar.' She shrugged the last thought off as a side effect of exhaustion and went to check on Fleur again. Tracy watched as Fleur slept a restless sleep. Just as she was about to doze off herself, she noticed Fleur was awake, and looking at her with the green-gold eyes of a vampire. Tracy asked, "Is there anything you need?" "Sang," Fleur replied exposing her fangs in the process. Tracy, not knowing much French, made a guess and questioned in English, "Do you need blood?" "Oui." Tracy thought about what she had in her refrigerator. 'Do I have a bottle left over from when Vachon had come over?' she asked herself, knowing that if she did it would still be there. She got up and checked, and yep, there was one full bottle pushed into the back left corner of her top shelf. She slowly retrieved it, and went back to her room carrying it slightly away from her. When she entered the room, she stated, "I don't know how old this is, it's been sitting in my fridge for at least a week and a half, but it hasn't been opened yet." Fleur held out her hand, and Tracy handed the bottle to her. Fleur ripped the cork off and quickly downed half of the bottle. She then paused and took continually smaller drinks until the bottle was completely empty. Fleur then began to fall back into a deep sleep. She finally looked somewhat at peace as the blood tried to heal her. Tracy watched for a few minutes, then went to make some coffee so she could stay up the rest of the day and be at least somewhat coherent when she went to the Raven. *+.*+.*+.*+.*+. As Nick put the phone down, Natalie asked, "Well, how did it go?" "I don't think she knows it's me, but by three-thirty that will change. I wanted the meeting this early because of the woman's condition. She is starving, cold and weak. If you could, I would appreciate your scientific knowledge, and a ride to the Raven." Seeing his innocent expression, she responded, "Yes, I'll help, on both counts. I should probably get some supplies. I guess I should go ahead and do that right now." "See you soon," he said while she put on her coat and picked up her keys and purse, and took the elevator down to the garage. *+.*+.*+.*+.*+. At two-thirty Nick put on a heavy trench-coat, gloves, sunglasses, and hat and told Natalie, "When you get to the Raven, use this key," he held up one of the keys on his key chain for her to see, "to open the front door. Then open it just a crack, and tap on the hood of the trunk. Okay?" "Yeah. Why do you want to get there so early anyway?" Natalie asked, curious, as she grabbed her purse and coat. "So that I can persuade the use of LaCroix' office, and his agreement to not interfere. Come on, let's go." They rode down the elevator and Nick jumped into the trunk gracefully, after all he'd had to do it so many times. "Are you sure you'll be all right back there?" "Yeah, just don't hit anything," he said with a reminiscent smile. They both recalled when he was in the trunk and Schanke was driving, and as a result of the brake line being cut, hit a fire hydrant and several other things. Coming back to the present he added, "If you need to say something to me, go ahead, I'll be able to hear you," then pulled the trunk closed. She nodded and got into the 62' Cadillac, opened the garage door, then drove to the Raven through the bright afternoon sunlight. *+.*+.*+.*+.*+. Twenty minutes later, they were standing just inside the entrance to the Raven when LaCroix silently made an appearance. "Well, what can I do for you, Nicholas? Especially at this time of the day." LaCroix continued to approach until he was only a few feet from Nick, completely ignoring Natalie's presence. "We need to talk, and I need two cases of the 'house special.'" "Have you finally come to your senses and stopped drinking that swill?" he said with a sneer-like smile forming on his features. "You know I haven't. Have someone go get the cases, or should I do it on my own?" "Very well," LaCroix turned and went over to the bar, where someone was restocking. "Natalie, I'm going to have you drive the Caddy back to the loft with the cases, I'll get there no sooner than four-thirty, so you have time to get ready." At that time LaCroix returned with Miklos and the two cases. He absently said, "Help her," to the Hungarian, then went into his office with Nick following him close behind. Their conversation consisted of LaCroix telling Nick, for the millionth time, that if he didn't get involved with mortals he wouldn't be in this situation. It progressed into a yelling match over how Nick should live his life, so when Tracy Vetter entered the Raven they didn't notice. She walked into the bar and looked around. She heard the raised voices speaking in French, and listened for its origin. As she turned around, she stumbled slightly in the relative darkness of the room, causing them to suddenly stop. When she looked up, she could see through an open door way, LaCroix talking to someone quietly, but not who he was talking to, probably de Brabant. He then exited the office, slowing near her, giving her a glare that could have easily caused ice to spontaneously combust, then continued toward the back rooms, without saying a word or making a sound. Through the open door she could not see de Brabant, only the back of a large black leather chair which she assumed he was sitting in. After entering the room she heard de Brabant's heavily accented voice, "Please, close the door and sit down." Once she was seated, Nick turned around and looked directly into Tracy's eyes. He saw betrayal of trust, a look he'd seen mirrored in many others' eyes when they had discovered his secret; that he was not who, or what, they had been led to believe. Secrets - Part 2/12 Tracy resolutely stood up, backhanded him as hard as she mortally could in the face, and half-screamed, "How could you do this to me!?!" Tracy stood, fuming in front of her previously believed to be skeptic, and very much mortal partner. Then losing all of her previous energy she weakly asked, "Why? Why didn't you tell me? I knew about Vachon, and about your community. I wouldn't have betrayed your secret, you should know that from working with me!" She turned around and faced the wall, holding her hand over her mouth, in an effort to keep her emotions in. As Tracy's anger subsided, she began to sob. At first Nick, not knowing what to do, did nothing, but he slowly rose from his chair and approached her. After pausing for a few seconds he pulled her into an embrace, letting her cry into his shoulder. He told her, "Tracy, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I never meant to hurt you, or anyone else. I only meant to protect you. The less you knew, the less danger you were in." Several minutes later, he led her back to the chair she had sat in earlier. He knew she should probably drink something, if for no other reason than to give her mind something normal to think about, and asked, "Can I get you something to drink?" She was caught slightly off guard by the question, but quickly answered, "Um . . . By any chance, is there any orange juice here?" Realizing the absurdity of having orange juice in a club whose main patrons were vampires, she quickly added, "If not, water will be fine." "I think I can find some orange juice. Stay here, I'll be right back." He left LaCroix' office, and went to the room taken over by the Raven's mortal employees. He opened the small refrigerator, and pulled out a container of orange juice, and wrote a note, which he placed on the fridge. As he returned, he noticed her heart rate had risen, she was very nervous. To avoid startling her, he made several noises on purpose as he approached the room, and entered, sitting in the leather chair. He retrieved a glass from LaCroix' collection, then poured her a full glass, and offered it to Tracy. She accepted it with, "Thanks," and drank almost of it all at once. Nick refilled the glass, but before she took another drink, she felt guilty for drinking the orange juice in front of him, even though she knew he could not drink any himself. She watched him, and realized his expression was different from what she saw on his face every day. She studied it and realized he must be waiting for her to show her reaction of him. Her initial reaction was definitely not what she should have done, he probably thought she hated him, but she didn't, it was just a quick reaction from the anger of his betrayal. If she were able to think before she hit him, she would have, and she never would have reacted that way. Like he said, he was merely trying to protect her, just like Vachon had tried. Deciding to return the favor of him making her comfortable, she told him, "You know, you can have something to drink yourself, if you want." "Are you sure you won't mind?" he asked, grateful that she had suggested it, instead of doing so anyway, and causing her to back away more than she already had from him. Some mortals couldn't handle watching one of them drink blood, it repulsed them. He got up and walked over to the cabinet in the corner of the room, where LaCroix always kept the bovine blood for his son's infrequent visits. When he opened it only a piece of paper was revealed, stating there was presently no bovine in stock, but he knew LaCroix had done this on purpose. Crumpling the note up, he opened one of the other cupboards to get a bottle of LaCroix' special reserve, and another wine glass. He sat down and poured himself a glass for Tracy's benefit, not intending to drink it, and asked Tracy, "Has her condition changed?" "No, at least as not as far as I can tell. But then, I don't know much about vampire physiology. She hasn't woken up for several hours, and I haven't seen her eyes a normal color yet." "Do you know what happened to her?" "She told me she was attacked in Montreal, injected with something, and then she started to get weak a few hours before I found her." After she finished talking, her eyes feel on the glass of yet untouched blood sitting in front of her partner. Nick noticed her gaze and knew he wouldn't be able to let it sit there, he'd have to take a drink. He raised the glass slowly to his lips and watched her as she watched his every move. As he took a sip, he knew he had a slight grimace on his face. Tracy, thinking his expression was caused by her fascination, said to him, "Don't worry I don't mind." "It's not a matter of if you mind or not, _I_ mind." Explaining further he said, gesturing to the glass, "It's not my usual diet." "So, it isn't human." "Actually, just the opposite, it _is_ human." At Tracy's confusion he said, "I normally drink cows' blood, and have for about a hundred years." "Oh. So, how old are you?" Realizing that she was just going to ask question after question, Nick decided to change the subject to what they were there for. "I'll tell you that later. Now, about Fleur, can you tell me anything about her condition? Does she have a fever, or anything else you've noticed?" "Fever? I don't think so, she might. If anything I'd have to say she is colder than a normal vampire, but then I can't really tell. As I said, I don't know much about the physiology of vampires. I know she's been feeling cold, freezing." Tracy shuddered slightly, then continued, "Her eyes haven't changed back to normal, as if she is starving, in extreme pain, or both. What can we do?" "To start with we need to go to your apartment and check on her. Here," Nick said, holding his hand out, "Give me your car keys." As Tracy gave the keys to Nick, she asked, "What do you need the keys for?" "So that your car can get to the loft." "Why would . . ." and then she knew the answer. They weren't going to take the car to her apartment, vampires could fly. "Oh," she said in a small voice. "Exactly." Nick then got up and after opening the door, yelled, "Miklos!" then sat down and waited for the Hungarian to arrive. Standing nervously in the doorway, Miklos asked, "Nick, what do you need?" Nick tossed Tracy's car keys to him and said, "Take her car to my place, and tell the Inca to get to Tracy's as soon as he can." Nick then led Tracy from the room, and out the back entrance, into the alley. The sun was just setting, enough that Nick could fly without getting severely burned, as long as he stayed low in the sky. "But . . . but the Inca died, didn't he?" she asked remembering the explosion. "No, he didn't, and right now he's here, in Toronto, or at least the last I heard he was. Now, I'm going to pick you up, I need you to not move around too much, and your going to want to hold on tight as well. One other thing, try not to look down. Ready?" When he received a nod, Nick stood behind her and placed one arm tightly around her waist, and the other across her chest, his hand ending on her shoulder. He then slowly started to levitate, then took off at a relatively slow speed so as to not harm or scare Tracy. Within five minutes they landed next to Tracy's building, dusk not even fully fallen yet. They entered the building from the back, and as they rode up in the elevator, Nick leaned against one of the sides, resting his head back and closing his eyes. Tracy, concerned at Nick's apparent tiredness and paleness, and also noticing what appeared to be already healing burns, asked, "Are you all right?" "Um . . . Yeah I'll be fine," he replied in a weary, slightly annoyed tone, the sun did a little more than he wanted it to. Realizing it would be unwise to push him into answering her, she let him be. About halfway through their elevator ride, she saw Nick visibly tense, and asked him, "What's wrong?" "Nothing's wrong, I'm just able to feel her very clearly. I've never felt a vampire this clearly before, she must be old." "I thought you knew her?" "I did, but that was a long time ago, when I was still mortal, I haven't seen her a whole lot since then." They got off the elevator and walked toward her apartment. She then unlocked her door and told him, "She's in the bedroom." Nick immediately went into the room. She awoke as he entered, staring at him. Her eyes told him everything he needed to know, she was definitely starving. Tracy entered just in time to watch him approach the young woman, kneel down, then offer her his right wrist. She took it and sunk her elongated canines into his flesh. Tracy stood open-mouthed at the scene, having seen something like this happen only once before. She watched her partner Nick, correction, her vampiric partner Nick, as his life force was drained out of him before her eyes. After several minutes passed, Nick forcibly pulled his wrist away. Tracy looked at them, now both whiter than a ghost, Nick swaying slightly as he stood up. She noted they had the same type of hair, and that it was exactly the same color. Both had aristocratic bone structures that appeared identical to each other. 'They could be brother and sister, or even twins if they were the same age.' Tracy realized she was starring at them and quickly stopped, watching as he walked across the room slowly, as if it were taking a great deal of energy. As Nick passed her, he almost lost his balance, but when she tried to steady him, "Don't," was his sharp response. Tracy, not understanding his reaction, asked, "Nick, what's wrong?" He slowly turned toward her, and with a slight glare said, "Nothing. I'll be fine." Nick then continued to a chair on the other side of the room, where he heavily sat down. He looked at her, knowing she had seen exactly what he had done, knowing that it must have repulsed her, and that he didn't want to let her see him this way, but that he had no choice. At least he hadn't changed yet, and hopefully he would be all right until the Inca arrived. She was going to push the subject some more, but thinking back to his previous response, decided against it. She quietly left the room, and waited for the Inca to arrive while sitting in her living room. Tracy heard a knocking on the door at 6:50, about an hour and a half after the sun had fully set. She opened the door to reveal the Inca, looking exactly as he did several months before, just after she became Nick's partner. He walked silently past her, carrying two unlabeled bottles, that she knew contained blood, _human_ blood. Before she could say anything, Nick walked into the room, took one of the bottles and drank a fifth of the bottle. He then went back into the bedroom, Tracy and the Inca following close behind, both saying nothing. Nick sat on the bed, pulling Fleur into a sitting position in front of him. He put the bottle to her lips, and she tried, unsuccessfully to drink from it, she had already gotten weaker, but not as weak as when he had first arrived, not quite. Nick propped some pillows up and laid Fleur back on them, then asked the Inca, "Can you give her any of your blood?" "No. I would not be able to keep . . . control." The last word was said with a glance in Tracy's direction, the only mortal in the room. Nick nodded his head in understanding, then told the Inca, "Give me the other bottle." Tracy watched as Nick drank both bottles in quick succession, and then again offered his wrist to Fleur. After drinking the blood, his eyes began to glow faintly, but he shielded them from his partner's view, and continued in his task. This time she was stronger, and needed more blood, now she could get it easier. Tracy watched them, and was both horrified and fascinated at the same time, the fascination the greater of the two. He allowed her to take so much blood he became paler then she. As he pulled away, the Inca caught him as he began his decent to the floor, and took him over to the chair. Tracy noticed Fleur had gone into a peaceful sleep, at least for now. Five minutes later, Nick got up and walked toward the phone. Tracy stood, waiting for him to stumble, but he never did. Each step was stronger until after five meters, it looked as though he were merely extremely exhausted. "Trace, do you mind if I use your phone?" The familiarity of the question, caught her off guard and made her feel more normal. "Yeah, sure," she answered, barely giving a thought to it. Nick dialed his number and got Natalie. He told her he would be there in a few minutes, and made sure she was going to be ready. When he hung up the phone, he noticed Tracy was still acting like she was caught off guard, still confused over the entire situation. "Trace, we need to get over to my place. We'll be able to do more for her over there." Tracy and Nick put on their coats, and picked up their things. He looked over at the Inca, "You take Tracy, I'll take Fleur." He nodded, and Nick disappeared down the hall and quickly returned with Fleur in his arms. She was holding on to him very tightly, like a young child would do when frightened. Nick was stroking her hair lightly, and he moved toward the door. They all left the building out the back entrance, and took off for Nick's apartment. Nick flew in through the sky light, arriving about a minute ahead of the others, while the Inca landed outside, and he and Tracy took the lift up. *+.*+.*+.*+.*+. Natalie sat in Nick's loft waiting for the lift to kick on. She was startled when she heard a swoosh of air behind her, and turned around to see Nick carrying a young woman in his arms. "I'm taking her upstairs," was said and he quickly flew up to the second story. Natalie just stood, open mouthed at what just occurred. If she didn't know better, she'd say they were related. She was going to follow him up the stairs, but she heard the buzzer and went to answer it instead. "Who is it?" "It's me Tracy, and the Inca," came the quick response. She was slightly surprised that someone else had come, and was more surprised that it was the Inca. "Take the lift up to the second floor, I'll be waiting." When Tracy opened the lift door, she got her first glimpse of her partner's home. She was in awe at all the antiques, the piano, the paintings, and the fireplace. She started to walk around, touching some of the objects lightly, and wondered who Nick really was. "Trace?" Natalie got her attention, then asked, "I'm going to go upstairs, are you going to come?" "Uh . . . Yeah." She took in the enormity of the room, and brought herself back to reality. Natalie walked up the stairs quickly carrying her black Doctor's bag, and was startled when she entered the room. The young woman she had briefly seen earlier, was laying tucked into Nick's bed. Nick was sitting on the floor, leaning up against the wall with his eyes glowing scarlet and fangs fully extended. Natalie had only seen his eyes this color a couple of times, when he was extremely hungry or enraged. She turned around to get some blood, only to run smack into Tracy, who gasped at Nick's animalistic appearance. Natalie brushed passed her hoping she didn't do anything drastic, after all she had been around Vachon, and probably knew the danger she was in. One minute later, she returned with two bottles of blood from the crate, human blood. She quickly handed one to Nick, who violently took it from her, causing her to pull back instinctively. He drank it in one gulp, and his eyes faded to a deep golden color, containing only a few flecks of red. He reached for the second bottle and downed it just as quickly. When his eyes meet Tracy's, he turned them, still a bright golden color, away from her. "Nick? What's wrong?" Tracy asked confused by his actions, Vachon had never been like this, been embarrassed at what he was. "I don't want you to see me like this." He had turned his head slightly toward her, but his head was down, preventing her from seeing either his eyes and fangs. "Why?" Nick stood up and moved slightly toward her, looking the same as when he finished downing the two bottles. When he spoke, his voice was deep and barely recognizable, "Tracy, I don't want to be a vampire. Am I supposed to pretend I am happy? To me this existence is a curse!" He quickly turned and left the room, flying down the stairs. "Natalie? Is he really this unhappy?" she asked as he left, slightly stunned by his response. Natalie looked at the young detective before her, and not able to do anything else, told her the truth. "I'm afraid so Trace. If you think he's unhappy now, you should have seen him when Erica died." Natalie started to check the young woman's life signs. "Who was Erica?" she asked, never having heard the name before, wondering if she had seen her before. "She was a friend of Nick's, a vampire who wrote plays, good ones too. I guess she had a theory that when you can't contribute to society anymore, that it's the time to leave. About a year ago, she watched the sun rise one final time. The doll over there," she pointed to a table on the far side of the room, one that in daylight would be in the suns' path, "was hers. Nick found her remains, and soon after retrieved the doll from her home. When I found him, he was in a very self destructive mood. If I hadn't been here when he got back he would have been incinerated by the sun, putting her theory into use once again." "Oh my God. He really does hate his existence." She looked down, finally realizing that he was definitely different from Vachon, then she remembered how abruptly he left, and the mood he was in, the mood caused by her questions. "Oh no, what did I say." Tracy started to panic, hoping Nick was all right, and almost starting for the door, but being stopped by Natalie. "Trace, he'll be all right, he's like this a lot," Natalie commented, wishing she could find a cure for him and make his life bearable, but she shook her head slightly, and asked, "Now, do you know what her name is?" "Yes, it's Fleur." All of the color from Natalie's face drained immediately out. "Nat, what is it?" "Fleur, was Nick's sister's name. His mortal sister," she said, gazing into the wall behind Tracy, knowing why Nick seemed more guarded than usual. "Do you mean, Nick is her brother?" Tracy asked, surprised. "No, I don't think this is his sister. He described her to me once, and she had dark blonde hair, and it was shorter as well. I don't think she is the real Fleur de Brabant but . . ." Natalie was cut off by Nick's voice coming from the doorway, "No, she isn't my mortal sister. Her name is Muriel, or at least that's what I knew her as. She was a servant to our family, and was soon after adopted into the family, treated the same as myself and my sister Fleur. I remember once asking her why she didn't age. She had told me, 'I am immortal. One day you will find out what it means.' I didn't understand how this could be until after I was brought across." Nick approached Natalie and Tracy, now having a normal appearance, and asked, "How is she?" "Her temperature is 91.7 degrees, and her heart is beating faster than normal, about once every two minutes. I'm not sure what's wrong, it reminds me of the Fever's symptoms, but slightly different." "What's the Fever?" Tracy asked, feeling like an outsider to the conversation. "Remember when Vachon got sick?" Tracy nodded. Natalie continued with her explanation, "Well, then he had what is now referred to as the Fever, so did Nick and virtually every other vampire in Toronto. It wiped out three-fourths of the community." "Do you think this could do the same?" Tracy asked, concerned. Both Tracy and Nick looked expectantly at Natalie. "Possibly, if it's a virus. Nick, I'm going to need a blood sample from you and the Inca. By the way where is he?" "He's downstairs," Nick answered. "Well then, I guess you get to go first." Natalie stated with a grin, causing Nick to groan. "Tracy, go get the Inca, and don't tell him why we need him." Natalie quickly drew the blood from Nick's arm from long practice. When the Inca entered, she said, "You're next." Not knowing what's going on, he asked suspiciously, "Next for what?" Natalie held up her syringe and answered, "For a donation." Before he could react, a needle was plunged into his arm, and within seconds, she was finished. "There, that didn't hurt now did it?" The Inca just glared at her, mainly because of being caught off guard, then his expression softened, and he asked, "What was that for?" "For a test. To see if whatever Fleur has is contagious." The Inca nodded his head, he had heard what happened almost two months before here in Toronto, and asked, "Can I go now?" "Yes, but don't leave the city until I get the results, okay?" He nodded, left the room, and flew out the still open skylight. "Nick," said Tracy, getting his attention, "Fleur gave me this key. It's to a locker at the Civic Center. She told me it had important papers in it." Nick took the key and told her, "Trace, you call in. I'll finish the rest of the paperwork. Tell the Captain that I'll be a few minutes late, I need to pick something up." "Sure," she answered as Natalie approached them. "Right now she's doing fine. You'll be all right if I'm gone for about half a shift?" she addressed Tracy. "Yeah, I'll be fine." "Call me if anything changes," she asked. Tracy nodded. "Come by the station, okay?" Nick asked as he got ready to leave. "Sure, see you later." Natalie answered as Nick exited the room and flew up through the skylight, causing both to follow his rapid movements, neither used to him using his vampiric powers so visibly. "I'm going to use the phone, I'll be right back," Tracy told Natalie. She walked down the stairs and picked up the phone, dialing the number for the Captain's office. "96th precinct, Captain Reese." "Captain, it's Tracy. I'm not going to be coming in tonight, I'm taking care of a friend's sister." She hoped he wouldn't question her about it, and was soon rewarded with his response. "Okay. Do you know if Nick is going to come in? He's already a half hour late." "Yeah, he'll be coming in, he needs to pick something up on the way." "Hope they get better," he said, really meaning it, and then hung up. Natalie entered the room, and said, "Tracy, I'm going to the morgue to do the tests. I'll see you later." She waved bye to Tracy, and Tracy waved back at her, now completely alone in her partners home, with a very sick vampire. *+.*+.*+.*+.*+. Nick landed outside of the Civic Center in a secluded area, then walked toward the main entrance. He walked toward the locker, and with the key, opened it to reveal a thick brown envelope. He decided to open it once he got to the precinct, after all, he was already almost an hour late. He landed in an empty alley next to the precinct and walked in. Just as he was about to sit down he heard, "Knight, in my office." Nick placed the envelope on his desk, then went into the Captain's office. "Yeah Cap.," he said with a slight sigh, knowing it was probably going to be something he would rather not explain. Reese looked at his best officer, that had never been late, not once in the last year sit before him, a little bit more than an hour late, looking like he hadn't slept for a couple of days. "Nick, I'm curious, do you know why Tracy called in, and Natalie's only staying half a shift?" Nick shifted uncomfortably, really not wanting to answer the question, but he had to. "She and Nat are taking care of one of my relatives. I'm only here today to get our paperwork done, and I won't be in tomorrow," Now he was really curious. "Who is this relative of yours? What happened that she needs so much care? Shouldn't she be in a hospital?" "The hospital would have a problem treating her. She has the same condition that I have, and it causes complications when being treated. Natalie knows how to deal with it. That's all I can tell you. I shouldn't have even said this much." Reese looked at Knight, he seemed more ragged than usual, and he figured that was why he had been late. "Well then, I hope she gets better. Do you want me to reassign your caseload to others after tonight?" "Yeah, if it's not a problem," Nick responded. "Good, now get going on that paperwork, and later I want you to tell me what's going on," Reese said with a smile and a look that said, 'Get started now, before I change my mind.' Nick quickly exited the room and went to his desk and began the paperwork, completely forgetting about the envelope. *+.*+.*+.*+.*+. Tracy watched as Fleur slept, now dressed in a pair of Nick's pajamas. Suddenly she heard movement from downstairs. When she turned to investigate, she felt a displacement of air behind her. When she turned, she saw LaCroix looking at Fleur, holding a sharp stake in his hand. Tracy, realizing he was planning to kill Fleur, approached him and tried to take the stake from his hand. A strong grip on her wrist caused her to realize her predicament. LaCroix was almost certainly a vampire, much stronger than she, and not very forgiving from the impression she had gotten from him at the Raven, and the other time they had met. Now was no exception, his golden eyes bored into hers, telling her just how foolish she was to even attempt to interfere with his actions. He turned and stood in front of her. She would say he was intimidating, but that would have been a grave understatement. His gaze intensified, becoming orange- gold turning slowly to crimson as his grip tightened. Tracy was now trying to free her wrist from his painful grip. He let go of her wrist, only to throw her into the wall, knocking her out. Before LaCroix had a chance to turn around, he was attacked from behind. He attempted to use the stake, but it was taken, and easily snapped in two before his eyes. Her eyes were glowing scarlet, and her mind imposing itself on LaCroix'. She used her sharp nails to give him several scratches on his face and neck, then he fell to the ground clutching his head in his hands. Suddenly the pressure on his mind was released and he glared at Fleur and said, "I'll finish this later," then he flew out of the room and through the skylight. Secrets - Part 3/12 Fleur slowly went over to Tracy's limp form, and realized she had a concussion or something. She decided to call Nicolas, but couldn't find the number, so instead decided to go to the precinct. She put on a pair of Nick's jeans, the black tank top she had on under the sweatshirt, and one of his silk shirts. After attempting, and failing, to use her vampiric powers to fly, she looked for Tracy's keys. She already knew where the 96th precinct was, and found it easily. Fleur went inside, and slowly walked to the desk. Williamson, the officer on duty, asked her, "How can I help you Miss?" She understood his words, but had too little energy to respond in English, so she asked in French, "Je dois parler á mon frère, Nicolas de Brabant." (I need to speak to my brother.) Since he didn't speak French, he looked for someone that did. He knew that the only scheduled officer that night that did was Det. Nick Knight, and when he saw he wasn't in the room, asked her, "Can you understand what I am saying?" "Oui." "Stay right here, I'll get someone to help you. Okay?" She nodded in response, and he walked over to the Captain's office. When Reese saw Williamson standing in the doorway, he said, "Yes?" "Do you know where Knight is?" "Yeah, he's over at the coroner's office. Why?" he asked curious as to why Williamson wanted to see him. "There's a young woman here that only speaks French. Luckily she understands English, but I still need a translator, I have no idea what she needs." "Okay, have her come into my office and I'll call Knight. He should return in the next ten minutes or so anyway." After Williamson left, he dialed Nick's cell phone number and was immediately answered, "Knight." 'Good, he's got his cell phone on for once,' he thought, usually getting some message about not being in service. "Nick, I need you to come to the station, translation. How long will it take you to get here?" "About five to ten minutes. I just left the coroner's building." "Good. When you get here, come into my office, you don't need to knock, just come in," Reese told Nick. "Sure Cap. I'll be there soon," and with that Nick hung up. Reese looked through the office window, and saw Williamson lead a young woman, probably in her late teens to mid-twenties, into his office. She looked a lot like Knight, he realized. Her hair color and paleness matched his, but he quickly dismissed the idea, knowing Nick had no living family. He then remembered what Nick said when he came in, he was taking care of his relative, a young woman from what he could tell. That meant he did have family. The young woman was also extremely pale and almost looked malnourished as if from getting sick. He turned his attention to the young woman and told her, "Please sit down." She did so and softly said, "Merci." "May I ask your name?" he asked, trying to make her feel a little more comfortable. "Fleur de Brabant." Reese recognized her surname as that of a French noble family, one of the few that still had the same size of estate since the middle ages if not larger, and was able to make considerable profit off of it which added to their riches. It was also given to the prince of the Belgian Monarchy, the title of Duke of Brabant. He had remembered doing a report on it while in school. After about a minute he took a stab since she understood English, and asked, "Are you looking for someone?" "Oui," she answered. "Who?" "Mon frère, Nicolas de Brabant." When she stopped speaking, she spotted the envelope on Nick's desk that she had put in the locker at the Civic Center. "Un moment," Fleur said as she left the office and retrieved the envelope. When she returned, he glanced at the envelope that Knight had brought in with him, and saw that it had been sent to an address in Montreal, to Fleur, from Paris. Seeing this, he allowed her to open the envelope. Reese had a growing suspicion that his detective, Nick Knight, was really Nicholas de Brabant, the de Brabant heir as a result of the envelope and his resemblance to the woman sitting in front of him. When she pulled out a French passport with Nick's picture on it and several other pictures of him, it was confirmed, the name on the passport was not Knight but de Brabant, they were one and the same. As Reese looked at the picture Fleur said, "C'est mon frère, Nicolas de Brabant." Realizing she must mean Knight is who she wants to talk to, he said, "I think you are looking for Nick Knight. He should be here in just a couple of minutes." She nodded and leaned back in the chair, closing her eyes, taking in a large breath, and letting her fatigue become more apparent. Reese looked at her more closely and saw similarities he had not seen before, especially in appearance. Reese also noticed that Fleur was very pale, paler than he had ever seen Nick, and she looked even worse than Nick had when he came in that night. Suddenly Fleur took in a large gasp of air and opened her eyes. She made to stand up, but instead collapsed to the floor. Reese went to check on her, and was about to check her pulse when the door opened to reveal Det. Nick Knight. Nick entered and immediately pushed Reese's hand out of the way. Reese could see the panic and worry in Nick's usually sad seeming eyes. Fleur was clutching her stomach, and when Nick knelt down she looked pleadingly into his eyes. "Quel est erroné?" (What's wrong?) Nick softly asked. In French she responded, "LaCroix. He knocked Tracy out when she tried to help me, and needs a doctor. I didn't know what to do, so I came here to get you, I don't think I can make it back on my own." Nick pulled her up against his chest, knowing she must be having trouble keeping her eyes normal, and gently caressed her hair whispering in his native French, words to sooth. After about a minute she was sleeping soundly in his arms, her exhaustion completely taking control. "Knight . . ." Before Reese could say anything more, Nick said, "Just a minute Cap," and pulled out his cell phone and dialed Natalie's work number. "Doctor Lambert speaking." "Nat, I need you to go to the loft. Tracy needs some . . . help." Catching his meaning she asked, "What happened?" He answered so Reese couldn't hear, but Natalie could, "LaCroix." She grew concerned at this remark. LaCroix meant trouble, and asked, "Is she all right?" "Fleur says Tracy was knocked out," he continued in the lowest voice he could speak that she could still hear, then slightly louder, "She came here, to the station." Confused Natalie asked, "How . . . How did she get there?" "I think she drove Tracy's car." He paused, then told her, "Go to the loft. I'll be there in a few minutes." "Okay, I'll see you there," then she hung up. With a pleading look Nick turned to the Captain and started to ask, "Reese . . ." The Captain cut him off knowing what he wanted to ask, "Yes, you can take her home, but come right back." As Nick turned back to Fleur, he saw the envelope on the Captain's desk, a picture of himself and his French passport laying on top of it. He knew Reese at least knew of his real name now, but not if he recognized it or not, or if he knew what he was. Nick again faced the Captain with a questioning look and was told, "Explain later. Now go." "Thanks." Nick picked Fleur up and Reese held the door as Nick walked out and through the bullpen, most of the occupant's eyes on him, following his every move. After reaching Tracy's car, he placed her in the passengers' side and then got in and drove to his loft. *+.*+.*+.*+.*+. Natalie left right away and when she arrived at the loft, punched in the security code and waited impatiently for the lift to make its journey to the second level. Once inside, her eyes had to adjust, for it was almost pitch black downstairs, only a single dim light from Nick's room allowed her to walk without tripping on something. She turned on a couple of lights, then not seeing Tracy on the lower level, walked toward, and up the stairs. When she got to the doorway of Nick's room she could see Tracy laying on the floor next to the far wall. Immediately she went to her and noticed there was a cut on her right temple, but it had at least stopped bleeding, and didn't look too serious. Tracy gained consciousness when Natalie checked her pulse, slightly disoriented, not remembering what had happened right away. After cautiously sitting up, she realized who had come and looked around for Fleur. Not being able to find her, she asked, "Where's Fleur?" At the same time the lift started up, "That's probably Nick and her right now. I'll go check. You stay here and don't try to get up yet." When she saw Nick carrying the limp form of Fleur, she rushed down the stairs and over to the couch, where Nick had laid her. "What happened?" she demanded. "She collapsed in Reese's office just before I entered and needs blood. How is Tracy?" "She'll be fine. From what I can tell she doesn't have a concussion, just a cut and perhaps a bruise, but nothing serious." He nodded, "Go help Tracy while I do the same for Fleur." Natalie realized he was doing this to keep herself and Tracy away. She knew he didn't like to share this part of his nature even with her, and that undoubtedly he had no wish for Tracy to either, especially the way he was earlier. She nodded and went back upstairs. Nick again ripped his wrist wide open and placed it over Fleur's mouth. At first she did not swallow, but that quickly changed. Within two minutes he had to pull his wrist away, then watched as she fell back asleep, into a pleasant, healing sleep. Before taking her upstairs, Nick drank a bottle and a half of the refrigerated cow blood, just enough to make himself feel better, and hopefully get through the rest of the night. As he entered his room, he saw Natalie tending to Tracy, putting a band-aid on her cut. He gently laid Fleur on the bed, and was covering her up when Tracy asked, "How is she?" "Sleeping. Are you okay?" He said, gauging both the words she said, and her life signs. "Yeah, it's just a scratch, nothing to be worried over." "Maybe not, but LaCroix doesn't take threats lightly." "But I'm not . . ." "Yes, you are Tracy. To him and most of the community, mortals that know of our existence are a threat. Most are made to forget, brought across, or killed. Because of your knowledge, you are considered a threat. LaCroix takes threats seriously and rarely makes exceptions." The look he gave her was what made her believe his words, he was frightened for her. "Who is this LaCroix anyway? I mean, other than the owner of the Raven and the Nightcrawler." Nick turned away and answered, "He is my master, the one that brought me across, made me what I am. He tries to make me in his image." "So he's sort of your father?" Nick grimaced at her comparison, "Yeah, unfortunately." "Gees, and I thought my father was bad. He's an angel compared to LaCroix." Nick laughed, and when they had only confused expressions of their faces he explained, "I didn't think I would ever hear LaCroix and angel in the same sentence without the addition of dark or death. And besides, thinking of your father as an angle is a little strange too." Natalie and Tracy laughed a little at the thought as well. Nick sobered, and realized Reese told him to come right back. "I need to head back. I have to explain why I have a sister, and my pseudonym was also discovered." Natalie knew exactly what that meant, and softly said, "Then you might have to move on soon." Nick nodded and told them, "I'm going to try to explain it. If it doesn't work, yeah, I'll have to leave." Nick walked by Natalie and gave her a reassuring kiss on the check, then left with a rush of air, silently disappearing from both the room and the loft. "Tracy, do you think you'll be all right if I go back to finish the tests?" "Yeah Nat, go ahead." Natalie too, left, leaving Tracy virtually alone in the quiet of the loft, with only her thoughts. And now her fear rose slightly, hoping LaCroix would not make another appearance that night, although she doubted he would. *+.*+.*+.*+.*+. As soon as he set a foot in the bullpen Nick heard, "Knight! In my office, now!" He slowly walked into the office and closed the door, dreading what was to come. "Sit sown." Reese commanded. He then handed Nick's French passport to the detective sitting uncomfortably in front of him. "Explain this," he said, gesturing to the contents of the envelope now strewn across the desk. Nick had no idea what to say, and was saved the effort when Reese stated, "You're not really Nick Knight are you? You're really Nicholas de Brabant, the present heir." In response Nick kept his head down and simply nodded. "Does the Belgian government know what you're doing!? That you are here, in Toronto, Canada, working as a Homicide Detective, endangering your life!" Reese's voice continued crescendoing until he was finally yelling. Nick's sensitive hearing amplifying it even more. After over a minute, Nick answered with a soft, "No." "You know, I should turn you over to the Belgian government, tell them that you're here. I'm sure they would be thrilled to find out you've been here for the past four or five years." He saw Nick wince and squirm in his seat and thought, 'Good, he thinks he's caught.' "Don't worry, I'm not going to because you're such a good detective, and because I trust you to not get yourself killed." 'Although sometimes I worry about my judgement.' "Just don't make me regret this decision, I could lose my job if the Commissioner, or anyone else found out." He paused then asked, "Does Natalie or Tracy know?" "Natalie does. Tracy found out my real name earlier today, but I don't know if she knows exactly who I am yet or not." Reese sat and contemplated his next move. "I won't tell her, but you better. Go and get some more work done, then before you leave come back, we still have a lot to talk about." Nick took in a deep breath, knowing if his Captain was different he wouldn't even be allowed to work at all, let alone keep his normal police position. "Yes, sir," he walked toward the door, opened it, and before closing it, softly said, "Thanks, Cap." Reese watched as his best officer sat down at his desk and dove in on the mounds of paperwork he and his partner had cumulated once again. He wondered at what other things will add to the uniqueness of Knight's past. He now knew Nick had a sister from the contents of the envelope, that was very ill at the moment, and that he was the current de Brabant heir. He wondered what it would be like to grow up in Brabant, a small village, in south central Belgium, and live in the impressive de Brabant Castle. *+.*+.*+.*+.*+. Natalie sat at her desk writing up a report while waiting for the technician to return with another microscope. For some reason this particular night was not going very well for her. The microscope she was going to use suddenly stopped working when she got the sample focused. Business was very slow, which depending on how you looked at it could be good or bad. As a result, there was only paperwork to be done. The technician, Andrew Parker, noisily came into the lab and quickly switched the microscopes. He was very helpful, especially to her when she needed to work on her 'personal experiments' and she was very grateful for his help. He was on his way home when she asked him to get another microscope, and he gladly did this for her. Before he left, Natalie told him, "Thanks Andy," as that was what most of everyone in the office called him. Immediately she went over to the cabinet where she put the three slides earlier to keep them hidden, and brought them over to the counter once again. She then made a slide from a blood sample she took several days earlier from Nick. She quickly made another slide of her own blood and placed it on the microscope. It appeared like any other normal human blood sample. Next she put the Inca's on it, and noticed it was just ordinary vampire blood. Natalie then put Nick's old sample under the scope, and got the same results. Then after carefully looking at it, switched it with Fleur's. This was definitely not normal vampire blood. She noticed that not only the vampire attachment, but another, less distinguishable one was attached to every single cell, on some it could be seen in a couple of spots. She also noticed that the cells were even more perfect than a normal vampire's, but that something was trying to take them over, some kind of virus. She then put the last slide, the one from Nick she got that evening, under the microscope and gasped. The unidentifiable attachment was present on about half of the cells, and before her eyes, more attached themselves to other cells. And if that wasn't bad enough, the virus was in his blood as well. "Oh my God. Nick." She quickly put the slides away in a drawer, locked it, grabbed her coat, purse, bag, and keys, then ran out the door to her car. This was one moment she wished she could fly. *+.*+.*+.*+.*+. Reese noticed that by now Knight would usually go home and looked out his window to call him into his office. Nick sat with his head in his hands, as if he had a tremendous headache or was very tired. Reese walked to the at present open door to his office and called, "Knight!" Nick looked up suddenly and tried to focus on who called his name. He saw the Captain, and his expression told him it was he that called him. "In my office." Reese turned around and sat at his desk, watching as Nick got up. Once Nick was standing he had to pause, holding himself up with one hand on his desk, and the other to his head, trying to regain his balance. After about several seconds, he began to make his way toward Reese's office. He never made a step before he was on his journey to the floor. Reese immediately left his office and approached as several of the other officers did the same. Secrets - Part 4/12 By the time she arrived at the precinct, Natalie was almost shaking. She hoped nothing had happened yet, but if his blood was any indication, it might have already attacked. Hurriedly she made her way up the steps and into the precinct, only to see a group of people gathered around near Nick's desk, 'Oh no, I'm too late,' fluttered through her mind. She pushed her way through the people and immediately took charge of the situation. After managing, with Reese's help, to get everyone back on task, she and Reese knelt down and she took his pulse and blood pressure for a show, so that no one would get suspicious. She was surprised when she got two beats right in a row, but it quickly slowed down, and soon she listened for a minute before she got another. 'Must have just happened. It's returning to normal,' she thought relieved, although she still wondered what could have sped it up so much. Natalie noted that he was not unconscious yet and tried to get him to wake up, hopefully with his special nature under control. "Nick wake up. It's me Natalie. Nick, come on, wake up!" After a couple of minutes she was able to get him to open his eyes, but he closed them because of the bright lights. Which was probably good, they probably would have been bright gold had he opened them. He clasped her hand hard, almost too hard, and asked, "Nat, what happened?" "I think you fainted." She said while deciding what else to say. It had to be something she could say with Reese there that would still answer his question. "I think you have the same thing Fleur does, it just isn't as serious, yet." She felt his forehead, and her hand returned with an almost invisible layer of blood sweat, and a slightly higher than normal temperature. "How do you feel?" "Better than I did before I fainted." A slight laugh intruded, then he continued, "Really, I do feel a lot better. I think I can get up." Reese looked questionably to Natalie, and she told him, "We'll take Nick into your office, okay?" He nodded in response, then she and Reese helped Nick up and Natalie led him, slightly unsteadily into the office. "Turn the lights off, they are too bright for him." He did so, then returned to his chair and studied the two friends. "Nick, how do you feel? Do you feel cold or hot? Does anything hurt?" He leaned back and closed his eyes thinking, then looking at her answered, "I feel hot, I have the headache from Hell, and um . . ." he faked thinking some more, and answered, "and I feel like I could eat a horse." Natalie understood the precise implications of his last statement, he was starving, just like Fleur. "Captain, I'm going to take him home, and could you give Tracy some time off? I need someone else with night hours that can help him, and she knows more about their unique condition than any doctor I've ever met." Reese looked at Natalie, then the tired form of his detective and remembered the events of a few hours ago. "Yeah, she can have the time off, but tell her, this goes for you too Nick, that you are both going to have a lot of overtime when you and Fleur get better. Doctor Lambert, I also want updates on their conditions often." At the mention of overtime Nick groaned slightly, but did not argue with it. "Yes sir," she then turned her attentions to the detective. "Nick, do you think you can walk to the car?" "Yeah, I'm just a little tired. I don't think I'm going to do a repeat, at least not right now." "Come on, let's go then," Natalie said as she watched Nick begin to get up. Once managing to stand, he swayed, and Natalie steadied him before he fell. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?" she asked, concerned at his reaction, and not sure if she believed what he said about being fine. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Just a little dizzy when I stood up." Reese watched as the pair walked toward the front entrance. All eyes on them watched, waiting for his steps to falter and stumble. Reese sighed, relieved nothing occurred on his journey out of the precinct. 'This was one interesting night,' he thought, and he knew that it would probably get more interesting. "Nick, come on, at least make it to the car," she urged as they walked across the parking lot, trying to coax him as far as she could. They were now struggling to get anywhere, and Natalie supporting almost all of Nick's weight. Once she got him in the passenger seat, she got in and looked over at him. He looked bad, really bad. If she didn't know better, she would say he was dead from his outer appearance. She put her hand to his forehead, discovering his temperature had risen, possibly past human normal, she wasn't sure. No reaction was received. He didn't move a muscle, not even to breathe. A layer of blood sweat, noticeable even in the darkness of night was visible on both her hand and Nick's skin. She looked closer at him and his weariness and pain were clearly displayed. "Nick." When no answer came, she said louder, "Nick!" and at the same time shook him slightly. He opened his eyes, revealing the golden presence of the vampire, red flecks imbedding themselves in their bright glow. Natalie was startled and unconsciously moved toward the door, not opening it, but just enough to distance herself. He reached out and grabbed her hand, simultaneously saying, "Nat, don't be afraid. Just hurry and get to the loft," as he spoke his now extended fangs were easily seen. Nick then closed his eyes and turned away, resting his head against the window, attempting to concentrate on something other than his urgent need of blood. Natalie quickly put on her seat belt and sped toward the loft. Her car pulled up in front of the warehouse and she walked over to the intercom, buzzing impatiently. After a minute Tracy pushed the button and said, "Who is it?" In a half-commanding, half-frightened voice, she told her, "Tracy, come down to my car. I need your help." She then went back to her car. When Tracy exited the lift, and as she approached Natalie's car, she saw Natalie squatting next to her partner's completely lifeless form, in her friend's car. He looked even worse than Fleur did when she had found her the previous morning. She sped up her approach, "Natalie, what happened?" "Nick has whatever Fleur has. He collapsed in the middle of the precinct. I got Reese to give you some time off, but we've got to find a cure to whatever this is, and soon. Tracy, we need to get him up to the loft. He's conscious, but he's too weak to walk." They supported him, one arm over each of their shoulders, and made their way toward the lift. Natalie punched in the security code and they rode up. Once in the loft, they took Nick over to his black leather couch, Natalie heading toward the refrigerator. When she returned, Tracy was sitting next to Nick, supporting him, preventing him from falling over. Nick had his head back on the back of the couch, his mouth slightly open, just showing the ends of his extended fangs, and Tracy was stroking his hair back. Natalie put one bottle on the coffee table and pulled the cork out of the one still in her hand. She then put it up to Nick's mouth and he turned his head away. "Nick, drink. You need it to get better." Reluctantly, he took the bottle and downed it and half of the second one before stopping. When he stopped he had a sour expression on his face. Then he became greenish and clumsily flew to the sink, losing what he had just drank, then turned on the water, rinsing the sink. Tracy and Natalie rushed over to Nick, now barely holding himself up by the edge of the counter. Natalie asked him, "Nick, what's wrong?" As they helped him back to the couch he told them, "I don't know. I felt nauseous when I smelt the blood. I should have told you, but instead I did what I knew should be true, and as you saw it doesn't seem to agree with me." He managed a slight smile, then leaned back again. Natalie quickly grabbed her bag and took his temperature, his nonexistent blood pressure, his pulse which was actually quite high for him, and then asked, "Nick, open your eyes." He did so and immediately closed them again. Natalie turned off all of the lights and said, "Try again." This time he was able to, and Natalie noticed that his pupils were dilated, allowing way too much light to enter his eyes, and they were still amber. "Tracy, stay here. I'm going to go check on Fleur after getting a pillow and blanket for Nick." Natalie retrieved the materials and handed them to Tracy, then went up the stairs. She entered the room to find Fleur still sound asleep, stable, but not responsive. She came back downstairs and observed Tracy, now tucking Nick in. Suddenly she felt a whoosh of air, and LaCroix was standing in front of her, fuming. This was not something she particularly wanted to see, and not something she wanted to deal with right this moment. "What have you done to my son!?!" he demanded coming within six inches of her face before going to Nick, his eyes gold, turning red. Tracy stood back, both out of instinct, and wanting to avoid a repeat of earlier. "I haven't done anything to him! I'm trying to find something to reverse his present condition!" Natalie told him, coming up behind him. Before she could continue, he cut in, "Doctor Lambert, he is dying. Just like the other one up there," he looked toward where Fleur would be. LaCroix then ripped into his wrist, and was about to give his blood to Nick when Natalie grabbed his wrist and yelled, "No!" She received a glare and the painful removal of her hand. Just as he was about to complete his earlier attempt she told him, "That's how Nick got this virus in the first place. He gave blood to the other one, the girl upstairs." She said, deciding it wasn't a good idea to tell him her name just yet, that would certainly send him over the edge if he wasn't there already. Her words stopped LaCroix immediately. He resumed his glare at Natalie, "She is not a girl. She is possibly the eldest of our kind, or at least one of the eldest. I will not leave my son here with her, she is a danger to him. She did something to me earlier." His voice faded off and he focused solely on his son's sleeping form. He sat down near to Nick and simply watched, didn't even pay attention to the rays of sunlight slowly advancing toward him. Natalie, satisfied LaCroix wasn't going to try anything at least not right then, walked over to Tracy and told her, "Don't get on his bad side," and continued toward the remote. She shut the blinds, causing the usually stoic, ancient vampire to start, at which time he finally noticed the sun was already up, and they all knew he would be there for the day. Before anyone moved, the buzzer sounded, and Natalie went to answer it while LaCroix and Tracy watched. Hitting the intercom button she said, "Who is it?" A few seconds later, Reese's picture appeared on the screen, and she heard, "It's Joe Reese. Could I come up?" "Just a second," she said releasing the intercom button. "LaCroix, get out of sight, I don't think your presence will help matters. Tracy, get a washcloth and wipe Nick's face, neck and hands off." The ancient vampire glared at her slightly, but did as she told him, Tracy also doing as she was asked. She again hit the intercom button, "Reese, come up to the second floor." She turned the alarm off so Reese could get in the elevator. Natalie stood by the elevator as the door opened. "What brings you here?" she asked the Captain as he looked around in awe at the fireplace and all of the old artifacts scattered all over the room. He stared in awe at the old motorcycle in the corner, and the Steinway piano in perfect condition. He asked, "Does he play?" having to satisfy at least some of his growing curiosity about this officer that he seemed to know nothing about. "Yes, he does, and he's very good. What do you need?" "An envelope arrived for Nick just after sunrise. It looked important and I thought I would bring it over." He looked around the loft and spotted Nick. As he walked toward his incapacitated detective he asked, "How is he?" "Um . . . Right now I think he is resting, although he is worse now than he was at the precinct." Natalie approached Reese and said, "Could I see the envelope?" "Sure, go ahead and open it if you want, I don't think Nick would object." Natalie took the envelope and opened it to reveal a letter and several other pieces of plain white paper. She pulled out the letter and silently read it. By now at least two of your race are dying. Yes, there are mortals that know of your existence. You will all die. No longer live though the centuries. I'm just speeding up the natural process. Instead of killing each other in the Game, you will die of this new virus. If you will help me in my task, I will give you the antidote and you will survive. Send a reply to the below address immediately. She suppressed the fear she felt at its words, and calmly handed the letter to Tracy, telling Reese, "Well I guess you should probably go home and get some rest. I'll update you on his condition as soon as I know more." She quickly ushered Reese into the elevator, and as soon as she turned around she saw LaCroix standing in front of her, causing her to jump. "Where is the letter?" Tracy weakly said, "Here," which caused him to take it from her after spinning around. He quickly read it, far faster than any mortal could. His eyes became gold once again, with a hint of red, the anger clearly surfacing. Natalie, knowing that it was a bad idea to be around a angry LaCroix, and wondering why the word vampire was not mentioned in the note asked, "Are you sure they know about the vampire community? I mean they never said 'vampire' and they said something about a game." LaCroix' face went blank, and after a minute was replaced by a look of slight surprise. 'He knew something.' "What is it?" "I have heard of a legend. It was about men that could not die unless beheaded. They could walk in the daylight and they were definitely not vampires. I have never met one to my knowledge, and have always thought them to be myth." "So . . . What are we going to do about this?" Natalie said gesturing to the letter, not sure how to react to LaCroix' mention of a myth. "I mean we can't just say yes, now can we?" Her last remark caused a plan to form in LaCroix' mind. "We could do exactly that, then go against them after attaining the antidote." A sparkle of revenge appeared in his still golden eyes along with an evil smile, "Doctor Lambert, write the note, tell them that we will help them. Then send it off." He retreated to the refrigerator, grabbed a bottle of blood, then went back and sat next to his son, concentrating solely on his dwindling presence. "Tracy, you go upstairs and watch Fleur." LaCroix started at the name, but Natalie told him, "She isn't the real Fleur. As far as I know she isn't even actually related to Nick. Her real name is Muriel." As silence engulfed the room, Natalie wrote a note, and after LaCroix inspecting it, put it in an envelope and addressed it. She then went outside and put it in the mail, then walked back inside. What she didn't know was a man was watching her and when she left, he took the letter out and seeing it was the correct address, went into an alley and ripped it open. They had accepted. He pulled another envelope out, identical to the one delivered to Reese, and walked toward the warehouse. *+.*+.*+.*+.*+. The buzzer broke the quietness of the room once again. Natalie went up to it, flipped it on, and asked, "Who is it?" "Delivery for . . ." the young blonde man that answered paused, looking down at his clipboard, trying to remember who signed the letter, "for a Natalie Lambert." "That's me, come up to the second floor," she said, buzzing the unexpected visitor up. The elevator arrived and Natalie pulled the door open. "You have a package?" Nervously the young man replied, "Um . . . Yes, here," and he handed the envelope to her, clearly exposing his left wrist. Natalie noted the peculiar blue circular tattoo on his wrist, but passed it off at the time, taking the envelope from him. He quickly backed up and said, "Have a nice day." Natalie let the door shut, and once the motor started, commented, "He was obviously nervous." "He was obviously sent by whomever sent the letter," LaCroix stated, as if no one else knew that. He starred at the envelope in Natalie's hand. "Are you going to open it, or shall I?" She retreated a step and said, "I'll open it." She did so and read the simple note aloud: You, those that are helping you, and the Immortals are to come to the address below before midnight tonight. Do not bring anyone else with you, specifically mortals that do not know of Immortals. Do not be late. If you are, or don't come, you will die. Below the note was an address in Vancouver, B. C. "We have between fourteen and sixteen hours to get to Vancouver. I don't know where it is, you might though," she said to LaCroix, handing the note with the address on it to him. "Yes, I know it. It is a large mansion." He did not say anymore. "We are going to need to take a plane, are you going to arrange that?" Natalie asked LaCroix, suspecting he would. "Yes," the ancient vampire said the anger still present, then stood up and took the phone and went to the table. The two mortals watch him for several minutes, then he put everything back and said, "Arrangements are made. We will be picked up at 3:30, and the plane will take off at 4:30." "That gives us seven and a half hours." About three hours later, everyone being strangely silent, Natalie had an idea, and immediately put it in action, "Tracy, get my bag and bring it to the couch." As Tracy did that, Natalie retrieved several bottles of blood and then knelt in front of the couch. She took out an empty blood bag from her bag and filled it with blood. Then after finishing setting up the transfusion stuck the needle directly into Nick's stomach, causing Tracy to look sick. He moved slightly, but then relaxed again, after emptying a full bottle she stopped, and tried to wake him up. "Nick. Can you hear me?" He slowly opened his eyes then asked, "How long was I out?" "About seven hours." He showed mild surprise, but didn't comment on it. "Do you know anything about this virus?" he instead asked, remembering what she had said earlier. "No, I don't. We will be going to Vancouver, and hopefully get the antidote." Nick was slightly confused by that, but passed it off, not wanting to waste any of his energy. "How is Fleur?" LaCroix, who until then had stayed in the background and silent, suddenly said, "She is of no concern to you." "Yes she is. We are like brother and sister." "She is dangerous. She attacked me earlier, both physically and mentally. Whatever she is, she is extremely powerful, and that makes her dangerous." The golden glow again returned to his eyes. She saw the argument forming before her eyes. "Okay, I think we should let Nick get some rest. And you, should get control of your emotions," Natalie said trying to prevent the situation from getting out of control. "Doctor Lambert, I am completely in control," LaCroix said as he approached her, his eyes taking on a crimson glow and becoming more intense by the second. 'How dare she, a mere mortal, accuse me of not being in control.' "LaCroix! Stop! You harm her and I will kill you!" Nick yelled. He stood up taking the needle out, and made it to LaCroix' position. LaCroix was now less than a foot from Natalie, and Nick grabbed LaCroix' arm before he could do anything. LaCroix turned around, aiming his scarlet eyes at his disobedient son. It was returned with the same color glare from Nick. They stood there, unmoving, each daring the other to make the first move. Both Tracy and Natalie sensed it would be foolish to interfere. Each was afraid of what they would do to each other. Natalie knew that many times they had gone at each other, sometimes one almost not surviving. They could see Nick weakening, and knew he wouldn't last much longer. She was amazed that Nick was even able to stand, let alone still be standing. At first they believed LaCroix would just wait until Nick collapsed. But no, LaCroix, without moving his gaze, backhanded Nick across the face and walked to the other side of the room, his anger still boiling. Natalie and Tracy immediately went to Nick, on his hands and knees. He was still conscious, now with a bleeding nose and mouth. He glared once more at LaCroix, then again tried to stand. Once up Tracy helped him over to the couch, and Natalie gave him blood once again. She had Tracy get a damp wash cloth to wash the blood away from his face, and once the blood from Natalie's transfusion was flowing, he slowly started to heal. After using two bottles up, and satisfied that Nick was going to be fine, Natalie stopped and approached LaCroix. "Why did you do that?" she asked, not expecting a very good answer. He turned his now golden eyes toward Natalie, and answered, "He does not know what he is doing. She is very old and very dangerous, and will surely kill Nicholas if she had the chance. I am simply protecting him from himself." "LaCroix! Nick doesn't need to be protected! He can take care of himself!" Natalie was now yelling, and only two feet in front of the ancient vampire. After waiting for a reply, and receiving none, she turned around and sat on the couch next to Nick. "Do you think you'll be okay for a few minutes?" "Yeah, I'll be fine." With his answer she gathered up her things and two bottles of blood. Natalie walked up the stairs in silence. As she entered, she noticed Fleur's condition had not changed significantly, she was still unconscious, but looked even paler. She started up the transfusion and waited as the blood did its work. After the two bottles were used up she stopped and tried to wake her up. "Fleur, wake up. Fleur." Fleur stirred in her sleep and was finally awake. Her eyes no longer showed the presence of the vampire, instead they were a bluish color, the same color as Nick's. "Who are you?" came a weak voice accented in French. "My name's Natalie Lambert, but just call me Natalie. I'm helping you and Nick." "Nick? Do you mean Nicolas, Nicolas de Brabant?" "Yes I do. I'm a friend of his. Tracy is also a friend." At the woman's confusion, Natalie explained, "Tracy is the one that found you yesterday morning." Fleur's face was now even more confused, "But, then why didn't she know who I was talking about?" "Tracy knew about vampires at the time, however she didn't know Nick was one, and he's not using Brabant either." Fleur cringed, knowing she had given away his secret, at least to her, "Sorry." "It's okay. It makes it easier to explain in the end." Natalie made to get up and go back downstairs. "No! Don't go down there. LaCroix is there." "Yeah, I know." "Aren't you afraid of him?" "Not really. I know that if he kills me Nick will be very angry, and probably kill LaCroix in the process, or at least try. How do you know LaCroix?" "He is the one that brought Nicolas across. When Nicolas came back from the crusades, he was a vampire, and LaCroix and Janette were with him. I hid my presence from them, only Nicolas could sense me, and he didn't understand why." "Do you know why?" "Yes. If I tell you, will you still let me tell him?" "Yes, but what about LaCroix. Won't he hear us?" "No, he is too occupied." When Natalie nodded, she told her, "We are Immortal as well as vampire." "What does Immortal mean?" asked, remembering it was written in the letters, and that perhaps this would be a useful piece of information. "Immortals cannot die unless we are beheaded, and we can sense each other. That is why he was able to sense me. As a result of being brought across, he became more than a pre-Immortal, which is a mortal that will become an Immortal, but is not an Immortal yet." "So Nick is a vampire, but also an Immortal?" "He's not entirely an Immortal yet, but he will be soon." "What do you mean?" "This virus I was injected with, it is in him and is causing him to become Immortal." She realized the other attachment to the cells must be what was causing the change. Natalie then remembered the note, and what it said. "What is the game?" "How do you know about that?" In response she was handed the first note, which she read quickly. "Okay. The Game is the duel that two Immortals fight. Almost always one lives and the other is beheaded. The one that lives, receives the other Immortals life force, their Quickening. It will continue until only one lives. The ones that injected me with this virus are Watchers, they have started to kill us. They wear a tattoo on their left wrist." "The one that delivered the note was a Watcher." She paused, and remembered the young man's nervousness. "Do they know about vampires?" "No, they don't." "Good, because we are going to pretend to help them, then take the antidote." "How, we can't do that on our own?" she asked, not understanding how this could happen. "LaCroix is helping us. It was his idea, and I don't think I could get anywhere by arguing against it." "Oh," she said cringing slightly. "Don't worry, his motivation is revenge, we don't have to worry too much for our own safety." Natalie sat and watched Fleur as she again fell asleep. She then went back downstairs to discover that no one had moved at all. LaCroix was still next to the fireplace and Tracy was still sitting next to Nick brushing his hair back with her hand, and he was still awake. Secrets - Part 5/12 "Nick, how are you feeling?" Natalie asked. As he responded, Nick opened his eyes, now a golden-yellow. "The same. Except now I'm cold. But I'm still tired, and hungry. Although I'm not really tired, I just feel weak." Natalie watched as LaCroix retrieved a bottle of blood and drank half of it right away, then holding onto it, drinking from it periodically. She asked, "How many more bottles are left?" "Four," was his short, concise answer. "We're going to need more blood before we leave. Can you get more delivered here so that we can take a bunch with us?" "Yes." He again took the phone and went to the table by the kitchen and dialed the number to the Raven. He told Miklos to bring a case to the loft and then hung up the phone. "Miklos will be by shortly with the blood," LaCroix told the occupants of the room, only announcing it, not really paying attention if they heard or not. He returned to his post by the fireplace. "I'm going to start giving Nick and Fleur blood continuously. Tracy, come with me." Natalie grabbed several bottles of blood and equipment to do a transfusion and went upstairs with Tracy right behind her. "What do you need me for?" Tracy asked. "I'm going to show you how to do the transfusion." "But I . . ." she said, uncertain she could do what she'd seen Natalie do. She wasn't a doctor and didn't know anything about transfusions. Besides, she had never liked doing anything like this, blood did make her a little squeamish. "Trace, don't worry, it's easy to do. All you have to do is keep the blood flowing like this." Natalie had already gotten everything set up and was showing Tracy how to get the blood in the bag from the bottle. "See. It's not that hard. Now you try." Natalie let her dispense the blood and after a minute figured out the easiest way to do it. "What do I do when I run out of blood?" "Before you run out, yell that you need more. I'm going to go set this up for Nick, and wait for more blood. If you need anything just yell, okay?" "Yeah, I will." Tracy turned back to her task, as Natalie left the room. While she was walking down the stairs, the buzzer rang and she went to see who it was. When the screen showed Miklos standing outside the elevator with two cases of bottles next to him, she hit the intercom and said, "Miklos?" After receiving a nod she told him, "Come up to the second floor." He again nodded and got in the elevator. She opened the door for him and he exited the lift and placed the cases on the ground. He nodded and said, "Doctor Lambert, LaCroix." LaCroix nodded back and then Miklos got back in the elevator and left, as silent as he had come. Natalie took several bottles up to Tracy and then sat on the couch next to Nick. She asked, "Nick, I'm going to give you blood again, okay?" "Sure," he responded softly. He was not really awake she realized, only responding to her questions with vague answers. She set up the transfusion tubes and started the flow of blood. After several minutes, color began to work its way back into his skin. She continued to give blood to Nick until it was 3:15 and they had to get ready to leave. She went and stopped the flow to Fleur as well, then she and Tracy helped bring Fleur down the stairs. When they placed her on the couch next to Nick, LaCroix moved forward, as if to prevent that action. Natalie glared at him, and he glared back but made no further move. For the next fifteen minutes they were completely still, only moving when the buzzer broke the silence. Natalie moved toward the elevator, but was stopped by LaCroix. He went up to the intercom, and seeing it was the chauffeur, told him to be ready for them. Everyone got into the elevator, Fleur being supported by Natalie and Tracy, and Nick leaning against the wall with LaCroix close by. They got into the awaiting limo with dark tinted windows that shut out all sunlight. Nick and Fleur were completely exhausted by the time they sat down. "Nick, are you all right?" Natalie noticed that he was very pale, and still appeared to be exhausted. "I'm fine, well I'm not fine, but you can stop worrying about me. I'm not going to get much worse you know." "Yeah, I know. It's just one of those human characteristics." She smiled, trying to lighten the mood somewhat, and for her trouble, got a wan smile from Nick. From what Fleur told her, she suspected that he could get worse, much worse, and she couldn't do anything about it. The rest of the trip was made in silence. Once at the airport, they boarded a small plane, which would have only the five of them as passengers, and then the pilot. Once on the plane and in the air, Natalie and Tracy again started up the line of blood to Nick and Fleur. Now their continuous supply of blood was just barely keeping Fleur conscious, as she was being affected more by it than Nick was. She was confused as to why he almost looked better and asked, "How come you are being affected by the virus more than Nick?" Fleur whispered the words so that LaCroix would not hear, even though he was restlessly sleeping, "He is changing. The virus is causing him to become Immortal, bringing those characteristics out into the open. As a result, the virus can only attack the parts of his blood that are Immortal. Soon he will by fully attacked by the virus and will not be able to walk around as he can now for short periods of time. And unlike his, my Immortality is not dormant, and hasn't been for a long time." 'Just what I thought.' "So, you are saying he is only slightly sick now, but will get much worse soon." "Yes," she answered softly. Trying to pass the time, Natalie, remembering the French passport on Reese's desk, she asked, "What did you come to Toronto for originally?" "My original purpose was to deliver official papers and other materials to Nicolas, and to tell him he is going to have to attend several meetings starting in October of this year, and spread over the next eight months. Nicolas will virtually have to live at Brabant so as to not be discovered he is actually living in Toronto." "How is he going to do this?" she asked, knowing this was going to be very difficult to pull off without Nick having to leave. "I could get Nicolas, Tracy, and you positions in Paris. This way you would be known in France, and part of Europe, but not by many in North America, if any. However, you will have to deal with reporters and a lot of publicity." "We can talk more about this later. Right now I think everyone needs to get some rest before we land in Vancouver." Fleur agreed, and within five minutes they joined the others, already sleeping. *+.*+.*+.*+.*+. The three vampires all woke as the sun set, ten minutes before they were due to land. Nick woke up Natalie, who was sitting across the isle, and Tracy who was in front of him. He pulled up the window shutter and squinted westward into the fading sunlight. LaCroix, annoyed by the bright light shining from the distant horizon, told him, "Close the shutter!" When Nick did not do so he added, "Now!" Nick did so this time, but used excessive force. As the plane landed he and LaCroix were still at odds with each other. LaCroix was the first to deplane getting in the awaiting limo immediately, Nick got off next, very slowly, trying not to stumble and fall. Tracy and Natalie carefully carried Fleur off the plane and helped her into the waiting black limo. They seated themselves, Nick and LaCroix as far away from each other as they could get. Natalie again set up the equipment she used earlier and started the flow of blood for the two weakening vampires, trying to get as much to them as she possibly could. Natalie asked, "What are we going to do once we get to the mansion?" "Do as they say to not make them suspicious, then once we get the chance, attack," answered LaCroix, his military mind working, planning all that would happen. He was going to think the whole thing through before they got there. He then spaced out slightly, wanting to know why Nicholas' bond was changing. It was getting stronger, even though he was clearly weakening. He did not feel quite like a vampire anymore, something was adding itself to the mix. Then he realized, his presence was taking on the same characteristics as Fleur. 'I will deal with this later,' he told himself, glaring at the other vampire. A half hour later, now 7:45, they pulled up in front of the massive building, immediately let in by the guard at the gate and told to drive up to the front steps. They did so, and were told to get out of the car. Outside were about a half dozen armed guards. Fleur still needed to be supported by Tracy and Natalie, and Nick was leaning back against the limo until he was held at gunpoint. "You will follow us. If you make any sudden moves, you will be killed." They entered the mansion. The inside was not elaborate like one would expect in a home, but in a headquarters. Natalie noticed the tattoo's on the leader's wrist, the one that gave the commands. It was identical to the one she saw on the wrist of the man that delivered the letter. They were then led into a large room, with a long table in the center and were told to sit at the far end. LaCroix sat at the very end with Nick and Natalie on one side and Tracy and Fleur on the other. After being seated, the one that brought them there sat down, and four other men, all wearing suits, and sharing the same tattoo also sat down. The one sitting at the head of the table, a tall dark haired man of about thirty-five, asked, "You will help us in our goal, to rid the Earth of Immortals, in exchange for the antidote?" LaCroix answered, looking at Nicholas and then Fleur, who both nodded, "Yes." "Good," he stated. A gesture was made to one of the several armed guards scattered throughout the room. He came forward and handed a pouch to the leader. He opened it to reveal a needle and a small vial of an orangish colored liquid. "Who is affected?" "I am," Nick responded quietly and gesturing to the young, long blonde haired woman across the table from him added, "She is also." "Come with me," he stated, rising and approaching two comfortable looking chairs and a couch on the far side of the room. "Please sit down." Before Nick could quite get there, he stumbled and started to collapse to the ground. The man and one of his guards, sans gun, helped Nick up and brought him over to the couch. When both were seated on the couch, the man stood in front of them. He first gestured to the woman and asked, "What is your name?" Even though there was a file on the table about both her and Nick, he just wanted to see if she would lie. If she did, it could indicate they would lie about their co-operation. She answered with the name she had been using for the majority of the past eight-hundred years, "Fleur de Brabant." "Fleur, hold out your arm." She did so and he injected her with the antidote. For a minute she shuddered in pain, closing her eyes, so as to not give away her dual nature. After recovering, she opened her eyes. They still contained a sliver of gold, but not enough to have her true nature discovered. "Fleur, how do you feel?" "Fine," she answered in a noticeably stronger voice, trying to control the growing hunger for blood. The virus had caused her to not be able to digest the blood as she should be able to, which caused her hunger to become apparent again. Satisfied the young woman had recovered from the virus, he then turned to the blonde haired man. To check his honesty he asked, "And your name is?" "Nicholas de Brabant," he stated, getting weaker by the second. He had been under an increasing attack by the virus for the past hour, and he didn't know how much longer he could stand it. "Hold out your arm." Nick did so, and was greeted with a needle and pain as the antidote destroyed the virus. As the virus died, he felt the hunger gnawing at him, demanding him to feed. Nick did as Fleur did and his eyes also contained only a slight bit of gold as he looked at the man. Nick said, "You know, you've helped us and know our names, but we don't know yours." The man shook his hand and told the two to return to the table. As they approached the table he told them, "I am Thomas Girard." He then introduced Nicholas and Fleur to his men and nodded to LaCroix to make introductions on his side. "I am Lucien LaCroix, this is Natalie Lambert, and Tracy Vetter. Although, I suppose you already knew who we were, but we do not know why we are here, exactly. I know we have agreed to kill other Immortals in return for our lives, but how are you going to have us do this?" "We will give you information on the Immortal you will then hunt, once he is dead we will give you another file, another Immortal. It will tell you how to find them, their weaknesses, every tidbit of information on them in existence. In return you will have your existence and their Quickening." LaCroix ignored the unusual words, then asked, "How many will be helping us?" "Just those you see in the room, plus the guards throughout the building." As Girard answered the three vampires listened to his vital signs, seeing if he would lie. When he didn't, LaCroix and the two others nodded. Nick told Natalie to stay seated, as the three stood up and they approached the other end of the table, LaCroix said, "Well, I would like to shake the hands of our new employers." They each took one of Girard's men's hands and after shaking it, LaCroix broke the man's neck, causing Fleur and Nick to have to do the same, otherwise they would have a larger problem. As LaCroix killed another of his men, Girard slipped out of the line of fire and signaled to his guards. They opened fire on the presumed Immortals, but instead of falling as suspected, they turned around, and stared back at them. Nick and Fleur's eyes were glowing with their need of blood, strengthened by the bullets shot into them, causing injuries that demanded blood which they knew would allow them to heal quicker. Girard again signaled to one of his men. This one grabbed Natalie and held her at gunpoint, he hoped they would stop with the threat of one of their friends. He grabbed a sword from behind a pillar not far from the table. This indeed caused most of everyone to stop what they were doing. The only movement in the room was another dead guard dropping to the ground, and Girard's slightly heavy breathing. "As a result of your treachery, she dies." The man with the gun held it to Natalie's back and Nick sprang for the guard. It was too late. By the time Nick got there, only a fraction of a second later, Natalie was already falling to the floor. He caught her and lowered her to the ground. Quickly checking for a pulse, he found none and attacked the guard, breaking his neck almost instantly. He turned back to Natalie and held her in his arms, rocking back and forth, denying this. He was so overwhelmed with grief that he didn't see Girard raise the sword behind him. Girard's arm was stopped by LaCroix' in its decent, the motion causing Nick to look up. Then anger overwhelmed him once again and he ripped Girard from LaCroix' hands, sinking his fangs deeply into the man's neck. Tracy watched as her partner, a vampire, drank from this man, something she had never seen him do and never wanted to see happen now or ever again. He was not even recognizable, except for the hair and his clothing. His visage was so horrible, she almost screamed. Nick stopped, and realizing what he had done, dropped Girard to the ground, and backed up into a wall starring with unseeing eyes at the scene in front of him. None of Girard's men survived the ordeal. LaCroix felt an ever so faint heartbeat coming from the form of Natalie Lambert, and decided he would get them out of there and inform his son of Natalie's condition. He picked her up carefully and demanded, "Nicholas, come, we must leave." Fleur picked Tracy up, and they all flew out of the house and to a corner of the grounds. LaCroix placed Natalie on the ground and looked toward his son, still overwhelmed by grief. "Nicholas, she can still be brought across, and if you don't, I will," he said in a loud commanding voice. Nick glared at his father, then with unusual strength and ferocity attacked him. LaCroix was not strong enough or prepared for his son's attack and was forced to the ground quickly. He realized, 'This is no longer my Nicholas. Something has changed him, made him stronger and more violent.' In other circumstances, he would have welcomed the change in his son, but not now. Tracy watched and remembered something about Nick from earlier, he doesn't normally drink human blood, he doesn't want to bring anyone across and seemed devastated after attacking Girard. She also remembered him stating he hated his existence, Natalie had told her he had attempted suicide before and realized she must be working on a cure for him. That, along with the fact that she was a doctor, would explain how she knew so much about his physiology. She approached Nick and put her arm on his shoulder, causing his glare to turn to her. She took in a breath then, knowing Nick could very well kill her in his present condition, and asked, "Natalie was working on a cure, wasn't she?" "Yes," he half growled. His anger was still remaining, proved by the tightening of his grip on LaCroix' throat, but grief was quickly returning. "Well," she paused, not sure how to say what she wanted. So she took the most direct approach. "If you bring Natalie across, she can work on a cure for both of you." He gave her a look of horror, "How? How can I condemn her to this existence?" "Nick, if you bring her across, she can work on a cure for both of you, then you will both be free of this curse, and she will still be alive," she repeated, trying to get him to see reason. "But, what if she doesn't see that, and hates it? Hates me?" he protested. "I'll make sure she does understand your reasons. I will explain it to her if she doesn't listen to you, but I'm sure she will." Tracy knew she had to help him, and that she didn't want to know what would happen if he didn't do what LaCroix wanted. Nick let LaCroix up and went over to Natalie's still form, and knelt down, stroking her hair away from her face. "I can't. I'd rather walk into the sun." "If you do not, I will!" LaCroix growled, and approached his son. He could not loss him, or let him throw the life he gave him away. Nick's anger again flared and he yelled, "No!" This time LaCroix not only heard the response, but felt it throughout his being, it caused him to wince, and he realized that this is the same thing Fleur had done to him before. Nicholas was more like Fleur than he suspected, much more. He realized he could not force his son into anything, and instead bargained. "Nicholas, if you let her die, I will lose you as well. If you bring her over, I will not interfere in your life again, unless you wish it. I swear it." Nick starred in unbelief at what he just heard. The promise he had wanted to hear for centuries, this time for real. He could feel the emotions radiating from his vampiric father, telling he was serious this time, and not playing some game with him. Not messing with him to get a desired result. He was going to let him live his life as he wished to, something that until now he had only dreamed of. LaCroix was letting him go. Tears began to well up into his eyes, and he started to speak but was interrupted when a piece of paper was given to him, and was told, "The address to the hotel. Be there before sunrise." LaCroix turned around and walked past Tracy before taking off into the night. When he passed, she was sure she saw two scarlet tears beginning to fall from the ancient's eyes, now a clear icy blue. Nick turned his attention to Natalie, blood tears now flowing freely down his human looking face. Tracy told him, "Nick, do it. You'll still have a chance for a cure and to be together. Besides, I don't think I could handle both yours and Natalie's death, especially knowing you could have both lived." He looked down at Natalie and listened to her slowly fading heartbeat. It then disappeared, leaving merely an echo. He knew he could not do this to Tracy, he could not let her lose more than she already had. Against his conscience, he allowed his vampiric visage to appear. He looked at Tracy, now being pulled slightly back by Fleur and sank his fangs into Natalie's neck, draining her of most, but not all of her remaining blood. Then, he sliced his wrist open with his fangs and placed his wrist over Natalie's mouth allowing her to drink in the vampire. After several minutes, he took his wrist away and allowed himself to return to normal. Nick looked at the address on the paper and after memorizing it picked Natalie up. Tracy was picked up by Fleur, and they silently took off through the night to the Hotel. Secrets - Part 6/12 When they arrived at the Hotel, they went to the room indicated on the paper. The door was opened immediately for them, revealing LaCroix, who didn't say a word when he saw Natalie and felt the vampire in her. Nick took Natalie to the bedroom and laid her down. For several minutes he just looked at her, then he repeated what he had done at the mansion. Draining almost all of her blood, then he gave her more of his blood, letting her take all she could, making her stronger, hoping she would not hate him for what he had done. At least she would be strong when she awoke, and wouldn't be as ravenously hungry as most were. He then stood by the window now letting the light of the false dawn fall into the room, and onto himself. He wasn't sure he was going to be able to handle Natalie being a vampire. When he had met her, he had hoped to regain his mortality, not drag her into the endless night that was his existence, and now hers. He continued to stare toward the horizon, his mind not knowing where he was, just that the approaching light would be the first Natalie would never be able to see, the first of many. Tracy watched from a chair by Natalie's bed as the light got brighter and brighter. Finally, when a sliver of direct sunlight fell on his arm and caused ringlets of smoke to appear, she got up and closed the curtains. At first Nick just stood staring at the curtains, but then he reached for them, pulling them open and looking into the bright light. This time Tracy physically pushed him out of the light, and pulled the curtains closed again. LaCroix entered the room and focused on his son, now with burns on his exposed skin, saying nothing. He knew if he said something he would get no response, that it could make matters worse. Fleur entered seconds later, bringing with her several bottles of blood. She handed one to LaCroix, who in turn opened it and gave it to Nick. He refused to take the bottle, instead going to a chair, sitting, then watching Natalie with unseeing eyes. LaCroix recorked the bottle, then set it down on a nearby table. He was becoming worried. Nicholas wasn't like this unless he was really depressed, and he had never seen his son quite like this. When Natalie began to wake up over an hour later, Nick was still in the same spot, and he did nothing to indicate he was going to help her. LaCroix went to her instead, and handed her a wine glass filled with blood as she sat up. For the first time her eyes glowed gold, and the first hunger began to gnaw at her. She took it and drank the glass greedily, holding it out for more, her mind not really knowing what it was, only that it would help. After she had drunk almost two full bottles, she was finally in enough control that she could stop drinking the blood, and realizing her new nature, asked, "Did you bring me across?" "No," was the answer, which even to her newly developed senses was very quiet, it almost seemed sad, no life in it. She faintly wondered why it was so soft, but a more important question was waiting to be answered. "Then who . . ." She trailed off knowing that Nick must have, but then why wasn't he sitting next to her, helping her. "Where's Nick?" LaCroix moved slightly, revealing him, then gestured to his son, still sitting in the chair on the other side of the room. She stood up and walked over to him and touched the side of his face. Nick just continued to stare strait ahead. Something was wrong, she'd never seen him like this. "Nick? Nick, answer me!" He didn't move. Then she was going to shake him, try to get his attention, when LaCroix pulled her back. "He isn't going to respond," he said whispering into her ear. She looked at him, her emotions almost overwhelming her. She turned back to Nick, and began to stroke his hair back, blood tears falling down her face, then asked, "What's wrong with him? How long has he been like this?" "I'm not sure what is wrong with him. He's been like this since just after you were shot. When he's not as you see him now, he is violent or suicidal. He seems to be in another place, thinking. He doesn't seem to know what is happening around him. I have never seen him quite like this. He has changed, my sense of him is different, it is like yours." The last was directed at Fleur with a glare. "What are you?" She was going to have to explain a little sooner than she had planned. "I am both vampire and Immortal. The virus caused Nicolas to become Immortal, to become like me." "So, this would happen to any vampire with this virus?" questioned LaCroix. 'This is a curious development.' "No. Nicolas would have become an Immortal if he had not been brought across. The reason our presence is different is because Immortals can sense each other. Because of being both vampire and Immortal you can sense some of the Immortal vibration along with the vampire. If I were just an Immortal, you would feel nothing from me." "Immortal, what exactly does that mean?" asked LaCroix. "He cannot die unless he is beheaded. Even a stake through the heart will no longer kill him. He will also participate in the Game. In it, Immortals fight each other, the winner taking the losers head and with it the Immortals power. He can either participate actively in the Game, or passively, only fighting those that will not do otherwise. He will need to improve his skills using a sword, because sometimes these hunters follow us and watch us fight. When I became Immortal, my vampiric powers were amplified, his probably will be as well. I am also able to withstand small periods of sunlight." LaCroix again approached Nick, touching the side of his now fully healed face softly, all hardness completely gone leaving only the emotions of a worried father behind. He then asked, "Can you do anything for him?" Fleur told him, "I don't know. He is blocking out thoughts and ideas he doesn't want to deal with. He needs something to jolt his mind back into awareness." He thought, then realized that is what was done to him a couple of days ago and then several hours ago. "Couldn't you get into his mind and create that jolt, like when you entered my mind?" She thought about it. 'But would it work?' "I could try. However, I can't guarantee it will work. I've never met another like me, other than him. Even if I can bring him back, I don't know what he'll be like, especially under the circumstances." "Try. I want my son back." LaCroix turned his icy gaze toward her, half a glare, half a plead, then gently pulled Natalie gently back toward where Tracy was standing. They all watched as Fleur knelt down on the ground directly in front of where Nick was sitting. She looked into Nick's unseeing eyes. After several silent minutes, she caught his mind and focused on it. She mentally grabbed onto every part of his mind that she could and commanded, "Nicolas! Wake up!" To those watching, it merely appeared to be a command, but to Nick, it was loud and clear. He shook his head trying to clear his mind. He then focused on the closest person to him, his senses returning to him in a flood. Nick was going to ask what happened when he saw Natalie, and for the first time felt her as a vampire. The vibration was that of a child - he was the one that had brought her across. The memories of the past several hours returned, and he closed his eyes tightly. He had done what he vowed to himself he would never do. He had betrayed his own morals, and this time was one time too many. He could not do this again, would not allow himself to do this again. He turned away from everyone in the room and walked toward the window once again. Nick opened the curtains completely, causing all but Tracy to look away. He stood in the sunlight, his skin burning and smoking. Tracy rushed forward and pushed her partner out of the light as much as possible, knowing what it would do. She then closed the curtains. LaCroix and Fleur pulled Nick away from the window, LaCroix demanding, "What's wrong?!" He turned strait at LaCroix, and with his visage half turned told him, "I'm a murderer, that's what's wrong!" He pulled away from them and returned to the chair on the other side of the room. At least now he was talking, and hopefully they would be able to reason with him. LaCroix immediately answered, "Nicholas, you didn't kill anyone that wouldn't have died anyway from their knowledge. You didn't kill Girard, you stopped first. Although that doesn't matter to him or anyone else, as I broke his neck." He locked his gaze with LaCroix' and unemotionally stated, "That doesn't change anything. I am still a killer." Natalie went up to him, and said, "Nick, you're still human first, no matter what your actions. Your reaction was logical, most would have done the same, or at least attempted to. And like LaCroix said, even if you didn't kill them, he would have. Otherwise the entire community would have been discovered. Nick, you can't believe this is all your fault. They were the ones that gave Fleur the virus in the first place. Then you got it, like they wanted. It was their plan and it didn't work the way they wanted it to. How can you take the blame?" By this time, Natalie was kneeling in front of Nick, half begging him to come back to her. He gave in and pulled her into his lap. "I'm sorry. I just don't think a creature like me should live. I know I definitely don't deserve to have friends like you and Tracy." "At least wait a while, don't die now." Natalie looked at him, pleading, knowing that without him she would surely die in this existence. She held onto him, not allowing him to do anything else while ruby red tears fell on her pale skin for the first time. "Don't worry, I won't." He held her tightly, and as she sobbed into his shoulder she fell asleep, and he soon after. The others did the same and slept until sunset. LaCroix was the first to wake, and made the flight arrangements to get back to Toronto. The only conversations on the trip back were necessary and unemotional. *+.*+.*+.*+.*+. The limo stopped first at the loft, everyone getting out except LaCroix, then it left, leaving the four to themselves. They entered and sat in the living room area. When the blinds began to close on their own, everyone was startled back into the present. It was morning. Nick stood and retrieved three wine glasses, filling them with blood. He took two and gave one to Natalie and one to Fleur. He then asked, "What would you like? Trace?" She was brought from her thoughts and looked up to him. "Um . . . What do you have?" she said, uncertain what to do and how to react, after all, she was the only mortal present, and she had no idea what he kept in the refrigerator besides blood. "There's orange juice and Diet Pepsi in the refrigerator. Or if you like you can have water." "How about some orange juice." She watched him pour the juice into another wine glass then approach her handing the orange juice to her. He then sat down and stared at the red drink in front of him. As he took a drink, she saw the wince, and knew that it must be human. However, unlike the last time, this time he finished the glass and went for more. Tracy said nothing, and neither did Natalie nor Fleur. The virus had weakened him, and so had his Immortality. For a few minutes an uncomfortable silence filled the room. Nick broke it asking, "What brought you to Toronto in the first place Fleur?" his voice and appearance much more lively than a few hours before, almost what it was several days before, but not quite. "I was to inform you of several meetings that are to take place in Brabant, that you will have to be at. They will begin in October and continue over the next eight months." "That's going to be a problem," he stated, and then remembered about the situation with Reese, he had to get that cleared up as well. "Yes it is. However, I could get you three positions in Paris so you would not be suspected here. They would think you are participating in an exchange," she told them, waiting for their responses. "It would work," Nick said. "How about you two, what do you think about it?" He knew he would never go along with the idea unless all three of them went. "I think it would work. And you could show us around France and Belgium," Natalie commented. "I agree, it's a good idea. That is if you don't mind?" Tracy said, not sure if he would want her around any more. He was a vampire, Natalie was a vampire, and she was mortal. She had been the one to convince him to bring Natalie across, something he didn't really want to do. Nick looked at her and saw the uncertainty on her face, she felt out of place. He allowed a slight smile to register on his face, and said, "We'll talk to the Captain tonight. If he agrees, make the arrangements." After they had all settled into their seats and received refills of their drinks, Tracy asked, "Nick, how old are you anyway?" "I'm slightly more than 800 years old." Shock registered on her face then asked, "Who are you, really?" "You already know. Nicholas de Brabant, the present Brabant heir. Although not by being passed through the centuries. I am the original Nicolas de Brabant. That's what the meetings are for, they have to deal with various settlements, and I'm sure many questions will be asked. No one has seen any of the de Brabant family for over fifty years. Well, Fleur has been living the life of my sister for the past year to year and a half I figure." Shock again registered on her face. After the case with the mysterious woman, Jeanette de Brabant that had claimed she was his sister, she had done a little research into the name. Brabant was part of the Belgian prince's title, and also the name of a large organization that donated much to charities. Then she stated, "You're loaded." Nick chuckled slightly, thinking about the half a billion in the de Brabant Foundation alone, then answered, with a smile, one of the few in the past few days appearing on his face, "That's one way of putting it." After sitting quietly for several minutes, Natalie suggested, "Why don't we all get some rest." Nick shook his head and said, "When we get up, Tracy needs to call the Captain and tell him we're coming in." "No I don't. You're going to call him and there is no reason you can't." Nick sighed then gave in, "Okay, okay. I'll call him tonight." *+.*+.*+.*+.*+. That evening Nick was the first to wake. He took a shower then woke up Natalie and Tracy. Nick explained his worry to Natalie at what her experiences might be when she went to work, and that she needed to be very careful showing her reactions. He then had his 'breakfast' and picked up the phone, dialing the precinct's number. "96th precinct, How can I help you?" the desk sergeant asked. "This is Detective Knight. Is the Captain there?" "Yes he is. Would you like me to put you through to him?" "Yes." Nick waited on the phone for Reese to pick up. "Captain Reese here." "Knight. I and Tracy are coming in tonight about a half hour past sunset. We need to talk about certain matters. Fleur and Natalie will also be there." "Do you mean about the papers in the envelope?" he asked, not wanting to give anything away to someone that was listening in, although he doubted anyone was. "Yes." "Okay, I'll see you tonight. By the way how are you and your sister?" "Fine," Nick simply said. "Fine, I've heard that before," he said remembering what Nick had said a couple of nights before in his office. 'Fine, yeah right.' "Well you can see for yourself tonight. See you later, Cap." Nick hung up, then looked over at Tracy and told her, "We need to leave as soon as possible after sunset." She nodded and went to tell the others. Tracy went home and changed, and came back to the loft just before sunset. Less than fifteen minutes after sunset they left, Natalie and Nick in his Caddy, and Tracy and Fleur in Natalie's car. Together they entered the precinct, most of the precinct watching, remembering what had happened only three nights ago. They continued walking to Reese's office, and were told to come in. After entering, Tracy and Natalie sat down, while Nick and Fleur remained standing. "So, you two seem to be much better." He said looking at the two still standing. In response they both nodded. Reese then continued, "Are you going to explain what happened?" "Both I and my sister Fleur were infected with a virus. We have now both overcome this virus and are well again. She originally came here to give me the papers in the envelope, and to inform me of several meetings in Brabant that I must attend. Fleur has suggested an exchange with our department and one in Paris, this way I wouldn't have disappeared or resigned for eight months then mysteriously come back. I would also be relatively close to the meetings. That is if you approve." Nick waited for the Captain's answer. "Yes, I approve. Will you all be going?" he asked, even though he already suspected the answer. "Yes, we all will." "When are these meetings?" he asked, hoping they weren't too soon, he still wanted to find out more about Nick before he left. "They begin in October, so I won't be leaving for at least another eight or nine months." "Okay." He paused then said, "Knight, Vetter, get to work. There is a new case on your desk which I expect you to work on _together_." Both Detectives responded at the same time, "Yes, Captain," then after looking at each other, left to their work. Reese could immediately see a difference in the two, they seemed more like partners tonight than he had ever seen before. Maybe it would be a permanent change. He hoped it would. He returned his thoughts to the conversation and asked, "Doctor Lambert, will you be coming in tonight?" "Yes, I will. First I need to take Fleur back to the loft. Tomorrow we will be late because she flies out tomorrow night." Natalie didn't know how he'd react to knowing they'd be late yet again, but somehow knew everything was going to be all right. "Very well. Have a good night." The two women exited Reese's office, and went to the Caddy after getting the keys from Nick. After they left, Reese shook his head, wandering what else best detective was hiding as he watched him and his partner working. 'Yes, everything did get much more interesting.' He decided he would let it go; for now. Continued in part seven. Comments, questions, and suggestions to: jarvinia@gmx.com